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What are you reading?

Kevin Murphy  —  8/11/2008 3:45 pm

Freelancer Kevin Murphy asked Madison residents about their latest read:

"Right now I am reading two wonderful books about Wisconsin. 'With Honor' by Dale Van Atta is a biography and memoir of Melvin Laird, and a fascinating story of Wisconsin government and politics. It gives firsthand insights into how work gets done on a state and national level. The other book is 'Box Out' by John Coy, a writer who grew up in Eau Claire. It's about Wisconsin and basketball, and very engaging. I am previewing it for the Read On Wisconsin! book club."

Jessica Doyle

Wisconsin's first lady

Maple Bluff

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"The mystery series by Nevada Barr, who sets her stories in national parks. 'A Superior Death' is one I've read and it takes place on an island in Lake Superior. The main character is a park ranger, and she is in charge of solving these cases. They're all fun to read; she does a great job with the story and the setting."

Janet Hyde

professor

Madison

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" 'Under the Frangipani' by Mia Couto (and David Brookshaw). The book takes place after a civil war in Mozambique that lasted 17 years. It discusses the older generation and the traditions and problems they have, and then it transitions to a more optimistic mood and the rebuilding of the country.'

Tamara Amakobe

university student

Madison

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" 'The Undomestic Goddess' by Sophie Kinsella. It's about a high-ranking English lawyer who suddenly loses her job and doesn't know what to do. She ends up being a housekeeper in a manor. I really enjoyed it. It was a real humbling turn of events for the lawyer but she also found herself in her new work. She figured out that's what she really likes, not the high-pressured lifestyle she had before."

Ann Ecklund-Russell

retail clerk

Madison

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" 'Instructions to the Cook: A Zen Master's Lessons in Living a Life That Matters' by Bernard Glassman and Rick Fields. It takes American Zen or Buddhism and matches modern business goals and objectives with morality. The authors detail how these two things relate and how you can have both without sacrificing either one."

Emily Connors

university student

Madison

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"I've read 'Crooked Little Vein' by Warren Ellis. He normally writes graphic novels, and to my knowledge this is his first non-graphic novel and it's really hilarious. It made me laugh out loud. The main character is a private investigator who gets hired by the federal government to find a book that has magical powers. It's science fiction, and (the P.I.) gets involved in this dark underworld that the U.S. government is also involved in. I'm not really a science fiction nerd, but I liked this because it's commentary on the politics of today."

Laura Weinstein

Ph.D student

Madison

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" 'Darkly Dreaming Dexter' (by Jeff Lindsay), which is quite a departure from the TV series. I really didn't enjoy it that much. Dexter is supposed to be America's most lovable serial killer, but I found it a bit gruesome, and he wasn't as likeable as the character in the TV series. Dexter only kills bad people, but (the premise) didn't quite work in the book, which came before the TV series."

Carlos Marquez

engineer

Madison

Kevin Murphy  —  8/11/2008 3:45 pm