fiction, non-fiction, poetry and prose
relishing almost nothing more than reading an entire novel in one sitting, here are some summer recommendations from me to you...
non-fiction: "the beekeeper's lament" by hannah nordhaus. i don't think i will ever take a honey bee for granted. the book even inspired me to go outside, find a bee, and watch it for about 20 minutes as it gathered pollen. for bringing future blackberry jam into existence for us, i thanked it before driving out to promptly buy organic orange blossom honey (i can be very impressionable in the food and reading department). beekeeping for profit is a hard-won profession, but having a few apiary boxes sounds fun to me, perhaps in the next season of life.
fiona stafford has me looking at trees differently, too. also in the non-fiction category, the cover of "the long, long life of trees" caught my eye in the "new" section of the library. since i actually DO judge books somewhat by their cover, i was intrigued. the illustrations and even the paper itself was high quality. chapter by chapter, from oak to ash and holly to apple, stafford (herself a smart english literature professor at oxford) unpacks surprising tidbits, facts, superstitions, poetry, and ecology surrounding these stately (and not so stately) companions. i couldn't resist pressing a leaf and placing it inside the jacket for the next person to find, it seemed fitting.
in the fiction department (although closely woven from real life stories) is new author hala alyan. hala was born in 1986 and completed her doctorate in psychology after living in various parts of the middle east. she divides her time between private practice and teaching at new york university. her novel, "salt houses" is beautifully written, so it was not surprising to me that her prose stems from also being an award-winning author of three poetry collections. (it made me want to go out and buy fresh figs). she is a seasoned performer who has given TED talks and currently lives in new york city. for more about her you can visit: www.halaalyan.com
since both my olive oil and books are running low, it's clearly time for some restocking!
non-fiction: "the beekeeper's lament" by hannah nordhaus. i don't think i will ever take a honey bee for granted. the book even inspired me to go outside, find a bee, and watch it for about 20 minutes as it gathered pollen. for bringing future blackberry jam into existence for us, i thanked it before driving out to promptly buy organic orange blossom honey (i can be very impressionable in the food and reading department). beekeeping for profit is a hard-won profession, but having a few apiary boxes sounds fun to me, perhaps in the next season of life.
fiona stafford has me looking at trees differently, too. also in the non-fiction category, the cover of "the long, long life of trees" caught my eye in the "new" section of the library. since i actually DO judge books somewhat by their cover, i was intrigued. the illustrations and even the paper itself was high quality. chapter by chapter, from oak to ash and holly to apple, stafford (herself a smart english literature professor at oxford) unpacks surprising tidbits, facts, superstitions, poetry, and ecology surrounding these stately (and not so stately) companions. i couldn't resist pressing a leaf and placing it inside the jacket for the next person to find, it seemed fitting.
in the fiction department (although closely woven from real life stories) is new author hala alyan. hala was born in 1986 and completed her doctorate in psychology after living in various parts of the middle east. she divides her time between private practice and teaching at new york university. her novel, "salt houses" is beautifully written, so it was not surprising to me that her prose stems from also being an award-winning author of three poetry collections. (it made me want to go out and buy fresh figs). she is a seasoned performer who has given TED talks and currently lives in new york city. for more about her you can visit: www.halaalyan.com
since both my olive oil and books are running low, it's clearly time for some restocking!
Comments
Post a Comment