a day-to-day journey through the pages

babbling to a close...

2010-11-01T11:13:00.001-04:00

Pretty darn sure I'm not alone in being surprised and a bit dismayed that RIP the Fifth is already behind us. You know, the way times flies by so damn quickly is not a new phenomenon, yet it still pretty much throws me for a loop several times a year. Seriously--can someone please, please, please tell me how it got to be November already?!!

Anyway, RIP is now behind us. Except that it's not. :) Because I'm not ready to shut down the mysterious, creepy reading train yet. Not to mention the fact that we haven't yet watched The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Shocking as it may be, I actually did read enough books to fulfill Peril the First, which I'd signed up for. I also read a nice handful of short stories and watched a few movies. Where I really dropped the ball was in actually talking about them. :P (I've actually come up with a label--I think I'm what you could call a "haphazard blogger.")

***Books Read
* The Tales of E.T.A. Hoffmann edited by Leonard J. Kent and Elizabeth C. Knight
* Black Hole by Charles Burns
* Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill
* Amphigorey by Edward Gorey
* The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant
* Half-Minute Horrors edited by Susan Rich

***Short Stories Read
* "October in the Chair" by Neil Gaiman
* "Dip in the Pool" by Roald Dahl
* "The Smoking Room" by Shirley Jackson
* "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar A. Poe
* "William Wilson" by Edgar A. Poe
* "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar A. Poe
* "The Black Cat" by Edgar A. Poe
* "The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar A. Poe
* "The Purloined Letter" by Edgar A. Poe
* "The Oval Portrait" by Edgar A. Poe
* "Ghost Market" by Greg van Eekhout

***Movies Watched
* Psycho
* Frenzy
* The Birds
* Halloween

I'm glad I don't have to pick favorites, because I'm not sure I could. I read some really great books...and yet every single one of them was so very different from each of the others.

We ended up deciding to save the last two stories in Half-Minute Horrors for last night. So after a somewhat blustery night of trick-or-treating, we gathered round the kitchen table, nibbled on some sweet potato cupcakes, and finished up this positively wonderful book! I have to say--some of the stories in this book just blew me away! While I'm not a writer, I have to imagine that it can't be an easy feat to pull off a truly creepy little tale in so few words. And yet so many of these authors managed to do it so well. Love. This. Book.

This weekend also saw me finishing up The Vanishing of Katharina Linden. I'm sort of at a loss as to how to describe this book. Essentially, it's a mystery, I suppose. Though I had the main gist of the mystery figured out fairly early (I assume it's supposed to be that way), that didn't detract from the book in the slightest. I loved this book for so many reasons: 10-year-old Pia, from whose viewpoint we hear the story, is so very likable in her "ordinariness" (I sort of hate to say that, as I don't believe that any child, or any person for that matter, is truly "ordinary," but I can't quite figure out how to say what I mean)...the setting, a small town in Germany that feels so much as if it lives in the past (there were honestly times when I felt as if I were physically jerked back to the present with a mention of Teletubbies or Spiderman or a Barbie Princess costume--and these reminders left me sort of unsettled, but unsettled in a way that was absolutely perfect for the story)...the old "ghost-like" stories within the story, eerie stories that not only added to the feel of the book, but that also played a part in how the overall story itself unfolded...the humor that felt so very natural despite the fact that this was not a humorous sort of book. (And in case I later want a more coherent version of why I loved this book so much, I'm going to stick in this link to Carl's review--it was his review that led me to read this book in the first place.)

I am so very grateful to Carl for more than just his awesome reviews, however. RIP is simply an experience I can no longer imagine my life without. And I loved having the whole gang participating this year (and we all managed to finish at least four books for the challenge, with the exception of Gray who read 3 RIP-appropriate ones). But most of all, it goes without saying but I want to say it anyway--I'm grateful to Carl for his friendship. Carl, I do hope you realize how truly wonderful you are!!! And thank you so much for another fabulous reading challenge experience!

i give up

2010-10-26T12:12:00.000-04:00

Not blogging. Just telling myself that I can blog in any sort of organized fashion. Or that I can do much of anything in any sort of organized fashion for that matter.

A thought occurred to me this morning--maybe the ability to follow through with plans diminishes with number of living, breathing beings that inhabit one's home. Baker pretty much knocked the last three days kerfluey. And today, the boys both woke up sick, which means that many of those things that I was hoping to get done today will not get done. Anyway, this idea of mine quickly had to be discarded when I thought about all those people with six kids, three dogs, four cats, and a horse who still manage to accomplish all they set out to do in an organized manner. So yeah, I'm back to the original theory--I need a new brain.

But with Baker peacefully napping, Gray wrapped up in his blanket reading, and Max lying quietly on the couch watching a movie, I think I can at least sneak in this one thing I'd hoped to do today--update my acquisitions and blame. All but the bottom book in this stack were bought in one evening (nearly two weeks ago) in the used section of B&N.

*The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. I rarely hit the used book stores with anything specific in mind, because that generally leads to disappointment. But I'd just read Heather's review of The Little Stranger and I just *had* to get my hands on it. You know that feeling--that pure physical craving. Honestly, I assumed I would end up leaving the used section disappointed...and have to pick it up new. Let me tell you, when I saw it sitting there on the shelf...oh yes, happy squeal. I would have happily walked out of the store with that book alone. POINT FOR HEATHER.

*Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters. Of course, I didn't walk out of the store with that book alone. This book was sitting right there with The Little Stranger, and there was just no way I was leaving it behind. So, yeah, I now have four of Water's books, and haven't read a single one of them. *sigh* I am soooo much better at acquiring than I am at actually reading.

*The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. To be perfectly honest, though I'd heard of this on occasion in the past, I really had no clue whatsoever what it was about. For some reason, even with a lack of knowledge, it scared me. Until Ana's review. After reading that, I knew this was a definite must-read! (It was also a reminder of how ridiculous it is to be afraid of books I don't know anything about...like one should need a reminder of something so basic.) POINT FOR ANA.

*The Private War of Mrs. Packard: The Dramatic Story of a Nineteenth-Century Feminist by Barbara Sapinsley. This totally sounds like a book that I should be blaming Ana for, doesn't it? :D But truth is I'd never heard of it before. Here's a bit of the blurb from the back:

Nineteenth-century Illinois housewife Elizabeth Packard's troubles began when she took public exception to the rigid views of her Calvinist minister husband, Theophilus. Announcing that since his wife "persistently refused my will or wishes...it must be that she is insane," Rev. Packard took advantage of the Illinois law that allowed a husband to have a wife committed to an insane asylum on his own whim (and the ever-ready consent of the admitting doctor). Released a few years later through the efforts of her son, and later found sane in a sensational jury trial, Packard spent the rest of her life lobbying to change the laws under which she was institutionalized...."

Sounds like it might be quite good, doesn't it? (And Ana, if it is as good as it sounds, I'm sending it on to you after I finish...you're so bad for my bookshelves that sometimes you need a little extra "punishment"!)

*****
Okay, I'm going to cut this short (just too many interruptions). The next four books--New News Out of Africa: Uncovering Africa's Renaissance by Charlayne Hunter-Gault, They Would Never Hurt a Fly: War Criminals on Trial in the Hague by Slavenka Drakulic, Mukiwa: A Whilte Boy in Africa by Peter Godwin, and The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan--well they all just sounded good. No points.

And in one of those last but not least situations, we've got Witch Craft: Wicked Accessories, Creepy-Cute Toys, Magical Treats, and More compiled by Margaret McGuire and Alicia Kachmar. Chris saved himself from sucking up a point for this one by not telling me that it existed before so very sweetly buying it for me. :P Thank you again, my dear! :D

another challenge...how long can I hold out?

2010-10-14T10:09:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday was pretty much a reading dud. Most of my time spent with the written word was with a textbook. Not that it was horrible, by any means. But well, it was typical textbook.

Did squeeze in two chapters of The Vanishing of Katharina Linden. One of the chapters was a story told within the story. I'm not far into the book yet, only at page 40-something, but thus far I am really, really enjoying it! Odd little tidbit--it's the third book in a row told from a child's viewpoint (first the Alice books, then Room, now this one). If I had to guess at this point, I'd say that when I finish The Vanishing of Katharina Linden I will probably like it more than the Alice books and less than Room (but then Room is going to be a very hard book to beat). But who knows...there's a lot of story left to be told. :)

*****

So, I didn't get much reading done...but that didn't stop me from desperately wanting to sign up for another reading challenge. *sigh* I fear I'm starting to slide down that slippery slope again...down to the pits of challenge overload. Not that I'm in bad shape right now, it's just that the urges are building, getting stronger all the time...

I stumbled across the latest temptation at Bellezza's...she was looking for recommendations for her list for the Read-a-Myth Challenge. I want to join this challenge sooooooo badly. And I probably will. I've got the justification all worked out in my mind. See, I'm pretty much myth-ignorant. But Gray has fallen in love with mythology. So of course, it would be wonderful to participate in this challenge together, right?!! That's why I joined Once Upon a Time the first year--because Annie loved fantasy, and I was totally unfamiliar with it, so we joined together...and wow, I fell in love! Not such a stretch to think the same thing could happen with mythology, is it?

back to that reading journal style...

2010-10-13T14:47:00.000-04:00

Spent time in three different books yesterday. Unfortunately the book I spent the most time with, a book I've been slowly working on for the past couple weeks, was India: A History by John Keay. And I've decided to abandon it. Not because I think it's a "bad" book. It's just not what I was hoping for. I picked it up because we're currently focusing on ancient Indian civilizations in our world history class. It's not that the writing was incomprehensible, even for someone as ignorant as I about the subject, but it was a bit dense for our purposes. And it does assume a knowledge base broader than what either Annie or I have going in, so I was finding myself needing to go look things up fairly regularly just to understand what he was talking about. We're using a lecture series and textbook already, and I was hoping for something a bit more "fun" as supplemental material. This just doesn't fit the bill.

After I have a bit more background on the history of the Indian subcontinent, I may just go pick this book back up. Then again, with so many books I'm dying to read, it may just languish on the shelves indefinitely. Far too many books do that around here.

*****

One of the good things about deciding to abandon India was that I finally picked up Empires of the Indus by Alice Albania. I'd read the preface in the bookstore the day I bought it, so I was able to dive right in with chapter 1. And YES!!! *This* is the book I was looking for! Written in a down-to-earth, almost conversational style. Yet so chock-full of information. I'm ashamed to admit how pitifully little knowledge I have about the history of this area of the world. But in one chapter alone, I feel I've learned so much. While I haven't read far enough to know for sure, I believe that she's going to be talking about history in a non-chronological fashion as she travels the river. She has history intertwined with the real lives of people today. For example, in the first chapter, she talks about the lives of sewer cleaners in Karachi and manages to turn it into a brief history of the Partition. It was fascinating and heartbreaking all at the same time. And as this part of the region's history is still so recent, she was able to find and share the stories of people who had actually lived it.

A line that may forever haunt me: "She ministered to the semi-dead--the refugees who arrived without clothes, without food, without limbs..."

*****

And finally, we all gathered together for another round of Half-Minute Horrors. This book is just so fun! I have to admit that I was afraid it was going to be "too tame." But it definitely is not!!! In fact, a few of the stories have left me with crossed fingers that I'm not going to be woken up during the night with little boys' nightmares. Last night's favorites included "Death Rides a Pink Bicycle" by Stacey Godenir (an author I'm not at all familiar with) and "Inventory" by Jonathan Lethem (funny in a gruesome sort of way) and "I'm Not Afraid" by Dan Gutman (which we all loved, though it was particularly relevant for Gray :D ).

Our next round will be our last, as there's only three stories left. I'll be so sad to have it come to an end...we've been stretching it out as best we could. But you know, I think it might just be the kind of book we could pull out each year and enjoy all over again. Not sure if we'll start another "whole family" book for Halloween after we finish this one or not...but I'm kinda thinking it would be mighty fun to read Bradbury's The Halloween Tree aloud...

ever so fickle

2010-10-12T19:19:00.000-04:00

Yep, that's me. Seriously, I don't even know why I have this blog. I really don't.

Actually, when I started this new blog, it was a fresh start, with a new way of doing things. I had zero intention of even trying to do my pathetic version of a "review." Nope, I just wanted a place where I could record my daily observations on what I was reading. And that's how I started out.

Then as a few of my dear friends started reading it, well, I felt sort of stupid. I mean, who the hell wants to read that kind of rambly blathering. So I started going back towards the way I used to blog about books. Not exactly reviews, but something closer anyway.

Yeah, well here's the thing...I suck at writing "reviews." And I *hate* even trying! Yep, I hate it. I'm not insightful. And I'm not eloquent. And I never will be.

But see, I still do love reading! And I love talking about what I'm reading. And I really want to go back to the way it was when I started this blog--where I just recorded what I'd read that day and what I thought about it.

I know that's not the kind of thing that anyone else will get much from. Really, I get that. So here's where I beg you not to feel like you have to read my blog out of any sense of obligation or anything of that sort!!!!!!!!!! I promise, promise, promise that I will not take it personally--I will not assume you don't like me as a person--I will not stop reading your blog!!!!

So yeah, this is one of many changes I'm making just for me.

See you at your blog, okay?

*****
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.

It's not exactly that I had high expectations for this book/these books. More like I had high hopes. Hell, I knew there was a chance I wouldn't even like them. Ah, but those hopes...yeah, I really, really, really wanted to be utterly charmed and enchanted.

Didn't happen.

Sort of reflexively, I told myself that I might have fallen in love had I read them first as a child. But you know, I really don't think that's the case.

And it's not that I disliked these books at all. I didn't. I just didn't love them. Still, I am glad that I *finally* got around to reading them. Seriously, I wonder how many days one can make it through without running into some sort of Alice allusion. Just knowing that I will better understand those allusions alone makes it worth the time I spent reading it. I also really enjoyed all the word play...something I wasn't really expecting, but found sort of fun.

Pretty sure I won't be rereading it though. Unless it's with one of the boys, I guess. Now Alice in Sunderland by Bryan Talbot...that I'd love to reread one of these days. :)

and a new round begins...

2010-10-04T12:07:00.001-04:00

As if I needed further proof of my inability to keep things organized, I just realized this morning that the last round of The Blame Game came to an end a few days back. And for the first time in the 2 1/2 years I've been doing The Blame Game, Ana didn't win. And how sad is it that she *made* me buy 20 frickin' books, and that wasn't enough to pull off the win?!! Yes, because Chris was even more evil--he *forced* me to buy 22 books!!! Anyway, Chris, I shall be in touch with you about your punishment soon. ;)

And now I shall start a new round of shirking responsibility. :D The name taking starts now runs through the end of January 2011. (Yikes!!! How can 2011 even being entering into things yet?!!)

*Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino. This is one of those books that I neither have to accept responsibility for myself nor do I have to put the blame on someone else. This is simply a book I need to pick up for Annie's lit class. And I must admit, it scares the crap out of me.

*Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley. Carl actually just escaped by the skin of his teeth getting three points for these Priestley books. I had all three in the cart, but mustered up a great deal of restraint at the last minute and just bought the first one. You've no idea how tempted I am to set aside the book the boys and I are currently reading, and start this one instead (but I won't). POINT FOR CARL.

*The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant. This book might just have my favorite cover of the year. But it wasn't the cover that ultimately made me pick this one up from the library...it was Carl's review that simply made it sound irresistible! POINT FOR CARL.

*The Hunter's Moon by O.R. Melling. The story of how this one came into my possession is a bit convoluted--suffice it to say that my daughter is a sweetheart and the ultimate blame goes to Heather. Yep, I can see this one on next year's Once Upon a Time list already. :) POINT FOR HEATHER.

*Koko Be Good by Jen Wang. Crap. I can't figure out a way to blame anyone else for this one. I guess I could sort of blame Rich, but that's sort of counter-productive. I came across this graphic novel in the bookstore one day. Sad thing is, while I remember sitting down and starting to read it, I don't have a freakin' clue what's it's about. But I liked it enough to add it to the wish list. Anyway, Rich ended up ordering it used for me. Pretty sure it was one of those times when he really wanted to order himself a book, and figured if he bought me one along with it, he wouldn't have to feel so guilty. ;)

*My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me edited by Kate Bernheimer. Undeniably Ana's fault. Seriously, what the hell did she expect when she went posting this on her tumblr?!! It was preordered on the spot! POINT FOR ANA.

*Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River by Alice Albinia. Another one I'm deflecting responsibility for by claiming school use. Just one of those serendipitous finds. I'd never heard of this book until I saw it in the bookstore yesterday. But it just so happens that Annie and I are about to start on the ancient civilizations of the Indian subcontinent...and this book sounded like it would be a really nice addition. From the sounds of it, it's part history/part travelogue. I read the introduction in the store and was immediately taken with her respectful attitude towards both the river itself and towards the people who live in the river valley now and who lived there over the past many, many hundreds of years. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this book, though I've no earthly idea how I'm going to fit it in.

And thus begins another round...

YA-D2 begins

2010-10-01T08:20:00.000-04:00

Several weeks ago...

Grab-life-and-go-for-it me: WooHoo...Darren's hosting his YA dystopia challenge again!!! I am not going to pass up the chance to join this year!!! :D

Old-stick-in-the-mud me: Hey, wait a minute there! You're not supposed to be joining any challenges!!! I know damn well you won't be saying "no" to RIP as it is. Despite the fact that when we moved over here, we decided to give up reading challenges altogether.

Grab-life-and-go-for-it me: *sigh* You're right. Sorry I let myself be tempted. *pout*

Over the past month-ish, as we began slowly adding our books to Library Thing...

Grab-life-and-go-for-it me: Look at this--yet another book I'm tagging with "YA" and "dystopia"...you know, if I signed up for Darren's challenge, I wouldn't even have to leave this house to find the books I need.

Old-stick-in-the-mud me: If that's your only criteria, we'd be signed up for what? Oh, a few hundred challenges perhaps?

Grab-life-and-go-for-it me: I didn't say it was my only criteria, you old crab. *makes faces behind Old-stick-in-the-mud me* (Which obviously, is no easy feat.)

Earlier this week...

Grab-life-and-go-for-it me: Just a few days left before YAD2 starts. You know I've been completely unable to put it out of mind. I really think I ought to just sign up so I can stop obsessing about it, don't you?

Old-stick-in-the-mud me: Nice try. But come on...think about how overwhelmed we've been lately. Crying over everything we can't done. Feeling like jerks because our friends are relegated to "free, fun time." Problem being that we are sorely lacking in that particular category of time. And now you want to add something else to our plate?!! Grow up, would you?!!

Grab-life-and-go-for-it me: *walks away sulking*

Last evening...

Grab-life-and-go-for-it me: Screw you, Old-stick! I'm going to join whether you like it or not. Who the hell cares if I fail anyway? No one, that's who. This is just for fun. Fun! Remember fun? Oh sorry, I forgot you're allergic. Well tough--this will make me happy, you old crab...so just keep your trap shut and deal.

Old-stick-in-the-mud me: But... *falls silent*

YES!!! The victory goes to Grab-life!!!

And while it may seem mighty cruel to kick Old-stick while she's down, I'm going for Level 3. I refuse to be intimidated by the idea of failure! (After all, I'm pretty used to it, and it hasn't killed me yet.) Level 3 requires reading 5 books between October 1st (today) and December 19th. (And yes, I'm laughing at myself even as I type this.)

And here is a list of possibles I wrote down after a quick look at the shelves:

*Feed by M.T. Anderson
*Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
*The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
*Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
*Hole in the Sky by Pete Hautman
*The Hollow People by Brian Keaney
*Shade's Children by Garth Nix
*How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
*After by Francine Prose
*The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
*The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
*The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
*Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

And now I better hurry up and hit "publish" before Old-Stick wakes up...

Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials...random thoughts

2010-09-22T11:36:00.001-04:00

Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill.

It was just luck that dropped this book into my lap. Luck, in the form of a 13-year-old daughter, that is. I had never heard of this book until Annie brought it home from the library a couple weeks ago.

A couple years ago, Annie developed a fascination with the Salem Witch Trials...a fascination I fully related to--remembering the days when I was her age. But truthfully, it's a fascination I never quite outgrew...I just don't actively seek out new books on the subject these days. But it was, for example, with great joy that I got to introduce Annie to The Crucible a couple years back. :)

But what is it that makes the horrible events of this time so intriguing? For me, I think it's the myriad of unanswered questions. We will never truly know the motivations of these young girls. What resulted because of their actions is unforgivable. But why? Why would they do what they did? Why would they send innocent people to their deaths? Why why why?

Wicked Girls is yet another speculative journey into the minds of the young accusers. Written in free verse style, it read unlike any other novelization of these events I've encountered. It wasn't all that long ago that novels in verse made me quite wary, but with a handful now under my belt, I can honestly say that I quite enjoy the form.

Hemphill told the story through the voices of three of the "afflicted"--Mercy Lewis, Ann Putnam Jr., and Mary Walcott (called Margaret in the book). And they are definitely three distinct voices. With three different backgrounds. With three different probable futures. All of these things are explored, not overtly but subtlely, as we watch the story unfold. It is easy to see how all of these things might come into play as motivations, both conscious and unconscious, for each of these girls. And the complicated and ever-changing relationships among the girls shine even more potential light on the reasons why things might have unfolded the way they did.

Perhaps what I loved most in its exploration, however, was the look at the life of women in general at this time. Hemphill doesn't come out and say, "Look, their lives sucked, so it's inevitable these girls would behave this way." Obviously, that's ridiculous. But she gives us glimpse after glimpse after glimpse into the lack of power these girls had over anything in their lives...that is, until they became revered for their ability to see witches...

It goes without saying that this is a complicated topic. And we never will know all the answers. But I think it's a good thing that we do continue to try to understand. After all, using the less literal meaning, witch hunts still occur today.

ummm...yeah...

2010-09-18T19:51:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I just deleted the sentence I was originally going to start this post with, the sentence that talked about what a truly pathetic blogger I am again proving to be. But really, what's the freakin' point of spelling out my inadequacies again, right? Yes, I'm scatterbrained, and I haven't finished a single book in over a week, and homeschooling is already kicking my rather ample ass this school-year so I can't even guess when I might next finish one...oops, I just said I wasn't going to point out my inadequacies, didn't I? Well, I only listed a few...believe me, I could go on for hours if I set my mind to it.

So, if I haven't finished a book, what the hell am I going to talk about? I have read several Poe short stories, but I'm afraid I've got some miserable sinus issues going on, and I fear if I try to write about them now, I'll be even less coherent than is normally the case. Yep, so I guess it's more blame. That library sale I mentioned at the beginning of the week...I sort of lost self-control. (Oh alright--one needs to actually have something to lose it, but let's not get technical here.) Fourteen books came home with me. (A total of 22 books between Rich and me--for only $15.50...it felt almost criminal.) And some of them come attached with blame...

*The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick. Sort of hate admitting this, but I really don't have a good reason for buying this one. The description sounds like something I could possibly enjoy...or not. Sounds like a sort of mixture of historical fiction and fantasy. I've never read anything by Sedgwick, though I already have one of his books on my shelf. *sigh* Seriously, about the best defense I can muster is that it was cheap. Oh, and it was for a good cause, right?

*Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville. Now the description on this one really did catch my notice. Another YA selection, this one revolving around the religious mania of the families of a couple of teens. Sounds like it's one of those stories that could be really good or really bad, depending on how it's told. But it *is* Jane Yolen, and the little I've read by her, I've adored. And Bruce Coville is from Syracuse, which is just down the road a piece. Yeah...I'm really stretching it for excuses here, aren't I? Should I fall back on the "it was cheap" one maybe?

*Pretty Birds by Scott Simon. I picked this up because I saw the author was Scott Simon--and I thought, "Could this possibly be the Scott Simon of NPR fame?" Well, yes indeed it was. That alone probably would have led me to buy it, just because I like the fella. But on top of that, the story sounded good...what I could glean from the nearly nonexistent description on the cover anyway. Best I can tell, it's the story of a teenage girl living in Sarajevo during the war.

*King Rat by China Mieville. I've yet to read any of his books, but I have a feeling I'm really going to like them. But to be perfection honest, this likely won't be the first I try--I *really* want to read Un Lun Dun...

*Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. And here we come to some blame. It's Chris's incredible love of her Animal, Vegetable, Miracle that even made me pick this book up off the table. Oh my, and once I picked it up and read the back, I was a goner. "...a hymn to wildness that celebrates the prodigal spirit of human nature, and of nature itself." Sorry, Chris. POINT FOR CHRIS.

*Epic by Conor Kostick. I've had this book stored away in the back of my brain for quite some time--ever since Becky first reviewed it. My first thought when reading her review was that it sounded like it might make a good book to read if I homeschool Gray in middle school. And as that is still a possibility, and simply because it sounds like an interesting book, when I saw it on the table, I snatched it right up. POINT FOR BECKY.

*Misery by Stephen King. The fact that I had to buy this book is evidence of my tendency towards fickleness. Because I used to own this book. From the time I was in high school, I bought all of King's books. But at age 33, while pregnant with Annie, I decided that I didn't need so many books crowding up our apartment. I sold all the Stephen King books I had, save The Stand. (I blame it on that whole nesting phenomenon.) So anyway, the last few years, I've been trying to reacquire all these hardbacks from library sales, etc.

*Three Days by Donna Jo Napoli. Best I can tell, and I could certainly be wrong, this isn't one of her fairy tell retellings. But it sounds good...a sort of suspense thriller for middle graders from the looks of it.

*The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I shouldn't have bought this book. Really, I shouldn't have. I'm never going to read it. Margaret Atwood scares the ever-living you-know-what out of me. The reason I did was because Eva loves it so much. But of course, Atwood doesn't scare her. Nothing scares her. Yeah, 'cause she's like a hundred quadzillion times smarter than me. *sigh* Well, at least you shall look lovely sitting on my shelves, dear book. POINT FOR EVA.

*Big Fish by Daniel Wallace. Yep, this is an easy one--Ana's fault, all the way. POINT FOR ANA.

*Possession by A.S. Byatt. I skipped down the pile to grab this next one, since it's also Ana's fault. I used to be every bit as afraid of Byatt as I was of Atwood...but Ana went to great lengths to get me past that. And I shall be forever grateful. So...one of these days...I'm really going to put my new-found faith in myself into practice and tackle this book. One day. POINT FOR ANA.

*The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. If I'm not off target here, there were several people who enjoyed this book, but it was really Amanda who got me to put this one on my wish list. And I immediately added it to my PaperbackSwap wish list, but even though it's been a while I was nowhere near getting my hands on it that way. So I was quite happy to see it stacked among the books on the library sale tables. POINT FOR AMANDA.

*The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff. I have no idea whatsoever why I bought this book. True story.

*Ordinary Ghosts by Eireann Corrigan. The title just grabbed me as I was looking through the YA tables. And the blurb sounded interesting. A bit vague, but that's okay--don't want to know too much going in, after all.

And while that finishes up the list of books from the library sale, it doesn't quite finish up all the books that made their way in this week. Just three additional ones to mention:

*The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine. A very lovely surprise which arrived in the mail a couple days ago. From my dear friend Pat, who had read it and thought that the kids and I might enjoy it. Thank you again! I can't wait for us to get to it. :)

*The Group by Mary McCarthy. My number finally came up for this one on PaperbackSwap. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you who gets the blame here, do I? Yep-- POINT FOR ANA.

*Room by Emma Donoghue. Chris made this one absolutely frickin' possible for me to resist! Impossible. Started reading it right in the store last night and despite the fact that I haven't yet gotten far, I am already hooked! POINT FOR CHRIS.

Now, if I could just finish a book...

it can no longer be avoided...

2010-09-13T20:26:00.000-04:00

I have knocked these piles of books over twice today (actually is was just the one pile that went tumbling to the floor. twice.)...they need to be dealt with. Some of these acquisitions go back as far as Chris's visit. (Honestly, I think that's part of why they're still here--I love reminders of his visit.) And of course, the acquisitions haven't stopped since then. And well, tomorrow is the first day of what is typically a really good library sale. *sigh* I believe I need aversion therapy or something.

Anyway, I apologize for this extensive list. I will try to keep my babbling to a minimum.

*Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen. Am I the only person on the planet who has never seen this movie? Could be. I'm both eager and reluctant to read it. Contradictory, I know, but life can be that way, huh?

*The Trouble With Poetry and Other Poems by Billy Collins. Poetry and I have a somewhat tough relationship. Problem is, I'm lazy. I hate having to work too hard to understand what I'm reading. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm not willing to take my time with a poem. In fact, I really don't know how to deal with poems any other way. I like to take one and read it over and over. One poem an evening is usually my limit. And sometimes that one will last me weeks with nightly readings, before I'm ready to move on. But if there's not at least one little spark right from the start, I just don't seem to have it in me to spend much more time with it. Like I said, I'm lazy. So many people seem to love Billy Collins, but I've never read his work before. I sort of feel like I should hand out a point for this book, but it's no one in particular that convinced me to give him a try...it was more like the book blogging community in general. Anyway, I hope that I will find that I have another poet with whom I can click.

*The Secret History of Fantasy edited by Peter S. Beagle. Oh come on...have you seen the collection of authors in this book?!! Neil Gaiman and Stephen King and Francesca Lia Block and Ursula Le Guin and... And not only are there tons of authors I already love, but there's tons of authors I've been dying to try (Aimee Bender, Octavia Butler, Patricia McKillip, Maureen McHugh) and short stories are ideal for dipping one's toes into new waters if you ask me. So, as you can see, I really just didn't stand a chance of walking away from this one.

*Death: The High Cost of Living by Neil Gaiman. Okay, so I'd already read this one. But I loved it ever so much that when I ran across it in the used book section of B&N, I just had to buy it. I'm sure Ana got a point for this back when I got it out of the library...but well, I'm afraid she's on the hook for this one, too. Sorry, Ana. :) POINT FOR ANA.

*The Misfits by James Howe. Uhhh, Chris...did you hand me this book in the bookstore? Seriously, my mind is drawing a complete blank here! (It sucks being old...at least that's the excuse I'm using.) I'm guessing this is your fault though, Chris...because I'm pretty sure that's when I bought it, and I definitely don't think I ever heard of it before then, and there's not even a description on the cover that would have sucked me in... So yeah, I'm just blaming you. POINT FOR CHRIS.

*The Last Boy by Robert H. Lieberman. I do remember buying this one though I'd never previously heard of it. And I know absolutely *nothing* about it. But some unexplainable thing just drew me to this book. You know, I kinda like that.

*Losing Matt Shepard: Life and Politics in the Aftermath of Anti-Gay Murder by Beth Loffreda. I don't expect this to be an easy read. But I suspect it may be a very important one.

*Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan. Another I'd never heard of. But it's a book of short stories. By a Nigerian author. And each story is supposed to be, in one way or another, about "the wisdom and resilience of children." Sounds good...hope it lives up to my expectations.

*The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster. I've wanted this one for a long time. Ever since Carl's review. Love it when blame is so easy to dole out. ;) POINT FOR CARL.

*Ray in Reverse by Daniel Wallace. This is one of those instances where blame is being placed upon someone even though I'm not sure if they've ever read the book. But see, it's Ana's love of Daniel Wallace that got me to pick this one up. If not for that, and my overwhelming trust in her taste, well, I'm sure this never even would have caught my attention. POINT FOR ANA.

*The House You Pass On the Way by Jacqueline Woodson. This is one of those books that I had on my paperbackswap wish list for ages...and then Hooray!, it became available one day and made me a very happy girl.

*Love by Toni Morrison. Oh my, I can't tell you how much I wanted this book after reading Ana's review of it. I was so excited because our library website said they had the book...but it turns out it was nowhere to be found. Paperbackswap came through for me though. And you know, I have a feeling it's going to one of those books that I'm very happy to own anyway. POINT FOR ANA.

*The Magicians by Lev Grossman. It was NPR who first alerted me to this book when it came out. I'd sort of forgotten that I'd put this one on my paperbackswap wish list, but when it became available, I decided that yeah, I still wanted to give it a shot someday. POINT FOR NPR.

*Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World's Water by Maude Barlow and Tony Clark. Came across this one when I was researching books to read for our envi sci class last year. Another that just recently became available from paperbackswap.

*The October Country by Ray Bradbury. It's Ray Bradbury--need I say more?

*Long After Midnight by Ray Bradbury. See above.

*Just An Ordinary Day by Shirley Jackson. Different author, same excuse.

*This is What I Did: by Ann Dee Ellis. No question, the blame for this one falls at Chris's feet. We were sitting, drinking our coffee in B&N, talking books. And Chris said I absolutely *had* to read this book. Rich immediately added to the wish list on his phone. And then just last week, it arrived in the mail. Not sure if he bought it for me because I miss Chris so much, or just because it's one of those incredibly sweet things he's always doing for me. Either way, I love him for it. But Chris can't escape the blame. POINT FOR CHRIS.

*Singled Out: How Two Million British Women Survived Without Men after the First World War by Virginia Nicholson. Another one of those books I just wanted so badly after reading Ana's review. But I couldn't find a copy at a good price, so I added to my paperbackswap wish list...and hoped. Well, it wasn't paperbackswap that came through, but Edward R. Hamilton Booksellers. (I'd really be curious to know just how many books this family has bought from this awesome discount bookseller over the past who-knows-how-many years.) Anyway, there it was, popping out at me from one of their recent catalogues. :D And of course, for a very good price. POINT FOR ANA.

*Polio: An American Story: The Crusade that Mobilized the Nation Against the 20th Century's Most Feared Disease by David M. Oshinsky. Just a book I picked up for school...we're hoping to do a U.S. history since 1950 course next year.

*Being Dead by Jim Crace. Is it okay to say how much I still miss you, Dewey? How often I think about you? How often I wish you were here to talk to about this or that, big or little? Well, I know you're still here in my heart. And you're certainly still here in my bookshelves, too. The blame for this one goes entirely to you. (The title of this one now gives me pause, but somehow I know you'd only come up with something clever and funny to say about it.) I hope like hell that I never run out of books to blame on you. And you know, you were one amazing friend, but you were hell on the wish list...so I'm thinking it's a safe bet that you're going to be acquiring blame for many more years to come. POINT FOR DEWEY.

*Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out edited by Loraine Hutchins and Lani Kaahumanu. I swear the social/cultural studies table in the B&N used section always has something I can't resist. Yeah, perhaps I should avoid it for a while until I actually get some of these read, huh? :P

*Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. After reading his non-fiction Eating Animals, I really, really, really wanted to try out some of Foer's fiction. But for some reason, I was still just a teensy bit intimidated. I've no idea where that intimidation came from. I adored his writing in Eating Animals. Still it took Carl's review of this book to finally push me over the edge. POINT FOR CARL.

*Sold by Patrician McCormick. I've wanted to read this one for quite some time. Ever since Annie read it, in fact. Now normally, I wouldn't worry about it...I'd figure I could go borrow it off of her shelves anytime I wanted. Problem here being that this was one she got from the library. Which I suppose I could have done as well...but it cost next to nothing at the used book store so it ended up coming home with me. POINT FOR ANNIE.

*Exit Here. by Jason Myers. Just one of those total impulse buys from the YA table in the used book section.

*Kindred by Octavia Butler. It took a lot of effort to get this book into my home. I'd explain that statement, but it's sort of a long story...and uhhh, I do think I've babbled on long enough. Despite my promises not to. Anyway, I know, thanks to Ana's review, that it will be worth those three separate trips to the bookstore to get it. :P POINT FOR ANA.

And yes!!!! I am finally done. Until tomorrow's trip to the library sale anyway...

more RIP family fun

2010-09-12T08:04:00.001-04:00

A couple nights a week, we've been gathering together in the living room and taking turns reading from Half-Minute Horrors. But last night, Gray and I planned something a bit more special. I whipped up some pumpkin brownies (many thanks to Eva--this is an absolutely delicious recipe that she turned us onto!) topped with cream cheese frosting. We poured glasses of apple cider, shut out the lights, and made everyone gather around the kitchen table where we read our stories by candlelight. Yummy food, a great atmosphere, and a wonderful little selection of stories. Last night's included a tales by Mariko Tamaki, Francine Prose, Ayelet Waldman (whom I'd never before heard of, but hers was my favorite story of the night), R.L. Stine, and Adele Griffin. There was also an incredible piece of art titled A Thousand Faces by Brian Selznick, which I love so much that I wish I could find a print for our home.

Black Hole...an acrostic follwed by rambling

2010-09-08T07:13:00.000-04:00

Things one will find in Black Hole by Charles Burns:

B - Bizarre mutations
L - Loneliness
A - Alienation
C - Creepy, yet somehow beautiful, art
K- Kainotophobia

H - Hope and hopelessness
O - Originality
L - Lots of Love--young love, obsessive love, unrequited love, sweet love
E - Epidemic

Yeah, sorry about that "k" one...I was having trouble there. Oh okay, I apologize for all of it. But good heavens...have you read this?!! It is so not an easy thing to describe...

It's a graphic novel. As in the medium of storytelling. It is also slightly graphic, as in there are naked people, sometimes having sex. It is also graphic, as in the artwork is very bold and vivid.

It's a story about growing up...you know, those teen years. It's a story about change. It's a story about figuring out who you are and where you belong.

To be perfectly honest, through about the first third of this book, I couldn't quite figure out whether or not I even liked it. For some reason, it just took a while to click with me. But once it did, I could hardly make myself put it down. And yes, I ended up liking it very much.

It felt so real, so authentic. It was set during the 70s, during those years when I too had entered my teens. Perhaps sadly :P, I related to their clothes and their hairstyles. But far more, I related to their lifestyles...hanging with friends, getting high, intense feelings of new love. Luckily, there was no sexually-transmitted virus out there causing bizarre mutations, like tails and second mouths, as there was in the book. But there was a sexually-transmitted virus out there beginning to take lives...for my high-school/college days were the early days of the AIDS epidemic.

But I hope I haven't made this sound immature and shallow. This book is not "about" teens partying. It's about navigating new territory. That new territory we all encounter as we leave childhood behind.

I found this book at turns frightening and tender and repulsive and heartbreaking. And truly, truly different from anything else I've ever read.

The Tales of E.T.A. Hoffmann...random thoughts

2010-09-07T12:09:00.001-04:00

So, how embarrassing is it that I'd never read anything by E.T.A. Hoffmann before this? Well, let me tell you, it's not nearly as embarrassing as the fact that I don't remember ever even hearing of the man before. Oh yes, I'm serious.

But on a positive note, that has now been remedied. Something I am quite happy about. See, this whole homeschooling gig does have its advantages--as in taking me out of my comfort zone. Oh yeah, and teaching me about things I probably already should have known. ;)

In this particular case, what I mean by "taking me out of my comfort zone" is making me read "old stuff." Why does this scare me so? Well, I've no freakin' idea really. Yes, I've read some "old stuff" that I've hated, that I've had a hard time understanding, that I found just plain boring. But then I've read my fair share of "new stuff" that fits those descriptions as well. And I've read plenty of "old stuff" that I've adored. So why I cling to this fear of all things written more than a hundred years ago (my technical definition of "old stuff"), I honestly couldn't say.

Yeah, yeah, yeah...but let's get on with Hoffmann here already. The Tales of E.T.A. Hoffmann (edited and translated by Leonard J. Kent and Elizabeth C. Knight) was a forced-upon-me RIP read, as I've already mentioned. But so utterly perfect for RIP it was! I was in turns reminded of Irving and Poe and Stoker. Murder and mayhem and madness and mystery. And perhaps best of all, there was ambiguity. Delicious ambiguity.

Contained in this book are seven tales, and I can't say there was a single one I did not enjoy. The first, "Ritter Gluck," is also the shortest at only ten pages. That ambiguity I mentioned...I think it first raises it head here...do we have a ghost story, or a tale of madness, or something else altogether?

The second tale is "The Golden Pot: A Modern Fairy Tale," the longest of them all at close to a hundred pages. But how to describe this one...uhhh... Okay, it's certainly fantastical. It is at times eerie. We meet witches and snakes with beautiful blue eyes. As in many of Hoffmann's tales, art and creativity play a large role. And again, there's that ambiguity...just "how" does it end?

"The Sandman" may just be my absolute favorite of the lot. And it probably most decisively embodies the RIP vibe...with tales of sinister apparitions to scare little ones, with dangerous alchemy, and with lots of creepy tidbits dealing with eyes...

Next up is "Councillor Krespel." What a sad little story this is. But I do have to admit that I really have no earthly idea what the very beginning of this story had to do with the rest of it...I almost felt as if he started writing one story but then couldn't figure out where to go with it so he decided to head in a different direction. (Note: This is very likely just me missing the obvious.)

"The Mines of Falun" is another fairly short tale...and another unsettling one. Another of my favorites. A tale of ghosts. A tale of madness. A tale of love.

And yet another of my favorite stories is "Mademoiselle de Scuderi." In my opinion, it is the most wonderfully atmospheric tale of them all. It is essentially a mystery, but a frightening, almost unearthly one. With lots of delicious bits of history thrown in. (But as much as I loved this one, I must admit that I was a tad disappointed in its ending...though not enough to change my feelings for the story overall.)

And finally, "The Doubles." Confession: I honestly didn't understand what was going on for a while in this one. But I think that was intentional on Hoffmann's part (at least that's what I'm telling myself :P). And eventually, I was able wrap my brain around it and begin to appreciate it, and enjoy it, much more fully.

So yep, all told, my first RIP book was definitely a winner.

a dose of short story peril

2010-09-06T08:19:00.000-04:00

(from M Is for Magic by Neil Gaiman)

October was in the chair, so it was chilly that evening, and the leaves were red and orange and tumbled from the trees that circled the grove. The twelve of them sat around a campfire roasting huge sausages on sticks, which spat and crackled as the fat dripped onto the burning applewood, and drinking fresh apple cider, tangy and tart in their mouths.

Thus begins "October in the Chair." And yes, as you likely gathered from the opening paragraph, this story brings us the months of the year personified. This is but one of the many things that makes this story so wonderful. (Note: Wonderful does not necessarily equal happy.) And perhaps I should say "stories," for "October in the Chair" is a story within a story. The inner story tells of a lonely little boy who runs away from home, and meets a delightful, but very different, sort of friend. Beyond that, I don't feel like I should say much...as with so many things, it's more fun to discover it for oneself.

This was absolutely the most perfect beginning to short story peril that I can imagine. While not what I would call frightening, it evoked just the perfect mood. Not pure melancholy...sort of melancholy with a twist. The atmosphere of this tale, along with the cool temperatures, pulled a few weeks into the future and I felt completely as if I was in the midst of an autumn day.

(from The Best of Roald Dahl)

On the morning of the third day, the sea calmed. Even the most delicate passengers--those who had not been seen around the ship since sailing time--emerged from their cabins and crept up onto the sun deck where the deck steward gave them chairs and tucked rugs around their legs and left them lying in rows, their faces upturned to the pale, almost heatless January sun.

A passenger ship on the Atlantic is the setting for my next RIP short story venture ("Dip in the Pool"). I admit this isn't the most likely of settings for RIP mischief...but this is Roald Dahl, and the mischief did come to pass. In the form of a calculated risk. And a risk wouldn't be a risk if things couldn't go wrong...

(from Just an Ordinary Day by Shirley Jackson)

He was taller than I had imagined him. And noisier. Here I was, all by myself, downstairs in the dormitory smoking room with my typewriter, and all of a sudden there was this terrific crash and sort of sizzle, and I turned around and there he was.

Not the way one expects to come face-to-face with the devil, is it? But in "The Smoking Room" that is exactly how our plucky heroine encounters the evil fellow. (I can't believe I just said "plucky"...but it just feels so right that I just can't bear the idea of changing it. :p) And why does the devil show up in the dormitory smoking room? Well, what does the devil always want--he wants her soul, of course. But it's not going to be as easy for him as he'd hoped...I called her plucky for a reason, after all.

I'd definitely say I lucked out with my first three short story peril choices. (Of course, the odds were pretty good, considering the authors I chose, huh?) I positively adore short stories, and I'm constantly berating myself for not making more time to read them. Yet one more reason to be grateful to Carl. Hopefully, every weekend this fall will find me enjoying a few more...

*****
Rich, Annie, and I also watched our second film for Peril on the Screen. Frenzy, another Hitchcock thriller. And we all enjoyed it quite a lot. (With the exception of a truly despicable "rape joke" that had me wanting to throw my shoe through the TV screen, that is.)

Our next viewing will probably be Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt. But that will have to wait until next weekend...as it's back to the real world for us, with tomorrow being the first day of the fall semester for Rich and Annie. (Wednesday for the boys.) The one thing I find utterly depressing about fall...

that RIP state of mind

2010-09-04T12:16:00.001-04:00

I tell you, I am just wallowing in RIP this year. Okay, I haven't actually finished a book yet... But my brain seems obsessed. And today the weather is cooperating in the most glorious way, with temps only reaching the low 60s and the wind blowing through the windows so strongly that it's *almost* a bit chilly.

Both The Tales of E.T.A. Hoffmann and Black Hole are moving along, so hopefully I will actually finish a book for the challenge soon. And the family has started our read-aloud of Half-Minute Horrors...such a fun book!!! The rest of the gang put up their RIP reading lists (Rich's, Annie's, Gray's, and Max's). Yep, Max started his own blog just so he could post his list. Gray and Annie have both already finished their first book--putting their parents to shame! (Hopefully Gray will actually post a review--but that might be asking too much.) Rich has started Dracula, and YAY, he's really loving it!

One of the things that has been the most exciting though, has been the boys' writing! Yes, Carl, we owe you a humungous thank you! It can be a real challenge to get either of the boys to write anything--but RIP has got their creative writing juices flowing. They've each written a handful of short scary stories. :D One of Max's is titled "Skeletons vs. Zombies" and it begins:

They came up from the grave one night. They fought for ten years...

Sorry, I just had to share that--it just makes me smile. And Gray wrote this story about stuffed animals that I must admit really creeped me out a bit.

And last night, Rich, Annie, and I decided to start on a mini-Hitchcock movie stretch. (Many thanks to Kate for suggesting Hitchcock in the comments when I asked for suggestions. I can't believe I hadn't thought of it myself!) Last night we watched Psycho. It was Annie's first time seeing it, and she really loved it! Tonight, we'll likely watch Frenzy...haven't seen old Dicko in a while. And this movie watching also allows me the time to work on a bit of RIP crafting. :) I'll share soon what my little crochet hook is up to these days.

another three for the win column...some random thoughts

2010-09-02T17:35:00.001-04:00

I've been on a small comics binge lately. I already talked a bit about Foiled, so I won't include that here, but really so many of the similarities I noticed between these books would also apply to that one as well. So what books am I talking about?

*I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly
*Bayou (vol. 1) by Jeremy Love
*Neil Young's Greendale by Joshua Dysart

On the surface, these books could not be more different. And yet, for some reason, their similarities jumped out at me. Maybe because these commonalities were all things that made these books so special.

1. Each of these books has a lovely young heroine. Not heroine as in "rides in on white horse and saves the day." But in my mind, heroines all, nonetheless. There is 10-year-old Barbara from I Kill Giants...and Lee, whom I'm guessing is slightly younger, from Bayou...and from Greendale, 17-year-old Sun. To various extents, we see each of them facing very real fears. Their fears and challenges are different, and the way they approach them is different. But I found myself feeling deep respect for each of them.

2. Though each approach varied, fantasy played a part in each of these books. And played its part quite well, I might add.

3. Each of these books contained beautiful art. The artists' styles were certainly different, but I loved them all. (Okay, I admit it--the art in Bayou is definitely my favorite, but I do love them all.) Here's a taste of each one:

I Kill Giants/artist JM Ken Niimura

Bayou/artist Jeremy Love

Neil Young's Greendale/artist Cliff Chiang

4. Each book deals with important issues. Trauma (I don't want to be more specific and possibly spoil it for anyone), racism, environmental issues and war. Both I Kill Giants and Bayou broke my heart, brought tears. Powerful stuff, for sure.

I'm not quite sure, but I think I may read Black Hole by Charles Burns next. While I'm open to all possibilities, I'm just sort of guessing that it's not going to remind me so much of these ones.

Last Chance to See...random thoughts

2010-08-31T21:48:00.001-04:00

Last Chance To See by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine.

Let me just say this to start with: There is no way on Earth that I am going to be able to put into words how amazing this book is.

I'm not even sure how to describe this book. Non-fiction--well yes, that's easy. Natural science--yep. Travelogue--yeah, sort of. Humorous--most definitely. Serious--again, most definitely.

Briefly, Douglas Adams (yes, the Douglas Adams) and Mark Carwardine, a zoologist, head out on a mission to find and document some of the world's rarest animal species. They travel to Indonesia to see Komodo dragons...China to see blind river dolphins...Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) to see mountain gorillas and white rhinos...New Zealand to see kakapos...the islands of Mauritius to see Rodrigues fruit bats (though they learn of the even worse outlook of the some of the islands rare birds, thus changing the focus of that visit). They encounter spectacular environments and meet some very interesting folks who have dedicated their lives to trying to save these species.

(Note: This book was published in 1990, so the status of some of these incredible animals has changed. In fact, here is a website with updates. However, the fact that this book is twenty years old, in my opinion, does not for a second take away from its awesomeness. It is still a powerful, important look at the subject of biodiversity loss.)

I have to admit something--I was just a tad wary of reading this book. Because I knew that the book was supposedly quite humorous. My brain just screamed out at this idea..."Why the hell would anyone want to write a humorous book about such an incredibly sad subject?!!!" Well, you know what, I'm not sure anyone else could have written this book, and managed to convey with such respect and honesty and reverence, the seriousness of the potential loss of these beautiful species. And yes, he did it in the most hilarious way imaginable. My brain told me this approach could not possibly work...but reading is believing.

It's sort of strange. I know many people go positively ga-ga over dolphins. But I'm not one of them. Don't get me wrong--I have nothing at all against them. I have a deep love and respect for all animals. (Okay, it's a bit harder to love mosquitoes than it is most other animals, but I'm sure you know what I mean.) But dolphins don't capture my imagine the way some other animals do. Anyway, that is why it surprised me somewhat that it was the story of the Baiji, the Yangtze river dolphin, that hit me the hardest, that twisted my insides, that made the tears flow most freely. These beautiful creatures, which now are functionally extinct, were nearly blind...they had no need of sight because the Yangtze is such a muddy river that sight was of no benefit. They relied on their other senses, especially their sonar for navigation and feeding. And this served them just fine until too many people with too many "advanced" vessels began crowding the river. The fact that they have essentially disappeared is heart-breaking. But so is the picture of how these last generations had to live their lives:

As I watched the wind ruffling over the bilious surface of the Yangtze, I realised with the vividness of shock that somewhere beneath or around me there were intelligent animals whose perceptive universe we could scarcely begin to imagine, living in a seething, poisoned, deafening world, and that their lives were probably passed in continual bewilderment, hunger, pain, and fear.

It's hard to believe that this book contains humor after reading that, huh? But it does. In massive doses. For me, some of this humor hit close to home, being married to a biologist. For example:

One of the characteristics that laymen find most odd about zoologists is their insatiable enthusiasm for animal droppings. I can understand, of course, that the droppings yield a great deal of information about the habits and diets of the animals concerned, but nothing quite explains the sheer glee that the actual objects seem to inspire.

You might think he's exaggerating there. He ain't. Proof:

Yep, that's what you think it is. Biologist husband actually collects poop (though he, of course, uses the term "scat" to keep it all on the scientific up-and-up), shellacs it, and then stores it in jars. (And don't worry, I promise you, most of Adams's humor is directed at subjects a little less unseemly. :P)

Well, as predicted, I didn't even come close to doing this book justice. And that's a darn shame.

*****
Many thanks to Ana--it was her incredible review that made me pick up this book to start with, and for that I am quite grateful.

RIP--RIP--RIP--RIP...

2010-08-30T20:54:00.000-04:00

Makes a nice little cheer, doesn't it? Sorry. Can't help myself--just too darn excited. But hey, I know I'm not alone on this one!

Yep, the oh-so-amazing challenge king, and even more importantly, oh-so-amazing person and friend, Carl, has officially announced RIP V!!!!

Here in the Stevens household, we've been talking about RIP for weeks now. And we've all decided to join in the fun. (Well, those of us who are literate, that is. Unfortunately, Liz, who is probably exemplifies the spirit of RIP better than any of us mere humans (she's a tarantula), simply can't read.)

Carl has made it as easy as can be for everyone to join. After all, it's not about number of books read, it's all about having fun! And if ever a host can make a challenge fun, well yeah, we all know it's Carl! :D Anyway, there are a number of "levels" of participation. And he's bringing back one of my favorite things with the Short Story Peril. And if that wasn't enough, there's also Peril on the Screen this year!

Do I sound hyper? If so, I apologize...but I *am* hyper...I just get this way when I'm really excited. And I'm really excited right now! Tell me, everyone actually gets this way, don't they?

Okay...onto the "pools of peril." And well, if you know me at all, you already know that I am a woman of excesses. In just about every aspect of my life. And putting together book lists is certainly no exception. I tried to weed these down. In fact, I *did* weed them down...they were about twice as long an hour ago. But this was as far I could go. I want to leave my options open. You know, because Carl would probably come up with some horrendous form of torture if I dared read a book that wasn't in my official pool. ;)

I'm planning on shooting for Peril the First...which involves reading four deliciously creepy books. My pool:

*Tamsin by Peter Beagle
*Brains by Robin Becker
*The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (this would be a reread, but it's such a perfect little book for this challenge)
*Black Hole by Charles Burns
*Fledgling by Octavia Butler
*The Monsters of Morley Manner by Bruce Coville
*Locke & Key by Joe Hill
*The Tales of E.T.A. Hoffmann (I'm actually already reading, and loving, this one)
*The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
*The Promises of Dr. Sigmundus: The Hollow People by Brian Keaney
*I Have the Right to Destroy Myself by Young-Ha Kim
*The Wyvern Mystery by Sheridan Le Fanu
*A Nameless Witch by A. Lee Martinez
*Sunshine by Robin McKinley
*From Hell by Alan Moore
*Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
*Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge
*Whose Body by Dorothy L. Sayers
*The Lords of Misrule by John Tomlinson
*Nightmares & Fairy Tales: Once Upon a Time... by Serena Valentino
*Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
*House of Mystery: Room & Boredom by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham

Okay, I've got so many books I want to pull short stories from...in fact, I had a harder time weeding this list down than I did the above list. I think I only managed to put back about a quarter of this original pile.

*Half-Minute Horrors edited by Susan Rich
*M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman
*Everything's Eventual by Stephen King
*Nocturnes by John Connolly
*The Best of H.P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre
*The Museum of Dr. Moses by Joyce Carol Oates
*Just an Ordinary Day by Shirley Jackson
*The Best of Roald Dahl
*The Portable Poe edited by Philip Van Doren Stern
*Troll's Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
*The Haunted Looking Glass edited by Edward Gorey
*The 13 Best Horror Stories of All Time edited by Leslie Pockell
*Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales edited by Deborah Noyes
*Stories of Terror and Madness From the Borderlands edited by Elizabeth E. and Thomas F. Monteleone

Well, at least this is a short list. :P Mostly because we don't own many movies. Nor do we generally watch many. Not because we don't like to...it just seems hard to carve out that big a patch of time to do anything. (Fall is just a busy time around here.) But I'd really, really like to try to watch a handful of appropriate movies this season. And I'd sooooo appreciate it if anyone has any suggestions--especially for some older classics. But anything's good. :)

*The Nightmare Before Christmas
*Halloween

Thank you once again, Carl, for making autumn all the more incredible!!!

I've been reading...

2010-08-28T15:55:00.001-04:00

...but I've been acquiring even faster. Uh yeah, like that's anything new.

I. Must. Stop. Buying. Books.

*sigh* Not only is that a sad, sad, sad thought...it's also psychologically painful. It's like quitting smoking...god, and look what happened then--I gained 4,000 pounds.

Okay, avoidance time...no more searching for solutions right now. Let me just get on to showing off my goodies and being gleeful in the knowledge that I can now pick up and read any one of these books whenever I so choose.

The Wave by Todd Strasser. Wow, but this book sounds so good! It seems like a book I should have heard of before, but I never have. It's nice and short, so I hope I can get to it soon. I'm also sort of excited because it sounds like it would be a great book to read with Gray if I homeschool him for middle school.

Outside the Dog Museum by Jonathan Carroll. I've wanted to read something by Carroll ever since reading Ana's review of Voice of Our Shadow. But back when she wrote that review I couldn't find a reasonably priced copy of it and sadly, our library didn't have it. But when I saw this in the used book section, I simply couldn't resist. I didn't even read the cover to find out what it was about. I'm just trusting Ana's taste in authors here. And well, the title definitely caught my attention, too. POINT FOR ANA.

Where the God of Love Hangs Out by Amy Bloom. This is another collection of Bloom's short stories. Another book found in B&N's used book section. I suspect if this book had been there the week before, it would be appearing on Chris's Bad Blogger post instead of here. ;)

Touch by Francine Prose. Yep, another from the used book section. This one from the YA shelves. Honestly, I'm a bit nervous about reading this book. I'd never heard of it before, but the cover blurb caught my attention. Why am I nervous? From the sounds of the topic, this book could either be very good...or it could be a horrible disaster. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Forest Born by Shannon Hale. Nearly every time I've gone to a book store in the past year, I've looked to see if this has come out in paperback yet. I still don't think it has, has it? But I was very, very excited to find it in the used book section. Now, if I only get around to reading River Secrets, I can move on to this one, huh? :P Actually, I'd really love to start the whole series over...I so love The Goose Girl!

A God Somewhere by John Arcui, Peter Snejbjerg, and Bjarne Hansen. Okay, so I don't exactly know what this book is all about, I'm still wildly excited that Rich so sweetly got it for me! I started reading this graphic novel one night at B&N, and was thoroughly engrossed. Unfortunately, the price was a bit steep so it didn't come home with me then. But Rich found it online for a much better price...and now it's mine. All mine. :)

The Stand: Soul Survivors by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Another I have to thank that incredibly sweet guy I married for. He knew I wanted it but wouldn't shell out the cash for it...so he just got it for me.

The Murder Room by Michael Capuzzo. Yep, another that Rich just bought for me out of the blue. We actually heard about it NPR one day, and he knew it was right up my alley. POINT FOR NPR.

Neil Young's Greendale by Joshua Dysart and Cliff Chiang.I wanted this soooooo much from the first time I stumbled across it in the bookstore. Again, I was too stingy to shell out new book prices. But during a trip to Borders with Chris, we learned something about each other--we can both be extremely stubborn. ;) Yes, my much-loved friend insisted on buying this for me. And yay!!! I'm going to start reading it tonight. I am so freakin' excited!!!!

Well, I'd planned on just getting through this whole darn pile of books here, but I'm really tired of working on this so I think we'll just call this a post. Maybe I'll get to the rest tomorrow. Maybe not.

book gushing and blame

2010-08-26T14:09:00.002-04:00

I'll start with the gushing. :) I read Foiled by Jane Yolen last night. I know a few different people who have read this, with somewhat mixed results. But I'm happy to report that I fall squarely in the "I adored this book!" camp. I stayed up past my bedtime finishing it. And then I immediately had to get on the computer to try to find out when the second book was coming out. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the answer. All I know is that I want it NOW!!! And then I had to email Chris to gush because I knew he'd understand. Heck, I was tempted to wake Gray up to talk to him about it, too, but I managed to stop myself. ;)

So what did I love so much about this book?

1. Aliera. Socially awkward, tremendously talented, incredibly authentic.

2. The art. Wow, Mr. Cavallaro...you are an amazing artist!

3. The black/white vs. color concept.

4. The ways it reminded me so much of Gray...fencing, social anxiety, role-playing...yeah, it's no wonder he loved this book, too.

5. The ending! Oh, oh, oh...what can I say...I utterly adored the turn this story took! It's not that it was totally unexpected--after all, it is Jane Yolen writing, right? And she gave subtle hints throughout the book. But still, it delighted me to no end. :D

Yep, another one for the win column.

*****
I don't actually want to combine my rambling about books with a blame post. But with so many books sitting here on the computer table waiting to be put away, I figured I'd go ahead and deal with a few more.

Sweetness and Light: The Mysterious History of the Honeybee by Hattie Ellis. (Sorry for the blurry image.) This is one that Rich and I sort of bought together, as we both love bees. In fact, I think if we were more of a honey-loving family, we'd really be tempted to try beekeeping. Anyway, if I have a correct feel for the book, it examines not just the honeybee but also human relationships with this incredible animal. Sort of a blend of biology, human history, and natural history.

When She Was White: The True Story of a Family Divided by Race by Judith Stone. This is the story of Sandra Laing, born to Afrikaner parents in South Africa during apartheid. She was officially registered as "white" and was sent to a boarding school exclusively for whites. There she was persecuted for her brown skin, and was eventually kicked out of the school and reclassified as "coloured" (mixed race). Her parents fought this ruling, and the law was eventually changed and Sandra officially became "white" again. This book follows not only Sandra's story as a child and as an adult, but it also looks at the cruelty and the insanity of apartheid. I added this book to my wish list in the days before I started keeping track of where I first heard of them, but I'm fairly certain it was on NPR. POINT FOR NPR.

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci. No question who gets the blame for this one! It's been on my wish list ever since I read Ana's review! The only thing that makes no sense is why it took me so long to buy it! :) POINT FOR ANA.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. There's a bit of blame sharing to be done on this one. Despite the fact that I'm a little intimidated by this book, I've wanted to read it for a long time simply because Dewey loved it so much. It's been on my paperbackswap wish list for what seems like forever. And you know, I was finally starting to get close to the top of the list. But then Ana read and reviewed it, and I found my patience had simply run out. ;) I simply had to buy it! POINTS FOR DEWEY AND ANA.

The Unwritten: Inside Man (vol. 2) by Mike Carey and Peter Gross. (Simply could not find the cover image that graces my copy anywhere.) So Ana, I'm really sorry--I realize this seems a tad unfair, but I'm blaming you for this one, too. It's your fault I bought the first volume, because of your incredible review. If I had read the first one and then had to buy the second, I wouldn't shoulder you with the blame. But since I haven't actually read it yet (sorry Kelly!), the fact is that I trust you so much that I knew I had to buy this one, too. See it is your fault! POINT FOR ANA.

Okay, that makes a tiny dent in this embarrassing pile anyway. But there's plenty more blame to come. :)

Well, that makes a teeny dent in this embarrassing pile...but there's plenty more blame to come...

out of control...

2010-08-25T17:22:00.006-04:00

Hmmm...that title could really refer to so much of my life. ;) But in this case, we're talking about that whole book accumulation problem that I seem unable to conquer. Not that long ago, I decided to stop worrying about it. Well, ummmm...I'm thinking that may not have been a wise decision. I never thought worrying about it did me much good. But after a few weeks of not worrying...yikes.

I have upwards of thirty books sitting here since my last acquisition post. (I went and checked--that was on August 14th, less than two weeks ago. And yes, that was on my everyday-ish sort of blog. But I decided that this is the more appropriate place, so I've moved the blame game tallies over here.) Anyway, it seems quite obvious to me that *something* needs to be done! Another book buying ban...perhaps. We'll see.

In the meantime, I need to get caught up on assigning blame here. And with this many books to account for, I think I'll just break this up into three or four separate posts. And this first one, well, it's devoted entirely to Chris! I swear, I have a hard enough time resisting picking up every book he talks about on his blog...so one can imagine what it was like having him there with me in the bookstores!!! And he wasn't even subtle about it--there he was just picking up books and putting them into my greedy little hands. *sigh* It was not a pretty sight (except in the opinion of the bookstore owners, that is).

Treasure Box and Magic Street by Orson Scott Card. And yes, I admit that it gives me pause to even buy his books used. And Chris and I talked a lot about that whole separating the author and his beliefs thing. I still have incredibly mixed feelings--the man's views make me sick to my stomach, and yet his book Ender's Game meant so much to me. Such a sticky wicket. :(

Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers. I had been perfectly content to start her books with Strong Poison. I was just going to follow Ana's lead and read the ones with Harriet Vane. Yeah, until Chris began with the meddling, that is. ;) He convinced me that I really should start at the beginning...that this was a really good book...and of course, it came home with me.

The Less-Dead by April Lurie. I've been wanting this one so badly ever since Chris reviewed it months ago. Every time I went to the library, I looked for it but it was always checked out. And then one day, Rich took Annie to the library for her volunteering instead of me...and wouldn't you know Annie managed to find it and check it out. So it was actually in our house at the time I bought it, but I snatched it up anyway for fear I wouldn't get to read it before it needed to be returned to the library.

Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer by Steven Millhauser. Well, it was because of Chris that I read Millhauser's Enchanted Night. And while I genuinely enjoyed that book, it didn't automatically make me want to pick up this one. I know how lame this sounds, but something about the title of this book just failed to excite me. Chris, of course, informed me of the error of my ways...and thus, this book now resides in my home.

Come to Me by Amy Bloom. Now I fully admit that I've been wanting to try some of Bloom's fiction ever since reading and loving her non-fiction work, Normal. However, I feel no guilt whatsoever is laying the blame for the purchase squarely on Chris. This is another one of those books that he literally pulled from the shelf and stuck in my hands. (Not that I'm complaining, mind you. :D)

Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima. Another one's that's been on my wish list since Chris reviewed it...and another one Chris managed to pull off the shelf in the used book store for me.

Postcards from No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers. I honestly don't remember ever even hearing of this book before, despite the fact that it's a Carnegie Medal winner. Again, Chris pulled this one off the shelf for me, and I must say, it does sound amazing!

So, what do we have there? Eight books = Eight points. Good thing I love you so much, dear friend. :D

Unwind...random thoughts

2010-08-24T15:38:00.001-04:00

I finished up Unwind a few weeks back, but I never really added my final thoughts here. Though I wonder if I even need to...I suspect this one is going to stick with me.

I love this book. Is it perfect? No. But it had so much to offer...

My favorite--questions. It asked so many questions. Not flat-out asked them, of course. But it made me ask them to myself. Even better--it didn't try to tell me the answers.

Of course, there's the whole issue that sets up the book, abortion. But even here, it doesn't so much focus on the idea that abortion is "right" or "wrong"...instead it explores a number of possible scenarios that could arise if abortion was made illegal. Actually, I'm not wording that correctly, but I can't quite figure out how to say what I mean without giving things away.

But that's only one of the intriguing roads this book takes. There are also questions like, "what does it mean to be alive?" and "when does one label an act of violence as terrorism?" and...honestly, I could go on an on. Really, there's just so much to this book. But I swear, it's not overdone. And all these multitude of issues meld together remarkably well.

Control of one's own body...war...religion...terrorism...parental rights and responsibilities...

And you know what--it's just a damn compelling story, too! My heart pounded in fear for characters I loved, and I cried big fat tears for a character I hated.

Oh, and one more thing...I mentioned in an earlier post that I wasn't sure I bought into the brief explanation that sort of sets up the whole book, but that I could set that aside. Well, Chris told me that things were eventually explained a bit more. They were, and yes, I'm going to have to agree with him that even this explanation is questionable. But it really did add a bit more credibility to the story overall. And actually, it provided one of the many passages in this book that just made my heart ache:

"...You see, a conflict always begins with an issue--a difference of opinion, an argument. But by the time it turns into a war, the issue doesn't matter anymore, because now it's about one thing and one thing oly: how much each side hates the other..."

Anyway, many thanks to Annie and to Chris for making this book sound so intriguing. I owe you.

two books in one day

2010-08-22T14:53:00.002-04:00

Can you believe I finished two books yesterday? When's the last time that happened?!! Of course, I'm not fooling anyone, am I? Obviously, I'm not talking major tomes here. But then, size is not a measure of quality, is it?

First off, I finished pixerina WITCHERINA edited by Bill Conger. I really enjoyed it, but I also feel like I need to read it again. It's an interesting little book--part art book, part essays. It's based on an art exhibition curated by Bill Conger at Illinois University.

From their gallery archives comes this brief description of the exhibit itself:

Pixerina Witcherina consists of works by women who address transformative forces, mythic location, and fairy-tale influence. Taking its title from an imaginary language that Virginia Woolf created to converse secretly with her niece, the work in Pixerina Witcherina transforms the representational assumptions of the narrative into whimsically abstracted visual yarns that thrive on a sense of storytelling.

(The link also provides a few examples of the art that was featured.)

The book, however, is more than just a simple collection of photos of the art featured in the exhibit. It includes three essays, all of which to some degree speak to the "roles of women" in fairy tales. And to some degree, each uses various pieces of art, both from the exhibit and from other sources, to illustrate their points. My favorite of the essays was probably "Invocations of Fairy Tales" by Maria Tatar, but I also liked Jan Susina's "Straw Into Gold: The Transforming Nature of Fairy Tales and Fairy Art" a great deal. The essays, and the art from the exhibit for that matter, have a very feminist leaning. But as I said earlier, I'd really like to read the essays again because I know, without question, that I will glean even more from them the second, and probably the third and fourth, time around. I'm going to have Annie read this for our upcoming literature course, and am really looking forward to discussing the essays with her. (But you know what I really wish? That Ana could join us...because then I know we would gain much more insight into both the essays and into the subject of "women in fairy tales" in general.)

Oh, and I just had to share this, my favorite of the art pieces from the exhibition:

The Language of Flowers by Margaret Curtis.

(Source.)

Hmmm. Well, I fully intended on talking about both books here in this post, but I've just run out of steam. Besides, this leaves me something to post about tomorrow.

here I am, dear blog, just like I said I'd be

2010-08-20T21:49:00.004-04:00

And I hope I'm on track to check in with you a bit more regularly now. But you know I really can't make any promises...I'm just not that good at keeping my act together.

Want to hear something that perpetually amazes me? That I have these incredibly intelligent, articulate friends...and they actually want to talk to me. Yeah me. Me, who struggles just to put sentences together. Forget eloquent and insightful. It's a party around here when I can manage coherent.

Case in point, dear blog, this comment from Jason after my last little chat with you:

I've done that with books before - sometimes you reach the end, and it all makes you glad you've read it - like you're a sadder, but wiser person, you know? Other times you get to the end and just feel like you ate too many cookies - like you're sick to your stomach and in retrospect really didn't even enjoy yourself. :/

Seriously, could he have said that any more perfectly?!! No, I think not. (And yes, I do admit to being envious of my wonderful, well-spoken friends like Jason and Ana for their ability to just grab ahold of these ideas and lay them out there in beautiful fashion. For me these ideas dance around the edges of my mind, seldom coming together with such clarity no matter how hard I struggle to synthesize them. And then I'll read what they have to say, and will be left simply thinking, "Exactly. Yes, that's it exactly.") Anyway, at the time I wrote that last entry, the one that elicited his comment, I was still clueless as to which way it was going to end with Shadow Man. But now having finished the book, I'm happy to say the experience falls in the sadder, wiser category. I won't claim that it's in any deeply profound way. But this book gave me an excruciatingly painful look at some very real human emotions. It's not that I haven't thought about how difficult it must be to live when you spend your time hunting down evil, because I have. But I don't know, this powerful work of fiction somehow made it all so real.

I still don't know if this happened because this book is so very different from other thrillers I've read or if it's because I'm a different reader. I'm guessing it's both. Because I really have changed as a reader. And it's been such a change for the good. And it's thanks to my wonderful book blogging friends. It's not that my nature has changed, or my beliefs have changed...it's just that I've grown. In so many ways. I love the way that reading other people's thoughts about books expands my world. Seriously, my universe seems infinitely larger than it was just a few years ago.

So, ridiculous-sounding or not, I think that I just may have the book blogging world to thank for the intensity of my experience with this book. In the end, I loved it. It was disturbing. It was heartbreaking. It was horrifying. And yet, as Jason put it, it left me "a sadder, but wiser person"...and I can live with that.

And along with the compelling story, and characters that I grew to love, and that unique look at human experience, there were also just these little tidbits that somehow spoke to me. Little tidbits like these:

Jenny is quiet for a few moments after this. When she speaks, it's a single word, but it's filled with everything she wants me to know. "Fuck."

Fuck that, and fuck the world, and injustice, and what happened to you, and your daughter dying, and kids getting killed in general, and fuck it all till it's dead and buried and turned to dust and the dust is gone forever. That's what she's saying.

-----
A large part of being a parent is a constant near certainty that you are screwing it up...

(This was not said as a joke, but in complete seriousness...and with complete seriousness, I tend to agree.)

-----
And, surprise--tears. I thought I was done with them. Maybe it's a good thing. I don't ever want to be unaffected by kindness, whether from strangers or from friends.

So bottom line, dear blog, I'm going to put this one in the win column.

hello, poor neglected blog

2010-08-15T09:45:00.000-04:00

So life just got busy. On top of that, there was this damn reading slump. I figured we'd get together next week...and I'd try to make sure we had coffee together on a much more regular basis. But dear blog, I just had to talk to you this morning. See, I'm reading this book, Shadow Man, and it's really getting to me. It's one of those serial killer, psychological thriller type books. I've probably read hundreds of this type of book over my many years on the planet. But I've never had one get to me like this one.

Yes, it's incredibly intense. It's disturbing. In fact, it's just *too* disturbing. Last night as I was reading, I ended up in tears twice. The first time because of a brutal act aimed at one of the FBI agents, involving his pet. The second because of a packet of horrible, misogynist, ugly rantings printed from the Internet and sent to the FBI agents. But see, the thing is, this ugliness isn't gratuitous...it is a real part of the overall story. And the story is so compelling.

And this book is different from other thrillers I've read in that I'm so invested in the characters. Last night wasn't the first time I've cried while reading this book either. But the first time, I cried because of the internal pain of one of the characters. I'm not sure I've ever done that before. Cried during a book, well, sure. But not during this type of book. Which maybe says something about trying to simply categorize books into neat little categories. As I said, this book is just gut-wrenchingly disturbing...but it's so much more than that.

I feel like I'm being ripped in two...between loving this book and hating this book. I can't explain how that's even possible, but it's true. I have this overwhelming desire to just get this book out of the house...and yet I know that I can't possibly stop reading it now, I just have to know what happens to the characters. I really have to know.

So, is this book really so different from all the other psychological thrillers I've read in the past? Or am I a different reader than I used to be when this type of book was my normal fare? Perhaps it's both.

Anyway, thanks for listening, dear blog. Especially after how horribly I've been treating you lately.

I can't believe how little I got read...

2010-07-29T11:24:00.000-04:00

...though not because I usually read more than this or anything. In fact, many days I read a lot less. No, the thing is that I'm totally sucked into Unwind...it's so distracting, because I find myself thinking about it and wanting to pick it up all the time. But thus far, I've been good and stuck with getting my work done instead of ditching it all and just curling up with this book until I finish it. Anyway, yesterday I managed another 45 pages in it. For me, it's one of those books that isn't perfect, there are some definite flaws in my mind, and yet I'm thoroughly enjoying it anyway. :)

*****
And in the dangerous world of blog-reading, these books have been added to my wish list:

*Love's Executioner by Irvin D. Yalom (thanks to Chris' heartfelt review...dang, I meant to look to see if the library had this when I was there this morning)
*No Place Left to Bury the Dead by Nicole Itano (thanks to Eva's glowing review of what sounds like an incredible book)

*****
And what I'm dying to read from our own shelves (shelf #2):

*Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden
*The Homecoming by Ray Bradbury
*The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
*The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
*The Sisters Grimm: The Usual Suspects by Michael Buckley
*Northlander: Tales of the Borderlands by Meg Burden
*Black Hole by Charles Burns
*Fledgling by Octavia Butler
*Mijeong by Byun Byung-Jun
*The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey and Peter Gross

Like last time, if you could please help me maybe weed this list down a bit, I would greatly appreciate it. Tell me which ones you think I should leave on, and I will strike the rest off (with the exception of one I get to pick myself).

perhaps I should change the name

2010-07-28T09:21:00.000-04:00

Of this blog, that is. Because I'm doing a lousy job of keeping up here on a "day-to-day" basis. Of course, I won't really--it's still fulfilling its purpose of giving me a place to record my personal reading journeys.

So, in the past two days...I read another 56 pages in Scrapbook Page Maps (and am still unsure as to whether this will make the "keeper" pile), only another 9 pages in Last Chance to See, and a mere 6 pages in Shadow Man.

But I did start a new book. Bad, bad, bad me!!! My pathetic story: Rich and I went out to buy new towels last night (our old ones are literally falling apart--not surprising seeing how they are over ten years old). Anyway, being so close to Borders, we decided to pop in, grab a coffee, and relax a bit. But I was just in one of those finicky moods where I couldn't find anything I wanted to look at while we sat in the cafe. Well, with Chris' review fresh in my mind, I decided to go grab Unwind and just read the first few pages. I'd already decided it was going to be my next read after finishing Shadow Man anyway. And I promised myself that when we went home, it was right back to Shadow Man, and Unwind would have to wait. Yeah, easy to see where this is going, huh? Yep, I'm a big fat liar...we weren't home for five minutes before I was down grabbing Unwind off Annie's shelf. I apparently just can't be trusted.

But at 54 pages in, I am absolutely loving this book! The whole concept (abortion being made illegal, with the caveat that teens from the ages of 13 to 17 can be "unwound"--that is, they are taken apart and all their body parts go on "living" as organ transplants--if their parents so choose for any reason) is just so thoroughly disturbing, but thus far, the book is not graphic in any way. I do somewhat question the point where it all began--years ago with the Second Civil War (fought solely over reproductive rights) and the constitutional amendments that were passed to end the war to the satisfaction of both sides. See, what I question is why the pro-choice side would agree to the terms...as they really do nothing to protect a woman's rights over her body and yet all responsibility is still laid fully on women. I'm just having a hard time seeing what was gained for the pro-choice side. It just doesn't sound plausible to me. I have a feeling, though I could obviously be wrong, that this isn't even going to be talked about in the book...that the Second Civil War and the resulting constitutional amendments are just the set-up for the story. And I guess I can live with that...the story is so incredibly intriguing! It may just be one of those incongruous things that I have to set aside to enjoy the book. (And then again, maybe I'm wrong and this will be discussed later in the book, bringing up points I haven't considered.) Anyway, I fear there's no stopping me now--I will be reading this book right alongside my other reads, instead of waiting like I'd promised myself I'd do. Oh well. :P

But on a "I'm proud of myself" note--neither Rich nor I has bought a book for ourselves the last three times we've been in a bookstore!

*****
And in the dangerous world of blog-reading, these have been added to my wish list:

*Love by Toni Morrison (thanks to Ana's amazing review, which literally left me in tears)
*The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander (thanks to Eva's fun "cold reading" post)
*Terra Incognita by Sara Wheeler (as above)

slow but gratifying day in the bookish realm

2010-07-26T10:29:00.006-04:00

Okay, so yesterday didn't see a lot of reading happening on my part...but it was a wonderful day in my own personal book world anyway. Because of this! Yes, I finally finished reorganizing and super-cleaning the library...and I so love how it looks!

Only managed 15 pages in Last Chance to See, 23 pages in Shadow Man, and 29 pages in Scrapbook Page Maps (a book I just started yesterday). Yep, I'm on a scrapbooking reading binge right now--mainly because I had this huge stack of scrapbooking mags, with a few books thrown in, sitting on the library floor unread. I needed to get them cleared out of there, so they got moved to our bedroom. But I want to get them read before the major bedroom overhaul begins. (For whatever reason, likely because I'm neurotic, I never like to actually put them in my scrapbook area until I read them and decide whether I actually want to keep them or not. Yep, neurotic.)

*****
And since I added no books to my wish list yesterday, and because I'm so thrilled with our library reorganization and I'll use any excuse at all to be in there, I decided to start making myself a list of all the books I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to read from our own shelves. Obviously, if they're on my shelves, I want to read them...but I'm going to concentrate on the ones that are calling my name the loudest. I've mentally divided the library into "shelf numbers," so I'll just do a shelf a day.

What I'm dying to read from our own shelves (shelf #1):
*Origin by Diana Abu-Jaber (Eva)
*Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie (Eva)
*Skellig by David Almond (Vivienne, Amanda)
*Feed by M.T. Anderson
*Looking for Bapu by Anjali Banerjee (Eva, Amanda, Chris)
*The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak
*Brains by Robin Becker
*Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski (my choice)

Edited: Since I'm going to still end up with quite an unmanageable list of books I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to read, I've decided to whittle down each list further by using my wonderful friends' recommendations. (Thanks for sparking this idea, Eva!) And maybe by allowing myself to choose one book all on my own, too. The books that end up stricken will be the ones no one tells me I must read.

nearly a week's worth...

2010-07-25T11:27:00.000-04:00

and it still doesn't add up to much. :P

I finally got back to Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine, and read 91 pages. I hadn't meant to set it aside exactly. But Annie needed to read it for school a few months back, and well, I just never got back to it after she'd finished. Ahhh, but I am so glad to be reading it again--I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I plan to talk about it when I finish it, because some books just deserve to be gushed over.

I read a scrapbooking book this week--We Dare You: Scrapbook Challenges about Real Life (117 pages). As far as scrapbooking books go, this one is just completely awesome. I've followed "The Dares" for a long time now online. Seriously such fun. And the women who started The Dares and put together this book...well, creative doesn't begin to describe them. They make the most edgy, unique, and meaningful pages. Someday (if--no when--I finally get my scrapbook area back into a useable state) I plan to make my own "Dare" album...I think it will be quite rewarding.

And the other night, after yet another trip to Lowes, Rich and I went to Borders to grab a coffee and relax a bit. And while there, I managed to read Sweet Tooth: Out of the Woods by Jeff Lemire (128 pages). This is the second Jeff Lemire graphic novel I've read this month (the other being The Nobody). I really enjoyed this one, and I can't wait for volume 2 to come out. It's a post-apocalyptic tale (gee, no wonder I loved it, huh?) in which most of humankind was wiped out by some sort of disease. But during the time when the sickness was really wiping people out in massive waves, some children were born. Children who are part human/part some other animal. Children like Gus (aka Sweet Tooth) who sports antlers like a deer. These children appear to be immune to the disease...and well, you can guess what kinds of things that might lead desperate, scared, and sometimes downright evil people to...

And speaking of evil...I started a new thriller. Shadow Man by Cody McFadyen. Whoa. I've only read 97 pages so far, but is this book intense! I'm really loving it--best thriller I've read in a long time. (Of course, I haven't really read all that many in the past couple years.) Anyway, I can see this being a series I actually follow through with. ;)

*****
And in the dangerous world of blog-reading, these books were added to my wish list:

*Rowan the Strange by Julie Hearn (thanks to Amanda's very organized and fun-to-read review :D )
*Crossed Wires by Rosy Thorton (thanks to a second, and still enjoyable, read by Amanda)
*Bellfield Hall by Anna Dean (thanks to the darling Ms Eva's enthusiastic recommendation)
*Twinkle Twinkle by Kaori Ekuni (again thanks to that little book-pusher, Eva)
*The Heart That Bleeds by Alma Guillermoprieto (and yet again, thanks to Eva--three books from one post, sheesh!)
*Hidden Wives by Claire Avery (thanks to Staci's intriguing review)
*The Secret Life of Words by Henry Hitchings (thanks to Ana's wonderful review, which left me both fascinated and hopeful that I will actually understand it)

one done, one abandoned

2010-07-19T08:59:00.001-04:00

Finished the last 101 pages of Cross Country last night. Best book ever? Uhh, no. But did I enjoy it? Yep.

And I'm sad to say that I'm abandoning Recycle This Book. I really shouldn't, but I am. I *love* the concept of this book immensely. And honestly, for the most part, I love the little essays, which are for the most part written with great humor. But already I've come across two that have irritated the hell out of me. First, advocating reusing the bottles you buy bottled water in. NOOOOO!!! Please don't tell kiddos to do that!!!! They leach dangerous chemicals like BPA. DON"T BUY BOTTLED WATER TO START WITH!!! Instead use reusable, BPA-free water bottles filled from your tap. Second, the article saying while there is nothing we can do about the methane released when moose belch and cows fart, there are things we as humans can do to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Uhhhh, gee, actually there is a lot we can do about cows!!! EAT LESS MEAT!!! Look, I don't mean for a second to tell anyone that they should be a vegetarian--that is a personal choice that everyone has to make for themselves. But I am saying that one of the most important environmental choices we can make is to eat less meat. And learn where our food does come from. The way this particular article was written, the blame for the environmental harm done by "cows" was taken completely away from humans and the way we've allowed factory farming to take over our food supply. So, yes, I'm giving up on the book...because I let it put me in a pissy mood. What can I say...

2010-07-18T16:06:00.000-04:00

Cross Country was the only book I picked up yesterday. Well, picked up to read, that is. (I did do tons of work in the library--we weeded out five huge boxes of books to give to the library book sale.) Read another 92 pages. Somewhat different for Patterson's books. Being one of the Alex Cross series, it obviously features the tough and tender detective, but a great deal of this book is set in Africa. Lots of heartbreaking stuff going on. Heartbreaking because while this book is fiction, the horrors described really do happen there. Every. Single. Day. And this book is really giving me the urge to pick up some more nonfiction. Perhaps I should finally get around to finishing up Africa: A Biography...I've only been working on that book for a year and a half now.

*****
And in the dangerous world of blog-reading, these have been added to my wish list:

*City Chicks by Patricia Foreman (thanks to Jeane's list of awesome finds)
*A World Without Bees by Brian McCallum (again thanks to Jeane's post--oh my, I am so incredibly thrilled to have found Jeane's blogs, but she is going to be murder on my wish list!)

sick days

2010-07-17T09:29:00.001-04:00

Seems like one ought to be able to get more read when one is sick. But that damn malaise just goes and ruins everything. What little I did get read, I had to *force* myself to do.

Finished up the last 140 pages of The Storm in the Barn this morning. Overall, I would have to say I loved this book. I thought the art was gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Soft, yet expressive. Beautiful, and meaningful, use of color. And I loved the setting--the Dust Bowl. I loved the point of view--life in the Dust Bowl for a young boy. The images and the events of this time are haunting. And they're very, very real. I have just one complaint--I felt the fantastical element of the story was too rushed. It was like there was all this beautiful, well-thought-out background...and then all of sudden we have this super rushed climax. Still, even that, while disappointing, doesn't stop me from loving the book.

Eight pages in Household Tales was all I'd managed. "Aschenputtel" to be specific. My brain just wasn't up for the whole jotting down discussion points and whatnot that come along with reading for school.

Read another 27 pages in Never Tell Him You're Alone. But decided it just wasn't worth my time, so off to the bags for the library sale it went. Sort of proud of myself...I have a hard time setting a book aside with no intention of ever picking it up again. I used to be much worse about it though.

So instead I picked up another thriller to take its place--you know, 'cause I didn't have enough other books started. (I'm hopeless!) I've read the first 214 pages of Cross Country by James Patterson. An Alex Cross novel. For me, this series has gone downhill from what the books used to be. Yet I can't stop reading them. I can't quite explain it, but they fill a specific sort of reading mood--when I want something fast-paced and something that doesn't require a lot of "down time" amidst my reading for thinking about the book. I know there are people who find thrillers "trash," but I find them enjoyable. And what do I care about the opinions of people who feel the need to look down their noses at other people's reading choices anyway, right? :P

And I finished the last 179 pages of Junk Beautiful. Favorite room--the kitchen redo!!! So very much my style--or at least the style I wish I could pull off! :) And red--just like my kitchen. Of course, their kitchen is about four times the size of ours, and they have a separate dining room while our tiny kitchen has to pull double duty. So, yeah, no matter what I do, our kitchen is *never* going to compare to that one. Anyway, a very fun book.

over the last few days

2010-07-11T09:12:00.003-04:00

So, I'm getting a little lazy here...been a few days since I updated. And silly, silly, silly me (which is my polite way of saying "stupid me") has started numerous books in those few days. What can I say--when I made my blame game post on my other blog, I realized I had all these library books to get read. So yeah, I'm sort of reading them all at once. :P

I did finish The Stand: American Nightmares. Graphic. Enough even to catch Rich's attention while he was driving and I was sitting in the passenger's seat reading. But then, the novel has some ugly shit going on, so I guess that's understandable. As I said last time, I'm not really sure how to "judge" it, because I know the novel so well and I think I'm automatically filling in details when they aren't there without even thinking about it. Anyway, I enjoyed it...and will definitely pick up the next installment when it comes out.

I read a couple articles (9 pages) in Urban Farm. A couple of really great articles. One about this incredible lady (the lemon lady :D) who pretty much single-handedly has taken thousands of pounds of fresh fruit to her local food pantries. Fruit that would otherwise have gone to waste on people's fruit trees. Definitely one inspiring woman! And I also read an article about raising chickens in your backyard. I was already determined to do it when we have the ability to move, but damn if this article didn't just make me horribly impatient!

Twelve more pages down in The Biodiversity Crisis. A very short little case study about the decline of coral reefs, the introduction to the third section of the collection (the third section being about strategies and solutions for saving biodiversity), and a very prescient essay taken from Fairfield Osborn's 1948 book, Our Plundered Planet.

And now on to all the library books I was talking about--first up, Get Crafty. I've only read the first 8 pages (the introduction), but I'm already in love. In fact, I may end up having to buy this book. ;) Jean Railla is just so fun. In the intro, she tells the story of how, being a strong feminist, right down to being a woman's studies major at UCLA, she came to view all things domestic as "bad." She says, "I spent most of my twenties defining myself as a feminist not by what I did, but what I didn't do. I didn't keep house. I didn't get married. I didn't cook very often. I didn't knit or sew." And you know, while I hope that attitude is less prevalent today, it certainly hasn't disappeared. Things happened in her life, and her eyes opened. She no longer viewed domestic activities as "bad." Being forced by a society or culture to stay home and wash dirty diapers and cook meals is wrong, choosing to do so of one's own free will is not. She says, "Don't get me wrong. I am not suggesting that every woman should enjoy knitting and cooking and embroidery. But I am suggesting the we give women's work its props as something valuable, interesting, and important, just as knowing how to build a house, keeping accounting records, or playing basketball is." (Though I do have a problem with her calling it "women's work"! If we could just stop labelling activities as in the realm of "women" or in the realm of "men," we'd be a lot further along towards equality.) Anyway, I haven't even gotten to any of the craft projects, and I'm already thoroughly enjoying this book.

I also started Recycle This Book: 100 Top Children's Book Authors Tell You How to Go Green. Haven't gotten far, just the first twelve pages. I do hope that I can get the boys to read it...though I'm not optimistic that it will be any time soon, as they're both sucked into their current reading obsessions. There was a line in the introduction that totally made me smile. "The next time your mother tells you to clean your room, tell her you will when she helps clean up the atmosphere." That is sooooo something I can hear popping out of Gray's mouth. :) Anyway, I've only read the contributions of the first few authors, and they've had nothing to offer that we don't already do, but they're fun to read nonetheless. Thus far, they've been written in a very humorous manner.

Also begun is The Storm in the Barn. Read the first 63 pages. I have to say that I'm really, really enjoying it so far. I know both Chris and Staci liked it, but didn't love it...but while it may be too early to judge, I think I might be falling closer to the love category. I didn't realize it was set during the Dust Bowl--a definitely plus for me.

And finally from the library stack, I started Junk Beautiful (21 pages). If I remember correctly, they feature seven room makeovers in this book. I've read the first. And I adore this book! While the room featured in the first chapter is definitely not my style (too flowery formal), I absolutely loved some of the projects they showcased. And I'm eager to get to the next chapter, a room that seems much more fitting my style overall.

Okay, and this may be the dumbest reason ever for starting a book...I was moving some books around on my fiction shelves to put away some new acquisitions. Well, let's just say it appears that I really need to stop with the new acquisitions, because there is just no room! Anyway, I ended up not being able to fit this book, Never Tell Him You're Alone, back where it goes. I figured it was a book I was unlikely to want to keep after I'd read it, so I might as well just read it so I can hand it off to the library book sale or something. Besides, it's been a long time since I've indulged in a thriller, and it sounded like a good idea. ;) After the first 24 pages, I'm not even sure if I'll end up finishing it (as far as thrillers go, I'm not finding it all that "thrilling" so far)...I'll give it a couple more chapters before deciding for sure.

And finally, I read 4 pages in Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm. "Rapunzel" to be exact. I can't be faulted for starting this though...I'm beginning to prepare for the next school year. But I do have to admit that I'm thrilled to be reading fairy tales again. I don't know why I don't make time for reading them more often, because I just so very much enjoy them!

*****
And in the dangerous world of blog reading, these have been added to my wish list:

*Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (thanks to Campaign for the American Reader)
*The Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters (thanks to the lovely Ms. Ana's review)
*Disrupting Grace by Kristen Richburg (thanks to Staci's poignant and very personal review)

graphic novel binge

2010-07-08T07:49:00.002-04:00

As shocking as it was that I finally finished a book day before last, it doesn't compare to the shocking events of yesterday...when I finished two! Both graphic novels. And then I started a third. Yep, another graphic novel. Got me thinking how awesome it would be to just indulge myself in a big old comic binge. I have so many I'm dying to read right here in my very own house. I know I must start putting together Annie's literature course here (I've already procrastinated a few days longer than I meant to). While we're using a lecture series, which should mean much less work on my part, I still have many, many books to get read. I'm thinking it might be cool to focus on that reading, with massive amounts of graphic novels thrown in. So much for my summer reading plan of finishing up all the books I have started. Maybe I can come up with some mixture of all three. Or maybe I can stop worrying about it and just see what transpires. ;)

Well, we headed to B&N last night. Mostly to be somewhere with AC. Our third day of temps in the 90s had our house up into the mid-80s...and what can I say?...we're complete pantywaists when it comes to the heat. Anyway, while sitting there in the cafe, I ended up reading The Nobody by Jeff Lemire. I didn't mean to...I picked it up to read the first few pages to see if I wanted to buy it, but I got so sucked in that I couldn't put it down until I'd finished all 144 pages. According to descriptions, it is a loose retelling of H.G. Well's The Invisible Man. But I can't compare, as I've never read Well's classic. But I can say I very much enjoyed this book...with its themes of loneliness and loss and identity and paranoia. It won't make my top three reads of the year, but it was definitely worth my time.

At home, I finished up the last 68 pages of Arabian Nights (and Days). I think I said earlier that this wasn't my favorite in the series. But then, they can't all be my favorite, can they? The last two chapters took a detour (though a relevant one, and one that I can tell is going to connect to the main arc). At first I wasn't sure about this storyline, but I ended up loving it! (Sad to say, I really didn't like the art in these last two chapters though. A totally subjective call there--just not my style.) Had the next volume been sitting there, I undoubtedly would have picked it up immediately. However, I was just too lazy to get out of bed and get it from the library, so instead...

I started reading The Stand: American Nightmares (the second volume in the graphic adaptation of Stephen King's novel). Read the first 27 pages, before the need to sleep just overpowered me. I find it incredibly hard to judge this graphic novel series. I'm enjoying them a lot! But I've read the novel so many times now that I'm just automatically filling in all kinds of little details. I honestly cannot judge how different my reading experience might be if I wasn't so familiar with King's original book.

a book finished...shocking

2010-07-07T08:49:00.001-04:00

Last 55 pages done. I was beginning to feel like I was never going to finish a book again. Don't even know why...I've certainly gone longer stretches than this without finishing a book before. And I assuredly will again. Anyway, The Lightning Thief is definitely one for the win column!

Random thoughts:

*I learned so much about Greek mythology! (Okay, so I was starting at a knowledge level of nearly zero, but still.) And it's encouraged me to learn even more. I'll have to ask Gray for book suggestions. ;)

*I've heard that the series, while good, goes a little downhill after this first book. But you know, I think I'm going to have to judge for myself. :) Not that I'll immediately be reading the rest (too many other books I'd like to get finished), but I will definitely be continuing. And I'd really love to read The Red Pyramid, Riordin's new series about Egyptian mythology! (That was something I was fascinated with as a kid.)

*By a certain point in the book, I started wondering if I was going to get tired of it. It was closing in on one too many monsters to outsmart on their quest. But just as I was starting to wonder, things switched up and completely kept my interest.

*I'm really looking forward to our family book club meeting...can't wait to see what Gray has to ask me.

So, in other reading...

Another chapter (22 pages) in Arabian Nights (and Days). Maybe I can even finish that book today...yeah, high hopes, huh? And another article (7 pages) in Urban Farm.

unrealistic expectations

2010-07-05T08:26:00.000-04:00

I have this really bad habit (okay, I'm not sure if "habit" is the correct word, but I can't come up with another at the moment): Every time we're heading somewhere on a trip, big or small, I pack up way more books than I could ever possibly read.

Inevitably, I get these grand illusions about how much reading I'm going to get done. Doesn't seem to matter how many times I prove myself wrong, how many times I tell myself that I really need to be more realistic...next trip rolls around and I'm packing up cartloads of books to haul with me. We headed to a family reunion this past week. Three days. Approximately eleven hours total traveling. So realistically, I should have brought along The Lightning Thief and the Fables volume I'm currently reading. Maybe a book of essays or short stories just in case my reading mood was off. And yes, even that is overkill... A.) Reading in the car often makes me carsick. B.) Rich and I often spend a lot of time talking on car trips. C.) If Rich has NPR on the radio, as opposed to music, I generally get too sucked into the stories to read. And yet, with all this knowledge residing in my head, I brought along seven books. And the saddest thing of all is that I somehow still had this inkling of hope that I could really read them all.

So what did I get read? I actually lost track of my page count, but it's somewhere around 150 pages. Yep, that's it. The Lightning Thief was the only book I even picked up. And I came nowhere close to even finishing it.

Lesson learned? Hell no.
*****
And from the dangerous world of blog-reading, this book was added to my wish list:

*Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby (thanks to Carl's incredibly insightful review). I likely would have gotten around to officially adding this book to my wish list eventually anyway...but Carl's review really made me want to go find it immediately.
*The Punishment of Gaza by Gideon Levy (thanks to a link to this review from Book Blips). Sounds like a painful, powerful read.

one of those torturous sort of days

2010-07-01T08:23:00.001-04:00

I only read ten pages yesterday. Ten! How sad is that?!! But the worst part...I was surrounded by books all day. Of course, being surrounded by books is actually a wonderful thing...the torture comes in the form of not being able to read them all. I worked in our little home library for quite a while. With Max's help, we went through and weeded out all his fiction books in there (we haven't tackled the ones in his room yet). We had piles to keep, a pile to send to a friend's little boy (which we, meaning me, boxed and got ready to mail, though who knows when it will actually get to the post office), a pile to donate to the library book sale, and a pile to be listed on PaperbackSwap (which we, meaning me, also accomplished). Then I also spent time at the town library...it was Teen Game Night, so the boys and I went a little early to pick Annie up. They managed to each come away with books (even though Max had just checked out 15 the day before!), but I didn't come home with a single one. And then finally, I spent a couple hours with Annie in her room--sorting, weeding out, cleaning, and reorganizing her bedroom bookshelf. So yeah, books, books everywhere...and barely a minute to read.

*****
And from the dangerous world of blog-reading, this book was added to my wish list:

*Guesthouse by Barbara Richardson (thanks to the lovely Staci's thoughts on the book).

slow day on the reading front

2010-06-30T09:14:00.001-04:00

Busy day on the running around front--writing program at library for Annie, doctor's appointment for Gray, soccer game for Annie--so reading time was a little sparse. Thirty-four pages in The Lightning Thief was all I managed. But hey, it was a good 34 pages. :)

*****
And in the dangerous world of blog-reading, this book has been added to my wish list:

*The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley has been added to my wish list (thanks to Ana's irresistible review).

I could really get used to this

2010-06-29T08:52:00.002-04:00

This whole reading purely for fun thing, that is. :)

I know that I should start working on next year's school stuff. Though Annie will be taking many of her classes at the community college for next year, I will be handling English and history. I'll be using courses from The Teaching Company for both. Which should cut down on my work, but definitely won't eliminate it. I'll need to watch the lectures, do the readings so we can discuss them, gather up additional materials, and make up assignments and tests. Anyway, this is the course we'll be using for English (Masterpieces of the Imaginative Mind: Literature's Most Fantastic Works). And it involves massive amounts of reading! But I've decided not to worry about that until next week...I deserve a few days off from school, right?

Anyway, yesterday I read the next 66 pages in The Lightning Thief. I probably shouldn't be enjoying this book as much as I am. Whatever that means. ;) But I am enjoying. Completely. Thoroughly. Undeniably. I'm learning a little about Greek mythology. I'm finding it rather humorous. I'm getting so caught up in the story that I'm constantly wanting to pick it up for just one more page. This is probably a weird thing to say, but it's making me want to read American Gods again. Yes, The Lightning Thief keeps triggering memories of American Gods, even though the books are so utterly different. Just the gods as people thing, I guess.

I also started the next Fables last night. I've been *craving* a graphic novel experience lately. Hard to believe I only started reading them a couple years ago, because I swear I could not live without them anymore. I read the first 51 pages of Arabian Nights (and Days). Thus far, not one of my favorites in the series. But that's doesn't mean I'm not loving it! Seriously, I can't believe I've gone so long without a Fables fix!!!

a quality, not quantity day

2010-06-28T09:01:00.004-04:00

Not much read yesterday. Spent many hours cranking out Annie's fourth quarter report as required by NY's homeschooling regulations. I am so utterly thrilled to have this done, and I hope that with that behind me, reading time will be in greater supply.

I did read another 15 pages in The Lightning Thief. I know I've barely started it, but I am absolutely loving it! I wanted to read more last night, but it got to that point where I'd be reading and sort of falling asleep and be making up my own story in my mind instead of reading the real story. So I'd shake myself awake and have to reread the last page so I could wipe my imaginary story from my head and get the real story ingrained. And then it would all happen again. Three times is usually about my limit for these shenanigans, and I then just have to call it quits for the night.

We also started reading A Young People's History of the United States (Howard Zinn's book adapted by Rebecca Stefoff for the younger set, with his blessing). In the introduction, Zinn said he thought it was important for teens and sub-teens to be able to go beyond the whitewashed textbook versions of our history. I loved his attitude that kids don't need to be talked down to, that they are perfectly capable of hearing about the not-so-pretty/downright-ugly pieces of the story. Anyway, we read the first fifteen pages last night. I think the kids were impressed. The tale of Columbus being told is not the one they've learned in school...or at least it's a broader, more complete version. And you know, even at age seven, Max is doing fine understanding the book. Lots of questions asked. Lots of good discussion. Yep, I think this is going to be a worthwhile way to spend some family time this summer!

*****
And we made did get our Summer Reading Goals chart made. So we're probably breaking about 1,001 rules of good decorating, but we hung it up on the pantry cupboard door. Hey, it works for us, and that's all that matters, right?

Our "summer" runs from June 25th through September 7th. We've each set our own goals for the number of books to finish during this time. And anyone who meets their goal gets a $15 gift card for the bookstore of their choice. (Last summer, Gray was the only one to meet his goal.)

Max's goal: 15 books
Gray's goal: 25 books
Annie's goal: 50 books
Rich's goal: 20 books
Debi's goal: 20 books

two days in row!

2010-06-27T16:18:00.000-04:00

Finished another book last night (92 pages worth). That makes two days in a row finishing up a book. Which I realize is a common occurrence for many, but it most certainly isn't for me. And of course, the book I finished last evening, Seedfolks, was an itty bitty thing. Oh but it was a wonderful little thing. On the anniversary of her father's death, which is recognized each year by her family, a little girl is feeling left out because she never knew her father. And what made her equally sad was that he had no memories of her because he died before she was born. Kim's father had been a farmer all his life, and she decides to reach out to him by planting some bean seeds. Of course, inner-city Cleveland is a long way from their native home of Vietnam, and April is a bit premature for planting beans here. Kim plants her seeds in a huge vacant lot, a lot used as a garbage dump by the inhabitants of the neighborhood, as well as by others who seem to feel no compunction about hauling off their debris and dumping it the poor section of town. Her act doesn't go unnoticed by a woman living in one of the surrounding buildings. She watches Kim as she comes back each day watering her seeds. And next we get to hear her little piece of the story. (At first, she suspects that Kim is up to no good.) And thus the book continues forward. Person by person. Story by story. We see this ugly piece of land slowly transformed. We see people begin to talk to people they never would have dreamed of talking to anywhere else. We see a community of care sprout from ground. It's not that every story is pretty, or everyone has altruistic motives, but that only adds to the beauty of this little book.

I think this book is probably aimed at middle grade readers. And while it's not something I think either Gray or Max would pick up on their own, I'm hoping I can convince them to read it. And I just had a copy sent to my dear friend Chris. Because he's the one who really sparked my enthusiasm for own little garden this year! :D

After finishing Seedfolks, last night I decided to go ahead and start my assigned reading for our family book club. I'm soooooo thrilled that Gray chose The Lightning Thief for me! I've been wanting to read it for ages. Read the first chapter (15 pages) last night, and let me tell you, thus far, I am definitely not disappointed! Yep, think I'm going to love this one. :D Added bonus: I have a feeling I'm going to learn a bit about Greek mythology--something about which I know very little but would very much like to learn since Gray is so obsessed.

one for the win column

2010-06-26T21:59:00.002-04:00

Yes, I finally finished the last 32 pages of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. :D And I loved it immensely! Way more than the first two, and I enjoyed those a hell of a lot. I am such a sap though...yes, a few little tears leaked out there at the end. I really ought to keep track--the number of books that have brought tears to my eyes has got to be astronomical. Anyway, I think I would have immediately gone and pulled the fourth book off the shelf if it weren't for the fact that we were having our family book club today so I knew I would be getting assigned a new book. (More about that in a minute.)

Last night, Rich, Max, Annie, and I (Gray was at a sleepover party) headed to B&N. I sat down with this little book titled Seedfolks and started to read while I drank my coffee. I read the first ten pages, and it then had to come home with me.

I also read another seven pages in The Biodiversity Crisis. One of Rich's favorite subjects--an essay on endocrine disruptors, "Hormonal Sabotage" by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers. Good essay, I must say. Actually, if I remember correctly, it was actually a piece taken from their book Our Stolen Future. A book I'd really love to read sometime. You know, along with the other bazillion books I'd like to read.

*****
As I mentioned above, today was family book club. This month we hit Pizza Hut, where we stuffed ourselves and had a mighty good time talking books.

--Max had assigned Pokemon Junior: Two of a Kind adapted by S.E. Heller to Gray...

Max: Who was your favorite character?

Gray: Rhydon.

Debi: Who's Rhydon? Never heard of that Pokemon.

Gray: A horned guy.

Max: Not Meowth?

Gray: No. Rhydon had a big horn and tried to kill everyone.

Debi: Was Meowth your favorite, Max?

Max: It's a tie. Meowth and Rhydon.

Max: Who was your least favorite character?

Gray: Ash.

Debi: Why?

Gray: Because he's too perfect.

Annie: Yeah, he's such a Mary Sue.

(At which time, I had to ask what the heck a Mary Sue was.)

Max: What was your favorite part?

Gray: When the Rhydon attacked.

Debi: Why was that your favorite part?!!

Gray: 'Cause he was rampaging.

--Debi had assigned Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi to Max...

Debi: Did you like the book, Max?

Max: Uh huh. (yes)

Debi: What did you like about it?

Max: The monsters.

Debi: Why did you like the monsters?

Annie: Were they scary?

Max: No.

Debi: Actually, the monsters are pretty cute, aren't they?

Max: *gives funny look, as if to say I'm crazy*

Debi: Did you like the art in the book?

Max: Yes!

Debi: Yeah, I think it has some of the prettiest art of any comic I've ever read.

Gray: Why is it called Amulet?

Max: Because there's an amulet with special powers.

--Rich had assigned Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling to Debi...

Rich: Well, I know you liked the book. What your favorite or several favorite parts?

Debi: I thought it was hilarious when Neville imagined the boggart as Snape in his grandmother's clothes. And I loved the end when Harry got the letter from Sirius. And I was blown away when I found out about Scabbers.

Rich: Were you surprised to find Sirius was really a good guy?

Debi: Yeah, I was surprised. But not surprised that Professor Lupin was a werewolf...I mean what else automatically popped to mind with that name, you know.

Rich: Of course "dense guy" *points to self* needed it spelled out to him. How excited are you to read the next one on a scale of 1 to 10?

Debi: You've no idea how hard it was stopping myself from immediately going and grabbing the next one off the shelf!

--Annie had assigned Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter to Rich...

Annie: Did you like this book?

Rich: Yeah, I like it, but it wasn't great.

Annie: What made it not great?

Rich: Too much fighting. It was just too focused on territorial stuff. And I hated it when that sweet medicine cat got killed.

Annie Do you think you're going to read the other books?

Rich: Probably not.

Annie: Who was your favorite character?

Rich: Well, of course, I like Rusty/Firepaw/Firestar. And I liked Yellowfang.

Annie: Yellowfang reminds me of Aldo. Except Yellowfang's much smarter!

Rich: Who do you really like?

Annie: Spotted Leaf and Yellowfang and Ravenpaw and Bluestar.

Rich: I didn't like all that talk about the cutter.

Annie: Yeah. Uhh, that was awkward.

(The cutter is the vet...who cuts "important" bits...and the cats come back not quite the same.)

Annie: Did you see any romance in the book?

Rich: I thought Firestar and Spotted Paw were going to get together, but then she died. Do Bluestar and Firestar get together in the future?

Annie: Dad!!! Bluestar's like a really old woman, and Firestar's just a young apprentice.

Debi: So what!!! Do you have something against May-December romance, Annie?

Annie: Well, no.

Rich: Yeah, me neither...after all, I married your mom, didn't I?

Debi: *promptly wallops Rich*

--Gray had assigned Pokemon Adventures: Volume 1 by Hidenori Kusaka to Annie...

Gray: Who's your favorite person or Pokemon or whoever?

Annie: I guess Misty, because she's both strong and smart.

Gray: What was your favorite part?

Annie: Probably the part with the zombies.

Debi: There's zombies in Pokemon?!!

Annie: Yeah, Pokemon zombies.

*****
And, of course, new names were drawn, and new assignments made:

Annie picked Chris. And has assigned him Unwind by Neal Shusterman.

Chris "picked" Annie. Not sure what he's assigning her yet.

Debi picked Max. And has assigned him The Stuff of Legend by Mike Raicht and Brian Smith.

Max picked Rich. And has assigned him a set of Warriors graphic novels, the Graystripe's Journey series.

Rich picked Gray. And has assigned him Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling.

Gray picked Debi. And has assigned her The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.

so much for determination

2010-06-25T08:50:00.000-04:00

I swore to myself I was going to finish Harry Potter last night. Turns out I'm a big fat liar.

Managed 62 pages...and believe me, I didn't set it down because I was bored! I freakin' love this book!!!! I'm sure many other book lovers find themselves incredulous at the thought that someone hasn't read the Harry Potter books already. And more so over the thought that someone actually read the first two ten years ago, but never bothered finishing the series. But I swear it was never a matter of not *wanting* to! Anyway, I'm mighty grateful to Rich for assigning me this for our family book club this month. This and the fourth are his favorites in the series. And thus far, I would have to say that this is my favorite. Of course, I've got a long way to go. Anyway, today will *definitely* be the day I finish it! (I hope.)

some days are hardly worth writing about

2010-06-24T09:54:00.008-04:00

Interspersed amongst the essays/articles in The Biodiversity Crisis are short little case studies as well as mini biographies of some of the people out there in the world battling biodiversity loss. All I managed to read yesterday from this book was one of these little (3 pages) case studies. It was about Lake Victoria and the cichlids. That whole situation is so utterly heartbreaking, both on a ecological level and on a human one. Anyone interested should watch the documentary Darwin's Nightmare. Such a powerful, disturbing, heartbreaking movie. And really, it's a vitally important story that most people know nothing about.

Bedtime brought me back to Harry. But unfortunately I'd stayed up too late that by the time I settled in to read, I could hardly keep my eyes open. Only read 18 pages. The shit was really starting to hit the proverbial fan, and still I couldn't win the battle against sleep. Oh well, just means tonight's reading will be mighty exciting.

*****
And in the dangerous world of blog-reading, this book has been added to my wish list:

*Tamar by Mal Peet (thanks to the lovely Ana's review)

a truly slow day

2010-06-23T07:17:00.000-04:00

Not a large page count for the day. Higher marks for variety though.

Read another essay (5 pages) in The Biodiversity Crisis: Losing What Counts, "Nest Gains, Nest Losses" by Scott K. Robinson. Really good. Another example of how we don't always realize the detrimental effects of our actions. Songbirds have enough problems to deal with these days, and this article pointed out yet another. The author and several other research teams in the Midwest worked together on a comprehensive study and found that the fragmentation of forests is really hurting several songbird species. Thanks to the parasitism of cowbirds. Cowbirds must live within four miles of farmland and open spaces to forage for food, and thus the fragmentation of forests is leaving less and less deep forest where songbirds are safe from their parasitism.

Then on a totally different track, I read the first 15 pages in a book I got yesterday, Organize Now! A Week-By-Week Guide to Simplify Your Space And Your Life by Jennifer Ford Berry. Now that school is coming to an end for the year, I'm on a quest to get my life, my home, my everything organized again. Not sure if this book will actually help...I don't plan to follow it to the letter or anything, but it does seem to be full of tips I can put into practice. My first step (though not a tip gleamed from the book) was to start another blog to chart my progress. Yeah, just what I needed, huh? But I'm hoping that tracking my progress will provide motivation. (And yes, I do realize that setting up another blog was maybe not my most productive use of time--I could have been reading or trying to finish up the last of the school stuff for the year or working on actually getting something organized--my excuse being that I was feeling really sick most of the day and just couldn't stay focused on anything "productive.")

Finally, at bedtime, I managed to read 10 pages in Harry Potter before falling asleep.

lightning didn't strike me dead

2010-06-22T07:03:00.000-04:00

I thought it might. I didn't read a damn thing for school today. Not one single page in one single book.

Of course, I didn't read much period. Thirteen pages in The Out-of-Sync Child while waiting for Maxidoodle's soccer game to start. Good book...I'll talk about it some other time. And 82 pages in Harry Potter. Again, I really, really didn't want to stop reading...but in the battle between gravity and my eyelids, gravity won. I know I still have over 100 pages to go, but at this point, I think I can definitely say this is my favorite of the Harry Potter books I've read thus far. Not that I didn't like the first two, of course, because I definitely did. And I don't even think that it's because of the "bad memories" associated with reading the first two. I think I'm really just enjoying this story more, like we're getting more depth or something.

Father's Day edition

2010-06-21T07:09:00.001-04:00

Don't think I'll set any goals this morning. And not because I never meet them anyway. But because it's Father's Day, and Rich gets to pick what we do today--I see much eating and hiking in store. :) I've no idea how much time there will be for reading. Though I must get through the 35 pages in The Encyclopedia of the Human Body that I was supposed to read yesterday. Beyond that, who knows.

Okay, I think it was just yesterday that I said I sucked. I stick by that assessment. :( Afraid my "must" reading just didn't get done. Only read the first 14 pages I needed to in the human body book. I'm afraid my brain has gotten rebellious on me here. The closer we get to the end of the school year, the harder it is to make myself do what I need to do. I'm serious, I may just give up and wrap things up. Let her finish up her big assignments, get her final tests made so she can take them, and call it good. I know damn well she's had a fantastic year of learning as is.

On the non-suck side, I finished up the last 74 pages of Field Notes from a Catastrophe. OMG. What a freakin' incredible book. While I'm obviously not a climate science expert, I'm not really new to the subject either. I've been enamored with Al Gore for decades because of his concern for the environment and his efforts at educating the world about global climate change. I was beside myself giddy when Bill Clinton chose him as his running mate all those many years ago. And still with all I've read and watched on the subject, I found this to be well worth my time! Seriously, I wish EVERYONE would read it. Elizabeth Kolbert simply did a wonderful job at laying it out there...both the science and the politics. Now, if only people would listen...

And finally, I managed to stay awake for another 24 pages of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. And I really wanted to stay awake even longer but my eyes just wouldn't cooperate. Seriously, could these books be any more fun?!! I'm almost glad I haven't read them before...so I get that thrill now. :)

not meeting goals

2010-06-19T23:08:00.025-04:00

Have much school work to get done today, but I thought I'd make some reading goals anyway. I'd love to knock out at least 100 pages from Harry Potter. I'd love to finish Field Notes from a Catastrophe. And I need to a couple chapters from The Body Book and about 35 pages in The Encyclopedia of the Human Body. Hmmm...as I am the slowest reader on the planet, I guess I'd better get started...

Oh my. I suck. Seriously pathetic amount of reading got done today. One chapter in The Body Book. Sixteen pages. Which is fantastic when compared to how much I read of The Encyclopedia of the Human Body--zero pages. But about The Body Book. It's really an awesome little book about the human body and how it works. I'd say it's probably geared towards middle grades, but sheesh--I'm learning so much! It's written in a really fresh, interesting way. While it doles out all the important info about how our bodies work, it also talks about all kinds of stuff that is really of more interest on a day to day level. And it answers all these really cool questions that I didn't realize I even had until I started reading. :)

And I only managed to get five pages read in Field Notes from A Catastrophe. Yep, five. *sigh* I know, I know--it sounds like a lousy excuse, but I really would have knocked out a lot more, but Annie and I are both trying to read this book at the same time. I'd just gotten started when she asked if she could have it, so I relinquished control. After all, it is a school assignment for her. It's a super wonderful book though, and I'll be sure to talk about more on a day I get a bigger chunk read.

Okay, it's 10:30 already. And I got so freakin' little sleep last night that my eyes probably won't stay open for more than a page or two (if I'm lucky). But I'm going to go give Harry a go.

Well, I managed 22 pages. I'm now about halfway through the book, and I have to say that I think this is my favorite one yet. I'm so glad Rich picked this for me for family book club--if he hadn't who knows when I might have gotten to it. And speaking of family book club, Rich finished his book--which means I'm the last to finish yet again. But finish I will. And I'm so excited for the next round, because Chris will be joining us! :D

*****
And in the dangerous world of blog reading, this book was added to my wish list:

*The Dark House Book of Hauntings, a graphic novel anthology (thanks to Chris's bad blogger post)

a little work, a little play

2010-06-18T23:56:00.002-04:00

First up, I finished the last eleven pages of chapter 7 in The Century. I won't say much more, as I already gushed yesterday...but yes, it is very much enjoyable reading.

Next, it was eight pages in our environmental science textbook (Environment: The Science Behind the Stories by Jay Withgott and Scott Brennan). Covering efforts being made to mitigate global climate change.

Indulgent plans to give myself a couple of hours to read for fun before bed. But they sort of fell through. I couldn't help myself--I couldn't quit watching Rich play with his new iPhone. ;) Anyway, I ended up only reading 26 pages in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (This is the book Rich picked for me for this round of our family book club...and I'm absolutely, positively loving it! Yes, I know, I'm like one of three people who hasn't already read it. Better late than never, right?)

*****
And in the dangerous world of blog-reading, this has been added to my wish list:

*Junk Beautiful by Sue Whitney and Ki Nassauer (thanks to Carl's review)

health, and science, and history...oh my

2010-06-17T22:24:00.010-04:00

Is it terrible to admit how much I sometimes resent how much reading I have to do for homeschooling? Terrible or not, I do. And you know, it's usually not even the subject matter that bothers me--it's more that "I must read it" feeling.

Anyway, I read 24 pages in Encyclopedia of the Human Body by Richard Walker. It's one of those big DK books. I don't even have it on one of my reading lists at the side there because I've never had any intention of reading the entire thing. It's more of a "read the relevent sections" sort of thing. Up today--the digestive system, nutrition, and metabolism. Woohoo. Okay, Debi--shape up here! You're making it sound like you hate this book. And really I don't hate it at all. It's extremely informative and it has great photos and illustrations and diagrams. I'm just so ready to be done with school, so ready to read something JUST FOR FUN, that it sort of puts a damper on talk of pyloric sphincters and pancreatic enzymes and energy balance.

Next, I read an essay in The Biodiversity Crisis: Losing What Counts. I've been working my way through this book for the past couple months. And I've really been enjoying it. You know, in that way you "enjoy" something that breaks your heart. Truthfully, I've found some essays more interesting than others, but that's to be expected. And I'm sure others would list them differently in order of "interest level" than I did. Again to be expected. But there's not one that doesn't have something important to say. The one I read today, "Thompson's Ice Corps" by Mark Bowen...not one of my favorites, but short at only five pages. But in that cool manner of coincidences that I love, it turned out to be an extremely relevant one--it's about the evidence of global climate change being gathered through ice cores. And global climate change is precisely the topic that Annie and I have ourselves immersed in for environmental science right now so we've been doing other reading and watching of videos that have talked about ice cores as well. So why didn't I enjoy this article more? Well, it has to do with my aversion to chemistry. ;) Lots of talk of oxygen isotopes that glazed my eyes over--I found myself having to read a couple of really long paragraphs over several times as my attention wandered.

Finally, I read the first 29 pages of chapter 7, "An Uneasy Peace: 1946-1952," from The Century. I'm actually reading this for school, too, but I don't have those feelings of resentment when it comes to this book. It's just so darn good! I really do enjoy reading this book so much. As we go through the years of U.S. history, through nonfiction texts and through literature from and about the times and through documentaries and dramatic movies and even through a few audio sources (like listening to a few of FDR's Fireside Chats), I think we get a pretty broad perspective of the events of this nation. And we usually finish up each little chunk of time by reading the corresponding chapter in this book. Yes, it covers information we've already covered from all these other sources, but it brings something special to the overall picture as well. One of the most wonderful things about this book is the personal accounts. Not of the "big players" in history, but of the everyday people who lived through it, written in their own words. Such a wonderful broad variety of people, with a wonderful broad variety of experiences. I got tears in my eyes a few times during these 29 pages.

"I think that my return home was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life." This was from the story of seaman who had been captured and spent three years in a Japanese labor camp. Of course, he was glad that the war had ended and that he'd been freed. But he was given no help afterward, nothing to help him make sense of what he'd been through or how to deal with the outside world again. He was simply shipped home, given a cursory physical exam, a new uniform, his back pay, and sent him on his way.

And there was the story of the man who fought for this country in Europe, won two purple hearts, and then came home to a nation that told him he couldn't sit in the front of a bus or downstairs at a movie theater. Not only enough to make you cry, but enough to make you sick to your stomach as well. But he went on to tell how he helped form a black veterans' organization, and talked about some of things they were able to do to help these abandoned veterans.

So yes, they're stories of ordinary people living their lives. But are any of us "ordinary"? I think that's what I love most about this book--without even trying, it shows that we all have stories worth telling.

I had hoped to get some Harry Potter read last night when I went to bed, but instead I just stuck with The Century. Overall, I guess I didn't get in an overwhelming amount of pages for a day. Oh well. And I'm sure it's evident that my favorite reading of the day was definitely The Century.

*****
And in the dangerous world of blog-reading, this has been added to my wish list:

*Animythical Tales by Sarah Totton (thanks to Chris's review)

my inspiration

2010-06-17T12:01:00.001-04:00

Before I start talking about today's reading, I just wanted to talk about what inspired me to start this blog. In a word: Dewey.

It's hard to believe how much I still miss her. Every. Damn. Day. It's amazing how much of an impact she had on my life in just the short time I knew her. And how many things make me think of her.

Her blog was incredible, which makes total sense as she herself was beyond incredible. There were so many things I loved about her blog. And one of them was her Reading Journal entries. Where she'd just talk about her daily reading experiences (though she didn't do them daily). They weren't book reviews (and yes, I did love her reviews too!), but just little blurbs about how her reading had gone that day. Somehow, to me, they just seemed so intimate, like I was just sitting at her kitchen table listening to her chat.

I miss them. I miss Dewey.

And while I'm not as insightful, or intelligent, or just plain awesome as Dewey was, I've decided to start this blog and make it my little kitchen table. And I'm just going to sit down with my coffee and chat in my own way about the things I read. I do hope to pop in most days. But as life goes...we'll see.