The Spirit of Covington

This week I finished The Spirit of Covington by Joan Medlicott. This is the fourth installment of the Ladies of Covington series. (Have I been reading a lot of series lately, or what?) I love this series. I read the first one a number of years ago. The story is about 3 ladies in their late 60's & 70's widowed and alone who move in together in the small town of Covington and basically begin another life. They've all experienced heartache but they have so much life and love left to give. In this book their beloved farmhouse burns to the ground and while they are rebuilding they discover how much they need one another and the simple life they've built. Along the way we've met many other characters in this small North Carolina community. I grew up in a small town myself so I can relate to so much of this series. I have the next installment on my bookshelf waiting for me. The reading is light but refreshing and inspirational. I've read several books in a row that I would prefer to as 'light'. They provide sufficient entertainment but do not challenge the reader cognitively. It's time to delve into a more series mystery next.

Dakota Born

I finished the first book of the Dakota Trilogy by Debbie Macomber, Dakota Born. This book was first published a number of years ago and it does not have the same polish as Macomber's later novels. My favorite series by this author is the Cedar Cove Series. Dakota Born has a typical formula. The heroine, Lindsay, moves to the remote town of Buffalo Valley, North Dakota. She meets a man and they spend the entire book trying not to fall in love. The ending is predictable. That is not to say that it was not enjoyable. I will probably read through the rest of the trilogy. The story introduces a lot of characters and leaves you wondering how their lives turn out. Another series I've enjoyed by Debbie Macomber is the Blossom Street series.

gods in Alabama

I finished gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson. Although it was short, it was a surprisingly good read. It is a first novel by this author and came filled with praise by other authors. It is hard to describe the genre of this story. It is partly a Going Home tale, part mystery, part comedy. Being from Alabama myself I am very sensitive to stories about the Deep South. Often the people here are misrepresented. But Jackson did a good job capturing the spirit of the small rural town (fictional) society. I love the opening line of this book: "There are Gods in Alabama: Jack Daniel's, high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus." I really enjoyed this story and will pass it on to others.

I had only one small problem with the book and it has worried me until I must talk about it here. Usually I overlook small editorial type errors but this was too much. The heroine, Arlene, is at her former home in the small town of Possett, Alabama. She gets out her boyfriend's laptop and logs on to the Internet to do a little research. Just like that. Is the author expecting us to believe that her Aunt and Uncle (who raised her) have wireless Internet way out in the sticks of Lower Alabama? It seems unlikely. But if you can overlook this small infraction, it is a great story.

The Winding Ways Quilt

I finished the Winding Ways Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini. This is #12 in the Elm Creek Quilts Series. It is a light, short read. It was just what I needed - upbeat and refreshing. I've enjoyed this series immensely. It has made me want to learn to quilt, actually. Chiaverini has done a good job finding original ideas to continue the series without growing stagnant. This latest novel gives us a lot of background on some of the original characters which was previously unknown. It may be predictable sweet with a satisfying ending but sometimes it nice to have that without too much complication.

Stone Heart

I finished Stone Heart by Luanne Rice. When I purchased this book it looked like a new book by Rice but in fact within a few pages I realized I had already read it. I think it is a re-publish. It is clear from the reading that this is one of Rice's earlier works. Her writing style has evolved a lot since this novel. The novel addresses domestic abuse and is set in Connecticut like many of her novels. I thought it somewhat splotchy - the plot not as well developed as it could have been. Their is a lot of character development for the main character but the secondary characters are left somewhat one dimensional. The conclusion is also a little sketchy only implying the details which you long to read. If you plan to read every book Rice has written then certainly you shouldn't miss this one. But she has written so many other much better books. Among them I recommend: Dream Country, Dance with Me, Summer's Child and Beach Girls.

The Magician's Assistant

I just finished a delightful book, The Magician's Assitant by Ann Patchett. I'm not sure where I got this one. I found it on my bookshelf and it seemed to interesting. I started reading it waiting it in carline on Thursday afternoon. I finished it this afternoon. It is a compelling story of love and loss. Well, you can read the reviews yourself at the link above. The general plot though is of a woman discovering, after the death of her spouse, that he had a whole past life she never knew about. In this past and the family she discovers a way to handle her grief and move on with her life. It was a page turner. If I hadn't had to work all weekend I probably could of read it in one day. It reminded me pleasantly of The Time Traveler's Wife. The beginning was very depressing, I must warn you. But I couldn't put it down and the book does end happily if not very satisfactorily. (I didn't want it to end.)

Why I Read

When I have time I am going to go back and review a few more of the books I've read this year and maybe re post the book review posts from my other blog. Mostly, I am going to do this so I can save these posts for myself.

I have people all the time upon discovering the number of books I read in a year who seem shocked. They mutter things like, "I don't have time to read." Or, "I haven't finished a book in ten years that didn't rhyme." What I have to say to this is: You make time for what you want to make time for. In other words Reading is my Hobby. Some people collect things, play the piano, scrapbook (endlessly), play bunco, do crafts or (gasp!) exercise. I read. Last year I read over 70 books. The circumstances were unusual. For about 15 months I accepted a job where I spent most of my time sitting endlessly with little to do. I read a lot. This year like the years before last I will probably read around 50. Averaging about 1 book/week. Some books take less, a few take more.

I started writing down in list form the books I read in 2001 because my mom was doing it. I find this archiving very helpful in remembering what I've read and in looking for ideas of new things to read. But in the beginning I got a little obsessed with the listing. You see, I was noticing how much I read and then being the extreme 'A' type personality I am it became a contest to see how much I could read in a year. So the next year (2002) I didn't write any of the books down. By the beginning of 2003 I realized the usefulness of a list and began again only this time without numbering them. When I started blogging I found it very useful to record the books I was reading on my blog. Now I list the books I've read at a website called Goodreads.

I buy a lot of books and I save very few of them. I just don't have the room. I loan them out and give them away. I trade some on a website called Bookins. I try not to buy Hardcovers except from my favorite authors. I do borrow from the library but with my schedule and the location of our library it is not as convenient. My favorite book site is of course Amazon.com and I have been purchasing books from them since 1998. I know this because they have been kind enough to save all of my ordering history (another useful tool). I am a big fan of this website. Although, currently I am trying not to spend too much money on books I still use the site quite a lot. Nothing quite matches going into the book store and browsing (oh how wonderful they smell!) but most of the time I find a book I want to buy and I order it (it is cheaper that way).

So back to my hobby. When do I have time to read? I read every evening before bed. I read every day during my lunch break. (Did I mention that I have a full-time job?) I read while waiting. (While waiting at the doctor's office, for people to show anytime I'm meeting people, while waiting in carline, while waiting anywhere). I always have my book with me. Sometimes if a book is really good I might read instead of sleeping. I used to read for 30 minutes before going into work in the morning but circumstances have changed that.

I read because I enjoy it. I read for my personal entertainment. I do not read to improve my education or for enlightenment. I dislike reading non-fiction. If a book does not keep my attention in the first 100 pages I am not opposed to putting it down and starting another. I do not read books where the central plot is a love story (i.e. trashy romances with women half-clothed embracing hunks on the cover). I do not read horror stories as a general rule although I have read half a dozen of Stephen King's earlier books. I do not read science fiction (although I read a lot of these in my youth). I love legal thrillers and British murder mysteries and thrillers. A few years ago I got a hold of a list of the 100 best book or some such nonsense and shocked at the few books on the list I read I went back and read about 15 more of these. And I did find some surprises but also I reaffirmed my belief that I should read what I enjoy and not what some numchuck has decided should be on a 'best' list.

My favorite authors include: John Grisham, Nevada Barr, James Rollings, Lincoln Child, Maeve Binchy, Steve Martini, Douglas Preston, Matthew Reilly, David Baldacci, Elizabeth Berg, Michael Crichton.. well they just go on and on. I would be hard pressed to name my favorite book of all time but my favorite series is The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon.