More Summer Reading

August 5, 2009

in On The Shelf

I finished Michael J. Fox’s second book, Always Looking Up, about a week ago. It was another easy read – Michael J. is just talking here… about his life, his work, politics, faith and family. I like him. I think he has a splendid outlook on life – one that it utterly optimistic, especially in the face of his life with Parkinson’s Disease. He is continually thankful for his blessed life, which is a position one should always try to hold, no matter what. Find your joy at all costs.

I took my time reading it, as it was an easy one to put down and start up again, unlike that tormenting Twilight series that sucked me in from the start. I enjoyed his freshman memoir, Lucky Man, and I also recommend this read. It was well written and thought-provoking. I like Michael J. Fox.

book-cover-pillars-of-the-earthI’m now starting Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth, which is, in short, about building a cathedral. Follett has a huge interest in these old buildings, about how they could even be constructed in the first place by men and women during a time before knowledge of mathematical structural engineering, before power tools, and how they could possibly remain standing after all these many centuries, still perfect, and still beautiful. And why were they built in the first place?

After reading the preface, I understand that Follett had a successful career as a thriller writer, but Pillars is a story he wrote an outline for in 1976, and actually finished in 1989. But there’s a great story too. He says, “I would write an adventure story, full of colorful characters who were ambitious, wicked, sexy, heroic, and smart. I wanted ordinary readers to be as enraptured as I was by the romance of the medieval cathedrals.” WooOOoo… sounds meaty and wonderful!

Dirty house be damned! I will spend my afternoon tucking into this new tale.

I’d love to know how anyone else has found this novel…

G.G.

  • andreapeaches

    Pillars is great, long and that is how Follett writes and then there is the more recent sequel, but it had been so long since I had read pillars that it was not really a sequel even though it really is a sequel.
    By the way, it msounds like you think the book might make you genius in a certain field, don't be fooled, it's good old fashioned trash. Just set in a different time.
    I don't think you complained about Fox and I think you should have because you are Grumble Girl and that is why I read your thing. Too nice, too nice this time. Say something liek you find it annoying him when he interviews and it becomes sickening the constant love of life and always feeling so blessed. Blech! Come on, give it up!
    Love ya, Grumble girl.

  • Grumble Girl

    I maintain that M.J. Fox's read is a good one… he doesn't drone on about his “luckiness”, and I really like him. That being said, there are PLENTY of books worth trashing at the seams… if I read one, be certain it's gonna get a Grumble Girl Smackdown… I promise. But I have to give good books their due – and I liked this one. I like everything this man does.

    So Pillars is kinda trashy, huh? Like Maeve Binchy trashy? I'm already intrigued.

    And my genius comes from my genetic make-up, and not from novels – trashy or otherwise. Maybe I should thank the baby Jesus, but I won't. How's THAT for bitchy?!

    Thanks for reading anyway… I'll try to make myself a bigger bitch for you!

  • Cat

    The only way you could be a bigger bitch is if you put on some high heels.
    Bam!

  • Grumble Girl

    Oh, SNAP!! Takes one to know one…

  • Cat

    The only way you could be a bigger bitch is if you put on some high heels.
    Bam!

  • http://www.grumblegirl.com Grumble Girl

    Oh, SNAP!! Takes one to know one…

Previous post:

Next post: