Reading...

As of late my reading list has been mostly the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs. I have long been a fan of mysteries though I wouldn't say that I would read just any mystery. I have to find either the characters or the concept palatable. Which doesn't mean that they are necessarily "good" fiction...just "tasty" fiction. And, I really like this series. I like the science; I like the concept; and I like the way the story progresses. It has even helped me find appreciation for the series Bones. I have always thought that this was a show I should like but could never get into. It turns out I needed to see the pilot. It made the rest of the series make sense, and has been my brain candy for the last few months as I work through back episodes.

In between my dives into the world of forensic anthropology there have been a few other side adventures. I picked up a copy of some of Jane Austen's short stories and essays that she wrote as a young woman. They were interesting and you could really get a sense of what a clever woman she was. They weren't brilliant necessarily but it was evident that hers was a mind that didn't often get to use itself to its full capacity. It was unlike anything I have ever read. I didn't get through all of it but I think it will be worth a revisit every now and again (though perhaps not in a full dose all at once).

It also seems I have a strongly tuned radar for Jane Austen inspired modern fiction. I don't always read them but I am always curious. I recently picked up Vanity and Vexation by Kate Fenton and was pleasantly surprised. It is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice but the author I think took pains not to make it the exact same novel. All the elements were there (well mostly) but they were used differently enough to make the story interesting. I of course knew where the novel was going from the first page (at least generally) but I didn't mind riding along with the author to get there. It worked. I have certainly read worse. And of course there are some "adaptations" I refuse to believe exist.

There is also another kind of book I need to find more of...autobiography/biographies in which food/recipes play a role in the storytelling. Books about food have always been comforting and I have stumbled upon a few books in which the author shares their story with the support of kitchens, recipes, and food. I have enjoyed them and need to find more...I am just not quite sure how to go about searching for them.