After a nice easy read, I thought I would pick up one that I had heard mixed reviews of. Some hated it, others loved it, and some were indifferent. I have to say I am in the Loved It category. It was like reading 3 short stories at the same time - the closest I could come to the way I watch 2 or 3 TV programs at a time. The short story aspect came from each character getting the story of one day in their life.
But the reason I loved it was that for the first time in years, I found myself wanting to underline passages.
"She could live on; she could perform that final kindness." - As if, she would be giving up her last chance for suicide.
"The green silence." - A much better way to picture death - all leafy green and fresh, and really not that silent.
"She herself is trapped here forever, posing as wife."
"Like his father, what he wants most ardently is more of what he's already got... Like his father he senses that more of this is precisely what they may very well not get."
This one will stay in the library, I would like to read it a few more times. Maybe next time, I'll keep a pencil nearby...
Update 5/30: Passed it on instead.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Legacies - L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
After giving up Yogi, I decided to go with a book I thought I'd enjoy; the first in a series by an author I like. L.E. Modesitt, Jr. has written the Saga of Recluse series (my favorite fantasy series) and the Spellsong Cycle series in addition to the Corean Chronicles, some one-off novels and science fiction. For some reason, I stayed away from the Corean Chronicles under the impression that it was more science fiction. I'm not a huge fan of science fiction - I find myself skimming through descriptions of space travel, planet locations, technology in ways that I don't in fantasy. Something inherently easier to understand in using a horse for transportation - at least it takes less time to read about the horse.
Legacies is told from the point of view of a young man (he's in his early 20s at the end of the book) who, of course, has magical Talent and is wise/mature beyond his years. Definitely a cliche in the fantasy genre. I enjoyed the book, but found myself reading over battle after battle. Overall, he is learning something new each battle, but it was an overwhelming amount of war for me. I like my fantasy with more small scale skirmishes and less full on clashes.
On the other hand, this series is definitely set to last for a while. After the first book, I still don't understand the hierarchy and politics of the different lands; while I understand the Talent of the main character, it is still left to determine whether there are others with similar facilities. The way the information about the land emerges is well done - through conversation and observation. Many of the fantasy genre just give a few paragraphs here and there narrating what they think you need to know. In this book, it comes out through questions to his grandfather, mother, friends, captors, etc. in addition to his thoughts about what he sees around him.
It wasn't something I couldn't put down, but it was one that had me thinking about how it would evolve as I was reading. One I would find myself thinking about when I wasn't reading it. I think I'll pick up the next in the series. If nothing else, I think Higgy would enjoy it.
Legacies is told from the point of view of a young man (he's in his early 20s at the end of the book) who, of course, has magical Talent and is wise/mature beyond his years. Definitely a cliche in the fantasy genre. I enjoyed the book, but found myself reading over battle after battle. Overall, he is learning something new each battle, but it was an overwhelming amount of war for me. I like my fantasy with more small scale skirmishes and less full on clashes.
On the other hand, this series is definitely set to last for a while. After the first book, I still don't understand the hierarchy and politics of the different lands; while I understand the Talent of the main character, it is still left to determine whether there are others with similar facilities. The way the information about the land emerges is well done - through conversation and observation. Many of the fantasy genre just give a few paragraphs here and there narrating what they think you need to know. In this book, it comes out through questions to his grandfather, mother, friends, captors, etc. in addition to his thoughts about what he sees around him.
It wasn't something I couldn't put down, but it was one that had me thinking about how it would evolve as I was reading. One I would find myself thinking about when I wasn't reading it. I think I'll pick up the next in the series. If nothing else, I think Higgy would enjoy it.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Autobiography of a Yogi - Paramahansa Yogananda
A year ago, my new chiropractor told me I needed to read Autobiography of a Yogi. I picked it up soon after my visit (my shoulders definitely all fixed!) and proceeded to put myself to sleep with it. Since I never finished it, it sat with unbroken spine where it could mock me - within view of my desk. Whenever I think of going back to the chiropractor, I think - but I never finished that book he told me to read. As if he's going to remember recommending it???
Now that I have finally found a yoga studio I like (I've been to 5 classes in the last 8 days - and I am hoping to make it to class again tonight), I thought I would pick it up again. I have made it further than I did last time. Past the Tiger Swami, and the Swami with 2 bodies. Now he has finally become a yogi - has his own school and everything. But it is still putting me to sleep.
At this rate, it might be easier to find another chiropractor than to finish this book.
Now that I have finally found a yoga studio I like (I've been to 5 classes in the last 8 days - and I am hoping to make it to class again tonight), I thought I would pick it up again. I have made it further than I did last time. Past the Tiger Swami, and the Swami with 2 bodies. Now he has finally become a yogi - has his own school and everything. But it is still putting me to sleep.
At this rate, it might be easier to find another chiropractor than to finish this book.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson
The UC Davis Aggies book club picked A Walk in the Woods as the March selection, so I re-read it quickly prior to the meeting. I don't remember hating it or loving it the first time around. But this time, the only lingering thought I had was that he must have had a lot of time or a lot of researchers working for him. I enjoyed the sections on history, ecology, and the park service. I found those sections more engrossing than the ones detailing the hike. Of course, his research sections were written with a definitely point of view (global warming, park service neglect, and globalization are going to ruin the trail).
One of the women at the meeting pointed out that all of the women he mentions in the book get made fun off or seem almost cartoonish. Personally, I thought that he treated everyone that way. I think he only mentioned a few people without insulting them or exaggerating their habits.
Overall, not a terrible book, but reading it twice was one too many times.
Next month, they are reading Moby Dick. I think I'll pass.
One of the women at the meeting pointed out that all of the women he mentions in the book get made fun off or seem almost cartoonish. Personally, I thought that he treated everyone that way. I think he only mentioned a few people without insulting them or exaggerating their habits.
Overall, not a terrible book, but reading it twice was one too many times.
Next month, they are reading Moby Dick. I think I'll pass.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Dr Seuss's ABC, A Wocket in my Pocket and Toot & Puddle
I always remembered Dr. Seuss fondly. So fondly that I even attributed my favorite book, Go Dog Go to him (really, P.D. Eastman). I have enjoyed reading them to my son - even if he just likes to look at the bright colors and hear my voice. The best part of these books is that after you have read them a few times you can make up your own if you need to find something to babble. It's easy to come up with made up words that rhyme with whatever you happen to see - "Is that a Trib in the crib? Or a Planket on your blanket?" Or words that start with the different letters - "Big B, little b, what begins with b? bawling baby, b, B, b..." Of course, when he gets older, he'll tell me I'm saying it wrong or I missed a word, but it works for now.
Another favorite of mine is Toot & Puddle by Holly Hobbie - it's a Pig Tale. One pig stays home and the other pig travels the world from Feb - Nov. This one is great because it only have a few words, with lots of explanatory pictures. For instance, one page just says - Presenting Puddle at Pocket Pond. But the pictures show an ice skating Puddle pig - spinning and jumping. It becomes one of those books that can be short or long depending on attention span - usually mine.
Another favorite of mine is Toot & Puddle by Holly Hobbie - it's a Pig Tale. One pig stays home and the other pig travels the world from Feb - Nov. This one is great because it only have a few words, with lots of explanatory pictures. For instance, one page just says - Presenting Puddle at Pocket Pond. But the pictures show an ice skating Puddle pig - spinning and jumping. It becomes one of those books that can be short or long depending on attention span - usually mine.
Bastard out of Carolina - Dorothy Allison
I have been meaning to read Bastard out of Carolina since I read the reviews of the movie. This is the kind of thing I can't take on screen, but can read about. In the end, I really shouldn't have even read it. While extremely well written with great characters, it is keeping me awake. Knowing that girls really do grow up with this kind of life and that mothers really let it happen to their girls just bothers me. At least Bone has a loving extended family, but it doesn't seem enough.
It's one of those things I think about more now. People always say they worry more about their girls, because they want to keep them safe from the evil that men do. I worry about raising a boy who ends up doing the evil. It seems somehow easier to keep your daughter safe, than to keep your son from doing terrible things. Or maybe I just feel that way becuase I have a son?
This won't be staying in the library - and I don't know if I can bring myself to pass it on. It'll go in the bottom of the box while I try to keep the images out of my head.
It's one of those things I think about more now. People always say they worry more about their girls, because they want to keep them safe from the evil that men do. I worry about raising a boy who ends up doing the evil. It seems somehow easier to keep your daughter safe, than to keep your son from doing terrible things. Or maybe I just feel that way becuase I have a son?
This won't be staying in the library - and I don't know if I can bring myself to pass it on. It'll go in the bottom of the box while I try to keep the images out of my head.
Gypsy Moth Circles the World - Sir Francis Chichester
In the effort to clear some room on the bookshelves, Higgy and I have gone through fiction A - F and removed all books that we won't re-read or never read in the first place. This leaves me with a stack of 29 books that were on the shelves but never read. At least now I know what I'll be reading for a while...
I have not read much adventure - just one about the first trip across Antarctica (Shackelton?). That probably explains why this was in the fiction section instead of nonfiction. I don't even know where I got the book from. It's old enough that it advertises its price of 95 cents.
I recently read about Chichester's record setting solo sail around the world - Plymouth, UK to Sydney to Plymouth (back in the 60s when he was 65!). Only one port of call - with months alone in between. I don't know how he could handle the solitude - although I guess he was kept pretty busy with the ship. I know NOTHING about sailing, so most of the terms - gybe, mainsail, etc. went by me. What's the difference between a jib and a working jib? But even without a clue to what problem he was experiencing, I still felt the urgency of the problem - the feeling that things weren't as they were supposed to be. I found myself racing to turn the page to find out how things turned out. Would he have to add an extra port? Would he make it at all after capsizing?
I had always wondered why people would take these trips. It appears to be because they can - and they have the money to try. I did come to like Chichester, his ability to handle all the mishaps. But I really wondered what he was thinking in designing his ship - how could he not stand up for the design he wanted? How could he end up in a ship that weighed twice what he wanted, with several prototypes for essential functions? On the other hand, I guess that is the kind of thing I do to people at work all the time. At least my prototypes will only cost a company money, not put someone's life in danger.
While it was a enjoyable read, I don't think it's worth of a permanent home in the library - but it does deserve to be passed on to a friend rather than a book store.
I have not read much adventure - just one about the first trip across Antarctica (Shackelton?). That probably explains why this was in the fiction section instead of nonfiction. I don't even know where I got the book from. It's old enough that it advertises its price of 95 cents.
I recently read about Chichester's record setting solo sail around the world - Plymouth, UK to Sydney to Plymouth (back in the 60s when he was 65!). Only one port of call - with months alone in between. I don't know how he could handle the solitude - although I guess he was kept pretty busy with the ship. I know NOTHING about sailing, so most of the terms - gybe, mainsail, etc. went by me. What's the difference between a jib and a working jib? But even without a clue to what problem he was experiencing, I still felt the urgency of the problem - the feeling that things weren't as they were supposed to be. I found myself racing to turn the page to find out how things turned out. Would he have to add an extra port? Would he make it at all after capsizing?
I had always wondered why people would take these trips. It appears to be because they can - and they have the money to try. I did come to like Chichester, his ability to handle all the mishaps. But I really wondered what he was thinking in designing his ship - how could he not stand up for the design he wanted? How could he end up in a ship that weighed twice what he wanted, with several prototypes for essential functions? On the other hand, I guess that is the kind of thing I do to people at work all the time. At least my prototypes will only cost a company money, not put someone's life in danger.
While it was a enjoyable read, I don't think it's worth of a permanent home in the library - but it does deserve to be passed on to a friend rather than a book store.
Friday, March 03, 2006
How to be Alone - Jonathan Franzen
I enjoy short stories and articles, but I tend not to read them. Most short stories and articles are in a collection and I have a tendency to read straight through from beginning to end. But, I find that with short stories and articles I need to stop and think about each individual story - spend that few minutes at the end of a story to think about what it had to say or avoided saying. I usually take that time at the end of a novel, but I don't when it comes to short stories. It's like I treat the entire collection as a novel, rather than each individual story as it was originally intended. Knowing this about myself, I tend to pick up and then discard collected works several times before finishing. That is how it is with How to be Alone. I started reading it a few months ago while in a Dr waiting room. I made it through the first 2 stories - one of which stuck with me a little. It was about his experience with his father's decline due to Alzheimer's disease. This was the first time I had read a well written account of living with this disease, I could really feel the experience from both the perspective of the author and his father. The feeling of slow decline, of slow decay, and of watching others see you suffer. But in some ways, it makes me feel I could handle being afflicted with this disease - not that I welcome it.
When I picked it up this time, I read 3 more articles. The first was an article originally written for Harper's about the decline of serious literature. I was offended by many of the items in this article. The belief that only reading that is "hard" can be serious literature. I believe that any literature that makes you think - whether the reading is easy or difficult - should be considered serious. Literature does not need to be about the current world - in fact I often think that "hard" literature was not well written. I'm sorry, but if I can't make it through the book, then it doesn't matter if your point was well informed or insightful. I think serious literature is any book that stays with you, one that you think of in your daily life or one that changes the way you see situations. So many people treat mystery, science fiction, and fantasy as "easy" literature. However, a genre does not provide anything other than plot classification. A mystery novel could be making political statements or provide insight into a class of society. Science fiction and fantasy often provide views of how the world could be with different society stratification, different political systems, or altered religious beliefs. These books make me think about the society they propose and the implications of it. But of course, they would not be considered serious.
The other article that I found interesting was the one about the US Postal Service in Chicago. Having always lived in the suburbs, I have never really had troubling experiences with getting my mail. Ok, a few problems when I lived in Alexandria, VA, but all in all, not bad. With the changes in delivery methods (e-mail, fax, FedEx), I don't know how the post office can provide such bad service in cities and let it continue even in the face of congressional hearings. I found this article disturbing - a detailed look at everything government service can do badly. The things that if it was a private business would result in lawsuits and going out of business. But I think the post office is one of those services that need to be offered. I worry about privatizing this service - hopefully USPS will get itself together.
When I picked it up this time, I read 3 more articles. The first was an article originally written for Harper's about the decline of serious literature. I was offended by many of the items in this article. The belief that only reading that is "hard" can be serious literature. I believe that any literature that makes you think - whether the reading is easy or difficult - should be considered serious. Literature does not need to be about the current world - in fact I often think that "hard" literature was not well written. I'm sorry, but if I can't make it through the book, then it doesn't matter if your point was well informed or insightful. I think serious literature is any book that stays with you, one that you think of in your daily life or one that changes the way you see situations. So many people treat mystery, science fiction, and fantasy as "easy" literature. However, a genre does not provide anything other than plot classification. A mystery novel could be making political statements or provide insight into a class of society. Science fiction and fantasy often provide views of how the world could be with different society stratification, different political systems, or altered religious beliefs. These books make me think about the society they propose and the implications of it. But of course, they would not be considered serious.
The other article that I found interesting was the one about the US Postal Service in Chicago. Having always lived in the suburbs, I have never really had troubling experiences with getting my mail. Ok, a few problems when I lived in Alexandria, VA, but all in all, not bad. With the changes in delivery methods (e-mail, fax, FedEx), I don't know how the post office can provide such bad service in cities and let it continue even in the face of congressional hearings. I found this article disturbing - a detailed look at everything government service can do badly. The things that if it was a private business would result in lawsuits and going out of business. But I think the post office is one of those services that need to be offered. I worry about privatizing this service - hopefully USPS will get itself together.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Winter House - Carol O'Connell
A disappointing read. For now I'll keep it, for the completionist in me. I do have all the other books in the series. I'll try the next one and if I don't like that one, the entire book is out in the purge.
The crime was 50+ years old with all the living players in one house after many years apart. From beginning to end, there was only one part that left me quickly turning pages. The rest of the time, I could easily put it down. I can't quite put my finger on what was different about this one versus the others. The crime was astonishing - 9 murders by ice pick, only children surviving. But I never really cared for any of the characters new to this book. Of the main recurring characters, I have always preferred Riker, and he didn't have much play in this book. Instead there was focus in Charles Butler. Maybe that made the difference, focusing on a psychatrist co-star rather than the detective?
I did like the rather loose ending. Yes, the investigation was tied up neatly (if, unethically), but the relationship between the recurring characters has been thrown out of balance. Maybe if these relationships start to be more interesting, it will keep the rest of the series alive?
The crime was 50+ years old with all the living players in one house after many years apart. From beginning to end, there was only one part that left me quickly turning pages. The rest of the time, I could easily put it down. I can't quite put my finger on what was different about this one versus the others. The crime was astonishing - 9 murders by ice pick, only children surviving. But I never really cared for any of the characters new to this book. Of the main recurring characters, I have always preferred Riker, and he didn't have much play in this book. Instead there was focus in Charles Butler. Maybe that made the difference, focusing on a psychatrist co-star rather than the detective?
I did like the rather loose ending. Yes, the investigation was tied up neatly (if, unethically), but the relationship between the recurring characters has been thrown out of balance. Maybe if these relationships start to be more interesting, it will keep the rest of the series alive?
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