Life:
Good morning! We are having beautiful weather here in Florida this weekend. This is the time of the year that it pays to live here. I’ve been out trying to enjoy it as much as possible. My favorite photos of the weekend:
Today I am heading over to Orlando to have brunch with my cousin who is down from D.C. I missed her at Christmas this year so I am glad for today. Also, we get to discuss our trip to Greece in August for her sister’s wedding. And talking about the European Adventure is always fun.
Books:
I finished Great House. Finally. And I am now enjoying the remainder of A Visit from the Good Squad. I am also finishing up First Among Sequels in audio.
Help me choose my next audiobook:
I’m a bit sad to be wrapping up my audio reread of the Thursday Next series but I am also excited to be able to listen to something else for the first time this year. I am unable to choose where to begin on my own so I need your guidance. These are my options (obviously I am in a nonfiction mood):
- Bonobo Handshake: A Memoir of Love and Adventure in the Congo
- The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
- At Home: A Short History of Private Life
Anyone love one of these? Hate one of these? Dying to read one of these?
I hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a lovely week.
my books. my life. 
If you listen to HOME I want to know how it is, because I have it on my ipod too. I really liked EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES on audio, once I got used to the narrator. He isn’t anything special initially, but his style actually really works for that audio.
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Lovely pictures, Michelle!
Your ‘TBR’ audio book list is interesting! I have ‘The Emperor of Maladies’ and ‘At Home’ on my bookshelf (regular books). I read around a hundred pages of ‘At Home’ and I was a bit disappointed, because though Bryson says that it is the story of how our present day house came to be, it looks like he has done research on Victorian homes and writes exclusively about them. Maybe he moves on later, but I couldn’t continue beyond around a hundred pages – not because the book wasn’t good, because it was, but because I felt cheated. I read a little bit of the beginning of ‘The Emperor of Maladies’ and it was very touching, poignant, wonderful. I am hoping to read it soon. If you don’t mind a serious book, which might be poignant at times and even depressing, I would recommend this. Siddhartha Mukherjee’s prose is beautiful!
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The Emperor of All Maladies was terrific, and I’d imagine the audio version is just as good.
Lucky you and FL weather. It is very cold here still.
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Gorgeous pictures! I’ve been wanting to read The Great House…I’ll be watching for your review.
A Visit from the Goon Squad was not my favorite Egan book…especially the “power point” pages. But there were parts that I really enjoyed.
Hope you continue to enjoy your Florida moments….
Here’s MY SUNDAY SALON
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Gorgeous pictures! I could so live there during the winter. 🙂
My vote is for Bonobo Handshake, but I bet all three are interesting.
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WOW! That picture of the sun is gorgeous! Glad you’re enjoying the weather 🙂
I haven’t read any of those books, but I hear that Bill Bryson is really great. Good luck!
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I love your pictures. I wish I lived in there in the winter.
I heard good things about Interpreter of Maladies. If I was you I pick that one first.
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Hmm, all three titles are appealing; but I’m voting for The Bonobo Handshake, favoring Justine Eyre over Stephen Hoye and an author read. Which isn’t to say that I either Stephen Hoye or Bill Bryson badly narrate! It’s all really splitting hairs!
I just finished COLUMBINE (by Dave Cullen; narrated by Don Leslie) which highly recommend if you haven’t already read/listened to it. It’s non-fiction at it’s best: revealing, myth-busting, compelling…
I’m not much of a non-fiction reader; but I’m starting to look around for another NF title myself and am now trying to figure out how to fit in THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS (by Rebecca Skloot.)
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I’ve heard great things about Columbine. I will be adding that to my list.
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Although I have enjoyed a couple of books by Bryson, especially A Walk in the woods, I gave up on At Home [audiobook]. The idea is interesting, going through all the rooms of the house and talk about the origin and history of things related to the room, but it was too much informative and not enough entertaining for me. I guess I was not in that mood. It’s read by Bryson himself, and I found also his tone of voice not too uplifting. In one word: boredom made me give it up. I would suggest Bonobo Handshake if you want some uplifting read. I’m currently listening to the Vanishing of Katharina Linden, by H. Grant. Mysterious, well written, lively read.
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I vote for Bonobo. I haven’t read it but it’s on my to-get list after having read someone else’s review
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I’m going to cast my vote for AT HOME. I just read it, and at the time I kept thinking that it would work really well as the narration to a documentary; an e-book would approximate that rather well, I’d think.
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