Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Continued Reading Plans

 We now interrupt this series of Japan posts to bring you a post from my ordinary life.

As I mentioned in January, I've designed a monthly reading plan in order to cross some books off my To Be Read list and expand my horizons a little.  February was biography month, and I chose My Life in France by Julia Child.  This book was ghostwritten by her grandnephew, Alex Prud'homme, but her style and character come through very well.  I found it funny, beautifully descriptive, and inspiring.  Julia found her calling as a cook almost by accident.  Her love for food, in particular, French cuisine, is apparent in the book but the book never gets too technical or boring.

For March, my book selection is something that was published in the last year.  My TBR list is pretty slim on recent books, but I have a few from 2011.  This requires a little organization on my part, as of course the Sutherland Library doesn't have any of the books on my list, so I actually had to buy a book for once.  I've chosen Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmstead.  Olmstead was a landscape architect who designed the grounds at the Biltmore mansion, the grounds for the Chicago World's Fair, and Central Park.  I've been interested in him ever since I visited the Biltmore mansion when on a college visiting trip as a senior in high school.  Plus, it has the added benefit of being another biography, which is a genre I really haven't explored until recently.  I hope it is interesting, especially since I paid for it!

3 comments:

Erica said...

Funny you chose that book! My book club is reading Devil in the White City by Erik Larson which has Olmsted in it too. It's about the Worlds Fair and a serial killer. very interseting.

Anonymous said...

Yes -- a biography on Olmsted is a good choice. Lots of tie ins to US history. I think I will read it too.

Really liked Devil in the White City.

-D

L said...

@Erica, it's not entirely coincidence. Part of the reason I'm interested in that book is because I read about Olmsted in Devil and the White City.

@Dad, I haven't started the book yet, but it does seem like something you would be interested in. From the back Olmsted was quite influential in conservation and politics. He also designed the grounds for the U.S. Capitol. I hope the writing is interesting enough to keep me engaged in the history.