I’ve been devouring books as of late!  Here are a few that I have read and recommend.

Let’s Bring Back by Blume: This was a birthday gift from a friend it is just an excellent treasury of long forgotten (but fun) minutia.  Everything from recipes and cocktails to out of use words.  Anyone who romanticizes about the past will enjoy this dictionary style book.

A Midwife’s Tale by Ulrich: PBS actually did an American Experience program about this book. The book chronicles the life of Martha Ballard in colonial Maine, based solely on her diaries.  She was a midwife and shares amazing snippits of life, child birth and community during the late 1700′s.  Thankfully after each diary entry (which is printed as written) the author goes back over it and clarifies it, as the spelling is horrific!  Man-o-man, talk about a hard living, it is fascinating to read and compare to the modern way of life today.

Scarlet Feather by Binchy: A few years ago I discovered Binchy through Tara Road and ended up reading a bunch of her stuff.  I enjoyed her style of writing and it was easy, fun reading.  I saw this the last time I was thrifting (used books are the best!) and grabbed it, but I am having a hard time getting into it.  So far the two main characters (who are both involved in complicated and unhealthy relationships) have opened a catering business and well…the story is still developing.

The Group by McCarthy: Oh my goodness, I could not put this book down!  This book is a great historical fiction novel. It follows a group of women, Vassar class of ’33 (it was an all women’s college back then) for a period of about 7 years.  Marriages, divorces, dating, sexuality, child rearing, gender bias…it was a fascinating read and gave me a great picture of what New England life was like for an educated woman in the 1930′s.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Simonson: A girlfriend lent this book to me and at first glance the book did not interest me.  After the first chapter or so I got sucked in and again, had a hard time putting it down.  It is set in modern day England and begins with Major Pettigrew learning of the death of his only brother (and sibling).  He is a relic in his community, the last of a dying breed of manner and propriety. That is until he gets better acquainted with Mrs. Ali an English born Pakistani woman.  It explores themes of racial bias, old money, stereotypical old fashioned british manners,  and aging.

Not pictured that I just finished was…

Love Walked in by de los Santos: A stream of consciousness novel, written in the style of say a blog.  The story of love walking into your coffee shop- the set could not be more cliche, but the story that unfolds is not.  It was an easy (and a bit fluffy) read, but I couldn’t help get wrapped up in the characters lives and want to find out what happens.  This would be the perfect pool side reader.

What about you, what have you read recently?  Anything I should add to my list (oh, and puh-lease don’t say Room, because that book just seems too terribly depressing and horrible I just don’t think I could read it)?

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