Reading Recommendations

My mother has gone off to summer camp for seniors. I can just imagine all the fun she’s having at Lake Tahoe with her friends—hiking, rafting, chocolate tasting, and more. Anyway, before she left she asked me for book recommendations, so she’s have something to read while she was there.

This is what I suggested for her:

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant. In the 16^th century, a nun in Florence is discovered, after her death, to have a giant snake tattooed on her body. This is the story of how it got there.

The Thirteen Tale by Diane Setterfield. A young writer is engaged to complete the biography of a very secretive famous author.

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. Two vastly different people tell how a book titled “The History of Love” has affected their lives.

I haven’t yet read these, but they seem like books she’d like:

Empress Orchid by Anchee Min. A young concubine rises to become the last empress of China.

Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen. Two sisters deal with the changes in their lives after 9/11.

Other books I would have recommended, but she’s already read them:

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Two lifelong friends deal with the oppression and foot binding common in rural China.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Circus performers in the 1930’s deal with life on the road, romance, and violence.

Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos. Two solitary women deal with life by inviting more and more people and adventure in.