Friday Finds – June 26, 2009

June 26, 2009

Each Friday, Jenn at Should Be Reading hosts the event Friday Finds where bloggers share their book finds for the week. I do not post every Friday, but I “collect” finds constantly, logging them into my Amazon wishlist and bookmarking reviews. Here are my finds for the last few weeks (clicking on the title will take you to Amazon; clicking on the referenced blog will take you to that blogger’s review):

Wild Roses by Deb Caletti as featured on Amanda’s blog The Zen Leaf is a YA book which Amanda writes ‘far transcends the boundaries of “young adult.”‘ She also writes: ‘Reading it overwhelmed me and threatened to break me into little pieces. It’s been a very long time since a book captured me so completely, since a book and its characters felt so real and perfect that I could almost swear they weren’t fiction. That I actually felt like I was living beside them.‘ Wow. I am not usually a huge fan of YA fiction, but I did love The Book Thief…and this one sounds like it might be just as good.

Still Life by A.S. Byatt as featured on Susannah’s blog 7th Decade Thoughts was a re-read for her (it is the second book in a quartet of books by this author – The Virgin in the Garden is the first in the series).  Susannah writes: ‘As Byatt focuses on the contradictions plaguing academic women in the Fifties, there’s a parallel drama focused on the artist van Gogh.‘ That sounds interesting to me.

Sorry by Gail Jones as featured on Laura’s blog Musings is one I just had to add to my wish list. If you know Laura, you know she hardly ever gives out five stars…but this one got just that, and Laura writes: ‘This book combines rich characterizations with deep emotional impact — always a winning combination for me. This is a beautiful, moving book.’ That’s enough of an endorsement for me!

Unseen by Mari Jungstedt as featured on Kerrie’s blog Mysteries in Paradise sounds like the kind of book I have been in the mood for lately. Kerrie writes: ‘This was an excellent read. Apart from the murder mystery aspect, it is really a story about relationships on a number of levels, and a tale that points out how our actions from our days of innocence can reach out into the present.‘ This mystery is a translation from the Swedish and it sounds terrific!

A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg as featured on Tara’s blog Books and Cooks caught my eye immediately.  Tara writes that A Homemade Life is ‘[...]sublime. Delicious. Heartbreaking and life-affirming. Organized in short chapters, each essay is followed by a recipe or sometimes two pertaining to the content of the essay.‘ I follow Wizenberg’s blog Orangette (as does Tara) and so I know this author can truly write.

What books made it onto YOUR wish list this week?