Friday, January 27, 2012

Wants and Needs - Jan/Feb Bookmarks

Back again with a nice long list of wants and needs from the latest edition of Bookmarks magazine (and ongoing and highly appreciated Christmas gift from my parents each year).  Fate has a way of noticing which books I mark, it seems, because a number of them have thrown themselves in my path.


The first bit of excitement when I opened the pages was a feature on Haruki Murakami.  Hey what do you know!  One of my goals this year was to read his work (my first will probably be "Kafka on the Shore") so it was a treat to learn a little more about the man.


Here are a whole long list of my Needs:    

















1.  A Thousand Lives:  The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jamestown - Julia Scheeres


Nothing feeds my mind more than getting an insight to why ordinary people do horrific things, which is why I so love true crime.  To that end, I also enjoy learning why ordinary people become followers of something so outlandish like a cult.  I got this book at SIBA, so it is waiting anxiously on my bookshelves to be read.


















2.  Agent 6 - Tom Rob Smith


I've read both of Tom Rob Smith's books in the series prior to this one.  Child 44 I loved.  The Secret Speech not so much.  I am willing to give Smith another go however, because I love the protagonist Leo Demidov, who survived Stalinist Russia and is now involved in a Cold War-era conspiracy.  I'm on hold at the library for this audio.  

















3.  Believing the Lie - Elizabeth George


George has been working on this series, involving one Inspector Lynley, for ages.  In fact, this is installment number 17.  I joined the ranks about four installments ago and have loved every one of them.  I don't even really care what the topic of the book is, I just know I'll love it.  And from my lips to Penguin Audio's ears!  I received this in the mail from them just last week.  Narrated by Davina Porter! Totally made my day.




















4.  Perfect - Ellen Hopkins


One of my goals for 2012 was to read more free verse novels, and this was at the top of the list.  Apparently it is a companion novel to "Impulse" which I must get my hands on as well.  The book addresses troublesome teen issues, such as drugs, ambition, eating disorders, the works.  Those who have read it love it.  The audio landed in my lap recently, loaned to me by Heather.




















5.  The Affair - Lee Child


You would think by the 16th installment of the Jack Reacher series (and I have read them all), they would start to get stale.  Well, I can feel staleness in the horizon if something doesn't change, but apparently Child has dodged that bullet for the moment by taking us back through time to when Reacher was fresh out of the military and taking on his last assignment with the Pentagon.  Hmmm, insight into the elusive Reacher?  Love it.  I just wish the library would get on with it and get it on audio...




And then there are a few wants as well:


















1.  The Odds - Stewart O'Nan


This past year, I read my first O'Nan called "Emily, Alone".  It was not my favorite book for lack of plot, but O'Nan does have beautiful writing and a huge fan base.  Therefore, I'll be giving him another try with this one.  In his latest, he writes about a couple on the brink of divorce that takes a second honeymoon to Niagara Falls to give it one more shot.  



















2.  The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater


Young adult dystopia, love story, flesh-eating water horses.  And because Jill loved it.













3.  The Cat's Table - Michael Ondaatje


I'm strangely drawn to this one, yet know very little about it.  Ondaatje's claim to fame is winning the Booker for "The English Patient", but this novel has been universally praised for it's themes...coming-of-age, morality, physical danger.  An 11 year-old leaves Sri Lanka on a three-week trip on an ocean liner to meet his mother in England.  And as they say, it isn't about the destination, but the journey as the young man encounters all walks of life.  Hmmm...  


22 comments:

Serena said...

The Odds is on my list for the next visit to the library

Mary (Bookfan) said...

Lots of recent good reviews for The Odds - it's on my list as well.

Unknown said...

I'm afraid that none of these are really exciting me, but I'm interested in your thoughts on the Tom Rob Smith. I loved Child 44, but didn't bother to read his second becasue of all the average reviews. Hopefully this one will be as good as his debut.

rhapsodyinbooks said...

Gosh I wish Penguin was receptive to my needs too! :--)

bermudaonion said...

I LOVED Perfect! My sister loved Agent 6. I'm dying to read A Thousand Lives too. Great list!!

Darlene said...

I hope you get both your wants and needs met. Lol. I love Ellen Hopkins and want to read more of her this year. The Cat's Table intrigues me too. My library has the audio I think so I'll be listening to it at some point.

Zibilee said...

I have been reading some interesting things about The Odds, and really want to read it. A lot of your other picks look really interesting as well. I have a couple of them here, and they are waiting on me to get to them. I see that a lot of the books on your list are new installments of some of the series that you love, which is very cool! I hope you get a chance to read all of these!

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

The Scorpio Races is high on my list as well. So many books to read!

John said...

Agent 6 is excellent. Check out the trailer.

Brooke said...

I loved The Odds! So many people have been trying to get me to read the Jack Reacher novels, but there are so many that I'm afraid to start!

Carrie K. said...

I can't believe my copy of this issue of Bookmarks is still sitting, unread, on my stack. Sigh. Life has been too, too busy lately.

A Thousand Lives is engrossing and disturbing and fascinating - it was one of my best non-fic reads last year.

Julie P. said...

I think I need to check out this magazine!

caite said...

well, you read my sad take on #3..

Alyce said...

Looks like a great list of books! I thought A Thousand Lives was very good/heartbreaking - a must read for those who are interested in what happened at Jonestown.

Marie Cloutier said...

The Cat's Table was a lovely, quiet book with little pockets of drama. I think you'd like it if you were in the mood for something low-key. I want to get the new Tom Rob Smith too. I haven't read book 2 yet but I have it somewhere!

Kathleen said...

Please read #1 soon! I can't wait to hear what you think of it!

Jenners said...

The Odds is on my list. I need to get this magazine!! (Of course, it might be dangerous!)

Belle Wong said...

I'm excited about Believing the Lie, too - I love the Lynley series. I don't have a book wish fairy, unfortunately, so for now, I'm in the queue at the library! And a subscription to Bookmarks - what a lovely lovely ongoing Christmas present!

Dawn @ sheIsTooFondOfBooks said...

That's a nice want/need list, Sandy!

I love Bookmarks magazine, and especially appreciate their themed round-ups. Nice of your parents to renew it for you each year.

Adelle said...

I think 'The Cats Table' is going to be such fun to read. It will take me back to seeing life through the eyes of a child, there's adventure, mischief and a great variety of interesting people that this little boy gets to meet.
I think this novel can appeal to a vast spectrum of people.
I heard all about the book on Elaine Charles's radio show 'The Book Report' where she interviewed Michael Ondaajte about his book.
What I like about her show is that you get to learn more about the personal life of the author sometimes and you get to hear more about the background and research of the books.
I'm definitely going to read 'The Cats Table'.

trish said...

That's impressive you can put various books in a wants and needs category. I wonder if I could do that or if they would all eventually end up in the needs column?

Melissa said...

I love Hopkins and didn't realize Perfect was a companion to Impulse. Impulse was the first book of hers I'd read, and I will forever be hooked.