Newest Round

I have been reading a lot lately. There has been very little social life to keep me away from my reading. The journey begins with Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose. What an ingenious book! I immediately went out and bought another of his novels. I feel that I've probably read the best but still, I feel compelled to relive more of his masterful stories. It pained me to read, it made me sad, it made me laugh, but most of all, it made me feel alive. I read it over a long period just to prolong that feeling. I didn't want to read it too quickly for fear of losing that, that je ne sais quoi! I would definitely recommend it to all, but in hitting the heights the book also hits the depths. Be prepared for that in the writing!

The next adventure was Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence, a book I thought about putting down for good on several occasions. I finally finished it between parts of the next series I will tell you about (see below). I didn't like it at first, I thought it outdated, part of another time, not relevant any longer. But as I completed the novel I didn't feel that any more. It won't make my list of ultimately influential novels. It isn't that good, it has lost some of its importance over time, but Chapters still keeps it on the shelves and you can still find copies of it in the used bookstores. If you are interested I sold my copy to the Best Little Wordhouse in the West, on 17th between 8th & 9th. I liked it though, mostly for the very real and corruptible protagonist Archer. If you've read it I would love to discuss it further, it seems a work of importance but not one that I'm willing to profess understanding.

The next step was Harry Potter. I started with Goblet of Fire and made it to Half Blood Prince in 1 week (had to hold myself back and I read the Age of Innocence in the middle there). Still amazing novels. I ripped through them, complete with new ideas about them but it the end it came down to one thought as I finished the sixth in the series. How the hell is JKR going to fit all that's left into one book? 4 Horcruxes and killing Tom himself? Wow. Any thoughts? Please comment on them, because I am too curious!