Fall is here, so we have a new
Mailbox Monday picture for the new season.
It was a mixed bag as far as book acquisitions went last week:
The Happy Island by Dawn Powell (because Powell intrigues me even though I haven't read any of her books yet)
Packwood by Mark Kirchmeier (which looks like a pretty sensational, instant exposé published in the midst of the Senator's tribulations -- I found it for $1 at a library sale)
Miss Gabby: Memoirs of a Country Schoolteacher in the Frontier West, 1910 - 1912 by Sue Oakes (which is my favorite of the bunch because Sue is a family friend and she self-published this account of her paternal grandmother)
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Fall is here, so we have a new Mailbox Monday picture for the new season.
It was a mixed bag as far as book acquisitions went last week:
The Happy Island by Dawn Powell (because Powell intrigues me even though I haven't read any of her books yet)
I bet that story of Miss Gabby will be wonderful. I love books like that about family members. Have a great week and happy reading.
ReplyDeleteJust started hearing about Dawn Powell, but I'm intrigued. The Miss Gabby book should be a treat since you have a personal connection--I used to fantasize about being a pioneer schoolmarm...:)
ReplyDeleteThe "Miss Gabby" book looks very tempting. Glad you listed it. I don't know whether it's the influence of sites like Ancestry.com or what, but there seems to be a growing interest in finding and preserving information about growing up in the old days. I recently reviewed "Growing Up on the Cumberland River" by Ogeal Halfacre Webster for a regional magazine. The editor included a depression era recipe out of the book. I think a lot of people are being drawn to these facts and stories.
ReplyDeleteMalcolm
Miss Gabby reminds me of my grandmother's stories. I loved to her her reminisce about the days before TV, radio & telephones. She would have been amazed at the internet. Enjoy your books!
ReplyDeleteHere is my Monday post if you'd like to stop by http://metroreader.blogspot.com/2009/09/mailbox-monday-september-28th.html
I got a Dawn Powell book this week too! Can't wait to see what you think of yours.
ReplyDeleteMiss Gabby sounds like a great book. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteOh, enjoy Miss Gabby!
ReplyDeleteMiss Gabby really does sound like it would be fun to read. . . and very informative. . . eye-opening??
ReplyDeleteHere's my Mailbox! ~ Wendi :)
I'm told by my friend that raves about Dawn Powell that depending on what you're in the mood for, there are two Powell's that one should start with (not that you asked, but Deege seems to know what he's talking about more often than not.)
ReplyDeleteHis recommendations -
Depending on your wont, if you want the bitter midwest nostalgia Powell or the bitter Greenwich Village satire one. For the former: Dance Night. For the latter: A Time to Be Born.
I noticed that you also were talking about an LT Early Reviewer book earlier that seemed to be out of your normal purview. If you don't normally read war stories, there are a couple of books that I'd highly, highly recommend (having searched your blog, I don't see them mentioned. If you've already read them, please forgive the intrusion.)
Neither of them are notable because of the fact that they deal with war, per se, though as war stories, they're excellent. They deal more with the weight of memory, our ability to make "sense" of experience and whether or not language can convey the same. I can't recommend either of them highly enough.
The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien
and
Dispatches, by Michael Herr.
Hope you don't mind my jumping in...
Jesse -- Feel free to jump in anytime! I have a compilation of Powell novels, but I never remember which novels are in it. I will see if either of the two you mention are in there and start with those.
ReplyDeleteThe Things They Carried is on my TBR shelf. It must be on one of my lists, so I got it. But I can't remember which list. I read another Tim O'Brien book and liked it. And TTTC is one of my husband's favorites. So I will read it one of these days.
I do not have Dispatches on my shelves. I'll keep an eye out for it.
Stop by anytime!