babbling to a close...

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!

back to that reading journal style...

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...

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

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.

more RIP family fun

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

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

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

(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

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.

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

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!!!