FF: Found!

Roary Sneaks Up On A Fun Book

Last week, I wasn’t sure what novel I would read next.  I found it by the end of Friday.

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading.

Recently Completed:

Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster.  Every time I re-read this, it’s a different book.  Originally published in 1912 (my copy is a reprint with updated spelling conventions, but otherwise the same), this epistolary novel follows an orphan from a restrictive (but not cruel) orphanage into a privileged girl’s college.  Her outsider view of the culture she is suddenly immersed in makes this almost an “alien among us” story.  Oh, and it avoids all the cheap “mean girl” tropes one would expect, but is warm-hearted and intellectually stimulating.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.  Since I had interesting orphans in mind, I next picked up this much more modern (2007) tale.  SF light, it is a wild romp with sly comments about things we take for granted.  My favorite: Grow the lawn.  Mow the lawn.

In Progress:

After an unexpected delay, I have an ARC of the forthcoming T. Kingfisher, Paladin’s Strength.  An indirect sequel to Paladin’s Grace, which I adored.  Focuses on different characters, setting, but a continuation of issues raised in Paladin’s Grace.

The Renaissance by Will Durant.  Audiobook.  Just finished the Bonfire of the Vanities.

Also:

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