Saturday, December 17, 2011

My Holiday Reading List


One of the nicest parts of Christmas is having leisure time to read to my heart's content. It seems the world slows down and I spend most of my time with family, food, and books. What could be better than that?

My reading list for the holidays includes:

1. GLORY BE by Augusta Scattergood - Augusta has written my favorite kind of book, historical fiction with a southern setting. GLORY BE takes place during Freedom Summer in 1964. Look for an upcoming interview with Augusta on my blog.

2. THE SCORPIO RACES - Maggie Stiefvater creates characters I care about and writes in a lovely lyrical way. THE SCORPIO RACES is getting lots of good buzz and I can't wait to see what all the hoopla is about!

3. BIRD IN A BOX by Andrea Davis Pinkney - Another historical fiction book that I'm looking forward to delving into. I enjoy reading authors with an African-American voice. Their writing is distinctive and usually has a poetic feel to it. When I read their work, I always hear the voice of Mrs. Pauline Porter, who taught me to read.

4. DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor - This novel was named one of Amazon's Top Ten Books of 2011. Universal Studios recently bought the rights to make it into a movie. My critique partner Cynthia Chapman Willis says it's a "must read." That is high praise indeed.

Happy Holiday to one and all! May you be surrounded by bright lights, good food, people who love you, and a stack of great books!