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15 juni 2006
YPSIDIXIT stopped off at the Cross Street Book Shop to yak with Sheridan and pick up a supply of books for the weekend.
"The Arctic Grail: The Quest for the Northwest Passage and the North Pole, 1818-1909" by Pierre Berton.
Y. is currently reading a book very much like this one, called "Fatal North." But I never tire of the subject, and the blurbs on this one hint that it will be entertaining and fun.
"Scott and Amundsen: The Race to the South Pole" by Roland Huntford.
Y. just finished reading an illustrated book of Scott's diary entries earlier this week. But I never tire of the subject, and this looks great.
"Tent Life in Siberia" by George Kennan.
A fascinating 1860s account of the ill-fated attempt to link America and Europe via telegraph line strung through Siberia. The writer was a member of the Russo-American Telegraph Company. Y. never even knew about this venture. How can I be middle-aged and so blessed ignorant?
"Bad Land: An American Romance" by Jonathan Raban.
This is a book about the early 20th century settlement of Montana--and how most of them failed, and why. Sounds fascinating.
"Coal Miner's Daughter" by Loretta Lynn.
Y. loves stories about people from desperate backgrounds who rise to success yet never forget their roots. I also want to learn more about poverty in rural Appalachia. Looks good.
"Lolita" by Nabokov.
Unbelievably, I've never read it. "Filling in the gaps of my education" category.
Posted by ypsidixit at 15 juni 2006 20:24
Comments
I liked "Badland"-I like most of the other things Jonathan Raban has written,too.
Posted by: doug at 15 juni 2006 21:44
I'm a third of the way through it and gracious sakes, I can see why you say so. I simply must buy every last thing he's written. What a discovery! Gracious, it's amazing how ignorant I am about good authors. This dude can write.
Posted by: Laura at 16 juni 2006 09:42
Coal Miner's Daughter sounds good - I've been on an appalachia kick lately, more specifically, West Virginia. My latest read is "West Virginia: A History," more civil war and less social history than I had anticipated thus far, but good nonetheless.
Posted by: Katy at 16 juni 2006 10:33
CMD IS good--I read some of that, too, last night. It is written in Loretta's voice--they taped interviews with her--so it's full of her personality. She really comes through as a decent and likeable lady.
In the spot I'm at in the book, she just got married, and moved out of Butcher Holler--
at 14 years of age.
Posted by: Laura at 16 juni 2006 10:37
The social history of Appalachia is a topic that I am fascinated by too. The dependence created by the coal companies has had crippling long-lasting effects to this day on the people in the region.
Posted by: Laura at 16 juni 2006 10:38
Agreed (re coal), yet lawn signs and bumperstickers for "friends of coal" were in abundance when I was in WV last weekend. I also stumbled on an abandoned coal mine on a hike. While it was cool to explore, I wouldn't say that I would want its maker as my friend.
Posted by: Katy at 16 juni 2006 12:52
I've just been staying at home not getting anything done. I guess it doesn't bother me. Shrug. I haven't been up to anything. I haven't gotten much done today.
Posted by: Sten64377 at 09 januari 2007 07:52