Freebie Friday: What are you reading?
So, while it's ever so much fun to regale you with what I'm reading, I think it's way past time that I start sharing the spotlight. So I'm creating a new weekly tradition: Freebie Friday.
The concept is simple: You tell me what you're reading, how you're liking it (and why), and then one of you gets a free book. I know, I know, I'm too kind.
Since this is the first week, I'll go ahead and continue my own sharing, but from now on, these posts are all about you guys.
I'm in the middle of The Good Thief, by Hanna Tinti. I've been looking forward to this one for about six months now, and so far I haven't been disappointed. Tinti's channeling some hardcore Charles Dickens, as the story follows a young one-handed orphan boy and his misadventures with a slew of characters. The only difference? It's set in 19th-century New England.
Now, I'm not a huge fan of Dickens: He tends to ramble in many different directions, and while I'm the type of reader always watching out for hidden meanings, he just exhausts me with dead ends and run-on stories.
So while I'm enjoying The Good Thief now, I recognize that it could turn on me at any moment, or you know, the other way around.
Enough about me, what about you? Share your story, and you could be the proud reader of Good Book: The Bizarre, Hilarious, Disturbing, Marvelous, and Inspiring Things I Learned When I Read Every Single Word of the Bible (whew!), by David Plotz. And if you haven't seen Plotz' Bible blog, you can check out the funny here.
Comments
I'm reading Crackpot by John Waters, his collection of essays from the mid-80s. I love how snarky he is, especially "101 Things I Hate." Oh, and that he called Stevie Wonder the worst dressed man in music.
Posted by: Jen | March 20, 2009 9:55 AM
I'm reading Peter Singer's new book The Life You Can Save. Don't care for the argument so far, but it is certainly timely and thought-provoking.
Posted by: Andrew | March 20, 2009 10:01 AM
Saturday by Ian McEwan - great stream of consciousness and an excellent flow of words. McEwan loves words, and it shows.
Posted by: Joe F | March 20, 2009 10:08 AM
The Missing by Tim Gautreaux. It's about a down-on-his-luck New Orleans man who gets caught up in a crime. Great writing and interesting characters.
Posted by: Dave | March 20, 2009 11:25 AM
Raising Steaks: Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef by Betty Fussell. I'm only 10 pages in, but how can you go wrong with a book about steak?
Posted by: linz | March 20, 2009 11:45 AM
In the Nick of Time, a Victorian mystery about the murder of a train enthusiast. It's the latest in a long (and good) cozy series by Emily Brightwell.
Posted by: Gail Farrelly | March 20, 2009 12:06 PM
"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak.
It was a little hard for me to get into at first, mostly because the narrator's style is odd (because it's Death -- like, really, the guy who takes souls from people's bodies). It's set in Nazi Germany, and for that point in time, there's quite a bit of levity.
Now that I'm comfortable with the characters, I really like it. I have about 30 pages to go, and I've started reading a little slower just to enjoy it.
Posted by: Justine | March 20, 2009 3:40 PM
Padre Pio by Bernard Ruffin. It's a biography of the newly canonized saint who endured the stigmata while he was alive, and has been credited for many miracles. Fascinating.
Posted by: Erika Robuck | March 20, 2009 3:50 PM
The White Tiger, by Aravind Adiga. This won the Man Booker Prize last year, and for good reason: Adiga nails his protagonist's voice as well as the setting, and rips apart any notion one may have (as I did) that life in India is good for more than a tiny percentage of the population. This book is opening my eyes more than (the also excellent) Slumdog Millionaire. Like the movie, it doesn't pull any punches when it comes to violence, so be forewarned.
Posted by: Thomas Bechtold | March 20, 2009 6:42 PM
Thomas, I'm glad you're enjoying White Tiger. It was difficult for me to get into, but I'm glad I stuck with it, even if it isn't the type of story I'd normally pick.
Justine, I feel like EVERYONE is reading The Book Thief. Khager on Twitter plans to read it, and plenty of others tell me it's a great book.
John Waters, steak, murder and saints -- you guys are nothing if not eclectic!
Posted by: Nancy | March 23, 2009 12:43 PM
True Believer by Nicholas Sparks. I'm not enjoying it as much as his other books. Sparks excels at being romantic about small town North Carolina and its people, but it's really heavy-handed here. Typical fish-out-of-water stuff with the New York hotshot being flustered by the slowness and quirkiness and Southern-belle-ness of the town. We've all seen (well, I've seen) Doc Hollywood already.
Posted by: pomme de terre | March 24, 2009 6:52 PM