It’s pretty rare for me to be reading only one book at a time. Right now I am reading three.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
If you haven’t read this series, you really should. Most people have seen the movies, but as with everything, the movies really don’t do the books justice. Considered by most to be “medium fantasy” (i.e. you can generally pronounce the names, though there are fantastical creatures), this series is much more lighthearted than the movies would have you believe and most of the time the hobbits are more concerned about their next meal than the foul creatures who are hunting them.
Synopsis: In the second installment of this trilogy, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas track a party of orcs who have kidnapped two of their hobbit companions, Merry and Pippin. Along the way they encounter an old friend whom they’d thought was lost forever and join their swords with the mighty Men of Rohan at the Battle of Helm’s Deep. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam continue on their long, dangerous journey to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom and find an unlikely ally along the way.
…So Anyway by John Cleese
If you are a fan of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, I highly recommend this book. Half autobiography, half downright silliness, this book follows the tallest of the Pythons from birth to modern day, leaving out none of the salacious (for a well-mannered Brit) details. I cannot tell you how many times I have laughed out loud during this book. This is the second time I’ve read it and the stories are just as funny as they were the first time through.
Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L Sayers
This is absolutely one of my favorite mystery novels. I have read it over and over again, each time enjoying anew the superciliousness of Sayers’ noble sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey. This time I am listening to the audiobook, read by Ian Carmichael.
Synopsis: Lord Peter’s brother, the Duke of Denver, has been arrested for the murder of his sister’s fiancé, Dennis Cathcart. With a grand trial set in the noble House of Lords, Lord Peter and his faithful servant Bunter, along with police Chief Inspector Parker, must sift through all the events of that night to find the truth before it’s too late.