Monthly Archives: June 2009

I’m devouring books right now.  I’m currently re-reading Clan of the Cave Bear.  I read it when I still lived at home, sometime in the late 80′s.  I can say now, looking back, this was my first historical fiction novel.  Reading stories based on historical events is pretty much my favorite way to learn my history!  If only I knew that in High School!!!

Before Cave Bear, I  read “Blindness” by Jose Saramago, which still has me thinking.  The book was hard to read for two reasons- he wrote in long, run-on, comma spliced sentences that included the dialogue between characters but did not always identify which character was talking.  This was intentional – the story is about an entire city population that one by one goes blind.  So really, you don’t really know who’s talking because you’re blind! (Well, you do, but it’s not spelled out plainly for you- you have to pay attention).  It also delves into the suffering and chaos that goes in hand with sudden blindness, of an entire city.  It’s incredible how fast humans will go from civilized to barbaric.  So some of what tranpsires is hard to read.  But it’s also interesting to think about.  It is also said that the author wrote it as an analogy for religion/spirituality. 

Before that, “American Wife” – which was not-so-loosely based on Laura Bush, enough that I had to remind myself it was a fiction, not an autobiography. Still a fun read though. 

My next conquest is “The Book Thief” which I hope to pick up soon.  I’m sharing these books with you in the hopes you’ll do the same and tell me what books you’re reading- and what books you can read again & again!