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What I've Just Finished:
The Cathedral Of The Sea, by Ildefonso Falcones. A heavy, thick, and gorgeously jacketed novel, written by a Barcelona author and translated from continental Spanish, this story takes us to 12th century Barcelona and the true story of the building of one of the most important cathedrals in Spain, through the life of a single man whose lifetime coincides with, and is intertwined with, the construction of the Cathedral Of The Sea. Fascinating.. gripping.. and enlightening.. I could not put it down, and would never have known that this book was not written in English originally, so skillful is the translation.
Edenborn, by Nick Sagan. If the author's name sounds familiar.. yes, he is the son of Carl Sagan, famed astronomer, author of Cosmos and Contact, and founder of SETI, the Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Edenborn is the second in a post-apocalyptic series.. an Earth devastated by plague and now inhabited by a grand total of less than two dozen humans..those humans having been genetically re-engineered as something perhaps both more and less than human, by bioengineers working frantically against the clock in the last days of plague. A good ripping read for those who, like myself, enjoy this sort of story. :)
Blood Noir, and The Harlequin, both by Laurell K. Hamilton. What can I say.. Miss Hamilton's books are nothing short of preposterous.. absolutely ridiculous.. but sexy, entertaining, and fun. If you are a Twilight fan, a Underworld fan, or the like.. you will probably enjoy this series, of which these are only two, featuring the exploits of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. But be warned.. this is not at ALL serious fiction..and skates awful close to being outright pornography.. but it is a lot of fun on a cold night in a hot bath!
The Enchantment Emporium, by Tanya Huff. Homegrown magic and longstanding witches in the wilds of Canada... entertaining, fun, with a tendency to avoid the ridiculous, but still does not take itself too seriously. With an extended coven of busybody witch aunts, sisters, and cousins, Miss Huff's novel is a good read that will make those plagued with an excess of interested family laugh out loud at the familiar.
Under The Dome, by Stephen King. What can I say about the eminent Mr. King? this novel is very long, and nothing short of a masterful coup, in my humble opinion as a lifelong fan. To speak of it would spoil this amazing story.. just trust me, and get your hands on a copy sooner rather than later.. its size may be daunting, but before you turn the last page you'll be wishing the book was twice again as long so that the story doesnt have to end so quickly. King himself says this story's pace is about jamming down the accelerator and not hitting the brakes till the end.. and it lives up to his promise.
Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane. For those of you who have not yet seen the Scorsese adaptation of this novel into a movie, which was actually quite good and very faithful to the novel.. go and read this book.. it has a gut-punching twist that is a wonderful reward for all the mystery and tension in the novel. I enjoyed it immensely.
The Scalpel And The Soul, by Dr. Allan J. Hamilton. Dr. Hamilton is a Boston neurosurgeon and the consulting neurologist for the television show Grey's Anatomy. His true stories are of the miracles and the proof of the human soul that surgeons see every day and do not talk about. Filled with both humor and tears, his stories will amaze and inspire, and are well worth reading.
Grave Goods, by Ariana Franklin. A mystery set in 12th century England.. involving the mystery of the tragic fire that burned Glastonbury Abbey to the ground, and the possible discovery of the bones of King Arthur. Another novel that would be spoiled by saying too much.. but a ripping good yarn that will have you turning the pages long into the night.
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, by Katherine Howe. The author is a Massachusetts native and a direct descendant of two accused Salem witches, one of whom survived when the Governor returned from Europe, one of whom was tried, found guilty, and hanged. Miss Howe's novel centers on the idea that although modern prevailing wisdom is that although many people at Salem, 1692, were accused of witchcraft, that none of them were actually practicing witchcraft. What a discovery for history if it were found that at least one person WAS practicing witchcraft! The story flips back and forth between late 17th century Massachusetts and early 21st century Massachusetts.. and is a wonderful read.. for anyone like myself who is fascinated with the Salem trials, it is impossible to put this book down.
Currently Reading As We Speak.. Yes, As We Speak... lol...
Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. Yes, I know this one has been around and bestselling for a while and there has already been time for a number of sequels to appear.. but I am just getting to it. It's delicious. The satire, the politics of Oz, the commentary on our own society.. so far it's brilliant and extremely entertaining because of the familiar Wizard of Oz stories and characters.
The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures In Narnia, by Laura Miller. Miss Miller is the co-founder of Salon.com and a literary critic.. this is a literary criticism of C.S. Lewis and the Narnia novels, from a reader whose first love is The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. So far.. filled with fair-minded insight.. and love glowing across the pages for this magical land which so captivated so many of us.. and fascinating glimpses into the man C.S. Lewis was.
The Bloody Chamber, by Angela Carter. A collection of short horror tales.. it has already won me completely with the first story, also called "The Bloody Chamber." With my love for retelling fairy tales, this first story is a brilliant retelling of "Bluebeard," surprisingly full of D/s Lifestyle references, and delighted me no end by presenting me with two new vocabulary words, which are rare for me to find anymore.. "cthonic".. and "lustratory." go look them up, it's good for you. She's right up there with Anne Sexton in my book and I'm only one story into the collection.
In The Stack To Be Read Next:
Peter And The Shadow Thieves, and Peter And The Secret of Rundoon, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (the anonymous author behind the Diary Of Ellen Rimbauer, posing as Joyce Reardon.) Retellings of the Peter Pan tales of Sir J.M. Barrie.
Full Dark, No Stars, and Blockade Billy, both by Stephen King.
The Wrong Mother, by Sophie Hannah.
The Book of Lies, by Brad Meltzer.
Bad Moon Rising, by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
The Magicians And Mrs. Quent, by Galen Beckett.
Dakota, by Martha Grimes.
Happy reading, fellow adventurers..
