Second Time Around

In my search for books, I often scour Thrift Shops, used book stores and yard sales. While searching the Goodwill, I could not believe my eyes.

Mark Arax's In the Name of My Father, Daniel Chacon's And the Shadows Took Him (hardcover & autographed), Joyce Carol Oates, Wonderland, and Isabel Allende's Paula were all there waiting to be given a home for the second time around.

Gladly, I opened my doors and my wallet and purchased all four books for a criminally insane low price. These books are priceless. I have been dying to read Arax's book about his father. And well Chacon, I am a fan of all his work.

Allende and Oates are always treasures that I welcome to place among my collection. I look forward to reading these book and reviewing them.

In my blog absence I have read: Hope by Amanda Berry and Gina Dejesus, `Wild by Cheryl Strayed, Forgiven by Chiqui Rivera, F.X. Toole's Rope Burns, The Book of Strange New Things by Michael Faber, Different Kind of Same by Kelley Clink a memoir and my current read, the amazing Toni Morrison's God Help the Child. 

Reviews to come soon.

Happy Reading

Francine

Beloved

I have been dying to read this book. Last week I spent my lunch hour at Book Nook on Herndon and First and browsed their used books for goodies. And I was fortunate enough to find this gem.

Toni Morrison is such an amazing, talented and gentle writer. She writes with such tenderness that her sentences make my heart ache, a good ache, an ache of love. I wish I could somehow capture her technique and write with her keystrokes, but still like myself of course.

This is my fun read. The book I read in between reading Powell's 25 Books to Read Before You Die. I really just read everything I can. I am also re-reading Stephen King's "On Writing", which is essential for writers.

I will review this book once I am done. So stay tuned in the American Writers tab for this beauty.

Happy Reading!

~Francine

New "Before You Die" book

Well this is 7 of the 25 "Books to  Read Before You Die" for me. I purchased this book at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, against my will of course. I promised myself that I would not buy any of these books full price. I went to local used bookstores & thrift stores and was unable to find any of the books listed on Powell's 25.

It was a very inexpensive purchase, around $8 bucks and in a small but fat paperback. I am on chapter 2 and so far in awe of it. Abbey's writing is raw and in just a few chapters I have already began to flow with the beauty his sentences form. It is like swimming in a calm river and taking in every vibrant feel, touch, and scene to behold. It is writing of the world and nature at its finest. Mind you; I am only on the 2nd chapter. I look forward to devouring this book.

Happy Reading!

Stay tuned for the review.

Francine :)

Loving Geek Love!

photo credit: Francine Ramos (me), Red Devil Hot Sauce added for oddity factor, in juxtaposition with books contents.

 

 

I just picked up Katherine' Dunn's, Geek Love. Geek Love is one of Powell's Books- 25 books to read before you die. I have now read 5 of the 25 books and am on number 6, only 19 more to go.  

I purchased this book at Book Nook in Fresno. It was very inexpensive priced at only $6.

I am completely loving this book so far and I am only on the second chapter.

It is odd, nothing I expected and I am in complete awe of it. Stay tuned for the review and I hope that some of you, any of you are following along and up for the 25 books to read before you die challenge.

Francine

What's on my nightstand...

 

 

 

 

Four and a half days off of work and what do I do but read at every free chance I get. Here are a few of my nighttime reads; Five books, a journal, two New York Times Book Reviews, my Kindle and a pair of reading glasses with an attached don't-lose-me-nerd-chain. There are also a few pens hiding behind the books.

 

I enjoy reading short stories or plays for fun. They are just short little pieces of heaven and if it is good, as these two books are, then I am happy. This week I read Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and started The Crucible. Miller is one of my favorite playwrights. I just love his flawed characters and the epiphanies that come to each as their human shortcomings are revealed. I could only imagine how wonderful these plays must be like to view on stage. 

 

I found it interesting that the phenomenal actor Daniel-Day Lewis is married to Arthur Miller's daughter Rebecca Miller. And Daniel Day-Lewis's father is former poet-laureate Cecil Day-Lewis. O the great genes of those two! Talk about literary royalty.

 

The second book I am reading is 2013 Nobel-Prize winner in literature, Alice Munro's short-story collection Something I've Been Meaning to Tell you. Munro is such a fabulous writer. Her stories are like droplets of sugar, so comforting and profound it will have you wanting more.

 

 

I am also reading Into Africa by Martin Dugard. This was a recommendation from my boss. I just started it. Cannot say much about it other than Dugard's use of adverbs can be excessive.

 

I also lightly reread Virginia's Woolf's A Room of One's Own. I want to memorize the entire book. It is amazing, completely inspiring for any woman.

 

The fifth is The Wet and Dry by Lawrence Osborne. I like this book but always put it down once I get a new one. It is on my to read list by the end of the year.

 

Lastly, is my journal. I rarely write in it. I keep it nearby incase an idea for a story pops into my head.

 

There you have it. This is what I have done and will continue to do as the holiday continues. Reading is so relaxing.

 

So what is on your nightstand and what will or are you reading this holiday weekend?

 

 

 

~Happy Reading!

Francine

 

 



Books to Read Before You Die.

25 Books to Read Before You Die

According to Powell Books there are 25 books everyone should read before they die. I looked over the list and am pretty interested in many of the books. I have read a few already and a few of them I found on my bookshelves in my “to be read” section.

This will be my new challenge to attempt to read through this list before I turn to dust. 

I am adding the complete list below. I have placed an X next to the ones I have already read, and next to the one I am currently reading I have placed an * asterisk.

Eventually, I will add a tab for reviews of these 25 books for anyone to follow along. Also, if any of you would like to read along with me, feel free.

I am excited to get started on this list some of these books sound amazing. Several of these authors I was unaware of, so to now read their work should be a delight.

1.     2666 by Roberto Bolano

2.     All About Love by Bell Hooks

3.     Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

4.     Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

5.     Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

6.     Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

7.     Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

8.     A Good Man is Hard to Find & Other Stories by Flannary O’Connor     X

9.     The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

10.                       The HItchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

11.                       If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino

12.                       Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

13.                       The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

14.                       Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

15.                       Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

16.                       Maus by Art Spigelman

  

17.                       Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro                              *

18.                       A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

19.                       The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

20.                       Poems by Elizabeth Bishop

21.                       Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

22.                       Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe                                X

23.                       To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee                              X

24.                       Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak       X

25.                       The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

 

Happy Reading!

Francine

 

 

Books!

As far as books are concerned I, of course, have read several. I am in the process of reviewing them now. Here are a few that will be up for review soon. In no particular order just as they come to mind.

What I have read & will be reviewing

1. Unending Rooms by Daniel Chacon
2. Churched by Matthew Paul Turner
3. Conversations with History by Susan Lander
4. So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore

What I am currently reading

1. The Book of Strange New Things by Michael Faber
2. Baghdad by Justin Marozzi
3. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore
4. The Normal School, Winter edition, Steven Church, Sophie Beck (literary mag)

The following three books, I ordered last week. I have been impatiently waiting to read them. I went to ALL local bookstores in FRESNO! I live in Fresno. We are not a San Francisco or a big L.A.. However, we in Fresno are a bigger metropolitan city than many would like to believe and sadly, none of the bookstores had a copy, not one copy of these amazing books below.

The only big chain bookseller we have in Fresno offered to order all three for me. I instantly turned them down. 

It truly was disappointing. Nevertheless, I ordered them and the books are on the way to my home. Hopefully, I will get them by the end of November. .

Books I have ordered and cannot wait to receive!!!!!

** Hosoi by Christian Hosoi (I totally respect this man. my youth, my punk days! skate)

 

 

 

 

Afterlives of the Saints by Colin Dickey (omg cannot wait for this one!!!)

 

 

 

Snow in May  by Kseniya Melnik (I was not approved for an advance copy due to living in the Western world. I was told they wanted reviewers from another part of the world  :( ... I still want to read it. I love Russian writers)  
 

If any of you would like to read along with me, it would be a pleasure to read with you. If you have any suggestions please let me know. I am always looking for new authors to discover.

Happy Reading,

Until Next time..

~Francine