bookshelf

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

A Novel Without A Hero
First published 1848 (c) Blackstone Audio, Downloaded from Audible. Narrated by Frederick Davidson (aka David Case) 29 hrs, 49 min, Read 04/29/09 

Orphaned and penniless Rebecca Sharp navigates the treacherous waters of English society in the early 1800s trying to make her own way. She tries to counter the forces of class and poverty through charm, wit, and well-chosen alliances. 

The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester

William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
6 tapes, 9 1/2 hrs, Narrated by the author
(c) 2001, Harper Audio, Recorded Books 04/20/09

 William Smith's biography could have been written by Dickens: a stint in debtor's prison, a victim of plagiarism and class prejudices and a mentally ill young wife afflicted with nymphomania are just a few of the subplots.

The Averaged American by Sarah E. Igo

Surveys, Citizens, and the Making of a Mass Public
398 pgs (c) 2007, Harvard University Press
Broward Library 301.0720732 IG Read: 03/02/08

Today we take surveys for granted. This book examines the rise of surveys at the turn of the last century, their continued development, and their effect on society at large.

Middlemarch by George Eliot

A Study of Provincial Life
Written: 1871. Audible download,31 hrs. Narrated by Nadia May
Text: Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/8227
Read: 02/02/08

This novel covers a wealth of subjects: the nature of politics, medical advancement, families, education, modernization, inequality, etc. Extremely entertaining, the book illuminates the realities of the past and present and reaffirms that there’s nothing new under the sun. On my list to read again.

Dark Genius of Wall Street by Edward J. Renehan, Jr

The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould, King of the Robber Barons
Narrated by George Wilson
13 CDs, 14.75 hours (c) 2005 by Edward J. Renehan, Jr., 2006 by Recorded Books. LLC.
Read 03/16/09

Jay Gould was one of the original "Robber Barons" of the last half of the nineteenth century. According to Renehan, Gould was not the monster that that the press of the time and many biographers have made him out to be.

Natives and Exotics by Jane Alison

236 pgs © 2005, Orlando: Harcourt; 2006 Mariner Books
Broward Library Read: 01/02/06

A lovely little book illustrated with 18th century illustrations of exotic flora. Episodic, loosely following an Australian family lineage through their voluntary and involuntary peregrinations of the globe across two centuries. Like the plants, they move or are moved without clear recognition of their predecessors or progeny.

A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O'Nan

199 pgs (c) 1999, Henry Holt & Co.
Broward Library, Read 01/15/08

Friendship, Wisconsin is besieged by an epidemic in the 1800s. Civic leaders debate whether to quarantine the village or not. Citizens fall ill, die, panic, and seek escape. In one odd scene, a traveling circus tries to pass through the town. Meanwhile, there's a Peshtigo-sized fire breathing down on the community.

Tried By War by James M. McPherson

Abraham Lincoln as Commander In Chief
8 CDs, 9.75 hours Narrated by George Guidall
(c) 2008 James M. McPherson, 2008 Recorded Books, LLC
Recorded Books, Read: 02/26/09

Concerned that I am in danger becoming a Civil War buff, I am now trying to limit how many books I read on the subject. Additionally, I try to avoid Civil War re-enactments. You know you have a Civil War buff problem if you find yourself "just happening" to encounter reenactments.

Leviathan by Eric Jay Dolin

The History of Whaling in America
16 hrs, narr. by James Boles, © 2007 Tantor Media
© 2007 W.W. Norton, 480 pages
Audible download Read 02/22/09

During this 400-year history, whaling was greatly affected by war, commodity prices, trade barriers, international competition, changing consumer preferences and new technologies. In today’s era of economic failure and uncertainty, this book shows how one industry responded to the same stresses that affect businesses today.

Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

47 hours, narr John Lee, Written 1844, (c) 2008 Audible 01/16/09
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1184/1184-h/1184-h.htm#2HCH0061

What a great revenge fantasy! The time just flew by. I think that I finished it in about a week, listening during my walks in the morning, at work during the mindless processing of files, and during meal preparation. Since the weather's been chilly, I've also lingered in bed in the morning after hearing the early alarm, snuggling in with my iPod.