Thursday 13

A day off! Sweet Joy!!

I am off to the library to pick out a new book. I just finished Tender is the Night, by F. Scott Fitzgerald and though I was not in love with any of the characters I admit to having a significant intake of breath at the conclusion of the novel accompanied by a rush of emotion.

Maybe it was just the beauty of the prose. The sadness and tenderness used to describe the slow painful fading of Dick Diver's persona as he disappeared into the obscurity of small town New York. I have decided to take a little time to absorb the story and not rashly rush on to the next book -( I am so excited I am ahead of my two book a month commitment for 2012!)

Dick Diver should have seized his moment. He should have put down the damn bottle and realized what a lucky Dick he actually was. Is it coincidence that the name "Don Draper" sounds like Dick Diver?

I think not.

Enough reflection. I picked up my copy of This Side of Paradise but decided to save it for later. Instead I am headed to the library with a list of books.

Here are 13 books on that list from Good Reads.

1) Irish Journal - Heinrich Boll , anything Irish and travel I will devour.

2) Across Five Aprils - Irene Hunt, love Civil War fiction.

3) You can't get there from here - Gayle Foreman, more travel, can't get enough.

4) Travels with Charley, John Steinbeck, classic I have not read and I find classics are the best.

5) The Blue Nile - Alan Mooreland, see the theme here, the pattern!

6) Ayesha, the return of She - H. Rider Haggard - Love his books and have not read anything for a long long time. Read She about 20 years ago (maybe) and was stunned!! So I will love this finding this.

7) The Camel Bookmobile - Masha Hamilton

8) My Masai Life - Robin Wiszowaty. Ever since reading Out of Africa, I have had a love of all African books.

9) Too close to the Sun - Sara Wheeler

10) The Splendid Outcast - Beryle Markham, I will get this book if I can find it. I may make a trip to the local bookstore.

11) Battle Cry of Freedom - James McPherson. I am either going to pick up an African memoir or a Civil war novel! That seems to be the trend.

12) The Sweetest Dream - Doris Lessing

13) Dream of the Blue Room - Michelle Richmond. If I can find it, this is the ONE I will most definitely check out or pick up at the bookstore.


More Thursday Thirteen HERE.