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Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael ; Lord Peter, all of Dorothy Sayers' mystery novels ... Anne Perry's Victorian mysteries

Read 'em all! We must be book-soul-mates!
As for Corelli's Mandolin, I do believe I mentioned that book way back last year sometime. Got my copy when it came out in England. Nice to have a friend that flies to London for American Airlines!

You all are dealing with an Old lady and an omniverous reader.

Re : Really dark books -- the series by Andrew Vachss. Heavy subject matter - child abuse - but well done.
http://www.vachss.com/


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Nicholas Cage

Well, remember it doesn't take a lot of talent to get a break when you're Francis Ford Coppola's nephew! You just kind of learn as you go along! Hollywood nepotism has gotten so out of hand that the talent pool has really been watered down. But with all the money that's at stake these days, I guess they figure they might as well "keep it in the family"...guess we'd all do the same thing if we were there...just human nature!

A Book for Poetry Lovers

I discovered the most incredible anthology of verse two years ago entitled World Poetry : An Anthology of Verse from Antiquity to Our Time edited by Washburn, Major, Fadiman. It contains more than 1600 poems drawn from dozens of languages and cultures, and spans a period of more than 4000 years from ancient Sumer and Egypt to the late Twentieth Century! ...poetry of all styles, all eras, all tongues. The editors chose poems of the highest intrinsic quality from all eras, not merely samples. And the translaters are some of the finest talents working today, many of them accomplished poets in their own right. It's a refreshing departure from the English-only tunnel vision of world literature so many English speaking countries have taught in the schools for centuries! And fascinating to connect with the words, images, and passions of ancient poets and visionaries!
W. W. Norton & Company, New York/London 1998.


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wow nudges: You all are dealing with an Old lady and an omniverous reader.

Do you read tea leaves, too?

More mysteries: on the classic side, have you read Eco's The Name of the Rose? On the light side, have you read Evanovich's numbered series? (Seven-Up comes out today).


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In reply to:

a little slow in the head, without sounding believably southern


Heh heh. I'd be offended by this if I wasn't so tickled.

But I digress from the topic... There are several older books out there that, if you have never read them, you are in for a treat:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (speaking of the South)
Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving
Catch-22 by Jospeh Heller

All very readable books and quite exciting. At least that's what I've heard. I aim to go buy some books one day once I git me some shoes.



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wow claims to be an omniverous reader.

Does that mean you read everything that is truthful? Or everything that is green?




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This week's books, in no particular order have seen me sailing through #8&9 in the Richard Bolitho series of novels (about life in the Napoleonic-era navy), howling at the moon with Evans' beautiful The Loop (same author as Horse Whisperer), and currently stirred by Chocolat - much richer than the film.


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How about Body and Soul, by Frank Conroy? It is the tale of the early years of a pianist and composer. A good story, with interesting musical references.

Or: Ender's Shadow, by Orson Scott Card. A parallel novel to the wonderful Ender's Game.

As for House of Sand and Fog; one word: blech.


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AnnaS > Do you read tea leaves, too? Yes.

Evanovich's numbered series? (Seven-Up comes out today). That's a new one to me ... will look for them.

Alex : Yep, read 'em all. "Save the bombardier!"

you read everything that is truthful? Or everything that is green? Yup!

Body and Soul, by Frank Conroy? Or: Ender's Shadow, by Orson Scott Card. Will check them out!

Thank you all
wow



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for a variation on the mystery genre, I always take to what I call "caper" novels. I'm thinking of writers like Donald Westlake (the Dortmunder series) and Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaason.


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Ahh, where shall I start?

Lee Smith, Fair and Tender Ladies, for those of us who love the slow comtemplation of the Southern voice.

John Bellairs (look in the Children's section) very fun entertainment and well written. Which reminds me, look in the kids and teens sections of libraries and bookstores. There are some wonderful authors writing for those age groups: quick reads that aren't dumbed down. (Trust me on this!) E.g. : Anna of Byzantium, Fever (about the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 in Philadelphia), Mary, Bloody Mary, The Midwife's Apprentice, Ella Enchanted, and most things by the author Avi.

Jane Austen, always

In the mystery writers' department : Tony Hillerman

Connie Willis - Passage isn't bad, however, I still think The Doomsday Book is her best.

Series by Guy Gavriel Kay, Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors. Number three is NYP.

And, my favorite travel author Bill Bryson. (His description of a cricket match from In a Sunburned Country is terrific {if you're an American who still is mystified by the game after a dear Aussie uncle's attempts to expalin the game.})


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