451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?


Today, I am thrilled to welcome Aarti from the fabulous blog, Booklust. If you read her blog in a reader, you need to go visit the site, because she has one of the coolest paintings I've ever seen as her header. I've actually been a reader of her blog since before I had my own, and I'm always excited to see what she reads next. She is also the host of Rosie's Riveters, a feature which lets guest bloggers talk about their favorite heroines in literature. Go check it out! Welcome, Aarti!


What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved, and why?


The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
This is the first book I remember going to the bookstore and picking out by myself, and it's always amazed me that I picked so well. I truly believe that this is the book that got me hooked on reading. It's written for children, but it is one of those wonderfully clever children's books that can be enjoyed at any age. Juster's way of playing with the English language and our use of it is wonderful, and the book has such a resonating message about the importance of imagination for children.



The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
This is one of those gorgeous, intricate puzzles of a novel where one
thing happens after another, all seemingly unrelated, until at the
end, you are left breathless by the spiderweb that the author created.
I love this book- it is one of those that you read and can understand
full well exactly why it is a classic. Much better than any book in
the Three Musketeers saga, in my opinion.


Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky
I read this for high school English, and everyone in our class loved
it. It is a great story about redemption and forgiveness and love,
and, coupled with The Overcoat, is one of the reasons I love
depressing Russian authors.


Persuasion, by Jane Austen
It would be impossible for me to list five books to save and somehow
not include Austen on the list. She introduced me to the Georgian era
and I feel has almost single-handedly spurred on my love of history.
From her, I stretched to Georgette Heyer and then to British history
and then to culture and then imperialism... it's quite the chain, and
it all leads back to Austen. Persuasion is, in my opinion, her best
and most underappreciated work. It is her most romantic and the
characters are all so well-crafted. I love it and I wish more people
read it.


Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett
Mostly because I think along with the heavy tomes of classics and Big
Themes, we should have some light-hearted fun in our memories, too. I
think Pratchett does a great job of melding Big Important Ideas with
humor. Small Gods is one of my favorites by him as it tackles the
religion question in a very sympathetic and funny way.


Of those 5, which book would you choose to "become"?


The Phantom Tollbooth. It is the shortest ;-) And also, I think it's
important to save children's books. As we become more and more
electronics and gadget-focused, it's hard for people to keep their
imagination and creativity up. Juster's book really emphasizes that.



Do you have any favorite quotes from that book, so we know why you love it so much?



So many! Just did a Google search for some and realized that I really
need to do a re-read of this book. It's marvelous :-)

"For one of the nicest things about mathematics, or anything else you
might care to learn, is that many of the things which can never be,
often are. You see it's very much like your trying to reach Infinity.
You know that it's there, but you just don't know where-but just
because you can never reach it doesn't mean that it's not worth
looking for."

"A slavish concern for the composition of words is the sign of a
bankrupt intellect. Be gone, odious wasp! You smell of decayed
syllables."

"Time is a gift, given to you, given to give you the time you need,
the time you need to have the time of your life."



Aarti, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved! Readers, if you have a list you are dying to share, drop me a note - I'd love to have you join our fun!

Thursday Tunes

Thursday Tunes is a weekly event hosted by S. Krishna, devoted to sharing the music we love.

S. Krishna usually features a new artist each week - just to be different, I'm going to focus on a specific song, because it's the song that hooks me. There are very few artists whose entire body of work is in my MP3 player, but I have thousands of songs I love.




So guess where I still am?? =)

I have fond memories of sitting on this very dock, singing this song with my cousin Eric. Eric, this one's for you.

Tube Talk with Amy and Elizabeth

No episodes this week - think of our discussion as "on hiatus". =)

Make sure to stop by My Friend Amy, though - Amy went to Comic-Con this weekend and sat in on the Supernatural panel. I bet she had a great time, and learned a whole lot of new stuff!!

See you next week.

Review - Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Still Alice by Lisa Genova
published 01/09
320 pages


Synopsis from publisher:

What if every memory you've ever had will be erased from your mind, and you have no choice but to carry on...powerless to stop it?

Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty years old, she's a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children. When she begins to grow disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her life -- and her relationship with her family and the world -- forever.

At once beautiful and terrifying, this extraordinary debut novel by Lisa Genova is a moving and vivid depiction of life with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease that is as compelling as A Beautiful Mind and as unforgettable as Ordinary People.

My thoughts:

When I was in college, I spent a year and a half working for a company that provided in-home care to elderly clients. One of my clients was Miriam, a woman in her 70s with Alzheimer's disease. She was frustrating. She and her husband lived in an assisted living facility, and she didn't want to be there. She would ask about every 5 minutes when we would let her go home. Her husband, unable to cope with the situation, spent every moment of the day locked (literally) in their second bedroom, doing who knows what. I wish I had read this book before I cared for Miriam.

Lisa Genova's look into the life of Alice is honest and heartbreaking. She shows Alice's frustrations, fears, and small triumphs. She portrays the decline into dementia with a clarity that is breathtaking. It literally happens before your eyes - Alice's moment to moment grasp of who and what is around her can change in an instant, and Genova allows readers a glimpse of how frightening that must truly be.

"Alice knew that the young woman sitting across from her was her daughter, but she had a disturbing lack of confidence in this knowledge. She knew that she had a daughter named Lydia, but when she looked at the young woman sitting across from her, knowing that she was her daughter Lydia was more academic knowledge than implicit understanding, a fact she agreed to, information she'd been given and accepted as true."

Her insight into how devastating this disease is for families is also keen. While the story is told from Alice's point of view, she recounts conversations heard around her - while her family talks about her, "in front of her, without including her..." - that show the strain and confusion caring for a family member with Alzheimer's can bring. Her family does the best they can, but they aren't perfect - sometimes they are tired, stressed, scared, impatient - all emotions that ring true in such a difficult situation.

Of course, Alice is the centerpiece, and her voice is strong and vibrant. When she muses that she wished she had cancer, because then at least there would be something to fight, she broke my heart. Her pain at watching her career become unmanageable, her love for her family, and her fight to retain what little of her life she can control - all these little moments equal an unforgettable portrait of a woman losing her life, piece by piece.

"Accepting the fact that she did indeed have Alzheimer's, that she could only back on two unacceptably effective drugs available to treat it, and that she couldn't trade any of this in for some other, curable disease, what did she want? Assuming the in vitro procedure worked, she wanted to live to hold Anna's baby and know it was her grandchild. She wanted to see Lydia act in something she was proud of. She wanted to see Tom fall in love. She wanted one more sabbatical year with John. She wanted to read every book she could before she could no longer read."

It is almost inevitable that at some point in our lives, we will care for someone who will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Still Alice gives an honest, compelling account of what that journey could be like for the person we love. I think it could change the way we live with and love those people in our lives. I highly recommend you find a copy of this beautiful, heartbreaking novel.

Finished: 7/11/09
Source: Franklin Avenue Library
Rating: 9/10

Don't just take my word for it! Here's what some other fabulous bloggers had to say:

Books on the Brain
At Home with Books

This book counts toward:

TSS - Relative Reads Review - The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

I was given the great fortune of growing up in a family of readers. Both of my parents read, and so do the majority of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. In fact, my Great-Grandma had cataract surgery in her 90's, because she couldn't bear to not be able to read. I thought it would be interesting to read some of the books THEY have discovered and enjoyed over the years, so I asked them to send me some recommendations, and the fun began! I have a list of the titles various family members have suggested on the side of the blog, so if you want to see what will be coming up you can take a peek.


The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon (recommended by Aunt Leah)
published 2002
384 pages


Synopsis:

In the near future, disease will be a condition of the past. Most genetic defects will be removed at birth; the remaining during infancy. Unfortunately, there will be a generation left behind. For members of that missed generation, small advances will be made. Through various programs, they will be taught to get along in the world despite their differences. They will be made active and contributing members of society. But they will never be normal.

Lou Arrendale is a member of that lost generation, born at the wrong time to reap the awards of medical science. Part of a small group of high-functioning autistic adults, he has a steady job with a pharmaceutical company, a car, friends, and a passion for fencing. Aside from his annual visits to his counselor, he lives a low-key, independent life. He has learned to shake hands and make eye contact. He has taught himself to use "please" and "thank you" and other conventions of conversation because he knows it makes others comfortable. He does his best to be as normal as possible and not to draw attention to himself.

But then his quiet life comes under attack. It starts with an experimental treatment that will reverse the effects of autism in adults. With this treatment Lou would think and act and be just like everyone else. But if he was suddenly free of autism, would he still be himself? Would he still love the same classical music?with its complications and resolutions? Would he still see the same colors and patterns in the world?shades and hues that others cannot see? Most importantly, would he still love Marjory, a woman who may never be able to reciprocate his feelings? Would it be easier for her to return the love of a "normal"?

There are intense pressures coming from the world around him?including an angry supervisor who wants to cut costs by sacrificing the supports necessary to employ autistic workers. Perhaps even more disturbing are the barrage of questions within himself. For Lou must decide if he should submit to a surgery that might completely change the way he views the world . . . and the very essence of who he is.

My thoughts:

I'm not entirely sure I can write a review that will do this book justice. What I'd like to do is gush on and on, and tell you it's one of the best books I've read this year, and go read it go go go!! But that's not terribly productive, so I'll try to compose myself and write something that sounds somewhat intelligent.

I am not autistic, nor do I have close acquaintance with anyone who is, so I don't really know what living inside an autistic brain would be like. I also realize that there is a broad spectrum of autism-related diagnosis, so what one person experiences is not necessarily what another would experience. That said, I'm not sure I remember the last time I read a work of fiction where I believed in the narrator as much as I believe in Lou Arrendale. The author uses his first-person perspective to tell almost the whole story, and she never wavers in his pitch perfect voice. I could see the world through Lou's eyes, and everything he did - every thought process, every action, every wish and dream - was completely logical and true. About halfway through the novel I realized that he made much more sense than the "normals" he interacted with, and by the end of the novel, I didn't want him to have the procedure, because I didn't want his beautiful brain tampered with.

"Autistic persons do not understand these signals; the book says so. I have read the book, so I know what it is I do not understand. What I haven't figured out yet is the range of things they don't understand. The normals. The reals. The ones who have the degrees and sit behind the desks in comfortable chairs. I know some of what she doesn't know. She doesn't know that I can read. She thinks I'm hyperlexic, just parroting the words. The difference between what she calls parroting and what she does when she reads is imperceptible to me...She knows I work on a computer, she knows I went to school, but she has not caught on yet that this is incompatible with her belief that I am actually illiterate and barely verbal.

She talks to me as if I were a rather stupid child. She does not like it when I use big words (as she calls them) and she tells me to just say what I mean. What I mean is the speed of dark is as interesting as the speed of light, and maybe it is faster and who will find out?"

Moon tackles some hefty issues in this novel, most specifically who gets to decide what is normal? Why does one person's normal become superior to another? If we truly love someone, why should we want them to change? If we are all made in God's image, would changing be the right thing to do? She asks these questions, but doesn't present easy, trite answers - the reader is left to draw their own conclusions, and I would bet you'll be thinking about them long after you've turned the final page.

"What I have in my head is light and dark and gravity and space and swords and groceries and colors and numbers and people and patterns so beautiful I get shivers all over. I still do not know why I have those patterns and not others. The book answers questions other people have thought of. I have thought of questions they have not answered. I always thought my questions were wrong questions because no one else asked them. Maybe no one thought of them. Maybe darkness got there first. Maybe I am the first light touching a gulf of ignorance. Maybe my questions matter."

I loved this book. I didn't want it to end. I know it will be a book I will read again, and that's pretty rare. If you haven't read it, I think you should. GO GO GO!!!

Finished: 7/5/09
Source: Franklin Avenue library
Rating: 10/10

Don't just take my word for it! Here's what another fabulous blogger had to say:

Semicolon



This book counts toward:

Vacation!!!

Ladies and gents, I am on my way to the lake!! In fact, I just might be sitting in that very beach chair right now.

I have some posts scheduled for you while I'm gone, but I won't be around until the first-ish of August. I have some serious laying around, building sand castles, reading books to get done! It's all right to be jealous. Play nice while I'm gone!!

Poe Fridays (on Saturday)

This week we read the short story, Morella.

The narrator marries a smart, beautiful woman named Morella. She shuns society, choosing to spend all her time with her husband and her studies. As she delves deeper and deeper into her chosen field - mysticism - her body weakens, but her soul cannot die. Her husband begins to be frightened of her, and wishes for her death. She dies in childbirth, and her soul passes into the body of her daughter. As the girl grows, she becomes more and more the likeness of her mother. When her father has her baptized, he gives her the name Morella, and she answers, "I am here." Her father takes her to her mother's grave, where she dies as well, and he discovers that her mother's bones are missing from the grave.


This story is much more what I expect from Poe. Weird and creepy, with a beautiful but doomed woman. I thought Poe's take on the idea of reincarnation was quite interesting, and fit in well with the tone of the story. I'm not sure I agree with the daughter having to die - after all, she didn't ask to be the reincarnated soul of her mystic mother. All in all, I found this to be a good, scary read.

Poe Fridays is hosted by Kristen at WeBeReading. I don't know what we'll be reading next week, but I'm sure Kristen will have something interesting - make sure to stop by her blog and see what's up her sleeve!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?

Today, I am honored to welcome Emily Listfield, author of Best Intentions, to 451 Fridays. I recently read and enjoyed her novel - you can read my review here. You can find out more about Emily on her website. Thanks for joining us today!

What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved?

Important enough? That's tough because I truly believe all books (okay 99.9 percent) should be saved. After that, what, Shakespeare? Emily Dickinson? All I can do is tell you the five books that continually make it through the cut whenever I am parsing my shelves, moving, getting a paint job. These are the ones I save because they have been important to me for different reasons at different times in my life.


Tender is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Flawed but elegiac, romantic, perceptive, and seductive. No one portrays faded glamour and disappointed dreams better than Fitzgerald. In this book, he is tempered, wiser and sadder. He knows the price to be paid for failed romance and would pay it again anyway. There is, too, the allure of the specific time and place (the South of France) that Fitzgerald portrays with the best sort of nostalgia.


The Story of a Marriage, Andrew Sean Greer. One of my favorite books of the past year or so. In sparse, lyrical language Greer makes the conflicted emotions of a marriage painfully clear, deeply personal and universal.


Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton. Wharton is the master of social observation, so acute about how power moves about society and the shifting values that can can make or destroy lives. She is brilliant, too, on the price women pay when society offers them few options and little real education or independence. The social climbing, back-biting, and money envy are so little changed, though so much else has progressed - you can't help but smile knowingly at it. And I love the descriptions of Manhattan, where I live.


Collected Poems of William Butler Yeats. I fell in love with Yeats as a teenager and my appreciation has only grown. As I get older I understand more fully the depth and pathos of his poems about unrequited love, missed opportunities, aging, dreams, regret, rebellion.


Anais Nin's Diaries. I read these as a teenager when the romance of being a writer was just forming. In retrospect, they don't hold up at all - let me state that upfront. But they gave me a vision of what a woman artist could be, and held out the hope that it was not imperative to conform in all ways. Later, of course, I realized what a false vision that was - for example, Nin never mentioned that she was married to a banker, which does make being boho quite a bit easier. And the writing is insanely self-conscious and pretentious to me now. But I can't deny the effect they had on me when I was younger.


Of those 5, which book would you choose to "become"?


If I could have one night at a cocktail party on a moonstruck night in the South of France (Tender is the Night) with brilliant, witty, attractive company I would be quite happy. I would like to wake before the hangover though, before the failed romance and the dashed dreams.


Emily, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which much be saved! If you read this blog and have a list of books you'd like to share, drop me a note - I'd love to have you join the fun!

Thursday Tunes

Thursday Tunes is a weekly event hosted by S. Krishna, devoted to sharing the music we love.

S. Krishna usually features a new artist each week - just to be different, I'm going to focus on a specific song, because it's the song that hooks me. There are very few artists whose entire body of work is in my MP3 player, but I have thousands of songs I love.


A couple of weeks ago, I asked you to pray for a little girl named Kate. Her mom and I went to school together, and a couple of weeks ago a tumor was discovered in her brain. Since then, she's undergone brain surgery and therapy, and is getting ready to start chemotherapy. Recently, doctors discovered a growth on her brother's vocal chords, which will also require surgery. Overwhelming doesn't really begin to describe what this family has gone through lately. They would dearly love any prayers, good vibes, healthy thoughts, etc. that you have time to send up for them.

The first video is a song written for Kate by Nashville artist Audrey Assad - and can I say, someone needs to give this girl a recording contract. I love her voice! The second video is A Day in the Life of Kate, a little glimpse of what days at the hospital are like for this sweet little girl.

The Nonfiction Files

The Nonfiction Files is a weekly journal of my adventures reading my toppling piles of nonfiction books. I won't be posting reviews, but rather my thoughts about what I'm reading, while I'm reading it.


My current read is American Eve by Paula Uruburu. You can read my first post about this book here.

Synopsis from publisher:

By the time of her sixteenth birthday in 1900, Evelyn Nesbit was known to millions as the most photographed woman of her era, an iconic figure who set the standard for female beauty, and whose innocent sexuality was used to sell everything from chocolates to perfume. Women wanted to be her. Men just wanted her. But when Evelyn’s life of fantasy became all too real and her insanely jealous millionaire husband, Harry K. Thaw, murdered her lover, New York City architect Stanford White, the most famous woman in the world became infamous as she found herself at the center of the “Crime of the Century” and a scandal that signaled the beginning of a national obsession with youth, beauty, celebrity, and sex.


My thoughts:

As Evelyn's story continues, her mother moves them to New York, where she believes Evelyn's looks can bring her an even more lucrative career. Tiring of hours upon end of modeling, being required to hold a pose and not move, Evelyn decides to try her hand at acting, landing a part as a chorus girl in a Broadway show called Florodora. Here, she catches they eyes of some very rich, very predatory men, chief among them the famous architect Standford White. Her relationship, and subsequent affair, with White is the basis for the tragic events that are soon to take place in her young life.

It is becoming very clear that Evelyn's story is not going to end well. She has almost no adult supervision or guidance - it's unfathomable to me that her mother would allow her 16 year old daughter into the situations Evelyn's mother allows her to be in. The author seems to believe that some of the reason behind that is the mother's naivete about New York society - honestly, it comes across as simple uncaring. Evelyn is a great meal ticket, so whatever it takes to keep the money flowing is just fine. It's sad that most of the bad things that happen, and are going to happen, would probably have been avoided if her mother had just said, "No! You are going to Stay Home Tonight."

I commented in the last post about the "gossipy" tone of the book - it's becoming a little tiresome. The author uses SO MANY adjectives - in one paragraph alone, she describes Evelyn's enchanting face, supple figure, dazzling talent, dainty feet, and calls her a little looker. I think perhaps she chose this style to mirror the feel of the day, but I would be happy with a few less adjectives.

I'm still wrapped up in the story itself, however. The idea of whether or not allowing children to be in the public eye at a young age is exploitation is a hot topic right now - yes, Jon and Kate, I'm thinking of you - and Evelyn's story certainly shows the darker side of that early public attention. The author quotes the adult Evelyn as saying, "I do not know that to be brought into the public eye so young is the happiest of experiences." I have a feeling that what I'm about to read is part of the reason she holds that opinion.

Tube Talk with Amy and Elizabeth

Supernatural time again! Amy and I are in the middle of season three, and things are getting intense. Stop by My Friend Amy today, where Amy will be hosting our discussion of episode 9, Malleus Maleficarum, and episode 10, Dream a Little Dream of Me.


Episode 11 - Mystery Spot

Recap - Sam and Dean investigate the disappearance of a man who went missing at a tourist location. While searching the site, Dean is shot and killed (!!!) by the owner. Sam is devastated, but stunned when he wakes up the next morning to find Dean alive and well. As the day unfolds, Sam realizes he is re-living the previous day and tried to prevent Dean's death, to no avail. Dean dies again and Sam must learn to live life without his brother by his side.

Our discussion - as usual, Amy's words are in red:



HAH! Dean singing along to "Heat of the Moment" - hilarious!!

I know, lol!

Holy crap! Dean got shot in the chest!!

That was a shock. But we knew it couldn't stick...

Uh-oh - it looks like a Groundhog Day-type episode.

Actually loved it.

Me too - I thought this was a great episode!


Okay, this is awful - no matter what Sam does, Dean ends up dying. It's what Sam has been worrying about for months, all packed into one horrible nightmare.

So true. The deaths got kind of funny...like the dog?

Yeah, and choking on the sausage. =)

I KNEW that trickster was going to come back to mess with them again!

You're so smart!! And he's so evil!

I don't know that it counts as smart. Basically, I just assume that anyone/thing that isn't actually dead will be back at some point to mess with them..

OMG, is Dean actually dead??? They can't just kill him off like that.


What a senseless death.


Okay, Sam pulling the bullet out of his own chest was pretty nasty.

Sam's a tough guy now.

Yeah - I don't like it.

Watching Sam become so isolated and hard was extremely sad. He was willing to kill someone to get Dean back, but he flinched at killing Bobby - I was so happy that there was a little bit of humanity still in there.

Indeed. Six months is a long time don't you think? I was wondering if Sam actually felt like six months went by...it would be hard to go back to normal.

It certainly would.

The trickster tells Sam that the obsession the two have with sacrificing themselves for each other is bad for each of them - they have to stop, because it's their weakness, and the bad guys know it. Do you think Sam will actually take any of what the trickster says to heart?

I hope so. I mean there are only two of them....how long can they keep sacrificing themselves for each other?

I liked this Sam centric episode quite a bit!

Me too - it was nice to focus on Sam for a while.


Episode 12 - Jus in Bello

Recap - Sam and Dean break into Bella's apartment to get the Colt back, but she has tipped off Agent Hendriksen about their whereabouts and they are arrested. While Sam and Dean are locked in a cell in Colorado, a demon breaks in and kills some of the sheriff's men and possesses Hendriksen. After the guys vanquish the demon, the FBI agent realizes they were telling the truth and prepares to release them, but Ruby shows up to warn Sam and Dean that the jailhouse is surrounded by a band of demons with a powerful new leader who wants Sam dead.

Our discussion:


Oh, Bella, this is pretty bad. I'm starting to rethink my affection for her.

She makes an interesting character but I don't particularly like her.

I think I'm always drawn a bit to the "anti-hero" type, which is why I have some fondness for her. However, not after this one.

Do you think it bothers the brothers that so many people consider them to be evil - even more evil than the things they are hunting?

I suppose they just add being misunderstood to the many crimes against them!

Did you suspect right away that the new FBI guy was possessed?

Um, no, I don't think so.


I'm not a fan of Agent Hendrickson, but he was certainly good in a crisis.

True that.

I love that Dean can still look on the bright side - "It's like they're coming right for us. Do you think it's because we're so awesome? I think it's because we're so awesome."

I LOVED that. :)


Best line of the episode -
Hendrickson: "I shot the sherrif."
Dean: "But you didn't shoot the deputy."


So now Hendrickson believes in demons - do you think he'll stop trying to arrest the Winchesters?

I think so. He knows what's been going on for real now.


Oh, I hate Dean running around outside by himself with the demon apocalypse coming.

I know!!!

Haven't we talked about their lack of knowledge of the buddy system before??

That cloud of demons was hands down the scariest thing I've seen on this show so far.

Very scary and very daunting.

I almost think Hendrickson might start helping the brothers.

In many ways he is already a hunter...just of bad men not demons. So that would make sense.

I've never thought of him like that, but you're totally right.

Ruby is willing to kill herself to save Sam? Boy, I really need to hear her backstory!

She really must believe in Sam or at least wants them to believe she does.

But why? It can't just be because she hates Lilith. I want a Ruby episode!

I HATE Dean's plan! And seriously, how brave was Nancy to be willing to sacrifice herself?

Nancy was very very very brave.

Did you know that the one who got away would come back to hurt them so soon?

NO!

Lilith is a little girl?? Okay, that's the creepiest kid yet.

Lilith is very creepy. And what's up with the white eyes?

I know - does that mean she's some kind of super demon? I hate her.

I think Sam and Dean are still too human to fight this battle.

Yes yes yes.






If you enjoy Supernatural as much as we do, we'd love to hear your comments!

Book Blogger Appreciation Week is BACK!!!

The brainchild of the brilliant Amy, the second annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week will be held September 14-18, 2009. It's a great week of recognizing our favorite bloggers, blogs, books, and just plain celebrating us! Visit the Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog for the whole scoop, including what YOU can do to participate. Make sure you sign up, so you can be part of Amy's fabulous directory, and be entered to win prizes. YAY for prizes!

And, of course, you can vote for your favorite book blogs. You don't have to be a book blogger to vote - you just have to love books and bloggers, and be willing to take a few minutes to share your favorites.

Stop by and check it out!!

Review - Life's That Way by Jim Beaver

Life's That Way by Jim Beaver
published 04/09
297 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

Life’s That Way is a modern-day Book of Job. In August 2003, Jim Beaver, a character actor whom many know from the popular HBO series Deadwood, and his wife Cecily learned what they thought was the worst news possible— their daughter Maddie was autistic. Then six weeks later the roof fell in—Cecily was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer.

Jim immediately began writing a nightly e-mail as a way to keep more than one hundred family and friends up to date about Cecily’s condition. Soon four thousand people a day, from all around the world, were receiving them. Initially a cathartic exercise for Jim, the prose turned into an unforgettable journey for his readers.

Cecily died four months after being diagnosed, but Jim continued the e-mails for a year after her diagnosis, revealing how he and Maddie coped with Cecily’s death and how they managed to move forward. Life’s That Way is a compilation of those nightly e-mails. Jim’s experience is universal for anybody who has lost a loved one. But Life’s That Way is not solely about loss. It is an immediate, day-by-day account of living through a nightmare but also of discovering the joy of a child, of being on the receiving end of unthinkable kindness, and of learning to navigate life anew. As Jim says, these are hard-won blessings. But then again, life’s that way.

My thoughts:

Sometimes, you are lucky enough to read a book that changes you. It changes the way you look at life, and relationships, and the things that really matter. It reinforces what you've always know, and reminds you of what's really important. Life's That Way is that kind of book.

I've struggled for a while to figure out the best way to write this review. I'm not sure I can do justice to the remarkable work contained between the covers. I'm torn between wanting to quote so many of the beautiful passages Beaver writes, and letting you discover them for yourselves.

Beaver writes with a simple eloquence that is immediately arresting. Because this started out as a series of emails, there is an intimacy between the author and the reader that is quite unique - I could imagine myself sitting across the kitchen table from the author as each day's tale was recounted. He talks about his great love for his wife, his anger and frustration, fear and disbelief, and shares all with such honesty and openness that at times it took my breath away.

"I'm not sad about Cec's chances, I'm sad about all she has to go through. I can't stand to see her in pain, to see her nauseous, or weak, exhausted. Cec said the other day that this illness had been a crushing blow to her illusion that she could control the universe. What it has crushed for me is the illusion that I could fix anything I tried to fix. I suppose that both of us are grieving for, among other things, our illusions."

But this is not a hopeless book. I had tears in my eyes nearly the entire time I was reading it, and yet ultimately felt inspired and uplifted. Through the pain, despair, struggle and heartache, Beaver is able to find goodness, hope, peace, and strength. He shares his good days and bad, his lessons learned and moments of joy.

"It's a lucky man who can both love and admire the woman in his life. I've always been lucky."

"As traitorous as it feels to say, I will feel better, I will feel happiness, I will feel less lonely, I will be less lonely. Even as Cec once awaited me a few months or years ahead, good things surely are poised just beyond the crest of this hill. It's steep, no denying. But my legs are good and my heart is determined. I'm sure it can't be too far. Since "life's that way ->," that's where I'm headed."

I know I haven't done this book justice. It has been a gift to my life, and I believe it would be to yours. I can't encourage you enough to find a copy - it is beautiful and moving and funny and brave and a completely engrossing read. It will certainly be one of my best reads of this year, maybe of my life.

"I had no idea a person was so many things, that her abduction from my life would leave such voids. It's not hearing her voice, it's not smelling her hair, it's not seeing her things in new arrangements in her closet or on her nightstand...It's realizing that it doesn't matter anymore if the sheets are tight and wrinkle-free on the bed, that no one leaves the cap off the toothpaste, that no one says 'What's wrong?' if I don't speak for half an hour...It's knowing I could pour a bucket of purple paint over the stair rail and into the hallway below and nobody would be upset. It's knowing I could bring home ten dozen roses and a string quartet and nobody would be happy...

All I can say is if you have someone you can share with, someone who cares about your life and wants to be involved in it in some way, any way, then share. Share, share, share. If a day comes when you've got no one to share that day with, nor the next nor the next, that's when you will know what you don't want to know. That even the best life can be hollowed out in a moment or a week or in four months. "

Go read it. It just might change your life.

Finished: 6/09
Source: Folio Literary Management
Rating: 10/10

TSS - Review - Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie

Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
published 4/09
384 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

Beginning on August 9, 1945, in Nagasaki, and ending in a prison cell in the US in 2002, as a man is waiting to be sent to Guantanamo Bay, Burnt Shadows is an epic narrative of love and betrayal.

Hiroko Tanaka is twenty-one and in love with the man she is to marry, Konrad Weiss. As she steps onto her veranda, wrapped in a kimono with three black cranes swooping across the back, her world is suddenly and irrevocably altered. In the numbing aftermath of the atomic bomb that obliterates everything she has known, all that remains are the bird-shaped burns on her back, an indelible reminder of the world she has lost. In search of new beginnings, two years later, Hiroko travels to Delhi. It is there that her life will become intertwined with that of Konrad's half sister, Elizabeth, her husband, James Burton, and their employee Sajjad Ashraf, from whom she starts to learn Urdu.

With the partition of India, and the creation of Pakistan, Hiroko will find herself displaced once again, in a world where old wars are replaced by new conflicts. But the shadows of history--personal and political--are cast over the interrelated worlds of the Burtons, the Ashrafs, and the Tanakas as they are transported from Pakistan to New York and, in the novel's astonishing climax, to Afghanistan in the immediate wake of 9/11. The ties that have bound these families together over decades and generations are tested to the extreme, with unforeseeable consequences.

My thoughts:

This was a very good novel that was ALMOST a great novel - but just missed it by a hair.

I loved the first two sections of this book. In part 1, The Yet-Unknowing World, we meet Hiroko and Konrad, and explore with them their burgeoning love. They are both outsiders - he a German, she a woman whose father is branded a traitor. People avoid them on the street, chose not to speak to them, and yet they find each other. Konrad tells Hiroko it might be better for her to distance herself from him, but she chooses not to. Their future is bright. Shamsie paints such a vivid picture of these two characters, who are both strong and yet vulnerable. And then comes the first tragedy.

"Functional, Hiroko Tanaka thinks, as she stands on the porch of her house in Urakami and surveys the terraced slopes, the still morning alive with the whirring of cicadas. If there were an adjective to best describe how the war has changed Nagasaki, she decides, that would be it. Everything distilled or distorted into its most functional form. She walked past the vegetable patches on the slopes a few days ago and saw the earth itself furrowing in mystification: why potatoes where once there were azaleas? What prompted this falling-off of love? How to explain to the earth that it was more functional as a vegetable patch than a flower garden, just as factories were more functional than schools and boys were more functional as weapons than as humans."

Part 2, Veiled Birds, finds Hiroko traveling to India to meet Konrad's family, and try to salvage a life for herself. Once again, Shamsie's characters are vivid and alive, and her writing beautifully descriptive of the locations and mindset of the people of the time. Her portrait of the marriage of Elizabeth, Konrad's sister, and her husband James is penetrating, a perfect snapshot of a couple forgetting why they loved each other. And then the second tragedy comes.

"Elizabeth almost laughed. So much for the demure Japanese women of all the stories she'd heard. Here was one who would squeeze the sun in her fist if she every got the chance; yes, and tilt her head back to swallow its liquid light. At what point, Elizabeth wondered, had she started to believe there was virtue in living a constrained life? She clicked her heels against the floor in impatience at herself. Virtue really had nothing to do with it."

In Part 3, Part-Angel Warriors, Hiroko and her husband are living in Pakistan with their son, Raza. In a section that brims with life, Raza stumbles upon a group of militant Afghanis while trying to appease his father. As he comes to identify more and more with this group, Shamsie lets readers in on the ease at which a basically good boy can become a terrorist. I found this section to be especially fascinating, with its themes of family love and loyalty, the desire to find a place to belong, and the quickness with which situations can spiral out of control. And then, of course, the third tragedy.

"Stay. Stay. Stay. She should have repeated it like a madwoman, banged her head against the wall in a frenzy, hit him and wept. She should have said it just one more time, just a little more forcefully. She should have taken his dear, sweet head in her hands and kissed his eyes and forehead. Stay."

It was the fourth section that I felt was lacking. It takes place in America and the Middle East after the events of 9/11/01, and the connection I had felt to the characters up until this point wasn't maintained. Hiroko appears less in this section than any of the others, and it could have been that I missed her presence. But more than that, I just felt like the story lost its focus, and didn't have the emotional impact the author was intending. It does, inevitable, contain another tragedy, this one the most unnecessary of them all.

This is the first novel I have read by this author, and I will certainly be looking for more of her work. While the ending did lose me a bit, the overall story was compelling and beautifully written, and I do recommend the novel.

Finished: 6/24/09
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers program
Rating: 8/10


Don't just take my word for it! Here's what some other fabulous bloggers had to say:

Bibliophile by the Sea
Raging Bibliomania


This book counts toward:

Poe Fridays (on Saturday)

This week, we read the short story The Devil in the Belfry.

There is a small, charming "Dutch" village called Vondervottemietttis, which is perfectly happy to stay to itself. The charming houses all look the same, and all are decorated with time-pieces and cabbages. The villagers believe that nothing good comes from outside their small town, and every day they pay special attention to what time it is. The man who is in charge of keeping their large, impressive town clock is the most important man in the village. Then, one day, just before the clock strikes twelve, a man arrives from outside the village and beats up the clock keeper, resulting in chaos. The clock strikes 13, everything goes crazy, and the village is never the same again.

Apparently, this story was meant as a satire of one or two things - President Martin Van Buren and his election methods, and the city of New York. I don't quite understand the Van Buren satire, but apparently the city of New York can be seen as Vondervottemiettis, happily settled by "the Dutch", and the man who comes in and ruins things is "the Irish".

Honestly, I didn't get either one of these references from just reading the story - another case of an author's intent lost to me, because I don't know the history behind its writing. It was, however, an entertaining little story, although one that didn't make a whole lot of sense. I was amused by the poor little villagers whose lives where thrown into uproar by the strange man from outside.

Poe Fridays is hosted by Kristen at WeBeReading.

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?


Today, I am happy to welcome Michele to 451 Fridays. I think Michele is one of the funniest ladies in the blogosphere - she has a great, snarky sense of humor that makes her reviews such fun to read. She also has a feature called "Diversifying my Bookshelves", where she highlights some of the most outlandishly titled books I've ever seen. She blogs at A Reader's Respite - if you are not reading her, you should be! Welcome, Michele!

What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved?

1. Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

"Dear Scarlett! You aren't helpless. Anyone as selfish and determined as you are is never helpless. God help the Yankees if they should get you." - Rhett Butler

2. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

Fear the time when Manself will not suffer and die for a concept, for this one quality is man, distinctive in the universe.

3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

Arthur looked up. "Ford!" he said, "there's an infinite number of monkeys outside who want to talk to us about this script for Hamlet they've worked out."

4. Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray

Revenge may be wicked, but it’s natural.

5. Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien

"Always after a defeat and a respite, the Shadow takes another shape and grows again."
"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

And now, for the I'd be willing to BECOME. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The first book of the series, but really, I'd be willing to become any of the books in the series in order to preserve them. Quotes?

"There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them."

"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." - Albus Dumbledore



Michele, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us YOUR list of books which must be saved! I'm actively looking for more participants for 451 Fridays - if you are interested, please let me know!

Take a Change Challenge - Book/Movie Comparison

10. Movie/Book Comparison. Find a book that you haven't read that has a movie based on it that you haven't seen. Read the book and watch the movie within a few days of each other. Write about your reactions to both the book and the movie and compare the two.






I read Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson last week - you can read my thoughts on the book here. Somewhere in Time, the movie, stars Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, and is a slightly different story, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

One of the biggest problems I had with the book was that the first half started out rather slowly - it seemed to drag significantly until Richard made it back in time. I felt like the movie did a much better job of pacing - I didn't get that antsy feeling I had when reading the book, waiting for things to start getting good. I also felt a much stronger emotional connection to the romance of the story. I think, in general, I respond more to love stories on screen than in books, and that was definitely true with this story.

Of course, casting Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour as the leads certainly didn't hurt - in 1980 when the movie was made, they were two of the most beautiful people in the world, and watching them on screen certainly brought the story to life for me.

They did change some plot points from the book to the movie, and the changes to the ending made it seem a bit abrupt. But in general, the adaptation was strikingly similar to the book, and I feel like it stayed true to the feeling of the novel. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was the greatest love story of all time, as I've seen some people assert, but it was an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.

Thursday Tunes

Thursday Tunes is a weekly event hosted by S. Krishna, devoted to sharing the music we love.

S. Krishna usually features a new artist each week - just to be different, I'm going to focus on a specific song, because it's the song that hooks me. There are very few artists whose entire body of work is in my MP3 player, but I have thousands of songs I love.

Last week I read Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson, and this week I watched the movie staring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Probably the best thing about the movie was it's beautiful score, featuring one of my favorite pieces of classical music, Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Opus 43, Variation 18.

The Nonfiction Files

The Nonfiction Files is a weekly journal of my adventures reading my toppling piles of nonfiction books. I won't be posting reviews, but rather my thoughts about what I'm reading, while I'm reading it.

This week I'm starting a new book -
American Eve: Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White, The Birth of the "It" Girl, and the Crime of the Century by Paula Uruburu

Synopsis:

By the time of her sixteenth birthday in 1900, Evelyn Nesbit was known to millions as the most photographed woman of her era, an iconic figure who set the standard for female beauty, and whose innocent sexuality was used to sell everything from chocolates to perfume. Women wanted to be her. Men just wanted her. But when Evelyn’s life of fantasy became all too real and her insanely jealous millionaire husband, Harry K. Thaw, murdered her lover, New York City architect Stanford White, the most famous woman in the world became infamous as she found herself at the center of the “Crime of the Century” and a scandal that signaled the beginning of a national obsession with youth, beauty, celebrity, and sex.

My thoughts:

Evelyn Nesbit was born Florence Evelyn, to loving parents in a city just outside Pittsburgh, PA. By all accounts, she had a lovely childhood - her father was somewhat progressive for the times, and gave her a good education, and she was lively and vivacious and engaged with life. Her father's early death was a shock to the whole family, forcing her mother to move in with various relatives and leave Evelyn and her brother behind as she looked for work. When Evelyn was a young teen, she was "discovered" and put to work as an artist's and later photographer's model. She was soon supporting the family, and her mother chose to exploit her daughter's moneymaking ability rather than allow her to finish growing up. She was soon to be "discovered" by the rich and famous in New York, changing her life unalterably forever.

So far, I'm still in Evelyn's growing-up years - she's just started posing for photographs, and hasn't yet moved to New York to begin her career in earnest. Her story has already become tragic, however, with the death of her father and the subsequent poverty of her family. It's sad to think what this bright, bubbly young girl could have become had she been able to have the normal childhood she started out with. Uburu describes how lonely Evelyn feels, even just starting out in her modeling career - she's isolated from other girls her own age, and forced to live apart from the friends she should be making.

"There was something magnetic and haunting about her large, smoky eyes and almost mournful half smile. It was an expression Evelyn adopted without effort - and without any prompting from the artists. Virtually all those who came into contact with her or saw her image tried to articulate what that expression meant, but were left unsatisfied. It is perhaps the greatest irony that in describing in her memoirs what she was thinking or feeling during those long hours of posing, Evelyn recalled that initially she was thinking about the most mundane things one could imagine. Or absolutely nothing."

This book has been quite interesting so far - Uburu has an interesting writing style that almost feels gossipy at times, but is the perfect tone for the events she is describing. I'm thoroughly engaged in Evelyn's story, and I haven't even arrived at the good parts yet!

I have a review dedicated to me!!

I have a review dedicated to me!

I have a review dedicated to me!



How fun. =)


Connie, over at Constance Reader, read and reviewed a book and dedicated her review to me!! Stop by and read her review of The Gossip of Starlings to learn the reason why.

I feel like I need to go out and read this book - soon!

Thanks, Connie. =)

Tube Talk with Amy and Elizabeth

Time to talk Supernatural! Amy and I are smack-dab in the middle of season 3, and things are getting good. Be sure to visit My Friend Amy, where Amy will have our discussion of episode 5, Bedtime Stories, and episode 6, Red Sky at Morning.


Episode 7 - Fresh Blood

Recap - Sam and Dean capture a female vampire named Lucy who claims to have no knowledge of how she became a vampire. The guys discover Dixon, a male vampire, is giving out blood to unsuspecting females in bars, offering it up as the "latest drug" and turning them all into vampires. Meanwhile, Gordon escapes from jail and goes after Sam. However, Dixon intercepts Gordon and turns him into a vampire, which makes Gordon more powerful than before and an even bigger threat to Sam.


Our discussion - as usual, Amy's words in are red:


Okay, Bella and Gordon working together is probably a bad sign for the Winchester boys.


I think so as I think one of the strengths (and weaknesses) of the Winchester boys is that they work together. I think it's better to work in pairs but not always possible.


You can make a vampire by putting some vampire blood drops in a drink?? Wow, that's some pretty serious biological warfare.

LOL.


Dean tells Bella he's going to kill her - do you think he's serious?


No.


I kinda think I might believe him. I think she's pushed him to the very limit, and there is nothing that makes him more mad than someone threatening Sam.


Is it wrong that when Gordon was trapped by the vampire, I was really rooting for the vampire? Did you feel sorry for him at all? I guess it was a pretty bad fate.


I do think that was an awful death. He spent his entire life fighting them after what happened to his sister. I just think it's a bit like being raped and then murdered. To be forced to become the thing you hate....ugh.


Yeah, I wanted him to be gone, but I didn't want him to have to suffer than horrible a fate.


I can see a definite change in Sam's attitude - he doesn't even hesitate in his pronouncement that they have to kill Gordon.


Sam saw and experienced some crazy stuff at the end of last season. If he had killed that guy (military guy, can't remember name) he wouldn't have died and Dean wouldn't have made a deal. I think that Sam doesn't see that mercy helps the people he loves or himself.


I think he has lost his innocence, which is heartbreaking.


When the vampire talks about not wanting to be alone, and feeling dead inside, you could tell that Dean knew just what he was talking about.


:( Poor Dean.


When Gordon went back to his friend and told him he had been turned, I had a feeling his friend wasn't going to last long.


His friend shouldn't have even let him talk! Vampires are not to be trusted!



Why did Gordon not even TRY to fight becoming a monster? It's like he embraced it.


I think Gordon was already a monster. =)


Hah.



Sam finally calls Dean out on how freaked out he is. No one knows Dean better than Sam, and he can see exactly what he's going through. He asks him to drop the show and be his brother again - and it looks like he gets through to Dean. Do you think Sam actually broke down Dean's wall? (also, that totally made me tear up.)



I think Sam will have to keep working at that wall. But I do think that Dean is starting to see how profoundly this will affect Sam as well.





Episode 8 - A Very Supernatural Christmas


Recap - It's Christmas time and Sam and Dean investigate a series of murders where the victims were pulled up through the chimney. Sam realizes they are dealing with a sort of Anti-Santa, a demon with roots in pagan lore. Dean wants to celebrate Christmas the old fashioned way as this is his last, but Sam refuses, not wanting to accept that Dean won't be around next year. Sam flashes back to a certain Christmas when he waited for his father to come home to give him a special gift.

Our discussion:


I LOVE Christmas episodes!!!

Me, too, and I was thrilled with this one! And so happy they did one.


Okay, that poor little boy will be traumatized forever seeing Santa get yanked back up the chimney.


LOL, did you watch the special features? I thought it was so Supernaturaly.


More flashbacks to the boys crappy childhood - their dad couldn't even show up for Christmas??


Love the flashbacks....geez that kid looks like Sam (mannerisms, etc.). I think the flashbacks give a lot of insight into the tight bond the brothers have.


I thought the same thing - they got great kids to play the boys when they were young. These flashbacks really show that the brothers honestly had no one to depend on but themselves.


The impromptu caroling was hilarious!


I LOVED it! And they didn't know the words...lol.


Dean wants to have Christmas so badly because its his last year - Sam can't have Christmas because he knows next Christmas Dean will be gone. (tear moment.) Why can the brothers only be honest with each other about how they feel when someone is going to die?


Hmmm. I think that's pretty true to life. Death brings everything into sharp perspective.


I thought the creepy, nice couple would be somehow slaves to the god, not BE the gods - that was a surprise!


Total surprise! And they were very creepy.


We finally get to see why Dean loves that necklace so much.

Yes, I loved that scene.


I love the Christmas tree decorated with car freshener trees. =)

Me, too!

I thought this was a very bittersweet episode - it had a basically happy ending, and yet knowing it would probably be the brothers' last Christmas together was sad, too.


Yes, very bittersweet and so perfect! But UGH on Sam's nail getting yanked out....that's one of my worst nightmares.....OUCH.

Yeah, of all the gross things we've seen so far in this series, that was definitely one of the worst!



That's all for this week - we'll have four more episodes to talk about next week. Supernatural fans, tell us what you think! We'd love to hear your comments.

Review - Skellig by David Almond

Skellig by David Almond
published 9/00
208 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

Ten-year-old Michael was looking forward to moving into a new house. But now his baby sister is ill, his parents are frantic, and Doctor Death has come to call. Michael feels helpless. Then he steps into the crumbling garage. . . . What is this thing beneath the spiderwebs and dead flies? A human being, or a strange kind of beast never before seen? The only person Michael can confide in is his new friend, Mina. Together they carry the creature out into the light, and Michael’s world changes forever. . . .

My thoughts:

This was a lovely little book. Almond captured the innocence and wonder of Michael and Mina beautifully, as they discovered their friendship with each other, and the strange and beautiful Skellig. Michael's uncertainty about his sister, his belief that he could do something to help her, his feelings of helplessness in the face of his parents' worry - all wonderfully expressed.

I think what I liked most about the novel is that Almond didn't answer every question he posed - most specifically, what is Skellig? I think sometimes books give us too much - they answer questions we didn't even know we had, and the mystery and wonder is just a bit lost. In this novel, we never really learn everything - we are left to ponder, with Michael and Mina, just what this amazing creature is, where it came from, and what it's purpose really was.

"The garage creaked. Dust fell. His breathing was hoarse, uneven. His body shuddered. He whimpered with pain. At the door he closed his eyes, turned his head away from the intensifying light. Then he turned again and faced the daylight. Through narrowed veiny eyes he looked out through the door. Mina and I gazed at his face, so pale and plaster dry. His skin was cracked and crazed. His black hair was a tangle of knots. Dust, cobwebs, bluebottles, spiders, beetles clung to him and fell from him. We saw for the first time that he wasn't old. He seemed like a young man. Mina whispered it: 'You're beautiful!' "

I highly recommend this book. I found it to be a refreshing change from the glut of vampire-werewolf-fairy-etc. YA novels currently available, yet with just enough of a supernatural touch to feel otherworldly and mysterious. I loved it, and will be finding a copy to keep in my permanent collection.

Finished: 6/14/09
Source: Franklin Avenue library
Rating: 9/10

Don't just take my word for it! Here's what some other fabulous bloggers had to say:

Things mean a lot
Valentina's Room


Challenges this counts toward:

TSS - Reviews - Sunday shorts

My thoughts on a selection of books that, for one reason or another, didn't inspire me to write full reviews.






Exodus by Julie Bertagna
published 2002
343 pages


Synopsis:

Less than a hundred years from now, the world as we know it no longer exists. Cities have disappeared beneath the sea, technology no longer functions, and human civilization has reverted to a much more primitive state.

On Wing, an isolated northern island, the people are trying to hold onto their way of life—even as the sea continues to claim precious acres and threatens to claim their very lives.

Only fifteen-year-old Mara has the vision and the will to lead her people in search of a new beginning in this harsh, unfamiliar world.

This compelling first book in a powerful new trilogy set in the near future will hit home with teens, especially those who are ever more aware of the increasingly troubling climate crisis we face in our world today.

My thoughts:

I found the story to be quite entertaining, and I liked Mara, the heroine. My problem with the book was that I felt like I was getting whacked over the head with the "message". The author would have a paragraph about the ice caps melting, and the reasons for it, and I would think, "Oh, I get it - it's all due to something the earth's occupants did 100 years ago." And then she would have Mara say, "Our ancestors killed our future", or something like that - whack. Another time, she had Mara walking through an old university, noticing that all the people featured were men, and I thought, "Huh. Interesting that there aren't any women." And then Mara would say, "Why aren't there any women? Surely there were some smart women!" - whack. I guess I just felt like I was getting the point without the extra commentary. However, it was entertaining enough that I will probably read the second book in the trilogy.

Finished: 7/5/09
Source: Franklin Avenue library
Rating: 7/10

Trap by Un-Tied Artists
published 2008
347 pages

Synopsis:

Why is Paris burning? For money, a lot of it, more than you can possibly imagine. A serial arsonist killer is loose and American Interpol agent Nicki Foster fights to stop him. Hideous arsons are murdering fire crews and Nicki finds there's a dark logic behind the crimes. To stay alive, Nicki and Fire Captain Paul Denis race to solve a puzzle leading to an immense fortune. Lose the race and a flashover fire will burn them alive, leaving only an x-ray of them behind.

My thoughts:

This was an entertaining suspense thriller, neither the best nor the worst I've read in the genre. There were a few sections where I thought the narrative became a little clunky - but I think that was more the fault of editing than the story itself. There was nothing terrible surprising or innovative, but it was a fun read, and kept my attention throughout.

The reason I specifically wanted to highlight this novel is because its publisher, Un-Tied Artists, donates a portion of each book sold to Doctors Without Borders - every book purchased equals a month's worth of anti-malaria medication. Now, that's seriously cool. It's not this blog's purpose to tell you how to spend your money, but I can't help but suggest that you give a book from this publisher a try. They have a fairly wide variety, though somewhat small inventory, and even have books available for download on the Kindle.

Here's a quote to give you an idea of what to expect:

“The sun rose as I drove, brightening rooftops but turning streets into dark canyons where long shadows played over the sidewalks, sliding across streets and up storefronts. I fell in line with early commuters rolling down Montmartre’s hills. Paris unfolded below me in a carpet of twinkling buildings and streaking headlights. I took a moment to fall in love with the city all over again. Paris is a mood that touches everyone who stops at a sidewalk cafe and experiences how intimate each little nook of a huge, anonymous city can feel. Every block is its own world, with shops and restaurants that are tiny by American standards, barely larger than a bedroom. There’s always a bistro anchoring the end of the block. Seven generations bought their tobacco here because their parents did. They lean their elbows on the same zinc bar to drink a beer at day’s end, before climbing flights of stairs to a small flat they call home. The city is a paradox of tradition and energy where you always feel something unexpected is going to happen. For me, the unexpected was about to happen, and I wouldn’t like it. What came next wasn’t a dream but a nightmare. A slide into hell was starting and soon I’d be scrambling for a way out, fighting for my life.”

Finished: 7/9/09
Source: Un-Tied Artists
Rating: 7/10

ComfortFood by Kate Jacobs
published 2008
373 pa ges

Synopsis:

Shortly before turning 50, TV cooking show personality Augusta “Gus” Simpson discovers that the network wants to boost her ratings by teaming her with a beautiful, young new co-host. But Gus isn’t going without a fight—whether it’s off-set with her two demanding daughters, on-camera with the ambitious new diva herself, or after-hours with Oliver, the new culinary producer who’s raising Gus’s temperature beyond the comfort zone. Now, in pursuit of higher rating s and culinary delights, Gus might be able to rejuvenate more than just her career.

My thoughts:

This novel was a lot of fun! It was a review book for IJustFinished.com, so I can't publish my "official" review here, but I really did enjoy it. The characters sparkled, and the story itself was a great read. If you are looking for a tasty summer read, this will fit the bill. I will definitely look for more by this author!

Finished: 7/10/09
Source: IJustFinished.com
Rating: 8/10

Poe Fridays (on Saturday)

So, The Gold Bug. The unnamed narrator's friend, William Legrand, is bitten by what he believes to be a solid gold beetle. Legrand becomes obsessed with searching for treasure, making his friend, the narrator, believe he might be going crazy. Some time later, Legrand's servant, Jupiter, returns to the narrator and asks him to come to Sullivan's Island to help his master. Legrand is convinced he can find the treasure, and has a cryptogram to help him. After an unusual search, they do find the treasure, buried by Captain Kidd.

I think this story proves why Poe is the master of the SHORT story, not the longish-short story. This just felt too long - I didn't care for any of the characters, and portions of the story drug on. The character of Jupiter would probably be considered racist in today's literature - modern writers would be excoriated for writing a character like that.

However, I found the cryptology section to be fascinating. It was not fast reading - I really had to concentrate - but the method of solving the mystery of where the treasure could be found was something quite special. After the initial publication of the story, interest in cryptology exploded, and I can understand why.

Next week we try another short story, The Devil in the Belfry. Poe Fridays is hosted by Kristen at WeBeReading.

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?


Today, I am excited to introduce you to my friend Emily. Well, sort of. Emily is an In Real Life friend, who doesn't have a blog or a Facebook page or a Twitter account or anything. I know, weird, right? She generally prefers to keep her private life private, so I've agreed to her request not to post her picture with this post - apparently, not everyone needs the whole world knowing their business. =) Emily is a nurse, wife, and mom, and one smart cookie. I've know her for about 5 years, spent lots of hours talking books, and I've finally badgered her into joining us here. Welcome, Emily, and thanks for agreeing to enter the cyber-world for the day.

What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved, and why?

1. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene - I am an evangelist for this novel. I think everyone should read this story of a priest trying to find redemption. Themes of sin and atonement and virtue and vice run throughout, making this novel a thought-provoking read.

"There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in."

"And when we love our sin then we are damned indeed."

2. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch - I thought this was a sweet little kids book, and then I had my own kids. Now it makes me weepy every time I read it to my girls. Every kid should have someone to love them forever.


"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as you're living
My baby you'll be."

3. The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro - sometimes, a short story is all the time a mom of two small kids has time to read. This collection is wonderful - frankly, any collection by Alice Munro is wonderful, but this is the one I've read most recently.

"For we did make up. But we didn't forgive each other. And we didn't take steps. And it got to be too late and we saw that each of us had invested too much in being in the right and we walked away and it was a relief."

4. The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey - this is the first book Elizabeth and I really had a bonding moment over - if you need to escape for a while to a different world, I can't think of a better one than Pern. I can't count the number of hours I've spent engrossed in these novels, but I haven't regretted a single one.

"I prefer to cope with my disasters one at a time."

"Dragons always fly when thread is in the sky."

5. The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra - weird choice? Well, maybe, but I'm a nurse, so ancient herbal remedies have always been interesting to me. And trust me, when we're in a post-apocalyptic world, sitting around our campfire roasting our hunt for dinner, someone is going to be happy that I know what plants can cure a burn!

(sorry, no quotes)

Of those 5, which book would you choose to "become"?

Love You Forever. Partly because I already have it memorized. (Yep, I'm a cheater.) Mostly because, in a world that is sure to be scary and uncertain, we will need to be able to remind ourselves that some things really are forever.



Emily, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to share YOUR list of books which must be saved. Bloggers, if you have a non-blogging friend you think would like to join in the 451 fun, send me an email! I'd love to include them!

By the Chapter, day 3 - Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson

Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson

originally published 1975, as Bid Time Return
316 pages

Synopsis:

Like What Dreams May Come, which inspired the movie starring Robin Williams, Somewhere in Time is the powerful story of a love that transcends time and space, written by one of the Grand Masters of modern fantasy.

Matheson's classic novel tells the moving, romantic story of a modern man whose love for a woman he has never met draws him back in time to a luxury hotel in San Diego in 1896, where he finds his soul mate in the form of a celebrated actress of the previous century. Somewhere in Time won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and the 1979 movie version, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, remains a cult classic.


By the Chapter is a week-long event in which Marcia and I pick a book to read together, and then discuss it. You can read Marcia's first post about this novel, as well as my first post. Be sure to stop by The Printed Page today, where Marcia will be sharing her final thoughts about Somewhere in Time.

My final thoughts:

I'm happy to say that part 2 of Somewhere in Time was immensely better, for me, than part 1. Almost as soon as Richard manages to find his way back to 1896, the story picks up. The narration becomes much smoother, and things actually start to HAPPEN, which is a nice addition to any story. I'm not sure I was ever completely drawn in to the story - something about it didn't engage me emotionally. I was anticipating a real tear-jerker, so perhaps I had created too high an expectation in my mind, but it never quite reached that level for me.

I found each of the central aspects of the novel - the time travel story, and the love story - to be interesting in their own way. The idea of time travel by hypnosis - for that is essentially what Richard does - was quite interesting. It's certainly a way to get around building a machine or some other such contraption. I'm a little bit fascinated with the idea of time travel, so I always find new author's conceptions of the phenomenon interesting, and this novel was no exception.

"That has to be the secret practicality of traveling thorough time. If Ambrose Bierce, Judge Crater, and all such disappearing people actually moved back in time, they would, by now, have no remembrance whatsoever of where they came from. Nature protects her workings. If a rule is broken or an accident occurs in the order of existence, compensation must be made, the scales brought back to level by some counterweight. In this way, the flow of historical incidence is never altered more than temporarily by anyone who circumvents time. The reason, then, no traveler has ever returned from this bourn is that it is, of natural necessity, a one-way trip."

And then there is the love story. The Greatest Love Story of Our Time. (or so they say.) I never found myself swept up in the grand romance, but rather interested in the concept Matheson explores of love being a means by which one can express their true self. I'm not sure I totally agree with the idea, but I do believe that learning to be completely honest and open with someone allows you to learn things about yourself you may not have known before. I feel like this idea might have been a new one in literature when the book was published, and I would have liked to see it explored further - unfortunately, Matheson's novel ended before that could take place.

"She began to cry. I welcomed it; I knew it meant release. She held herself against me tightly, sobbing, breathing in torturous gasps. I felt it coming all the years of harsh confinement ending. She was, at long last, unlocking the door of that subterranean dungeon in which she had kept her nature imprisoned. I could have wept along with her, so deeply overjoyed was I by her release."

I thought Somewhere in Time was a good book. I don't think it will be on my list of favorite stories of all time, but I did ultimately enjoy reading it, and found some of its ideas quite interesting. I'm looking forward to watching the movie, to see how the two compare.

Finished: 7/8/09
Source: Franklin Avenue library
Rating: 7/10


This book counts toward:

Relative Reads Review - A Good House by Bonnie Burnard

I was given the great fortune of growing up in a family of readers. Both of my parents read, and so do the majority of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. In fact, my Great-Grandma had cataract surgery in her 90's, because she couldn't bear to not be able to read. I thought it would be interesting to read some of the books THEY have discovered and enjoyed over the years, so I asked them to send me some recommendations, and the fun began! I have a list of the titles various family members have suggested on the side of the blog, so if you want to see what will be coming up you can take a peek.

A Good House by Bonnie Burnard (recommended by Aunt Rhoda)
published 1999
309 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

A Good House begins in 1949 in Stonebrook, Ontario, home to the Chambers family. The postwar boom and hope for the future color every facet of life: the possibilities seem limitless for Bill, his wife Sylvia, and their three children.

In the fifty years that follow, the possibilities narrow. Sylvia’s untimely death marks her family indelibly but in ways only time will reveal. Paul’s perfect marriage yields an imperfect child. Daphne unabashedly follows an unconventional path, while Patrick discovers that his happiness requires a series of compromises. Bill confronts the onset of old age less gracefully than anticipated, and throughout, his second wife, Margaret, remains, surprisingly, the family anchor.

This extraordinarily moving and beautifully crafted first novel was a number one bestseller in Canada where it won one of the country’s most prestigious literary awards, the Giller Prize, in 1999.

My thoughts:

This is a very quiet book. It tells the story of the Chambers family from 1949, when Bill and Sylvia are a newly married couple, to 1997, when Bill and his second wife, Margaret, are grandparents, watching their grandchildren marry. It's not really a story about any one particular thing - just the lives of this family, as they love and win and lose over the years. But, because of that, it's about nearly everything - family, and love, and loss, and winning, and defeat, and all the tiny, mundane things that hold a family together, no matter what, through all the years.

The first chapters of the novel are involved more intimately with the characters' lives - there are just a few, Bill and Sylvia and their children, and so Burnard gives the reader a chance to delve more deeply into their stories. As the years pass, the family grows larger, and Burnard must skim over much more of what happens to each particular character - suddenly, children are born and grown, spouses come and go, making the individuals seem more distant. For readers (like me), who really enjoy connecting with specific characters, this distance can make the second half of the novel less rewarding than the first. I found it to be an interesting parallel to a real family - the more we multiply, the less we are able to know each other intimately.

I especially enjoyed the sections about the children growing up in their small town. There were moments when something in the story made me recall an exact moment of my own childhood so clearly - specifically, the chapter where the kids put on a circus. I can remember my sister and I, and some neighborhood kids, putting on "shows" at my grandma's house, complete with costumes and batons. We'd make the adults sit and watch us - it was really pretty pitiful, I'm sure. But these paragraphs really resonated with me, and I felt like I understood these characters' lives:

"There were tough kids and kids not nearly tough enough, but most of them were assumed to be somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. If there were quarrels or fights, and occasionally there were, these were not reported back to parents because parents never did anything anyway. Parents couldn't save you. When kids came home muddy and soaking wet or bleeding from an unusual wound or cranky or worried or defeated, there was no great fuss. A dish of ice cream, a bowl of cereal, a joke, a bath, a bandage, a good night's sleep, these were the solutions."

Burnard has written short story collections, and in a way, this novel was similar to a collection - each chapter had its own beginning and end, and didn't really carry over into the next. Things happened, and then we move on, and something else happens, and then we move on - the only thing really tying each section together was the constant desire of the family to hold itself together, no matter what was going on around it.

I was also interested in her portrayal of the family as a group - a very clearly defined, members-only type group, with their own set of rules and expectations. Whenever a new person was introduced, THEY were required to conform to the group. There was never any question of the group changing to meet them. And if someone inside the group varied from their unspoken rules, there were swift consequences - the rules were set, no deviation tolerated. It's interesting to think of a family in this way. I tend to believe my own family is much more tolerant of new people and ideas, but I've never had to try to experience it as an outsider. I wonder how true that assumption is.


I don't think this novel will be for everyone - it's thin character development and slow moving narration will likely be frustrating for some readers. I ultimately liked the novel. It felt comforting to me, like a warm blanket to curl up under. I was interested in Burnard's examination of the family, and how its members respond to each other and to outsiders over the years. It's a novel about nothing, and everything, and well worth the time I spent inside its covers.

Finished: 7/4/09
Source: Franklin Avenue library
Rating: 7/10

This book counts toward:

By the Chapter, day 2 - Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson

By the Chapter is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. This week, I am cohosting with her, and we are reading and discussing Somewhere in Time.

Synopsis:

Like What Dreams May Come, which inspired the movie starring Robin Williams, Somewhere in Time is the powerful story of a love that transcends time and space, written by one of the Grand Masters of modern fantasy.

Matheson's classic novel tells the moving, romantic story of a modern man whose love for a woman he has never met draws him back in time to a luxury hotel in San Diego in 1896, where he finds his soul mate in the form of a celebrated actress of the previous century. Somewhere in Time won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and the 1979 movie version, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, remains a cult classic.

My thoughts:

I'm just over 1/3 of the way through the novel, and I think things are starting to get interesting. In Marcia's first post, she noted that she is struggling with the narrative style, and is finding the story a bit slow-going. So far I haven't had a problem with the narration - it's first person, from the perspective of Richard, who has booked a room in a hotel in 1971, seen a picture of a woman from 1896, and decided he's in love with her and must go back in time to be with her. The book is styled to be his recollection of the events, so it's as if we are reading his notes from that time, as they happen, in a stream-of-consciousness style. I tend to like first person narratives, and enjoy a bit of an unreliable narrator, so I'm finding Richard's voice to be engaging so far.

As far as the story goes, however, I'm with Marcia - it's definitely a bit slow. In 100+ pages we've only managed to progress 5 days....so apparently, we get to read every detail of his day, as it occurs. Some of it is interesting, but it seems to be a lot of the same thing over and over - he's obsessed with the woman, wants to find out everything he can about her, reads a bunch, repeat. Right now, it's my anticipation of the great story to come that is keeping me reading. And ***spoiler alert*** I've just now gotten to the part where he manages to break through into 1896, so things should start to get good now, if they're going to. YAY!

So, I'm not overly impressed so far, but I'm still holding out hope. I mean, it can't have won a World Fantasy Prize for nothing, right? (Although, honestly, isn't time travel more sci-fi??) Anyway, I have also just realized that I can use this story for the Book-to-Movie comparison portion of the Take a Chance challenge, so you can probably look forward to a movie review at some point in the near future, as well.

Be sure to stop by here AND The Printed Page on Friday - Marcia and I will both have our final thoughts on the novel posted. Will it get better? Will we both want to chuck it against the wall? Stay tuned...

Tube Talk with Amy and Elizabeth

Time for everyone's favorite ghost-hunting brothers - Amy and I's weekly conversation about Supernatural. We are just getting started with season 3, and they are not wasting any time! Amy has our discussions about episode 1, The Magnificent Seven, and episode 2, The Kids are Alright.

Episode 3 - Bad Day at Black Rock

Recap - Sam and Dean answer a call on their dad's old cell phone, alerting them someone has broken into John's secret storage room in New York. They discover a cursed rabbit's foot has been stolen and call Bobby ) for help. He advises them to beware of the foot because anyone who touches it will receive an extreme amount of good luck, but once the foot is lost that person will die. Unfortunately, Sam has already handled the foot, which causes an overjoyed Dean to buy lottery tickets, but a female thief steals it from Sam causing his luck to plummet and putting his life in danger.


Our discussion - as usual, Amy's thoughts are in red:


I seriously hate this Gordon guy!

Me too. A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G.

Did you find it as disturbing as I did to see the difference in the brothers memory items in the storage container? Sam had a soccer trophy, Dean had his first sawed-off shotgun - once again, we see Dean never got a real childhood.


The show has really good continuity with this issue. The contrast is drawn sharply and consistently again and again.

Did you suspect right away there was something not right about the rabbit's foot?

I figured it was important but had no idea.


Bad-luck Sam is hilarious - "I lost my shoe!"

This episode made me laugh so much especially with bad luck Sam. Like when they were running and he fell. Man, I'm laughing just thinking about it.


Why was Bella holding the rabbit's foot with tongs?

I think she didn't want to touch it.

Yeah, I get that now. Have I mentioned I'm a little slow to pick up on certain plot points sometimes?? =)

Bella's take on hunters was interesting - a bunch of revenge-seeking sociopaths, etc. There is actually some truth to that, don't you think?

Yes, definitely.

Good-luck Dean is also hilarious - "I'm amazing - I'm Batman."

:)

I have a feeling we'll see Bella again - she's too good to be just a one episode girl.


I think your hunch may be correct. (I think Amy's just saying this because she's already done with the whole dang season!!) She adds something new to the world, too, which is interesting.

I think I'm more creeped out by this new hunter after Sam - Scranton? - than I am by Gordon. His fanatic, "God led me to him" idealism is scary.

Doesn't this actor always play someone really creepy or evil?

If he doesn't he should - he's great at it!


Episode 4 - Sin City

Recap - Sam and Dean investigate a rash of violent deaths in Elizabethville, Ohio, a once-sleepy town that has been turned into a haven for gamblers and drinkers. Dean discovers demons have infiltrated Elizabethville and are using their powers of persuasion to make the townspeople succumb to their basic instincts. Meanwhile, Ruby helps Bobby rebuild the Colt from scratch and stuns him with some news.

Our discussion:

Richie is definitely a different kind of hunter - fun, not as serious. I wonder how his personality type got involved in the work?

Unfortunately I don't think we get to find out!

Right - he was a quick casualty.

We continue to learn more and more about demons - they really have an interesting mythology.

Yes. It's pretty interesting and twisted! :)


The demons have a god - Lucifer - who was banished for refusing to bow down to humans. Do you think he will come into play at some point?

AARGH I almost screamed when they changed the story from bowing down to God to bowing
down to humans!!! I mean I love humans, too, and I guess it makes sense in this very human-centric show for that to be the story, but it's so close to the Biblical account and yet...not. And yes I suspect he will as the show plants seeds and harvests them in the story later.

Well, I think you also have to rememer that that is the demon's version of the story - and we've seen demons twist things before. Maybe they've just twisted this, too.


Did you suspect the priest??

I thought it was strange when they saw him in the bar but I don't think I thought he was a demon!


When the demon asked Dean if he was scared to only have one year to live, he said no - do you think he was telling the truth?

Nope, I think Dean is scared. He always puts on a brave front and rarely reveals his true feelings.

The yellow-eyed demon - Azazel - planned to have Sam as his second in command. Many demons were ready to follow him. It sounds like maybe the hunters have a good reason to be after him?

Maybe, but it seems clear to me Sam's not interested in leading demons...at least yet.


I REALLY want to know what Ruby's story is - do you have any ideas? I can't figure out why she's helping the Winchesters.


I can't either and I don't even know if I trust her.






Season three is off to a running start - it's a short one, so there's no time to waste with fluff. I can only imagine what's going to happen next! If you love this show as much as we do, we'd love to hear your comments!!

Movie Review - 4 weeks, 3 months, 2 days

During the oppressive communist regime of Nicolae Ceausescu in Romania, college student Otilia attempts to help her friend, Gabita, obtain an illegal abortion. As she takes greater and greater risks, Otilia learns that the situation is not exactly as it seems, and Gabita has been lying about almost everything from the very start.


There is some drama surrounding this movie, as proponents on both sides of the issue debate whether this is a pro-choice or pro-life film. Honestly, I don't think that issue is really at the heart of what this movie is about. I think it is about the lengths one person will to go help a friend, and if those lengths are justified when they involve compromising yourself. The relationship between Otilia and Gabita was much more central to the story than the actual act of the abortion, and while that was certainly dark and disturbing, it wasn't the true horror of the film.

The true horror was the oppressive society presented by the filmmaker, and presented in so many little ways - the suspicion everyone held each other in, the strict rules to simply check into a hotel room, the way each person seemed to be in fear that at any moment they could be condemned for some offense, real or imagined. The background of fear was palpable, and it made the overarching storyline that much more effective.

Of course, the revelations that Gabita had lied, over and over again, discovered as Otilia makes sacrifice after sacrifice for her friend, are the heart of the movie. Otilia tries to hard to make everything alright, and seems to be thwarted at every turn by Gabita's deceptions. It was shocking to see the lengths Otilia would go to for this fairly unlikable character, and it was difficult to understand why she would allow herself to do that.

The movie ends very abruptly, leaving me wondering what exactly I had just seen. This was an interesting, but for me, unsatisfying movie, that I don't think I can recommend.

By the Chapter, day 1 - Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson

Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson
originally published 1975, as Bid Time Return
316 pages

Synopsis:

Like What Dreams May Come, which inspired the movie starring Robin Williams, Somewhere in Time is the powerful story of a love that transcends time and space, written by one of the Grand Masters of modern fantasy.

Matheson's classic novel tells the moving, romantic story of a modern man whose love for a woman he has never met draws him back in time to a luxury hotel in San Diego in 1896, where he finds his soul mate in the form of a celebrated actress of the previous century. Somewhere in Time won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and the 1979 movie version, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, remains a cult classic.


By the Chapter is a week-long event in which Marcia and I pick a book to read together, and then discuss it. Be sure to stop by The Printed Page today, where Marcia will be sharing her initial thoughts about this fantasy classic.

This week's reading schedule:

Monday - Marcia at The Printed Page
Wednesday - Me! right here at Need More Shelves
Friday - The Printed Page AND Need More Shelves

Have you read this one? We'd love to hear your thoughts - leave us a comment and join the discussion!

TSS - monthly wrap-up

It's official - 2009 is halfway done. I'm having a hard time believing it. I hope everyone's July 4th celebrations were a success, and you were able to spend time with the people you love.

Here's a look back at what I was reading this month:



Palace Circle by Rebecca Dean - historical fiction about an American woman and her two daughters in England and Egypt before and during WWII. Rated 7/10. (My review of Palace Circle)

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff - excellent novel blending historical and modern-day mysteries about life in a polygamous society. Rated 9/10. (My review of The 19th Wife)

Where Am I Wearing by Kelsey Timmerman - nonfiction about a man's travels around the world to find out who makes the clothes he wears. Rated 8/10. (My thoughts on Where Am I Wearing)

A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy by Charlotte Grieg - average chick-lit about a college student making difficult life decisions. Rated 6/10. (My review of A Girl's Guide...)

All Other Nights by Dara Horn - Excellent historical fiction with a unique perspective on the Civil War. Rated 8/10. (My review of All Other Nights)

Wings by Aprilynne Pike - Fun YA novel about first love, and fairies. Rated 8/10. (My review of Wings)

Best Intentions by Emily Listfield - Chick lit/suspense/emotional drama about a woman discovering the truth about the relationships in her life. Rated 8/10. (My review of Best Intentions)

Cutting Loose by Nadine Dajani - breezy, fun, thoughtful chick lit about 3 women finding themselves in sunny Miami. Rated 8/10. (My review of Cutting Loose)

Skellig by David Almond - beautiful YA novel about a boy who finds a magical being in his rundown garage. Highly recommended. Rated 9/10. (review forthcoming)

Life's That Way by Jim Beaver - heartbreaking yet hopeful memoir about losing a spouse, and learning to keep on living. Highly recommended. Rated 10/10. (review forthcoming)

Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton - thoughtful women's fiction about two single parents in England who randomly connect, and form a meaningful relationship. Rated 7/10. (my review of Crossed Wires)

Sunnyside Blues by Mary Carter - A road-trip story, as well as an exploration of how secrets from the past can come back to haunt you. Interesting and entertaining. Rated 7/10. (my review of Sunnyside Blues)

The Fifth Vial by Michael Palmer - recommended by Aunt Irlowain, this is a medical thriller about illegal organ harvesting - yikes! Lots of fun. Rated 8/10. (my review of The Fifth Vial)

Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie - beautifully written saga of the life of a Japanese woman affected by the US bombing of Nagasaki, and the people she loved over the years. Rated 8/10. (Review forthcoming)

The Magician's Book by Laura Miller - one woman's recollections of her love for the Chronicles of Narnia, as well as their history, and a bit of lit crit thrown in. Very interesting. Rated 7/10. (my thoughts on The Magician's Book)


I hope your month of reading was just as good as mine. On to July - what goodies will await me there??

Challenge update

Well, we're halfway through 2009 (and Poe is on hiatus until next week), so I thought it would be a good idea to see where I stand on the many and varied challenges I've signed myself up for - see which ones I'm doing well in, and which ones I need to get busy on. Here's how things stand:



Challenge: set a goal to read a certain number of books from your OWN bookshelves.

My efforts so far: I set my goal at 30, and I've only read 7! SEVEN!! I also put the stipulation that they had to be books I'd acquired before 2009, to work through some of the stuff that had been sitting here for a while, so that's part of the reason the number is so low. But, seriously, I need to get busy on this one.



Challenge: read a minimum of 9 books in 9 consecutive decades in '09

My efforts so far: I've read books from 4 of the 9 required decades, so I have 5 to go. Almost halfway, so pretty good job.








Challenge: experience 42 works of science fiction - books, movies, short stories, tv shows, etc.

My efforts so far: I have completed 28 of 42. Definitely over half, but this one only runs until December 3, so I've got some work to do.








Challenge: Read through the books on your shelves alphabetically.

My efforts so far: Nil. In my defense, the challenge is just brand new, so I haven't had a lot of time. Also, it's a perpetual challenge, so I don't have a time limit. However, this should help with challenge #1 above!





Challenge: Read a minimum of 9 books first published in 2009.

My efforts so far: I've read 16!! Woo Hoo!! I've officially completed the requirements for this challenge, but I'm going to continue keeping track so I can see how I end up at the end of the year.





Challenge: Read 10 books from 10 different countries. Also, I signed up for the film mini-challenge, which is to watch 10 movies from 10 different countries.

My efforts so far: I've read 6 books from 6 different countries, so over halfway done. I've watched 4 movies from 4 different countries. So basically, halfway done. That's pretty good, I think.






Challenge: Read a set number of books by new-to-me authors.

My efforts so far: I set my goal at 50 new authors, and right now I'm at 41!! That's great! I have no doubt I'll reach and exceed this goal.







Challenge: Read 5 books that were recommended by another book blogger.

My efforts so far: I've read 3 out of 5. Pretty good! I have a list of 10, and will probably get most of them read before the end of the year.









Challenge: Complete 10 tasks all related to random reading.

My efforts so far: I've basically come up with my list, but haven't read anything yet. This is another brand new challenge, so I'm not too worried.






Challenge: Read 12 books you deem "dangerous" - your definition of dangerous can be just about anything.

My efforts so far: Yikes! I've only read 2! I really need to get my butt in gear on this one.









Challenge: Read 5 books from 5 different book award categories.

My efforts so far: I've only read 1, but this is a brand new challenge, so I'm happy with that.







I also have 3 personal perpetual challenges running - I'm reading through the poetry of the US Poet Laureates (but not reviewing them - I have no idea how to review poetry), I'm reading through the Newberry Winner and Notable lists, and I'm reading through the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels list. I'm just picking away at those slowly - no rush, I have lots of time.

So, all in all, I think I'm doing alright. I was afraid I'd bit off a little more than I could chew with all these challenges, but so far they've been a lot of fun, and have done a good job of focusing my reading on something other than the newest, most popular books on the shelves. One of the main reasons I started a book blog was to be able to participate in these challenges, and they have been just as cool as I anticipated they would be!!

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. ~Erma Bombeck





We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. ~William Faulkner

Please pray

If you have a moment today, please watch this video, and pray for Kate and her family. Holly (Kate's mom) and I went to school together from elementary school through high school. This sweet little girl and her family are facing an unthinkable situation, and are asking for prayer. If you are so inclined, they would be so grateful if you had a moment to remember them. Thank you!





If you want to follow her story, visit her Caring Bridge site.

Thank you!

451 Fridays

451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each "become" a book - memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of "becoming"?

This week, author Mary Carter has graciously agreed to share her list of books for 451 Friday. Her novel, Sunnyside Blues, was just released, and you can read my review of it here. She also has a website, Mary Carter Books, where she is currently hosting a giveaway for a signed copy of her novel, as well as a $25 Amazon gift card! Welcome, Mary!



What 5 books do you believe are important enough to be saved, and why?

First, I have to say, I’m so grateful this is a hypothetical, having to pick and choose only a few books would kill me, that said, I’ve tried to pick a varied bouquet!

Time and Again by Jack Finney

This is one of my all time favorites.

“Sleep. And when you awake everything you know of the twentieth century will be gone from your mind. Tonight is January 21, 1882. There are no such things as automobiles, no planes, computers, television. ‘Nuclear’ appears in no dictionary. You have never heard the name Richard Nixon.”. . .

A secret U.S. Government program. An artist named Si Morley. A love story that survives time. This book has it all. It’s been awhile since I’ve read it, but it’s on my TBRA (To Be Read Again) list!

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

I love Howard Roarke and Dominique. I think their sexual attraction, love, and tale of passionately pursuing (or not) ideals, despite what the world expects you to do. It really resonated with me. Howard has a passion for architecture that he would die defending, Dominique has nothing but empty money, and the desire to destroy what she’s missing (Howard’s passion).

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Wonderful immersion into the circus life, with incredible characters, and touching twists.

Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen

This book is non-fiction, but it reads like a novel so I had to slip it in! Set in Chicago during the World Exhibition in the late 1800’s, this is another amazing book that if it were fiction would be too strange to be true. The top architects of the time have less than 9-months to put together an exhibition that will rival Paris. The invention of the Ferris Wheel. And, a mad-man, a charming, handsome doctor/serial killer, luring women into his inn on the outskirts of the exhibition. Another book I’ll read again someday. Completely fascinating and engrossing!

Sam Bangs and Moonshine by Evaline Ness

My favorite childhood book about a little girl name Sam Bangs, a fisherman’s daughter, who likes to tell lies, or “moonshine”. I was the hardest critic of all when I read it: a little girl. Absolutely loved it.

The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe

I know of no other book where my heart breaks so thoroughly for a little boy abandoned by the world. Raw, harsh, and dead-on. An excellent movie too.

I wish I had all the time in the world to read them again. A few of them I wish I had written!

Which one would I become?

It would have to be “Time and Again” by Jack Finney. I love the idea of going back in time, and I like that the concept was applied scientifically: the government doesn’t build a time machine, they set up an experiment in which Si Morley (chosen because he sees the world through the eyes of an artist) begins to live his life as if he’s already back in the 1800’s. They seal off his modern day world, furnish his place as if it’s already 1882, deliver food from the time period, the newspaper from that day, etc. until he truly does go back in time. The first time he’s not sure if he’s really back in time because there’s been a huge snowstorm, and walking through Central Park it could be modern day, or 1882. I love the ambiguity of that moment. Then, I’d want to be in the book the moment he realizes that the tiny, narrow, cobbled street he is standing on is actually Fifth Avenue. Rockefeller Center, gone! St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Plaza, Saks, Tiffany’s, the library at forty-second street, the “unbelievable height of the Empire State Building at Thirty-fourth Street” gone!

“This street was tiny! Narrow! Cobbled! A tree-lined residential street! Mouths open, we stood staring at rows of brownstone houses, at others of brick and stone, at trees, and even patches of fenced snow-covered lawn before the houses. And all down the length of that quiet street, the highest structures I could see were the thin spires of churches, nothing above us but gray winter sky. Coming toward us, rattling on the cobbles of the bare patches of this strange little Fifth Avenue, was another horse-drawn busy, the only moving vehicle, at the moment, in several blocks.”

I love New York City, and this book indulges the romantic in me, Central Park covered in snow, horses instead of cars, and the only ones “twittering” are the birds.

Thank you for letting me share!

Mary, thanks so much for taking the time to share YOUR list of books which must be saved! Do you have a list of books you are passionate about? Send me an email - I'd love to feature it for an upcoming 451 Friday!

Review - Sunnyside Blues by Mary Carter

Sunnyside Blues by Mary Carter
published 6/09
352 pages


Synopsis from publisher:

Andes Lane has spent nine years moving restlessly from place to place as she searches for somewhere that feels right. In the little blue houseboat bobbing on a Seattle lake, she thinks she's found it. But Andes has barely had a chance to settle in before her new life is upended by her landlord, Jay, and his ten-year-old son, Chase. Smart, secretive, and precocious, Chase touches a chord with Andes even as he plays on her last nerve. When Jay needs someone to take care of Chase temporarily, Andes agrees to accompany the boy to Sunnyside, Queens, on a quest she's sure will prove fruitless. But in this new, strange, unexpectedly welcoming city, Andes will confront the secrets she tried to leave behind and the lies that have kept her running. And against all odds, she'll discover a place, a man, and a newfound peace of mind that feel very much like home.

My thoughts:

This was not one of those novels that reached out and grabbed me from page one. It was, quite honestly, a pretty slow starter. By about page 50, I was somewhat interested, but didn't really feel a connection to Andes, and by page 70, I was starting to think she was crazy, based on what she had let herself get talked into. But not too long after that, Carter starts to drop hints about Andes' strange, tragic past, and I found myself reeled in to the narrative.

By the time Carter reveals the actual truth about Andes' childhood - her real name is Emily, and she grew up in West Virginia, in a serpent-handling church - I was hooked. At about this time, Andes and Chase arrive in Sunnyside, and I feel like at this point the story really takes off. I found the supporting cast of characters much more interesting than when they were in Seattle, and the relationship between Andes and Chase started to deepen in a way that felt authentic.

For me, however, the most interesting parts of the novel were the ones that dealt with Andes' past, as Emily, in the church she grew up in. I would have loved for the author to develop these sections more, as I think they would have opened up Andes' character even more, and made her present-day actions and interactions more meaningful.

By the end of the novel, I was happy to have spent time getting to know this quirky set of characters, and without giving too much away, I really liked the ending Carter gave Andes. I don't think this novel will be for all readers - there is a fair amount of profanity, and I do think it requires a bit of patience - but I did ultimately enjoy it, and will look for more work by this author.

Finished: 6/19/09
Source: Mary Carter - thank you!
Rating: 7/10


Be sure to stop by tomorrow - Mary has prepared a special "author edition" of 451 Fridays!


Don't just take my word for it! Here's what some other fabulous bloggers had to say:

Booking Mama
A Novel Menagerie



This book counts toward:

Thursday Tunes

Thursday Tunes is a weekly event hosted by S. Krishna, devoted to sharing the music we love.

S. Krishna usually features a new artist each week - just to be different, I'm going to focus on a specific song, because it's the song that hooks me. There are very few artists whose entire body of work is in my MP3 player, but I have thousands of songs I love.



Today, I'd like to share a somewhat.....unique version of one of the most beautiful songs ever written - Ode to Joy. (Thanks, Mom.)




My mom says this is what she looks like after trying to corral her high school choir students for an hour.....

The Nonfiction Files

The Nonfiction Files is a weekly journal of my adventures reading my toppling piles of nonfiction books. I won't be posting reviews, but rather my thoughts about what I'm reading, while I'm reading it.


I'm currently reading The Magician's Book by Laura Miller. You can catch up with my first post here, and my second post here.



Synopsis from publisher:

THE MAGICIAN'S BOOK is the story of one reader's long, tumultuous relationship with C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. Enchanted by its fantastic world as a child, prominent critic Laura Miller returns to the series as an adult to uncover the source of these small books' mysterious power by looking at their creator, Clive Staples Lewis. What she discovers is not the familiar, idealized image of the author, but a more interesting and ambiguous truth: Lewis's tragic and troubled childhood, his unconventional love life, and his intense but ultimately doomed friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien.

Finally reclaiming Narnia "for the rest of us," Miller casts the Chronicles as a profoundly literary creation, and the portal to a life-long adventure in books, art, and the imagination.


My final thoughts:

While the middle section of the book was probably the most emotionally difficult for die-hard Narnia fans, due to its extensive discussion of the faults in the series, this last section is the hardest from a literary perspective. Miller delves into the motivations and inspirations behind the series, and some readers could find this slow going.

Miller does spend a considerable amount of time examining the friendship between Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein, and explores how each influenced the other's work. She tells of their commitment to and love of the Norse mythology; their belief that their stories were not novels, but medieval "romances"; the strain in their relationship when Lewis became successful before Tolkein; their differences of opinion on each other's work; and how Tolkein brought Lewis back to his faith:

"Tolkein persuaded Lewis that the stories he'd thrilled to all his life - about sacrificed and reborn gods like Balder or Dionysius - were really like echoes moving backward and sideways and sometimes even forward in time, reverberations of the one occasion when God actually sacrificed himself for mankind. The other stories, made by men, weren't "lies" (or, as Lewis liked to call them, "lies breathed through silver"); they were shadows of the single instance when the myth "really happened"....With this in mind, Lewis could believe in Christ as the Son of God and not give up the other myths he loved so much...Those stories, like Middle-earth itself, were not "real", but they were nevertheless "true"....."


I found this book, as a whole, to be a fascinating read. There were times when it was a bit slow going, but those were the exception. It was an interesting critical analysis, and a great history lesson as well. For readers who have enjoyed the Narnia series, I would definitely recommend The Magician's Book. It will require a little persistence, but I think you will find it worthwhile.

"If you read enough, and C.S. Lewis certainly did that, you come to see that every great story contains elements - talking beasts and brave orphans, lonely girls and dying gods, trackless forests and perilous cities - that can and have been used and reused over and over again, without becoming exhausted. If anything, they grow denser, richer, more potent with each new telling. Every great storyteller contributes a little to this patina, but storytellers are human, and inevitably those contributions have flaws. Myths and stories are repositories of human desires and fears, which means that they contain our sexual anxieties, our preoccupation with status, and our xenophobia as well as our heroism, our generosity and our curiosity. A perfect story is nor more interesting or possible than a perfect human being."


Finished: 6/30/09
Source: Hachette publishing group
Rating: 7/10

Don't just take my word for it! Here's what some other fabulous bloggers had to say:

Bermudaonion's weblog
A Reader's Respite


This book counts toward:

My month in movies

The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder. ~Alfred Hitchcock



The Lucky Ones (2008) - Ostensibly about 3 soldiers returning home on leave to find their real lives very different from their expectations, this is also an excellent road trip movie with a strong cast and humor that made it an unexpected delight.

Let the Right One In (2008) - Quiet horror film about 2 isolated children who form an unlikely friendship. This was a selection for the Orbis Terrarum film challenge.

Frost/Nixon (2008) - Fascinating psychological drama about two men with huge egos who clash in a series of televised interviews. The casting was perfect, and I was thoroughly engaged in this historical drama.

Notorious (2009) - Movie version of the life and death of Christopher Wallace, aka Notorious B.I.G. Interesting, but hard to have sympathy for many of the characters except Wallace's mother.

4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days (2007) - foreign independent film about a college student in Romania helping her friend obtain an illegal abortion. For me, it was much more about how far one person is willing to go for their friends. Thought provoking, but ultimately unsatisfying. This was another selection for the Orbis Terrarum film challenge.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - This was a case of a movie being just a little bit too over-hyped. I thought it was very good, but after seeing so many people say it was the best movie they'd seen all year, I was expecting to be completely blown away. And, I wasn't quite. I've seen at least two movies from the 2008 season that affected me more, and for some reason it really irritated me when the director switched from subtitles to English. (I know, silly thing to bug me, but it did.)
Now, it is certainly an excellent movie - but I didn't love it quite as much as the rest of the world.

Here's Just Not That Into You (2009) - Strangely enough, this movie was EXACTLY what I expected - light, fluffy, ensemble cast film about several 30-something singles in Baltimore trying to figure out love and relationships.

Revolutionary Road (2008) - an American tragedy, this movie was so painful to watch, and yet so brilliant. Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio give the performances of their careers. This movie left me breathless with its desperation.

Grey Gardens (1975) - the famous documentary about "Big" Edie and "Little" Edie Bouvier Beale, who live in their once magnificent estate, Grey Gardens, along with cats, racoons, fleas, and squalor. This movie made me feel a lot better about my housekeeping skills.