Oct 7, 2015
Reading under a blanket: cool weather only, or is it a year-round thing for you? Let us know.
Reading history through family fiction (06:27):
October is Family History Month, and we've been thinking about the big, multi-generational family stories that our parents read in the 1970s and 80s. Many of them were series, and we realized that those kinds of books don't seem to be quite as prevalent today. Books like:
- The Kent Family Chronicles by John Jakes (Book #1: The Bastard)
- A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford
- Evergreen by Belva Plain
- The Immigrants series by Howard Fast
- Books by James Michener
- The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
One contemporary author who is writing something somewhat similar is Jane Smiley. Smiley's most recent work is a series of three novels that follow a family through 100 years of history.
Ken Follet's most recent series is The Century Trilogy, and it follows 5 families through the 20th century.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on these types of books. What are we missing? What are your favorites?
Two books we can't wait for you to read (17:23):
Michael recommends a cookbook, but he encourages you to read it from beginning to end. My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life, by Ruth Reichl. It's the story of the closing of Gourmet Magazine and the resultant effect that had on editor-in-cheif Reichl's life. It has recipes, yes, but the story of how food kept Reichl connected to her family and friends during a year of grieving is the truly special part of this book.
The Last September by Nina de Gramont is a tough book to categorize. On the surface, it's a mystery/thriller told from the point of view of a young wife starting from the point of her husband's murder. But really, it's a novel about marriage, about friendship and family, and it's a great, fast read that is perfect for this early fall season.