As my “to read” list grows longer and longer (with a Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket), I’ve added a few more books to the list, which is guaranteed to keep me busy until, oh, 2011 or so:
- Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bible! (Jonathan Goldstein) – with tongue firmly in cheek, Goldstein revisits some of the best-known Bible stories to re-imagine these Biblical heroes for the 21st century. Definitely not for the deeply religious, Goldstein’s book has a misanthropic Noah who hears voices, a desperate – but not so repentant – Adam and Eve trying to get back into paradise and Joseph, pondering how to explain his fiance’s “angel baby.” Powell’s Books says it best: “This is the Bible populated by angry loners, hypochondriacs, and reluctant prophets who fear for their sanity. Basically, a Bible that readers can finally, genuinely relate to.”
- Rattled! A Memoir (Christine Coppa) – based on the popular blog (Storked!) she wrote for Glamour magazine, Coppa recounts how her life was turned upside down when she found herself pregnant, only a few months into a new relationship. After the guy bails, she has to figure everything out on her own. Refusing to conform to anyone else’s standards, Coppa managed to do what was best for her baby, all while staying true to herself.
- The Forgotten Garden (Kate Morton) – epic in both scope (with its multiple characters and plot twists and turns) and size (nearly 600 pages!), Morton’s book recalls classics like The Secret Garden, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. A young girl, abandoned with nothing more than some clothes and a book of fairy tales, sets out as an adult to find her family, a journey that involves generations of family members and years of secrets. With her emphasis on the importance of storytelling, international best-selling author Morton has created an unforgettable story about the things we forget. (Read an interview with her over at Omnivoracious.)
What’s on your list, bookworms? Got any good suggestions for me?
