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7 Quick Takes, Pride and Prejudice Edition

Pride and Prejudice. Which film version is best? I have been running a Pride and Prejudice marathon at my house.

The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon Series Book 1)

In today’s Quick Lit post, I share how I recently read my first Daniel Silva novel, the 16th book in this series. The books stand alone, but I enjoyed it so much that I’m inspired to go back and start here, at the beginning of the series, where Silva first introduces his readers to Israeli intelligence operative Gabriel Allon.

Philosophy for Polar Explorers

By the author of Walking: One Step at a Time, which I adored and wrote about in January’s edition of Quick Lit. Translated by Kenneth Stevens, this short little book is part philosophy, part grand adventure, and part survival tale. Kagge was the first person to visit all three poles by foot, trekking the North Pole, South Pole, and Mt. Everest. He records his adventures in this small volume, along with philosophical musings he pondered along the way. This would make an excellent graduation gift.

Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs

I actually read this before our current Quick Lit window, but I haven’t yet given it the attention it deserves here on the blog, and it’s such a gem I wanted to make sure it was on your radar for the 2018 Reading Challenge, perhaps as “a book you can read in a day”, or “a memoir, biography, or book of creative nonfiction.” These 52 “micro-memoirs” are by turns quirky, witty, poignant, and laugh-out-loud funny, and so different from pretty much anything else I’ve ever read.

A Window Opens: A Novel

I almost abandoned this book, and thought hard about including it in Quick Lit because I found it underwhelming. Its heroine, Alice Pearse, is a sandwich generation wife and mother of three who takes on a new and demanding job when her husband loses his. The book had potential: I found the premise relatable and the characters likable. But instead of thoughtfully addressing the issues Alice faces, Egan fabricates silly problems (such as a big bad corporate employer reminiscent of The Circle) for her characters and simplistic solutions. Alice works in the world of publishing, and I did appreciate the novel’s unabashed love for books and readers. If you decide to read this, please read it with your book club: at least you can enjoy tearing apart the ending together.