Barbara Kingsolver

I discovered Barbara Kingsolver because she was, briefly, in a rock-and-roll band with Stephen King. Long live rock-and-roll.

The Poisonwood Bible
According to the blurb at BarbaraKingsolver.com, "The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959." When I finish a book, I rate it using a simple system: it gets a smiley face emoticon :-) if I want to read something else by the same author. Not only did The Poisonwood Bible get a smiley face -- I started another Kingsolver title the same day. I love this book.

Prodigal Summer
This book made me fall in love with Barbara Kingsolver. I think The Poisonwood Bible is a better story, but I enjoyed reading this one more. I could not wait to start another Kingsolver book.

The Lacuna
I was disappointed. If it had not been written by Barbara Kingsolver, who I had fallen in love with, I would have given it a frowny face :-( or worse, I might not have finished it. I kept reading, hoping it would turn into a real Kingsolver  book, and telling myself that it took a while for The Poisonwood Bible to grow on me. But this one never did. I have to wonder if she enjoyed writing it. Sigh.

Other Titles by Barbara Kingsolver
I've read The Bean Trees, and I remember liking it, but I read it in one sitting, and when I do that, I enjoy the book, but tend not to remember it well. I may read this one again, because one of my colleagues is teaching it in her 10th grade English class. Pigs In Heaven is a sequel, which I intend to read -- someday.

Ana Maria liked Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It's non-fiction, and it's in my reading queue.Kingsolver has written several other books, including novels, non-fiction, and collections of short stories and poems. I would like to eventually read all of it, and I could see myself reading The Poisonwood Bible (and maybe Prodigal Summer) again. I'm still in love with Barbara Kingsolver, in spite of The Lacuna.

Stephen King

If you are a fan of Stephen King, here are some suggestions:

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

The synopsis at StephenKing.com says, "On Writing is both a textbook for writers and a memoir of Stephen's life and will, thus, appeal even to those who are not aspiring writers." The book is a lot more about the author than the craft, which is good, because the parts about the author are better than the parts about the craft. I did enjoy the craft section, but I wonder if people who don't teach writing would like it. For a fan of the author, it's a must-read. And it's short (especially for Stephen King).

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Speaking of short, this book is only 5 hours, 36 minutes as an unabridged audio book. In addition to its length, it's a departure for King because it seems to be written for a younger audience. The protagonist is a nine-year-old girl. According to StephenKing.com, the book flap calls it "a classic story that engages our emotions at the most primal level ... a fairy tale grimmer than Grimm, but aglow with a girl's indomitable spirit." I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Mist

Yet another short Stephen King book. I believe this was originally published in a collection of stories, then adapted to the screen, then published as a stand-alone novella to cash in on the movie. I saw the movie before I read the book, then watched the movie again after I read the book. Enjoyed the book and the movie (both times).

Duma Key

Duma Key is typical Stephen King. It is long (over 21 hours as an unabridged audio book), with a main character you care about, with writing that makes you want to keep reading, and an ending that makes you think, "Really? Is that it?" I've always suspected that King's endings result from deadlines rather than design. But as always with King novels, the pleasure is in the moment, in the page-by-page experience of reading. He is the King of raconteurs.

Mid-Life Confidential

This book is not available for Kindle; in fact, it's not even in print. In the First Foreword of On Writing, King mentions his experience with "a rock-and-roll band composed mostly of writers" which actually toured as recently as 2010 (see http://rockbottomremainders.com/) You can learn more about the book at StephenKing.com (be sure to read the "Community Thoughts"). Stumbling across this book led me to one of my most rewarding reading experiences.