Book Clutter

Moby-Dick Group Read: Discussion 3 (Chapters 56-93)

2012-01-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

I am soooo ready for a Whale category on Jeopardy. Bring it on, Alex! Step aside Ken Jennings!

Thanks to Melville, I never knew so much about whales, nor did I know there was so much to know about whales. Alas, we are still primarily in non-fiction mode, and things have taken a turn for the technical and anatomical. A couple of things helped me get through this section.

First of all, I cast Ishmael aside for a bit, and Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs took his place in grossing me out with the details of whale hunting and whale anatomy.

Yes, I know how to spice my classics up a bit. But it's not that far-fetched, right? Ishmael and Rowe take on similar tasks in giving us glimpse into icky jobs that we don't think about much, and yet we usually reap the benefits from. In my mind, the Pequod had a few extra passengers--a camera crew and a hunky host showing me all of the blood and guts of whaling. (Rest assured, in my little "mind movie", Rowe IS wearing pants, unlike Queequeg who seems to prefer the shirt-and-socks-only option. What is up with that?!?!)

Also, when doing image searches last week, I discovered a children's book about whaling in the 19th-Century:

ISBN 0-531-12356-1

I was in luck--my library actually had it. I highly recommend this book to anyone reading Moby Dick. In just 30 illustrated pages (hint, hint, Melville...), I learned about the different whales, the tools used to catch them, how they are cut up and the wreck of the whaling ship Essex, which inspired the writing of Moby Dick. (One thing I learned that I didn't want to know was how Moby Dick ends. Ooops! Watch out for that if you read this. It's on page 28.) I actually read this book before reading this section, so it was very easy for me to picture what was happening. And with Mike Rowe explaining it as well, all was good.

But don't think that I'm saying one should skip or skim Melville's detailed descriptions. He somehow makes it all worthwhile by tacking on to the end of a chapter something philosophical/metaphorical about life. It reminds me of a Shakespearean couplet, only it often sounds biblical. And like Shakespeare, sometimes I know what he's saying, and sometimes I don't. Many times I'm not sure if he's being earnest or sarcastic. I'm still loving the occasional injections of ticklish humor. I'll have to make a collection of them when I'm done reading.

But for now I must confess that I haven't finished this section. I have about 15 more pages. I've hit some legal stuff, and my mind is blocking it. I've got no survival mechanism for this. I don't watch any law shows with hot lawyers. HELP!!!!

Moby-Dick Group Read: Discussion 2 (Chapters 27-55)

2012-01-21T18:13:00.000-08:00

I'm behind schedule already on my posting and reading, which is actually not that unusual for me. This time my excuse is that I had limited time to read, and when I had a couple of hours here and there, I had to choose between working out and reading Moby Dick. As enticing as Moby Dick is (and I'm not being sarcastic for once), I chose to exercise. I just kept telling myself, "My health is more important than Moby Dick. My health is more important then Moby Dick. My health is more important than Moby Dick," and off to the gym I went.

Likewise, I needed to employ a mantra to get through this section of the reading: "Pretend it's non-fiction. Pretend it's non-fiction. Pretend it's non-fiction." Because, really, that's what a good portion of this section is. I had to switch from a high level of fun quirkiness in the first part to textbook mode in this second part. The good things is, I rather like reading textbooks, so my feelings are still rather positive towards Melville's "draught of a draught" that is Moby Dick. But the cetology chapter signaled that it was time to shift into learning mode.

Aside from learning about different members of the whale family, the hierarchy of power on a whale boat, and historical accounts of whale hunting within the novel, I did a little outside research to be able to find my way around a boat. Quarter deck, mast-head, starboard, poop, etc. were all vague in my mind, so I found a couple of diagrams that were helpful:

I also found myself wishing I had some sort of illustrated version of the book. I know that Ishmael tells us the only way to really know what a sperm whale looks like is to see it for ourselves, and risk death in doing so, but I don't foresee whale-hunting in my future, so instead I searched the sea of Google images:

How bad can he be? He kind of looks like he's smiling. Maybe this is what Moby Dick looked like after he munched on Radney.

It wouldn't be quite accurate if I only focused on the inundation of information in these chapters. Melville does thrown in some peculiarly dramatic stuff here. Much of it reminded me of Shakespeare, which in turn reminded me a bit of Ulysses. I had earlier been thinking that Melville's writing seemed to me an unlikely combination of Dickens and Joyce, but I wanted to wait and see how the rest of the book played out. That Joyce vibe is coming in pretty strong now, albeit without the stream-of-consciousness mumbo-jumbo. But when it comes to the number of allusions and purges of random knowledge, I see similarities. But I'm not ready to write a paper on it or anything. I wonder if Joyce read Moby Dick? It's the wit in the writing that reminds me of Dickens. And some of the humor.

I loved Ahab's little pep talk to get the sailors all pumped about finding The Whale. I did not realize he was capable of saying so much at once, so it was a little shocking. The chapter about the whiteness of the whale was interesting and beautifully written. I for one have always been afraid of white--the stains show!

I keep looking for some deeper meaning in Ahab's hunt for the whale that ate his leg off. But Ishmael says specifically that this tale is NOT a fable or an allegory. Shucks! But I don't entirely believe him yet. I'm still looking. I have a monomania of my own.

Foundation Group Read: Part 2

2012-01-17T13:21:00.000-08:00

Yikes! I'm a whole day late. This was due to the three day weekend in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. day. No school for the kids and my husband took the day off of work, and so we celebrated by doing . . . yard work. I'm sure I've missed the prime discussion period, but I throw my thoughts into the ring nonetheless.

Last week it seems I won the award for picking the ugliest of Foundation covers to display:

It's pretty bad, but then most of them are. Thank goodness you can't judge a book by it's cover. Although, I do love a good one. (Michael Whelan actually accomplishes this, thank goodness.) I guess the next best thing is a weird one. This one interested me because I wondered what the "KSP" stamped on the hand meant. Now I know, and I don't think it was a big enough of a deal to make the cover art. But on with the questions from host Carl:

Spoilers follow.

Salvor Hardin was the first character in the book that we got to spend any significant time with. What are your thoughts on the grande finale of his plotting, scheming and maneuvering to get the Foundation through to the next Seldon crisis?

I continue to be impressed by his shrewdness, but at the same time disturbed by manipulation of the people through the religion. But that conflict is one of the things that makes the book so interesting to me. I'm continually questioning which is the greater "evil" in my mind, violence or manipulation and never really come to an answer. And pondering the possibility that I am a pawn in someone's big scheme for power. All in all, the overriding issue in this situation is expediency--doing whatever it takes to reduce the fallout from the breakdown of civilization by trusting in Seldon's predictions. Hardin certainly has the brains and the resolve to make that happen.

What are your thoughts on the way in which control/manipulation to achieve Foundation ends began to shift with The Traders?

I anxious to hear other thoughts on this one. It just reminded me of similarities to history where society shifted from a religion-based society to one dominated by trade. In the book, The Foundation initially uses trade to sneak in the religion in order to gain power over the masses. In the end, it ends up being the goods that have the most influence over the people. Will the next change be the trade of information and services?

One of the interesting things about Seldon's psychohistory is how much one man can actually affect it. In Foundation we see characters like Hardin and Mallow as key figures for positioning things just right to work towards Seldon's later predictions. Do you see this as a contradiction to what Seldon said about psychohistory at the beginning of our story or part of an overall plan? Discuss.

I did see this as a contradiction. The only thing I can think to explain it is that Seldon could predict that certain individuals would inevitably rise to the task and be a necessary agent for producing the desired outcome, although he wouldn't know exactly who those persons would be. That somehow as a crisis develops, someone with the right abilities will move to the forefront and pull the right strings. Or recognize the need to stand back and let things happen.

Did you see similarities or differences between the way in which Salvor Hardin and Hober Mallow operated and what are your thoughts about this final section of Foundation? Would you have been content as a reader back then with how everything played out?

They both had a knack for anticipating events and being one step ahead of the other guy. The also both significantly changed the societies of that area of the galaxy. I'm curious to see if and what the next shift may be.

Has your concept/thoughts of what Seldon was trying to do changed at all since the book began?

I don't know that it's changed, but at first it wasn't clear that certain "crises" would be the pivotal events. It's not clear to me how all of that is going to help, so maybe I've missed the big picture. I do keep wondering about the other colony on the other side of the galaxy. What's up with that?

Any final thoughts on the story as a whole, its structure, what it did or did not accomplish, how it worked for you, etc?

I did not realize going into the book that it was structured as short stories, but it worked fine for me. I'm definitely seeing the need to continue--I'm curious about a lot of things.

Looking forward the the next in the trilogy, and will again be participating in the group read:

An inviting cover, but I am curious about the choice of wardrobe there. Some sort of a court jester uprising?

Moby-Dick Group Read: Discussion 1 (Chapters 1-28)

2012-01-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

I never formally declared my intentions for this group read, so here you go:

Maybe it's because of the suggestive "conquering" in the readalong title, or maybe it's because I only made it through fifty pages when I picked it up in another lifetime, but I really expected reading Moby-Dick to be a TASK. I thought the group read format would be perfect, because what is more fun than poking fun at a stuffy classic, especially one with a title just asking for it?

But so far there will be no poking fun (and I'll shelve any immature jokes), because I am really and truly enjoying it. So far it's weird, and funny, and a bit over-the-top but in a tantalizing way. For instance, Melville's not subtle when it comes to his whale/ocean imagery. It pops up everywhere: the painting at the Spouter Inn, Queequeg shaving with his harpoon, the pulpit that's like the bow of a ship, the codfish vertebrae necklace, and much, much more. You cannot get away from it! If I were to take a stab as to why Melville does this, I would say that maybe he's trying to establish a connection between the upcoming face-off with a monster whale and how it applies to everyday, landlubber life. Or maybe he's just trying to set the mood. Or maybe he just really, really likes whale stuff.

Whatever the case, I'm ready to take the voyage, get to know and fear Ahab, and enjoy all that cheese and butter that Captain Bildad was so worried about: "Be careful with the butter--twenty cents the pound it was..." Hopefully it won't just fatten me up as a tasty whale treat.

Yojo (the idol) tells me I should stop here, even though there are diverse topics that can be discussed. I wouldn't want to outdo Melville in rambling and digressions. For more discussion and links to other posts, visit here.

Foundation Group Read: Part 1 (of 2)

2012-01-09T11:14:00.000-08:00

Another group read led by Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings is going on right now and it's probably not too late to join in if you're interested. This is a short, interesting, and easy book to read. What more could you ask for in January? (Especially if you've over-committed on readalongs this month as I have.)
Here are the questions posed for the first half of the book:

For the purpose of satisfying curiosity, is this your first time reading Foundation or have you read it before?
This is my first time reading. I've checked it out from the library before without getting to it.

For those reading Foundation for the first time, what expectations did you have going in and has it met them or surprised you in any way?
I came into this with a pretty blank state. I know that Asimov is a renowned sci-fi writer, so I do have high expectations because of that.

What are your thoughts about the structure of the novel thus far? (I am referring to the brief glimpses of different parts of the history of the Foundation with big time gaps between events in the novel)
For those who have read Dune, I'm just finding it refreshing that the excerpts from the Encyclopedia Galactica are much less ambiguous than Princess Irulan's work that begins each chapter. I'm usually not a fan of books that cover huge spans of time--I prefer works where the author delves really deep into a shorter time period--but it's not bothering me in a major way. I don't really feel like I know any of the characters, but then I don't think that's the purpose of the book, thus far anyway. I feel like we're getting to know mankind as a whole in a broad sociological sense.

What are your initial thoughts on the field of psychohistory?
I find it interesting as a form of prophecy based on mathematical science, inevitably coupled with questions that the people will have: What if he was wrong or made a mistake in his calculations? Did he have any hidden agenda in sharing this information? Even if it is true, what do we care what happens to the empire after we're dead?

What, if anything, is holding your interest thus far, what are you enjoying about Foundation?
The story is interesting, and the ease of reading it is admittedly a bonus!

What, if anything, are you not enjoying about Foundation?
I had a hard time with the guy who didn't pronounce his "r"s. It's not Asimov's fault that I'm reading this post Princess Bride, but I couldn't keep myself from hearing the priest who performs the "mahwage" and talks about "twu wuv."

You may have covered this in answering the other questions, but if not, what are your thoughts/feelings about the Galactic Empire. Is it a practical thing to have a galaxy spanning government? Can you imagine such a thing and do you think it would work?
I just think it would be impossible. It's mind-boggling to think of the size of the galaxy and how the government could keep tabs on everyone and prevent some sort of secession or rebellion. You just can't keep that many people happy. Which of course is what is slated to occur and we are seeing the beginning of that unraveling.

What are your thoughts on Hardin's creation of a religious system in which to house scientific ideas and technology while keeping the users of that science and technology in the dark?
I hate the idea of manipulating the people even though I see his purpose in doing so. I'm also kind of disappointed in the people for not seeing through it, or for not being capable of accepting the scientific ideas disguised as mysticism. There's got to be at least one freethinker among them! Also, the whole concept kind of twists our modern way of thinking--these days you more often see religion being explained in scientific ways, like the science of prayer, or trying to prove ways that the Red Sea could have been parted, etc. in order for religion to be more accepted. All very thought-provoking stuff. I can't wait to see where he goes with it.

Daniel Defoe: Classics Challenge January Prompt

2012-01-06T23:41:00.000-08:00

I'm nearing the end of Robinson Crusoe, and finally there's a bit of action. But it involves the discovery of cannibals who are having a little European "feast." This seems like a good place to stop, take control of my gag reflex, and respond to the first prompt for the Classics Challenge found over at November's Autumn. The focus this month is on the author of the classic we are reading.

I don't know much about Daniel Defoe (ca. 1659-1661 to 1731), but if there's one thing I've learned about him by reading the book, it's his fondness for the term "viz.", a rather hoity-toity way of saying "that is to say" or "namely." Luckily he mixes it up every now and again by actually saying "that is to say." He also LOVES capital letters.

So let's Find out Some Slightly more substantial Facts about Defoe. First, Check him Out:

And I thought my hair was big in the 80's. Perhaps when it came to wigs back then, size did matter. As someone who changed his last name from Foe to Defoe to sound more aristocratic, I think he may be trying to compensate for something.

He wrote several books, (viz.) Robinson Crusoe, The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Serious reflections during the life and surprising adventures of Robinson Crusoe: with his Vision of the angelick world, Captain Singleton, Journal of the Plague Year, Captain Jack, Moll Flanders, and Roxana.

In all he published over 370 (or 500 according to Wikipedia) works, including pamphlets and journals. From hosiery businessman to government spy, he did just about everything and wrote on just about every topic imaginable. He even spent some time in jail. He lived through the Great Plague of London, the Great Fire of London, and later on, the Great Storm of 1703. I don't get the idea that he was very well liked or respected during much of his life. Maybe that's a why a novel about being shipwrecked on an island alone for several years was appealing to him. Or maybe he just thought it would be a good way to pay off all of his debts.

Whatever the case, I am enjoying Robinson Crusoe. I feel like I'm learning how to survive on a deserted island and going to church all at the same time. But more about that when (and if) I write up a review on it. Defoe was much more prolific in his writings than I. How he would have thrived in the blogging age! And he could have ditched the wig.

Multi-topic Post

2011-12-15T14:33:00.000-08:00

1. It's December and the biggest casualties of the season have been blogging and housework. As I am writing this post right now, you can deduce that housework is on the very lowest rung of my priorities.

2. The winner of my blogiversary/blogoversary/bloggiversary is Amy from The House of the Seven Tails. She has been notified and I believe the book is in transit as I type. She chose The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

3. I am just a couple of pounds away from losing 25 pounds from my highest weight from about a year ago. I can't decide whether to push to lose those couple of pounds so I can hit an exciting milestone, or just chill out because it's December and I should just be satisfied to maintain, which is easy to do as long as I work out. As I ponder this, I nibble on intense dark chocolate with hazelnuts. Perhaps this is a sign...

4. As far as reading goes, I'm trying to finish the books I'm currently reading before the end of the year: Of Human Bondage, Mary Barton, and Battle Cry of Freedom. If I actually manage to do this, there's a good chance that the house will remain in a state of chaos and Santa might be a no-show. But who knows? I believe in Christmas miracles. I would just like to have a clean reading slate (and a clean house) come January, which brings me to...

5. The TBR Double Dare, hosted by C.B. James. Let me just say, as a library addict, I'm scared. The challenge is to read only books in my TBR stack from January 1 to April 1. Here's a picture of my current TBR shelf:

I purposely selected this little nook to limit my book purchases. At first, my rule was that I couldn't get any more books if the row was full. Then it became two rows deep, and now I've added a second story. These are mostly books that I have bought from the used bookstore at the library, so I tell myself that I'm supporting a good cause.

I have some unread books elsewhere, such as about half of these on my mantel (guarded by our Christmas alpaca):

I know it's a peculiar business, this mixing of read and unread books. It defies all of the usual conventions of book bloggers. But the unread books here have earned mantel status by having been bought brand new, and they like to rub shoulders with my favorite classics rather than the battered and torn low-lives found in the other TBR locale.

There are even more at other locations in the house. I like to have books in every room in case there's some sort of apocalyptic event that confines me to a small area of my home. Do I have food and water in every room? No.

6. I need to go do some Christmas shopping--a window of opportunity has just now opened...

7. Back from shopping, and then lunch with daughter.

8. As the year wraps up, I need to report on the Civil War Reading Challenge hosted over at War Through the Generations. I have completed the challenge, but have not reviewed any of the books. A list with starred favorites will have to suffice:

Mine Eyes Have Seen by Ann Rinaldi *
The River Between Us by Richard Peck
My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt*
Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles
And I'm trying to finish an excellent general history of the Civil War, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson.*

Next year the focus will be on World War I. I'm on board with the goal of actually reviewing the books I have read. Sign-ups can be found here.

9. And that concludes my contributions for 2011, unless I forgot about something important. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! May you receive many bookish delights and the time to enjoy them!
It's time for me to tackle that housework now. Oh, joy.

Blogiversary and Giveaway

2011-11-30T12:10:00.000-08:00

Blogiversary or blogoversary? I've been doing this four four years now, and I still don't know. Spell check doesn't like either one of them. Oh, well, it's okay with the word GIVEAWAY, and hopefully some of you will be too.

I'm not only celebrating four years of Chainreading/Book Clutter. I am also excited that I have applied and have been accepted at a local university and will finally be going back to school next fall. I've been doing some independent study courses in the meantime, but I am looking forward to being in a classroom. I'm trying my very hardest to become an intelligent person before fall comes so they don't kick me out. I've just typed the word "fall" without capitalizing it twice, and I think maybe because it's a season it's supposed to be capitalized? Is it? I have so much to learn before Fall.

I'll be majoring in History, and so this giveaway is offering books that I've tagged as Historical Fiction on Goodreads and have given a rating of 4 or 5 stars. (Remember, my ratings are based on personal enjoyment, so some of these choice might be crap, but it's crap I enjoyed.) Some of these may be loosely termed "historical fiction." I don't want to start any discussions or debates here, because I will probably lose. These are basically books that helped me to better understand a particular period of time in the past--a year ago, a hundred years ago, a thousand years ago, antiquity.

Hmmm. I notice that this list is seriously lacking in "bodice-rippers." Sorry about that.

Giveaway details:

1. In a comment, tell me which book you would choose from the list on my right sidebar, or give me a recommendation for a work of historical fiction.
2. Leave an email address so that I can contact you if you win.
3. This giveaway is international if Book Depository ships for free to your country, and if they have the book you're interested in.
4. The giveaway ends December 10, 2011, and I will notify the winner a day or two after that.

Good luck and thanks for visiting!

Two 2012 Classics Challenges

2011-11-18T13:08:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to join challenges! I usually go easy on reading challenges these days, but here are a couple I don't want to miss out on. I love classics and I love lovers of classics, and the world needs a little more love, doesn't it? I must do my part to make the world a better place.
I believe both hostesses are okay with the challenges overlapping, but I'm choosing not to, mostly out of pure foolishness.

A Classics Challenge hosted by Katherine of November's Autumn

It's a beautiful button, isn't it? I have almost as much of a weakness for buttons as I do for book covers. When it comes to people, I'm all about inner beauty, but when it comes to books and buttons, I do like a nice package!

The goal for this challenge is to read seven classics during 2012, and on the fourth of each month, Katherine will pose a question to be answered about whichever classic you're reading at the time. For more details, visit here. Here are my picks:

1. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
2. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
3. Brighton Rock by Graham Greene
4. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
5. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
6. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
7. Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

Back to the Classics Challenge 2012 hosted by Sarah of Sarah Reads Too Much

This fabulous button just screams "Let's get this party started!!!" Are you feelin' it? 'Cause I am. This one has CATEGORIES. I don't drink, but I think this would be the equivalent of margaritas for those so inclined. More details that have nothing to do with partying or getting drunk can be found here.
Here are the categories and my choices:

1. 19th Century classic: The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
2. 20th Century classic: A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
3. A reread: Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
4. Classic play: A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
5. Classic mystery/horror/crime fiction: The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
6. Classic romance: The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
7. A classic translated from the original language into my language: Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin
8. An award winner: The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk
9. A classic set in a country that I will probably never visit in my lifetime: King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard

Any or all of these choices may change. Foolish. Fickle. Name any flaw that starts with an "f" and I've probably got it. But of course it will be . . . Fun. (I make these occasional clumsy attempts to be witty. Is here an "f" word for that?)

R. I. P. VI Kicks the Bucket

2011-11-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a speedy couple of months since Carl's Sixth R.I.P. challenge began! I was blessed with about two whole days of truly autumn-like weather, and as I'm writing this, it's actually raining (or in other words, Drop-Everything-And-Read Weather). But before I begin my own personal rainy-day reading party (which in reality consists of reading for about 20 minutes until I'm on the verge of falling asleep, and getting up to do some ~~mundane~~ energizing task or errand for a while and then picking up my book again), I should report on my spooking, chilling, thrilling book choices for the challenge:

1. The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells. Amazingly, I wrote a review for this one.

2. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. This was my second Agatha Christie book, and my first introduction to Hercule Poirot. I'm not sure what else I want to say other than it's short but sweet. And you need that every once in a while.

3. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. Shockingly, I wrote a review for this one, also.

4. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Perfect balance of mystery, thrills, history, and pathos. It has elements that reminded me of The Neverending Story and Inkheart, but then it evolves into its own unique story. My favorite character was Fermin, who cracked me up.

5. Perfume by Patrick Suskind. Weird and creepy tale. I've never read a book that started out so wonderful and then took such a dramatic nosedive. I felt like it could have been a powerful short story but was ineffectively drawn out into novel length.

6. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. Holy cow, another actual review. Although, the shortness of the review makes it not so surprising...

7. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. I read this for a buddy read with Suey of It's All About Books, which is good, because I needed some moral support. (Her summary and review can be found here.) This was pretty far out of my comfort zone on so many levels. I don't even like vampires (Sorry Edward! I loved you for the first couple of books...So sorry that Robert Pattinson played you in the movies because that didn't help...), and horror is not a genre I enjoy. But it's good to escape my bubble every now and again.

There's a depth to the story that I'm sure I didn't quite fathom, but what kept me reading was Louis, the vampire being interviewed, and his quest for knowledge. He asks all of the questions common to us mortals: Where did I come from? What is my purpose here? Who am I really? What moral code, if any, should I follow? Is there a God? What is love? Etc., etc. But what makes it more powerful is that he's asking all of these in a state of immortality, trying to apply them to vampirehood. He's pretty much a "good-guy" but he makes some bad choices, usually when he thinks his actions will further his quest for the meaning of "life." Does he find the answers he's looking for? I'm not entirely sure--it's a process or a journey, just like for us mortals. I just know that the interviewer kinda misses the whole point of the interview...

24-Hour Readathon - A little late to the party...

2011-10-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing about the readathon is getting up at 5 a.m. California time and having a solid chunk of time to read, but I'm in the midst of Part 2 of a cold, and thought it would be best to sleep in so it will go away. Fingers crossed.

Now that it's almost 9 a.m. in my neck of the woods, things start to get a little busy, but I'm going to squeeze in some reading when I can. I'm starting with this book:

It's very possible that this is all I will get to, but I've heard it's a lovely book so I think it will make for a wonderful Saturday. Have fun all of you who are participating!

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

2011-10-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

You know how when you make pancakes, sometimes you have to throw the first one out because it's a dud?

Well, let me introduce you to The Castle of Otronto, the Gothic literary movement's first pancake:

I thought it was rather a ridiculous mess. At least it was a short one. Like this review.

To find other stops on this Gothic Lit Classics Circuit, check out the schedule here. No doubt you'll find some excellent, in-depth reviews of this book and other more worthy selections.

Winners for the Literary Blog Hop

2011-10-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of those who stopped by and entered the giveaway. I have been in such a good mood lately, with fall weather finally surfacing, that I was possessed by a kindly spirit and I decided to pick TWO winners. They are:

Katie @ Novel Society who picked Crime and Punishment

mamabunny13 who picked I Capture the Castle

Congratulations! I've notified both of the winners.

Stay tuned for another giveaway for my blogiversary in about a month. I think I'll pick another category from my Goodreads list to choose from, because I found it quite fun to do it that way. It could be children's novels, fantasy, books about Africa, historical fiction. Decisions, decisions...

Thanks again to Judith for putting this whole blog hop together!

Literary GIVEAWAY Blog Hop

2011-10-14T23:20:00.000-07:00

Once again it's time for a Literary Giveaway Blog Hop hosted by Judith from Leeswames' Blog. This time, I compiled a list of all the the classics that I rated five stars on Goodreads, and the winner will be able to pick one, which will be shipped from Book Depository (so make sure that it can be delivered to your country by checking this list.) Here's what you need to know:

Check out the list on my right hand side bar for the choices
In the comments, either let me know which one you would choose if you won, or tell me a classic that you would rate five stars (even if you're the anti-rating type . . . )
Include an email so I can contact you if you win.
The giveaway will close at the end of the day October 19, and I will select a winner within the next day or two.
Be sure to visit the following blogs for more chances to win:

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

2011-10-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

Author: Agatha Christie
Originally Published: 1926
Length: 288 pages
Source: Library
Challenge(s): R.I.P. VI

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4.5/5

Poirot's gaze took on an admiring quality. "You have been of a marvelous promptness," he observed. "How exactly did you go to work, if I may ask?"

"Certainly," said the inspector. "To begin with--method. That's what I always say--method!"

"Ah!" cried the other. "That, too is my watchword. Method, order, and the little gray cells."

"The cells?" said the inspector, staring.

"The little gray cells of the brain," explained the Belgian.

"Oh, of course; well, we all use them, I suppose."

"In a greater or a lesser degree," murmured Poirot. "And there are, too, differences in quality. Then there is the psychology of a crime. One must study that."

I spent some time on Agatha Christie's birthday, September 15, getting to know Hercule Poirot. My first introduction to this quirky little Belgian was in Murder on the Orient Express a few weeks ago, which only briefly acquainted me with his character. In The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, however, I got to know him well enough that I think I could, say, friend him on Facebook. I think he's got time for social networking--in this book he is retired from detective work and growing squash. Need I say more?

Luckily, he gets a reprieve from watching his garden grow, and becomes involved in solving the murder of a local gentlemen, Roger Ackroyd, in the village of King's Abbot. Ackroyd's love interest, the widow Mrs. Ferrars, has just died, and reveals in a letter to him that she poisoned her husband and is being blackmailed by someone. He is killed before it is revealed who the blackmailer is. There is a host of possible suspects, from the rakish yet handsome stepson to the nosy, nervous butler (but seriously, how likely is it that "the butler did it?" That has to have only worked maybe once). No worries though. There's nothing that the right method, the highest quality gray brain cells, and a keen grasp of human nature can't manage. Poirot proudly claims possession of all three, and a nifty little mustache to boot.

The story of the crime and those who may be involved is told by Dr. Sheppard, a sort of a Watson wanna-be, joining Poirot as a sidekick to find out who killed Ackroyd. When he's not drily criticizing his sister Caroline's inclination to gossip, he manages to make some rather interesting suppositions about others. After accidentally getting pelted by one of Poirot's beloved squash, the doctor tries to find out what his new neighbor Poirot did for a living before retiring. Poirot says:

"And mark you, monsieur, my work was interesting work. The most interesting work there is in the world."

"Yes?" I said encouragingly. For the moment the spirit of Caroline was strong within me.

"The study of human nature, monsieur!"

"Just so," I said kindly. Clearly a retired hairdresser. Who knows the secrets of human nature better than a hairdresser?"

That gave me a laugh! Other observations are made through Sheppard, some of a more offensive nature. In my modern mind, I couldn't help but ponder--was Christie embracing stereotypes or making fun of those who embrace them? I know it was probably the former, considering the time the book was written, but for entertainment's sake, I will pretend to the latter. It made me smile instead of cringe. I'm not sure such self-delusion is possible in her other works, which have a reputation for such stereotyping. It just happened to work with this one.

This being a mystery, there's always the question--did I figure out whodunit? Well, sometimes the answer to that question can give too much away. So I won't say. One mystery I still need to solve is how to say Poirot's name. When I attempt it, my lips make sort of a dorky kissing shape and I feel like I'm going to drool. Still, I'd like to get to know Hercule even better, by reading more, watching adaptations (then I might get the pronunciation of his name right), and maybe creating a connection with him by planting some zucchini. No mustache for me, though. At least not until I hit menopause anyway.

Blog Musings: How I Roll (and Ramble)

2011-09-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

I very much enjoyed BBAW from the sidelines, celebrating great blogs getting well-deserved attention, getting to know people through interviews, and learning about different ideas and suggestions from many bloggers. I was excited to see some of my favorites as finalists and winners. Bravo!

Sometimes, though, I end up getting the sense that I'm doing everything wrong! Post often! Embrace social media! Brand yourself! I would fail miserably on these points. But, wait, I really don't believe there is a "wrong" way to execute a book blog. My way is just different. And as soon as I categorize myself as "different," I can almost hear others saying, "Hey, I'm like that too!" Laid-back bloggers unite!

The diversity in the book blogging community is wonderful, both in the different niches and levels of commitment. I enjoy them all. You can post once a day or once a month, write answers to a meme or and in-depth review of a classic, tell me about your pets or the latest book your reading. Pretty much if I like what I see, I'm sticking with you. Long absence foreseen? No worries! I'll be there when you get back, and if you never return, I hope life treats you well in your new adventures.

Long absences notwithstanding, I have somehow managed to stick around. But I've had to rework my blog in order to stay in this book-obsessed environment that I love. Here's the way I do things "differently" that make it possible:

1. Posting

In a nutshell, completely haphazard! No regular posting for me. This is my method: There are several books that I'm pretty sure I would like to review someday, but every once in a while one stands out above the rest. I pick a day to think about that book. I read any notes I may have taken, look for things I've underlined, think about any thoughts the book generates in my head, look online for any historical context or information about author, etc. And then just think about it. It's my day to spend with one novel. Like a date. With a book. While I'm cooking, cleaning, driving, sitting at boring school meetings, etc. Sounds romantic, doesn't it? I love this part!

Then comes the hard part, for me anyway. Writing is very difficult for me! It twists my brain and makes my eyes cross, and I feel like someone trying to rip my stomach out through my armpit. There's no way I could go through this several times a week! It's hard for me to take what my mind is thinking and get it down into words in exactly the way that I mean. And if it's not exactly what I want to say, I get very frustrated. But when the grey matter explosions actually transform into the right words? Utter satisfaction. Of course this doesn't happen all the time, but it's wonderful enough that I keep trying. Sort of like gambling. Which I don't do, so I have to get my thrills somehow.

And then, in about a week or two, I start the whole think, write, gamble process over again. When I'm done, I hit the "Post" button. It's like taking a little happy pill.

2. Twitter

One of the things I saw over and over again during BBAW discussions is the need to be on Twitter. I get it, really. I totally agree. I'm on there. Sort of. The most activity I've had on there recently was when my account got hacked. I also have automatic updates going through Goodreads and I'm pretty sure new posts on my blog show up.

I just have never been able to make Twitter a part of my routine or my life. Maybe it will happen someday. I kind hope so, because I love the idea of connecting and sharing little tidbits of people's lives that you wouldn't normally discover. But then I think I'm a little afraid of being too connected, and I have visions of being eaten a piece at a time by this cute little bird...

3. Visiting other blogs

This is where I must admit I need a little help, or a ten-step program, or something. I'm afraid to count the number of blogs in my reader, there are so many. Here's my flawed process for reading them: When I open Google Reader, even though I have categories and all, I hit "All Items." And then I scroll through them all. This is irresistible to me, because I have a completeness compulsion. No, I don't actually read every word, but I skim, and then when something catches my eye, I read more thoroughly, and then if I actually have something to say, I open a new tab for the post, with the intent to comment.

The problem is, at any number of time I have several tabs open and sometimes they stay up there for days. And usually I have tabs open on two computers. When do I actually comment on them? Again, "haphazard" is the key. I'm up and down at the computer here and there, and so I comment on a couple at one time, and a few another time, and some it takes so long for me to get to, I think it must be too late to comment and I close the tab in "silence." There's got to be a better way, right?

4. Memes

I don't do many memes. Do I feel that I am above them? Absolutely not! I love reading them. But when it comes to doing them myself, I don't. Why? Because I'm LAZY! The idea of coming up with ten books that fit this theme or another and other such thing is another thing that brings on brain pain. But I LOVE to read what others have put, so keep them coming! When it comes to book discussions, I'm clearly and "innie" rather than an "outie." (BTW, when it comes to belly buttons, only 10% of the population have "outies.")

How did I get on the subject of belly buttons? Needless to say, this is NOT a post that I've pondered deeply for a day or two. I just drank a large cup of Mountain Dew Code Red (bad, bad, bad for the diet), so I think the caffeine is taking over at this point. I'll rein things in now.

I suppose the bottom line with blogging is to figure out your purpose, and then do what you need to in order to fulfill that purpose. If you need a large audience to make that happen, there are certain strategies you need to embrace. But if you're like me, and are just looking for some personal fulfillment and book discussion, you can pretty much do whatever you want! Nicely, of course. And many, many thanks to those of you who come to visit me. Simply put, it makes me happy!

How about you? Do you operate in a way that makes you feel different from the mainstream bloggers out there? Do you have any deep-seated fears of Twitter? Is your Google Reader out of control?

(And here I will pat myself on the back for following a great blogging technique--asking your readers a question. Do you know why I avoid this many times? It's because I'm afraid no one will answer. That would make me so sad. Something like that happened once when I first started, but it resulted in a subsequent post with a picture of Aragorn from LOtR. No harm done then, right?)

The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery

2011-09-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery
Originally Published: 1926
Length: 272 pages
Source: Purchased from Amazon

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

Fear is the original sin. Almost all of the evil in the world has its origin in the fact that some one is afraid of something. It is a cold slimy serpent coiling about you. It is horrible to live with fear; and it is of all things degrading.

I'm so grateful for "feel-good" books. I love a good, heart-wrenching tragedy, and I'm okay with sad or ambiguous endings, but every once in a while I need the high I can get from a warm and fuzzy novel. Sometimes the reading-induced tears need to be drops of joy and not gushes of agony.

Lucy Maud Montgomery is a great author to turn to for my happy fix. It's interesting that Montgomery herself suffered from many bouts of depression while taking care of her mentally-ill husband and facing the demands of motherhood. I presume that writing was her "drug", and perhaps she hoped to provide readers with an escape of their own.

In The Blue Castle, 29-year-old Valancy is unhappy and bored with her life under the thumb of severely micro-managing relatives. For instance, it is completely unacceptable to sneeze in public. Apparently you can suppress a sneeze by pressing your finger on your upper lip. (I haven't tried it myself yet--I can only imagine what one must look like holding a sneeze while pushing a finger on their face.) She flees from reality by daydreaming about her Blue Castle, a beautiful place that has grown up with her in her mind, and where she has been loved by a succession of imaginary beaus. (I think I had a similar fantasy when I was younger, but it was more likely set in Middle Earth . . .) But reality is never far away, especially when Valancy finds out that she only has a year to live, and the standard cure-all sworn to by her family, Redfern's Purple Pills, is not going to help her much at all.

She finds inspiration in the writings of her favorite nature author, John Foster, and decides that she will not live the rest of what remains of her life dominated by fear. She breaks free from the conventions of her overbearing family, and starts spending time with the town reprobate, Barney Snaith. Despite his hopelessly unromantic name, Barney ranks right up there with literary loveables like Mr. Darcy, Mr. Rochester, and Ron Weasley (a personal pick). With her new life, Valancy tries to grasp a piece of that Blue Castle fantasy before she dies, and finds something even better.

This is such a sweet novel--not airy, cotton-candy sweet, more like warm apple crisp with vanilla-bean ice cream on top sweet. It made me feel good, and I hope the writing of it had a similar effect on Montgomery herself. The ending gets all wrapped up like a snazzy little birthday present. While I wouldn't want every book I read to end so tidily, it is great getting a gift every once in a while, isn't it?

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells

2011-09-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

Author: H. G. Wells
Originally Published: 1896
Length: 160 pages
Source: Library
Challenge(s): R.I.P. VI

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

Poor brutes! I began to see the viler aspects of Moreau's cruelty. I had not thought before of the pain and trouble that came to these poor victims after they had passed from Moreau's hand. I had shivered only at the days of actual torment in the enclosure. But now that seemed to be the lesser part. Before they had been beasts, their instincts fitly adapted to their surroundings, and happy as living things may be. Now they stumbled in the shackles of humanity, lived in a fear that never died, fretted by a law they could not understand; their mock-human existence began in agony, was one long internal struggle, on long dread of Moreau--and for what? It was the wantonness that stirred me.

I find that I am developing and unlikely "thing" for H.G. Wells. It's rather curious to me, because his writing itself doesn't seem like it would do much for me. The prose can be somewhat mechanical and plain and underwhelming, but then he takes it to another extreme with melodramatic scenes and campy images of horror. However, as with a recent reading of The War of the Worlds, I find myself relishing it, and craving more.

In The Island of Dr. Moreau, Edward Prendick, a man who has "taken to natural history as a relief from the dullness of [his] comfortable independence" gets quite a break from the boredom when he is shipwrecked and ends up on an island where Dr. Moreau gets his kicks cutting up animals and giving them human characteristics. They are given anti-bestial laws to follow, and are taught to deify their creator. But their true nature is undeniable, and things end up getting pretty ugly.

Speaking of ugliness, by the end of the book I wanted to cut Dr. M. up and give him a few more humane characteristics, but, alas, another fate awaited him. Other than fantasies of vivisecting the good doctor, this short novel brings to mind other thoughts. How far should mankind reach in the name of science? Do we "play God" for the sake of progress? What distinguishes man from beasts? What makes us human? How strong are the effects of socialization? ~~Where can I get my hands on a scalpel so I can cut up this guy and give him a taste of his own medicine?~~

A more immediate question I'm asking myself now: Which of Wells' books should I read next? The Time Machine? The Invisible Man? The First Men in the Moon? I can't wait to dive into another sci-fi vision (or nightmare) conceived over 100 years ago.

R.I.P. VI

2011-09-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or has this image gone positively viral in your Google Readers:

Or maybe it's this one:

Not surprisingly, there are going to be a lot of R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril this year, thanks to Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings, and I will attempt to number myself among them.

I'm going for Peril the First, with a goal to read four books with the intended elements of mystery, suspense, horror and such. Here are some options I'm looking at:

Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison
The Monk by Matthew Lewis
The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Drood by Dan Simmons
The Vanishing of Katherine Linden by Helen Grant

Have fun everyone! I can't wait until the weather gets into the spirit this challenge. In Southern California, that usually happens a few days before it's over.

The Way of Kings Group Read (Part Four)

2011-08-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

The readalong for The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson continues. If you want to join in or find other thoughts on the book, check out the Polishing Mud Balls Readalong Page.

Late again! I had a book club last night that I had to cram in a couple hundred pages for, so I had put off answering questions and visiting others. Sad. But the book club I went to was fabulous, so I guess it's really all good.

Also, I keep forgetting to say this: Spoilers follow!

I finished up Part 4 on Saturday night, and just had to go on to finish the book. When you're looking at just 40 more pages (in the hardcover edition), it's really hard to stop. I will keep from spoiling any of those 40 pages though.

Here are this week's questions, provided by Kailana:

1. One thing that I have thinking about during the course of this book is what Brandon Sanderson is trying to say about religion. Jasnah is an atheist. Shallan believes, but is still trying to find herself. Dalinar believes strongly in the ‘Old Ways’. What do you think of this idea?

He hasn't really expressed anything definitive yet (that I can tell), but I find his exploration of religious faith very interesting. Even though I am a religious person who attends church regularly, I have times that I struggle with faith. I came into this world a skeptical person, and am constantly questioning everything about everything, religious or not (I think Jasnah would be proud of me--I'm not sure if that's a good thing...). Because of this, I always try to focus on certain "things" that I know are true, because I need something to serve as an anchor in life. One of those things is that it is good to serve and love others and try to relieve suffering where possible. The reason I bring this up is because I see each of the main characters in the book doing the same thing--some sort of a guiding principle even if they haven't figured out what to believe in. Kaladin is unsure about a lot of things, but has a core belief that you save life when possible and you don't leave a man behind. Dalinar clings to his ideal of honor and integrity through The Codes and what he is learning in The Way of Kings. Jasnah finds value in knowledge as a source of truth, and that is what guides her life. Shallan is an exception, because she seems to have the faith in the established religion, but is learning through Jasnah to question her beliefs, not in order to prove them false, but to expand her knowledge and understanding. I know Jasnah is referred to as an atheist in the book, but she strikes me more as an agnostic. All in all, I think Sanderson is trying to represent how characters live their lives while they try to figure out questions of faith.

2. The relationship between siblings is an important part of this book. Adolin has always been at the forefront of Dalinar’s two sons, but Renarin is important, too. What did you think of the two brothers? Going back a generation, what do think of Dalinar and our glimpses of his brother? Then there is Kaladin who joins the war to protect his brother and fails. And Jasnah whose brother is King. Or Shallan who puts herself in a dangerous situation to help her brothers out following her fathers’ death. What do you think of these relationships? Did any stick out for you?

I feel like we've only just scratched the surface of these relationships, with little hints of more drama yet to be revealed, past and present. I like Adolin, but Renarin intrigues me more. I would love to find out more about Gavilar, especially since Navani makes a comment that suggests he was not necessarily an honorable man.

3. Kaladin has been included in every section. Why do you think this was? Did you wish to have a break from him, or did you enjoy knowing he would be explored with every section?

Well, honestly, I have a little crush on Kaladin, so I don't need any breaks from him. I'm good with the "exploring" and all ;-) From a more literary stance, the continuity of one character gives such a long book a focal point and ties everything together a bit.

4. One of my favourite characters in the book is Syl. What do you think of her and her development throughout the course of this book?

I think we're far along enough in the book for me to confess that at first she reminded me of Tinkerbell. This was not a positive thing for me. Luckily she changed and matured enough to help me to let go of that image of her. I like her more as she gains more wisdom, but at the same time it's somewhat poignant to see her grasp the dark side of life and of human nature.

5. And, the big question, what do you think is going to happen in the last section? Any predictions?

I have already finished, but I will predict that I will be happily reading the book again before the next one comes out.

The Way of Kings Group Read (Part Three)

2011-08-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

The readalong for The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson continues. If you want to join in or find other thoughts on the book, check out the Polishing Mud Balls Readalong Page.

It is with great self-discipline that I put down the book before getting too far into Part Four. Doesn't it just sound weird to say "Only 300 pages left?" Kind of like getting excited that gas is now only $3.66 . . .

But of course I would rather read this book, even hundreds more pages of it, than fill up my tank. I am finding Sanderson's doorstop to be such a page-turner, that I may even end up reading it while filling up my tank because I won't be able to put it down.

This weeks questions are brought to us by Memory:

1. Part III reunites us with Shallan, who we haven't seen for a few hundred pages, and separates us from Dalinar and Adolin for a few hundred more. How do you feel about leaving characters behind for such long stretches? Did you lose any of your connection to them during the break?
Somehow it works for me, even though some of the story lines/characters are left for hundreds of pages. I had mentioned somewhere that I didn't miss Shallan much during Part II, but when she returned in Part III, I was riveted. Kabsal freaked me out and I was trying to figure out if he was up to something. I just kept wondering what was up with all that bread and jam! But then there are a lot of things that just don't seem to add up about Jasnah's explanation of the poisoning. I seriously do not know who to trust! If Jasnah is lying, why? Is it just another "hands-on" lesson? Did she do some soulcasting when she put her finger in the jam? Does that mean that she has a functioning soulcaster or doesn't need one? Or did she just simply want to smell the darn jam? At one point I even thought Kabsal was working as sort of a spy for Jasnah to find out more about Shallan. I don't get that idea now. I have a million more ideas and questions about this whole storyline, so I'll just stop here.
I also didn't miss Dalinar, but now that I am beginning Part 4, I'm just as enthralled. There is so much I want to know about the visions. And still, why his memories of his wife have been erased. For something that has only been mentioned a couple of times, it occupies a lot of my thoughts!

2. So far, how would you compare this to other epic fantasies you've read? Does it remind you of any other series?
It does strike me as different than the fantasy I've read. I have felt more of a connection to our world in other books, whereas Roshar seems quite alien. Maybe I haven't read enough other fantasy to compare, but The Way of Kings seems quite unique. Originality jumps out of every page.

3. How do you feel about the masculine and feminine arts? If you're female, do you think you'd be content to stick to scholaly pursuits, or would you rather do something physical, like go to war? If you're male, would you be willing to forgo learning to read, even if there were women around to read to you? What about the food? Does the spicy for men and sweet for women restriction fit your own tastes?

I think if I ate all those sweets I'd be fat and my teeth would fall out. What guy would want me reading to him then?

4. What do you think of the flashbacks to Kaladin's childhood?

I look forward to them as they piece together the events in his life that have led him to his present condition. He seems to have a pattern of depression that leads him to the brink and then he comes back even stronger. Of course I wonder in each chapter of his past if we will finally find out the exact details of Tien's death. I was a little vexed when that period of time gets skipped over and we return to the original battle scene from the beginning. I liked the way we got a different perspective of the battle, and it made me appreciate more that the first time it was from Cenn's perspective.

5. Do you have any theories yet as to where the story is headed? What do you most want to see in the last quarter of the book?

In a nutshell, I want to see Kaladin and his group to escape, I want Dalinar's visions to be believed, and I have no clue what I want for Shallan. But what I want may not be what's best for the story. I'm sure Sanderson will play around a bit with what the reader wants to have happen, and what will actually happen. I hope so. I'm mostly hoping that at least a couple of things will have some closure, and that not everything is left for the rest of the series.

At this point, still more questions than answers. Love it!

Classics Circuit Tour: The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck

2011-08-18T06:27:00.000-07:00

Author: John Steinbeck
Originally Published: 1932
Length: 240 pages
Source: Library
Challenge/Event: Classics Circuit Tour

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

Welcome to the next stop of the Steinbeck Tour! The Pastures of Heaven is the first of Steinbeck's California works, set in the farm country near his hometown of Salinas. Published in 1932, this work precedes his popularity and financial success, but introduces the reader to Steinbeck's style and the genesis of the themes that he explores in later, better-known novels. In this collection of short stories, we meet a community of families living in a beautiful verdant valley full of promise, finding that life can be rather ugly, and their own imperfections and the pressures to conform to society don't help at all.

The most pivotal family in the region is the Munroe family, after their acquisition of the Battle Farm, which is believed by neighbors to be cursed or haunted. Its previous occupants include an epileptic wife (who goes insane), her dour husband (who dies, simply of old age and a cough), their fanatically religious son (who gets bitten by a snake while trying to cast the devil out of it), and a reclusive family who disappears without a trace leaving a table set with moldy food and the rest of the house cleared of the furniture. The people of the Pastures of Heaven look upon the abandoned, run-down house with wariness and superstition:

"It's good land," they said, "but I wouldn't own it if you gave it to me. I don't know what's the matter, but there's sure something funny about that place, almost creepy. Wouldn't be hard for a fellow to believe in haunts"'(12).

Imagine the talk when the Munroe family buys the farm and settles down in the area! Defying his own previous bad luck and the expectations of the community, Burt Munroe becomes prosperous and optimistic, even popular. Chatting with the farmers, Burt proposes that maybe his own curse and the Battle Farm curse fought each other and killed each other off. Clever idea. But one guy has a better one:

"Maybe your curse and the farm's curse has mated and gone into a gopher hole like a pair of rattlesnakes. Maybe there'll be a lot of baby curses crawling around the Pastures first thing we know"(19).

How inventive these farmers are! Not to mention foreshadowing that bonks you on the head and propels you to read on. What follows is a collection of stories (or as Steinbeck describes them, "tiny novels"), each depicting a different family living in the Pastures, touched in some inadvertent, but disastrous way by those "lucky" Munroes.

Besides being engaging stories with superb characterizations and vivid descriptions of the setting, this short-story cycle is exciting to read because within are found the origins of Steinbeck's most powerful themes and landscapes that emerge in later and more celebrated works. Included is a cast of flawed characters struggling against forces out of their control. Their dreams and self-delusions crumble in the face of reality. Even in a place with the such a promising name, the Pastures of Heaven offers little solace and satisfaction to its residents.

It's always a little scary for me to read the earlier work of a beloved author and risk disappointment, but in this case my fears were unfounded. I enjoyed it mostly for its entertainment value and its ironic, darkly humorous tone. Steinbeck himself has this to say about The Pastures of Heaven:

". . .Of anything I have ever tried, I am fondest of these and more closely tied to them. There is no grand writing nor any grand theme, but I love the stories very much."

I loved the stories very much as well, but I disagree with him about the writing and theme--I don't know about "grand" but both can surely be found in satisfying quantities within this short-story collection.

The Way of Kings Group Read (Part Two)

2011-08-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

The readalong for The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson continues. If you want to join in or find other thoughts on the book, check out the Polishing Mud Balls Readalong Page.

This week's questions were provided by Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings. Of course, spoilers follow:

1. In a recent interview Brandon Sanderson mentioned that the interludes are meant to show us parts of the larger world since much of the action is focused in one or two places. What do you think of the first two sets of interludes? Any characters or situations stand out to you?

I appreciate the interludes both in terms of breaking up the larger story and in the actual content. In terms of geography, it feels like adding pieces to a puzzle to get a bigger picture of Roshar. I love that we find out more about Szeth's place of origin through Rysn and that we get a picture of Shallan's homefront from her brother's part. I also like the contrast between the Alethis who glorify warfare, and the Shin, who give most respect to the farmers--those who "add" rather than take away. And the chapter about Axies the Collector was just hilarious! It was perfect placement for a chapter like that.

2. In small increments Brandon Sanderson is revealing the geology and ecology of Roshar. What are your thoughts on what has been revealed thus far?
I haven't had many thoughts about this, so I look forward to reading everyone else's :-).

3. This second section of The Way of Kings featured two distinct story lines, those of Dalinar and of Kaladin. How do you feel this section of the book compares with the first section and what are your thoughts on either or both of these story lines?
Well, I really liked Part One, and I really, really like Part Two, and I may really, really, really like Part Three (fingers crossed). Random thoughts:

I yearn for someone to trust in Dalinar's visions, and I'm curious about why he wiped his memory of his wife.

Wit seems to have jumped right out of a Shakespearean play.

I love the concept of the ten heartbeats to summon a Shardblade.

I have enjoyed reading about Kaladin's efforts to bring some humanity and dignity back into an almost hopeless situation, and the fact that he never gives up. Syl's effect on Kal is very similar to Tien's effect on him in his youth. I'm wondering about the relationship there.

4. In the interview set out earlier in the week Sanderson talked about the Stormlight Archive being a series about the return of magic. What are your thoughts on this, particularly in relation to the visions Dalinar is having during the highstorms?
I like that concept. It seems like the magic is already there, but in a dormant state, much like the vegetation (okay, maybe I do have a thought on the ecology). Syl seems to be a manifestation of the magic coming back to life.

5. There has been a change in this second section of the nature of the quotes prior to the beginning of each chapter. What are your thoughts on the opening lines featured in both sections of the book to this point?
I've spent way too much time pondering what they mean and going back to string them together so much that I almost wish they weren't there. I should just skim and move on! I liked how we got to actually see someone in the main storyline making one of those before-death statements that we saw in Part One, but I still don't understand their significance.

6. In the questions for these first two sections we've talked about characters and the story lines and the world that Sanderson has created, but there are a lot of interesting flourishes and touches to The Way of Kings thus far (shardplate, spren, the actual Way of Kings book, highstorms, etc.). Talk about some of the non-character/non-setting things that you are finding either fascinating or annoying (or both) in the book thus far.

I think Sanderson mentions this in the interview, but I like the relationship being set up between science and magic. The decayspren are analogous to bacteria, and I always think of endorphins when the gloryspren emerge. The Way of Kings book that they refer to seems very Confucian to me in its ideas. A lot seems to hinge on the highstorms. They're destructive and yet bring light and power.

Overall, isn't it great to be about halfway? The huge hardcover is now more balanced between my hands and I think I can throw in a few triceps presses now and then.

2011-08-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Steinbeck Classics Tour begins today and ends August 26. If you're interested in following the tour, check out the schedule at The Classics Circuit website.

I will be posting my thoughts on The Pastures of Heaven on Thursday. Never heard of it? Neither had I. I really liked it, but hopefully I'll have more than that to say about it on Thursday.

Sunday Thoughts 8-14-11

2011-08-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

Outside my window: Freshly mowed lawn :-)

I am listening to: Two of my girls playing the piano and singing. (I just heard one of them say to the other, "Are you saying eww to my singing?") Also my son is editing footage from a "game show" all of the cousins acted out this weekend.

I am watching: Doc Martin via Netflix Instantplay. I love this show! Just starting with Series 2.

I am thinking: So many things I need to write them down on paper. I call this my "brain-barf list." Lovely name, huh?

I am grateful for: A home, cars to drive, food to eat, healthy kids, the freedom and time to read and study.

I am reading: The same things as two weeks ago . . . Really enjoying The Way of Kings.

I am photographing:

Pat Benatar/Neil Giraldo concert, shot of screen while singing "We Belong." Awesome night!

My new nephew-dog(?) driving home from getting him at the airport.

Cousin sleepover, in the middle of their latest cinematic caper.

A shot of the sky during a baseball game.

I am listing: Characters, creatures, places, nationalities, etc. found in The Way of Kings. It's a long list so far.

I am creating: Does the blanket I started crocheting for my daughter three years ago count?

Around the house: I have been pretty grumpy about housework. I just feel so sick of it. The same things getting cleaned and messed up over and over and over. I asked my husband if we could somehow eradicate housework, and he said we could if we got rid of the house. Point taken.

In the kitchen: Just trying to meet my goal of making dinner every night at home. Summer was a little crazy as far as family dinners go, and I'm happy to get back into a routine. Tonight: Spaghetti, veggies, and garlic bread sticks. Basic works.

One of my favorite things: ZUMBA! I've been doing it for over a year now, and it's so much fun.

The children these last two weeks: Started school!

Plans for the week: Two Back-to-School Nights, one orthodontist appointment, one eye appointment, three dentist appointments, and a bunch of other mundane activities. Starting jogging again after two months off. I weigh a little less, so it should be easier, right?

In (or around) this date: Nothing particularly noteworthy. August does not seem to be conducive to blogging whatever the year.

Post format swiped from Polishing Mud Balls.

The Way of Kings Group Read (Part One)

2011-08-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

Another readalong! I love it. Readalongs are one of the main reasons I keep up with this somewhat sporadic blog. If you would like to join in or read other reactions to the book, check out the Polishing Mud Balls Readalong Page.

What a promising beginning for The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson! I had very few expectations, and have never read anything by him before. So far it has been quite a visual feast, both in the actual maps and illustrations, and in the vivid descriptions of the different ethnic groups, the physical manifestations of emotions seen in the "spren," and the brilliance I picture in the Stormlight and the Soulcasting. I also love Kaladin. I know that main characters don't necessarily have to be likeable to make a book worth reading, but I sure like it when I do latch on to someone so loveable.

Here are the readalong questions for Part One, provided by Deanna of Polishing Mud Balls. My answers are somewhat spoilerish, but really not so much as this is only the first fifth of the book.

1. Before I started reading The Way of Kings, I did have some thoughts on how I would like this story; did you? If you did, how is The Way of Kings actually comparing to those thoughts?

My main thought going into this book was wondering what I may be getting myself into with a ten book series. I mean, I've only read through Book Two of the Wheel of Time. But I suppose I'll have plenty of time between the publishing of Sanderson's books to read Jordan's (and technically, more of Sanderson's). But I also know that if it's good, I will be thrilled that there will be nine more. So far, it's looking that way.

2. What do you think of the pace of this story so far? And what do you think of the prose? Do you think the prose is too descriptive? Not descriptive enough? Give me your thoughts on the writing thus far.

The pacing is good for me. I can tell he's taking his time telling the story and not leaving any detail out, but I am enjoying that aspect about it. It's a fast read, which has been a relief since I've been short on time. I know it's a pretty basic format, but I love the switching from one character's story to another. I like how each major character has their own graphic at the head of each chapter. I'm very curious about the statements from people before death. Is it Kaladin's father who records these? Does it have anything to do with the one who was abandoned in the prologue?

3. What was your favorite part of this first section?

I always love it when someone is successful in overcoming an obstacle so of course I wanted to cheer when Shallan is accepted as Jasnah's ward and when Kaladin reclaims his will to live (not to mention giving Gaz what he deserved).

4. Which character(s) do you find most interesting and why?

Both Kaladin and Shallan are interesting of course, but a minor character I was intrigued by was Shallan's brother, Nan Balat. He seems like a nice enough guy, but he likes to kill animals. What part will he play in the rest of the novel, if any? I also feel for Szeth, who hates to kill, but must obey any orders. Will he ever be free of this power over him?

5. All right, what I really want to know is... what do you think of this book overall? so far. Are you finding the story easy to follow? Are you fascinated, interested? Is the book holding your attention? Are you Bored? Indifferent? Please share your overall thoughts.

I really like it so far. I can't be specific, really. It's just one of those books that I like the way it makes me feel. I can get a little lost in the world that has been created, and feel invested in the fortunes of the main characters. I'm I love that I have lots of questions. I'm curious about the different classifications and gender roles that the different areas have and what role they will play in the story.

If I'm being nit-picky, I would complain about a couple of minor things. First of all, I felt as though Cenn would be a main character because we see that battle scene from his perspective. And then he died. Did the scene have to be centered on him? It shows us Kaladin's character and all, but I wonder why Sanderson chose to present it that way. The other thing (and I realize this is rather silly), is that I would like to see a little more variety in the swear words. Everything is "Storm" this and "Storm" that. I need a little variety in my fantasy-world profanity!

I have not yet had time to watch the interview yet. I'm hoping to do that tomorrow and also visit other readers. For now, it's bedtime, and I will try my hardest to "curl up" with my massive hardcover copy of The Way of Kings...

Sunday Thoughts

2011-07-31T19:24:00.000-07:00

Outside my window: I am looking fearfully because it is very humid out there. I woke up to the sound of thunder and pouring rain this morning, which made me happy, but now the rain has gone leaving gross weather.

I am listening to:   The kids watching The Princess and the Frog, with the occasional argument over couch space.

I am watching: Not much, but I have a strong urge to watch Frasier after visiting Seattle this past week. It's one of my all-time favorite shows, and I've never seen all of the episodes.

I am thinking: I need to decide if I'm ready to go back to school or just keep taking online classes.

I am grateful for:   Great kids who make me laugh (even though sometimes they laugh at me.)

I am reading: I read The Penderwicks of Gardam Street on the plane, but I didn't love it as much as the first of the series. I've got three books I'll be starting this coming week for readalongs/book clubs:

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (group read hosted at Polishing Mud Balls)
Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles (group read hosted at War Through the Generations)
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner (local book club)

I am photographing:

Boeing Factory in Everett, Washington

Rialto Beach

Hike to Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park

Sol Duc Falls, Olympic National Park

I am listing: August dinner ideas.

I am creating: Not much

To live my faith: This may be the same every week--love and respect those around me.

Around the house: Need to decide what to do with an empty living room. Exercise room? Game room? Conventional living room? Just keep it empty?

From the kitchen: Making bread

One of my favorite things: Maps. We happened upon a map shop in Pike's Place Market and I loved it. I bought a globe ornament.

The children this week: Two kids were at church camp and two were with their cousins, while we were in Washington. A win-win-win situation.

Plans for the week: Pat Benatar concert! I grew up with her music. When I was around nine I had her album Get Nervous memorized I listened to it so much. (On cassette, in my Walkman of course.)

On (or around) this date: Two years ago at the end of July I announced a hiatus, which led to a complete break from the blog, and then a return with the goal to blog only when it works out, even if it's only once a month. This is working well. I do wish I had time to post more though.

Dune Readalong: Part Three

2011-07-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

These are the last of the Dune readalong questions. What fun this has been! I have loved all of the insights and different perspectives from all of the participants (check them out here.) I probably need to read the book at least five more times to comprehend everything, but doing it as a group gave me a little jump start. Thank you Carl, Andrea, and Grace for putting the questions together each week.

My plan right now is to do some sort of a wrap-up post, but I don't know when because we're off on an adventure this week (one that is the polar opposite of conditions on Arrakis!) Maybe when I get back. Until then . . .

1. What is your reaction to finally learning the identity of Princess Irulan? Do you think that her convention added to the story?
We finally get to meet Princess Irulan in person! The only reaction I can think of is that I was surprised that she was blonde.

2. Were you satisfied with the ending? For those reading for the first time, was it what you expected?
The ending seemed rather abrupt, and didn't feel very satisfying to me. I have unanswered questions (and, no, I haven't worked myself up to read the appendices yet.) I guess that's why there are sequels.

3. On both Arrakis and Salusa Secundus, ecology plays a major role in shaping both characters and the story itself. Was this convincing? Do you think that Paul would have gone through with his threat to destroy the spice, knowing what it would mean for Arrakis?
I thought the ecology and its relationship to the characters was the strongest aspect of the novel. I'm not sure if he would have gone through with the threat--he seemed pretty confident that he wouldn't have to. A calculated risk made less risky by his visions of the future?

4. Both Leto and Paul made their decisions on marriage for political reasons. Do you agree with their choices?
It's hard for me to let go of my deep-seated, modern attitudes about marriage and the place of women in society. In trying to look at it from a political/strategic vantage point, Paul and Irulan's marriage seems like the smart thing to do. Irulan can write her books while Chani has Paul's love and devotion, but is that really going to work out? Add in a micro-managing mother-in-law, and I think we could potentially see fireworks worthy of a Jerry Springer episode.
My mind is completely failing me in remembering why Duke Leto never married. I know that he was devoted to Jessica, and that she did not want to force him with her powers, but was he waiting for a political reason to take a wife from another House or anything?

5. What was your favorite part in this section of the book?
I enjoyed many things that followed the reunion of Gurney and Paul, especially when he confronts Jessica and learns that she was not the traitor. I loved it when Paul made it clear that he did not need to kill Stilgar, and that "things change."
To digress a slight bit, whenever Gurney played his music, I pictured Owain Phyfe, a musician that I love (often backed up The New World Renaissance Band). I don't know how well-known he or the band is, but I have a couple of their albums and they're great. Here's one of my favorites, although I must admit that he doesn't capture the warrior side of Gurney:

6. One of the things I noticed in the discussions last week was Herbert's use of the word "jihad." What do you think of Herbert's message about religion and politics?
I don't think I really grasp what his message was about religion and politics, but I loved the way he weaved in ideas and words reflecting how they may have evolved over eons of time. The religious aspect was so interesting because on one hand the prophesies appeared to be manufactured by the Bene Gesserit, but at the same time, they are all coming true. He never settles in either camp that I could tell. Politically, there is the idea that power corrupts (and yet the Atreides manage to maintain a sense of honor), and that feints within feints within feints within feints within feints are often so complicated that they don't actually work...

Sunday Post

2011-07-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

I believe this delightful format for a Sunday post originated with ibeeeg of Polishing Mud Balls, and I have also enjoyed reading similar updates from Suey of It's All About Books and Jenny of Alternate Readality. So, yes, I'm being a shameless copycat.

It's one of those things you, dear reader, can choose to ignore, but something I would love to do for personal reasons. I've never been good at keeping a journal, and I don't have a good track record for things that are done on a regular basis, but I'm going to try:

Outside my window: I actually can't see outside the window right now. We tried to black everything out for our Harry Potter movie marathon to make it more like a movie theatre. It's probably just as well, because our backyard is in miserable shape.

I am listening to: This week I've been listening to Christina Perri's album, Lovestrong, which my daughter bought. Score! So awesome to acquire good music that I didn't have to pay for myself. I didn't realize I would like it so much. This one is my favorite:

I am watching: We're still in the midst of the HP marathon. Truth be told, I haven't done much watching. I've done a lot of cooking, some reading, some blogging, some cleaning, and have decided I'd rather listen to all of the audio books before I really sit down and watch the movies. So I may not see HP7 Part 2 for another month.

I am thinking: Wow, my brain is always a chaotic mess of thoughts, but if you ask me what I'm thinking, I couldn't tell you.

I am grateful for: LASIK eye surgery. I just had it done this past Tuesday, and although things aren't perfect yet, I am walking around each day with out the help of contacts or glasses. It's pretty amazing.

I am reading:
1. Dune by Frank Herbert. Part of a fantastic group read.
2. The Once and Future King by T.H. White. This was originally four separate books, so I've been taking long breaks between each section. I'm not loving it, but it's getting better as it goes.
3. Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck. I just finished this collection of short stories last night. Quite entertaining. I love Steinbeck.
4. A guide to Seattle for an upcoming trip there. I'm probably learning more than I need to about Seattle, since we'll actually be spending more time at Olympic National Park. But it's very readable and has great pictures.
5. A photography book. I have a great camera that I need to learn how to use better.

I am photographing: This is actually from a few weeks ago but it's one of my favorite recent pictures because of the looks on my kids faces. My daughter is yelling at my son for letting go of the handle on this Pacific Spin ride (he should be holding on to that open blue handle) and he is obviously finding it pretty funny. So typical.

I am listing: Cleaning projects.

I am creating: Well, I have an Independence Day project that I have the materials for but haven't made. But it's still July. I think I can do it. It involves cutting and sanding wood and first it was just too dang hot, and then I had the eye surgery. Maybe this week...

To live my faith: This may be the same every week--love and respect those around me.

I am hoping and praying: I don't know about praying, but I'm hoping that I can find some way to get decent seats to a Death Cab for Cutie concert. I didn't get tickets when they first went on sale because I had just bought my husband tickets to see Les Miserables, and didn't want to spend any more money. Now there are only horrible seats left. Maybe I can win a contest. I haven't gone to concerts for years, and I think this is part of my mid-life crisis. Just went to U2, have Pat Benatar coming up, and I just want more, more, more!
As far as praying, these days I mostly just say what I'm thankful for. I'm pretty blessed already. I usually do pray that I can be a better person, but the specifics of that request could go on for hours, so I just keep it brief. I think as you get older you realize you have character flaws that are just a permanent fixture of your personality, and you just have to accept it and do your best to compensate in other areas, and also be understanding of those flaws in others.

Around the house: Well, to pick one thing, our refrigerator is resembling a Rube-Goldberg device and I need to do something about it before someone gets hurt.

From the kitchen: Right now I've got a "potion" in the works--a green punch to go with HP6 which is on right now. Other HP foods we've enjoyed this weekend (healthiness was not a goal):
HP1: Waffles (like chess boards) with strawberries and whipped cream, donut holes (kind of like the snitch)
HP2: Gummy worms (like snakes/ basilisk)
HP3: Pizza (just easy) and rootbeer (close enough to butterbeer for me)
HP4: Tri-Chip Feast in goblets (like the Tri-Wizard Tournament and Goblet of Fire)
HP5: Taco Soup (in the crockpot-our cauldron)
HP 6: Green punch
HP7: Pretzels (the Elder wand)

One of my favorite things: National Parks (and hiking in National Parks). And I'm going to be visiting a new one in a couple of weeks. Yay!

The children this week: Fratricide prevention. And whatever you call it when it involves a sister. Summer break is almost over...

Plans for the week: Lots of cleaning that hasn't gotten done in the craziness of the last few months, school shopping, appointments, birthdays, laundry. I feel very boring. Maybe I'm forgetting something. I'll read of course.

On (or around) this date: I reviewed one of my favorite books ever, All the King's Men. It knocked my socks off.

Dune Readalong: Part Two

2011-07-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late on this (if I had a nickel for how many times I've typed that...), but this last week I've been busy with eye surgery, which set me back a couple of days; one of my kids' birthdays, which included a trip to the mall (I hate shopping, but I love my daughter) followed by dinner at a restaurant (woohoo!); and a Harry Potter movie marathon crammed into two days. We're running a little bit late on that too. Hopefully we'll see how "It All Ends" on Monday.

As far as Dune goes, in Part One we see how good Herbert is at giving us the 411 through dialogue, whether we liked it or not. It slowed me down, but I liked it. In comparison, Part Two was like running downhill after a steep climb. Was anybody else just flying through the pages like I was? I loved the shift in the pacing and the setting.

Here are this weeks questions, written up by Little Red Reviewer:

*Once again, this is FULL OF SPOILERS.*

Was Liet's identity a surprise? who do you think he really works for?

I wasn't surprised, but I'm not sure if that's because I've read it before or if the foreshadowing was pretty strong. I got the idea that his greatest desire was to continue the dream of his father in making Arrakis more habitable, and anyone else he served or pretended to serve he was just using to get to that end.
What do you think of the Fremen culture? Is this a culture you think you'd enjoy spending some time with?

The Fremen culture actually terrifies me. In a society trying so desperately to survive and carve out a better future with the barest of resources their way of doing things is inevitably harsh. They must maintain control through a very strict tribal structure heavily dependent on religious extremism. I find their culture very interesting, but prefer observing it at a distance.

What do you think of Count Fenring's unusual verbal mannerisms?

Annoying and misleading.

This is a far future empire with very little in the way of computerization. Information is often passed down orally, and schools (such as the Mentats and the Bene Gesserit) have formed to train young people in memorization and information processing. What are you thoughts on a scifi story that is very "low-tech"? Does that sound like a feasable future? a ridiculous one?

Herbert has created such a bizarre mish-mash of processes(?) to replace computerization. I like that rather than just a direct progression of the world's computer technology in the future things are scrambled up a bit. And from what I recall it was because of an event in the past that caused a fear of computerization. That in itself is interesting because the alternatives seem quite frightening themselves. Can we really stop progress and innovation, or will it force it's way through any avenues it can find? Also the power of the spice has more of a supernatural than a scientific vibe to it. All of the really cool stuff they are able to do depends this cinnamon-like narcotic. I don't feel that it's ridiculous so much as scary.

If you found the beginning of the book tough to get into, do you find that you're having an easier time with the middle portion, now that all the "set-up" is complete?

I enjoyed the beginning of the book, although it was a bit of work at times. Part Two, as I mentioned previously, was a purely page-turning, heart-thumping experience, but not lacking in substance. We're still learning so much about this world.

The center portion of the book is still pretty dialog heavy, but what I've noticed is the subtlety of the dialog. Things left unsaid are often more important than things that are said. What do you think of that as a stylistic choice? does it make the dialog more interesting? less interesting?

I hadn't specifically noticed the subtlety and things left unsaid, but now that it's mentioned I agree that it's there and I must have liked it. Perhaps that change in the style of dialogue is what kept things moving.

Dune was written in the 60's. Does it feel dated to you? How does it compare, writing style-wise, to more contemporary science fiction you've read?

I probably haven't read enough science fiction to answer this adequately. I just keep thinking of a connection between the drug-like dependence on the spice and the drug-culture of the sixties. Was Herbert purposely trying to make a connection? Did events in the Middle East influence some of his depictions of the Fremen? Did society's attitudes about computers at the time play into the story? What was going on in the area of environmentalism at the time? I should do a little research.

If you've never read this book before, where do you think the storyline is headed?

I've read it before but only remember bits and pieces. In general, I find the book so original that it's pretty unpredictable.

Okay, back to HP. We're on Goblet of Fire and although I dearly love those wizards and witches, my eyes are starting to cross. Thank goodness for multitasking.

Dune Readalong: Part One

2011-07-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

These questions are a part of the Dune readalong hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings. As part of a readalong, this post will very likely contain spoilers.

If I were a Mentat, I would not have to reread Dune. I would remember all of the plot elements and be able to move seamlessly on to Dune Messiah even though it's been about ten years since I've read it. But the reality is that my memory is about as reliable as the water supply on Arrakis...

Thus, a reread. Here are this week's questions:

1. (Question for those who have read it before) Did you see anything in this first section of the book that either you hadn't seen before or that you had forgotten about, anything that stood out to you?

It's easier for me to understand this time, now that I'm more familiar with all of the titles, customs, and other random vocabulary Herbert throws at you. Is it just me, or is there a lot? And the first time I didn't realize there was a glossary at the end. That's always a little scary when a fiction book has a glossary. But then, my copy of this does look rather like a textbook. >>

2. What did you think about the plot device of the early revelation that Yueh was to be the traitor?

It created a lot of other tension in place of trying to figure out if there was a traitor or who it was. Wondering if the plot would be uncovered before it's too late, or if Yueh would really go through with it (because of course the Baron is a big fat liar (literally) and most likely won't hold up his end of the bargain.) It allows us to see his struggle, and feel more satisfaction when he does what he can to help out Jessica and Paul.

3. What was your favorite part of this first section? Which character(s) do you find most interesting and why?

I liked the end of this part when Paul kind of freaks out and can't mourn for his father as his mind is flooded with his new understanding and sharp awareness of everything about him. Our view of Jessica takes on a new dimension, as well, and I loved the change of setting--I was ready to leave the great house and all of its intrigues behind.
I found Yueh most interesting because of the choice he had to make and that his love for his wife allowed him to overcome his "conditioning." Yeah, I guess I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff.

4. Did the revelation about the Harkonnen surprise you? Why or why not? Thoughts.

It was kind of sudden the way we found out. You knew something would come up about Jessica's parentage, but not so soon or so suddenly. But I don't recall any other specific foreshadowing, but maybe there was just so much other stuff going on, I didn't notice it.

5. Finally, please share some overall thoughts on this first section of the book. Are you finding it difficult to follow? Easy to understand? Engaging? Boring? Just share what you are thinking thus far.

I get the idea that Herbert was a really, really smart dude. He seems to have a handle on politics, ecology, psychology, sociology, religion, etc., and incorporates them into a richly complex story that really gets under your skin. Sometimes it is hard for me to understand, even having read it before, but I find a certain satisfaction in having to work at comprehending new worlds. I try not to think too much about how the stillsuits work...

First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader

2011-07-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

Author: Eric Van Lustbader
Published: 2008 (Forge Books)
Length: 454 pages
Source: Free review copy
Personal Enjoyment Factor: 3.5/5

He wants to read, he wants to show his father that he can, but his emotions are in turmoil. He's filled with fear and anxiety, which automatically extinguish what progress he's made in decoding English. He stares down at the comic panels. The speech balloons might as well be written in Mandarin. The letters float off like spiky sea creatures with a will of their own. He sees them, but he cannot make heads or tails of what they might be. It's garbage in, garbage out. Jack McClure at age 15. (pg. 106)

When I go to my favorite sub shop, I order the same sandwich so often (ATC on sliced squaw, hold the mayo) that I'm very close to saying "I'll have the usual" and those lovely people on the other side of the counter will know exactly what I'm talking about. But every so often, I like to walk on the wild side, and watch their jaws drop as I order roast beef on sourdough, or a toasted Santa Fe sub. Life is short. Diversify those sammies!

My reading habits seem to follow the same patterns. I have my favorite genres, but I occasionally like to shake things up a bit and read something different. Like this first installment of Van Lustbader's Jack McClure/Alli Carson set of political thrillers. It's a departure from the norm, but it screamed "summer" to me and so I took the plunge.

ATF agent Jack McClure has been called in to investigate the kidnapping of the President Elect's daughter Alli, a close friend of Jack's own daughter who was killed in a tragic car accident. As Jack continues to mourn for his daughter and his broken marriage, he throws himself into the case, where his past meets up with the perilous events of the present. The dyslexia that was a source of misery during adolescence turns out to be an asset helping him to see the world differently, and ultimately to thwart the plans of a criminal mastermind.

It's an engaging story, never boring, but it also weaves in ideas about religious extremism on both ends of the spectrum, grief over the loss of a loved one, and the individual feeling of being an outsider, and coming to terms with it. That's a lot packed into one book, and at times it seems a little depressing. But that's okay, because not all books can be "feel-good" reads, nor should they be. First Daughter keeps you pondering while your heart is pounding.

As a side note, I cannot remember the last time I read a new, shiny paperback book! This tangible aspect of reading the book somehow went hand in hand with the whole "summer" reading vibe. The next book in the series (which can all be read as stand-alone books, apparently), is just recently out in paperback. Here's the book trailer for Last Snow. I love the Moscow setting:

How about you? Have you read anything lately to shake things up a bit? I'd love some suggestions for the next time I veer off my yellow brick road.

Romola by George Eliot

2011-07-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

Author: George Eliot
Originally Published: Serialized in Cornhill Magazine, 1962-1963
Length:688 pages
Source: Purchased used copy
Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

Had she not proved that the things to which she had pledged herself were impossible? The impulse to set herself free had risen again with overmastering force; yet the freedom could only be an exchange of calamity. There is no compensation for the woman who feels that the chief relation of her life has been no more than a mistake. She has lost her crown. The deepest secret of human blessedness has half whispered itself to her, and then for ever passed her by. (pg. 500)

The Middlemarch giveaway reminded me that several months ago I read Romola and hadn't yet gathered my thoughts on it. Luckily, I took notes and underlined excessively otherwise I would probably be able to read the book again and not even remember how it ended. While that can be very advantageous sometimes--Harry Potter 7 is pretty hazy to me, so I think I will enjoy the movie all the more--when it comes to a long, less well-known Victorian novel, a reread or a movie is probably not in the cards.

I went into this book with a bundle of preconceived notions. First of all, I revere George Eliot. The woman is undoubtedly a genius. I am duty-bound to worship any and all words that flow from her pen. It was already decided that I would love Romola because I love the author and she can do no wrong. However, the novel has been branded with descriptions such as "rightly forgotten" and as displaying "excessive erudition" by critics. I knew I would like it, but would I have to brace myself to like it? (Yes, I can be loyal to a dead author in that way.)

The best way for me to describe my experience is to use a somewhat sappy metaphor. Have you ever gone on a strenuous hike but then at the end it was all worth it because of the spectacular view? The first 100 or so pages of Romola was the climb. In the beginning Eliot displays her uncanny talent for capturing a moment in time and looking at it microscopically, but I prefer it when she focuses the lens on minds, hearts and ideas rather than less personal subjects like architecture, random citizens and political climate. As the novel moves on, a shift does occur, and as the story becomes more engaging, the main characters also become vividly drawn, and there it is--the "view."

The character who creates the most tension and interest in the novel is Tito (just as in Daniel Deronda, the title character is upstaged by someone of a more murky nature.) Tito, an Italian-Greek scholar is shipwrecked and winds up in Florence of 1492, where he meets the daughter of a blind scholar, the beautiful Romola. They fall in love and eventually marry despite warning from her estranged brother. The problem is that Tito is despicable, cowardly, lazy, selfish, and ambitious, only he doesn't even know it, and neither does anyone else. He has abandoned his adopted father for the sake of his own ambition, and has "married" a young girl and fathered two children that he keeps in hiding. Romola, intelligent though she is, only gradually begins to see his true nature. (I'm not sure if he ever realizes he's a jerk, though.) Her ability to break free from the relationship is very limited, and discouraged by the charismatic friar Savonarola (of Bonfire of the Vanities fame). As she embraces the religious fervor of the time, she decides she must stay and do what she feels is her duty to her husband and community. The instability of Venice escalates, and events unfold that give Romola more options, and she finds purpose somewhere off the tracks of both her secular upbringing and her religious conversion.

I've rambled on much more than usual, but it's really hot here, and I think I'd rather stay and type than move. In a way, any small critique I have about the laborious beginning is unfair because Eliot meant for this to be a historical novel, a study of life in Florence in the fifteenth century. A reader should expect an uphill journey. She also used this time period to make comparisons with the religious and social turbulence in England of her own time. I would need to study more British history to fully appreciate this aspect. All in all, the most satisfying aspect of the novel is Eliot's signature psychological/religious/social introspection and the conflicts encountered within, written in such precise prose that causes fireworks in my brain.

Bottom line: Unless you're a die-hard George Eliot fan, proceed with caution. But if you are a fan, it may be that, like me, it is predetermined you will have unconditional love for such genius.

Winner of Middlemarch

2011-06-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

The winner of the cloth-bound edition of Middlemarch is

Alexandra (TheSleepless Reader)!

Is it silly to be jealous of my own giveaway? I think I may have to buy myself a copy too.

Thank you Judith for hosting the Blog Hop. It was so much fun to visit and discover new blogs!

The winner was chosen through Random.org and has been notified by email.

Literary GIVEAWAY Blog Hop

2011-06-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

I had thought that I would be giving away one of my gently used classics for the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop hosted by Leeswammes' Blog, but after looking through the possibilities, I realized I couldn't part with any of them. Instead, I will be giving away a brand new, Penguin Classics cloth-bound copy of one of my very favorites:

For a chance to win, just leave a comment and a way to contact you if you win. The giveaway will end June 29 at midnight PST. I will select a winner the next day. This is open to anyone who lives in a country that The Book Depository will ship to. Good luck, and have fun visiting the other blogs who are also hosting giveaways. (This event officially starts on Saturday, June 25, so not everyone on the list will have their giveaway posts up yet.)

Spring Into Summer Read-a-thon Report #1

2011-06-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

First of all, give us an end-of-day status update. Books read, pages read, you know the drill:

I have read one book, First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader. Total reading time is around 5-6 hours.
What is the favorite thing you have read today?
Well, it's just the one book, but I did find it entertaining.
Which mini-challenge was your favorite?
I thought all of the mini-challenges were great even thought I didn't do any. I just wanted to focus on reading for a while.
What has been your favorite thing about the read-a-thon?
I love the fact that there are no challenges in the middle of the night so I won't miss anything while I sleep :-)
What has been your LEAST favorite thing about the read-a-thon?
A completely clear calendar is always nice, but pretty impossible.
Are you on track to meet your goals?

I think so. I don't know how much I can read before I fall asleep tonight. I think my next book will be Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.
Will you be participating tomorrow? Do you have any new goals?
I will squeeze in some reading if I can. Saturdays can be very unpredictable.

Spring Into Summer Read-a-thon

2011-06-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm a little bit nervous, but I'm signing up for this readathon at the last minute, because I think I may actually have time to read tomorrow and Saturday. Usually I participate in these just for the reading, but I must confess that in this case I do have my eye on a few of the prizes. Here's some info about the readathon:

This post is to announce to the world that I'm participating in the Spring into Summer read-a-thon hosted by Enna Isilee of Squeaky Books!

This read-a-thon is going to be so great! It's two days where you try do NOTHING but read. It's a great chance to get rid of some of those books that have been sitting on your TBR pile forever.

But that's not all! There will also be awesome mini-challenges and a TON of giveaways! In fact, just for signing up you are entered to win a $25 gift card to Amazon! SO GO SIGN UP! And if you say that Shelley @ Book Clutter sent you, you'll get 5 extra entries to win that gift card! CLICK HERE to enter to win, and know all there is to know about the read-a-thon.

Here's my goal:

I plan to participate on: Friday and Saturday in the morning/afternoon. I have a play on Friday night and a concert on Saturday Night.
I plan to read: Two books. I don't want to get my hopes too high!
I hope to read: Something from these choices:

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan

The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck
First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader
Or anything that I'm in the middle of....

Kind of a weird variety, but it should keep things interesting!

Well, have you signed up yet? DO IT NOW!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Ulysses by James Joyce

2011-06-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

Author: James Joyce
Originally Published: 1922
Length: 933 pages
Source: Purchased from Amazon
Challenge: Group read hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts

Personal PERPLEXITY Factor: 5/5

What advantages attended shaving by night?

A softer beard: a softer brush if intentionally allowed to remain from shave to shave in its agglutinated lather: a softer skin if unexpectedly encountering female acquaintances in remote places at incustomary hours: quiet reflections on the course of the day: a cleaner sensation when waking after fresher sleep since matutinal noises, premonitions and perturbations, a clattered milk-can, a postman's double knock, a paper read, reread while lathering, relathering the same spot, a shock, a shoot, with thought of aught he sought though frought with nought might cause a faster rate of shaving and a nick on which incision plaster with precision cut and humected and applied adhered which was to be done. (787)

Happy Bloomsday! (And happy shaving, if you're doing it at night.)

A long time ago, in a land far, far way . . . I read Ulysses. Luckily, there's such a thing as post-traumatic stress disorder in reading, so some of my feelings remain etched in my mind even thought it's been a few months.

During my first year or two of blogging, I would occasionally do four-word or seven-word reviews. For Ulysses, I actually had a few three-letter reviews pop into my head as I was reading:

TMI

WTF*

SOS

How's that for brevity? If only Joyce had been so succinct. He had me in the beginning, he really did, as I mentioned in my second post of the readalong. And then:

Clapcop. Clipclap. Clappyclap.

Goodgod henev erheard inall.

Deaf bald Pat brought pad knife took up.

A moonlight nightcall: far: far.

I feel so sad. P.S. So lonely blooming.

Listen! (329)

And so forth. I will say it was a very interesting "exercise" to read so many words strung together in many different forms throughout the book that I didn't understand at all. It forced me to pay more attention to other things like alliteration and rhythm. It was more like listening to a song without words, or really more of an album, because each chapter is unique, though tied together by Bloom's day.

I was constantly questioning as I read whether I was spending my time wisely in reading what my mind was registering as gibberish. I felt like a second-grader reading Shakespeare. Twenty-percent comprehension maybe? A few things helped me along though:

Some sentences are in a foreign language (I mean other than Joycean English). These excited me because I felt like I was allowed to skip them. What a buzz!
I'm pretty sure that Joyce makes up about 2,000 new words. I had fun making up my own definitions for words like zrad, plopslop, twikindled, upupa, plappering. When one of my kids spills something sticky on the floor--"Plopslop!"
I liked pretending I was picking up on the allusions--Molly was reading something that I've read, only now I can't remember what it was. Shakespeare? Yeah, I've heard of him.

Overall, I honestly appreciated and was impressed by the innovation/experimentation of the text. It was just too much. Too long. Too incomprehensible. If each chapter had been a third of its length, I would have willingly dug deeper and tried harder. But I just didn't have the mental stamina for over 900 pages.

If I were to read this again, I would set aside a year and a half and focus on one chapter a month. Will I ever really reread it? If I do, I may think of myself as Gerty MacDowell thinks of Leopold as he's sitting on the rocks:

Cuckoo

*I wanted to put WTH for "What the heck?" because that's what would really come out of my mouth, but would anyone know what I was talking about? You'd be like WTF is WTH?

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (Ulysses Survival Reading #5)

2011-06-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

Author: Alice Sebold
Originally Published: 2002
Length: 328 pages
Source: Library

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 3.5/5

"So you can't be certain that she's dead?" he asked.

"Nothing is ever certain," Len Fenerman said.

That was the line my father said to my mother: "Nothing is ever certain."

For three nights he hadn't know how to touch my mother or what to say. Before, they had never found themselves broken together. Usually, it was one needing the other but not both needing each other, and so there had been a way, by touching, to borrow from the stronger one's strength. And they had never understood, as they did now, what the word horror meant. (20-21)

I know it was eons ago that I was reading Ulysses and needed a few literary diversions to make it through, but I feel the need to talk about just one more before I actually attempt to review Joyce's "masterpiece".

The Lovely Bones deserves a bit of distinction as the only book that made me want to go running back to Ulysses!!! Yes, you read that right. This book scared the pants off of me and left me longing for the Joyce's never ending passages of ambiguous insanity. But of course I couldn't put it down.

I knew what the book was about, and I knew it was something that I, as a big baby, would normally never read. But a few people whose opinions I trust highly recommended it. I literally sat with the book in my hands for five minutes deciding whether to open it or not. Then I told myself I would just read 25 pages and then decide. Well, by page 15 I was already traumatized! Sebold doesn't waste any time, and once the hideous crime was committed, I had to read on in hopes of closure.

I'm guessing most readers are familiar with the plot of The Lovely Bones, but in a nutshell, a young teenage girl is raped and murdered, and tells the story of how her family and community reacts from an omniscient vantage point in a heaven of her own creation. The strength of the book is Sebold's ability to imagine what it would be like for a family to go through this situation, and then capture it beautifully in words. I found the horror of the situation combined with the lyrical psychological portraits to be very compelling. Unfortunately, this effect dwindled as the book went on. Things just seem to unravel in a haphazard way. I didn't feel the closure I was hoping for, and felt a bit unsatisfied in the end. I think maybe I was just bent on revenge. So I'm a big baby, but a vindictive one, I guess.

Regardless of my criticisms, I turned page after page frantically until I was done. Did I even read Ulysses while I was reading this? I don't really remember. I think I was just relieved to return to Leopold Bloom, who was neither raped nor murdered and cut up into pieces and stuffed into a safe and thrown into a sinkhole . . . at least I don't think he was.

Stayed tuned for an actual review of Ulysses on June 16--Bloomsday! (Fingers crossed.) I'm going to try to cover up my lazy procrastination and make it look like I actually planned it this way...

Washington Square by Henry James

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Author: Henry James
Narrator: John McDonough
Originally published: 1880
Length: 8 hours
Source: Library

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4.5/5

"Do you think it is
better to be clever than to be good?”

“Good for what?” asked the Doctor. “You are good for nothing unless you are clever."

Catherine Sloper is lacking in beauty and brains, but she does come with a sizable fortune. Her father, a doctor whose wife died giving birth to Catherine, is convinced that her persistent young suitor Morris Townsend can only be after her money. He is animated, interesting and handsome, while Catherine is dull and passive, but "good." Does he see something in her that her cruel father clearly doesn't, or does he have his eyes on her inheritance? James keeps the reader questioning throughout.

He also manages to keep the reader chuckling throughout, thanks to the meddling of dear Aunt Lavinia. She for one is bent on bringing the two young lovers together. Her efforts are sometimes counterproductive, but her desire to live some sort of romantic melodrama through them is downright hilarious. Her character provides a much needed comic relief to the harsh sarcasm of Dr. Sloper.

I enjoyed this much more than The Turn of the Screw by James. The reader of the audiobook was very good, but he read very slowly. I even turned my player to fast speed, and it was still slow! But it did help me get through much jam-making which was a fundraiser for our city's Relay for Life:

Audio: Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden

2011-06-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

Author: John Marsden
Narrator: Suzi Dougherty
Published: 1994
Length: 7 hours 20 minutes
Source: Simply Audiobooks

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 3.5/5

"Some people wake up drowsy. Some people wake up energized. I wake up dead."

This is one of those books that makes me wish I was young again. I enjoyed it, but I know I would have loved it ten times more about ten times two years ago. Ellie and her friends take a week long camping trip (would have loved this!) but when they return they find their families gone, their animals dead, with no idea of what is going on. They use their brains and whatever resources they can find to get answers to their questions and try to stay alive in the process. It's a survival story, an Australian dystopia, a down-to-earth love story, and a war story all in one. There's even some deep philosophical stuff thrown in.

The narrator, Suzi Dougherty, was excellent. She sounded just the right age and had just the right attitude without being annoying at all. I had no trouble staying engaged in the story as I worked on sewing my daughter's costume for Hamlet. I didn't think I could sew and listen to an audiobook at the same time, but it worked with this one anyway!

I'm not sure yet if I will go on with the rest of the series. There are so many unanswered questions at the end, that I think I just might have to. I also know that the movie came out in Australia, but was it showing here in the US? Anyone know if it was any good?

I may not have taken the time to do a review today if not for the Audiobook Week fun going on over at Devourer of Books. I didn't want to miss out! Check it out for lots of giveaways and audiobook reviews.

48 Hour Book Challenge Finish...

2011-06-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

This is about how I feel about my reading this weekend. I had been so excited about the book challenge ever since MotherReader announced it and thought that since it was the weekend after school got out it would work out perfect. I had a beautiful stack of books and very high hopes. But many things kept me too busy to even reach my goal of 12 hours of reading--haircuts, laundry, errands, cooking, church stuff, Relay for Life stuff, etc. I would have prepared better had the previous week not been too busy to get anything done.

Nonetheless, there were some happy things to report:

I got to finish Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. Loved it, loved it, loved it!! As usual with his books, I laughed, I cried, and was tickled by the literary allusions. One of my favorite lines was when Doug says, "Reader, I kissed her. A quiet walk back we had, she and I."
During the time I was reading, I really enjoyed not being on my feet.
I was able to eat healthy the whole time--no junk food. Only one Diet Coke, the first one I had had for a couple weeks.
I twittered a bit for the first time in over a year. It was fun especially to find others who were reading what I was reading or reading some of my favorites.
I started listening to The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry. Cleaning the kitchen today should help me finish it.
I set up a Tumblr account. Haven't done anything with it yet, but hope to keep track of my weight loss and 52-52-52 Challenge that has moved over there. I need to get going on that because Week 1 is just about at an end.

Next year will just have to be better!

48 Hour Book Challenge Start

2011-06-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

I think I'm finally ready to start this! Woohoo! I've been on my feet all day so I'm exciting to sit down for a bit.

I'm so anxious to start reading that I won't share what all I have lined up to read, but here's what I'm starting with:

I'm not crazy about the cover, but I am crazy about Gary D. Schmidt. I even bought this one in hardcover which I never do. Ever.

I'm hoping to read at least 12 hours this weekend, and will give details later on what organization I'm donating to.

For more info, check out the starting line at MotherReader.

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

2011-05-31T22:26:00.000-07:00

Author: Margaret Atwood
Published: 2005
Length: 192 pages
Source: Library
Challenge/Event: Readalong

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 3.5/5

Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.

At last we get to hear the other side of the story of faithful Penelope, self-described (in Atwoods's account) "goody-goody" with a thing for bad boys. And anyone ~~female~~ who has read The Odyssey knows that Odysseus is the quintessential cad--he lies, he cheats, he shacks up with goddesses...

How does Penelope deal with it all? She acts like water. This is advice from her Naiad mother. Just like water, "if you can't go through an obstacle, go around it." Penelope encounters many obstacles. Unloving parents? Go to backwater Ithaca with your new hubby who probably would have rather wedded your cousin Helen. Unfeeling husband? Fantasize that he will be impressed with your housekeeping skills when he returns from seven years of sleeping with Calypso. Pesky suitors? Pretend you like them. Better yet, tell them you will marry one of them when you finish weaving the shroud that you unravel each night. That'll show 'em! Be the water. Become the water.

Unfortunately, this does seem to be the only survival strategy for Penelope given her situation and time. I yearned for Atwood to make it something different, but that would involve skewing the circumstances, and I got the idea from the notes at the end that she was trying to stick to established mythology rather than rewrite Homer. At least she gave Penelope a voice, a back story, and a dry sense of humor. Helen got a good slamming, which I greatly relished. As for Odysseus, I actually felt sorry for him in the end, still running away to take on another identity. The story of the maids is haunting and tragic, but they sure know how to put on a good show!

Thank you Bellezza and Col for hosting this readalong. I'm a day late and writing quite haphazardly, which is usually how it goes for me with group reads! I'm looking forward to reading others' thoughts, but that will have to wait for tomorrow when my eyes aren't crossed.

Let the fun begin!

2011-05-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

The killer history final is over, the Elizabethan costume is made, the 5K has been run, the kids' room has been painted bright green, and softball season is coming to an end. The house is still a mess, but with 4 kids, it's always going to be a mess, so why try?

Anyhow, hopefully I'm not biting off more than I can chew, but here are some upcoming events I want to join in on now that I think I have more time:

Penelopiad Readalong

Read May 23 through May 28, post reviews May 30

Hosted by Dolce Bellezza and Col Reads

Vanity Fair Readalong

The month of June, post June 15 and June 30

Hosted by Allie from A Literary Odyssey

52-52-52 Challenge

June 1st, 2011 to June 1st, 2012

52 weeks. 52 books. 52 pounds.

Just what I need! I'm changing it up a bit for myself. I usually read more than 52 books, so my goal is to review at least one a week, which is much more than I've been doing. Also, if I lost 52 pounds, I think I would actually fit into my cheerleading uniform from high school, and I dare not have such lofty goals. I'll be happy with 30 pounds gone, but I need help focusing a week at a time, and this will help.

Hosted by Amanda from The Zen Leaf

48 Hour Book Challenge

June 3-5

I love to take the time during this challenge to read any of the Childrens/Young Adult books I've been wanting to get to. Really, you can read whatever you want, but it is a kidlit focused blog, so I just like that to be my focus. I have other things going on that weekend, but I'm still hoping to read a good amount. My kids are also out of school starting that weekend. Yay!

Hosted by MotherReader

Book Tour - Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps

2011-05-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Editor: David Isay
Published: 2010 by Penguin Press HC
Length: 208 pages
Source: TLC Book Tours/Publisher

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

Annette Zumba talking to her sister Jenevieve: I remember Mother's Day: We were very young, and she took us to a park...She asked us to please call her Mrs. Zumba on Mother's Day. So we would be swinging in the swings and say, "Mrs. Zumba, can you push me?" And a person came by and said, "Oh my, it's Mother's Day. Are you doing this for a friend of yours, taking care of the kids?" And she goes, "No, no, these are my children." I remember the woman was just looking at her. With a deadpan look, Mom said to her, "Well, what do your children call you?" Joann and I, because we were the oldest, we got it, and we knew that Mom was just tired of seven kids saying "Mom!" 140 times apiece over the course of eighteen hours: she had had enough. For one day, she just wanted to be called by something else."

David Isay's StoryCorps Project is such a simple but wonderful concept-- family members or friends sit down with one another and talk for 40 minutes about memories that are meaningful to them. The recording is then preserved at the American Folklife Center at the library of Congress for future generations to experience. I had heard these conversations on NPR but never really knew the story behind them. There's just something so powerful about listening to two people talk about something dear to their hearts.

This collection focuses on moms from all walks of life in very diverse situations. It's a sort of melting pot of motherhood. Mothers with disabled children, mothers who had to give their children up for adoption, single mothers, working mothers, adoptive mothers. Some accounts were siblings simply remembering their mothers who have passed on, and the life lessons that were taught. They all share the common thread of the love between a mother and her child.

This would be a great Mother's Day gift for a mom who would appreciate hearing several experiences of non-traditional motherhood, completely throwing that June Cleaver image out the window. This is real stuff. As a fairly traditional mom myself, (but so not like June!)I still felt a connection with these stories of mothers just trying to make it day by day through life's obstacles, and loving their kids because really, they just can't help it! Even if you are getting tired of being called "Mom" a hundred times a day.

April Reading

2011-05-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy, but I had to post about what I've read just to assure myself that I did get some reading time in, even though I read only a smidgen of what I would have liked to have read. I'm already fantasizing about a reading binge in about a couple of weeks when a few stressful things come to completion. Then it's party time! (Or so I always think, and then I'm proven wrong. But I have high hopes.)
One of my favorite April memories is our Spring Break Staycation in which the "fort of all forts" was built in our living room:

The picture just doesn't capture the coolness of it. My kids spent several nights sleeping in it, as it was furnished with bed areas, and even an entertainment zone:

I was a bit jealous as I had to sleep in my own bed--not enough room for me in there.

Anyhow, April's reading mostly consisted of finishing books, short novels, and audiobooks for the usual accompaniment for housework.

Finished up this month

The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu (Personal Enjoyment Rating: 2/5)
This only took me four months to read, and it was sheer compulsion that drove me through to the end. At first I was entertained, especially by one long conversation in which Genji and his companions discuss what qualities they deem necessary in a woman. These guys are going to be searching for a long time for a perfect woman that doesn't exist. Which seems to be what Genji does, over and over and over again. The repetition wore on me, but I had to finish what is considered by some to be the first novel in the world, written in Japan during the early 11th century. There is much spontaneous spouting of poetic couplets, and lots of sleeves wet with tears (and snot, I presume). Man, I really wanted them to invent Kleenex, those poor souls.

The Capture: Guardians of Ga'Hoole #1 by Kathryn Lasky (Personal Enjoyment Rating 4/5)
I read this one aloud to my two youngest daughters ages 11 and 9 because my youngest had bought it at the book fair. I'll admit, if I had read this alone I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much. But my girls really got into it, asked so many questions, looked up pictures of owls on the internet, and just made it so much fun to read. I was actually quite disturbed at the beginning of the book because the brainwashing of orphan owls creeped me out a bit. I think maybe I've just read too much dystopian fiction and wondered where it was headed. But it took a positive turn eventually, albeit with some fairly gruesome scenes, and ended with me feeling like I could fly if I just believe in myself. BTW, the movie sucks compared to the book.

Short books

The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene (Personal Enjoyment Rating 4/5)
In thinking back on reading this short novel, the plot seems almost unremarkable, almost boring. But I so love the way Greene writes that I simply don't care. In my fantasy reading/blogging world, I plan give this book its own post. So I'll leave it at that for now.

The First Battles: A Sourcebook on the Civil War by Carter Smith (Personal Enjoyment Rating 4/5)
I feel a little silly even mentioning this one. It is the first of a childrens series about the American Civil War. I just feel the need to express my frustration that I have not yet been able to immerse myself in all things Civil War-related in the way that I envisioned for this year. Just a sprinkling is all I've gotten, and it's just not good enough. Maybe over the summer...

Audio Books

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, narrated by Simon Vance (Personal Enjoyment Rating 4/5)
I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to follow along with a spy novel in audio format, but this was really very easy to listen to. It turns out the most difficult part was listening to M being read as a man. I mean, isn't M a woman who sounds like Dame Judi Dench? I'm obviously a James Bond newbie who only feels the need to watch Bond movies in which I can be mesmerized by Daniel Craig's eyes, and in which the sexism of Fleming's character is tempered by giving the job of the head of MI6 to a woman.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre (Personal Enjoyment Rating 3/5)
Feeling quite proud that I understood Casino Royale, I moved on to this highly recommended Smiley novel. But this book made me feel DUMB!! I had to admit to myself that I do not speak spy! I think it was really one that I need to read in print. I loved The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, and am willing to give this another one another chance someday. In the meantime, I'm going to try to watch the BBC series. Then maybe I'll know what happened in the book...

Really long book that I had to read in two weeks instead of eight because someone else placed a hold

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (Personal Enjoyment Rating 4/5)
I don't always appreciate comparisons to highly-popular books, but this one kind of struck me as "Harry Potter goes to university and drinks real booze instead of butterbeer." There's much more to the book than that, but it sort of had the feel-good aspect of Harry Potter with a bit of an edge, and it was certainly not a copy-cat of HP. There's a lot of humor, ample adventure, and an overdose of romance in some parts. Maybe my estrogen levels were just to low at the time, but the lovey-dovey parts are what took this original book down a point in my rating. Otherwise, great entertainment! I have the second book on hold, and some other patron will have to rush through it so I can get my turn.

In May, I hope to finally attempt a review of my experiences with Ulysses. I just need to get a horrid history final out of the way first, and then hope there's something left in my brain to share.

Happy reading!

24-Hour Readathon: No-Go

2011-04-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

I can't participate in the read-a-thon tomorrow, but I also couldn't just pretend it wasn't happening! It is truly one of my favorite events of the year. Hopefully next October will work better. Have fun reading, eating, blogging, twittering, etc. I'm hoping to find some time to visit and see how everyone's doing.

The Devil and Miss Prym (Ulysses Survival Reading #4)

2011-03-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

Author: Paulo Coelho
Narrator: Linda Emond
First Published: 2000
Source: Library
Challenge(s): From 1001 List

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 3/5

Only 16 pages left of Ulysses!!! I suppose I should just go on and finish, but I need a little break from Molly's "sentence". It reminds me of the 80's song "88 Lines About 44 Women" by The Nails, only it's probably 2,000 lines and (mostly) about men. Molly has taken TMI to a whole new level in this novel, which I didn't think was possible. I had no idea Joyce was holding out a little grossness to spring on me in the end.

Thus I find myself wanting to share some thoughts on this short tale of Paulo Coelho's simply because it is quite the opposite of Ulysses. Where Joyce's writing is earnestly complicated, and seems to avoid any inkling of a moral, Coelho's goal is simplicity, and to convey a message that will have some sort of uplifting effect upon the reader.

In the case of The Devil and Miss Prym, the question explored is whether mankind is inherently good or evil. A man with a tragic past comes to the small village of Visco, and promises a large amount of gold to the village if they will agree to murder just one person. Discussions and justifications follow, as the people of the town decide if and who will be sacrificed for the future prosperity of Visco, or in some cases, for their own selfish gains.

In the end, the predictable message is that each individual chooses between good and evil within, rather than mankind as a whole being one or the other. Our choices can be influenced by fears of loneliness, punishment, failure, or loss of reputation, but ultimately we are responsible for our own choices. Forgive me, but my main thought upon finishing this was "Duh!" Am I taking it for granted that most people feel this way already, or do I live in a bubble?

Whatever the case, I found the story interesting even if it was not paradigm-shifting. I find myself underwhelmed by Coelho, but it may just be a case of inflated expectations. On the back flap of the book cover, it says "Paulo Coelho is one of the most beloved authors of our time. With sales of more than 75 million copies worldwide, his books have been translated into 61 languages and published in 150 countries." With all of that fanfare, I think I just expect more of something. Not just a reinforcement of something I already believe, expressed through a story that I found somewhat unbelievable.

Did Joyce care about whether mankind was good or evil? I've done such a superficial reading of Ulysses that I can't be sure, but the overall feeling I get is that mankind is what it is, and that's all there is to it. We live, we think, we die. At least that's what I've gotten from the first 917 pages...

Two by Jessica Day George (Ulysses Survival Reading #2-#3)

2011-03-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

It's actually been a few weeks since I've read these, but right now I'm in the middle of Episode 15 of Ulysses, which involves prostitutes, a lucky potato, and a generous amount of nightmarish gibberish that I don't understand, all put together in the form of a play with a million characters. It's time for an intermission. Refreshments wouldn't hurt, either.

These two books allowed me to escape into a fantasy world much different than that of Stephen Dadelus or Leopold Bloom, thank goodness. Jessica Day George is clearly first and foremost a storyteller. From page one until the end, the story (in each book) is engaging, easy to read, and I was rooting for the good guys to win. In both of these books, the "good guy" is a strong female lead who uses her wits to get the job done. Not much time is spent on characterization or inner monologues (take that, Joyce!), which may sound like a weakness, but it contributes to the feel of sitting by a campfire riveted to a humorous and adventurous story that lets you escape into a different world. Which is what I needed.

For more information on what these books are actually about, you can check out the information on the author's website. I knew next to nothing about these stories before I picked them up, and I liked it that way. I will just let you know that one involves huge polar bears, trolls, and a nameless girl who can talk to animals, and the other includes dragons, a spoiled princess, and shoes that itch. No lucky potatoes--hallelujah!

Sun, Moon, Ice and Snow

Published 2008
336 pages

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 3.5/5

Dragon Slippers

Published 2007

324 pages

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

Thank you, Jeeves (Ulysses Survival Reading #1)

2011-03-11T20:25:00.000-08:00

Author: P.G. Wodehouse
Originally Published: 1934
Length: 229 pages
Source: Library
Challenge(s): 1001+
Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

About Bertie:

"Mr. Wooster, miss," he said, "is, perhaps mentally somewhat negligible, but he has a heart of gold."

About Jeeves:

I must say I can't see why Jeeves shouldn't go down in legend and song. Daniel did, on the strength of putting in half an hour or so in the lions' den and leaving the dumb chums in a condition of suavity and camaraderie; and if what Jeeves had just done wasn't entitled to rank well above a feat like that, I'm no judge of form.

One cannot be expected to read Ulysses exclusively, or else one might become mentally deranged. Consequently, I've picked up a few reading selections on the lighter side. It seemed a good time to discover the "comic genius" of Wodehouse.

Thank You, Jeeves fit the bill perfectly. This is my first introduction in any format to Bertie Wooster, who has a knack for getting into sticky situations, and his valet, Jeeves, who inevitably shows up to save the day. In this first full-length novel of the pair, Bertie's annoying banjolele playing has driven Jeeves into other employment, and Bertie must move into a cottage where he can develop his musical "talents" without the complaints of neighbors. While there, Bertie encounters (and often creates) situations worthy of an I Love Lucy episode as he tries to bring two lovers together despite the obstacles. And he wouldn't be able to pull it off without the help of the ever-resourceful Jeeves.

Did it make me laugh? I found the first three-quarters of the book pleasantly, but mildly humorous. During the last part, however, I had more than a few satisfying belly laughs, some involving one of my favorite foods--butter. I immediately added Jeeves and Wooster to my Netflix queue, and I'm ready for more chuckles (and a break from Joyce's epic conundrum). I would also love to go back and read the short stories that preceded this novel. I have a feeling it's the kind of humor that builds as you go along. I am left with only one question: Where can I get my very own Jeeves?? I need, I need!

Ulysses Readalong - Pride, Humility, and Shock

2011-02-21T16:31:00.000-08:00

Before beginning Ulysses, I had this idea that if I really applied myself--took notes, read and reread, researched different commentaries--I would "get" it, all in one go. Go ahead and have a good laugh at that one. It took about 20 pages of note taking filled with question upon question to accept that not only do I not have the time for such a detailed reading, but it also was not getting me any nearer to comprehension. Which was really sad, because during my reading of The Odyssey, I actually took notes on every other page to leave room for what would be my copious Ulysses notes:

Yeah, I'm pretty nerdy, but I think I'm in good company.

Ulysses, of course, is not so neat and tidy. It's more of a crazy, chaotic mess. One that will take more than one reading to make any sense of, and then, I suspect, it will still be a crazy, chaotic mess.

So I threw aside the notebook, shunned any outside commentary, and began to read Ulysses naked. (Meaning the book, not myself. Not that Joyce would mind a bit of nudity. I'm sure he would fully approve of me reading on, say, the toilet or in the bathtub, and then relating all of the details on my blog.)

And then, here comes the shocking thing: I actually like it! It's a true Life moment:

What I am most enjoying is the random rhythm of the writing. I couldn't say exactly what it is, but my brain is entertained by it. I don't even have to know what he's talking about [sigh of relief]. Something about the combination of short phrases, incomplete thoughts, one-word "sentences", words scrunched together, and playful alliteration all add up to a some sort of drunken party of language. I've come to look forward especially to phrases that are sort of ticklish:

"Croppies lie down" (38).
"Oot: a dullgarbed old man from the curbstone tendered his wares, his mouth opening: oot" (116).
"Lovephiltres. Paragoric poppysyrup bad for cough" (104).
"Boys are they? Yes. Inishturk. Inishark. Inishboffin. At their joggerfry. Mine. Slieve Bloom." (70).

Other parts I find just plain gross, even more so than the booger and bathroom situations:

Perched on high stools by the bar, hats shoved back, at the tables calling for more bread no charge, swilling, wolfing gobfuls of sloppy food, their eyes bulging, wiping wetted moustaches. . . A man spitting back on his plate: halfmasticated gristle: no teeth to chewchewchew it (215).

And some passages I do find darkly beautiful:

A cloud began to cover the sun wholly slowly wholly. Grey. Far.

No, not like that. A barren land, bare waste. Vulcanic lake, the dead sea: no fish, weedless, sunk deep in the earth. No wind would life those waves, grey metal, poisonous foggy waters. Brimstone they called it raining down: the cities of the plain: Sodom, Gomorrah, Edom. All dead names. A dead sea in a dead land, grey and old. Old now. It bore the oldest, the first race . . . (73)

There is one statement that actually sunk in a bit--I can at least pretend I understand what he's getting at:

"Like him was I, these sloping shoulders this gracelessness. My childhood bends beside me. Too far for me to lay a hand there once or lightly" (34).

I have found that I do not like the conversational bits. I am not offended by the unconventional dashes, I'm just bored by their dialogue. I'm more comfortable inside Bloom's brain. Frightening!

I have also been largely ignorant of the many allusions I've heard about. Of course I can see The Odyssey intertwined into the plot, and a few things that gave me vague Shakespeare vibes, but that's about it.

So, for now, I'm enjoying the novelty of Joyce's experimentation. But I am wondering how long it will take for the "novelty" to wear off. There are many more pages for it to morph into "been there, done that." (I'm behind in my reading, I'm not even sure where I'm--my edition has no chapters.) But maybe Joyce has more up his.

Ulysses Readalong - Page One

2011-02-08T09:35:00.000-08:00

I'm already behind on my reading schedule for Ulysses, due to a shortage of reading time combined with the complexity of material--is this really written in my native tongue? But I will not be vanquished, James!

I have moved beyond the first page, but I thought I would show why my pace is so slow by sharing my notes/thoughts from just page one. I'm probably admitting a good portion of ignorance on my part, but I'll just lay it all out:

"Stately, plump Buck Mulligan"--stately and plump don't seem to go together.
Buck's dressing gown--"sustained gently" strange choice of words, also kind of oxy-moronic
"Introibo ad altare Dei" --what the heck does this mean, look up online
"he peered down" the stairs but called "up", then tells "Kinch" to come up. Huh? Where are these characters positioned.
gunrest? what part of the stairs is this, look up online
what's the deal with the blessing, gurgling, shake his head? Is he being critical of religion? Is it significant that the mirror and razor were "crossed"?
Stephen Dedalus - I think Dedalus was the one who tried to build wings to fly to the sun but burned up, look up online. Why does Buck call him Kinch? Look up in dictionary/online.
Buck's face long like a horse, hair like an oak. Untonsured-check dictionary
Why does he look in the bowl? Why does he say "Back to the barracks"?
"Christine" Christian? Ouns-check dictionary. White corpuscles????? I'm pretty sure I know what corpuscles are, but check dictionary to clarify. What would this have to do with him mocking a sermon?
Why does he start whistling, and who answers with a whistle? Why does he stick the word "Chrysostomos" into the paragraph. Check dictionary or look up online.

Just 932 more pages of this stuff.

Two general impression I have from the rest that I have read so far are that Buck is an annoying jerk, and I'm really grossed out that he wiped this razor with a dirty snot rag.

Today, thanks to the flu, I have time to read. One of my ears is plugged up and it's messing with my equilibrium. Feeling off-balance and reading Joyce should go hand in hand.

Not that this post is a great selling point, but if you want to join in the fun*, this readalong is hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts.

*For the record, I do honestly find this fun, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it. Maybe I'm as unhinged as Joyce seems to be.

North and South: Katniss Everdeen, meet Margaret Hale

2011-01-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

Author: Elizabeth Gaskell
Published: 2008 by Vintage Classics
Originally published: 1854
Length: 547 pages
Source: Purchased from amazon.com

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

"He [Thornton] shook hands with Margaret. He knew it was the first time their hands had met, though she was perfectly unconscious of the fact."

Sometimes reading does not follow any kind of predictable equation or outcome.

My expectation for North and South:

The wit and quirk of Cranford + the cinematic and hottie appeal of the miniseries + brand-new Vintage Classics edition = All that and a bag of Miss Vickie's Jalapeno Chips.

It just didn't quite add up that way, but I still enjoyed it. It was true comfort reading, which is valuable in and of itself.

For fans of the Hunger Games Trilogy, remember how frustrating it is to see Katniss' complete cluelessness when it comes to romantic love? Even when there's bread involved? Margaret Hale has the same problem. She receives two marriage proposals from men she has no idea are in love with her. And her responses are less than gracious. But like Katniss, Margaret focuses a lot of her attention on taking care of those who traditionally should be taking care of her, with love and marriage being the last thing on her mind. So I'll forgive both of them, and be entertained by the tension it creates.

North and South is more than a love story, giving it a satisfying amount of depth, which makes up for the lack of fireworks in the writing. Social issues are explored through the hardships of factory workers in an industrial town, but you also get to see things from the perspective of the factory owner. Religion is also touched upon, with the storyline of Margaret's father, who has a crisis of faith and leaves his post as a vicar, which precipitates their move from the south of England to the industrial north. One of my favorite quotes describes a group prayer, in which Higgins, a frustrated factory worker who has seen his fair share of adversity, reluctantly joins in on:

"Margaret the Churchwoman, her father the Dissenter, Higgins the Infidel, knelt down together. It did them no harm."

Now that's an equation that adds up just the way it should!

Ulysses Readalong

2011-01-18T06:18:00.000-08:00

Joyce has conquered me before, but I'm ready for a rematch:

Vietnam War Reading

2011-01-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

It goes without saying that reading about the Vietnam War can be a harrowing experience, often appropriately so. But I did manage to find something of a range of intensity in the books I read for the War for the Generations-Vietnam Reading Challenge, from "feel-good" to "if I read one more page I'm going to have to plunge a knife into my gut so I can feel better than I do when reading this book." Here are some short reviews of my selections, starting with the gentler ones:

Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata (Published 2007 by Atheneum, 320 pages)
Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4.5/5

Despite the unappealing cover and somewhat corny title, Cracker! took a hold of my heart and wouldn't let go. Cracker, a German Shepherd trained to sniff out bombs and traps in the jungles of Vietnam, and Rick Hanski, her handler, learn to work as a team in order to survive and show what they're made of. The writing is very simple, but captures the fear and frustration of a soldier, as well as the bond between dog and handler quite powerfully.

Although written for kids, maybe 9 and up, I think all ages can appreciate this one. I would love to see it made into a movie, but I would have to have a couple of boxes of tissue. (I feel like it's okay to say that Cracker does not die, which is something I was worried about, and a lot of readers would want to know before reading.)

Search and Destroy by Dean Hughes
(Published 2005 by Ginee Seo Books, 224 pages)
Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

In this Young Adult novel, Hughes gives us a realistic picture of the Vietnam War, minus the profanity and excessive violence (if you think that's possible), through the experiences of main character Rick Ward. He leaves a dysfunctional home and a disapproving ex-girlfriend, with a vague desire to prove himself a man, and maybe pick up some life-experiences to become a better writer. By the end of basic training, he is already questioning his decision--"He'd spent almost six months in the army, and the training was supposed to make him eager and able to fight. But he was about to fight an enemy he didn't hate, for a cause that no one could intelligently justify." But there's no turning back, and Rick faces combat, trying to figure out how to find some purpose in fighting for something he doesn't necessarily believe in. In the end, it all comes down to the strong bond of brotherhood formed with his fellow Rangers, and what they are willing to do for one another during their search and destroy missions.

This was a great book if you're looking for a PG account of the war, without the realities of war being glossed over.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
(First published 1990, 246 pages)
Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4.5/5

It's been several months since I read this, so my memory of the details is hazy, but I remember being blown away by the first chapter and rereading it a few times. I'll forgive my memory, because I know I will want to read this one again. The beauty of the writing combined with the brutality of war has such a profound impact, it just hits something in my gut that is both horrifying and extremely satisfying at the same time. This is one of those books I would bill a "must-read," as assuming as that label can be. I'm anxious to read more by O'Brien, but I suspect that this one is his best.

Lizzie's War by Tim Farrington
(Published 2005 by HarperSanFrancisco, 382 pages)
Personal Enjoyment Factor: 3.5/5

Liz O'Reilly is the wife of a career Marine Corps captain, raising four small children in Detroit while her husband fights in Vietnam. She had "played Antigone in high school and Joan of Arc as a college freshmen, to standing ovations, and now she was the Penelope in an unattended farce, weaving and unweaving the same pile of dirty clothes while waiting to hear exactly how her man died." She is understandably resentful of her husband's duty, especially when he returns to combat even after sustaining an injury that gives him a ticket home. While the reader learns about his experiences mostly from his dark but humorous letters home, the story is mostly about Liz, and how she survives her own battles, and tries to find meaning in her life, even as she fears for her husband's.

It's hard to say how I felt about this book, because some things about the plot bothered me, while others I found brilliant. For the most part, I found it a satisfying read. I usually don't like reading about everyday stuff, like household happenings, but Farrington made even a messy house and sibling squabbles sound almost literary! I loved Captain O'Reilly's letters home, and there were a few tear-jerking moments in the end, which I read while sitting on the floor in my room in the midst my own piles of laundry. It's a beautiful but real love story about finding the strength to do what you are meant to do, and making peace with the negative repercussions that inevitably go along with it.

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes (Audio narrated by Bronson Pinchot)
(Published 2009 by Blackstone Audio: 21 hours, 20 minutes)
Personal Enjoyment(?) Rating: 4.5/5

After listening to the audio version of this book and hearing the "f" word about 5,000 times, I'm tempted to say this was a f***ing good book! But I don't cuss at all (it took me years just to be able to say the word "butt"--weird, I know), so I'll say something really ~~boring~~ squeaky clean like "This book is thrilling and powerful, difficult to read at times, but also hard to put down" (or stop listening, in my case.)

I may not be able to swear like a Marine, but I can steal a bit of the plot summary from Goodreads: "It is the timeless story of a young Marine lieutenant, Waino Mellas, and his comrades in Bravo Company, who are dropped into the mountain jungle of Vietnam as boys and forced to fight their way into manhood. Standing in their way are not merely the North Vietnamese but also monsoon rain and mud, leeches and tigers, disease and malnutrition. Almost as daunting, it turns out, are the obstacles they discover between each other: racial tension, competing ambitions, and duplicitous superior officers. But when the company finds itself surrounded and outnumbered by a massive enemy regiment, the Marines are thrust into the raw and all-consuming terror of combat. The experience will change them forever."

As I listened to this book, I really got that sense that I was humping right along with these guys and grew to love them. My favorite parts were the conversations between the soldiers, as they talked about life and death, race and religion, and as the laughed and cried. But there is also a lot of gripping action, tempered a bit by details of strategy. Marlantes has written this novel in a way that keeps the writing from getting in the way of the story. Highly recommended, even from this reader who usually avoids excessive profanity.

Paco's Story by Larry Heinemann

(First published 1986, 224 pages)

Personal Enjoyment Rating: 1/5 (DNF)

This is the one that I found torturous to read and did not actually finish. I made it 2/3 of the way, and decided I had experienced what the author intended me to experience. It tells what I think is an important account of the veteran's return to the world, as he lives with constant pain, harrowing memories, and the fact that he is the only one to survive when his company is bombed. The story is brutal and nightmarish--not for the faint-hearted. I began this as part of a readalong at the War Through the Generations website, and many of the other readers found more merit in it than I did. Especially at the beginning, I felt it was overwritten, and I would have liked to have read about Paco's story in a more straightforward manner. Still, I'm sure my own discomfort and horror were only a fraction of what a young man going through this would feel.

This reading challenge only went through 2010, but in the proper spirit of the Vietnam War, I will continue much longer than I really should. I just can't seem to let it go just yet. I think what fascinates me is a common theme I found in all the books I read: trying to find some individual purpose in a seemingly pointless situation. Whether a character's motivation was driven by ambition, self-respect, a larger purpose, or just proving oneself, it was like some sort of survival mechanism. Something to think about whether we're fighting in a war facing the possibility of death, or engaging in other battles in life.

When I do get over what my family is calling my "Vietnam obsession" (I've also read some non-fiction books, watched some movies, a couple of documentaries, told my kids more than they ever wanted to know about leeches, jungle rot, and how the soldiers didn't wear underwear, and compared the never-ending troops of ants in my pantry to the NVA), 2011 is the year to join the U.S. Civil War Challenge:

At this point, I plan to read three to five books ("Dip"), but it could turn into more of a swim if life permits.

Fall Into Reading 2010 Wrap-up

2010-12-21T15:41:00.000-08:00

It's time to wrap up the challenge that enticed me by its awesome button (and I should add, awesome host, Katrina at Callapidder Days):

My favorite season is ending, but my second favorite season is just about to begin, so all is good. Katrina offered several questions about our reading experience this fall:

Did you finish reading all the books on your fall reading list? If not, why not?

I finished all but two. One of them I've just started. I didn't get to all of them because I got distracted with other books, readalongs, and life in general. Here's the list:

Finished:
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Sisters in War by Christina Asquith
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Unfinished:
One Fine Day by Mollie Panter-Downs
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Did you stick to your original goals or did you change your list as you went along?

I suppose neither! I was conscious of my list, but when I veered from it, I didn't make any official changes to it.

What was your favorite book that you read this fall? Least favorite? Why?

This is especially hard to answer because everything I read was a strong, four-star reading experience. I enjoyed them all for different reasons.

Did you discover a new author or genre this fall? Did you love them? Not love them?

I did not necessarily discover a new author, but I enjoyed a new experience from an old, beloved author--an adult novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I'm hoping to write down my thoughts soon.

Did you learn something new because of Fall Into Reading 2010 – something about reading, about yourself, or about a topic you read about?

My one non-fiction selection, Sisters in War, helped me to learn more about the situations that women in Iraq face, and I took part in a great book club to discuss it.

What was your favorite thing about the challenge?

The button! (Horribly superficial, I know!)

Giveaway Winner

2010-12-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

My goodness! What a day it has been so far: a house filled with kids for a cousin sleepover, Zumba class, constant ant warfare, and getting drenched in the rain during a trip to the store because the milk was frozen. All the while freaking out because Christmas is just four days away. I'm thinking there are some things that just won't get done, and that will be okay.

I did, however, take a minute to pick a winner with a random number generator and the winner of the $15 amazon.com gift card is Amy from Knit Think. Check out her blog--she's got food, knitting and books! Congratulations, Amy! (Amy, for some reason the email address you gave me didn't work, so I used the address that was on the link on your blog. Let me know if there are any problems.)

Happy Holidays! Now I need to pay attention to some dough for cinnamon rolls that is about three times the size it's supposed to be . . .

***Edit: In a moment of all-too-usual ditziness, I failed to put Amy's book blog link: New Century Reading. ***

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

2010-12-19T19:20:00.000-08:00

Author: Larry McMurtry
Originally Published: 1985
Length: 880 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Award(s): Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Challenge: Readalong hosted by Amused by Books, My Friend Amy, and Gerbera Daisy Diaries

Personal Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

"If you want one thing too much it’s likely to be a disappointment. The healthy way is to learn to like the everyday things, like soft beds and buttermilk—and feisty gentlemen."

It's a time when a man's trip to the whorehouse is as customary as a quick trip through a McDonald's drive-thru, and stealing horses from the country next door is all in a day's work. It's the 1870's, in the town of Lonesome Dove, where former Texas Rangers--the cerebral Gus McCrae and the workaholic Woodrow Call--own the Hat Creek Cattle Company. When fellow Texas Ranger Jake Spoon returns escaping trouble, his descriptions of Montana lead Call and his crew to drive a herd of cattle north with the aim of starting a ranch there. What follows is a journey of epic proportions, filled with light-hearted humor, devastating tragedy, and heart-pounding adventure. No wonder they made a miniseries out of it.

Speaking of epics, it was interesting reading this at the same time as The Odyssey, in which Odysseus' (supposed) main goal throughout his journey is to return to his home, wife and son. Despite the many obstacles thrown into his path, he returns home and all is well. In Lonesome Dove, however, many of men seem to be grasping for some sort of domestic happiness (sometimes subconsciously), but it remains stubbornly elusive (or stubbornly shunned, as in Call's refusal to openly acknowledge Newt as his son). The connections they long for never really connect. Even the two main female characters, Lorena and Clara, who seem to have a little hope of living life on their own terms settled in one place, are both left with an empty longing and regret for opportunities missed with those they loved.

McMurtry refreshingly defies the concept of the "love triangle." He creates instead a web of relationships, often with the "sporting woman," Lorena, in the center. "Relationships" is actually a generous word choice--the men in the story tend look upon the women in terms of what pleasure or function can be derived from them, rather than as human beings with needs and thoughts of their own. Gus is the only one who attempts to reach beyond this attitude, but in one instance, thinks he can buy this with money. But his attempts at the very least make him the most endearing character, and I'm sure many a reader has a bit of a crush and perhaps a daydream of a cozy evening with him in the tent (minus the dirt, of course). Rather than a typical romance, the general theme seems to be men chasing after women who don't want them, women trying to break free from the boundaries imposed upon them, and all of them just trying make it through the latest hail storm or grasshopper deluge on the way to Montana.

During most of the end of the book, I had this song stuck in my head often. In my head I was hearing The Rolling Stones, but found this cool Glee version:

The chorus of the song sums up the constant message I got from the book: there are things we will always want or long for that we will never get. But life goes on, and we somehow get what we need and make it through each day. And it doesn't hurt when someone like Gus McCrae has got your back.

Three Year (plus 17 days) Blogoversary and Giveaway

2010-12-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

Celebrating my three-year-blogoversary on the actual day of it would be completely out-of-character for me, so here it is, 17 days late.

I've done a bit of reflecting on this past year of blogging, which actually began as a non-blog. I said farewell in September of 2009, kept quiet (almost) for about six months, and then jumped back in again, in an earnestly laid-back way. One of the hardest things to give up was reviewing every book I read, but for the most part it's been kinda nice.

I think sometimes as book bloggers we have a bit of nostalgia for the pre-blogging days, when our reading choices were comparatively haphazard and carefree, but we also find great satisfaction in taking the time to ponder and deconstruct the heck out of a book, and then share it with anyone who will come and visit our own little spot on the net. With the way I approach my blog now, I feel like I'm getting the best of both worlds. This year, there are many books I've just read, ravaged, and then tossed aside (it almost sounds obscene!), and others I've spent more time with, taking notes, underlining, writing down thoughts, and wracking my brain to put them into quasi-coherent sentences and paragraphs. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I hit the post button, and a little bit of a high to see the published result. Does anyone else feel this way, or do I need to get a life?

The result: I've read about 100 books in 2010, and only done a full-on review for about 20. 20% (even I can do that math). In school, that's a failing grade, but for me, in real life, it's a success. It works for me, and brings me satisfaction and happiness, and I think that's what this is all about, right?

I'm grateful for those who come and visit, and I love to hear your thoughts. It gives me a warm feeling (and now I'm getting overly sentimental) and a comfort that I am not alone in my love for books.

I rarely do giveaways, but because it's a month full of celebration I thought it would be fun. I'm making it simple (and modest): a $15 dollar amazon.com gift card, to be sent by email. All you need to do is leave a comment here with your email address by December 20, and I will put your name into a hat or something and announce a winner on December 21. If you feel like it (not required), you can share with me what you find most fulfilling about your own blog. No need to be a follower or subscriber or anything. And don't tell anyone about about it, because doesn't that just decrease your odds of winning?

All the photos here are book-related scenes around my house. If you look closely, you can see dust.

The Odyssey by Homer: Wrap-up

2010-12-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

I have greatly enjoyed the readalong of The Odyssey hosted by Trish from Love, Laughter, and Touch of Insanity, I only regret that it all went on at a busy time and I've gotten behind in posting and reading posts. What a great group of participants! I have been so enriched and entertained, and I can't wait to read everyone's thoughts for the last couple of weeks now that things have slowed down a teensy bit.

One of the things that kept us busy in November was an odyssey of our own -- to San Francisco. We even traveled in our beat-up Honda Odyssey that has taken us on many previous adventures. Although we did not face the trials that our scheming man-of-exploits did, we did take a short, chilly voyage to Alcatraz:

We weren't held captive, but we tried to lock a few of our crew in:

We were pretty smart and didn't kill any cattle, but we did visit with some livestock:

We feasted of course (without the sacrificial rites):

and tested our mettle by walking across the Golden Gate Bridge and back in the wind:

We didn't see any six-headed monsters, but we thought these jellyfish were pretty cool:

Really, the scariest thing we encountered was this giant Jelly Belly:

He looks pretty menacing to me. Take away one eye and he's a dead ringer for Polyphemus.

But now back to Homer's Odyssey. Like I mentioned in a past review of The Iliad, what I find most exciting about The Odyssey is how old it is. We get this amazing peek at ancient Greek society and its people, and we get to try to figure out what makes them tick. Sometimes, we feel a connection, and think that not much has changed over the millennia. At other times while reading, we're flabbergasted at the things they deem to be valuable and moral, and we think, "What the heck is wrong with these people?"

To the modern reader, the story of Odysseus' perilous journey and his domestic troubles is mired in contradictions that can be just plain irritating. How is it that the people who seemingly read and believe in a sign from every eagle they see in the sky can't believe it when they are repeatedly told that Odysseus has returned? How can they be so forgiving of Helen, saying it is the gods' fault she did what she did, but then slaughter all of the women who fooled around with the suitors? Why does Zeus demand hospitality amongst mortals, but then allows Poseidon to punish the Phaeacians just because they like to help wayward travelers? And why, oh why, is it okay for Odysseus to have his flings with goddesses while Penelope spends three years weaving a freakin' shroud for her father-in-law to delay any kind of relationship with another man?

I know that there are answers and explanations for all of these questions, but they are still striking and cause a certain amount of exasperation. It doesn't help that the characters and gods always seem to be lying or in disguise, and as a result they always need to be "testing" one another. They make things so much more complicated than they need to be. But then, don't we do the same thing? I know I can be a bundle of contradictions myself, and I probably make life harder than it needs to be. I am human, after all.

I think in the end what connects us most to the ancient Greeks is our zeal for entertainment, especially entertainment that reflects our core values. Those values may have changed, as well as our mode of reception, but just as regular joes 3,000 or more years ago listened raptly to the bards reciting their songs, we flock to the theaters to experience the latest installment of Harry Potter, or a few years ago, The Lord of the Rings. Only instead of the mighty warrior who proves that "might makes right," we revere and embrace the unexpected, humble hero whose greatest power comes from love. We've come a long way, haven't we?*

*And in some cases, we have a long way to go . . .

The Odyssey: Books 7-12

2010-11-15T09:28:00.000-08:00

In this section of The Odyssey, we get to know our title character a little more. While it's admirable that he claims to be devoted to his wife and home, I suspect that he might just say this because it's what he's supposed to say, since he does so many IDIOTIC things that delay his return.

Nevertheless, I have formed a special bond with Odysseus. It seems we have a few things in common:

1. We both have a problem with emotional eating:

The belly's a shameless dog, there's nothing worse.
Always insisting, pressing, it never let's us forget--
destroyed as I am, my heart racked with sadness,
sick with anguish, still it keeps demanding.
'Eat, drink!' It blots out all memory
of my pain, commanding, 'Fill me up!'

2. We both cry during an evening's entertainment:

That was the song the famous harper sang
but great Odysseus melted into tears,
running down from his eyes to wet his cheeks . . .

For Odysseus it's accounts of the battle of Troy that get him going, for me it's Friday Night Lights, among other things.

3. Bad things happen when we fall asleep.

'Father Zeus! The rest of you blissful gods who never die--
you with your fatal sleep, you lulled me into disaster,
Left on their own, look what a monstrous thing
my crew concocted!'

Whether it's his crew letting out the torrential winds or killing the sun god's cattle, you would think that Odysseus would have insomnia. For me a nap can be a risky thing--when I wake up, I never know what my own little crew has concocted. It's usually some sort of monstrous mess. Occasionally, it involves a yummy baked good, so I guess I'll forgive them.

I would love to write more, but I have a mid-term to study for. Coincidentally, some of the material I will be studying involves Ancient Greece. Both good and bad timing. For more thoughts on this section, check out the list of other posts at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity.

The Odyssey: Books 1-6

2010-11-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

If I had to come up with a new title for the first four books of The Odyssey, I would go with this:

Eat, Bathe, Cry:

One Young Man's Search For News About His Missing Father

It's been twenty years since Odysseus left for Troy, and no one knows if he is alive or dead. Several suitors, banking on the "dead" option, want to marry Penelope, and will wait for her to choose a candidate, shamelessly mooching off of the estate. With a little push from Athena, son Telemachus decides he is done playing the victim at the hands of the obnoxious suitors. He calls an assembly that turns out to be contentious and somewhat unproductive, despite Athena's instant image-enhancing powers. He nevertheless continues with the next part of the plan--a secret trip to find out if anyone has information concerning the fate of Odysseus.

First, Telemachus visits King Nestor. There he listens to Nestor's war stories, sheds some tears, feasts, sleeps, gets bathed and oiled, and feasts again. Then he takes off with his new buddy Pisistratus to King Menelaus where likewise they feast, bathe, share stories, bawl some more, feast, get drugged by Helen, sleep, shares stories, and feast again. Where can I sign up for this life?

Meanwhile, "back at the ranch," the suitors and Penelope finally realize that Telemachus is gone. The suitors sail out to ambush Telemachus, and we are left at that scene, wondering what will become of Telemachus.

As for Odysseus, he is indeed alive, and has been shacking up with the goddess Calypso, who has offered him immortality if he will be her husband. Every man's dream, right? But Odysseus spends his days on the headland crying, "wrenching his heart with sobs and groans and anguish/ gazing out over the barren seas through blinding tears" because he yearns to return to his wife and home. What a good, good man! No wonder all the women seem to fall all over themselves to help him: Calypso, who, when forced to let him go by Zeus, gives him help and advice; Leucothea, who gives him a magic scarf of immortality when Poseidon sends his storms; Athena, helping him out once again; and last of all in this section, Nausicaa, who feeds and helps Odysseus get all gussied up for his introduction to the king and queen of Phaeacia.

---------------

For the most part, Telemachus is the star of the show in this first section. Thanks to Athena, he has realized that it's time to grow up and be a man. It's hard not to judge him and wonder why he hasn't come of age sooner in life, but I need to remember that he has been raised without a father, babied by his mother, and teased by the suitors.

I tried not to cringe when his first assertive act was to reprimand his mother, but that's my own modern sensibilities coming into play, I guess. He does seem to waver a bit throughout these first chapters, which I think is pretty realistic--one minute he's taking control, and the next he's falling apart again. He seemed to be doing so well with his speech at the assembly, and then all of a sudden, he's bursting into tears, putting himself in the position of one to be pitied, not respected. But he's trying, and growth is, after all, a process.

Then I wonder, how much of his growth is really him? His courage never quite seems to come from within--it's mostly imbued by Athena. Will he get to a point where he has some self-esteem? Does he even have it in him? One of the things I liked about Odysseus in The Iliad was that he was a man of action. A lying, scheming man of action, but at least he was doing something. I'm not sure yet if Telemachus inherited this quality from his father. And maybe I'm delving into his character much more than Homer even intended.

I always seem to have a few thoughts that I don't want to put into full-on paragraphs in a post that is getting quite lengthy already. Here are a few of those, and maybe they will come up in later weeks:

I'm interested in the idea of identity, which I know comes up more later. Athena has appeared as many different people already. Telemachus is trying to figure out who he is. Others can see Odysseus' features in his face and body.
Women play quite a prominent part in the poem so far. So far they seem to act as protectors in many cases. When they're not weaving, that is. Or braiding their hair.
As with anything with the Greek gods--must they meddle so much? Zeus says they do mess things up a bit sometimes, but people do things that mess things up even more. A shared responsibility for hardship?
Penelope--does she lead them on, as the suitors claim? How does she "exploit" the gifts given her? Does she tease them to exercise power, or are their accusations false? She does seem to be quite faithful to Odysseus, which is more than can be said for Agamemnon's wife.

*For more thoughts on The Odyssey, Books 1-6, visit this post at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity.
*I am reading the Robert Fagles translation for the readalong.
*If you actually read this entire post, I think you deserve some sort of an award ;-).

Group Read or Pipe Dream?

2010-11-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

I may have learned to resist signing up for too many reading challenges, but a group-read of a book that I've been wanting to get to is hard to resist. I'm not sure if I will have the time to read, post, and visit other participants in these read-a-longs, but for now, I'm just going to pretend it's completely doable, and ignore the fact that in the last four days, my reading has been limited to the five minutes before I fall asleep.

Trish from Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity is hosting a group read of The Odyssey this month (six books each week). I've read it before, a translation by T. E. Lawrence (yep, Lawrence of Arabia) but I've had the Robert Fagles translation on my shelf, and would like to reread it before tackling some presumably good stuff (The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood) and some scary stuff (Ulysses by James Joyce).

Frances from Nonsuch Book is hosting a group read of this new translation of Dr. Zhivago, with discussion taking place between November 16-30. I haven't read this since junior year of high school for a book report, and I'm sure this experience will be much different.

I'm also continuing a fabulous readalong of Lonesome Dove, jointly hosted by Amused by Books, My Friend Amy, and Gerbera Daisy Diaries. Each Wednesday, one of these blogs has a set of questions for a ten-chapter section. I haven't been posting for each section on my own blog, just commenting on their blogs each week. Hopefully at the end I'll do one review for the whole thing. By the way, I was very snobbish about the copy I'm reading. I had to have the one above, and I am loving the twinkly stars on the cover.

I'm also looking forward to a traditional book club read of Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis to be held early in December (?). I read and loved Main Street, so I'm really excited about this one. Isn't that the greatest cover?

October!

2010-10-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! What a week! I managed to survive this week without:

My husband (out of town)

My Sansa Clip (getting repaired. Housework without an audio book? I just ended up doing less cleaning.)

Bread and sugar (South Beach Diet Phase 1. Not one piece of Halloween candy has entered my mouth . . . yet.)

All in all, October has been a wonderful month! I made a concerted effort to read excessively this month and prepared accordingly. I made a month of freezer dinners, and gave my house a good ~~enough~~ clean-up. Yes, I do realize this is the sort of thing people do before having a baby or major surgery. "Nesting" for books? I'm screwed up, what can I say?

But you have to admit that October is an exciting month for reading in the book blogging world. I loved joining in on Dewey's Read-a-thon for what I think is the sixth time. Each time I read less and less, but it's still fun, and there's a comfort in knowing there are others all over the world who think it's fun, too!

October is also wraps up Carl's R.I.P. Challenge. I don't usually read horror and mysteries, so I love the change of pace this challenge provides for me, and it gets me in the Halloween spirit. I read more than I planned, but many of these are quite short. Here's the final report on my reading:

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury: (Review here.)

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I Am Legend by Richard Matheson: This short novel does its job of creating suspense and horror. The movie is better, but it was interesting to see the same themes set in a different time period. The ending is abrupt, but meaningful. I did not read any of the unrelated short stories that followed.

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And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (audio): This is my first Christie, and I was happy to learn that audio was a great format. I'm a really slow thinker, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to follow a mystery on audio, but it worked out great. I'll be listening to more!

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The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: I'm reading all of the Sherlock Holmes works in order of publication, and this was next. It's definitely my favorite of the novels so far.

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The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson: (Review here.)

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The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carre: My first le Carre, and I was impressed. I loved the story and the writing. For a wonderful review on what makes it so great, read this post from The Literate Man.

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The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (audio): Great audio production! It's very gothic, and the readers really helped set the mood. I'm thinking I enjoyed this more as an audio than I would have reading a print copy.

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The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey: A historical mystery solved from a hospital bed! I enjoyed it, but had to read carefully to absorb all of the history of Richard III and his alleged murder of the Princes in the Tower.

I'm in the middle of reading The Woman in White and listening to The Graveyard Book with my kids.

I also experienced a bit of craftiness this month. I was in the mood to sew costumes this year, and here's what we ended up with:

A pig

And a pirate:

My other daughter put together a cute cat outfit, and my son wore a Spiderman T-shirt. Costumes are one of the few things that get easier when your kids enter the teen years.

We also did a craft that has been waiting to be done for a few years! The kids and I made a few spider wreaths like this one:

We were also hoping to make mummy legs and witch hats, but somehow we didn't get to them. Where does the time go? (Yes, I do know the answer to that one.)

Tonight we celebrated by eating our traditional Mummy Pizzas and Monster Shakes:

and some of us watched (very LOUDLY) the Saints vs. Steelers game. Mr. Book Clutter is a happy man tonight!

Madame Bovary Part III and Final Thoughts

2010-10-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

"From that moment on, her life was no more than a confection of lies in which she wrapped her love, as though in veils, to hide it" (240).

I have just finished a book about contemptible characters who do and say horrendous things, nevertheless I relished almost every page. I feel as though I paid the characters much more attention than they deserved--my fascination with them was matched only by their own self-absorption. I felt like a voyeur delving into Emma's psyche while witnessing her desperate performances, "playacting" as her mother-in-law describes it. She and other characters seem obsessed with crafting invented images of themselves, with no substance to uphold them, like Dr. Canivet, described as "practicing virtue without believing in it." And yet I was riveted by this dichotomy between their inner motives and outer actions. They're all (with a few exceptions) just a bunch of poseurs, however realistically portrayed. Is it morbid to have been so entertained by the Bovarys' downward spiral and demise? Well, at least I can accuse Flaubert of the same insensitivity in the writing of it.

If this story can be described as a train wreck, then in Part III the train is accelerating at an alarming rate, and I came just short of closing my eyes to avoid seeing the inevitable outcome. This section seems frantic, and as the pace quickens, the irony becomes more frequent and the sarcasm more caustic. Flaubert's beloved hats go on, then off; the colors are electrifying; and almost everything comes in sets of three. I laughed. I cringed. It moved me--to judgment, which the narrator so avidly suspends. I've got a whole collection of one-liners that kept me entertained. Here's a few:

Emma's conversation with Leon before their runaway romp in the carriage:

"It's quite improper, you know."

"In what way?" replied the clerk. "They do it in Paris!"

And that remark, like an irresistible argument, decided her.

Pere Rouault, after Emma's funeral, in so much grief he cannot even bear to sleep in the Bovarys' house or see his granddaughter, says to Charles: "Goodbye! . . . You're a good fellow! And never fear, I'll not forget," he said, slapping his thigh. "You'll still get your turkey."

Of Homais' ambitions: "He followed the great chocolate movement." (I don't even know if this was meant to be humorous, but it tickled me.)

I came to Madame Bovary with a fairly clean slate, and my expectations were all wrong, in a satisfying way. What I thought was going to be a stodgy telling of a dissatisfied French housewife turned out to be an in-depth psychological study in the form of a brilliant tragicomedy. There are so many things that can be discussed (the different power structure in each of Emma's relationships, class distinctions, the significance of the Blind Man, etc., etc., etc.), and I trust that other participants in the group read will cover them expertly. Thanks again to Frances for hosting. It has been wonderful (and humbling) to virtually rub shoulders with some very insightful and educated readers.

Madame Bovary Part 2

2010-10-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

"One had to discount, [Rodolphe] thought, exaggerated speeches that concealed mediocre affections; as if the fullness of the soul did not sometimes overflow in the emptiest of metaphors . . ." (167)

Later, Emma to Rodolphe: "There's not a desert, not a precipice, not an ocean I wouldn't cross with you. When we're living together, our life will be like an embrace that becomes closer and more complete every day!" (174)

Gag! (And I hate Rodolphe. Why does he have to be the only perceptive one of the lot?)

My notes on MB are in my daughter's car all day, but I want to get a few vague thoughts out about Part II before I continue reading and take a final ride on the roller coaster of Emma's mood swings in Part III. Luckily I have managed to avoid ever hearing or reading how the book ends, although I can only think of two possible outcomes, one of which involves the potato garden graveyard.

In Part II, I often found myself amused and horrified at the same time (like the club foot surgery! Eek!), an effect that I'm sure was intended. Rather than the lists of details Flaubert often inserts into Part I, I felt like he used details mainly to create contrasts that had a very dissonant feeling. For instance, he writes some passages that, taken out of context, perhaps in the midst of a novel like Jane Eyre, would seem romantic and moving, but he sets them up right against a few distasteful goodies, like Rodolphe's shiny patent leather boots in which he was "trampling the horse dung underfoot," and then when he pulls out three stools instead of two for their rendezvous in the town hall. The overall effect makes the "romance" rather nauseating and Flaubert makes you see it for what it is--a load of crap, as smelly as the manure on Rodolphe's shiny shoe. But what can you expect from a romance begun at a bloodletting?

How do I feel about Emma at this point? That's still a bit complicated. I hate her as a mother, and her selfishness is aggravating. I want to sympathize with her because she is a woman trapped by her circumstances, as I have sympathized with female characters in other novels for the same reasons. She herself is a bundle of contradictions. She lives in this intangible dream world, but at the same time has an obsession with physical objects. It's almost as if they are the only things tethering her to this world. In a modern setting, I think she could be treated for bipolar disorder, but I don't quite want to let her off the hook so easily. But then again, she lives in this provincial town where the most excitement they get is a field trip to the local flax mill and a long political speech at an agricultural fair. I would worship Sir Walter Scott too.

Many thanks to Frances of Nonsuch Book for hosting this group read. I'm enjoying it immensely and getting much more out of it than if I were reading on my own. On to Part III!

Non-fiction Review: Sisters in War by Christina Asquith

2010-10-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

Author: Christina Asquith
Published: September, 2009 (Random House)
Length: 352 pages
Source: Local Library
Author Website

Personal Enrichment Factor: 4.5/5

I've noticed since I gave up the notion of reviewing every book I read that I now tend to shy away from reviewing non-fiction. I think this is because I don't feel like a have much expertise in certain subject matter (especially politics!) and I feel like I'm still at a stage of objectively gathering information, rather than forming arguable opinions. But every once in a while I come across a book that I just want to share, one that I think others would find enriching as well. I decided I would format my non-fiction reviews in a way that I think will torture my brain a bit less by focusing on the things I would personally most want to know about when choosing non-fiction titles. So here goes:

What made me want to read this book: It was a book club selection. I hadn't even heard of it until it was chosen.

Short synopsis: Sisters in War is the story of four women in Iraq during the U.S. occupation and the chaos of the insurgency--two Iraqi sisters, one U.S. soldier and a U.S. aid worker–whose experiences show the challenges that Iraqi women face in attempting to gain basic rights in a time of upheaval.

My own personal background with the subject matter: I have a very general knowledge of the time-line of events during the Iraq war, and have previously read the book Reporting Iraq, which contains several personal accounts of journalists covering the various stages of events.

Readability: Very easy to read without seeming too basic. One of the book club members said that she remembers Asquith saying in an interview that she purposely wrote it at a level that could be read by junior high/ high school students as well as adults.

What I liked most about the book: I really appreciated the fact that the author did not make herself a part of the story. The focus is on the four women, so some of the irritations I feel when reading memoirs were not an issue. I also liked the details of women's lives, and got a better sense of what it's like to be a woman living in a war-torn country: "With a decade of experience in aid work in the Arab world, [Manal, the Muslim-American aid-worker] knew the first casualties of war were the most essential ingredients to women's freedom--security and stability. Without these things, women couldn't even leave the house."

(Picture of author with a family in Basra, Iraq from the book's website.)

How this book changed me/affected my life: I'm not a very opinionated person--I can usually see both sides of an issue and I have a hard time taking a stance one way or the other. But when it comes to women's rights, I can get pretty riled up, and although this book isn't sensational at all, it did increase my desire to do something to help. I visited the Women for Women International website, an organization mentioned in the book, which provides information and ways to help. I've signed up for the newsletter and "connected" with the organization on Facebook. A baby step on the road to activism, but it has to start somewhere, right?

Author on YouTube: I almost always check out YouTube for author interviews when reading newer non-fiction books, and find them very enlightening This one is actually a talk given by Asquith at Northeastern University. It's quite lengthy but well worth the time, especially if you don't plan on reading the book:

Would I personally recommend this book? YES!

Other review(s): Rhapsody in Books