Top Ten Books on My TBR List

November 15, 2011

I love adding book to my TBR (To Be Read) list. My Goodreads TBR list alone is an impossible 467 books, and I have many more on my wish list. When I know I really want to read a book–and will probably like it quite a bit–I buy a copy, so that it will taunt me from the shelves until I read it. This works, until it doesn’t.

“A Train in Winter” by Caroline Moorehead

November 10, 2011

In January 1943, two hundred and thirty women of the French Resistance were sent to the death camps by the Nazis who had invaded and occupied their country.

In 1941, Nazi Germany easily defeated France and struck a deal with a well-loved World War I hero, Marshal Philippe Pétain, who would lead the occupied country. In return, the Vichy government would collaborate with the occupiers.

Subscription Saturday: Vanity Fair

November 10, 2011

I first became interested in Vanity Fair because of Ned Zeman’s entertaining and creative profile of himself, The Rules of the Tunnel. Zeman is a contributing editor to VF, and his portrayal of characters like Graydon Carter and Sebastian Junger–both bigshots at the magazine–were high points of the memoir.

“Camp Nine” by Vivienne R. Schiffer

November 4, 2011

Cecilia Morton—“Chess,” as everyone calls her—is an average, gangly girl growing up in the 1940s Arkansas Delta. When her father died a few years ago, she became heir to his land and the massive holdings of his father as well. But her grandfather is not ready to relinquish control yet, and when he sells off some of Chess’s father’s land to the US government to build a Japanese American detainment camp, he sets in motion events that no one in their small town could have fathomed.

“Holy Ghost Girl” Winner

November 1, 2011

And the winner is… Amy! Congratulations, you’ve won a free copy of Donna M. Johnson’s fantastic memoir, Holy Ghost Girl! Keep in mind, readers still have a chance to win another memoir that I loved, Donia Bijan’s Maman’s Homesick Pie.  I’ll be randomly choosing up to three winners of this book at midnight on November 15.

“Wings” by Karl Friedrich

October 26, 2011

Sally Ketchum has had a hard life. Her father, a dirt-farming alcoholic and religious fanatic, made her childhood living hell. At eighteen, she meets a young, charming man named Tex Jones who frees her from the prison of East Texas, but their incredible bond is broken when he dies in a tragic airplane accident.

Top Ten Halloween Reads

October 25, 2011

This week, I’m writing about the top ten books to read to get into a frightful mood for Halloween. I realized, in preparing this list, that I don’t read too many spook-tacular books–which is a real shame! As a result, many of these titles are classics that appeal to a more literary crowd–but all should be tempting to readers with a taste for terror. Next year, I hope to spend October reading more scary books in anticipation of the holiday; I’ll start […]

A Time to Dance

October 23, 2011

Last weekend, Jack and I traveled to Lynchburg for his grandmother’s memorial service. It was wonderful to spend time with his family, celebrating the life of a woman who impacted us all and also celebrating the lives of those who are still with us. Jack’s aunt, Susie, celebrated her birthday while the family was gathered in Lynchburg, and I think we all had a great time.

Subscription Saturday: SPIN

October 22, 2011

The past few times I’ve browsed the magazine stands of local bookstores, the latest edition of SPIN magazine–dubbed the “Dance Issue”–has caught my eye. The cover features Skrillex, an American-dubstep musician that has amassed an incredible following in the short time that he has been performing. The headline? “The New Rave Generation.”