K's Holiday Wish List

As I'm sure you can guess, I have an Amazon wishlist and it is chock full o' books. I thought I would share with you some of the titles I am wishing for -- just in case you are pondering what to wish for.

The Oxford Book of Victorian Ghost Stories, compiled by Michael Cox and R.A. Gilbert. It was obvious from reading Michael Cox's books that this area is his specialty so I'm curious to see what stories they collected. The author list includes J.S. Le Fanu and M.R. James, of course, Elizabeth Gaskell, Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, Henry James, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Apparently there are 35 stories -- and for $15.99, this seems like a great deal.

The Law and the Lady, Wilkie Collins. Another blogger read this recently and liked it and it's about time that I read another Collins book. I think I actually have four or five of his books on my wishlist right now.

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective, Kate Summerscale. This is a non-fiction account of a Victorian murder, investigated by one Detective Inspector Whicher from Scotland Yard. This book is supposed to be similar to The Beautiful Cigar Girl in that it goes beyond the story -- in this case, to also talk about the beginning of the modern concept of a "detective" and of forensic police methods.

The Painter of Battles: A Novel, Arturo Perez-Reverte. This is a thriller about a war photographer turned painter, trying to exorcise his demons and forget his past. Unfortunately, he is not allowed to do this when someone from his past shows up and forces him to face the repercussions of his actions. I've been waiting for a new Perez-Reverte for a while and am glad that there is one out of the Captain Alatriste series. This book sounds somewhat similar to Iain Pears' The Portrait so I'm interested to compare them.

And a few more:
The Journal of Dora Damage, Belinda Starling.

Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks From Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West, Shannon Mckenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon.

Uncle Silas, J. Sheridan Le Fanu.

The Enchantress of Florence: A Novel, Salman Rushdie.

Did you see anything that looks interesting? Tomorrow I will post Z's Holiday Wish List!

Always wishing for world peace,
K


Visit our Amazon e-store for a great selection of books that we have reviewed on this site.

"'To be born again,' sang Gibreel Farishta tumbling from the heavens, 'first you have to die."

I won't kid you. The Satanic Verses is not a quick read. I don't know that any of Salman Rushdie's books are, but this one seemed slow compared even to most of the others. He tends to stack tales and interweave stories through other stories. There isn't a consistent narrative flow through the book. However, each of the tales in this book is engaging. The main characters of the book, Gibreel and Saladin, change in character (and perhaps divine nature) while falling from a plane that has been destroyed in-flight by terrorists. The side tales are based on scenes from the Koran and Gibreel is either dreaming them or participating in them. We don't know which it is and neither does he. The narrator appears to be God and the book uses modified Hindu and Muslim mythologies as the basis for the various plot elements of the story.

I have had this book on the bookshelf for about ten years. I think that T read it when we first bought it. At the time I was reading other Rushdie books and just never remembered to pick up this one but finally I wanted to know what all of the hubbub was about. I would have to go back and read my Koran guide again to know what Rushdie did with the stories that was so blasphemous.

Overall, this is a fantastic book that just takes a while to read. The only complaint I had is one I have with most Rushdie books -- he really likes to kill off a lot of his characters. Even small side characters end up getting the axe. I have wondered if this is his way of gaining a sense of closure. The characters are not going on after the book. Their stories are told. Whatever it is, this is a mind-expanding book that deserves to be read.

Turning the page,
K


Buy The Satanic Verses on Amazon or find it at your local library.

"I was born in the city of Bombay ... once upon a time."

Today, Salman Rushdie was given the 40 year "Best of the Booker" award for Midnight's Children, which also won the Booker Award in 1981 and the 25 year Booker award in 1993. I read this book quite a few years ago and reread it about six months ago. It was still a fantastic book and really represents an entire nation in a critical moment in its history.

Saleem is one of 1,000 children born at midnight on the day of the "birth of India" -- the day it became a nation free from British rule. These children have all acquired some sort of power or talent and Saleem, among other skills, has the ability to connect them all telepathically. The story follows Saleem as he grows up in the new India and comes in and out of contact with these other children and navigates the world that is changing all around him. The adult Saleem is the narrator and he admits that the story is his perhaps deluded interpretation of his own childhood but you want to believe that such a world of fantasy could exist in a modern setting.

I find that many of Salman Rushdie's books use the same sort of "voice" in them. I just started The Satanic Verses and from the start it has felt familiar and comfortable in its language and flow. If you have read any of his books, you should continue on through more of them. He is a brilliant storyteller and is quite accessible. One day I will wax rhapsodic about my favorite Rushdie book, The Ground Beneath Her Feet.

Until next time,
K


Buy Midnight's Children on Amazon or find it at your local library.