Thursday, November 18, 2010

So, what are you reading now?

Florence, Italy
At the moment, I'm reading Edith Wharton's "Italian Backgrounds." I've read lots of travel diaries about Italy, but Wharton's is amazing, like some delicious multi-layered tiramisu. You can't decide which is more lovely -- the subject or the prose.

This is escapist reading at its most, well, ravishing...

Photo by StopKatie.


20 comments:

Giulia said...

Oh, it sure is. I'm re-reading Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik.

BTW, you probably saw, but Patti Smith won the Nat'l Book Award in her category. Yay. And it's out in paper now for those who've not been able to buy it.

Anonymous said...

I'm reading Bill Bryson's newest book, At Home: A Short History of Private Life. Before that it was The Help, which I loved! I really recommend it!

TERI REES WANG said...

Soon...

"Room" by Emma Donogue

And...

"A Good Man is Hard to Find"
by Flannery O'Connor

As well as...
"Hector and the Search for Happiness"
by Francois Lelord

Cheers!

Molly McGonigle said...

"The Lacuna" Barbara Kingsolver

and


"Jacqueline Bouvier: An Intimate Memoir" by John Davis ... which is just amazing. I'm flying through it.

Jenna said...

Currently reading an advanced copy of Gabrielle Hamilton's upcoming memoir, "Blood, Butter, and Bones." She's the owner/chef of Prune in the East Village. It's being hailed as "The best food memoir ever." I'm loving it!

Next up is "Great House" by Nicole Krauss and "Unbreakable" by Laura Hillenbrand.

The above fore-mentioned. said...

Still reading Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly everything" and loving it. But I am also loving how many people are reading Wharton at the moment. I have only read "Age of Innocence", but I have read it several times - it was beautiful!

Mandy said...

Just finished "The Children's Book" by AS Byatt (I gotta say, I got a bit tired of the upper crust, extremely British tone...it took me a looooong time to get through it), and have just started "Freedom" by Franzen.

Stephen said...

I will check "Italian Backgrounds" out! I was supposed to go to Parma last spring, but my school schedule just would not allow for it.

I am currently reading <a href="http://www.andriacorso.com/C3/Book.html> From Gatekeeper to Trusted Advisor</a> by Andria Corso. This is a really interesting book on Human Resources and Business Leadership. It features the actual practices and behaviors required for someone in HR (or aspiring like myself) to be true trusted partners and business leaders. The book also has a ton of good business wisdom from leaders in different industries.

Stephen said...

www.andriacorso.com/C3/Book.html There is a link if you would like to check it out.

Tonia said...

It's the time of year to go back to the Brontes for me, so it's Jane Eyre right now. Comforting and good to return to something I know and love after a massive fail with The Childrens Book.

Maggie May said...

reading ' A Million Miles In A Thousand Years '

and ' What To Expect When You Are Expecting '

and will be reading Franzen's ' Freedom ' after these

Anonymous said...

I'm reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

and Stephen Fry's 'The Fry Chronicles', which is fuelling my current Hugh Laurie obsession :-)

Hausfrau said...

I'm a big Wharton fan, but this is one I haven't read. I just started reading Mariana, by Monica Dickens, and Let's Bring Back, by Leslie M.M. Blume.

Melanie's Randomness said...

A story about Italy? Must be beautiful. I'm reading "The Girl who played with Fire" the second of the "Girl with the dragon tattoo" series. =) I want to read Eat Pray Love Next! =)

Krissy (Shimmer Like Gold) said...

I haven't started it yet, but Jane Eyre is next on my reading list. A good friend of mine has been wanting me to read it for ages, and after seeing the movie's trailer last week, I can't get it out of my head now.

HereBeDragons said...

Love Edith Wharton! Lovely.

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Edith Wharton is wonderful! I just finished The Book of Lost Things and I'm now reading City of Thieves and Doctor Zhivago.

Nicole said...

I had no idea how important architecture, especially Italian architecture was to Ms. Wharton until I read a biography on her a couple of years ago. What an amazingly interesting person she was. I often notice that brilliant people have so many talents. She was no exception.

Victoria said...

Freedom - Jonathon Franzen. aaamazing, it's playing in my head like a movie. Next up - Zeitoun by Dave Eggers.

Breenuh said...

I've been soaking in magazines lately. I'm usually not big on them, but with a busy couple of weeks at work I'm finding a good, short escape in them on my breaks. Women's Health has some interesting topics & good life inspiration.