Blogger Book Love: Becky from Harmony and Home

I'm so thrilled to bring you the second installment of my new series, Blogger Book Love---in which our favorite bloggers reveal the books that inspire them! We're lucky to have with us the fabulous Becky from Harmony and Home. An interior designer in the San Francisco Bay area, not only does Becky have a beautiful blog packed with inviting interiors and scrumptious recipes, she's also a self-described 'bookophile'! Becky was kind enough to list five books that she loves, then describe two of them in a little more detail. I'm delighted to present her recommendations.

A list of books that have touched my life in some way, shape or form:
One Day In The Live of Ivan Denisovich (Alexander Solzhenitsyn)
The King's English (Betsy Burton)
Eat, Pray, Love  (Elizabeth Gilbert)
The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown--a fun read and gave me a lot of European historical landmark information as well as thoughtful introspection into the history of religion)
Cold Mountain (Charles Frazier--OMG!  Incredible writing!)

It's not easy reading Russian literary masters.  I picked up Anna Karenina by Tolstoy for a week's vacation at the beach thinking I could really delve into it.  A year later I was still struggling through it until one day, by fate, Anna Karenina just happened to be on TV. I was going to hold out.  I was!  I recorded it and promised myself that I wouldn't watch it until I was done the novel.  Every day was a battle seeing it on my recorded list of shows.  I'm ashamed to say that I still have not finished Anna, and many books have been read since then.  But the movie was great!
 
My point (and I do have one!) is that "One Day..." is a MUCH easier read than most of the other Russian novels out there.  Not only is it much shorter (fewer than 200 pages), but you want to keep reading to see how things will turn out for Ivan. Although not a fun, light read, it showcases the human capacity for spiritual triumph in the face of almost unimaginable physical and psychological distress.  The pages of this book shall stay with you long after you place it back on your shelf.

I accidentally found this book while wandering through a (local) bookstore.  If you are a bookophile, then this book is a big tease for you.  This is a book that outlines all the fabulous authors and books that you will want to read in your future!  Betsy Burton is the owner of The King's English, an independent bookstore in Salt Lake City, that has been in business since 1977.  Betsy gives us insight into well-known authors, as well as some not so well known, and the struggles to keep afloat amidst the opening of the big chain book stores like Barnes and Noble and Borders.  But, more importantly, there are lists upon lists of her favorites.  Some of her lists....
 
1.  Below the Radar; Great Books and Authors That Deserved More Attention From Critics and Book Buyers
2.  25 Mysteries to Die For
3.  Psychology and Self-Help Books paired up with Fiction Dealing With Like Concerns.  Example, "You Just Don't Understand" and "Pride and Prejudice".  Fantastic!
4.  25 Novels that are Easy To Read and Hard To Put Down
5.  An Incomplete and Unscientific List of Challenged or Censored Books
 
I'm a lover of lists, so this book is worth it just for that!  I love this book because not only is it a great read, but it also turned me onto so many other great books.  Highly recommended to keep on your bookshelf for future reference along your path of literary enlightenment.

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I think we all have a book like Anna Karenina staring accusingly from our shelves (um, Joyce's Ulysses, anyone?) so I love the idea of a bite-sized classic. And a book full of booklists? This I've GOT to see! A huge thank-you to Becky for sharing her faves with us. If you're just checking in to Blogger Book Love, be sure to check out our first installment for more brilliant recommendations from Jora at Domestic Reflections. And stay tuned for lots more to come!

Image Credits: 1. Roland Bello 2. Banner courtesy of Becky at Harmony and Home

Comments

[vicki archer]

i love becky's choices - great reading xv

[vicki archer]

i love becky's choices - great reading xv

[Catherine]

Your blogger book love series is such a great idea. I'm am avid reader, so I'm really enjoying reading what other people's favourites are. And I have say that Cold Mountain is one of my favourites too.

[sushi2]

Great ideas. I'm intrigued by the book One Day in the life... and since it is not such a long read, I'm going to squeeze into my other reading assignments. Love this Blogger Book series.

[April]

I love Eat, Pray, Love. One of my bestfriends bought it for me for Christmas last year after a rough breakup. It really got me through a tough time.

As for The King's English, I'm thinking that'd be a great Christmas gift for the many bookies in my family.

[Georgia]

if i had the time, i would check these out.
i wish i was a book-lover. then i would make the time.

Eat, Pray, Love sounds especially interesting.

[Courtney]

Yes, I think we all have those books too! Or how about the ones that for some reason are impossible to get into, you try a number of times, and then when you finally do, you think, "What the heck?! How did I not stick with this the first time!"

[Rebecca @ Harmony and Home Blog]

Anne, Thank you again for the lovely post! What a fun time I had putting this together! Now I can't wait for your next Blogger's Book Love post to see what other books I need to put on my nightstand! Your the best!

[8gb usb flash drive]

Hi Guy's,
I'm really enjoying reading what other people's favourites are. And I have say that Cold Mountain is one of my favourites too.