Monthly Archives: June 2013

At some point  last week I realized I had some time on my hands before July 1 when I could start on my next scheduled reads – (see READING NEXT).  I was real tired of crime novels.  I also realized I had … Continue reading →

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (US) 1952/124 pages Rating:   9.5 / classic Oh my.  I saw this and realized that I read this so long ago I couldn’t remember the ending –  I’m thinking high … Continue reading →

Beowulf by anonymous – 8th century?/3182 lines Rating  9/classic – Scandinavian heroic myth I have no idea why this book was sitting in my shelves – I probably bought it at some point – a long time ago.   It’s … Continue reading →

The Teahouse by Lao She  (Manchu-Chinese) 1957 / 197 pages (bi-lingual/but a good intro) Rating: 9 /   historical play What treasures I’m finding on my TBR shelves!   This is a play purchased prior to my trip to China. … Continue reading →

Poppa John by Larry Woiwode  (US) 1980/204 pages rating: 8 –  literary Christian These days Larry Woiwode,  North Dakota’s poet laureate,   lives west of Jamestown, ND  where he raises horses.  In the late 1960s and early ’70s he lived … Continue reading →

Waiting For the Barbarians by J. M. Coetzee (South Africa/Australia) 1980/152 pages Rating:   8.5 –  20th century political fiction In an Empire there arise border disputes with the barbarians who live in the forests and deserts outside the gates. … Continue reading →

Fly Away Peter by David Malouf  (Australia) 1982 / 134 pages rating:  7.5 / historical fiction This stayed on my tbr shelf for so long because for some reason I thought it was by O.E. Rolvaag and the third of … Continue reading →

The Zen Teachings of Jesus by Kenneth S. Leong 1998 /239 pages rating: 5    religion I’ve had this on my shelves for a long time – probably a decade.  I know I bought it fully intending to read it … Continue reading →

Scenes From Village Life by Amos Oz  (Israel) 2009 / 192 pages Rating:  9 /literary -short stories In the fictional village of Tel Ilan,  situated in the hills of Menashe south and east of Haifa,  times are changing – actually … Continue reading →

The Immense Journey by Loren Eiseley  (US) 1957 – 152 pages Rating;  9 / literary -classic natural science I got this book from a friend several years ago and am finally getting around to it.  It’s a classic written by … Continue reading →

Stagecoach Heyday in the San Joaquin Valley 1853-1876 by William Harland Boyd (US) 1983 / 74 pages Rating 5 / history This is a real honest-to-god hard-cover little book published by the Kern County Historical Society.   I have no … Continue reading →

A Brief History of Finland by Matti Klinge  (Finland) 1994 / 164 pages Rating  7.5 / history Another book from the TBR shelf-  I bought this when I was in Finland and have always meant to read it as my … Continue reading →

Leftover Lutefisk by Art Lee (US) 1984 / 224 pages Rating: 7 / humor I see I have a few days prior to the end of the month so I’m clearing some old books off the TBR shelf – reading … Continue reading →

Letters From Four Seasons by Alistair Cooke  (England) 1978 / 60 pages rating – 8 / travel-seasons Very short little book about the seasons in different parts of the country (with a bit in England.)   Cooke starts with Spring … Continue reading →

The Bookseller Mark  Pryor  (US) 2013/ 280 pages read by Michael Prichard  10h 5m rating:    A- /crime The Bookseller by Mark  Pryor was released this week (6/25) and I was just ready for it.  It’s the first of a … Continue reading →

The Professor’s House by Willa Cather (US) 1925/129 pages rating:  8.5 / Classic (1925) Professor Godfrey St. James and his wife, Lillian,  are moving houses,  but St. James seems to be having a bit of a time actually transferring over … Continue reading →

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (US) 2012/336 pages Read by Kate Rudd 7h 14m Rating:   9.5  –  YA This is not my standard crime novel or literary fiction –  this is a kind of young adult … Continue reading →