September 3rd, 2010
Friday Finds are back to school
The leaves have already started to fall in my city, and that back to school feeling gets me every time- it’s all I can do to stop myself from buying plaid skirts, giant novels to read and a new pair of extra retro frames! Being out of school makes new coil bound notebooks all the sweeter when there’s no pressure to fill them with algebra and integers.
clockwise from top left:
8″ vintage globe from Lisa B Retro Style – $35
1960s Yale Pennant from Livingston and Porter – $36.95
Arts & Crafts Frames from Mom and Pops Vintage – $50
French Class Skirt from Seablanket $32
Speaking of curling up with a good book, I’m in need of a book recommendation like you wouldn’t believe- any suggestions? I love historical fiction, chick lit (as long as it’s not too fluffy) & classics but don’t know where to start! :)
I just read Saving Grace by Ciara Geraghty which I enjoyed, and am currently reading The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova (really good so far). I also loved Leaving Unknown by Kerry Reichs which I read a while ago.
Have you read the Red Tent? It’s historical/biblical fiction and pretty interesting. Also, if you haven’t read the Giver (young adult but still really neat) or the Handmaid’s Tale, I highly recommend both.
Ahh, back to school finds. Be still my heart. I totally bought some outerwear this weekend which feels like a ‘back to school’ purchase. I got it at this cute little boutique in the town by my parents’ lake cabin. It practically reached out and grabbed me and begged to be bought. ;)
Book suggestions… Hmmm… My fave travel memoir is “Without Reservations”. I just loved it and have recommended it to multiple people. I also really, really liked Loving Frank. You should read that and then we can do a meet up in Chicago and tour Frank Lloyd Wright’s house and studio.
Wow, I just got a heap of good book recommendations to add to my already ridiculous list. Some people have mentioned Good Reads, which I tried for a while, but I like Shelfari better–it’s more visual and less confusing to me. As for recommendations, if you haven’t yet read Gone With the Wind, it’s one of my absolute favorites, and it combines “classics” with “historical fiction” (though the history part is…um…somewhat biased).
I love that skirt!
I am currently finishing “The Devil, the Lovers, and Me: My Life in Tarot” by Kimberlee Auerbach, and I’m not sure if I just found it at the right moment in my life or if it’s really that good, but I’m loving it. It ties tarot cards with someone’s life and the interpretation on what has happened to her… it might not be for everyone now that I think about it ;)
I am so happy its almost fall. I’ve watched the first college football game on TV and the first pumpkin latte from Starbucks. I’m really excited for fall. I also saw your tweet about new frames, so you’re already on top of that. Now all you need is a new notebook and you’ll be set!
Have you read Cold Mountain?
Or Ahab’s Wife?
Both are wonderful historical fiction novels.
Have you read Stay by Allie Larkin? : )
Have you read Pillars of the Earth? If not, I highly recommend it. If you have read it, have you read the sequel World Without End? It came out 18 years after Pillars but is just as lovely.
Historical fiction – http://www.geraldinebrooks.com/people.html
Its called “people of the book” by geraldine brooks. Its a fascinating historical story of a book that passes through different people’s hands and each of their stories. I loved it! And the author won a Pulitzer Prize for a different book that I haven’t read yet.
Fiction:
The Thirteenth Tale by Diana Setterfield (went straight into my top five).
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
The Petty Details of So-and-So’s Life and/or Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb
Possession by A.S Byatt
The Immoralist by Andre Gide (classic- try the version translated by Richard Howard)
Non-Fiction:
The Perfection of the Morning by Sharon Butala (***absolutely my number one for the last 10+ years*** Canadian prairie girl to boot!)
Infidel by Ayn Hirsi Ali
Oaxaca Journal by Oliver Sacks
The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston (I’ve never explored the ‘true crime’ genre prior to this, but this book was great!)
I’m writing down everyone else’s recommendations too :)
I’ve been recommending “Little Bee” to everyone. It’s phenomenal.
For historical fiction, try Molokai or Honolulu by Alan Brennert. Beautiful stories and rich history.
Sherlock Holmes and the Study in Scarlet
Lord of the Rings!
Little Women (which was so good! I’ve only read it recently but was really blown away by it)
Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norrell: this is a historical fiction book set in the Napoleonic war era where magic is used by the English to battle the French. It’s a slow read at the beginning but trust me, it gets better.
Good historical fiction:
Simple Prayers by Michael Golding
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Constant Princess by Phillippa Gregory (she wrote The Other Boleyn Girl, but I liked this one much better)
Other good stuff:
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman
Lamb, or the Gospel According to Biff by Christopher Moore
Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Those are just some of my favorites. I love recommending books.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. I read it in grade 12 on my English teacher’s recommendation and it is still my favourite, favourite book!
I am having such major yearnings to go back to school it’s not even funny. Bring on the highlighters, organizers, pens and glasses :-)
I’m kind of working off a few “top 100” novels lists that I found from random internet searches. I’ve saved the lists no Good Reads, and when I’m in need of a new book, I’ll pick a few from the list randomly and then see if they have any of those at a local used bookstore. You can check out my list here if you want:
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2819081
Also, while contemporary fiction instead of historical, Come Thou Tortoise is my favourite book of the past couple of years. And the author is Canadian! And it’s partially set in Newfoundland!
You would love my cottage. We have a whole wall of pennants in the veranda that my family has collected from when my mom was a kid to the 90s. I will have to look around – I think I have a picture of it somewhere.
Devil in the White City
Here is my favorites shelf on Goodreads. Only the best go here!
You must, must, must read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. A friend loaned it to me recently and it is now my favourite book ever. It also suits your “back to school” theme here; he’s an ex mountain climber who started building schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It’s an amazing moving story and EVERYONE should read it.
That book is incredible and so inspiring. I second this recommendation!
You must! must! must! read The Outlander by Gil Adamson and Effigy by Alissa York.
Packing for our camping trip this weekend, I had to pull out my fleece pants. I won’t deny, I got a little giddy that I can finally wear them again!
You may like Sarah Waters, it is best to start with her early books Tipping the Velvet, Affinity and Fingersmith. Historical, and very smart – I am usually good at predicting story turns but she got me.
The Hunger Games as mentioned above was good, I haven’t read the rest of the series.
Oh, and I have a copy of “Three Cups of Tea” if you would like. I didn’t find it fantastic. He builds a bunch of schools, but we all know the shortfalls of thinking buildings will solve problems – teacher training and resources were not grown.
I love anything by Francine Rivers, especially her Voice in the Wind series. If you start you won’t want to put them down! Also, Redeeming Love is also exceptional. I also really like anything by George MacDonald. He is a 19th century Scottish author … the books aren’t fast paced by any means, but they make me think and I like how peaceful they make me feel.
Memoirs of a Geisha is my favourite book. A little bit history, a little bit love story.
I love that globe… I have one like that at my parents’ house! I wish I had it hear in my apartment… I am such a geography geek!! ;) (hence my profession ;)).
Also, I highly recommend the Highland Saga bei Diana Gabaldon.. (first book is called “Outlander”). It’s set in 18th century England, it has a brilliant love story and I swear to God, you won’t want to put the book down.
My friends, who doesn’t even read usually, was totally glued to this series!
Happy Friday!
You have to read The Depford Trilogy, by Roberston Davies and Pilgrim, by Timothy Findley, two great canadian authors!
Hmm…how about the Historian? It’s semi-historical at least.
I too love the “back to school” time and wish I still had a reason to spending hours browsing through the school supply aisles.
On the book front, if you enjoy YA fiction, I just finished “The Hunger Games” series and all three were great. Warning, you will tear through them and will be racing out to the book store to get the next one as soon as you are finished the first. I just started reading “One Day” and it’s enjoyable so far. Oh, and another vote for Three Cups of Tea. Having lived in Afghanistan for a while, he does a really good job of capturing the feeling of the region and its people.
It’s not historical, chick-lit, or a classic, but I read “The Art of Racing in the Rain” recently and found it quite endearing. It’s a super easy and very fast read, but enjoyable because it is written from the perspective of a dog telling the story of his life. It’s a great story for dog lovers (and there’s a bit more to it than a “Marley and Me” type of story), and I loved the spiritual aspect of the book.
Fall is my favorite season:) It’s perfect for curling up with a book. I highly recommend STAY by Allie Larkin. Everyone I’ve given it to or recommended it to has absolutely loved it! I just read the third book in the Hunger Game series (Mockingjay) and I can’t say enough about how engaging and fun the books are. At the moment, I’m reading Life Sentences by Laura Lippman. If you’re looking for a creepy mystery, this one fits the bill. Plus, her writing knocks my socks off.
Happy Reading! xo
a great historical fiction book that i recently read was The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane…I loved it!!!
This post reminds me of Rory from the Gilmore Girls, especially with the Yale flag =)
As for books? Have you read the Book Thief? Anything by Jane Green is good (a combo of chick lit but not entirely fluffy). The Shadow in the Wind, which I *loved* and couldn’t put down, such an amazing writer (Carlos Zafon I believe). If I think of anything else, I’ll let you know!
Happy weekend!
Another vote here for Three Cups of Tea. Its an amazing and inspiring story. I’ve read it a few times, once for a course in college and then again on my own so I could really appreciate it, and I’ve taken different things away both times. Also, I love that skirt… afraid I’m a few workouts away from it fitting though, the sizing looks pretty tiny, which is probably good because honestly the last thing I need is another skirt.
I just finished One Day by David Nicholls and it was so wonderful. It follows Dexter and Emma, two young people who meet on their graduation from college. Each chapter is the same day on the following year. Definitely one to snuggle up with under a blanket with a hot cup of tea.
And those stellar glasses. :)
I think I may have to adopt this “Friday Finds” concept over in my little neck of the woods. As far as reading…the best book I have read recently is “The Killing Tree” by Rachel Keener. My grandparents met her at a book reading and provided me with a signed copy. I highly recommend curling up with it and a mug of hot apple cider.
Hi, I’m a new reader and so far just love your blog!
I highly recommend The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. It’s the first of three novels which tell a love story (I don’t think it’s a particularly fluffy one, there is definitely some grit in there too!) spanning from WWII Russia right up to 2000s America. The other two books (The Bridge to Holy Cross and The Summer Garden) are great, but The Bronze Horseman is the best of the three, in my opinion.
I just read “The House at Riverton” which is a historical fiction-y but in the 1920s-1930s era (I’m also a closeted Miss Marple fan…I guess in reality I’m about, oh, 64 years old). I second Three Cups of Tea, or Greg’s new book “Stones into Schools” –he has a marvelous way of making an extraordinarily difficult-to-understand history and geography make sense. I also just found some copies of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s series in a thrift shop, so I’m reading them as a blast to the past (and thinking about how the north woods and the cabin are really what it’s like to live under the biggest sky you’ve ever seen) — there are a lot of good books out there.
Oh, I’m so jealous! It’s still 90 degrees here!
Ooh, book recommendations! Novels: Love Walked In and Belong to Me (it’s a novel and sequel), The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society, Water for Elephants, and The Last Child.
Non-fiction: Three Cups of Tea, See You in A Hundred Years (reviews of all of these on my blog)
I love those glasses!
As far as book suggestions: Currently I am reading The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde which so far is really excellent. I just finished Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis which was good. Have you ever read Vonnegut? I feel like you would like him!
I love back to school shopping! And now you’ve made me pine for a lovely plaid skirt. Good thing I’m going fabric shopiing soon.
I love these posts btw.