What I'm Not Reading Now

Today, I moved all but one book from my nightstand because the dust collecting on them was bothering me. I mean a lot of books...and a lot of dust! Some books have been waiting patiently for years for me to crack them open. Bookmarks peek out of other books to show that I abandoned them after only several pages or a few chapters for various reasons. I have very good intention to return to each of these books. Some day.

The Octopus: A California Story by Frank Norris. I aim to re-read this book. It's a novel about the ruthlessness of big agribusiness in California at the turn of the 19th century. Much of the story is set in a fictional place based on San Benito County where I was born, raised, and now live again.

Execution Dock by Anne Perry. Another novel I want to re-read. It's part of a series about a detective, whose regaining his memory, and his wife who solve crime in the mid-19th century. Perry is one amazing writer. She's able to bring the sights, smells, and noises of those times alive.

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. I waited a long time to see the movie on which this story is based because I thought it would be schmaltzy-yucky. Ha! on me. I liked it so much I want to read the book.

Top-Secret Personal Beeswax: A Journal by Junie B (and me!) by Barbara Park (and me, of course). This book came out when the character, Junie B, was in first grade. The Junie B series is one of my favorite kid series. The kid is hilarious.

Nutrition Almanac by Lavon J. Dunne. I don't know how many times I've looked for that book in my cookbook, health, and how-to piles. It's an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand book.

Teach Yourself Visually: Knitting by Sharon Turner. Still can only do one basic stitch. But I think I can do advanced stuff with the help of this book. It's just finding the yearning again to knit.

 Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales (The original and authorized edition published by Frederick Warne) The husband bought me this and the DVD movie about Miss Potter for my birthday a couple years ago. First time I ever read Potter's works. Her drawings are full of wonder. The stories are kind of strange, which I like.

Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen. A book about Magellan's trip around the world. I hope it's as good as the title makes me feel like reading it.

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain. His writing voice is consistent with what you see on his TV program.

The New Food Lover's Tiptionary by Sharon Tyler Herbst. Cooking tips. Really should go down into the kitchen bookcase.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. He wrote this before The DaVinci Code. I find this book hard to read. Even started reading it backwards to no avail.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I read the abridged version in high school. Seeing the movie version with Toby Stephens (sigh) last year enticed me to get a copy of the book.

My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme. Watching "Julia & Julia" got me interested in learning more about Julia Child, the person. I'm halfway through the book.

The Happy Hollisters by Jerry West. It was 50 cents at the local thrift shop. That was enough incentive for me to read it.

Behold the Many by Lois-Ann Yamanaka. She is one of my favorite novelists. Her stories are about locals living in Hawaii.

 Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier. Three novellas by three different mystery authors. I've read Fluke's so far. The three amateur detectives are also cooks. What sold me on this book is the fact that recipes are included.

Next by Michael Crichton. A couple of Christmases ago, the husband and I decided that instead of buying a present, we each would choose one of the books from his or her shelves that he or she had read and liked and give that to the other to read. He hasn't read the one I gave him either.

Pswhew. Are you as tired reading my list as I am writing about it? Here are the other books in my nightstand pile:

• Psych: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read by William Rabkin
• Naked Pictures of Famous People by Jon Stewart 
• Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen
• I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason by Susan Kanel
• Size 14 Is Not Fat Eitherby Meg Cabot
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume Two by Julia Child
• American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson
• Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

So, what book have I left on the nightstand? Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin. I'm finding it hard to read, which is ironic since the author has presented her story and ideas simplistically. I've told myself that I can't read anything else for fun until I'm done with it. And, there's a new mystery by Anne Perry that's coming out soon.