Sunday Salon – December 30, 2007

In the last week, I read The Outlander, by Gil Adamson – an early review book from Ecco/Harper Collins which blew me away (read my review here).

I then picked up Candide, by Voltaire. Although slim, it packs a punch and is not exactly a “light” read. I have the Barnes and Noble Classic edition which has a great timeline and introduction, as well as ample notes and comments that helped me keep the historical events in perspective and gave me a better understanding of the novel’s meaning. In addition, this particular edition includes some incredible pencil plates drawn by Alan Odle. Overall, I enjoyed the book (read my review here), but I’m glad that this will be the discussion book for my Banned Books Yahoo group in January as I believe a novel like this can only be fully appreciated after much discussion and analysis.

After Candide, I felt a tremendous need for something light. I’ve picked up Mary Norton’s classic children’s book: The Borrowers. This was a favorite book of mine from childhood. I read the whole series at least half a dozen times. The story appeals to the imaginative mind of child in that it revolves around a family of “little people” called The Clocks who live beneath the floorboards of an old English country home. Norton is a gifted writer whose work has been honored and recognized by the Lewis Carroll Shelf Awards and The Carnegie Medal Award, as well as making the ALA’s list of most Distinguished Books. This is one I am happy to read snuggled beneath a blanket in front of the fire with a cup of good peppermint tea in my hand. If you haven’t read The Borrowers and the books that followed it…do yourself a favor and go get yourself a copy. You won’t regret it!