Mary by Janis Cooke Newman

I finally finished this. At 500+ pages, it required a certain determination, but overall I enjoyed it. Toward the end, I was ready for it to be over so I could move on to something more gripping. Though it was fiction, I think it gave a good insight into the character of Lincoln's wife and the times that she lived in. One thought I had often was "Thank god I wasn't born back then!" Late 1800's, appearances are very important, gender, class and race roles are very strict.

Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison

Well-written book, totally depressing story. Doesn't give any hope for the future of the main character. While I don't like books that end too conveniently (see Maeve Binchy), the devastating end of this this one was too much for me.

The Witches by Roald Dahl

Children's fiction. I picked this up at the library while browsing kids' movies because I love Roald Dahl's writing. Quite funny story of an English boy whose Norwegian grandmother and guardian educates him about real witches, who hate children and do away with them whenever possible. They do their best to blend in with other women, but have several distinguishing characteristics, such as feet with no toes, which they hide in pointy shoes. The boy stumbles upon a meeting of all of England's witches, finds himself transformed into a mouse, then, with the help of his grandmother, transforms all the English witches into mice, too. After this success, the boy and his grandmother make it their lives' (which will be short, because she's old and he's a mouse) missions to rid the world of as many witches as possible.

Current Books

Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
Fiction. A girl (the bastard from the title) grows up in a redneck family.
I couldn't put this down the first night I started it, but now I'm only reading it occasionally and have started another book.

Mary by Janis Cooke Newman
Historical Fiction. After his death, Abe Lincoln's wife, Mary, was committed by her son against her will.
This was recommended by a friend, so I want to read it, but I haven't gotten very far. I started it, and it was interesting and well written, but it's a long book and it seems like a depressing subject to go on for so long about.

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy
Fiction. I've read and enjoyed two other books by this author. She has an interesting way of speaking in the voice of lots of different characters, whose stories are either closely or remotely linked. Though she deals with painful life issues, the general tone of her books is pretty light. My chief complaint with the last one was that it ended too neatly.

Normally I read one book at a time, but I like to be somewhat consumed by what I'm reading, and none of these are doing that for me yet.

Keeping Track

I read a lot. I want a way to remember what I've read. I want it to be easy enough to record that I'll do it regularly. Is a blog the answer?