What do you do with the best days of your life? How to you keep them intact? How do you preserve happiness?
These are the best days of my life, I know. These are the days of pure love, of hearts swelling, of the beautiful gift of a little boy.
He has been going around giving kisses to everything - Christmas tree ornaments, his toys, the chair. He has such a big heart. Yesterday he said "Nose" and wanted me to kiss his nose. Then he said "Ear" and I kissed his ear. Then we did cheek, chin, forehead, mouth, top of head. I love cuddling him!
Last night he woke up at midnight crying so I cuddled him on the couch. Then we went to our bed and he slept with his cheek pressed to mine and his feet against Joe's head. He didn't sleep in, he woke up with Joe and wanted breakfast.
We had a great routine last week - every morning we went to the gym and he played "balls" at the childcare room. I loved getting my workout in! But today he threw a fit and didn't want me to leave. So I scooped him up and we went to the library.
I reread "The Gift of an Ordinary Day" by Katrina Kenison last night. I need to go back to that book over and over again so I learn the message anew. This little boy is only growing up and away from me - so do not get annoyed when he is clingy. Savor singing "Frosty the Snowman" over and over - these moments are fleeting. Don't be short-tempered when he wakes you up - treasure the sweetness of his chubby cheek pressed against yours. It is a temporary gift.
We have five and a half hours of daylight today. It is also very cold - 8 degrees. We made cookies this weekend in two sessions and I gave them out to the neighbors. The biggest triumph is that I didn't eat any! That is very good since I didn't get my gym time today!
I'm excited for this week - having my husband home.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
the help
"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett is fantastic in every way! It's going to be a great movie, I can't wait! I loved the story about the color divide in the 1960s South. It has lots of great roles for actresses.
I also read "The Dogs of Babel" by Carolyn Parkhurst and loved its depiction of a grief-struck widower struggling to make sense of a mystery and then finally letting himself know what he always knew. The reveal at the ending made utter sense and was done great skill and sensitivity.
I did not care for "The House on Oyster Creek" by Heidi Jon Schmidt. The omniscient narrator was an intriguing twist on an old tale - woman married to rich man who doesn't understand her and gets a crush on local handyman, etc. But their relationship never really got off the ground or held my interest. The pacing was very slow. There were some nice lines though - she felt as if she was coming unraveled and he held the string or something like that.
"Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer is a powerful and challenging book. It's so good, it's dismaying. I don't know how I'm going to go grocery shopping after reading. He asks - what is eating meat worth to you? He lists all the costs - ecological destruction, global warming, risks of a pandemic due to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, etc. But what makes his book different from Michael Pollan and Barbara Kingsolver is an emphasis on the suffering of animals. Pollan and Kingsolver say - eat local foods for your health and the planet's health. Foer says - animals are sentient creatures, not products, and they should be treated as such. He depicts PETA with sympathy.
I do eat seafood - I started being "pescaterian" in high school. I thought meat was gross and liked the idea of limiting my appetite. It's possible to eat fantastic meals without beef or chicken or pork and it's more likely they will be healthy for you. So why not? I've stuck to it for years and now I am glad! I didn't go vegetarian for environmental reasons but now that I'm more familiar with the costs of eating meat, I am certainly glad I didn't contribute.
His discussion of "bycatch" and the "war of extermination" going on in the oceans is giving me pause now. I keep getting attracted to vegan lifestyles - "Food Inc" and Alicia Silverstone's "The Kind Diet" get me riled up. But then I end up eating lots of processed soy, which doesn't seem healthy either.
I read Shirley Jackson's "Raising Demons," a sequel to "Life Among the Savages." It was cute but more of the same, not very different from the first book. It kind of made me sad to read that her later life was full of problems with addiction and agoraphobia. Those years with her little ones were the best of her life, perhaps.
I am currently very excited about a special book about my son's second year! I am making a photo book on Shutterfly.
I also read "The Dogs of Babel" by Carolyn Parkhurst and loved its depiction of a grief-struck widower struggling to make sense of a mystery and then finally letting himself know what he always knew. The reveal at the ending made utter sense and was done great skill and sensitivity.
I did not care for "The House on Oyster Creek" by Heidi Jon Schmidt. The omniscient narrator was an intriguing twist on an old tale - woman married to rich man who doesn't understand her and gets a crush on local handyman, etc. But their relationship never really got off the ground or held my interest. The pacing was very slow. There were some nice lines though - she felt as if she was coming unraveled and he held the string or something like that.
"Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer is a powerful and challenging book. It's so good, it's dismaying. I don't know how I'm going to go grocery shopping after reading. He asks - what is eating meat worth to you? He lists all the costs - ecological destruction, global warming, risks of a pandemic due to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, etc. But what makes his book different from Michael Pollan and Barbara Kingsolver is an emphasis on the suffering of animals. Pollan and Kingsolver say - eat local foods for your health and the planet's health. Foer says - animals are sentient creatures, not products, and they should be treated as such. He depicts PETA with sympathy.
I do eat seafood - I started being "pescaterian" in high school. I thought meat was gross and liked the idea of limiting my appetite. It's possible to eat fantastic meals without beef or chicken or pork and it's more likely they will be healthy for you. So why not? I've stuck to it for years and now I am glad! I didn't go vegetarian for environmental reasons but now that I'm more familiar with the costs of eating meat, I am certainly glad I didn't contribute.
His discussion of "bycatch" and the "war of extermination" going on in the oceans is giving me pause now. I keep getting attracted to vegan lifestyles - "Food Inc" and Alicia Silverstone's "The Kind Diet" get me riled up. But then I end up eating lots of processed soy, which doesn't seem healthy either.
I read Shirley Jackson's "Raising Demons," a sequel to "Life Among the Savages." It was cute but more of the same, not very different from the first book. It kind of made me sad to read that her later life was full of problems with addiction and agoraphobia. Those years with her little ones were the best of her life, perhaps.
I am currently very excited about a special book about my son's second year! I am making a photo book on Shutterfly.
Friday, October 22, 2010
church mice
I have also been reading a slew of children's books! I came across a recommendation for Graham Oakley's Church Mice series and ordered some online. They are from the 1970s and they are funny, with beautiful detailed drawings that give a twist on the text. The stories are sort of James Bond adventures starring two mice and a cat who has heard so many sermons he is nonviolent. Very adorable and charming and witty.
I also have "Evening" by Susan Minot to read and "Raising Demons" by Shirley Jackson, the sequel to "Life Among the Savages." I have a big stack of library books, including MFK Fisher's "The Art of Eating" and "Coming into the Country" by John McPhee - the classic book about Alaska. "Red Families v. Blue Families" by Cahn and Carbone should be interesting, based on an article I read in The New Yorker. "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett is supposed to be good. "The Last Supper" is also by Rachel Cusk. I also have "Red Hook Road" by Ayelet Waldman, which got good reviews but I have to get into the right mood to read about a bride and groom killed.
I also have "Evening" by Susan Minot to read and "Raising Demons" by Shirley Jackson, the sequel to "Life Among the Savages." I have a big stack of library books, including MFK Fisher's "The Art of Eating" and "Coming into the Country" by John McPhee - the classic book about Alaska. "Red Families v. Blue Families" by Cahn and Carbone should be interesting, based on an article I read in The New Yorker. "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett is supposed to be good. "The Last Supper" is also by Rachel Cusk. I also have "Red Hook Road" by Ayelet Waldman, which got good reviews but I have to get into the right mood to read about a bride and groom killed.
at home in japan
Not sure how I came across "At Home in Japan" by Rebecca Otowa but it was an interesting peek at a different culture. I am obviously interested in reading about Americans in Europe and this was a different setting. It's not very involved or detailed about her relationship with her husband and how she adjusted to Japan - she is close lipped about her intimate life. But she talks about the house she lives in and how it has been in her husband's family for over 300 years. She talks about the bath culture and how women are expected to cook meals with many courses with dazzling presentation. She doesn't talk about how hard it must be to sacrifice your sense as an individual over and over - that make me miserable. Rural Japan is not necessarily a place I'm drawn to but it was interesting. ("If You Follow Me" was also set in rural Japan and I loved that book!)
"The Lost Girls" by Amanda Pressner, Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett needed an editor with a chainsaw. I was aghast when I saw this 300-page tome! This is not War and Peace, people. I enjoy their blog and peppy attitude about traveling. They seem down to earth and friendly. But this book made the mistake of thinking they were the interesting part of the story and not their experiences traveling. Perhaps I sound mean, but none of these women are Elizabeth Gilbert when it comes to writing ability. The blog felt a lot more immediate and interesting than the book.
"Peppermints in the Parlor" by Barbara Brooks Wallace was really enjoyable! I wish I had read it as a preteen. It has shades of "A Little Princess" in that a young girl is orphaned, declared penniless and must work as a servant in a mansion run by an evil woman. She strives to brighten the dour lives of the old folks by sneaking in a kitten and befriends a young boy named Kipper and uses lots of Cockney slang. The plot is nothing new but there are some unforgettable images - a tea bag passed down a long table and everyone uses it until there's no flavor at all. People sitting around the parlor tempted but deathly terrified of taking a peppermint. A trapdoor leading to an underground labrynth. Too much fun for a young reader!
"Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" by Margaret Sidney is a classic, I know, but it doesn't have much appeal to adults. Too sickeningly sweet, plot similar to "Little Women" but with less complex characters. The family is poor but loving - they charm a indolent boy with a rich grandfather who becomes their benefactor, etc. If I wanted a children's book about the beginning of the 20th century, I'd go for "All of a Kind Family" anyway! Those books are wonderfully warm and fun to read.
"The Lost Girls" by Amanda Pressner, Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett needed an editor with a chainsaw. I was aghast when I saw this 300-page tome! This is not War and Peace, people. I enjoy their blog and peppy attitude about traveling. They seem down to earth and friendly. But this book made the mistake of thinking they were the interesting part of the story and not their experiences traveling. Perhaps I sound mean, but none of these women are Elizabeth Gilbert when it comes to writing ability. The blog felt a lot more immediate and interesting than the book.
"Peppermints in the Parlor" by Barbara Brooks Wallace was really enjoyable! I wish I had read it as a preteen. It has shades of "A Little Princess" in that a young girl is orphaned, declared penniless and must work as a servant in a mansion run by an evil woman. She strives to brighten the dour lives of the old folks by sneaking in a kitten and befriends a young boy named Kipper and uses lots of Cockney slang. The plot is nothing new but there are some unforgettable images - a tea bag passed down a long table and everyone uses it until there's no flavor at all. People sitting around the parlor tempted but deathly terrified of taking a peppermint. A trapdoor leading to an underground labrynth. Too much fun for a young reader!
"Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" by Margaret Sidney is a classic, I know, but it doesn't have much appeal to adults. Too sickeningly sweet, plot similar to "Little Women" but with less complex characters. The family is poor but loving - they charm a indolent boy with a rich grandfather who becomes their benefactor, etc. If I wanted a children's book about the beginning of the 20th century, I'd go for "All of a Kind Family" anyway! Those books are wonderfully warm and fun to read.
russian winter
I knew I'd like "Russian Winter" by Daphne Kalotay because the premise was so intriguing - ballerina who defected from communist Russia auctions off her jewelry, which raise questions from the past. And I did love it. It captures what life was like under Stalin - the atmosphere of wondering if you are being watched, the distrust, the people disappearing. A professor suspects the ballerina is his mother, based on his investigation of jewelry, and tries to connect with her but she refuses. The mystery propels you to the end, where everything is exposed in a shocking way. Great read - perfect for cold weather. I read "A Reliable Wife" around this time last year and loved the spooky atmosphere of my book connecting to the weather.
I read "I Was Told There'd Be Cake" by Sloane Crosley and thought the essays were fun - but I was really grossed out by the story about her bathroom. I was perplexed why she always gets rave reviews and accolades like "the next David Sedaris!" - and then I discovered she is a book publicist. So every writer is going to promote her book, so she'll like them. Duh. Anyway, I read "How Did You Get This Number" by Sloane Crosley and liked it. She writes about an Alaska wedding trip gone wrong, the junior high board game called "Girl Talk", and buying stolen merchandise from a furniture salesman while going through a breakup. The essays were witty and well-crafted but nothing earth-shaking.
I got Maira Kalman's book the day it came out! "And the Pursuit of Happiness" is another of her hybrid art/essays works with musing on democracy and celebrations of our history paired with whimsical drawings and photos. I love her!
"Mitten Strings for God" by Katrina Kenison is an extremely powerful book about motherhood that captures the mood I strive for. I loved her other book "The Gift of an Ordinary Day" and sought out this book. She writes about creating a peaceful home of creativity and appreciation. She encourages living by your own standards and not racing around doing things just because everyone else is. She advocates a lot of the principles of Waldorf schools - no TV, lots of nature, emphasizing self-reliance. Her reflections really touched me, esp her comments on the challenge raising kids to value living a good life, not just having good things. I want to read parts of this book to my husband - and try to convince him we shouldn't get a TV! Stop the frenzy and savor simplicity.
I read "I Was Told There'd Be Cake" by Sloane Crosley and thought the essays were fun - but I was really grossed out by the story about her bathroom. I was perplexed why she always gets rave reviews and accolades like "the next David Sedaris!" - and then I discovered she is a book publicist. So every writer is going to promote her book, so she'll like them. Duh. Anyway, I read "How Did You Get This Number" by Sloane Crosley and liked it. She writes about an Alaska wedding trip gone wrong, the junior high board game called "Girl Talk", and buying stolen merchandise from a furniture salesman while going through a breakup. The essays were witty and well-crafted but nothing earth-shaking.
I got Maira Kalman's book the day it came out! "And the Pursuit of Happiness" is another of her hybrid art/essays works with musing on democracy and celebrations of our history paired with whimsical drawings and photos. I love her!
"Mitten Strings for God" by Katrina Kenison is an extremely powerful book about motherhood that captures the mood I strive for. I loved her other book "The Gift of an Ordinary Day" and sought out this book. She writes about creating a peaceful home of creativity and appreciation. She encourages living by your own standards and not racing around doing things just because everyone else is. She advocates a lot of the principles of Waldorf schools - no TV, lots of nature, emphasizing self-reliance. Her reflections really touched me, esp her comments on the challenge raising kids to value living a good life, not just having good things. I want to read parts of this book to my husband - and try to convince him we shouldn't get a TV! Stop the frenzy and savor simplicity.
at home
I have been whipping though lots of great books... Let's get going.
Today I devoured Bill Bryson's "At Home: A Short History of Private Life" and found it fantastically entertaining and informative and wondrous. He takes his own house, a Victorian building used by the church's pastor as a point of reference and then takes off into the history of architecture (Palladio), construction materials (brick, stone, wood), city planning and the cholera epidemic, life of servants and slaves, hygiene, etc. It's great for people who love to learn because he covers so many different areas in such a humorous and provoking way. I love his writing, I have read nearly all his books, and this was a perfect choice as a new homeowner.
"Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights" by Sophia Dahl is a cookbook by a model. I came across this in Vogue and actually enjoyed the book quite a lot. It's well-designed with lovely pictures and line drawings and arranged by meals and seasons (Winter breakfast, winter lunch, etc). Many of the recipes look tasty - they are healthy, English, and wholesome. Baked eggs, parsnip soup, baked apples...
"Fly Away Home" by Jennifer Weiner is my new favorite book of hers. It's about a senator's wife who deals with the aftermath of a scandalous affair and her two daughters - a rigid doctor who is having an affair herself and a recovering addict with low self-esteem. They all go through various upheavals and then retreat to a family cottage by the sea. Is that the perfect set up or what? Female bonding by the crashing waves - the blankets pulled up to the neck as secrets are revealed on the porch by the salty sea air - it's the quintessential Lifetime movie.
Weiner relies on certain tropes - the loudmouth best friend, the unplanned pregnancy which ends up being the best thing ever, the use of conditional tense to describe time passing ex: "She'd get out of bed... She'd throw on a long-sleeved shirt..." She also uses indulging in food as a symbol of personal pride. I was waiting for sad-sack Gary to be redeemed - but no, he really was a one-dimensional loser character. Anyway, these are minor issues as on the whole I enjoyed all three main characters and felt the ending was believable.
I read "A Life's Work" by Rachel Cusk - a memoir about her initial response to mothering an infant. I had two reactions - moments of gratitude for describing something perfectly - and annoyance that she was just complaining needlessly. There are many difficult, painful, lonely and depressing parts of having a baby. I know this is true and I know it's important to let other mothers know they are not alone in feeling less than elated 24/7.
But at the same time ... these are the facts. Babies cry all the time, they are needy beyond anything you imagined, they devour your freedom and sense of identity, they change your body, cause you pain, ruin your sleep for years, and demand more. But this is just the way it is. No one in the sky is going to revamp babies and design next year's model to cry less. So what do we do? We focus on the good things (Cusk said, "What good things?" when a friend gave her this advice) and toughen up. Think of women throughout history who were pregnant nonstop - and didn't have disposable diapers. Think of women who yearn to have a baby and can't. Think of women struggling to find food for her babies. In a few months, the baby will learn to sleep and you'll feel better.
I also read "Tide, Feather, Snow" by Miranda Weiss about her experience moving to Alaska and living in Homer. She writes beautifully about nature and all the unique activities of the state, like dipnetting for salmon in a river and kayaking and cross country skiing.
Today I devoured Bill Bryson's "At Home: A Short History of Private Life" and found it fantastically entertaining and informative and wondrous. He takes his own house, a Victorian building used by the church's pastor as a point of reference and then takes off into the history of architecture (Palladio), construction materials (brick, stone, wood), city planning and the cholera epidemic, life of servants and slaves, hygiene, etc. It's great for people who love to learn because he covers so many different areas in such a humorous and provoking way. I love his writing, I have read nearly all his books, and this was a perfect choice as a new homeowner.
"Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights" by Sophia Dahl is a cookbook by a model. I came across this in Vogue and actually enjoyed the book quite a lot. It's well-designed with lovely pictures and line drawings and arranged by meals and seasons (Winter breakfast, winter lunch, etc). Many of the recipes look tasty - they are healthy, English, and wholesome. Baked eggs, parsnip soup, baked apples...
"Fly Away Home" by Jennifer Weiner is my new favorite book of hers. It's about a senator's wife who deals with the aftermath of a scandalous affair and her two daughters - a rigid doctor who is having an affair herself and a recovering addict with low self-esteem. They all go through various upheavals and then retreat to a family cottage by the sea. Is that the perfect set up or what? Female bonding by the crashing waves - the blankets pulled up to the neck as secrets are revealed on the porch by the salty sea air - it's the quintessential Lifetime movie.
Weiner relies on certain tropes - the loudmouth best friend, the unplanned pregnancy which ends up being the best thing ever, the use of conditional tense to describe time passing ex: "She'd get out of bed... She'd throw on a long-sleeved shirt..." She also uses indulging in food as a symbol of personal pride. I was waiting for sad-sack Gary to be redeemed - but no, he really was a one-dimensional loser character. Anyway, these are minor issues as on the whole I enjoyed all three main characters and felt the ending was believable.
I read "A Life's Work" by Rachel Cusk - a memoir about her initial response to mothering an infant. I had two reactions - moments of gratitude for describing something perfectly - and annoyance that she was just complaining needlessly. There are many difficult, painful, lonely and depressing parts of having a baby. I know this is true and I know it's important to let other mothers know they are not alone in feeling less than elated 24/7.
But at the same time ... these are the facts. Babies cry all the time, they are needy beyond anything you imagined, they devour your freedom and sense of identity, they change your body, cause you pain, ruin your sleep for years, and demand more. But this is just the way it is. No one in the sky is going to revamp babies and design next year's model to cry less. So what do we do? We focus on the good things (Cusk said, "What good things?" when a friend gave her this advice) and toughen up. Think of women throughout history who were pregnant nonstop - and didn't have disposable diapers. Think of women who yearn to have a baby and can't. Think of women struggling to find food for her babies. In a few months, the baby will learn to sleep and you'll feel better.
I also read "Tide, Feather, Snow" by Miranda Weiss about her experience moving to Alaska and living in Homer. She writes beautifully about nature and all the unique activities of the state, like dipnetting for salmon in a river and kayaking and cross country skiing.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
home in alaska
So since my last post, I drove to Alaska, lived in a rental unit, bought a house, moved, unpacked and am now finally somewhat at home. And I got my library card!
The first book I dug out of my boxes of books was "The Gastronomy of Marriage" by Michelle Maistro. It is such a cozy read. It is not a book to set the world on fire, but it's like hanging out in a warm kitchen with a friend, feeling free to talk about things like what's for dinner without feeling that your intelligence is being insulted. It's lovely and always puts me in the mood for Chinese food.
Library books -
Speaking of China.... I read "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of The Cultural Revolution" by Ji Li Jiang. I knew nothing about Chinese history and was totally engrossed in her life story - as a young teenager facing terrible persecution and abuse under Chairman Mao. She shows how everyone was brainwashed into thinking Mao was like a god and yet they were suffering so much. They had no human rights - they were detained, forced to work in fields, searched, humiliated, made to turn in family members. What a tragic time - unbelievable that people were persecuting people just like them. Humans can find something to fight over, no matter what.
I also read "Toast" by Roger Rosenblatt - his memoir about the time he moved in with his son in law and grandkids after his daughter died suddenly. It's sort of like a journal, with a sense of notes being jotted down. He writes about how the family copes and what it's like to be thrust back in the role of active parent of young kids.
"To Dance: A Balleria's Graphic Novel" by Siena Cherson Siegel is about a young girl in Puerto Rico who studies dance in NYC. It's very sweet - her husband Mark Siegel did the illustrations.
"Pride of Baghdad" by Brian K. Vaughan and art by Niko Henrichon is based on the lions from the Baghdad Zoo who escaped after the bombing began. It didn't really speak to me - it's very stereotyptical with violent art and portentous statements. It is for the teenage boy demographic. I thought, because it was based on a true story, it might rise to the next level but it wasn't for me.
"Christmas Tapestry" by Patricia Polacco is a picture book with the happiest ending possible that brought tears to my eyes.
The first book I dug out of my boxes of books was "The Gastronomy of Marriage" by Michelle Maistro. It is such a cozy read. It is not a book to set the world on fire, but it's like hanging out in a warm kitchen with a friend, feeling free to talk about things like what's for dinner without feeling that your intelligence is being insulted. It's lovely and always puts me in the mood for Chinese food.
Library books -
Speaking of China.... I read "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of The Cultural Revolution" by Ji Li Jiang. I knew nothing about Chinese history and was totally engrossed in her life story - as a young teenager facing terrible persecution and abuse under Chairman Mao. She shows how everyone was brainwashed into thinking Mao was like a god and yet they were suffering so much. They had no human rights - they were detained, forced to work in fields, searched, humiliated, made to turn in family members. What a tragic time - unbelievable that people were persecuting people just like them. Humans can find something to fight over, no matter what.
I also read "Toast" by Roger Rosenblatt - his memoir about the time he moved in with his son in law and grandkids after his daughter died suddenly. It's sort of like a journal, with a sense of notes being jotted down. He writes about how the family copes and what it's like to be thrust back in the role of active parent of young kids.
"To Dance: A Balleria's Graphic Novel" by Siena Cherson Siegel is about a young girl in Puerto Rico who studies dance in NYC. It's very sweet - her husband Mark Siegel did the illustrations.
"Pride of Baghdad" by Brian K. Vaughan and art by Niko Henrichon is based on the lions from the Baghdad Zoo who escaped after the bombing began. It didn't really speak to me - it's very stereotyptical with violent art and portentous statements. It is for the teenage boy demographic. I thought, because it was based on a true story, it might rise to the next level but it wasn't for me.
"Christmas Tapestry" by Patricia Polacco is a picture book with the happiest ending possible that brought tears to my eyes.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
the big house
What have I been reading?
I reread "The Big House" by George Howe Colt. It's kind of rambling - I'm not really interested in the ancient Roman beliefs about houses by the sea - and the author gets a bit twee from time to time. The book is about his family history so it can feel somewhat over indulgent. But I love it anyway because I sympathize with loving a special house by the water and seeing it through the eyes of many generations.
I am rereading "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything" by Janelle Brown and got her new book, "This is Where We Live." Good summery books.
I read "Life After Yes" by Aidan Donnelley Rowley and it had its moments. The main character had a weird dream and this is treated with as much gravity as if they were all ancient Greeks who believed dreams were portents. The plot had some surprising soapy machinations and bits of insight about grief, but it felt like it was for younger readers who are fascinated with weddings.
I reread "The Big House" by George Howe Colt. It's kind of rambling - I'm not really interested in the ancient Roman beliefs about houses by the sea - and the author gets a bit twee from time to time. The book is about his family history so it can feel somewhat over indulgent. But I love it anyway because I sympathize with loving a special house by the water and seeing it through the eyes of many generations.
I am rereading "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything" by Janelle Brown and got her new book, "This is Where We Live." Good summery books.
I read "Life After Yes" by Aidan Donnelley Rowley and it had its moments. The main character had a weird dream and this is treated with as much gravity as if they were all ancient Greeks who believed dreams were portents. The plot had some surprising soapy machinations and bits of insight about grief, but it felt like it was for younger readers who are fascinated with weddings.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
people of the book
"People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks is dazzling and masterful and sublime. I loved it madly. She takes a historical Jewish book and imagines how it came to exist. The frame story is a rare book researcher examining the book and finding different marks on it - salt, an insect wing, wine stain. Then the story goes back into history and explains what happened - in a Jewish ghetto in Venice, a young girl during the Holocaust and a Muslim in a harem. The mystery compels the story forward while the historical aspects reveal a history of anti-Semitism. It's a great gift to readers and those who fully believe the secret of life is in a book.
I also read "The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance" by Elna Baker and found it quite a hoot. Yes, it's a memoir by someone in her mid-30s or so, but it's hilarious. My favorite part was the section about her job as an actor at FAO Schwartz pretending to be a nurse looking for adoptive homes for babies. Also there's a hilarious story of how her Halloween costume as a fortune cookie went awry. She finds a lot of humor in the fact that she's a believing Mormon in hedonic NYC and loves both worlds fully. She is involved in the Mormon social activities and works at Letterman and Nobu. She also was obese and lost 80 pounds.
I also read "The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance" by Elna Baker and found it quite a hoot. Yes, it's a memoir by someone in her mid-30s or so, but it's hilarious. My favorite part was the section about her job as an actor at FAO Schwartz pretending to be a nurse looking for adoptive homes for babies. Also there's a hilarious story of how her Halloween costume as a fortune cookie went awry. She finds a lot of humor in the fact that she's a believing Mormon in hedonic NYC and loves both worlds fully. She is involved in the Mormon social activities and works at Letterman and Nobu. She also was obese and lost 80 pounds.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
all over the map
I read "All Over the Map" by Laura Fraser after attending her book reading at Powell's. I totally adored "An Italian Affair" and was eager for her new book. I like her bemused take on things. She goes on all kinds of adventures - Outward Bound, a silent retreat, her college reunion, - and reports on stories in Rwanda and Samoa, where she is attacked. It's very upsetting. She struggles to find peace in the struggle to find peace (as Sarah McLaughlin would say). The ending clobbered me. I had just reread "An Italian Affair" so the Professor seemed very alive and sharp in my mind.
The structure feels kind of loose but her company is so charming, I enjoyed going along with her.
I also read "Life Would Be Perfect In That House" by Meghan Daum, which is extremely enjoyable. She's a hilarious writer. She recounts things in a deadpan way that makes me laugh - often describing mistakes she has made. She describes her passion for real estate and moving and I definitely related. There's a part in the end about a company called Soft Surroundings that makes me smile thinking about it.
I liked this passage - very apropro as we are moving soon.
"There are many dramas inherent to relocation via the highway: the tears triggered by a country song, the weird free fall of registering at a motel and not knowing your address, the exhilerating merger of open road and open future. But no one ever talks about those agonzing miles between your departure point and the point at which the interstate fades into a generic ribbbon of asphalt. No one ever talks about the suspension of disbelief required to pull out of a driveway that is no longer yours, coast through a neighborhood that will soon no longer be home, and pass - if not for the last time ever, at least for the last time before they become symbols of nostalgia - the landmarks that, while utterly prosaic, have long been the only thing standing between disorientation nad sweet familiarity."
The structure feels kind of loose but her company is so charming, I enjoyed going along with her.
I also read "Life Would Be Perfect In That House" by Meghan Daum, which is extremely enjoyable. She's a hilarious writer. She recounts things in a deadpan way that makes me laugh - often describing mistakes she has made. She describes her passion for real estate and moving and I definitely related. There's a part in the end about a company called Soft Surroundings that makes me smile thinking about it.
I liked this passage - very apropro as we are moving soon.
"There are many dramas inherent to relocation via the highway: the tears triggered by a country song, the weird free fall of registering at a motel and not knowing your address, the exhilerating merger of open road and open future. But no one ever talks about those agonzing miles between your departure point and the point at which the interstate fades into a generic ribbbon of asphalt. No one ever talks about the suspension of disbelief required to pull out of a driveway that is no longer yours, coast through a neighborhood that will soon no longer be home, and pass - if not for the last time ever, at least for the last time before they become symbols of nostalgia - the landmarks that, while utterly prosaic, have long been the only thing standing between disorientation nad sweet familiarity."
Monday, June 7, 2010
the year of magical thinking
I tried to sell back those books yesterday - they only took about 1/3rd. So I'll either donate them to Goodwill or keep them. Hmm.
And I bought some books. I am so hopeless. So much for clearing off the shelves.
I read "James Herriot's Treasury for Children" upon recommendation of Catherine Newman, who I slavishly ape in every way. Adorable book of animal tales that made me cry with their gentle and sweet understanding of the world. I can't wait to share them with Little Mister. I also got James Herriot's memoir on CD to listen to as we drive the Alaska Highway. (And "Alphabet Juice" because we think Roy Blount Jr. is funny on NPR and some CD on sale about historical moments that changed the world.)
I also read "Trouble" by Kate Christensen and I love this book. It's heady with Mexico City atmosphere - it totally takes me back to our trip there. The grit and polluted air and flavors and music and streets... It's totally a fun read with a shocker of an ending.
"The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion is a reread. She analyzes her own heartbreak and grief after her husband died and daughter was seriously ill. Through this prism, we see her rich life and how much she lost.
"Shelter Me" by Juliette Fay was okay. Too talky and slow. A widow grieves and is rude to her Catholic priest and falls in love with her handyman building a porch. Not for me. The best part was the sermons - it was sort of wish fulfillment of a Catholic priest taking responsibility and condemning the molestation crisis in the church.
I also picked up an adorable board book for Little Mister. "Ten Little Babies" by Gyo Fujikawa is the cutest thing ever.
And I bought some books. I am so hopeless. So much for clearing off the shelves.
I read "James Herriot's Treasury for Children" upon recommendation of Catherine Newman, who I slavishly ape in every way. Adorable book of animal tales that made me cry with their gentle and sweet understanding of the world. I can't wait to share them with Little Mister. I also got James Herriot's memoir on CD to listen to as we drive the Alaska Highway. (And "Alphabet Juice" because we think Roy Blount Jr. is funny on NPR and some CD on sale about historical moments that changed the world.)
I also read "Trouble" by Kate Christensen and I love this book. It's heady with Mexico City atmosphere - it totally takes me back to our trip there. The grit and polluted air and flavors and music and streets... It's totally a fun read with a shocker of an ending.
"The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion is a reread. She analyzes her own heartbreak and grief after her husband died and daughter was seriously ill. Through this prism, we see her rich life and how much she lost.
"Shelter Me" by Juliette Fay was okay. Too talky and slow. A widow grieves and is rude to her Catholic priest and falls in love with her handyman building a porch. Not for me. The best part was the sermons - it was sort of wish fulfillment of a Catholic priest taking responsibility and condemning the molestation crisis in the church.
I also picked up an adorable board book for Little Mister. "Ten Little Babies" by Gyo Fujikawa is the cutest thing ever.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
clearing off the bookshelf
Oh, this is hard. I would like to hug each book to my chest and make it part of me forever. But we're moving and I need to clear out our stuff. We must make room for wonderful gifts of the future.
So here's a loving goodbye.
First I must note that Powell's has really enabled my book buying habit! I just can't resist an interesting title marked off. Who cares if I'll read it again? I just have to have it.
"Seven Loves" by Valerie Trueblood. Extremely beautiful, poetic language but not plotty enough for me.
"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. Loved this book, a brilliant marriage of action adventure and profound philosophical musings on religion. But will I read it again? No. Some books you read once, get the message, and you're done with it. Humans yearn to believe the better story and that's just the way we're built.
"Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. Great cover, an exciting opening, lots of sweet animal - human moments, decadent atmosphere.
"What Do You Do All Day?" by Amy Scheibe. A funny book that gives you a sense of solidarity with SAHMs.
"A Wedding in December" by Anita Shreve. I really liked this book - reunion of friends, glamorous locale, secrets revealed, a wedding - all the elements I adore. Everyone is grappling with 9-11 in the book, which makes it seem kind of dated.
"The Girls" by Lori Lansens. This book is SO good. It made me cry. It's stunning. She takes a out-there premise of conjioned twins and tells a story of love, simple and complex.
"I Know This Much Is True" by Wally Lamb. I read this while pregnant. Such a good book. It's enormous and yet addicting, a whole world is created for you. It's about a man with a mentally ill twin brother.
"Goodnight Nobody" by Jennifer Weiner is a funny book about a SAHM solving a mystery. The description of suburban life is comic but the mystery is rather lame.
"Mail" by Mameve Medwed is a very enjoyable book about a Harvard woman falling for her mailman. It's clever and sweet and a good read.
"House & Home" by Kathleen McCleary is all about a woman's love for her home in Portland. This means a lot to me as I am preparing to leave beautiful Portland. But the plot aspects are kind of humdrum.
"The Brothers K" by David James Duncan is a big book about baseball, brothers, the
'60s. I confess my interest waned at times. But the ending was extremely powerful, an arrow to the heart.
"Dating Big Bird" by Laura Zigman is a chicklit book about the desire for a baby, not the desire for a man. It's bright and funny, set in the NYC fashion world, with a heartfelt yearning to be a mom.
"Happy All the Time" by Laurie Colwin is about two couples who are happy. They have no real conflicts. It killed me. I was reading page after page waiting for some tension and there was none. It annoyed the heck out of me. I love Laurie Colwin's books about cooking, I think she is a world-class charmer. I want to love her fiction. But I don't.
"The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean is a crazy story about orchids and then cult that surrounds them. She writes in the first person about reporting the story and takes it into many directions - the nature of passion, Florida's invasive species issues, botany. It's totally enjoyable to read b/c she takes you into all these unexpected and yet enthralling ideas.
"The Nanny Diaries" by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus is a peek into the rarified Park Avenue world from the eyes of the nanny. She is exposed to the high life but doesn't belong. She is intimately involved in raising their child but viewed as staff. The opening scene of the interview process is the best part. The plot is kind of weak with one-dimensional characters.
"Leave Me Alone, I'm reading" by Maureen Corrigan. I really like her insights and excitement for books! I am just as nutty for books as she is. She got me to reread "Gaudy Night" and "One True Thing" and Laurie Colwin's fiction. She also recommends MFK Fisher, which I need to read.
I did a big cleanout of my bookshelf before this move. I was very strict. Shopaholic, goodbye. Adios, Know It All. Only worthy books would come along. But then I ended up wanting to read them again and (don't tell) purchased the books again. (Damn you Powells!) Books are a story - and they are a connection to the past. I remember who I was when I reread a book. "The Thirteenth Tale" makes me feel neauseated b/c I read it in the first trimester.
I am searching for the secret of life and I know it's in a book. I feel that as a child, I found something in books that I want again. So I read and read, always looking for that secret.
So here's a loving goodbye.
First I must note that Powell's has really enabled my book buying habit! I just can't resist an interesting title marked off. Who cares if I'll read it again? I just have to have it.
"Seven Loves" by Valerie Trueblood. Extremely beautiful, poetic language but not plotty enough for me.
"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. Loved this book, a brilliant marriage of action adventure and profound philosophical musings on religion. But will I read it again? No. Some books you read once, get the message, and you're done with it. Humans yearn to believe the better story and that's just the way we're built.
"Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. Great cover, an exciting opening, lots of sweet animal - human moments, decadent atmosphere.
"What Do You Do All Day?" by Amy Scheibe. A funny book that gives you a sense of solidarity with SAHMs.
"A Wedding in December" by Anita Shreve. I really liked this book - reunion of friends, glamorous locale, secrets revealed, a wedding - all the elements I adore. Everyone is grappling with 9-11 in the book, which makes it seem kind of dated.
"The Girls" by Lori Lansens. This book is SO good. It made me cry. It's stunning. She takes a out-there premise of conjioned twins and tells a story of love, simple and complex.
"I Know This Much Is True" by Wally Lamb. I read this while pregnant. Such a good book. It's enormous and yet addicting, a whole world is created for you. It's about a man with a mentally ill twin brother.
"Goodnight Nobody" by Jennifer Weiner is a funny book about a SAHM solving a mystery. The description of suburban life is comic but the mystery is rather lame.
"Mail" by Mameve Medwed is a very enjoyable book about a Harvard woman falling for her mailman. It's clever and sweet and a good read.
"House & Home" by Kathleen McCleary is all about a woman's love for her home in Portland. This means a lot to me as I am preparing to leave beautiful Portland. But the plot aspects are kind of humdrum.
"The Brothers K" by David James Duncan is a big book about baseball, brothers, the
'60s. I confess my interest waned at times. But the ending was extremely powerful, an arrow to the heart.
"Dating Big Bird" by Laura Zigman is a chicklit book about the desire for a baby, not the desire for a man. It's bright and funny, set in the NYC fashion world, with a heartfelt yearning to be a mom.
"Happy All the Time" by Laurie Colwin is about two couples who are happy. They have no real conflicts. It killed me. I was reading page after page waiting for some tension and there was none. It annoyed the heck out of me. I love Laurie Colwin's books about cooking, I think she is a world-class charmer. I want to love her fiction. But I don't.
"The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean is a crazy story about orchids and then cult that surrounds them. She writes in the first person about reporting the story and takes it into many directions - the nature of passion, Florida's invasive species issues, botany. It's totally enjoyable to read b/c she takes you into all these unexpected and yet enthralling ideas.
"The Nanny Diaries" by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus is a peek into the rarified Park Avenue world from the eyes of the nanny. She is exposed to the high life but doesn't belong. She is intimately involved in raising their child but viewed as staff. The opening scene of the interview process is the best part. The plot is kind of weak with one-dimensional characters.
"Leave Me Alone, I'm reading" by Maureen Corrigan. I really like her insights and excitement for books! I am just as nutty for books as she is. She got me to reread "Gaudy Night" and "One True Thing" and Laurie Colwin's fiction. She also recommends MFK Fisher, which I need to read.
I did a big cleanout of my bookshelf before this move. I was very strict. Shopaholic, goodbye. Adios, Know It All. Only worthy books would come along. But then I ended up wanting to read them again and (don't tell) purchased the books again. (Damn you Powells!) Books are a story - and they are a connection to the past. I remember who I was when I reread a book. "The Thirteenth Tale" makes me feel neauseated b/c I read it in the first trimester.
I am searching for the secret of life and I know it's in a book. I feel that as a child, I found something in books that I want again. So I read and read, always looking for that secret.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
heart of the matter
So I've been reading a bunch of divorce memoirs. "An Italian Affair" by Laura Fraser is a reread - she has a new book out I'm excited about. The "Mennonite in a Little Black Dress" book. Then this morning I read "Falling Apart in One Piece" by Stacy Morrison. Other books in this genre include "Split" by Suzanne Finnamore and "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert and "Happens Every Day" by Isabel Gillies. I think I like these books because women are freed to speak out and tell the truth about their relationships. They go through awful turmoil and pain, but generally they find freedom. They have permission to do crazy things - have an affair ("An Italian Affair"), travel the world ("Eat, Pray, Love"), eat biscuits from KFC and do a lot of online shopping ("Split"). They break the rules and become interested in Zen wisdom and then find liberation.
So this book was "Falling Apart in One Piece" by Morrison, editor of Redbook. I felt great sympathy for her. Her husband left her after she had a baby and he really seems like a crummy, self-involved loser. She's working really hard at her intense magazine job and caring for the baby and dealing with a nightmare house situation and he says he's done with the marriage. Pretty harsh.
The book is not as funny as the Mennonite book or as charming as "Eat, Pray, Love" or glamorous as "An Italian Affair." It's very honest and wrenching. I related to her struggles with a toddler. Parenting can be so hard, so draining and thankless. You need a break. And you don't get one when you're a single parent. The little things can be so overwhelming. She writes about coming home with a ruined vacation and her son's lip getting hurt. She goes to the ER and he has to have stitches in his lip. The stitches don't dissolve so she has to go back to the doctor and have them removed. Then she has to go back home, pack the diaper bag for daycare, find parking, get him to daycare and herself to work. She leaves her car double parked, thinking a ticket is the last of her troubles. She writes about going through such a arduous ordeal just to accomplish something small - getting out of the house. It's hard.
Ruined vacations, a house fire, and a basement flooded with sewage! It sounds utterly miserable. I'm glad she found some peace finally.
I also read "Heart of the Matter" by Emily Giffin. I really liked the concept - story of an affair from alternative viewpoints of the wife and the mistress. She does a good job at drawing believable characters. There are some lively observations about parenthood.
So this book was "Falling Apart in One Piece" by Morrison, editor of Redbook. I felt great sympathy for her. Her husband left her after she had a baby and he really seems like a crummy, self-involved loser. She's working really hard at her intense magazine job and caring for the baby and dealing with a nightmare house situation and he says he's done with the marriage. Pretty harsh.
The book is not as funny as the Mennonite book or as charming as "Eat, Pray, Love" or glamorous as "An Italian Affair." It's very honest and wrenching. I related to her struggles with a toddler. Parenting can be so hard, so draining and thankless. You need a break. And you don't get one when you're a single parent. The little things can be so overwhelming. She writes about coming home with a ruined vacation and her son's lip getting hurt. She goes to the ER and he has to have stitches in his lip. The stitches don't dissolve so she has to go back to the doctor and have them removed. Then she has to go back home, pack the diaper bag for daycare, find parking, get him to daycare and herself to work. She leaves her car double parked, thinking a ticket is the last of her troubles. She writes about going through such a arduous ordeal just to accomplish something small - getting out of the house. It's hard.
Ruined vacations, a house fire, and a basement flooded with sewage! It sounds utterly miserable. I'm glad she found some peace finally.
I also read "Heart of the Matter" by Emily Giffin. I really liked the concept - story of an affair from alternative viewpoints of the wife and the mistress. She does a good job at drawing believable characters. There are some lively observations about parenthood.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
summer at tiffany's
"Summer at Tiffany's" by Marjorie Hart is a super cute memoir of a summer at the end of WWII. Marjorie and her friend Marty got jobs as the first female pages at Tiffany's on 5th Avenue. They were wide-eyed college girls from Iowa and enjoyed a glimpse of glamourous nightclubs. They dated servicemen and saw Judy Garland and mourned the loss of a cousin in the war. Despite the sadness, it's an innocent time - they are super excited that their apartment has a toaster.
Kind of too bad she didn't go to Yale, though. (While in NY, she impressed someone with her cello-playing and they offered her admission to Yale. But she turned it down.)
"Mennonite in a Little Black Dress" by Rhoda Janzen is hilarious! The cover photo of a dress made me think it would be really cutesy, but the author is a professor. She went through a surgery gone bad, a car accident and her husband leaving her within a period of months and then returned to her parents' home who are Mennonites. The real attraction is her deadpan sense of humor - recognizing the ridiculousness of her train wreck situation and finding solace in the values of family and community. She is never sappy - she's honest about her bad marriage and her responsibiity for staying with him so long. She has so much clarity and appreciation, it's really uplifting to read.
I started "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks and I already love it!
Kind of too bad she didn't go to Yale, though. (While in NY, she impressed someone with her cello-playing and they offered her admission to Yale. But she turned it down.)
"Mennonite in a Little Black Dress" by Rhoda Janzen is hilarious! The cover photo of a dress made me think it would be really cutesy, but the author is a professor. She went through a surgery gone bad, a car accident and her husband leaving her within a period of months and then returned to her parents' home who are Mennonites. The real attraction is her deadpan sense of humor - recognizing the ridiculousness of her train wreck situation and finding solace in the values of family and community. She is never sappy - she's honest about her bad marriage and her responsibiity for staying with him so long. She has so much clarity and appreciation, it's really uplifting to read.
I started "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks and I already love it!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
an exact replica
I've been doing more rereading. "An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination" about a stillborn child. I tried to read the "Butterflies of Grand Canyon" but couldn't really get into it. It's a cozy mystery so it's the characters aren't exactly deep and I keep confusing them. They all seem to have weird names that begin with E.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
bringing home the birkin
"Bringing Home the Birkin" by Michael Tonello is quite entertaining. Hermes wouldn't sell Birkin purses to people who walked in the store - but he figured out that they would if he spent a ton of money in the store first. So he started doing this as a business - going to Hermes stores and events all around the world, living a lavish lifestyle at fancy hotels, then reselling the bags on ebay. He thinks the bags aren't really worth so much money, but he'll take advantage of the pentup demand.
He's pretty smart and the book is funny. For me, it exposes the shallowness and hypocritical world of designer fashion. These people think they are special because they have an expensive purse - so dumb. And we're sold this message in a million ways every day.
Rereading "The Imposter's Daughter" and "Renegade." At the library, I got "The Butterflies of Grand Canyon" which looks fun.
He's pretty smart and the book is funny. For me, it exposes the shallowness and hypocritical world of designer fashion. These people think they are special because they have an expensive purse - so dumb. And we're sold this message in a million ways every day.
Rereading "The Imposter's Daughter" and "Renegade." At the library, I got "The Butterflies of Grand Canyon" which looks fun.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
the kind diet
I was really inspired by "The Kind Diet" by Alicia Silverstone - so many good arguments for eating a plant-based diet, both for personal health and to save the planet. I bought a bunch of weird ingredients and made some recipes. They have been good, even my husband likes them. I guess I am still stuck on the issue of eating so much processed soy foods like Vegenaise and soy cheese. Michael Pollan says eat real food, not fakey food products. Plus I think soy can mess up your hormones if you eat it a lot. So I am perplexed. Certainly, reducing my intake of dairy would benefit my health. I eat quesadillas for snacks several times a week. I did feel different after a vegan meal. I felt very light and floaty. Anyway, it's a good book.
"When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead is a real delight, a YA book set in the NYC of the late '70s. I like the gritty atmosphere of the homeless and a strange sandwich shopkeeper - these are kids with a lot of automony and brushes with a great variety of people.
"Someone Will Be With You Shortly" by Lisa Kogan is a bunch of essays on modern life - she's quite funny and manages to savage Republicans quite frequently. Erma Bombeck meets Rachel Maddow. I chuckled at several stories.
"When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead is a real delight, a YA book set in the NYC of the late '70s. I like the gritty atmosphere of the homeless and a strange sandwich shopkeeper - these are kids with a lot of automony and brushes with a great variety of people.
"Someone Will Be With You Shortly" by Lisa Kogan is a bunch of essays on modern life - she's quite funny and manages to savage Republicans quite frequently. Erma Bombeck meets Rachel Maddow. I chuckled at several stories.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Next up!
I have two New Yorker issues to catch up on.
I went to the bookstore yesterday and got Richard Wolffe's "Renegade" - I read it when it first came out and loved it. I mean, the story of the campaign is stranger then fiction. Also more dramatic, more hilarious, more mind-boggling and more meaningful than fiction. "Renegade" dutifully retells the story we all lived through with the characters we all got to know too well - but because the hero won and saved the day, I want to hear the story again and again.
I also came home with two other books that were discounted and intriguing. "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers is a book I read in high school and wanted to reread. "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks sounds too tasty - a literary mystery that sweeps across 600 years.
And at the library, I have a ton of children's books awaiting me! I requested a bunch of books that Gwyneth Paltrow recommended in her GOOP newsletter.
I have two New Yorker issues to catch up on.
I went to the bookstore yesterday and got Richard Wolffe's "Renegade" - I read it when it first came out and loved it. I mean, the story of the campaign is stranger then fiction. Also more dramatic, more hilarious, more mind-boggling and more meaningful than fiction. "Renegade" dutifully retells the story we all lived through with the characters we all got to know too well - but because the hero won and saved the day, I want to hear the story again and again.
I also came home with two other books that were discounted and intriguing. "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers is a book I read in high school and wanted to reread. "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks sounds too tasty - a literary mystery that sweeps across 600 years.
And at the library, I have a ton of children's books awaiting me! I requested a bunch of books that Gwyneth Paltrow recommended in her GOOP newsletter.
jesus, interrupted
I have been on a crazed reading binge! So many amazing unputdownable books.
First, I finished "Seven Loves" by Valerie Trueblood. I read most of it in Hawaii. It's beautifully written, lush and evocative, with sentences that shatter your very heart. The author is a poet.
The book is a reflection on seven relationships May has had in life - her husband, her lover, her son, the man who caused her son's death, etc. Wonderful - but there is no plot to pull the reader along. When I put the book down, I didn't feel a strong enough connection to want to pick it up. I only read on for the perfect, piercing sentences. Example: When thinking about religion, May "had petitioned someone in secret, those first years, to take hold of her and wring out the dark water and bring her back." I love that description - wring out the dark water.
There's another passage about happiness and its many forms:
"There was selfish, hoarded pleasure, offering itself in the wrong place; there was exuberance that flared up hissing like a camp stove. There were risks, mistakes. Mistakes could certainly carry a wild happiness. In a life like hers, a life impossibly protected and fortunate as you looked at lives around the world, a life burst open and pumped out and then stubbornly, appallingly reverting to something that would have to be called happiness - you could never choose one day."
Upon reading Ayelet Waldman's recommendations for Mother's Day books, I bought "Life Among the Savages" by Shirley Jackson and "Family Man" by Calvin Trillin. Excellent choices! I was in a fever to get "Life Among the Savages" because I adore humorous domestic tales set in the mid century. Who knew Shirley Jackson had a funny family life? It was totally enjoyable and relatable. She makes remarks like "having the third child is the easiest" which are definitely of another era.
I was chortling and giggling throughout the incredibly charming "Family Man." I want to read this book to my husband, he'll get a kick out of it. He also dislikes asparagus and cats. Trillin writes his bemusement upon finding the Koala Kare changing tables in men's restrooms, their family tradition of Chinese food for Thanksgiving, and his distaste for the yowling Siamese cats. He has a perfect light touch with these topics - never cloying.
I also listened to "Happens Every Day" by Isabel Gillies, a memoir about divorce. I find it oddly fascinating as she recounts the breakdown - every time I listen, I try to pinpoint the moment her husband gave up on the marriage. He was a poetry professor and she was an actress on "Law and Order" so they are interesting people to begin with. Plus they are both from fancy WASP families who summer in Maine. Then you add all the drama of her husband leaving her for another woman and it's very gripping. She's kind of ditzy but utterly sympathetic as a mother trying to preserve the family for her sons.
And I read "Jesus, Interrupted" by Bart Ehrman in a state of mild euphoria as he basically explains everything you wondered about Christianity. My own teenage stage of extreme religious devotion collided abruptly against my college class on the Ancient Mediterranean World. We read the Bible along with other texts of the time and it blew my mind to learn that stories of miracle-working gods on earth born of virgins were not rare.
This is the book I should have had at the time. Ehrman explains that the Bible is often regarded as the inerrant guide, God's Word on earth. Yet it has lots of contradictions about almost everything. When did Jesus die? What was his behavior like on the cross? Did he call himself God? Why did he perform miracles? What did he want his followers to do in regards to Jewish law? The list goes on and on and these are not insignificant questions.
This leads to a history of theology - when and how various Christian beliefs developed, such as the Trinity, Heaven & Hell, resurrection of the body, the immortal soul, etc. It is insanely fascinating - I wanted to jump up and down as I read this out of joy of finally understanding. I felt the same way when reading "Guns, Germs and Steel." Also when I read an article in the Utne Reader about what's behind the beliefs of the political parties. http://www.utne.com/Politics/Liberals-Arent-Un-American-Conservatives-Arent-Ignorant.aspx
The Bible is the basis for much of our society - what it says and why it says things are relevant to our lives today. And yet, as the author points out, no one talks about the historical study of Jesus. Pastors learn this stuff but they don't teach it in churches. So no one knows what the Bible is really saying.
Anyway, it was a great book and I think everyone should read it. It's far from an attack on believers - it's a compelling history of the Good Book. It's intriguing reading this book after reading "Life of Pi" - which makes the point that humans prefer the better story over a factual account to explain the world.
I want to read more of Ehrman's books.
First, I finished "Seven Loves" by Valerie Trueblood. I read most of it in Hawaii. It's beautifully written, lush and evocative, with sentences that shatter your very heart. The author is a poet.
The book is a reflection on seven relationships May has had in life - her husband, her lover, her son, the man who caused her son's death, etc. Wonderful - but there is no plot to pull the reader along. When I put the book down, I didn't feel a strong enough connection to want to pick it up. I only read on for the perfect, piercing sentences. Example: When thinking about religion, May "had petitioned someone in secret, those first years, to take hold of her and wring out the dark water and bring her back." I love that description - wring out the dark water.
There's another passage about happiness and its many forms:
"There was selfish, hoarded pleasure, offering itself in the wrong place; there was exuberance that flared up hissing like a camp stove. There were risks, mistakes. Mistakes could certainly carry a wild happiness. In a life like hers, a life impossibly protected and fortunate as you looked at lives around the world, a life burst open and pumped out and then stubbornly, appallingly reverting to something that would have to be called happiness - you could never choose one day."
Upon reading Ayelet Waldman's recommendations for Mother's Day books, I bought "Life Among the Savages" by Shirley Jackson and "Family Man" by Calvin Trillin. Excellent choices! I was in a fever to get "Life Among the Savages" because I adore humorous domestic tales set in the mid century. Who knew Shirley Jackson had a funny family life? It was totally enjoyable and relatable. She makes remarks like "having the third child is the easiest" which are definitely of another era.
I was chortling and giggling throughout the incredibly charming "Family Man." I want to read this book to my husband, he'll get a kick out of it. He also dislikes asparagus and cats. Trillin writes his bemusement upon finding the Koala Kare changing tables in men's restrooms, their family tradition of Chinese food for Thanksgiving, and his distaste for the yowling Siamese cats. He has a perfect light touch with these topics - never cloying.
I also listened to "Happens Every Day" by Isabel Gillies, a memoir about divorce. I find it oddly fascinating as she recounts the breakdown - every time I listen, I try to pinpoint the moment her husband gave up on the marriage. He was a poetry professor and she was an actress on "Law and Order" so they are interesting people to begin with. Plus they are both from fancy WASP families who summer in Maine. Then you add all the drama of her husband leaving her for another woman and it's very gripping. She's kind of ditzy but utterly sympathetic as a mother trying to preserve the family for her sons.
And I read "Jesus, Interrupted" by Bart Ehrman in a state of mild euphoria as he basically explains everything you wondered about Christianity. My own teenage stage of extreme religious devotion collided abruptly against my college class on the Ancient Mediterranean World. We read the Bible along with other texts of the time and it blew my mind to learn that stories of miracle-working gods on earth born of virgins were not rare.
This is the book I should have had at the time. Ehrman explains that the Bible is often regarded as the inerrant guide, God's Word on earth. Yet it has lots of contradictions about almost everything. When did Jesus die? What was his behavior like on the cross? Did he call himself God? Why did he perform miracles? What did he want his followers to do in regards to Jewish law? The list goes on and on and these are not insignificant questions.
This leads to a history of theology - when and how various Christian beliefs developed, such as the Trinity, Heaven & Hell, resurrection of the body, the immortal soul, etc. It is insanely fascinating - I wanted to jump up and down as I read this out of joy of finally understanding. I felt the same way when reading "Guns, Germs and Steel." Also when I read an article in the Utne Reader about what's behind the beliefs of the political parties. http://www.utne.com/Politics/Liberals-Arent-Un-American-Conservatives-Arent-Ignorant.aspx
The Bible is the basis for much of our society - what it says and why it says things are relevant to our lives today. And yet, as the author points out, no one talks about the historical study of Jesus. Pastors learn this stuff but they don't teach it in churches. So no one knows what the Bible is really saying.
Anyway, it was a great book and I think everyone should read it. It's far from an attack on believers - it's a compelling history of the Good Book. It's intriguing reading this book after reading "Life of Pi" - which makes the point that humans prefer the better story over a factual account to explain the world.
I want to read more of Ehrman's books.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
every last one
I just finished Anna Quindlen's "Every Last One" and I'm going to spoil the plot right here.
First, I did enjoy the book and her description of the hubbub of family life. Everyone's busy, everyone has their own schedule, everything is hectic. The family in question is the mother (narrator), her doctor husband, their independent daughter Ruby and twin sons Max and Alex. The kids are teenagers so the mother Mary Beth is all caught up in their dating dilemmas, proms, curfews, drinking issues, college applications, etc. Then Ruby breaks up with her boyfriend and he goes nuts and kills the whole family.
This is my problem with the book. A skinny teenager strangles, stabs, and kills three people - Ruby, Max and the father - while the mother was asleep upstairs. Seriously? That is so implausible to me. It's hard to stab someone. You'd think the dad would have shouted something or fought back. The whole horrible scene is only indirectly referenced, no details are given. It's not Ann Rule or anything (which is good). But it seemed like a major stretch.
And of course the second half of the book is about the mother's grieving process. I really felt for her - the ending built up until I was almost in tears. Quindlen excells at writing with all kinds of perfectly on-point observations of modern life. (Plus only she would invent a mass murderer with a Tolstoy fetish.)
I also read "Second Time Around" by Beth Kendrick, who writes these extremely silly fluffy books. Friends from college are given a bequest when their friend dies and they all use the money to Follow Their Dreams.
While on vacation, I read "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel - yes, b/c Obama liked it. I admit I'm obsessed with the Obamas. I found "Life of Pi" very capitivating and I'm not one for seafaring adventure/fantasy books. I was totally enthralled by the boy's castaway story and stunned by the ending. But, crucially, I was not annoyed. Often I get very testy at the "it was all a dream" trope. I think it's unfair and against the rules to withhold info and make the reader less knowledgable than the story teller. But here, it was well done because the point was that we pick the better story. The amount of truth in it is not the deciding factor. And this is extrapolated to encompass religions. We choose what we want to believe and that is a totally understandable, respectable and even noble trait.
I want to talk to someone about this book. In this book, Pi's true story is a horrific tale of murder and cannibalism and "the better story" is about wild animals on a lifeboat and a magical island. So the implication is that life is harsh and ugly and religion offers a better story.
But I want to probe at that idea... I feel it sets up a false choice. I feel religion can be a tool of mysogeny and oppression and the real story of life on earth can be extremely beautiful and affirming. Obviously it can also be very brutal and painful as well. But what if the better story is the empirical truth? Perhaps evolution is a good example.
I was struck by a line where Pi mused that choosing doubt over faith is like choosing immobilization as a form of transport. This book made me think.
First, I did enjoy the book and her description of the hubbub of family life. Everyone's busy, everyone has their own schedule, everything is hectic. The family in question is the mother (narrator), her doctor husband, their independent daughter Ruby and twin sons Max and Alex. The kids are teenagers so the mother Mary Beth is all caught up in their dating dilemmas, proms, curfews, drinking issues, college applications, etc. Then Ruby breaks up with her boyfriend and he goes nuts and kills the whole family.
This is my problem with the book. A skinny teenager strangles, stabs, and kills three people - Ruby, Max and the father - while the mother was asleep upstairs. Seriously? That is so implausible to me. It's hard to stab someone. You'd think the dad would have shouted something or fought back. The whole horrible scene is only indirectly referenced, no details are given. It's not Ann Rule or anything (which is good). But it seemed like a major stretch.
And of course the second half of the book is about the mother's grieving process. I really felt for her - the ending built up until I was almost in tears. Quindlen excells at writing with all kinds of perfectly on-point observations of modern life. (Plus only she would invent a mass murderer with a Tolstoy fetish.)
I also read "Second Time Around" by Beth Kendrick, who writes these extremely silly fluffy books. Friends from college are given a bequest when their friend dies and they all use the money to Follow Their Dreams.
While on vacation, I read "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel - yes, b/c Obama liked it. I admit I'm obsessed with the Obamas. I found "Life of Pi" very capitivating and I'm not one for seafaring adventure/fantasy books. I was totally enthralled by the boy's castaway story and stunned by the ending. But, crucially, I was not annoyed. Often I get very testy at the "it was all a dream" trope. I think it's unfair and against the rules to withhold info and make the reader less knowledgable than the story teller. But here, it was well done because the point was that we pick the better story. The amount of truth in it is not the deciding factor. And this is extrapolated to encompass religions. We choose what we want to believe and that is a totally understandable, respectable and even noble trait.
I want to talk to someone about this book. In this book, Pi's true story is a horrific tale of murder and cannibalism and "the better story" is about wild animals on a lifeboat and a magical island. So the implication is that life is harsh and ugly and religion offers a better story.
But I want to probe at that idea... I feel it sets up a false choice. I feel religion can be a tool of mysogeny and oppression and the real story of life on earth can be extremely beautiful and affirming. Obviously it can also be very brutal and painful as well. But what if the better story is the empirical truth? Perhaps evolution is a good example.
I was struck by a line where Pi mused that choosing doubt over faith is like choosing immobilization as a form of transport. This book made me think.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
american sucker
I suspected I wouldn't like "American Sucker" by David Denby and it did give me a queasy sense of disgust. It's about his foray into the stock market in 2001 - the bubble and burst of tech stocks.
I think it's bad enough to have the stated goal of making a million dollars in a year in the stock market - that is as dumb as entering a casino with the same ambition. And then to write a book agonizing over every detail of the market going up or down - yuck. It's a major turn off. He's a great writer, the film critic for The New Yorker, and makes lots of highbrown allusions to Falstaff or Achilles or Aristotle. But it's still just gross to read his endless self justifications for putting his family's funds into fiber optics or biotech. It's because his wife is leaving him! It's because risk makes you alive! It's the American way! Etc.
The biggest irony is that he ends up selling a 7-room apt in Manhattan after losing to much in the stock market - this in 2001, such surely was the wisest decision he ever made.
I was interested in the hectic culture - he befriended star analysts and CEOs - including the ImClone guy who got Martha Stewart convicted of insider trading. And then he was shocked and saddened to learn they were hucksters and criminals. They were very charming anf threw great parties! Who would guess they shouldn't be believed as they peddled their "get rich quick" schemes?
Denby is horrified by the modest, self-sacrificing people who live on small means. He thinks they are depressing and pathetic and obsessed with money. It's not that "get rich quick" is a moral evil. He argues over and over that taking risks in capitalism and seizing opportunities is what made our country great. Right. It's just that "get rich quick" does not work. He spent over a year trying it and ended up out a million dollars. All those tacky people with budgets and canned food avoided that fate.
The book is a peek into the envious and greedy big city culture and it makes me very glad to be removed. One time in my life, I was dedicated to the dream of a being a NY journalist. A job at The New Yorker - who could imagine anything greater? But then I read this guy's gruesome narrative. He's so unhappy. I'm glad to be away from the high pressure flashy big city lifestyle.
I think it's bad enough to have the stated goal of making a million dollars in a year in the stock market - that is as dumb as entering a casino with the same ambition. And then to write a book agonizing over every detail of the market going up or down - yuck. It's a major turn off. He's a great writer, the film critic for The New Yorker, and makes lots of highbrown allusions to Falstaff or Achilles or Aristotle. But it's still just gross to read his endless self justifications for putting his family's funds into fiber optics or biotech. It's because his wife is leaving him! It's because risk makes you alive! It's the American way! Etc.
The biggest irony is that he ends up selling a 7-room apt in Manhattan after losing to much in the stock market - this in 2001, such surely was the wisest decision he ever made.
I was interested in the hectic culture - he befriended star analysts and CEOs - including the ImClone guy who got Martha Stewart convicted of insider trading. And then he was shocked and saddened to learn they were hucksters and criminals. They were very charming anf threw great parties! Who would guess they shouldn't be believed as they peddled their "get rich quick" schemes?
Denby is horrified by the modest, self-sacrificing people who live on small means. He thinks they are depressing and pathetic and obsessed with money. It's not that "get rich quick" is a moral evil. He argues over and over that taking risks in capitalism and seizing opportunities is what made our country great. Right. It's just that "get rich quick" does not work. He spent over a year trying it and ended up out a million dollars. All those tacky people with budgets and canned food avoided that fate.
The book is a peek into the envious and greedy big city culture and it makes me very glad to be removed. One time in my life, I was dedicated to the dream of a being a NY journalist. A job at The New Yorker - who could imagine anything greater? But then I read this guy's gruesome narrative. He's so unhappy. I'm glad to be away from the high pressure flashy big city lifestyle.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
elegance of the hedgehog
"The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery is a French novel - and it's very French. Much pondering of Art and the nature of Art and what does Art mean in the world. These profound musings are fascinating - even if not entirely convincing. I mean, having the main character declare an intent to commit suicide and then discovering the glory of the world is rather trite. "Veronika Decides to Die" is an example, not to mention every movie where a terminal diagnosis is given.
There's also a contempt for bougeois attitudes - but it's a kind of reverse snobbery. The Japanese are held up as paragons of style and taste - which is a ridiculous generalization. But perhaps it's intended as an example of an immature perspective, as one of the narrators is a 12-year-old. (Shades of Holden.)
But I loved the conclusion that life's best use is searching for the "always within never." Lovely. Death takes away the individual, but the love remains always. You lose your mother, but the idea of the mother is eternal.
"My Own Country" by Abraham Verghese is a memoir by the author of "Cutting for Stone." It's about his experience as an infectious disease doctor in rural Tennessee during the mid-'80s when AIDS began to reach the small coal community. Everyone's phobic of AIDS as a misunderstood diease and phobic of gays. He writes about five or six patients as they try to come to terms with the illness as well as the shame and secrecy. It's very moving and compassionate. One woman finds out her husband has AIDS and gave it to her and her first thought is - shoot him, shoot the kids, then shoot herself. There was no concept of dealing with AIDS.
I also read "Parents Magazine: Best Advice I Ever Got" which was pretty meh. One good tip - use coffee filters in the training potty for easy cleanup.
Also I read "How to Never Look Fat Again" by Charla Krupp. Some advice was pretty obvious (dark colors are slimming) and some was very helpful and specific, about the yoke of jeans, for example.
There's also a contempt for bougeois attitudes - but it's a kind of reverse snobbery. The Japanese are held up as paragons of style and taste - which is a ridiculous generalization. But perhaps it's intended as an example of an immature perspective, as one of the narrators is a 12-year-old. (Shades of Holden.)
But I loved the conclusion that life's best use is searching for the "always within never." Lovely. Death takes away the individual, but the love remains always. You lose your mother, but the idea of the mother is eternal.
"My Own Country" by Abraham Verghese is a memoir by the author of "Cutting for Stone." It's about his experience as an infectious disease doctor in rural Tennessee during the mid-'80s when AIDS began to reach the small coal community. Everyone's phobic of AIDS as a misunderstood diease and phobic of gays. He writes about five or six patients as they try to come to terms with the illness as well as the shame and secrecy. It's very moving and compassionate. One woman finds out her husband has AIDS and gave it to her and her first thought is - shoot him, shoot the kids, then shoot herself. There was no concept of dealing with AIDS.
I also read "Parents Magazine: Best Advice I Ever Got" which was pretty meh. One good tip - use coffee filters in the training potty for easy cleanup.
Also I read "How to Never Look Fat Again" by Charla Krupp. Some advice was pretty obvious (dark colors are slimming) and some was very helpful and specific, about the yoke of jeans, for example.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
you're not you
"You're Not You" by Michelle Wildgen is utterly enthralling. It's about a college student who becomes a caretaker to a wealthy woman with ALS and gets really drawn into the woman's proud and glamorous lifestyle. The young woman learns to cook and gets introduced to sophisticated things. The compelling thing is how she takes on living the life of the ill woman - she speaks for her, looks out for her interests, takes on her causes. Fantastic, thought-provoking book full of unexpected turns and indelible scenes, like tracing a body onto a former lover's mattress.
"The Opposite of Me" by Sarah Pekkanen is a funny, light read about a nerdy woman who has a gorgeous twin sister. It's kind of like Sophia Kinsella's books, complete with loving dotty parental figures. Very charming and sweet.
"In A Sunburned Country" by Bill Bryson is a hilarious travel book about Australia. It is so enjoyable and delightful. I love this book! It cracks me up. It's my favorite of his books and I've read them all. He has a line about looking for dinner in the middle of nowhere: "I have learned that the reason a man opens up a Chinese restaurant in a small town is not to dazzle the town with the subtleties of Hunan cooking..." LOL!
"The New Yorkers" by Cathleen Schine is about a street in NYC and the people and dogs who reside there. I really like this author's wit and droll take on relationships but I just wasn't really feeling this book. The characters weren't really standing out in my mind - I was maybe too distracted.
"The Opposite of Me" by Sarah Pekkanen is a funny, light read about a nerdy woman who has a gorgeous twin sister. It's kind of like Sophia Kinsella's books, complete with loving dotty parental figures. Very charming and sweet.
"In A Sunburned Country" by Bill Bryson is a hilarious travel book about Australia. It is so enjoyable and delightful. I love this book! It cracks me up. It's my favorite of his books and I've read them all. He has a line about looking for dinner in the middle of nowhere: "I have learned that the reason a man opens up a Chinese restaurant in a small town is not to dazzle the town with the subtleties of Hunan cooking..." LOL!
"The New Yorkers" by Cathleen Schine is about a street in NYC and the people and dogs who reside there. I really like this author's wit and droll take on relationships but I just wasn't really feeling this book. The characters weren't really standing out in my mind - I was maybe too distracted.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
cutting for stone
I finished "Cutting for Stone" by Verghese - such a good, satisfying book. It's one of those sweeping sagas about a family entangled in a country's political revolution and spans the globe. I loved the author's medical expertise and perspective - there's a birth scene in there I will never forget! I was a bit turned off by the trope of the main character being haunted for life by the mean girl he knew as a kid and dreaming of having her virginity was the point of his life. Kinda like Pip in "Great Expectations" - it's a good way to propel the story forward while keeping in touch with their childhood but I think it's unrealistic (and creepy).
I also read "If You Follow Me" by Malena Watrous was excruciatingly fantastic! I was laughing my head off and squirming at the cultural misunderstandings experienced by an American teaching English in Japan. I've read a million books about Americans in France or Italy but never Asia, so it was fresh territory. The author did teach English in Japan so I feel she really portrayed the awkward reality of dealing with a toothache in a foreign country or trying to discard an appliance. Can you imagine having neighbors analyze your garbage every day? Yikes!
"The Gift of an Ordinary Day" by Katrina Kenison is memoir about her years building a house and watching her oldest son go off to college. It's nothing remarkable or astonishing, but she has an ability to savor each mundane day and cherish the moments of life. She can get a bit flown with herself - there are many mothers with much worse struggles than my kid doesn't want to move - but I still liked her company. I can always use more reminders to embrace these ordinary days of raising my baby.
I also read "An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination" by Elizabeth McCracken - a memoir about motherhood and an American in France! My two interests combined. The author had a stillborn baby and then a healthy baby a year later. It's very moving and heartbreaking, of course. She has a precision about her emotions and how people responded to her - she's not maudlin at all. Her tale jumps around in chronology so you're anxious to find out what exactly happened. Anyway, it's very affecting and brave.
Currently reading "The New Yorkers" by Cathleen Schine (who I love) and then "The Elegance of the Hedgehog."
I also read "If You Follow Me" by Malena Watrous was excruciatingly fantastic! I was laughing my head off and squirming at the cultural misunderstandings experienced by an American teaching English in Japan. I've read a million books about Americans in France or Italy but never Asia, so it was fresh territory. The author did teach English in Japan so I feel she really portrayed the awkward reality of dealing with a toothache in a foreign country or trying to discard an appliance. Can you imagine having neighbors analyze your garbage every day? Yikes!
"The Gift of an Ordinary Day" by Katrina Kenison is memoir about her years building a house and watching her oldest son go off to college. It's nothing remarkable or astonishing, but she has an ability to savor each mundane day and cherish the moments of life. She can get a bit flown with herself - there are many mothers with much worse struggles than my kid doesn't want to move - but I still liked her company. I can always use more reminders to embrace these ordinary days of raising my baby.
I also read "An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination" by Elizabeth McCracken - a memoir about motherhood and an American in France! My two interests combined. The author had a stillborn baby and then a healthy baby a year later. It's very moving and heartbreaking, of course. She has a precision about her emotions and how people responded to her - she's not maudlin at all. Her tale jumps around in chronology so you're anxious to find out what exactly happened. Anyway, it's very affecting and brave.
Currently reading "The New Yorkers" by Cathleen Schine (who I love) and then "The Elegance of the Hedgehog."
Sunday, March 28, 2010
footnotes in gaza
I read "Footnotes in Gaza" - a graphic journalistic book about a massacre of 111 Palestinians in 1956. Joe Sacco is a comic book war correspondent. It was quite wrenching and piqued my interest in the Palestine/Israeli conflict. I have been to Israel and learned about the history from their point but this incident was new to me. It's so desperately sad as a topic and brilliantly portrayed in graphic form. I may read his other works as well. I find the graphic novel is a good way to make a story fresh.
On a completely different note, I read "The Secrets to Happiness" by Sarah Dunn. I loved her previous novel "The Big Love" and lapped up this book as well. She enlarges the cast of characters - including a somewhat unlikeable guy named Leonard with drug issues - and it's mostly about Holly's relationship with the man that her friend Amanda had an affair with. Anyway, it was witty and enjoyable.
On a completely different note, I read "The Secrets to Happiness" by Sarah Dunn. I loved her previous novel "The Big Love" and lapped up this book as well. She enlarges the cast of characters - including a somewhat unlikeable guy named Leonard with drug issues - and it's mostly about Holly's relationship with the man that her friend Amanda had an affair with. Anyway, it was witty and enjoyable.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
food rules
I read "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan. It's a list of memorable standards for what to eat. I thought it was indispensible. Spend as much time eating your meal as you did cooking it. The whiter the bread, the sooner you're dead. Don't get your fuel from the same place your vehicle does.
"Homeport" by Nora Roberts is a romance novel I read in college and wanted to read again. It was very enjoyable - redhaired art historian falls in love with art thief and they have to find the killer... It's a Snickers for the brain.
"One Hundred Demons" by Lynda Barry is a comic about things she is ashamed of - I actually put it down because the first discussion was about fleas. Just distasteful.
"In The Town All Year Round" by Rotraut Berner is a utterly delightful picture book with colored pencil drawings of a happy, picturesque, busy town. People go to the park, to the train station, chase a dog, have a birthday party. It's totally adorable and I want to move into this friendly German town!
Currently I'm reading "Cutting for Stone" by Verghese. It's already amazingly good.
"Homeport" by Nora Roberts is a romance novel I read in college and wanted to read again. It was very enjoyable - redhaired art historian falls in love with art thief and they have to find the killer... It's a Snickers for the brain.
"One Hundred Demons" by Lynda Barry is a comic about things she is ashamed of - I actually put it down because the first discussion was about fleas. Just distasteful.
"In The Town All Year Round" by Rotraut Berner is a utterly delightful picture book with colored pencil drawings of a happy, picturesque, busy town. People go to the park, to the train station, chase a dog, have a birthday party. It's totally adorable and I want to move into this friendly German town!
Currently I'm reading "Cutting for Stone" by Verghese. It's already amazingly good.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
i can make a difference
Back from vacation where I was busy baby-wrangling and didn't read much.
"I Can Make A Difference" by Marian Wright Edelman is a fantastic children's book highlighting human values of respect, nonviolence, gratitude. Each principle is matched with different quotations, parables or poems. It's wonderfully inspiring and I want to give it to everyone I know.
"The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin follows her year-long project to follow advice and make herself happier. She used to be an attorney so she's very methodical and rigorous in her actions. I really liked the way she distilled concepts into Rules or Splendid Truths or Secrets of Adulthood. She covered lots of things I've observed - a touch of deprivation makes you appreciate things anew. Helping others makes you feel good.
Some of her insights I found helpful were "Be Gretchen" - or whoever you are. Accept youself - your limitations and your strengths. I am always awaiting to be transformed into a socially confident leader and maybe I'm never going to command a room in that way. I can accept this and be happy in who I am today.
She also writes about enjoying the anticipation, expressing happiness and savoring the memories. Milk each event for all it can offer and you'll be filled with joy. I love this - I am a huge fan of talking about favorite memories and sometimes other people aren't so willing to delve into the past with me. But it's a good reminder to do so anyway!
Anyway, I loved the book!
"I Can Make A Difference" by Marian Wright Edelman is a fantastic children's book highlighting human values of respect, nonviolence, gratitude. Each principle is matched with different quotations, parables or poems. It's wonderfully inspiring and I want to give it to everyone I know.
"The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin follows her year-long project to follow advice and make herself happier. She used to be an attorney so she's very methodical and rigorous in her actions. I really liked the way she distilled concepts into Rules or Splendid Truths or Secrets of Adulthood. She covered lots of things I've observed - a touch of deprivation makes you appreciate things anew. Helping others makes you feel good.
Some of her insights I found helpful were "Be Gretchen" - or whoever you are. Accept youself - your limitations and your strengths. I am always awaiting to be transformed into a socially confident leader and maybe I'm never going to command a room in that way. I can accept this and be happy in who I am today.
She also writes about enjoying the anticipation, expressing happiness and savoring the memories. Milk each event for all it can offer and you'll be filled with joy. I love this - I am a huge fan of talking about favorite memories and sometimes other people aren't so willing to delve into the past with me. But it's a good reminder to do so anyway!
Anyway, I loved the book!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
the girls
"The Girls" by Lori Lansens has a farfetched plot - the autobiography of a conjoined twin. But similar to Eugenides' "Middlesex," this esoteric premise takes us on an epic journey to the center of the human heart.
It is amazingly real and concrete about what it feels like to be conjoined, from the small daily details. The author does not make a single misstep, she creates a totally convincing world. That is remarkable in itself. But the reason you keep reading is way you fall in love with the characters, Rose and Ruby. It's a fantastic book. I couldn't put it down and now I can't stop thinking about it.
Much weeping at the last pages:
"I have an urge to apologize for my mountain-climbing metaphors while begging patience for one more. Because, my friends, I can see the summit. It appears bitten, scalloped white against this azure sky. There are other people there too. And not all of them writers.
Everyone says, 'Don't look down,' but I did look down, at where I've been, how far I've come, how high I've climbed. Where I thought I made a single trail in the snow, I've made a thousand, blighted by debris, the bits of me I've left behind. And tools I didn't even know I had."
Also I read the Pride and Prejudice graphic novel adapted by Nancy Butler - which was a interesting way to tell the story, but of course not as rich as the actual novel. Still, it might be a fun way to introduce a kid to the story.
I read "American Widow" by Alissa Torres, a graphic novel by a 9/11 widow. It was very sad to go back to those tragic days in American history. She writes about the whole experience, including the struggles of dealing with Red Cross bureaucracy.
"Shelf Discovery" by Lizzie Skurnick was flat out fantastic! I felt like it was written FOR ME. It's a collection of essays revisiting books we read and loved as teenagers. Lois Duncan, Little House, Judy Blume, I could go on. I had read most of the books and LOVED her fond and pertinent analysis. So, so good. I have to get this book. It brought back my childhood! I flipped out when I saw her inclusion of "Caroline" by Willo Davis Roberts of the Sunfire series. OMG! I loved that book! I think I still have it boxed up.
I also really enjoyed "Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, a delightful book of random thoughts, lists and witty observations. No one can pass a parked limousine without remarking upon it. Or, when you are calling someone's name to get their attention and they don't notice you: "no matter who they are - a lawyer, a surgeon, a Latin scholar - they look like an idiot searching for you, craning their head like that, and you question their intelligence." Ha ha.
Also read "Sleepy Little Alphabet" by Judy Sierra to the little mister. Very cute.
It is amazingly real and concrete about what it feels like to be conjoined, from the small daily details. The author does not make a single misstep, she creates a totally convincing world. That is remarkable in itself. But the reason you keep reading is way you fall in love with the characters, Rose and Ruby. It's a fantastic book. I couldn't put it down and now I can't stop thinking about it.
Much weeping at the last pages:
"I have an urge to apologize for my mountain-climbing metaphors while begging patience for one more. Because, my friends, I can see the summit. It appears bitten, scalloped white against this azure sky. There are other people there too. And not all of them writers.
Everyone says, 'Don't look down,' but I did look down, at where I've been, how far I've come, how high I've climbed. Where I thought I made a single trail in the snow, I've made a thousand, blighted by debris, the bits of me I've left behind. And tools I didn't even know I had."
Also I read the Pride and Prejudice graphic novel adapted by Nancy Butler - which was a interesting way to tell the story, but of course not as rich as the actual novel. Still, it might be a fun way to introduce a kid to the story.
I read "American Widow" by Alissa Torres, a graphic novel by a 9/11 widow. It was very sad to go back to those tragic days in American history. She writes about the whole experience, including the struggles of dealing with Red Cross bureaucracy.
"Shelf Discovery" by Lizzie Skurnick was flat out fantastic! I felt like it was written FOR ME. It's a collection of essays revisiting books we read and loved as teenagers. Lois Duncan, Little House, Judy Blume, I could go on. I had read most of the books and LOVED her fond and pertinent analysis. So, so good. I have to get this book. It brought back my childhood! I flipped out when I saw her inclusion of "Caroline" by Willo Davis Roberts of the Sunfire series. OMG! I loved that book! I think I still have it boxed up.
I also really enjoyed "Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, a delightful book of random thoughts, lists and witty observations. No one can pass a parked limousine without remarking upon it. Or, when you are calling someone's name to get their attention and they don't notice you: "no matter who they are - a lawyer, a surgeon, a Latin scholar - they look like an idiot searching for you, craning their head like that, and you question their intelligence." Ha ha.
Also read "Sleepy Little Alphabet" by Judy Sierra to the little mister. Very cute.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
the philosophical baby
I heard an interview with author Alison Gopnik on NPR discussing "The Philosphical Baby: What Children's Minds Tell Us About Truth, Love and the Meaning of Life" and put it on my list. As a new mother, of course I am fascinated by the topic of how babies learn and what they are thinking.
She goes through various experiments to demonstrate that babies are moral, aware, and intelligent from the very beginning of life and then she takes another step to discuss the philosphical implications.
Yes - kids grow up so fast, but giving your kid a happy childhood is a valuable good that is worthwhile and long-lasting. Kids are learning a theory of love from their parents that will be with them always. Freud was wrong, it's not that kids want to have sex with their parents - it's that adults want mothering from the people they sleep with because that's how we first learn about caring. I love all these insights.
I was brought to tears by this:
"Imagine a novel in which a woman took in a stranger who was unable to walk or talk or even eat by himself. She fell completely in love with him at first sight, fed and clothed and washed him, gradually helped him become competent and independent, spent more than half her income on him, nursed him through sickness, and thought about him more than about anything else. After twenty years of this she helped him find a young wife and move far away. You couldn't bear the sappiness of it. But that, quite simply, is just about every mother's story."
Raising a child means being in touch with an overwhelming love, she argues, that is essential to our human nature.
I loved this book! It was fascinating. sweeping from psychological experiments to philosophers like Kant. At the same time, it affirmed the transcendence of parenting in a vivid and beautiful way.
I also read "Born Round" by Frank Bruni, about his tortured relationship with food that culminated in being the restaurant critic for The NY Times. I most enjoyed the description of life on the campaign as he was also the reporter for Bush's 2000 presidential run and the hardships of being the famed restaurant critic. I'm not too interested in weight gain/loss tales - perhaps because I relate too well!
I read "Between the Covers" by Ellen Heltzer and Margo Hammond and loved it! This is the book I was hoping "Bibiotherapy" would be and wasn't. Smart and relevant discussions and lists of recent books categorized by time periods in a woman's life. They listed many books I've already read so I figured we shared a similar taste. I'm looking forward to expanding my habits with new titles.
We enjoyed some fun picture books by Chris Van Dusen: "If I Built a Car," "The Circus Ship" and "A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee". The artwork gleams and pops with frenetic energy in every scene and the rhymes bounce the story along.
I skimmed "Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera" by Ron Schick - mostly I looked at the pictures. It shows how his kitschy/classic drawings were based upon detailed photos he took beforehand.
I've also reread some books this week - the graphic novel "Fun Home" and the delightful "The Gastronomy of Marriage".
She goes through various experiments to demonstrate that babies are moral, aware, and intelligent from the very beginning of life and then she takes another step to discuss the philosphical implications.
Yes - kids grow up so fast, but giving your kid a happy childhood is a valuable good that is worthwhile and long-lasting. Kids are learning a theory of love from their parents that will be with them always. Freud was wrong, it's not that kids want to have sex with their parents - it's that adults want mothering from the people they sleep with because that's how we first learn about caring. I love all these insights.
I was brought to tears by this:
"Imagine a novel in which a woman took in a stranger who was unable to walk or talk or even eat by himself. She fell completely in love with him at first sight, fed and clothed and washed him, gradually helped him become competent and independent, spent more than half her income on him, nursed him through sickness, and thought about him more than about anything else. After twenty years of this she helped him find a young wife and move far away. You couldn't bear the sappiness of it. But that, quite simply, is just about every mother's story."
Raising a child means being in touch with an overwhelming love, she argues, that is essential to our human nature.
I loved this book! It was fascinating. sweeping from psychological experiments to philosophers like Kant. At the same time, it affirmed the transcendence of parenting in a vivid and beautiful way.
I also read "Born Round" by Frank Bruni, about his tortured relationship with food that culminated in being the restaurant critic for The NY Times. I most enjoyed the description of life on the campaign as he was also the reporter for Bush's 2000 presidential run and the hardships of being the famed restaurant critic. I'm not too interested in weight gain/loss tales - perhaps because I relate too well!
I read "Between the Covers" by Ellen Heltzer and Margo Hammond and loved it! This is the book I was hoping "Bibiotherapy" would be and wasn't. Smart and relevant discussions and lists of recent books categorized by time periods in a woman's life. They listed many books I've already read so I figured we shared a similar taste. I'm looking forward to expanding my habits with new titles.
We enjoyed some fun picture books by Chris Van Dusen: "If I Built a Car," "The Circus Ship" and "A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee". The artwork gleams and pops with frenetic energy in every scene and the rhymes bounce the story along.
I skimmed "Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera" by Ron Schick - mostly I looked at the pictures. It shows how his kitschy/classic drawings were based upon detailed photos he took beforehand.
I've also reread some books this week - the graphic novel "Fun Home" and the delightful "The Gastronomy of Marriage".
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
the overnight socialite
"The Overnight Socialite" by Bridie Clark is a fun retelling of "My Fair Lady" - very silly and over the top. I enjoyed it - it's not realistic or well-developed at all. I keep wanting to call it "The Overnight Socialist" which would be an interesting novel as well.
"Happy All the Time" by Laurie Colwin is incredibly well-written with small, brilliant observations about happiness and marriage - but there is no plot. Nothing happens! I kept reading looking for the conflict and it felt like nothing was at stake. Two men fall in love with two women and get married. One woman likes distance more than her husband, the other has a prickly temperment. But that's it. It's hard to really care for characters stressing over such minute issues. I had to relax my expectations for plot and just enjoy her charming writing style.
I love Colwin's essays on food and reread them constantly. She has a cozy tone that makes you feel like she's your best friend.
"Happy All the Time" by Laurie Colwin is incredibly well-written with small, brilliant observations about happiness and marriage - but there is no plot. Nothing happens! I kept reading looking for the conflict and it felt like nothing was at stake. Two men fall in love with two women and get married. One woman likes distance more than her husband, the other has a prickly temperment. But that's it. It's hard to really care for characters stressing over such minute issues. I had to relax my expectations for plot and just enjoy her charming writing style.
I love Colwin's essays on food and reread them constantly. She has a cozy tone that makes you feel like she's your best friend.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
the ghost map
"The Ghost Map" by Steven Johnson is about the cholera epidemic in London in 1850s and Doctor John Snow who figured out how it was spread. It didn't grab my interest automatically, but it was actually quite thrilling and fascinating to follow his thought process step by step in an atmosphere of superstition and fear. He makes all kinds of interesting points about the development of cities and brain evolution.
One thing I recall is an argument that because Europeans in history drank alcohol (instead of water which could be tainted), their descendants can "hold their liquor" whereas Native Americans didn't have that history of exposure so they have a greater propensity for addiction. Reminds me of "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond. I love that kind of theory - explanations for WHY things are the way they are.
Also read "Burma" by Guy Delise about his year spent in Burma while his wife worked for Doctors Without Borders. He describes daily life in the sweltering country under military rule. It didn't wow me as much as "Pyongyang" did - but I enjoyed learning about power outages, whole cities of people addicted to heroin and the conditions of ruby and jade miners. He has a eye for the quirky - an old examination chair in a clinic, the Japanese fire engine.
Right now I'm read "Happy Families" by Laurie Colwin.
One thing I recall is an argument that because Europeans in history drank alcohol (instead of water which could be tainted), their descendants can "hold their liquor" whereas Native Americans didn't have that history of exposure so they have a greater propensity for addiction. Reminds me of "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond. I love that kind of theory - explanations for WHY things are the way they are.
Also read "Burma" by Guy Delise about his year spent in Burma while his wife worked for Doctors Without Borders. He describes daily life in the sweltering country under military rule. It didn't wow me as much as "Pyongyang" did - but I enjoyed learning about power outages, whole cities of people addicted to heroin and the conditions of ruby and jade miners. He has a eye for the quirky - an old examination chair in a clinic, the Japanese fire engine.
Right now I'm read "Happy Families" by Laurie Colwin.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
motion of the ocean
"The Motion of the Ocean" by Janna Cawrse Esarey is a rollicking and wise memoir about her voyage across the Pacific with her new husband. I am totally entranced by the idea - a sort of endless vacation of beaches, fresh fish, discovering new paradises. I previously read "An Embarrassment of Mangoes" by Ann Vanderhoff about the cruising lifestyle in the Caribbean so some of it was familiar to me. Esarey has a very funny voice. I was laughing at her story of women learning to pee standing up. She's also honest about the way the 400th day on a white sandy beach with waving palms can feel boring and how it's hard to make conversation with your spouse when there's nothing new to say.
I am in awe of her bravery to set sail - I am such a nervous nelly in comparison. I love the idea of travelling around the world, but I'm not willing to take on the anxiety and discomfort. Maybe when I was younger and not a mother, I had more spirit. But nowadays - my son pooping on me and putting screws in his mouth and trying to get a full night of sleep - that is enough adventure.
"Pyongyang" by Guy Delisle is a graphic novel about his 2 months in North Korea for a job. I found it a riveting peek into a creepy, closed society. It's like the whole country is a cult. The brainwashing attempts are so desparate and lame - like dragging him to monuments to the Eternal President. They have highways with no exits and a grand subway system with only two stops. There's no electricity or fresh fruit in his hotel unless a foreign delegation is in town. Every room has photos of Kim Jong-Il and his father and nothing else is allowed to be hung on those walls. The kids sing songs about how they're the happiest kids in the world. The guides take him to a "museum" filled with tributes to how genius and awesome Kim Jong-Il is. How can anyone fall for this crap? But they act like they do - because neighbors turn in neighbors and everyone knows about the reeducation camps. What an unbearably sad life those people live. I might read some more books about North Korea - and I'm definitely reading more books by Delisle.
Onto another graphic memoir about a totalitarian society - "The Wall" is a kids book about growing up in Communist Prague. Neat artwork but not really a detailed story.
I have to say, I'm really enjoying the graphic memoir these days. I'm adding more and more to my library list. They're fun to read and offer a fresh perspective.
"That Old Cape Magic" by Richard Russo is about a middle-aged professor with a failing marriage who is haunted by evil old bat of a mother, the kind of cold person who doesn't value anyone without a graduate degree. His daughter is getting married and everyone's stressing over their issues.
The writing is wonderful. Russo can make you care for a character with your whole heart in just a page. I didn't have quite so much tolerance for his endless ruminations about his parents, his wife, his daugher's choice of a husband. Should he be a screenwriter or a professor? There wasn't really any drama and I didn't like being stuck in his mind, I suppose. His mind is as thick with worry and regret as my own.
I am in awe of her bravery to set sail - I am such a nervous nelly in comparison. I love the idea of travelling around the world, but I'm not willing to take on the anxiety and discomfort. Maybe when I was younger and not a mother, I had more spirit. But nowadays - my son pooping on me and putting screws in his mouth and trying to get a full night of sleep - that is enough adventure.
"Pyongyang" by Guy Delisle is a graphic novel about his 2 months in North Korea for a job. I found it a riveting peek into a creepy, closed society. It's like the whole country is a cult. The brainwashing attempts are so desparate and lame - like dragging him to monuments to the Eternal President. They have highways with no exits and a grand subway system with only two stops. There's no electricity or fresh fruit in his hotel unless a foreign delegation is in town. Every room has photos of Kim Jong-Il and his father and nothing else is allowed to be hung on those walls. The kids sing songs about how they're the happiest kids in the world. The guides take him to a "museum" filled with tributes to how genius and awesome Kim Jong-Il is. How can anyone fall for this crap? But they act like they do - because neighbors turn in neighbors and everyone knows about the reeducation camps. What an unbearably sad life those people live. I might read some more books about North Korea - and I'm definitely reading more books by Delisle.
Onto another graphic memoir about a totalitarian society - "The Wall" is a kids book about growing up in Communist Prague. Neat artwork but not really a detailed story.
I have to say, I'm really enjoying the graphic memoir these days. I'm adding more and more to my library list. They're fun to read and offer a fresh perspective.
"That Old Cape Magic" by Richard Russo is about a middle-aged professor with a failing marriage who is haunted by evil old bat of a mother, the kind of cold person who doesn't value anyone without a graduate degree. His daughter is getting married and everyone's stressing over their issues.
The writing is wonderful. Russo can make you care for a character with your whole heart in just a page. I didn't have quite so much tolerance for his endless ruminations about his parents, his wife, his daugher's choice of a husband. Should he be a screenwriter or a professor? There wasn't really any drama and I didn't like being stuck in his mind, I suppose. His mind is as thick with worry and regret as my own.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
major pettigrew's last stand
"Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" by Helen Simonson is one of the most wonderful books I've read in a while! I initially doubted if I'd really relate to the main character - a stiff British gentlemen, retired from the military and a gun collector - but I came to adore him. He made the funniest observations on modern life and turned into a true romantic hero, throwing all convention aside for the pursuit of love with a Pakistani shopkeeper. He may have rediscovered the juice of life - but spilling the tea wouldn't do at all.
The book is a full-fledged delight. It reminded me of Diane Johnson's novels with the clash of cultures and comedy of manners aspect. Breathtakingly well-written, with a rich sense of place in the small English town, this book has characters who will remain with me. I want to be Mrs. Ali, with her grace and serenity and big heart. "Major Pettigrew" was glorious fun with an ending that made me hug the book.
"Building a Home with my Husband" by Rachel Simon is a thoughtful memoir about her experience doing a home renovation - she gets anxious about the stressful process and often her husband has some Zen wisdom for her. She probes and investigates how the process affects her relationships and perspectives. I tend to overthink everything as well so I related to her search for meaning in marriage, commitment, community, design, and family.
So our library is fantastic for many reasons - it's just a mile away, so I can walk there easily. They have a good selection, story time for babies, etc. But they also have given books to me to keep! When our baby was born, we got five free board books. And just yesterday I got a book to keep as part of the "Everybody Reads" program. It's called "The Ghost Map" and it's about the cholera epidemic in Victorian London. Previously I've read "The Dress Lodger" about the same time period so I'm eager to learn more about it!
The book is a full-fledged delight. It reminded me of Diane Johnson's novels with the clash of cultures and comedy of manners aspect. Breathtakingly well-written, with a rich sense of place in the small English town, this book has characters who will remain with me. I want to be Mrs. Ali, with her grace and serenity and big heart. "Major Pettigrew" was glorious fun with an ending that made me hug the book.
"Building a Home with my Husband" by Rachel Simon is a thoughtful memoir about her experience doing a home renovation - she gets anxious about the stressful process and often her husband has some Zen wisdom for her. She probes and investigates how the process affects her relationships and perspectives. I tend to overthink everything as well so I related to her search for meaning in marriage, commitment, community, design, and family.
So our library is fantastic for many reasons - it's just a mile away, so I can walk there easily. They have a good selection, story time for babies, etc. But they also have given books to me to keep! When our baby was born, we got five free board books. And just yesterday I got a book to keep as part of the "Everybody Reads" program. It's called "The Ghost Map" and it's about the cholera epidemic in Victorian London. Previously I've read "The Dress Lodger" about the same time period so I'm eager to learn more about it!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
girl with a pearl earring
"Girl With a Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier is historical fiction about Vermeer. Its sense of modesty and restraint, as befitting 1600s Netherlands, makes for a mature counterpoint to modern times. The characters have deeply felt passions but it's all interior and controlled. The story hinges on the transgressive nature of existing in a person's mind as a person, which is much more dangerous than a fleeting moment of wild sex. Society was extremely heirarchical and rigid and many people were treated like subhumans. Whenever I read historical fiction - like The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman -- I always shiver and feel grateful to live today.
I loved the book and I'm interested to see the movie.
I loved the book and I'm interested to see the movie.
Monday, January 4, 2010
the book thief
"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak is the heart-wrenching and soul-aching story of a young girl in Nazi Germany. Her friends and family hate the Nazis but go along to survive. I couldn't put it down - I felt so deeply for the characters that it hurt to read. I was paralyzed with dread about who would die next and Death is the narrator so you know it's coming.
The first few pages are confusing and annoying about the colors of dying souls and the sky. But once you get past that, you settle in the story and can focus on the characters. There's an allegory in the middle about the importance of words - as stories as a place to hide from evil - even as words are the source of power for the Nazis.
It's an intense read. I think I need to stop with the Holocaust literature before I have an emotional breakdown.
I also read "On Mystic Lake" by Kristin Hannah. I was delighted to find out it was set in the Olympic Penninsula with lots of great descriptions of the rainy forests and Skokomish River and small towns and highways lined with empty fireworks stands. But the plot was totally predictable and cliched like a Lifetime movie. Woman finds out her husband was having an affair, she goes to her hometown and falls for her old boyfriend, husband wants her back, etc.
The first few pages are confusing and annoying about the colors of dying souls and the sky. But once you get past that, you settle in the story and can focus on the characters. There's an allegory in the middle about the importance of words - as stories as a place to hide from evil - even as words are the source of power for the Nazis.
It's an intense read. I think I need to stop with the Holocaust literature before I have an emotional breakdown.
I also read "On Mystic Lake" by Kristin Hannah. I was delighted to find out it was set in the Olympic Penninsula with lots of great descriptions of the rainy forests and Skokomish River and small towns and highways lined with empty fireworks stands. But the plot was totally predictable and cliched like a Lifetime movie. Woman finds out her husband was having an affair, she goes to her hometown and falls for her old boyfriend, husband wants her back, etc.
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