Books I've Enjoyed
If I really like a book and would recommend it, it goes here.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Blood and Thunder
I grew up in New Mexico. I lived near a Mescalero Apache Indian reservation. When I moved from New Mexico and lived in other parts of the country and world, I used to make fun about “fighting indians” when I was growing up. (Which really did happen since we went to the same schools.)
I’ve driven through Navajo country and admired the scenery and the people and their culture. Lynne and I own an authentic Navajo rug which is hung on the wall of our Colorado cabin.
Living in Colorado, we’ve heard about the Sand Creek Massacre.
Living in New Mexico, I’m familiar with Carson county and stories of Kit Carson.
I’ve been to Fort Craig and camped and dug for Civil War memorabilia.
Here is a book about the settling of the West. It is really a biography of Kit Carson to some degree, and I enjoyed it (while being ashamed at times) immensely! I highly recommend this book, especially if you have an affinity for New Mexico like I do.
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Monday, January 23, 2006
Science Fiction / Fantasy Novels
Recently, I’ve been reading novels by Jack McDevitt. He is a popular writer of science fiction / fantasy novels. I’ve read five of his books so far, and will likely read more! The books I’ve read are from two different ongoing character sets. One is focused on an antiques dealer who uses his detective skills and his partner to solve interesting space-age mysteries, I’ve read two books from this set—Polaris
The second set of books focus on the adventures of a faster-than-light spaceship pilot, Hutch, and the adventures she gets caught up in, which inevitably result is some heroic rescues toward the end. I’ve read Deep Six
I highly recommend all these books! I haven’t had so much fun with a novel in a long time. They are great, quick reads when you need to escape this world.
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Thursday, October 06, 2005
Need an Escape?
I’ve recently read two books by a young author (he wrote his first book just after graduating from high school), that are great books if you want to escape into a fantasy world of dragons, dwarfs, elves, and evil doers. The two books are Eragon and Eldest, the first three books in a trilogy (called Inheritance) by Christopher Paolini. Some have compared these books to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I struggle with that some. But, Paolini may be the Tolkien of the early 21st century. Not only are they great stories, but the second book, in particular, has a depth that I don’t expect from a 19 year-old author. His treatment of diversity, cultural awareness, tolerance, and religion is amazing.
These are big books, but easily read. And, if you need an escape, I highly recommend them! You will count the days until the third book of the trilogy is released!
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Sunday, August 14, 2005
The Shadow of the Wind
This book by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is a great book for lovers of books. It is part mystery, part history, part romance and even has some dry comedy sprinkled in. The book was originally published in Spanish and has been a big hit in Spanish speaking countries—particularly Spain, where the story takes place. It is about a boy whose father runs a bookstore, who becomes fascinated with an author after reading one of his books. He tries to find additional books by this author, but they all seem to have disappeared—many being burned. Who is one step in front of him burning books and attempting to destroy all the works of this author? And, why?
The book has rich characters that become very real. There are several stories going on at once, but they all intertwine in time. This book made me happy and it made me sad. It made me laugh, and it brought a lump to my throat.
The translation by Lucia Graves is extremely well done, although there are occasional idiosyncracies in some wording or phrasing. I highly recommend this book.
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Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Dog Sled Races in Alaska
I recently read three books—back to back—that were all about sled dog races in Alaska. I recommend all three books, especially if you love dogs.
I lived in Alaska for a year back in the late ‘70s, and I could really identify with the stories about Alaska, its beauty, the unique culture, the weather, etc.
Click “more” for more information about these books.
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