My Eclectic Reading List

Feeling Very Random

I've been reading all sorts of things lately, many outside of my normal preferences.  I've enjoyed it, but I have to admit, some of the selections involved rather much slogging through pages I wished were from some other book.  Nevertheless, I think it's important to try varied types of literature.  And yes, it's all literature!   

My list of recently read books:

1)  Life of Pi, by Yann Martel  .  Great book, about a boy who survives for months on a life raft with a full-sized Bengal tiger.  This is actually the second time I've read it, and I'm still not quite sure what to believe at the end.  Highly Recommended.

2)  Birds of Prey, by J.A. Jance.  A mystery set on an Alaska cruise.  I read it because I was eagerly anticipating my own Alaskan cruise.  The setting, unfortunately, was the best part.  I've read that it isn't Jance's best. 

3)  Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury.  Classic science fiction, read in honor of the illustrious author's passing.  Interesting premise, and perfect darkish ending, but overall a bit too poetic and preachy for my tastes.   

4)  Klondike Wedding, by Kate Bridges.  A historical romance (yes, a historical Harlequin romance).  I read this too because it related to my recent trip to Alaska.  However, it delivered very little history.

5)  The Amaranth Enchantment, by Julie Berry.  A random juvi fantasy I pulled off the shelf.  A Cinderella story which, though well written and pleasant enough, just didn't captivate me.  I'm also tired of main characters who are thieves.

6)  The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver.  Fantastic!  Strange book about a missionary family in the Congo during times of unrest.  Though sometimes the style annoyed me, I still admired every word of it.  Fascinating dark details and moral issues.  One of those books that stays with you.     

7)  Macbeth, by William Shakespeare.  What can I say?  I'm not really a Shakespeare fan.  The plot has some interesting bits, though it could have been much condensed (see my post here.)  Intriguing characters in Macbeth and his wife.  Multiple great lines.  A lot of extra words. 

8)  Skinny Dip, by Carl Hiaasen.  Not even sure what genre this is.  Comedy revenge mystery?  Zany characters and interesting settings, but not that much of a page turner for me. 

9)  Call of the Wild, by Jack London.  When I was younger, I used to joke about not liking "dog in Alaska" movies, meaning all those beloved animal/animal against the elements stories that were popular at the time.  This was truly a dog in Alaska story, and had some interesting bits, but it could also have been much shorter.   

10)  Runaway; Stories, by Alice Munro.  Literary short stories by Canadian author.  All interesting in a slow, dreary, deliberate sort of way, but all with anti-climatic endings.

So, that's my list:  from Shakespearean plays to Harlequin romances to dog in Alaska stories, I've had a very eclectic reading list for someone who mostly sticks to fantasy, historical fiction, and science fiction.

Read on!