A List of Five: What I'm Reading Right Now

I didn't read anything at all for the first four days of 2012. (Gasp!) Since then I've remedied the situation by reading three books, and starting two more.


1. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer. I've mentioned several times how much I love Georgette Heyer. I've read most of her books multiple times, but this is the first time I'd ever listened to one on audio book. I loved it! Freddy, a likeable, diffident hero, is even more enjoyable aloud, and Kitty, a charming heroine, is lots of fun too. My favorite line? --Kitty [speaking of Freddy], "As a matter of fact, he said that Lochinvar sounded to him like a dashed loose-screw."-- I literally laughed out loud while listening!

2. The Shadow Patrol by Alex Berenson. Shelf Awareness sent me this to review, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It's a bit Tom Clancy-esque, an espionage thriller set largely in Afghanistan, starring super agent John Wells. It's due to be published in February, so watch for a longer review then!*

3. Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz. I'd had this on reserve at the library for about four weeks and was really happy when it finally came in. I was equally entertained and horrified by Horwitz's tales of southerners still trapped in the confederate mindset. I lived in Texas for 9 years, and met a few crazy "War of Northern Aggression" aficionados, but nothing like the wackos Horwitz encounters! It's a definite winner. **

4. The Paris Wife by Paula McClain. I started this on audio book a good eight months ago, but the second disc skipped uncontrollably, so I gave it up. I'd kind of forgotten about it, but in my post-Christmas cleaning spree I found the hardcover copy I purchased last fall, so I'm starting it again. It's a fictionalized biography of Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway's first wife, and it's beautifully written. I can see the sad ending coming a mile away, but I'm still enjoying it.

5. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. I've never read any Hemingway. But, The Paris Wife has made me feel like I ought to. So I'm giving it a go.***

*Bonus point for my 2012 goals! (Male author).
** Two bonus points! (Male author and nonfiction).
*** Two more! (Male author and a classic).

What have you been reading lately?
When's the last time a book made you laugh out loud?

Cover images are Amazon affiliate links.