Reading recommendation: The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver

December 20th 2009 at 9:25 am

Fair warning – this is not a genre book, not fast paced, not adventure, almost but not quite devoid of plot twists.

But there are other things for books to do.  One of those is to comment on who we are, to use story as a way to teach.

I have been in awe of Barbara Kingsolver’s writing ability since I read The Poisonwood Bible (which you might note is still in print and available in almost every possible edition even though it’s now almost 12 years old).  If you haven’t read it, you should.  Anyway, I know I’m in capable hands with Barbara’s work.  So when I saw The Lacuna a day or two after it came out in a great big happy stack of blue books with yellow covers, I grabbed it without even bothering to read the dust jacket.

It took a few weeks start to finish, and at one point I wished she were writing form the POV of some of the other characters (I wanted to know more, for example, about Frida Kahlo).  nevertheless, in the end I was in awe of the work, and felt I learned a lot about our current times from her exploration of our history.  I highly recommend this for those who want a thoughtful read with exquisite line by line writing.

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Books

Wings of Creation by Brenda Cooper

Reading the Wind cover image

Available November 10th, 2009 from Tor Books.

Reading the Wind by Brenda Cooper

Reading the Wind cover image

Audio promo:

"Brenda Cooper's newest novel is a feast of character and concept. She depicts the devastation of war on microcosmic and macrocosmic levels, and even more so, the driving motives of young men and women caught in deadly conflict. Cooper is a master explorer of the interaction of society and individuals. She probes the psychology of her genetically enhanced characters with both rare depth and fidelity to scientific plausibility. Moral conundrums drive the plot in this unforgettable narrative. Don't miss this compelling work by a major new talent." - Mary A. Turzillo, An Old-Fashioned Martian Girl.

"Brenda Cooper tells a tale of a powerful brother and sister in a fight for their lives, offering insights along the way into the nature of courage and the hunger for community that burns in every human being. This is a lively book, full of colorful images and a memorable cast of human and animal characters, a worthy successor to The Silver Ship and the Sea." - Louise Marley

Available in July, 2008, from Tor Books.

The Silver Ship and the Sea by Brenda Cooper

Silver Ship and the Sea cover image

Audio promo:

"The first solo novel by Larry Niven's Building Harlequin's Moon (2005) coauthor portrays the thoroughly convincing human colonial society on Fremont, a dangerous planet rife with vicious predators, frequent earthquakes, and falling meteors....Distinctive characterizations, well-limned interrelationships, and the vividly realized Fremont contribute to an exciting coming-of-age story with a strong message about the evils of prejudice." - Sally Estes, Copyright American Library Association.

Mass Market Paperback, July 2008.
Included by Booklist as a "Best Adult Book for Young Adults."

Building Harlequin's Moon by Brenda Cooper and Larry Niven

Building Harlequin's Moon cover image

"Fans of both hard and softer, psychological SF will welcome veteran Niven and newcome Cooper's well-written tale of a 60,000 year layover in space, in which physical challenges of world building are matched by the social challenges of collaboration among disparate groups." - Publisher's Weekly

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