Roger got me a Kindle for my birthday last year, and I’m just as in love with it today as I was the day I got it. I read a lot before I got my Kindle, but now, well now I read a lot more than a lot. And what kind of good preschooler would I be if I didn’t share? A very, very bad one. So, here are some books that might tickle some of your fancies. I know they’ve entertained me mightily over the past couple of weeks.
Boneshaker and Clementine by Cherie Priest
I’m a sucker for some steampunk, and Cherie Priest fits the bill. I purchased Boneshaker exactly 6 days ago, and I completed it 2 days later. Then I spent a day thinking about how much I wished the book was longer, because I wanted to be reading more about Cherie Priest’s United States during the Civil War, complete with dirigibles, zombies, mad scientists and fantastical machines. One day. That’s how long it took me to go scavenging for some more Cherie Priest on Amazon, where I found Clementine, a follow-up to Boneshaker. And, it was only $2.99, by the way. One day. That’s how long it took me to read Clementine. I gobbled it up like a giant bowl of that marzipan Ben & Jerry’s ice cream I’ve been obsessing about lately. And for a couple days now I’ve been fighting the urge to buy another book. I am pretty sure I will fail this task tonight. Don’t tell Roger. He already thinks I buy too many books.
Emily Post: Daughter of the Gilded Age, Mistress of Manners by Laura Claridge
I’ve had a long-running obsession with etiquette. As a child I never missed a Miss Manners’ column, and I actually really cared to know which fork was the right one to use for salad or fish or whatever. One of my favorite presents ever was a stationary set, which I used to send thank you notes to everyone for just about anything. So of course I am intrigued by Emily Post, and this book covers her life in fascinating detail. One of my favorite things about this biography is that it also provides a great snapshot of the changing times from the Gilded Age all the way up through the Great Depression, World War II and the 40s and 50s. Even people who aren’t etiquette fiends would enjoy this one.
Spook Country by William Gibson
What more is there to say other than “William Gibson”? Really, I love everything he’s ever written, and this is no different.
Kindle is at the tippy-top of my Christmas wish list. I sooo hope hubby has picked up on my not-so-subtle hints. Can’t wait to look into those recommendations!