reading roundup, July-August 2012

I've been doing a lot of writing lately.  Like, A LOT of writing ... averaging about 10,000 words a week.  This is a pace I've never maintained before and I don't know how long the inspiration will last ... I'm just letting the stuff flow while the tap is open. 

I mostly write during the day and tune out with books or TV at night.  Here's what I've been reading over the summer.

• 73. Strangers in Death, by J.D. Robb.
• 74. Salvation in Death, by J.D. Robb.
• 75. Goat Song, by Brad Kessler.
• 76. The Slightest Provocation, by Pam Rosenthal. Well-written and sexy historical romance.
• 77. Almost a Gentleman, by Pam Rosenthal.
• 78. Home, by Witold Rybczynski. A great, accessible social history.
• 79. A Loyal Companion, by Barbara Metzger. Wonderful Regency romance, with dog.
• 80. Code of Silence, by Sally Wright.  Tense post-WWII thriller.
• 81. A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  A ripping yarn!
• 82. Ballroom! Obsession and Passion Inside the World of Competitive Dance, by Sharon Savoy (reviewed previously).
• 83. Conference at Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibbons.
• 84. Bambino and Mr. Twain, by P.I. Maltbie. (cheater entry; this is a children's book, based on a lovely true story) 

 

• 85. The Gods of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
• 86. Kitty Steals the Show, by Carrie Vaughn. Our favorite werewolf, in London.
• 87. A Breed Apart, by Pierre Davis. Really a perfectly-constructed thriller. Highly recommended.  It's a bit like Michael Crichton, but with much better characters and dialogue.  And a dog.
• 88. I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith.
• 89. Point of Honour, by Madeleine Robins. A "hard-boiled" procedural set in an alternate Regency (first in a series of three).
• 90. Petty Treason, by Madeleine Robins.
• 91. The Sleeping Partner, by Madeleine Robins.
• 92. The Nerd Who Loved Me, by Vicki Lewis Thompson.
• 93. The Starlight Barking, by Dodie Smith.  A totally delightful little allegory starring the dogs of "101 Dalmatians."
• 94. The Door Into Summer, by Robert Heinlein. SF classic of time travel two ways ... bristling with intelligence and wit, romantic, and featuring a truly great cat.
• 95. Summer Campaign, by Carla Kelly.
• 96. Miss Chartley's Guided Tour, by Carla Kelly. 
• 97. The Ballroom Dance Coach, by Jessika Ferm. Quite a good book.
• 98. Leonard Cohen (Everyman's Pocket Poets)
• 99. Marian's Christmas Wish, by Carla Kelly.
• 100. Miss Grimsley's Oxford Career, by Carla Kelly. 

As you can see I went headfirst into Regencies last month, due largely to mental fatigue.  Of the above-listed books, the ones I took the most notes from were the ballroom books (obviously), but also "Home" and "Goat Song."  Here is a beautiful passage from the latter. 

"A good bale retains the colors of its plants, a deep sage green.  You can see the individual dried grasses and legumes packed inside, the leaves and flowers and buds about to bloom; each stalk and bud should look as if it had been lovingly pressed between the pages of a book. You can break open a bale and sniff its vintage ... . The odor should be so complex and spiced you want to cook with it or eat it or smoke it or rub it in your hair.  It should smell, in other words, like food."

Comments

[nicoleandmaggie]

I did not know there was another cold comfort farm book...