Summer vacation is coming (June 12 -- YAY!!!!!!!!!!) and with it, lazy days of reading on the back porch punctuated by afternoon naps. In preparation I have put a number of books on hold at the library. Just to update my interested bookaphile readers (all 6 of you!) here is my current reading: I have taken a break from Queen Bees and Wannabes, Silk Road, and The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins. They just weren't grabbing me, if you know what I mean.Now I am reading In A Dark Wood Wandering: A Novel of the Middle Ages, first published in Europe in 1949, and translated from the Dutch. I picked it up on a whim at the public library friends' shop It's a tome -- 574 pages of dense print -- but so far, so good. I'm finding it to be very engaging.
Next up: Daniel Pinkwater's The Neddiad: How Neddie Took the Train, Went To Hollywood, and Saved Civilization. Followed by The Iggyssey, also by Pinkwater. He is an author I frequently forget about, but I am always delighted by his writing. We used to torment our childless friends -- the ones who were scared of our children back when we were all younger and I hadn't yet become a hermit -- by forcing them to read Pinkwater's picture book The Wuggie Norple Story aloud. (Our youngest daughter, however, gave us our just desserts by insisting that we read it every night and change all of the characters' names to people she knew. Reading it became an ordeal of her barking out corrections at us: "NO, not Wuggie Norple. Petey!" Oh, how I miss those days now.)
Anyway, stay tuned for further book reviews.
7 comments:
I read one of his books, a memoir, and loved it. He used to be on various NPR news shows (and, hilariously, once called into "Car Talk" while I was listening--those guys call him "Pinky"), but I haven't heard him for awhile--but then I don't listen to the news like I used to....
My sister is a big fan of Pinkwater's dog training books. Speaking of dogs, how is Larry?
I trust your book reviews. You recommended the Book Thief last year and I love it. More please!
I know I've read some of Pinkwater's kids books. Haven't I? I expect you to be all-knowing on the books tonight, don't I?
Of course you've read some of his kids' books! I Was A Second Grade Werewolf? The Blue Moose? Return of the Moose? The Hoboken Chicken Emergency was made into a PBS Wonderworks movie starring the little kid from A Christmas Story; it's hysterical.
And Lisa, I'm glad you are enjoying The Book Thief. Check out Zuzak's book I Am the Messenger. I loved that one too.
Poor Larry is getting old and slowing down. He still makes it up to our top apartment in a four floor walkup, and he still makes it up the stairs at St. Nicholas Park. Bu sometimes I look at him and become acutely aware of how old he is....
Give Larry a hug from me. He's a great dog.
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