A Question, and Friday Finds 9/11

Quick Question: Back in high school I read MY ANTONIA by Willa Cather. I didn't like it much, but recently I've heard good things about it so I thought I'd give it another try. I'm listening to the audio book and am about 3 CDs in ... and it is just as boring now as it was back then. I'm seriously considering giving up on it, but there's this lingering doubt that I'll be missing out on something wonderful. Can you tell me if 1) you've read and enjoyed it and why, or 2) there is a good reason to stick with it? Thanks!


I've been absent from Friday Finds for a few weeks because I've had a huge backlog of posts to get caught up on. I've also been attempting to be more discriminating about the books I add to my TBR list. In the past three weeks I have added only 7 books to my list - that's pretty darn good, for me at least!

Before I tell you about those 7 books, I want to remind you about the fabulous 3-prize giveaway I'm hosting from author Michelle Moran. Details are at this link - you have until 9/14 to enter, so go do it right now!


And now, my Friday Finds ...



The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters - The Book Case says, "Like Henry James in Turn of the Screw, Waters leaves the 'poltergeist or disturbed protagonist' decision up to the reader, but draws a compelling portrait of Britain’s changing class system after World War II." Sounds good to me!



Books by R. M. Ballantyne - Naked Without Books discovered this author recently and now she has me intrigued. This 19th century author wrote adventure books for teen boys. "Ballantyne made a mistake in his first book about the thickness of coconut shells, so after that, he was determined to do scrupulous research on the topics and settings in his novels. For example, he had worked as a young man in "the wilds of Canada", which provided material for several books, he worked with London firemen for Fighting The Flames and tin miners in Cornwall for Deep Down." Now that's what I call dedication!


City of Refuge, by Tom Piazza - New Orleans resident Stuff As Dreams Are Made On says, "I have to give major kudos to Piazza for writing such a strong, powerful, emotional book. Living in New Orleans, I get tired of reading so many books about Katrina, but Piazza just gets it right. He knows this city, he loves this city. I felt like he was one of us…he is one of us. It’s the best retelling of the events of Hurricane Katrina that I’ve read so far and it’s fiction. It’s certainly based on real events though. The timeline and the surroundings and neighborhoods are 100% accurate." That is certainly a ringing endorsement.


The Calligrapher's Daughter, by Eugenia Kim - I've seen this reviewed several places but S. Krishna's Books was the final push to add this to my list. She says this book is "is an exceptionally written historical fiction novel. [...] Additionally, I have to say that I was a bit shocked at how little I knew about Korean history. I appreciated the insight that this book provided, as well as the historical note at the end of the novel which gave a brief summary of Korean history." Gotta love authors who include good historical notes. Fizzy Thoughts reviewed it as well, and now I REALLY want to read it.


Child of the Jungle, by Sabine Kuegler - Open Mind, Insert Book reviewed this memoir of a German girl, child of missionaries, growing up in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. She says, "This was really, really great. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but she writes in such a vivid style, you don't so much as read her words as relive her childhood with her." We have missionary friends in Papua New Guinea with CLTC so this area of the world is extra-interesting to me (you can check out pictures from a recent festival at CLTC at this link).



The Marriage Bureau for Rich People, by Farahad Zama - Books on the Brain says, "As customers come [this Indian matchmaker] and express their wishes for a match for their son, brother or daughter, or even for themselves, the reader gets a real sense of Indian society. From arranged marriages to the caste system to religion and food, it’s a cultural lesson wrapped in a charming story." From her review, this sounds like a light but still somewhat educational read.


The Day the Falls Stood Still, by Cathy Maria Buchanan - "Steeped in the intriguing history of Niagara Falls, this epic love story is as rich, spellbinding, and majestic as the falls themselves." I've been fascinated by Niagara Falls ever since my family vacationed there when I was 13. We toured a museum showcasing photos of people on tightropes going across the Falls, in barrels going over the Falls, and in old-fashioned clothes standing on the edge of the Falls. I was too scared to even look over the edge of the wall from closer than 2 feet away. Thanks to Book Chatter for bringing this to my attention - it looks like a book I will really enjoy.

Friday Finds is hosted by Should Be Reading. Hop on over there to find more great books or link up to your own post.