...and she Reads Too

Yes, it is true, I do read. Alot. Pierre will occasionaly watch me while I do and he says I look like Data (think rapid eye scans of page, not freakishly pale skin. Well, maybe freakishly pale skin too.) Someday I hope to be able to accomplish the feat that my great-grandmother is said to have mastered - knitting socks on double pointed needles (while not looking) and carelessly reading away at whatever she was into at the moment. Oh, to have this skill! Right now I'm only a tv-no-look knitter, but I figure it is a start. As for the speed and volume of my reading I can only thank my parents who indulged my obsession/addiction to books from a young age and encouraged reading by library trips and filling the house with books, and my lifelong need to learn new thigns. Thanks Mom and Dad! Inspired by my Secret pal, who let me on the fact that the first book mentioned "Fall of the Kings" existed, I will share with you a few current reads, and old favourites, hoping they inspire you to pick one up or give one to a loved one for the holidays!

The Fall of the Kings - Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman
This is a great book, and it is fabulous to revist the world of the novel "Swordspoint" even if it is 60 years later (in the story world). Kind of a mix of the world of a historical novel and a fantasy novel. I have to thank my Secret pal for alerting me to the existence of this book. Kushner is sadly one of those fabulous but very non-prolific writers, so I had no idea she finally came out with another book. Apparently the new re-issue of "Swordspoint" contains a few short stories that fill in some of the time between the two novels, which I'd love to get my hands on, as well. The characters in the original novel, "Swordspoint" were so sexy, in such a seductive world, that it didn't matter if their sexual orientation was different than yours, you were falling in love with them anyway. And the sequel continues the trend. If you are homophobic beware, there is plenty of same-gender action in the book, and if this prevents you from a fabulous read, you are duely punished for your prejudice, so I won't say anything further.


Curse of the Narrows - Laura MacDonald

All about the Halifax Explosion, and all the freakish things that happened as a result. That is a lame review, but so far the book well written and the subject matter (in case you are not local or familar with it, this was the biggest man-made explosion until Hiroshima - but it was an accident!).

Due to my stupidly emotional nature I find myself frequently in tears while reading this book, probably because it hits so close to home, describing the utter destruction of areas of a city that I love. Also it is just filled with the heart-breakingly poignant human details of the aftermath of the explosion. Things like the lists of messages printed in the paper after the explosion of people looking for lost family members or worse still of unclaimed children too young to speak and give any information to their caretakers, whose families had presumably been completely decimated by the explosion.


Dead Reckoning: The New Science of Catching Killers - Michael Baden and Marion Roach

If you like the various CSI type shows then this will be a great read for you. Moreover, if you like great non-fiction writing you will find it here. The subject matter was what drew me to the book (I was interested in it before the CSI craze) but the writing was what really impressed me. A forensic pathologist goes through some of his most interesting cases and in the process exposes you to a whole new world of information. He also helps you to understand how one person deals with the aftermath of violent death day in and day out as part of a job, without going starkers. I was moved by his respectful, spiritual, yet scientific way of looking and and dealing with the dead. If I'm ever violently killed, I'd hope to have someone like this to speak for me. As a bonus to CSI fans, it will give you a serious leg up on understanding the clues to the mysteries they present. Certainly not for the faint of heart, but fascinating.