Bookshelf

Part of this 100 Day Creativity Challenge also is about books. I have bookshelves full. And some I keep moving but have never read. So I'm forcing myself to read something other than non-fiction again. I've been in league with the non-fiction for a long long time now. Its best I revisit the expanse of fiction.
Books I'm currently reading:

Something Rotten by Jasper Ffjorde ~~A recent acquisition!



But the UK book cover is far superior.
I loved Jasper Ffjorde's Nursery Crime novels, especially The Fourth Bear. Now I'm getting into his other series, the adventures of Thursday Next (that's her name, she's a literary detective). I am loving this book. I like that its nerdy about books and characters. Its a fun romp so far.


Moon Over Minneapolis by Fay Weldon

I got this for fifteen cents at a thrift store because of the title. Turns out the author is from Britian. It was one of the pile of Read-it-Now or donate it to a different thrift store books. So I'm reading it. Its actually not a novel but a short story compilation. Chapters are grouped into themes. I am liking these character centered stories. Again, I am greatly appreciative of an intelligent, articulate author who actively explores the complexity of the modern world. I am really liking this. And I feel like I champ cause I am reading it quickly. This book is a surprise. It makes me want to look into writing short stories again too. I used to write a lot of short stories. I should get back into it!


Books recently finished
Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Single
It is a MN writer and its fluffy chick lit. I didn't think it would be bad - I mean fluffy chick lit is fluffy chick lit, right? UGH. I slogged thru this.
I struggled trying to identify with Jennifer. She wasn't 3 dimensional. She was vapid. She was 1 dimensional with a lot of problems Cosmo solves. It was hard to believe this got published. Okay, I'm not a Cosmo type reader. I'm more of a BUST and MS. reader type reader. Maybe this book was not written for me, but I pity any one who really identifies with this type of lead character, I really do. Even the 'gay friends' were cookie cutter BS and absolutely hard to believe. I should know! I have dozens of gay friends in Minneapolis, and I'm sure each one would roll their eyes in horror at what bad, stereotypical depictions this author gave to the gay couple. Bad all around. It had lots of MN and Twin Cities specific references, but even that didn't save it for me. Oh well. Into the donate-me bag it goes!
But it was this book that confirmed for me that anyone can get published. So with renewed enthusiasm I tossed this book into the donate-me bag and got back to my own creative writings! I can, with confidence, say I did get THAT out of this book!