A forgotten author: Gwen Bristow

If you only read new releases or never haunt old libraries, then you have most likely overlooked Gwen Bristow. I would classify her as "an oldie, but a goodie." She wrote most of her novels during the 1930's-1970's. Her best known work of fiction is probably Jubilee Trail, which became a best-seller in 1950. It was made into a movie in 1954.
I first became familiar with her books a couple of years ago when I had read These is My Words and was looking for something similar to read. I think it was an Amazon suggestion. Anyway, I enjoyed Jubilee Trail. It is historical fiction, with some romance. I liked it because it was one of those epic tales with adventure and romance and characters that I really got to know. If I remember, it was a little bit cheesy, but just in an old-fashioned way. I plan to read more of her books (the only other one that I have read is Celia Garth). They are nice, clean stories that are easy to pick up and read. Some of them are a bit hard to find, but many have been reprint recently. If you are an historical fiction fan you might try to find some of these:

• Deep Summer (1937), ISBN 0-89966-025-8
• The Handsome Road (1938), ISBN 0-89966-028-2
• This Side of Glory (1940), ISBN 0-89966-026-6
• Tomorrow Is Forever (1943), ISBN 0-89966-027-4
• Jubilee Trail (1950), ISBN 1-55652-601-6
• Celia Garth (1959), ISBN 1-877853-58-5
• Calico Palace (1970), ISBN 0-671-82471-6

Reading Goals for 2010

I read for pleasure most of the time, so when I speak of reading "goals," I am talking in very loose terms. There are a number of books that I'd like to read in the next while. Some of them have been around for a while, but others of them are fairly new. If you've read any of them, I would love to know what you think.

Here's my list:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Tall Grass by Sandra Dallas
Half Broke Horses: A True Life Novel by Jeanette Walls
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman
Fire of the Covenant: The Story of the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies by Gerald Lund

I'm also going to try to read more children's literature, especially Newberry award winning books.

My Favorite Books of 2009

I have decided to list a few of the books that I have read this last year that have left me pondering and thinking , even months after I have read them. I think that they all have left an impression on me. I've read several good books in 2009, but these are probably my favorites.


The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas

I loved learning about the life and times of Jesus. This is a work of fiction, but it felt like it could have been true.


The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

This isn't your everyday, same plot, nice little story. It is a little more literary and full of style. It might not be for everyone, but I had fun reading it.


Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

I think this book was wonderful. It had charming characters and was a sweet little romance.


Still Alice by Lisa Genova

I still think about this book. It is one of those that is hard to read, but compelling at the same time.

Books that my book group has read (part 1)

I've been a member of a book group for about three years now. Each member gets a turn choosing a book and hosting the club about every six to eight months. You would think that it would be easy to pick a book, but it becomes a daunting task when you want to find one that everyone will enjoy. The other consideration that needs to be made is if the book is clean and in good taste, we are a church group after all. I usually chose a book that I have already read so that I know it will not be disappointing.

If you are looking for a book to read for your book club, I've made a partial list of some of our picks.

The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
The Robe by Lloyd C Douglas
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Physick Book of Deliverace Dane by Kathrine Howe

I will be posting reviews on most if not all of these books at some point. I liked them all, but a few of them had some objectionable content. So, if you need to know more about any of these, please leave a comment and I can answer your questions.

Do you have a year's supply of books?

Do I horde books? The answer to that question would have to be YES! Don't you? Does this make me strange? Well, I guess that would depend on who you ask. It's not like you would know this about me if you came to visit me, I have them all neatly (mostly) put away. The thing of it is this: having books makes me feel safe and comfortable.

I have a stash of books (I haven't counted, but if I had to guess probably 100) that I haven't read. It is my personal library that I can access whenever. They are all books that I have handpicked, so I know that there's a good chance that I'll like many of them. This is comforting to me. It's not always easy to get out to get a book when you need one. Having a ready supply of books eliminates this problem. So when my husband jokes around about my little library, I tell him that at least I'm prepared.


This picture represents a small portion of my personal library (they are double stacked, so you only see the front row).

So now that my little secret is out, you would probably think that I'd feel embarrassed or something. Really I don't. I'm just glad I have plenty of books to keep me happy.

For those of you that are straining to read the titles of some of these books, here are a few of them to get you started:

gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
The Last Cato by Matilde Asensi
Enemy women by Paulette Jiles
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelo
State of Fear by Michael Crichton
The Handsome Road by Gwen Bristow
Through A Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen