Monday, January 10, 2011

Favorite Books Part II: Good Winter Reads

On cold snowy days like today, I just want to curl up in a comfy chair with some hot tea and a good book.  

In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote, is one of those great reads.  It is the documentary of a true crime that happened on November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas.  Four members of the Clutter family were brutally murdered in their home. 
 Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers.

"The book examines the complex psychological relationship between two parolees, who together commit a mass murder. Capote's book also explores the lives of the victims and the effect of the crime on the community where they lived. In Cold Blood is regarded by critics as a pioneering work of the true crime genre. "

I found this book so suspenseful and difficult to put down.  Every now and then I felt I needed to look over my shoulder. 


On the lighter side, I recommend Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris.  Sedaris is one of my all time favorite authors.
This is a collection of short stories where Sedaris "reveals the absurdity of ordinary life".  Vacation with his family, a visit to a morgue, his brother's wedding and more.   He has a way of making even the worst of circumstances funny. 

I laugh out loud every time I read one his books!  Others include: Me Talk Pretty One Day, Holidays on Ice and When You Are Engulfed in Flames.

What are you reading?