Too Many Books...At a Time!

Does anyone else, like me, juggle about 5 books at a time? The minimum number of books I’m reading at one time almost has to be 3 just because I listen to one book in the car as I drive to work and around town. I also have an audio book loaded on the Blackberry that gets me through housework, gardening, etc. And, of course, I have an old-fashioned print book handy to read in bed or on the deck as the perfect form of entertainment and relaxation! Oftentimes, however, I get 2-3 print books going—hence, my total of 5 books at the moment! Here’s the run-down.


Currently Reading---In the Car


Tipperary by Frank Delaney (Random House, 2008)—Frank Delaney reads for the audio version, and his voice is delightful to listen to! Good readers make all the difference in audio books. Tipperary is historical fiction, set in Ireland in the late 1800s-early 1900s. Readers follow Charles O’Brien’s exploits throughout this segment of Ireland’s history, including the mundane and some of the country’s most important skirmishes. O’Brien even encounters Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, and Yeats. I am about halfway through this novel and am enjoying it immensely! I just read where Delaney likened his narrator’s encounters with events of people of his time as Forrest Gump-like! Ha!


I see that Delaney has other titles (Ireland, Shannon), so I will have to look for these also. Listening to an Irish brogue while driving is quite relaxing!


Currently Reading—On the Blackberry


Kingdom of Lies: An Inspector Keene Dunliff Mystery by N. Lee Wood (Blackstone Audiobooks, 2005, narrated by Ralph Cosham)—I spent a few hours at it, but I finally figured out how to use my Kansas State Library card to download FREE audio books. You technically “check them out” for a certain period, and you’re limited to only 10 books at a time, but that hasn’t hindered me yet! The toughest part was getting all the various pieces of the process to work all at the same time to make the event possible. It’s a great way to do housework, though!


I’m not usually a detective novel buff, but I’m always a sucker for a good accent! Publishers Weekly kind of sealed the deal with this remark: “Part police procedural and part historical with a dash of romance, SF writer Wood's debut mystery, the first of a series, should have wide appeal.” Plus, it was the right format, and it was available. The only drawback from the KSL audio book program is that many of the books are “not available.” I guess they’re checked out!


Currently Reading—The Old-Fashioned Way


New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (Paperback, Little, Brown an dCompany, 2006) I am sadly behind in the Twilight series, so I must get going. My daughter is wanting me to watch the newer movies (I’ve only seen the first one!), and I insist on reading the books first. They’re easy reads; I get sucked into the plot quickly (a little vampire word choice happening there!), so it shouldn’t be too much of a hardship to “make” myself get this done! Ah, life is tough sometimes--grin!







All You Need to be Impossibly French: A Witty Investigation into the Lives, Lusts, and Little Secrets of French Women by Helena Frith Powell (Paperback, Plume, 2006) Again, I’m a SUCKER for accents, all things European (except for funky food—you know, the food made from parts of animals I don’t usually eat—or animals I don’t usually eat, for that matter!). Anyway, I gave in and ordered a slew of style/culture books I’ve had my eye on for a while. It’s a bad habit, I know, but it’s relatively harmless, and it’s a whole lot cheaper than a plane ticket overseas!


Helena Frith Powell, a regular contributor to the Sunday Times and numerous other periodicals, grew up in Britain but now lives in southern France with her family. So far, she seems to provide clear, frank insight into the nuances of French style she wasn’t even aware of when she was 100% British. So far…a fun, informative read!


The Professors’ Wives’ Club by Joanne Rendell (Paperback, NAL Trade, 2008) The Publishers Weekly review on Amazon starts out, “This tepid debut novel….” Oooh. Not good. I haven’t gotten far yet, and so far the plot is not anything more than tepid, but I’m willing to give it time to develop. It is summer, after all, and the price is right. I picked this book up at our local library’s used book sale. Even if I hate it and don’t end up finishing it, I’m not out much!

This wraps up the juggling demo, and I'm off to read!