Keep Reading March 2017

Keep Reading March 2017

Here we are at the end of another month.  We will end March, yes I said March, with another snow storm.  Bad weather can mean good Reading.

This month I read a lot of books.  My husband was out of town for two business trips giving me more time for my favorite indoor sport.  That of course is a good book, a nice fire, and a glass of red wine.  I do wait until after 5:00 pm for this indulgence.

Fredrik Backman, the author of A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, has done it again with  

Britt-Marie Was Here.

Although this is my least favorite of the three books I still really love it.  I know it is a sexist thing to say but I still can’t believe a man writes these touching books.

Do you know someone who just can’t stop cleaning?  You might wat to take the time to learn more about that person.  You will even find that soccer is full of hidden personal truths.  Keep the tissues handy but you won’t feel manipulated.

The Sympathizer by Nguyen Viet Thanh

This is a new book covering an old subject.  Well it is not that old.  Most of us struggled through the war in Vietnam. Have you ever wondered what happened next?

I am going to cut and paste the review from the BARD web site because they said it better than I ever could.

Saigon of 1975 is in chaos. Meanwhile, a South Vietnamese general decides who will receive the last flights out of the country, including himself, his allies, and his trusted captain. Unbeknownst to him, however, the captain observes and reports on the group to the Viet Cong.

Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory

I am a real fan of history, biographies or historic fiction from England during the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.  Trust me; this could fill my reading hours for the rest of my life.  Philippa Gregory is a great source but not the only one, for these books.

One family produces three queens. Sisters Margaret and Mary Tudor and sister-in-law Katherine of Aragon rule in Scotland, France, and England. The dynamics between the three women and the men who attempt to rule them is fasenating.  Even if you think you know the story, you will love this book.

Now I need to bring up a couple of older books that held me spell bound.

We will start with a Russian book written in 1861.  I found this book because it was mentioned as being on a book shelf of a fictional character.  I had read all the other books mentioned so I had to read this one.

I am starting to really give credit to someone who can develop complicated characters and plots in a short book and this is a great example.

Fathers and Sons by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev

I have a thing for Old Russian novels.  Sometimes they can be intimidating but this is lovely and easy to read.  Give this one a try especially if you are ready to get hooked on Old Russian novels.

Alright: I kind of have to apologize for this last one.  I have warned you that I was stepping into this literary ocean.  There is no reason why I should not try to drag you in with me.

Swann’s way; Within a budding grove DB23759

By

Marcel Proust

No kidding, I am captivated.  He makes Falkner seem short of breath.  I am now half way through the second book.  I hope to finish this one in a few weeks and move on to book number three.  Yes, they are very long.  Then I will have to read a biography, any suggestions?

I think my success in managing these endless conversations is partly due to the reader and party due to the hypnotic writing.  I listen to between an hour and an hour and a half each day and not on the tread mill.  This really is worth the trouble and thinks how much fun it will be to say you did it willingly.  You will want to go to France and eat those Madilyns yourself.