So many to choose from

Russian Winter is on its way out, and I know I talked about reading books via a theme but I don’t know how I feel about that. Having a reading list for the next year forces me to suppress my inhibitions and unable to pick a book I really like it or am in the mood for. For now, I’ll shelve the theme-ing idea but I may go back to it for a month or so to see how it flows.

Lots of good books out right now and I’m all over the map with what to pick up next! The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver is receiving some good reviews. It’s about a man who is pulled between two nations (Mexico during the times of Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo and America during Pearl Harbor) as well as a portrait of the artist and art. Another good one I came across is Adam & Eve – yes from the Bible but this ain’t a religious book. It’s about 2 people recovering from physical and emotional injuries and they find themselves in an oasis. But Eve is secretly carrying a different version of the beginning of life that was newly discovered under the sands of Egypt, and is being sought by those who would do anything to keep it from being released. Sounds really interesting!

The Gendarme (how do you pronounce that?), sounds like the perfect book right now, about a WWI veteran suffering from amnesia because of a head wound. Now he is old with a brain tumor that’s causing long-lost memories to return. It also makes him recall an earlier life as a Turkish gendarme leading a group of Armenian refugees to the border. In the mix of despair, brutality and desperation he falls in love with Araxie, one of the Armenian refugees and begins to perceive his actions and his attitude through her eyes.

But the book I’m most excited about is Ken Follet’s Fall of Giants, which came out on September 28. It’s a mammoth 850 page story, first in a trilogy. I just want make this clear upfront that this book cannot be finished in a week, no matter how interesting, especially with my change of fate. Perhaps this might be the next one (will be buying it from Costco tomorrow) or may be one of the earlier ones. We’ll find out soon!