What's in Your Bookcase?

I average about 3-4 books per week and am constantly "running out" of books. Being snowbound doesn't help because a great time passer is curling up and reading which I don't need much of an excuse to do. This is definitely another argument for a Kindle. BTW, although it's still snowing it is definitely tapering off.

The last four books I've read show my eclectic taste. One of my favorite authors is Alexander McCall Smith (you know the guy who writes The Number One Ladies Detective Agency series). He has two other series the Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries and the 44 Scotland Street novels. I like them all but I think my favs are the Scotland Street. I've just finished The Unbearable Lightness of Scones. What is interesting about these novels is they were originally written as a newspaper series which, as the author points out in the intro to the first one, means that the author is publicly committed to whatever he's had a character do or be and can not go back and change it. The novels are based on a collection of characters who live or have some connection to the flats at 44 Scotland Street. My favorite character is Bertie a little boy who suffers through his tres up to date mum's fancies. I'm always rooting for Bertie.

Another series I read are The Elm Creek Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini. These are based on quits and quilters having some connection to Elm Creek Manor in Pennsylvania. The one I've just read is the The Lost Quilter which picks up a thread from The Runaway Quilt which is about abolition and the underground railway. The newest book is an attempt find what happened in the life of a fleeing slave Joanna who was retaken from Elm Creek back to the South. What is so striking in this book is the casual callousness of whites, especially people who obviously view themselves as good people. The ending is quite quite satisfying.

I said I wanted to read T.C. Boyle's latest The Women about Frank LLoyd Wright's women. Although this man was a genius and I love his designs.I think I've been to Taliesan III
(hey that was over 30 years ago) and really want to go again. Since I attended the University of Chicago I'm also familiar with his Oak Park homes. But, despite being a genius he really did not know how to not get intangled in not so good relationships. His first wife was probably quite stable. The problem seemed to be the 6 children they had bing, bang, boom which left her enmeshed in child rearing while he grew artistically. Mamah, his to be second wife who was murdered along with six others at Taliesan, was probably fairly stable but definitely a NEW WOMAN of the early women's movement. The third woman, his second wife Marion, was a talented sculptor but a nut job from the getgo. Probably boarder line paranoid schizophrenic and a morphine addict, her outrageousness could match Wrights but not what he needed. Finally, the third Olgivanna was definitetly stable but their extended efforts to free Wright from crazy Marion created so much stress for her which had long terms effects. It took four years and Marion harassed them the whole time, cleverly using newspapers to keep the pressure on them. In fact, Wright had a hell of a time getting out of his first marriage as well. But Kitty was not crazy, just really pissed and needing a dad for those kids. This book is sort of backward historically and through the eyes of one of Wright long term "apprentices" who is Japanese which makes for interesting commentary. This is a complex book, you don't like Wright all that much, and not a page flipper. However, I did google all his architecture as it was mentioned.

Lastly, a confection. Great for being snowbound. Gail Z. Martin's Dark Lady's Chosen the fourth novel in The Chronicles of the Necromancer. Yes, you've guessed. This is fantasy fiction with all the usual stuff. It helps if you've read the other three novels because this one jumps right in without building any characters or filling much from the prior novels. Although this one has a conclusion that could be the end, I wouldn't count on it. There is enough left open that there could be another installment. The other three are The Summoner, The Blood King, and Dark Haven. If you like fantasy this is pretty good but as good as Marmillier's books.