Friday Update

I was trying to be good this week, and not buy any new books. But last Saturday, I found myself waiting for class to start and somehow decided it would be okay to wait in a bookstore. I'm sure we can all guess where this is going...

I'm definitely in a genre groove these days. I've been reading a lot of sci-fi and a lot of, as I think its called, urban fantasy. Terrible genre name, though, so maybe I'm wrong. The two books I bought fall into the latter category.


The first was the next book (#4) in the Women of the Otherworld series I've been reading, Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong. (My inner Puritan is making herself heard - I feel a little bit like I should be putting black bars over this cover.)


After wanting this book since I heard about it via Scalzi's Whatever* blog, I broke down and bought Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn. Don't forget, you can read online the first Kitty short story, Doctor Kitty Solves All Your Love Problems, as well as an excerpt from the newest novel in the series, Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand.

In other Lorin reading news this week, I posted reviews of two very different sci-fi books, both of which I liked: Old Man's War** and Parable of the Sower. My sister thought my review of Parable was a bit soft, as I called it "a little scary":

A little scary?? Parable of the Sower scared me to death. It actually put me off reading for a little while, it freaked me out so much. ... I haven't read [dystopian fiction] since I read this book. Its basically fact in some ways.

As the annoying little sister, I'd like to point out that this did not stop her from moving to California, which is basically ground zero in this book.

Also this week, I finished So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld. I have to be honest, I didn't enjoy So Yesterday nearly as much as his other books. Maybe because its not sci-fi/fantasy? Maybe because I'm not a teenager? I have reviews of two other Westerfeld books that I'll post this weekend.

I also started reading a newly published book, Roanoke: A Novel of Elizabethan Intrigue by Margaret Lawrence.

Happy Friday!


* Seriously, you are reading it, right?
**Scalzi, again. Am I becoming a fan girl?

Round Couch

Via Jacket Copy



Pretty cool looking, though I'm not sure it's so practical. As the article says, maybe if it was rollable, and you could push it around to wherever you want to sit.

(Previous post about cool bookshelves/furniture.)

Kindle revealed!

I hope all of you fellow sci/tech nerds are reading xkcd, the webcomic. Today, they revealed the real reason to want a Kindle -


See more about the Kindle here or on Amazon here.

Review: Parable of the Sower

Thank God for libraries. I don't think I'd have ever found Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler otherwise. It was published too long ago, by an author who is dead. It's an uncomfortable book, too sad and too close to home to be fun. I just don't see Barnes & Noble suddenly deciding to feature it front and center at one of their big stores.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Butler, she was an African-American, science fiction writer (not too many of those around), a winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards and the first science fiction writer to ever win the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant. She was the best kind of sci-fi writer - the kind who use the futuristic or fantastic element, not to make something go boom for the sake of going boom, but to push the boundary, pick at the scab and say something amazing, and maybe a little scary, about our world.

Parable of the Sower is a hopeful tale set in a dystopian future United States of walled cities, disease, fires, and madness. Lauren Olamina is an 18-year-old woman with hyperempathy syndrome--if she sees another in pain, she feels their pain as acutely as if it were real. When her relatively safe neighborhood enclave is inevitably destroyed, along with her family and dreams for the future, Lauren grabs a backpack full of supplies and begins a journey north. Along the way, she recruits fellow refugees to her embryonic faith, Earthseed, the prime tenet of which is that "God is change." This is a great book--simple and elegant, with enough message to make you think, but not so much that you feel preached to.

This may not be a preachy book, but its certainly not subtle. Class warfare (literally), a ravaged environment, human trafficking - these are the things Lauren and the other characters in this book struggle with. These aren't easy things to deal with, but it helps that the book is beautifully written and ultimately hopeful. Butler's prose and the Earthseed poetry she's included are lyrical and compelling.

On a personal note, for me, one of the most interesting and disconcerting things about reading Parable of the Sower was that it takes place in California, in places that I have lived or visited. Butler paints a very believable picture of those places in this dystopian future, and it is not a pretty sight. Sometimes, living in Oakland, where violence is a reality and water is a precious thing, we seem a little too close to Butler's future. (Hm, maybe I shouldn't write this where my mom can read it. Don't worry, mom, I'm okay!) But that's what the best kind of books (sci-fi or not) can do - they can make you see your world like you couldn't see before. Brilliant.

Buy Parable of the Sower on Amazon.

Parable of the Sower has a sequel, Parable of the Talents, which I will be sure to read soon. This is really turning into sci-fi week here at archthinking. I will have to try to branch out again soon.

Architecture Links

Did you hear about the cave house for sale on Ebay? It may be almost as good as living in a secret tunnel. Maybe.

Just in case you've never heard of the Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic, aka the Chapel of Bones, I thought I'd post these links. And a warning - when I say bones, I don't mean Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz getting zany.


I've seen this Prayer Chapel in Phoenix by debartolo architects in a few places and I've gone back and forth on what I think. I saw it recently on arch daily here and in Faith & Form, where it was given an IFRAA* award (online here. While I posted what I think is the nicest photo (of course - I'm an architect - I like things to look good!), in the end the project just leaves me cold.

*Interfaith Forum on Art & Architecture, part of the American Institute of Architects.

Review: Old Man's War

As I previously mentioned, my husband and I have been tearing through the Old Man's War series by John Scalzi. So I was amused to read, just the other day, a review of Old Man's War by one of my favorite book bloggers, Jen from Devourer of Books. As she makes clear, Jen's not a sci-fi fan, but she enjoyed the book. In contrast, I am a fan of sci-fi and I loved it. My husband? One of the biggest sci-fi fans I know and he adored OMW, calling it one of the best sci-fi books he's read in the past five years, second only to Ender's Game (which he was remiss in not reading until I shoved it into his hands two years ago). All of this is just to say that while Old Man's War is a good read for someone not familiar with the genre, its even better for a reader who is.

So... why? Probably a million reasons, but here's one. Scalzi has done an amazing job of borrowing stealing tropes, characters, scenes, futuristic concepts, you name it, from a dozen or so of the best sci-fi novels (most obviously Starship Troopers by Heinlein, but Heinlein's Time Enough for Love and Friday are in there, too), gutting them, turning them inside out and handing them back to you, saying, yeah, you didn't know it could turn out like this, huh? Which is not to say that this book slaps you upside the head, but its an action book and it moves fast and its making me talk write in run on sentences. I love it when a book does that.

Oh, you want to know what its about? Okay, here's the back of the book blurb:

John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife’s grave. Then he joined the army.

The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce—and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity’s resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don’t want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You’ll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You’ll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you’ll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.

John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine—and what he will become is far stranger.

So, yeah. It's good. Go read it. Or at the very least, go read John Scalzi's blog Whatever, because he's funny. But seriously, read the book.

Buy Old Man's War on Amazon.

Art & Architecture Links

Rather than post these one at a time (which I tend to do), I thought I'd try to save these up a bit and write them as one Art & Architecture link post. Some of these are a little old, but whatevs. So, in no particular order -

My cousin is awesome and an awesome dancer/choreographer. I already knew that, but now the Boston Globe does, too.

10 Best Architecture Songs from archdaily.

Also from arch daily, Half of small architecture firms are short of work. Um, that's a "no shit, Sherlock" from those of us in the industry.


Archidose blogged about this Prayer and Meditation Pavilion in Soba, Sudan by Studio Tamassociati. I think it's pretty beautiful in its simplicity, letting shadow and texture do so much.

For the Star Trek and sci-fi fans among us, I present Considering an Alternate San Francisco by Life Without Buildings.

On the same note, there is also the Adaptive Reuse of Crashed Starships, also from Life Without Buildings.

Well, gosh, that should do it for now. I'm sure I'll be back with more soon.

Friday Update

TGIF! I've had a busy past two weeks at work (which is good - I'd much rather be busy than bored) and now have a cold on top. I'm very happy it's the weekend. I only wish this was a three-day weekend, too!

In books this week, I am very proud of myself: I went to the bookstore on Tuesday to get my sister a birthday present and I did not walk out with anything for myself! This is a miracle. Of course, it may be because my husband and I bought five books over the weekend, plus I went to the library and checked out about seven more. So it's not like I have any shortage of reading material! So, what did I come home with?



For my sister's birthday, I bought a book I've had my eye on for a while: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.

Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity by an acclaimed and beloved author. ... this ambitious, electrifying work traces the harrowing journey of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in fifteenth-century Spain. When it falls to Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, to conserve this priceless work, the series of tiny artifacts she discovers in its ancient binding—an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair—only begin to unlock its deep mysteries and unexpectedly plunges Hanna into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics.

Clearly, I need to borrow it from my sister when she's done.

For myself, I bought two (very different) books, the first was Dime Store Magic (the 3rd Women of the Otherworld book) by Kelley Armstrong.



Like Stolen (the second book in the series), this book was enjoyable, but did not quite live up to Bitten (book 1). I will likely read the other books in the series, but look forward to future books about werewolf Elena, rather than installments about witch Paige.



The other book I bought was Old Man's War by John Scalzi. Well, before I could even look at Old Man's War, my husband was tearing through it, unwilling to put it down to even eat. So the next day (yes, he read it that quickly) he headed back to a bookstore to pick up the two sequels: The Ghost Brigades and The Last Colony. I'm sure we'll also be getting Zoe's Tale when it comes out in paperback, if we can wait that long.

Have a great weekend, full of wonderful books!

Review: Home to Holly Springs

Back of the book description:

Readers of the nine bestselling Mitford novels have been captivated by Jan Karon’s “gift for illuminating the struggles that creep into everyday lives—along with a vividly imagined world” (People). They learned quickly that “after you’ve spent time in Mitford, you’ll want to come back” (Chicago Tribune). Millions eagerly awaited the publication of each novel, relishing the story of the bookish and bighearted Episcopal priest and the extraordinary fullness of his seemingly ordinary life.

Now, Jan Karon enchants us with the story of the newly retired priest’s spur-of-the-moment adventure. For the first time in decades, Father Tim returns to his birthplace, Holly Springs, Mississippi, in response to a mysterious, unsigned note saying simply: “Come home.” Little does he know how much these two words will change his life. A story of long-buried secrets, forgiveness, and the wonder of discovering new people, places, and depth of feeling, Home to Holly Springs will enthrall new readers and longtime fans alike.

I read most of Home to Holly Springs in one long afternoon, laying on the couch next to my husband, while rain poured down outside, and I drank a cup of tea. It was really the perfect way to experience this comforting, not-challenging, warm book. The follow-up to Karon's equally sweet and unchallenging Mitford series, Home to Holly Springs takes us on a tour of Father Tim's childhood hometown and history. There are new characters, more coincidences than you'd ever believe in real life, a lot of Bible-passage quoting and a few not-that-surprising surprises. But I just can't find it in me to be cynical when it comes to these books - I really enjoyed spending my rainy afternoon with Father Tim. I am glad that Karon is going to continue this new series and I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the Mitford books.

Buy Home to Holly Springs on Amazon.
Visit Jan Karon's Amazon store here.

Preview: The Women by T.C. Boyle

It's interesting how two separate authors, working independently, can decide a the same time to explore the same subject. Something must have been in the water a few years back to inspire Nancy Horan (author of Loving Frank [my review]) and T.C. Boyle to both write about Frank Lloyd Wright's personal life. Boyle's new book The Women was just published and has gotten a lot of press, which is no surprise for an author of such merit. Since I have yet to pick up a copy of The Women myself, I'll offer instead a sampling of some of the press that has caught my eye.



- An excerpt on TC Boyle's website
- Barnes and Noble has Ward Sutton's graphic review.
- Jacket Copy sums up a few reviews and includes a nice photo of the Wright-designed house Boyle lives in.
- the New York Times Book Review

Buy The Women on Amazon.

Yar' We be Pirates

Can't say there's enough content here to really judge, but this might be one of the best named blogs I've seen in a while: Yarchitect.

Good architects borrow, great architects steal, right? All great architects are pirates.

To Kindle or Not to Kindle? (Updated)

My husband is seriously considering buying the new Kindle. Do any of you have the original Kindle or another e-reader? What do you think? I'd love to get some feedback before we plop down the money.

Visit the Kindle 2 page on Amazon here.

Update: Here are some articles about the Kindle that might be interesting -

CNET's review of the original Kindle
Gizmodo's take on the Kindle 2
Nathan Bransford's praise of the Sony Reader (Which, like Jen of Devourer of Books I have played with at Border's and been very impressed by.)

Review: Watchmen

From Amazon:

This Hugo Award-winning graphic novel chronicles the fall from grace of a group of super-heroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the super-hero is dissected as the heroes are stalked by an unknown assassin.

My husband loves Watchmen by Alan Moore and with the movie coming up, I thought it was time for me to read this graphic novel.

If there is anyone left in this world who thinks that comic books are for kids, one look at this classic graphic novel is going to disabuse them of that notion. This is a dark, violent book, filled with damaged people, doing damage to each other.

I'm glad that I read Watchmen. It is not a fun book, but its an interesting one that raises many questions. I especially enjoyed the Pirate story spliced into the main story as commentary.

Buy Watchmen on Amazon.

Libraries I Have Loved: Part 2, Boston

After college, I lived in Boston for a few years. For me, one of the highlights of living there was the wonderful libraries, especially the Boston Public Library Central Library in Copley Square. For more on this wonderful building, here is the library's information page and here is the Wikipedia entry. (Photos from Wikipedia, unless otherwise noted.)



There are two parts to this wonderful building - the historic library designed by McKim, Mead & White and the modern section by Philip Johnson. The Johnson building is very utilitarian in appearance, especially in comparison to the McKim building, but houses an amazing collection. When I lived there, I loved to wander around the stacks, pick up a few books, then head into the McKim section to find a place to read. In good weather, I would find myself in the courtyard.



A view after its restoration, from the BPL website:



In cold weather, I'd try to find a seat in one of the reading rooms. Sadly, I never got to use this one, Bates Hall:


I visited the BPL about once a week when I lived in Boston, more sometimes in good weather, as I loved to walk there after work, browsing until it got dark, then hopping on the T to head home for dinner.

Win the Kitty Norville Books!

Remember last month how I added Carrie Vaughn's Kity Norville series to my wish list? Well, now here is one lucky reader chance to win all six Kitty Norville novels at drey's library! Good luck and let me know if you win!

Recent Paintings

At my mother's request, here are some recent paintings I've done. The first is an urban landscape. Bonus points to any fellow-Californians who can guess where it is.



This is an abstract piece I just completed.



These are pretty lo-res photos. I think the colors are much better in person.

What's Going on Here?

I fear that book publishers are in a sinister conspiracy with bookshelf-makers to get us all to buy more furniture. That must be it, or why else would they randomly change the size of a standard paperback? My evidence (sorry for the quality, I took it with my cellphone):



This may be a little hard to tell but the books in the upper right corner (Thomas Haris's Red Dragon) are about a half-inch taller than the other books on the display shelf. And it's not just this title. The last several times I've gone to the bookstore, I've noticed one or two of these larger volumes. They aren't enlarged print, just formatted differently.

Publishers, I do not approve. I can barely fit all the books I own on the shelf, and the only reason I can do so now is that they are all pretty much the same size (the trade paperbacks, at least) which allows me to stack them on their sides and double things up on the shelf. If you start mucking about with the book sizes, I will get annoyed. So let's just nip this in the bud and keep what we've got, mmkay? Thanks!

One Book Meme

Instead of a Friday update, I am doing this cute meme I got from The Book Lady's Blog.

One book you’re currently reading: The Reincarnationist by MJ Rose

One book that changed your life: The Awakening by Kate Chopin

One book you’d want on a deserted island: Hmm... maybe our copy of Chapman Piloting and Seamanship. It's the bible of sailboats so I bet it could help me get off the island!

One book you’ve read more than once: Just one? I'm notorious for re-reading books. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

One book you’ve never been able to finish: Most recently, Winter in Kandahar by Steven E. Wilson.

One book that made you laugh: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.

One book that made you cry: Plainsong by Kent Haruf. Just beautiful.

One book you keep rereading: See above... Hero & the Crown by Robin McKinley. (My review)

One book you’ve been meaning to read: Anything by Jane Austen. I still haven't gotten around to it.

One book you believe everyone should read: Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. Well, maybe not the boys but it doesn't matter if you ever plan to have kids or not, this is a book I think every woman should read.

Finally, grab the nearest book. Open it to page 56. Find the fifth sentence:

According to Schindler, the pilotis* were inspired by "the pile structure indigenous to all beaches."

From L.A. Modern by Tim Street-Porter and Nicolai Ouroussoff. The quote is in reference to the Lovell Beach House, designed by architect Rudolph Schindler.



*Pilotis (pronounced pee-low-tees) are skinny columns.

6 Things I Love

I was tagged by Tamara of Books By TJ Baff. (Thanks for thinking of me, Tamara!)

The rules for the tag are simple.

Link to the person who has tagged you.
Write down six things that make you happy.
Post the rules, tag six others and let them know you did it.
Then tell the person when your entry is complete.

Six Things That Make Me Happy...

1. My family, including my husband and my incredible nephews.
2. Well-designed buildings, whether I had a hand in it or not (but especially when I had a hand in it!)
3. Re-reading well-loved, familiar books.
4. Coffee. I almost said red wine instead, but then I realized that I can live without wine but I can't live without coffee.
5. Painting. Though it's more like I get cranky when I don't paint.
6. The dual-control electric blanket on my bed that preheats my side before I crawl in at night.


I Tag...

Alea at Pop Culture Junkie
Smash at Great Books and Fresh Coffee
Jennifer at The Literate Housewife Review
Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?

and anyone else who wants to play along!

Libraries I Have Loved: Part 1

Reading The President's Daughter reminded me the library in town growing up. I thought I'd share a little of my memories of some of the wonderful libraries I've used over the years this week.


Growing up, I had the privelege of being able to walk to my local library. Sorry to get all "back in my day," but walking to the library was one of my favorites things about our town. We'd go after school or when we were going to or coming from the pool during the summer. I'm sure it was one of the reasons my mom picked that house.

The Springfield Free Public Library was completed in 1969 - and it shows. It's a low-slung, little brick building, tucked behind some trees. So really, not much to look at. But that's not why I went there, of course.



It looks a lot more crowded in that photo than it does in my memory. If I recall correctly, the main desk is straight ahead in that photo and the children's desk is out of view to the right. On the far side, past the main desk and entry (which you can also see in the little drawing logo), is the periodical section and the boring part of the library I never went to (aka, reference - hey, I was a kid).



When I was in college, I loved to visit the Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library, right next to the architecture school. I didn't go there too often, but when I did, I loved to sit in one particular corner window that looked out on the courtyard between the school and the library. It was a very popular place to sit, though, so competition was fierce to get there first.

This was also the only library where I ever worked. I was a desk clerk for one semester, my last semester as a 4th year. While I loved being in the library, I was a terrible employee. I was late for my shift at least once a week, and I was more interested in reading the books on hold behind the desk than in actually working.

to be continued...

John Updike on Architecture

In honor of the author's recent death, via ArchiDose

John Updike - A Collection of Essays from the Pages of Architectural Digest


"Every novelist becomes, to a degree, an architect ..."

NY LEGO

I just loved this photo essay on the NY Times website: I LEGO N.Y.

Review: The President's Daughter

From Amazon:

Sixteen-year-old Meghan Powers likes her life just the way it is. She likes living in Massachusetts. She likes her school. And she has plenty of friends. But all that is about to change. Because Meg’s mother, one of the most prestigious senators in the country, is running for President. And she’s going to win.

As I said in an earlier post, I really loved The President's Daughter when I was younger. I walked to our library about once a week for a year or so to check it out and read. Eventually, I outgrew it a little and later we moved away. At some point, I forgot the name, but I always remembered the book. Certain scenes just stayed in my memory - the family dinner at a ski resort during the campaign, taking her blazer off, asking mom for a dry martini. When I heard that this book was being re-released in an updated version, I was thrilled to find it again. I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed reading this, and if my 12-year-old self was any indication, I think younger readers will as well.

Buy The President's Daughter on Amazon.

Narnia's Back!

Thanks to Laura for the head's up:

Mission Accomplished! Narnia Franchise Roars Back to Life

Earlier: No More Narnia Movies?

Review: The Eyre Affair and Lost in a Good Book

I read The Eyre Affair a few weeks ago and recently finished the sequel, Lost in a Good Book, so I thought it might be a good idea to review these together.



The Eyre Affair Amazon description:

Great Britain circa 1985: time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. … Amidst all this, Acheron Hades, Third Most Wanted Man In the World, steals the original manuscript of Martin Chuzzlewit [by Charles Dickens] and kills a minor character, who then disappears from every volume of the novel ever printed! But that's just a prelude . . .

Hades' real target is the beloved Jane Eyre, and it's not long before he plucks her from the pages of Bronte's novel. Enter Thursday Next. She's the Special Operative's renowned literary detective, and she drives a Porsche. With the help of her uncle Mycroft's Prose Portal, Thursday enters the novel to rescue Jane Eyre from this heinous act of literary homicide. It's tricky business, all these interlopers running about Thornfield, and deceptions run rampant as their paths cross with Jane, Rochester, and Miss Fairfax. Can Thursday save Jane Eyre and Bronte's masterpiece? And what of the Crimean War? Will it ever end? And what about those annoying black holes that pop up now and again, sucking things into time-space voids . . .

Lost in a Good Book Amazon description:

The inventive, exuberant, and totally original literary fun that began with The Eyre Affair continues with Jasper Fforde’s magnificent second adventure starring the resourceful, fearless literary sleuth Thursday Next. When Landen, the love of her life, is eradicated by the corrupt multinational Goliath Corporation, Thursday must moonlight as a Prose Resource Operative of Jurisfiction—the police force inside books. She is apprenticed to the man-hating Miss Havisham from Dickens’s Great Expectations, who grudgingly shows Thursday the ropes. And she gains just enough skill to get herself in a real mess entering the pages of Poe’s “The Raven.” What she really wants is to get Landen back. But this latest mission is not without further complications. Along with jumping into the works of Kafka and Austen, and even Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, Thursday finds herself the target of a series of potentially lethal coincidences, the authenticator of a newly discovered play by the Bard himself, and the only one who can prevent an unidentifiable pink sludge from engulfing all life on Earth.

Reading the back of the book description for The Eyre Affair did not properly prepare me for reading this book. It is weird. In addition to the dodos, the Prose Portal and time travel, there are also random vampires, terrible (or terribly funny) puns everywhere and a crazy plot. It took me a while to decide what I thought about this book. But you know what? I really liked it. It’s a fun book to read – fast moving, lots of silliness, interesting main characters (though the secondary characters are pretty one dimensional), a satisfying ending. While I’m not sure it’s necessary in order to enjoy The Eyre Affair, I do love Jane Eyre, which added layer to my appreciation of The Eyre Affair.

Lost in a Good Book picks up where The Eyre Affair left off. It is very much a sequel in that I can’t really imagine someone reading Lost in a Good Book without having first read The Eyre Affair. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I do think this book doesn’t quite stand on its own as well as the first one did. It is also clearly setting up for the next in the series, which annoys me a little. That said, it’s a fun book to read. Miss Havisham (yes, that one, with the musty wedding dress) is a hoot and while I’d never want to spend time with her in person, she’s a fun character.

All in all, I’m thrilled to have discovered a new author to enjoy. Jasper Fforde is a very creative writer and I look forward to reading more from him.

Buy The Eyre Affair on Amazon.
Buy Lost in a Good Book