Saturday, August 7, 2010

Books read this summer

I was going to make notes for each book so I could remember them - didn't happen. But here's what I read so at least I remember that:
The Path of Glory: Jeffrey Archer - very good - about a climber and his attempts on Everest
The Help: Kathryn Stockert - also very good - black women working for white women in 1960's Jackson Mississippi
Daughter of Fortune: Isabelle Allende - good - girl taken in my family in South America then travels to California in the gold rush
Molokai: Allen Brennert - very good - girl with leprosy sent to Molokai - her life story
The Scout: Harry Combs - good but long - written as the story narrated by a scout in Indian country - Custer and all that
Loving Frank: Nancy Horan - semi-true story of mistress of Frank Lloyd Wright - very enjoyable
Magician's Assistant: Ann Patchett - good - Magician's Assistant account of life after gay magician dies (she was married to him) - goes back to his family town and finds out about his life before he moved away
The Patron Saint of Liars: Ann Patchett - good - girl gets married, pregnant and drives away from CA to Habit Kentucky ending up in a Nun's home for pregnant women who have their babies adopted - decides not to give it up - marries caretaker and lives there for 15 or so years - then leaves
The Swan: Frances Mayes - didn't like
Provenance - How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art: Laney Salisbury - very good - fake art being sold in the art world in London - fake provenance etc. - true
Girl in Hyacinth Blue: Susan Vreeland - okay but not as good as The Passion of Artemesia
Brooklyn: Colm Tolbin - good but abrupt ending - catholic girl leaves Ireland to live in Brooklyn
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Stieg Larson - good - improbable and a bit socialist political in outlook
The Piano Teacher: Janice YK Lee - good - set in Hong Kong in war
Will Mrs Major Go To Hell: Aloise Buckley Heath - good - some very funny bits

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