Books read in September and October

I never posted about my September reading, because I think I only read from books already in the works, and nothing complete from cover to cover.

The Silver Pencil by Alice Dalgliesh--this is juvenile literature, purchased to give my 13yo E for Christmas. I'm about halfway through it so far.

The Breaker by Minette Walters--This is one of those authors I read when I'm in the mood for something creepy and criminal, usually with a psychological twist. Not recommended.

The Secret Orchard of Roger Ackerly by Diana Petre--non-fiction, a sort-of biography. Not particularly significant or interesting in any way. (I read this in the intervals when my computer was too slow to use, and kept wondering, "What IS the point?")

We the Living by Ayn Rand--I already blogged about this one. Sometime in the next year or so, I'm going to read The Fountainhead as well, but I have no desire to read her non-fiction.

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn--yes! I finally finished something by Solzhenitsyn. This was much shorter than Gulag Archipelago, which I've started but never managed to complete.

The Literary Discipline by John Erskine--I'm about halfway through this now. He has some very interesting things to say about writing as art.

Perry Mason Solves the Case of the Careless Kitten by Erle Stanley Gardner--No, I don't know why I read this. Someone gave it to me, and I was somewhat curious. It was a quick and easy read. Anyone who wants this copy can have it.

W pustyni i w puszczy by Henryk Sienkiewicz--Not much, just a few chapters, but my Polish book is still underway. I must be more disciplined with this, as I don't wish to lose my newly-acquired ability to read semi-fluently in Polish.

Sanditon by Jane Austen and Another Lady--Someone's ending added to the beginning of a book Jane Austen never lived to finish. I haven't finished this yet, and I think I'm still reading Jane Austen's part. Okay, that mean's I've just started it. Perhaps I'll get it finished this month.

Bad for Business by Rex Stout--I actually wanted to read a Nero Wolfe mystery, and this one featured a different detective--Tecumsah Fox. It was okay, but I wasn't terribly impressed (this was my first try at Rex Stout), so it's going on the Bookmooch inventory for anyone who wants it.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy--I probably read another 100 pages or so of this. I wonder if I'll ever reach the end?

I read two more books that I so utterly cannot recommend and want to expunge from my memory that I'm not even going to put them on my list. Fourth-rate trash, and that's where the books are headed.


I've had an idea percolating that I should be reading in a more disciplined and systematic way. When I look at this list, I'm even further convinced of it, as there is a lot of fluff here. For whatever reason, that was what I was in the mood for recently. But, like cotton-candy, it's not satisfying and I'm hungry now for something substantial. We'll see what comes of it by the end of November!