book talk. What are you reading?

I am enjoying Year of Wonders despite its rather depressing content. (a village in England is infected with the plague in 1666. They decide to quarantine themselves and it kind of gets Lord of the Flies at times) It has a rather fast pace too it and while I wouldn't say it was breezy it is has a rather natural rhythm to it. I suppose it has to do with the narrator who is a peasant woman. I have never read any Geraldine Brooks before but I may read some other things as people have suggested her to me as of late
I picked up a copy of The Whiskey Rebels this morning at the library so hopefully I will get to that this weekend. Apparently some of the subject matter of the novel is timely in the wake of the general wankery of the financial system and so on. David Liss has a nice hand with writing historical fiction. Historical fiction can be a tough one at times as that genre of fiction tends to be heavy with plucky young women who discover their spirit/sexuality/toes in historical times. Extra points if there is royalty involved and some brooding guy who broods in his spare time when he isn't brooding or doing whatever it is brooding men do for a living. (ruling a country, leading a rebellion, working with horses. Sometimes all three.) And while I appreciate plucky young women who discover they like the hot sexxors and have a mind of their own, it gets a bit tiresome. It is like chick-lit with a bodice. But fewer high heels and cocktail glasses on the cover. what is popular for historical fiction novels with plucky young girls is to take some painting with some pretty girl on the cover looking curious or slightly worried. Why don't I work in publishing? Oh yeah the industry has taken a hit because they sunk all their money in quick money makers and then the market is so full of tables of this stuff that people get bleary-eyed and walk past it. (please see women's literature, stuff related to the Illuminati and celebrity Food Network chefs) The hard part is that when there is something of quality in a particular genre, it is often missed unless some smart editor pimps the heck out of it.

I was looking at a book today that looks rather interesting. It is called Coop. The author might be familiar to some as he wrote Population:485 (about being a volunteer EMT in his hometown) In his latest book he has moved to this farm in Wisconsin with his pregnant wife. (who has announced she is doing a homebirth) And it is about life on the farm, the influence of his parents and their own farming experience. I think in some ways this might be a good book for kitchenwitch. (sounds a bit like your idea of a good time.) It may go on my list as well.