Sometimes I'm puzzled by my affection for nonfiction, because really, I don't usually want to learn anything. (My recurring nightmare is that I've forgotten to study for a test - I'm pushing thirty and that one still wakes me up in the middle of the night.) But sometimes there is an author, or a topic, or both, that I really love. I've come across three in the past week that have educated me against my will.
Right now I'm in the middle of The Monster of Florence (2008), co-written by Douglas Preston and Italian journalist Mario Spezi. It's about a series of murders that took place in Florence during the 1970s and 80s. I'm only about 75 pages in, but it is - so far - fascinating and shiver-inducing.
Also shiver-inducing - this time in sympathy, not horror - is When You are Engulfed in Flames (2008) by one of my all-time favorite authors, David Sedaris. I read the book a week ago, but now I'm listening to the audiobook...and listening to him is so, so much better. I think it's because some of the situations are uncomfortable to read, but less painful coming straight from the author. SantaLand Diaries (1997) set the bar, but WYaEiF is pretty darn good.
Finally, a book by Mary Roach, the author of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (2003). I loved Stiff when I read it three years ago, and I still recommend it to everyone who will listen. About 50% love it, 20% hate it, and the remaining 30% passively-aggressively "forget" to read it when I force it on them. (Hey, who can blame them? I do exactly the same thing when someone says "you MUST read this!") Her latest is a feminist-leaning book titled Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. While I don't generally pick up this particular type of nonfiction, it was funny and well-well written and surprisingly informative.
This week I've learned about serial killers, embarrassing situations, and sex. I feel so much smarter now.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Procreation
It seems that everyone I know either has a brand-spanking new baby or is expecting one to
arrive in the next few months. This means one thing: I've got a lot of knitting to do. I'm not a particularly good knitter, but I like it enough to keep trying, and it is always a thrill when something actually turns out. Over the past few years I've managed to find a couple of books that have relatively simple baby patterns that don't have that "knitted by a baby" - as opposed to knitted for a baby - look.
The best of the lot (in my opinion) are the the appropriately named Baby Knits for Beginners by Debbie Bliss, and the nauseatingly-sweet-but-still-excellent Itty-Bitty Nursery: Sweet, Adorable Knits for Baby and Beyond by Susan B. Anderson. Give 'em a try.
arrive in the next few months. This means one thing: I've got a lot of knitting to do. I'm not a particularly good knitter, but I like it enough to keep trying, and it is always a thrill when something actually turns out. Over the past few years I've managed to find a couple of books that have relatively simple baby patterns that don't have that "knitted by a baby" - as opposed to knitted for a baby - look.The best of the lot (in my opinion) are the the appropriately named Baby Knits for Beginners by Debbie Bliss, and the nauseatingly-sweet-but-still-excellent Itty-Bitty Nursery: Sweet, Adorable Knits for Baby and Beyond by Susan B. Anderson. Give 'em a try.
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