August proved to be a very fruitful month as far as reading went.
I started off finishing "The Poe Shadow," by Matthew Pearl. I discussed Pearl's "Dante Club" last month. This work was just as reasearched as the last, but was different enough to make reading it a joy. As a longtime Poe fan, I found the questions surrounding his death intriguing. While "The Poe Shadow" is somewhat of a mystery, the ending left this reader wanting more. As I do my shopping for September's books, I will be picking up Pearl's latest work, "The Last Dickens."
I am usually hesitant to buy a book just because everyone else in America is reading it. Somehow the oversaturation in the market turns me off. Maybe I just dislike being "one of the crowd." Whatever the reason, I did not read the "Left Behind" series by LaHaye and Jenkins when the rest of the world did. However, earlier this year Tim LaHaye spoke at an end times conference at Harvest, and it piqued my interest. I've been reading the book as they come out in collector's editions, including 3 books in one volume. This month I read the third collection known as "Evil's Edge." This volume includes the books, "The Indwelling," "The Mark," and "Desecration." I find the whole series to be easy to read, captivating page turners. Each book ends at a point of high excitement and tension, so you immediately want to pick up the next to find out what happens. At this point, those left behind after the Rapture of the Church are midway through the Tribulation. The Antichrist become indwelt by Satan himself, and forces all "loyal" citizens to take his mark, those who don't face the guillotine. The 100,000 converted Jews head for safety in Petra, and Satan desecrates the Temple of Solomon in Isreal. While these books could be called "historical future" as opposed to "historical fiction," they are one view into what the end times will be like. If you're curious about the book of Revelation, go ahead and read this series. Just keep in mind that all Biblical prophecy is open to interpretation. The final set in the series, "World's End" is due out in September, so I will be picking that up along with the Pearl book.
I was lucky enough to join an advance copy reading group, and enjoy nothing more than getting to read a book before it's actually published. It used to be one of my favorite things about working at Barnes & Noble. This month I received a work by new author, Bruce Machart entitled, "The Wake of Forgiveness." While it is technically a western, the beautiful prose speaks as lyrically as a Shakespearean sonnett. With themes including love, family, loss, forgiveness, revenge, and redemption, I would suggest this as a must read. It will be published Oct. 21 - go pick it up, you will not be disappointed. I look forward to Machart's next work.
Continuing my journey through the powerful women of England's past, this month I read "The Constant Princess" by Phillipa Gregory. Gregory rose to fame with "The Other Boleyn Girl." I hear the movie is horrible, so read the book instead. This work centers on Henry VIII's first wife, Catalina, or Katherine of Aragon. The daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, Katherine proves a worthy match for the impetuous Henry. I appreciated how Gregory showed Katherine's childhood, which explains a lot of the actions she takes later in life. She believed she was born to be Queen of England, and lets nothing stand in the way of reaching her goals. Usually depicted as an older, rather dumpy and old fashioned woman, Gregory's Katherine is intelligent, cunning, and tenacious. I've been a fan of Gregory's, and have read a few of her other works, including "The Other Boleyn Girl," and have always found her very readable. However, after reading Jean Plaidy's novelization of Eleanor of Acquatiane last month, I must say I prefer Plaidy. As they both have a series on the Queen's of England, I will probably pick up Plaidy's next work in the series, and leave Gregory to make horrible movie adaptations.
Finally, I did some fluff reading to close out the month. There are a few "cotton candy" mystery series I enjoy. I call them cotton candy because they are easy to eat, and are gone in a flash. I read "The Bibliophile Mysteries," "Bewitching Mysteries," and "Booktown Mysteries" by Lorna Barrett. If you've read any of the "Cat Who..." mysteries, you'll know the genre. Since Lilian Jackson Braun has apparently run out of things for the Cat to do, I've had to search out new characters. This month's Booktown Mystery is entitles "Chapter and Hearse." and yes, they all have cheesy titles. The series revolves around the small NH town of Stoneham, which has been revitalized into a tourist destination by the transformation of the old downtown area into a book lover's square of specialized book stores. The protaginist, Tricia, runs a mystery store called "Haven't got a Clue." As in the Cat Who... books, the story isn't as key as the wacky characters who inhabit the small town. I pretty much always figure out the mystery before the end, but it's ok. You won't strain your brain, or learn any new fancy vocab words by reading about Booktown, but it's a great way to spend a lazy sunday.
When I finished Barrett's latest a few days ago, I realized I needed something to tide me over until school started and September's books were purchased. I tore through "The Omnivore's Delimna" when it came out a year or so ago, and started re-reading it, post "Food Inc." viewing. I'm getting even more out of it this time around. I think it should be a must read for everyone. We all need to know where the food we eat came from, and realize how much of our food is based on gross GMO corn.
Next month look for such illustrious titles as "The Epic of Gilgamesh," and "The Iliad" along with the usual suspects.
Take care, and happy reading!
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