Warm, with cinnamon.

I like my cider warm, with cinnamon.  Especially in the fall.  It doesn't quite feel like fall here yet, but it will be soon.

I also found Cider with Rosie a warm, homey look at life in England after World War I through the eyes of a young boy.  It was warm and sweet and gentle.  I read aloud a few pages about Christmas caroling to Pea, even.  I especially liked the layout of this book - it was more like a coffee table book style and most pages had a painting or a picture on them.

Surprisingly good!

Usually the books that I have to get through Interlibrary Loan are very dry and boring.  So I was not particularly excited about reading Chocky.  Was I in for a surprise!  This book was fantastic.  I am amazed that it is not more popular.

Chocky is a being who has decided to inhabit a young boy.  The boy begins to exhibit precocious tendencies and the family assumes that he is being modest when he says that it is the work of his "imaginary friend", Chocky.  I'm not going to give away the ending.

This was a very quick read - I couldn't put it down and was done with it in 2 days!  I highly enjoyed it and recommend it!

Beh Beh

"Beh beh" is what Fuzz calls golf clubs.  Since golf is a big part of our house, he discusses "beh beh" quite often.  Beh beh can also be used to describe my opinion of Crome Yellow by Aldous Huxley.  Nothing much happens in this book.  I couldn't get into it.  People just hang out and chitchat.  I'm sure that there is a deeper meaning there, but it didn't connect with me.  So - beh beh, Crome Yellow.  Beh beh.

God bless us, everyone.

I had never read A Christmas Carol before this week! I was shocked at how short it was - I had thought all Dickens works were ridiculously long.  It was a very quick read.  I knew the general story, but it was nice to read the original anyway. I especially liked the descriptions of the spirits. I really enjoyed this one.

Not a hotel.

I asked Mike if he had ever read The Childermass by Wyndham Lewis.  He told me no, but commented that Wyndham Lewis sounded like the name of a hotel.  "We're staying at the Wyndham Lewis tonight."  "Can you please take us to the Wyndham Lewis so that we can check in?"  Hee.

Unfortunately, the actual reading of this book did not give me too much of a smile.  I don't really care for Wyndham Lewis, the author.  His books are thick, dry and I can never really tell what is going on in them.  Until I read the Wikipedia entry, that is.  This one apparently takes place in purgatory.  Interesting since he alludes to it but I could not actually figure that out for myself just in reading the book.

I'm glad to be through this one (I pretty much skimmed once I realized I wasn't going to get anything out of it anyway) and onward and upward!

Choke.

I got stuck reading Choke on vacation this summer.  Well, first I read Going Clear, by Lawrence Wright - which was amazing.  I loved it and was totally fascinated by every word.  But alas, that was not one of the 1001 books.  So then I went back to Choke.

The quality of Choke is totally over my head.  It is graphic and gross.  I didn't wind up caring about the characters.  I wasn't surprised by the "surprise" plot twist at the end.  I just wanted it to be over.  I understand there is some sort of literary value in this book - I just didn't personally enjoy it all that much.

The simple life.

Remember the TV show "The Simple Life" that aired in the early 2000s?  It followed two starlets as they were placed in made-for-TV rural situations such as helping out in a barn, attending a square dance, etc.  It was mildly amusing and interesting to see them navigate the unusual-to-them world.

Christ Stopped at Eboli is a similar fish out of water theme.  I am not sure if it is a memoir or a novel or what - it was in the nonfiction section of the library.  The narrator, an Italian guy is sent to spend 3 years in a peasant village because he opposed the fascism of the predominant political party at the time. While he wishes to spend time painting and living a quiet life, his medical skills are desperately needed by the peasants.  He winds up having a very rich, full life there and even contemplates staying and marrying a local girl once he is free to leave again.

I really liked this.  I found the portrayal of the village interesting and I liked hearing about the life there.