The Sage Book Whisperer's SUMMER through Fall Reading List 2014

 

 Well.....Maybe Not just Yet(Official 6/21/14)....BUT.....

Here we go! It's that time of the Year....to choose BOOKS to Read. This year I'm going from "Classic American Literature"_both American & African-American Authors. And,a little bit of Contemporary. I'm in love with Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce Series (2009-14)_an outrageous 11 year old Sleuth. And a Classic_ Father Brown Mysteries (1911)by G.K. Chesterton.I love The Father Brown TV Series on PBS_thought I'd read Chesterton's work.I'm a big Agatha Christie Fan, so that works for me! Fun-"Who Done It" kinda stuff.So here we go...I've already started & finished some of my choices....p.s. might have to add mo'books,mo'books,mo'books...YES!

"Classics & Mysteries Reading List 2014"                                                                  ********

1.The Power of Sympathy (1791)by William Hill Brown & The Coquette (1797) by Hannah Webster Foster 

Overview_"The Power of Sympathy"_A tragic LOVE STORY,Sibling who fell in love without knowing they were related_Epistolary form of writing.

Overview_"The Coquette"_Based on the life of Eliza Whitman a woman seduced & abandoned courted by two different men,who give up on her & get married_she flirts, has illegitimate stillborn,etc.. COQUETTE : a woman who endeavors without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men. We all know many in today's world!

2.Charlotte Temple (1794)  by Susanna Rowson 

Overview_"Charlotte Temple"_is a "seduction tale" which warns against listening to the voice of Love & counsels resistance_was a Best Seller during it's time 1790's.

NOTE: First American Novels_late 18th cent. & early 19th cent.

3.The Legends of Sleepy Hollow,Rip Van Winkle & Other Short Stories (1820) by Washington Irving 

4.The Ways of White People (1934) by Langston Hughes

One of the Great Harlem Renaissance Writers_1919 until the early or mid-1930.

5.I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings (1969) by Maya Angelou 

         ~In Remembrance of Maya's recent passing~
NOTE: I'm happy to say _my bid at EBAY Auction garnered me a 1st Edition Hardcover in pristine condition)

6.The Catcher in The Rye (1951) by J.D.Salinger 

 NOTE: Read this in Eng.Lit at Univ.of St.Thomas Houston in 1967...a re-read!

7. Father Brown Mysteries (1911) by G.K. Chesterton 

8.Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce Series  in order of Publication:
#1 The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie_ Read last year...got hooked! 

#2 The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag...loved it!  

#3 A Red Herring without Mustard...OMG!!!!   

#4 I Am Half-Sick of Shadows...finished yesterday 6/8/14 ..so good

#5 Speaking from Among the Bones ...started 6/8/14...yes that's a correct date!

#6 The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches...up next_last in Series 

I could re-read them all over! Just when you think you know WHO-DONE -IT...You will be so wrong.

I will have to Post a Follow-up on some of these Adventures...especially on #1 & #2 on the List....mmm,some contend this was Early "50 Shades of Grey"...Stuff...we shall see. Until,that time...

End of Summer :Sage Book Whisperer Book Review

At 61 degrees this morning_ I'm thinkin' Texas Summer 2013 is Done & Done...get outta here!

So_ thought I'd catch you up on some of my Summer 2013 Reads! I kinda got sidetracked ...didn't stick to my List totally...
Nevertheless,had some very good reads. BUT..."First things First"_ came across these two books I purchased in 2001 at.. 

..in Marlborough, NH! It is a Book Lover's Dream come true, lots of books,quaint and beautiful hard to find books. I still have the receipt_ paid a total of $5 bucks for....

                               "In The Quarters" by Robert W.Chambers_copyright 1894

                                 "The Master's Violin" by Myrtle Reed (1904)

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the first one was considered rare and bidding at EBay auction was at $300 & the second was at $100! At $5 for both_ I'd say that's a pretty darn good profit_(if I were to sell).They are both in pristine condition. Heck! I'm scare to read them now.

Overview of my Favorites

As the back flap says_ "this is a charming and engrossing tale that will captivate readers from the first page, and leave them yearning to visit the Irish countryside of days gone by." I loved it...funny, serious, very Irish & charming. The Author has a Series of books_ of all things Irish.
http://patricktaylor.ca/

Everything you always wanted to know about a "SOUTHERN
WOMEN AGING GRACEFULLY"! This is one FUNNY book!You will see a little bit of yourself in all the chapters_btw_they are short chapters some of which are titled: Aging Gracefully,
Sleeping with a Snoring Man, Your Mama was Right When She Said, Southern Women and Cemeteries, Did You Have Enough to Eat, The Pity Party Box, Southern Women and Theme Parties(I'm guilty),etc...I'm planning on reading some of her other books.
http://melindaraineythompson.wordpress.com/

Another Laugh Out Loud book....which inspired me to write a Blog post of my memories on the front porch swing in East TX.
http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/09/customs-of-countryporch.html#links 
The Author mostly writes Children's books_ but this one caught my fancy. The stories reminded me so much of the ones I grew up hearing. Here's a list of other books,etc.
http://www.paperbackswap.com/Patricia-C-Mckissack/author/ 

I love..."WhoDunit" books! But of course,I'm an Agatha Christie Fan.Searching the category, I came across this book which was "Winner of The Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger Award".That got my curiosity going.Gave it a read..Boy it was a page turner.Although,I must say the eleven-year-old sleuth begged for me to come into the pages  and give her an old fashion spanking because she was always getting into trouble...at her own doings!Precocious little rascal.  

I liked the  way Alan Bradley wrote this book....with some historical twist and turns.As a result,I learned about the Penny Black.The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It was issued in Britain on 1 May 1840, for official use from 6 May of that year

If you don't know...I'm somewhat of a History Buff. So, a good page turner(like this book)_coupled with historical trivia thrown in for safe measure...I'm good to go! I adore Bradley's
take on this impressive little sleuth. There's more in this Series
on Flavia de Luce_
 http://www.flaviadeluce.com/view-authors-bio/


Other...
I rounded out my Summer 2013 with_
"Memories of My Melancholy Whores &The Vulgar Tongue".
Read Blog on those two here:
http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-art-of-vulgar-words.html

Fell in Love with the Beekman Boys 1802 after reading Josh-Kilmer Purcell books:"Bucolic Plague,Candy Everybody Wants & I Am Not Myself These Days".Check out my Blog on them here:
http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-fan-tabulous-beekman-boys-1802.html



"Holiday On Ice"by David Sedaris_mmm ,interesting book.Can't say I liked it_but_can't say I didn't??? It was a take on various Holidays and the issues that come with them...for example_Diaries of a Macy's elf and the annals of two very competitive families, are Sedaris's tales of tardy trick-or-treaters ("Us and Them"); the difficulties of explaining the Easter Bunny to the French ("Jesus Shaves"); what to do when you've been locked out in a snowstorm ("Let It Snow"); the puzzling Christmas traditions of other nations ("Six to Eight Black Men"); what Halloween at the medical examiner's looks like ("The Monster Mash"); and a barnyard secret Santa scheme gone awry ("Cow and Turkey").

I have a couple of books I'm finishing up, started a movie/reading Marathon on all things "Peyton Place" so you'll hear about that...I'd say I need to kick my reading speed up to complete my List. But, I guess there's always room for a stray book or so...because_

I'll be updating my Reading List for Winter 2013! Any suggestions?

"Until next time, Read Something"!