Suzy Says

Can a girl have too many books? I have to admit that I tend to just buy them, although I have current library cards for both San Francisco and Wimbledon. If I know I won’t read the book again, or need to refer to it in the future, I’ll put it in a bag and when enough have accumulated, bring them to the local second-hand bookstore, where I trade them for store credit so I can…buy more books.

The truth is, I am never going to have time before I go to England (three weeks from today) to read all the books that are temptingly piled up on my bedside table, luring me away from the dull daily tasks I should be doing:

Diamond Grill, by Fred Wah
Recommended by my friend Kathleen, it is a charming collection of memories, reflections, social and family history which center around the Diamond Grill, a Chinese caf&eacute in small town Saskatchewan in the 1950’s. Wah is a noted Canadian poet and it shows in this delightful collection.

Under the Net, by Iris Murdoch
I have read nearly all of Murdoch’s clever, witty novels, so it’s a real pleasure to come across one I haven’t yet read, especially since she is no longer with us. This one involves a series of madcap adventures on a film set in Rome.

Carl Wilcox Quartet, by Harold Adams
Those who think that reading about the Depression-era Dakotas couldn’t possibly be fun owe it to themselves to read at least one of Adams’ delightful whodunits starring detective Carl Wilcox (based on Adams’ charming, ne’er do well uncle) and see if they’re wrong. Wilcox is an unusual and engrossing hero.

The Go Between, by L.P. Hartley
Set in England in the golden era at the turn of the last century, Hartley’s book explores what happens when an innocent schoolboy, visiting a friend’s palatial home during a hot summer, acts a messenger between his friend’s beautiful sister, who is engaged, and her secret lover. Richly evocative of time and place.

The Bay of Angels, by Anita Brookner
All I had to know was: it’s a new Anita Brookner. I have all of her novels and it would be embarrassing to tell you how often I have re-read them. She is a writer of elegant prose and a keen observer of human nature.

Isaac’s Storm, by Erik Larson
John passed this one on to me, after reading it all over the house and staying up late in its company. It’s about the great Galveston hurricane of 1900, and tells the story both from a weather/science point of view and that of the people caught up in it.

Beethoven’s Hair, by Russell Martin
In 1994, a lock of the great composer’s hair was auctioned off at Sotheby’s. This prompted Russell Martin to not only wonder how the hair got to be auctioned at all, but to trace its history and to have extensive tests run on it to learn as much as possible about his health and what really caused his death at the age of 57.

Dead Sleep, by Greg Iles
Another one from John. We both loved The Quiet Game, so I’m looking forward to another thriller that really thrills. Maybe I should bring this with me on the trip to London?

A Darkness More than Night, by Michael Connelly
With the same hero as in the brilliant Blood Work (yes, the novel the movie is based on, and yes, the book is better), Connelly’s other famous detective, Harry Bosch, Connelly’s brilliant writing, and a great mystery, what’s not to love?

Renoir, My Father, by Jean Renoir
Film director Jean Renoir just happens to be the son of the great artist, Pierre Auguste Renoir. This delightful book recounts Jean’s conversations with his father, on every topic under the sun.

And that’s not counting the books I am saving for the flight to England, along with all of the August New Yorkers, which I am currently hoarding for the express purpose of distracting me from the horror and boredom of that 11 hour trip. The perfidious wretches only produced one issue for the weeks of August 19 & 26, too. Like they all had to go on vacation at the same time, or something. How inconsiderate can you get?