Book I'm Reading : Cutting for Stone

Martha's book selection for the "Book's I'm Reading" Club this month is 'Cutting for Stone' by Abraham Verghese. Have any of you read it? It is an epic medical love story that gripped my attention right off; it is immensely interesting. The author who is also a doctor uses absolutely beautiful storytelling to share the life of twin boys that end up being orphaned by their mother's death and their father's disappearance. The story evolves and spans generations and continents and is about the journey of coming of age, love and family relationships. It is an excellent piece of contemporary literature that is topping reader charts (it has been on the New York Times' best seller list for a year -- currently number four) and there is even talk of a movie. I can't wait to finish it on my Sony Reader they provided me. As for the Sony Reader, I am a big fan -- it has exceeded my expectations in many ways with its simple pocket size, ease of use, and the ability to carry around with me thousands of books on one device.

What about you? What are you reading lately? Join Martha and us reading Cutting For Stone if you need a great novel.

*Enter to win a Sony Reader here - there is a winner each week!

(photo of Author : by Joanne Chan)

Books I'm Reading with Martha : Cleopatra

I am thrilled to announce along with Martha Stewart her book selection on the Sony Reader this month, "Cleopatra: A Life" by Stacy Schiff. I am especially intrigued with this selection because of the time that I spent in the Middle East and Egypt while studying abroad in college.

While diving into this book, I am already learning tons about Cleopatra. I find it interesting that most of what is perceived of her today is really made-up stuff exaggeratedly added in by classic authors and movie directors over the years. Did you know that there are only coin portraits left that can authentically verify what she really looked like? I also had no idea that Cleopatra was in fact Greek, which makes her just about as Egyptian as Elizabeth Taylor! This quote from the book sums up to me Cleopatra so far...

"A goddess as a child, a queen at eighteen, a celebrity soon thereafter, she was an object of speculation and veneration, gossip and legend, even in her own time."

This is a fascinating read. Join in with us in reading this insightful book, and be sure to tweet with the hashtag #booksimreading. What about you... are you interested in Cleopatra, history and the Egyptian Empire?

(photos by blackeiffel - taken in Egypt)

Books I'm Reading with Martha

Today I'm excited to let you know about a new thing that Martha Stewart is launching on her blog called, "Books I'm Reading". As part of the Martha Circle, Jordan from Oh Happy Day, Jane from This Week For Dinner and I will be reading Martha's picks along with her on these awesome little pocket-sized Sony Readers they sent us.

This month, Martha selected the book Cold: Adventures in the World's Frozen Places by Bill Streever. Streever is a biologist who writes about his experiences in the some of the most freezing environments in the world. It makes me shiver just thinking about it! I am fascinated by what he has to say about animal's hibernation habits, and the way the human body reacts in such extreme bitter-cold conditions. So far, it is very intriguing.

The Sony Reader they sent is really cool -- it feels natural and convenient because it is smaller than the size of a normal book and can easily fit in your bag, or even pocket. What differentiates it from most e-readers out there is that it has a full touch screen and you can also download books from participating local libraries and Google to get over 1 million classic books for free, so you really have a lot of options.

Bonus for you readers is that you can enter to win a Reader for yourself here where one winner will be selected each week! Be sure to also tune into the Martha Show on Monday, December 6th where she will be interviewing author Bill Streever. Happy reading everyone!

Coming Soon...

Learning all about the Sony Reader...