Bear Bahoochie

Holiday Reading

A week off work so I set myself a book a day challenge – and I nearly managed.

Monday and Tuesday – Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death by Giles Brandreth

I rather liked this. I’ve no idea if it is historically accurate but it was fun and used lot’s of Wilde quotes in the text (apparently Wilde did ‘try out’ phrases with friends prior to their appearing in his work). Wilde has Sherlock Holmes-esque observational skills and uses these to the full to solve the murder and like all good crimes I got to the end amazed by the solution but sure that if I read it again all the clues would be staring me in the face.

Wednesday – Library Confidential : Oddballs, Geeks and Gangstas in the public library by Don Borchert

It claims to put the Shh! in shocking. I’d say it is a pretty accurate of life in the public library and in my own experience with toy gun fights before 8:30am, stolen pot plants and massive arguments over a 15p fine I’ve experienced a very similar range of adventures during my library career so far. Though I dare say for those who think the library is a quiet place it probably is a shocker. Worth reading since it was quite amusing but mainly assured me that my experience is only to be expected.

Thursday – The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor.

This was excellent! Very much a teen book so easy to read but brilliant. It’s a reworking of Alice in Wonderland – less full of drug induced weirdness but much darker and bloody. I loved the way the various characters are re-worked I loved the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat! The sequel ‘Seeing Redd’ has just been moved to my must read book pile.

Friday – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

This has been moved on and off the read pile for a while but it’s one of seven books I’m challenging myself to read by February. I really liked it. I dare say I’m missing the deeper meanings but I loved the description of the opulence and glamor of Gatsby.  I really liked the tragedy of it all and the idea that time is always moving forward, never letting you return to the past. I loved the line Meyer Wolfshiem says near the end;

“Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.”