The Giver

In literature and fiction, anything in the sci-fi or fantasy genres have always been a bridge too far for me.  I find this type of story challenging beyond words.  I do not desire to "learn" a new world and the machinations thereof.  I am challenged enough by the nuances of the world I know.  Thus, I can count on one hand the books I have read in this genre in my lifetime.

So, with my current book reading challenge suggesting (nay, forcing me) to read a book set in the future, I went to my husband for a suggestion.  He suggested The Giver by Lois Lowry as an "easy and quick read."

The challenge I felt reading the first half of the book was oppressive.  I found it difficult to get through two to three pages at a time without falling asleep or finding other things that needed doing around the house.  In fact, it took me over a week to read a small nine chapters.

And then...
It took me an hour and a half to finish the rest of the book and I devoured it in one sitting, feeling somewhat satisfied with myself for chalking up my 2nd fantasy/sci-fi read.

So what gives?

I think that, as with almost all other books in this genre, a large portion of the book involves building the setting.  And, let's be real: that can be pretty boring.  Finding out all the specifics of an author's made up world can take a while.  Not that it is an unnecessary step, just a tedious one. Once the author has established this made-up world to his/her liking, he/she can move forward with plot.  And apparently plot is my jam.

The Giver, though in my opinion, is long on setting and short on plot; it is not unsatisfying.  It is a good read.  A recommended read and it deals with some pretty major themes.  But I kind of feel that it could have been a short story.  Wouldn't it have been a little more jarring if it had just plopped the reader down into the plot and left her to discover the uniqueness of the world surrounding t he plot?  Just a thought.

I can see why The Giver became an instant classic.  But I do understand why it would have been a challenge for me in eighth grade.  Heck, it was a challenge for me at 34!

-L

Rating: 3.5 out of 7

This book fulfills the "Book set in the future" for my current challenge.

All the Pretty Horses

Alright, I have to admit something right here and now:

I am Texan.

And this fact may greatly influence my impression of Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy.  But I am not really sorry for the fact of my birth and the love of that land borne into my heart.  As I am endeavoring to read the Border Trilogy by Cormac (we are on a first name basis now since I have read two of his books and seen at least one screen adaptation of his work); I am, indeed, congratulating myself on the place of my beginnings again.

My love for all things Cormac (or pretty much all things I have experienced thus far of Cormac) dovetails nicely with my endeavor not to spoil anything in the reviews on this blog.  So I will attempt to review All the Pretty Horses (book one of the Border Trilogy) without giving anything away.

Ready?  I have two primary thoughts about the book:

1. You know those people who you hear sing and that saying, "I could listen to them read the phone book."?  That is Cormac McCarthy for the written word and the lesser things of life.  Cormac is that guy who has so observed the world that he has discovered the nuances of objects and events.  And he takes those observations and translates them into some of the most beautiful prose I have read.  He does it with the most mundane things.  In All the Pretty Horses, he does this whilst describing the heaves that come with vomiting.  I had to read that paragraph twice, just to revel in it.  And he does it again in AtPH describing the feeling of waking up and not knowing where you are in a land where fear is the default emotion.

2. This is my second time through AtPH.  And this time through I was noticing a prevalent theme I don't think I noticed or remembered from the first read.  The theme is the contrast between a God-like plan (or fate) and the choices of man.  The characters talk a lot (as much as characters talk in a Cormac book about anything), wondering if there is a God and if he is in charge of the events of men.  This is juxtaposed with some seriously questionable decisions on the part of many of the characters.   And then it is highlighted by the main character (John Grady Cole)'s need to set things right, to do the right thing, to have everything right (at least as he sees it).  Mix in some events that would make most men shudder and you have a basic man questions God story.  Does He exist?  How could He be good if things like this happen?  etc. etc.  Maybe I am reading a little too much of my own theology into this, but I definitely see the contrast and conflict there.

And I have a secondary thought:

The way that Cormac describes the shift of the world that happens when you fall in love at first sight is spectacular.  As a girl who in a way, fell in this manner for the love of her life, he captured it perfectly.  I am not even going to quote the things he wrote so as to encourage you to pick up this book and read it to discover these tiny nuggets of sensitive beauty set amongst finely-honed boulders of brilliant observation.

The book is basically a Bildungsroman for John Grady Cole, but even as you turn the pages, you will discover that he was very much a man before you opened the book.  Nevertheless, the fact that it remains a development of a boy into a man reveals that we are always on this journey of becoming more.

-L

Rating: 6 out of 7
This book fulfills 1/3 of the requirement for a "trilogy" in my current book reading challenge

All the Light We Cannot See, first read of the new year

My first official read of the new year was All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.  And before I was half-way through the book, I was already recommending it to others, hoping they would read it as soon as possible, so we could have a book discussion.  And really this book is ripe for discussion.

Anthony Doerr's book made it to the top of numerous top ten of 2014 books and that is how I discovered it.  My trusty EW reviewer told me that the book was about a boy and a girl and was the most hopeful book they had read in a while.  At least that's what I remember from the review.  And although I am not normally a fan of historical fiction, I thought I would give it a go.

I, like the EW reviewer, do not want to give away too much of the book.  (I hate spoilers and you should, too!) So, I will just say that it follows the lives of a number of people including a girl and a boy in the years leading up to and during the Second World War.  And even as I sit writing this review, I am struck by one major theme: truth.

In the years leading up to the Second World War truth (the this-is-the-real-deal, unadulterated truth) was scarce.  Propaganda was rampant.  But what was worse than that is many people wanting to create their own truth because what they saw around them just couldn't be so.  The horrors of the Third Reich's rise presented people with the opportunity to face the reality of what was happening or create their own excuses or escapes to remove themselves from the harsh truth.  Often the excuse was self-preservation - knowing that if you had to face reality, it would destroy you or ones you loved, or both.

This is what I see as a major theme of the book and of my favorite movie of all time, Life is Beautiful.  The reader/viewer is forced to place herself in the shoes of the characters and ask herself, "What would I do in that situation? Would I lie to those I love?  Would I lie to myself?  Could I accept the truth of the situation, or would I choose to escape/ignore?"

Source

In All the Light We Cannot See many of the characters choose to believe stories they are told, to believe propaganda, to see what they want to see, and even to lie to one another in hopes of providing comfort.  But there are a brave few in the book: the ones who see the truth and refuse to cover it up with myths and denials.  These are the characters that I connected with in the book.

There are many more themes to explore from the book.  As I said, it would make a great book for group discussion.  Ultimately, I very much enjoyed the simple (yet often profound) prose and the structure of the book (a jumbled timeline converging to a single day).  I did not check to see how many pages the book was before reading it on my e-reader.  I felt this would be a short book and so I savored each word for the first 100 pages or so.  But then I checked and found it was over 500 pages and upped my reading pace decidedly.  I feel like the the denouement could have almost been omitted and found I would have liked for the story to end differently, but the Second World War didn't provide everyone with a perfect ending, either.

Have you read it?  Let's talk.

-L

Rating: 5 out of 7
This book fulfills the "Book by an Author You Haven't Read" requirement in my challenge for the year.

Back to the Books

So we had this little hiccup in life called children.  We didn't stop reading after we had children, we just stopped writing about it.  But, I still remembered this space where I had a place to record the thoughts I had after reading books.  The challenge was to read a book a week (more or less) and we did well the first year.  The second year...

And now we are in 2015.  2015!  Our girls are getting to ages that make it more possible to read books after they retire to bed.  And I am returning to this space.  I am trying to persuade -D to return, too.  But even if he doesn't, I will try!

My sister-in-law and are are embarking on a new challenge to read a bunch of books this year (about a book a week).  And we are pretty excited about it!  Trying to come up with a long list of fabulous reads and recommending books back and forth.

And I am currently reading a really good book, All the Light We Cannot See.  I don't know exactly where it will go, but I have been enjoying the journey and the thoughts it has provoked. I suppose it will be the first review of the year.  

  Until then...

-L

A Nerd goes to the Movies: 2012 edition

So, I do have a fascination with reading the source materials for movies, if possible before seeing them.  I know I am not alone,  So, here are THE books you need to read before going to the movies this year.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs:  This short story by the Grimms is generating two movies this year: Mirror Mirror (3/16) and Snow White and the Huntsman (6/1).  Can't wait to see all the stuff the producers and writers throw in there to fill out a couple hours.  These movies, being based on such a short story, are reminiscient of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  Something tells me the results will not be the same.

The Hunger Games: (3/23) This literary phenomenon has now been made into a blockbuster from Hollywood.  I just saw the preview a couple of days ago and it looks interesting.  I really liked Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone, so this should prove to be a good one for a Saturday rental after it comes out on DVD.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: (6/22)  While not really up my alley in terms of literary choice, I am intrigued by the fact that it is directed by Tim Burton.  -D is a big fan of Burton, but I do think he makes a misstep every once in a while.  What I am looking forward to more is his version of Dark Shadows later in the year (he does odd camp best).

The Hobbit: (12/14) The prequel to the Lord of the Rings is finally getting the full Hollywood a la Peter Jackson treatment.  I will be forced to see it with the hubby, so I might as well get to reading this one.  I tried once before, but I struggled in the first chapter and put it down.  We shall see...

The Great Gatsby: (12/25)  So if I get dragged to the theater to see the previous two picks, I will get to turn the tables for this one.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Baz Luhrmann and cannotwait to see what he does with this one.  I will have to refresh my memory because 11th grade English was not kind to Fitzgerald.

and last but not least:

Team of Rivals (Lincoln): (December, I hope) Rarely do I get all tingly whilst reading the actor list on IMDB for an upcoming movie, but I did on this one!  I ablsolutely loved Dorris Kearns Goodwin's masterpiece on the Lincoln presidency (it is hand's down my favorite Lincoln book), so I cannot tell you how excited I am that it is coming out this year!  I won't force Drew to go see this one with me.  I loaned the book to my dad after I read it and he loved it as much as I did, so sounds like a dad-daughter outing is in the offing!!  Yea! 

Are there any books that are being adapted for the screen you are excited about this year?  Oh, I just realized I left off Twilight (how could that have happened? I wonder).  If Twilight is the movie you are most excited about, please do not let me know; I will mock you mercilessly inside my head.

-L

The Help: A Rumination on Civil Rights and such

So, I have a small timing issue (previously discussed on this blog) in which I do not read according to current bestseller lists.  I wait a little while, try to give a book some time to breathe (for me to forget all the spoilers I think I have heard through my stopped up ears), and then I read. 

The latest read to fit into this category of books for me is The Help.  The ubiquitous read was EVERYwhere last year and the year before: book blogs, newspapers, morning television, etc.  The furor was renewed with the creation of the motion picture adaptation.  Which is what brought me on board. 

I like to attempt to read the source materials for most of the movies (that have source materials) before I see the movie.  In fact, I tend to refuse to see movies until I have read the book...yes, still waiting on The Maltese Falcon.  So, since The Help (the movie) has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and I am going to the AMC Best Picture Showcase in a couple of weeks, I found myself with some reading to do! 

Thankfully, the book is of the page-turning sort.  It is a well told story, even if the dialect gets in the way a little bit. 

I couldn't help thinking of my summers in Mississippi with my grandparents in the late 80s.  Many of the vestiges of the racism that formed the struggle at the center of The Help, were still evident.  A trip to the Piggly Wiggly with my grandmother was still included a chance to hear the n-word used, to see the lines drawn subtly between classes and races.  My grandmother had a black woman to help her around the house on a weekly basis and this was still pretty common.  My grandmother looked down on her, but also showed her kindness and a concern for her family that was palpable to a child under the age of ten.  The contradictions inherent in these kinds of relationships were easily recognizable and equally infuriating. 

I grew up with a strong aversion to racism and had a real-life struggle with friends at a young age that left an impression on me forever: that the lines drawn between people are often not drawn by others for us to see, but are drawn by suggestion.  Some of us can overcome the power of that suggestion and shrug off stereotypes to examine people as individuals.  Some of us cannot overcome the power of those persuasive influences and are doomed to follow in their opinions and actions.  What it comes down to in the end is the question: are you going to follow or ar you going to lead? 

The characters who form the center of The Help are of the latter group: leaders.  They don't stand up and make speeches or try to force others to see things their way.  Instead they live quiet lives of conviction and wait for others to catch on.  I think it is this portrait of a leader in the midst of the civil rights era that has made The Help the phenomenon it is.  There is something that resonnates in the queitly done everyday activities that change the way others think.  It is leading by example, even if it looks like no one will follow.  This is the type of person who really accomplished civil rights reform in America and Kathryn Stockett paints their portraits sharply and beautifully.

I am glad I read The Help and I really am looking forward to seeing the film.  I am also interested in getting the audio version.  Has anybody seen the movie or heard the book?  Please let me know what you think.

Rating: 6 out of 7

-L

Room

Whilst reading my latest book, I often thought of how I could write a spoiler-free review for it.  After finishing the book, I am still struggling with the problem of revealing too much.  In  my opinion, to tell the premise of the story would be too much; to tell the narrative style would be too much; to tell practically anything would be too much. 

Thus, I will say:

The book is separated into four sections.  The second section is the best.  The first section is just mildly less interesting than the second section.  And the last two sections are almost an afterthought.  In my opinion the book could have ended almost at the end of the second section. 

Yes, that is my review.  You would have to read it to get it and if you have, I much appreciate your input on a spoiler-free review.

In conclusion, I would like to say that I think Tubthumping is an inappropriate song for a 5 year old, but I am not judging.

Rating: 4.5 out of 7

The Woman in White

So, I just finished the Woman in White by Wilkie Collins and I have to say:

1. Doppelganger stories are such fun. 
2. Multiple narrator stories can be a bit tedious because the reader may not like some of the narrators.
3.  Wilkie Collins was indeed a genius.

Who doesn't love a good doppelganger in their mystery?  I mean they look just alike and can be played by the same actor (oh, if only Susan Luci had been blond and made the movie back when she was young!).  The device employed by Collins to have a low-brow and a high-brow look-a-like contest is used quite nicely and gives him many sleight of hand opportunities which he uses.  The novel is very much a mystery.  I found it to be quite page-turning at times.  Collins does depend a little too much on the whole the weather portends the coming events device, but I can't fault him; many authors and screenwriters do that today (did you see last week's episode of Revenge?).

A while back I read and reviewed The Moonstone by Mr. Collins and remember very much liking it for the multiple narrator device he employed.  He took a stab at it again in The Woman in White with a little less aplomb.  It is interesting when you like the character detailing the events of the story, less so when you don't like the character.  One character in particular is devastatingly annoying and thus, Collins mercifully kept his portion of the storytelling to a minimum. 

While The Moonstone is considered one of the world's first detective novels, The Woman in White is considered the first of another genre, sensational novels.  The sensational novel was characterized by bizarre plot points occurring in close to home settings.  The sensational novel is distinguished from other Gothic literature because it brought the "horror" home instead of keeping it abroad (where awful things happen akin to movies like Hostel).  But, don't be fooled, The Woman in White is a type of detective novel itself.  And add to that: it has a twist on the detective genre in that it features a man-woman pairing of detectives (and their partnership does not have any romantic overtones, they saved that for Moonlighting and Castle).  This partners in investigation technique works brilliantly because Collins created just the right characters with just the right motivations for their work.  So in two ways, The Woman in White broke ground, thus making Collins a genius because he figured it out and then made money on it (while he was still alive).

I do have to say that the story has a tendency to drag in parts (a possible downside to serialized literature) and the denouement is a little drawn out for my tastes (it also has a "neat little bow" ending that grates just slightly).  But for the most part this is a great novel. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 7

-L

NOTE for those who have read the book (SPOILER ALERT):  Did anyone notice that Collins made a small error (or did you think it was an error) in having Fosco make an entry into the journal of Miss Holcombe at the end (presumably while she was incapacitated), but then never explained how he got his hands on the journal or mentioned a horror that he had read her journal?

For Further Reading

I have been working on getting a little bit more into the book blog thing this week (new year's does that to me for some reason) and I thought I would give the literary blog hop hosted by Blue Bookcase a try to see if I can meet some like minded bloggers (that would not include the YA fanatic down the block). 

So the question up for discussion for the hop is: Do you like to supplement your reading with outside sources, like Sparknotes, academic articles, or other bloggers' reviews? Why or why not?

I have about two resources I count on when reading classics:
1. a dictionary or footnotes (if necessary) - pretty self explanatory.
2. the book 1001 books to read before you die.  This one is for no other reason than to discover just how far off base they are on their reviews.  I have discussed it before on Goodreads group for this book, but seriously, I would think the literary "experts" they got together would remember a basic thing like plot line or denouement.  I oftentimes think wrong and enjoy calling them on it in the quietness of my own mind.
Otherwise, I tend not to read other academic articles or reviews by other bloggers because I have a serious fear of finding out what is going to happen before I read it.  This happened to me one time and I was bitter about it for quite some time.

So, yeah, that's how I do it.  What about you?  Are you interested in what others have to say or are you a solo-going, my-thoughts-are-the-best-thoughts-so-why-read-anyone-else kind of person?  Discuss.

Sweet Jane

As I promised in a recent post, I have thoughts on Jane Eyre.  And here they are:

This was a reread for me.  The last time I read the book was my senior year of high school, when I thought I understood everything there was to know about life.  Apparently my 31 year old self would tell my 17 year old self: "Yeah, right!"  As with other rereads I have done since starting this blog, there was so much more to see than a young person could see at that point in life experience.  Namely, the distinction between a mutually respectful, sacrificial relationship and a mutually respectful, selfish relationship.  Also, I did not remember most of the second book (not a surprise, because most of the second book is boring until you get to the end). 

If you hvae a nook reader, you can get Jane Eyre for .99 here.

Jane discovers through various relationships what true love looks like.  This is not erotic love necessarily, but a filial type of love, based on mutual respect.  But respect can only take one so far down the road toward true companionship.  There must also be selflessness, even sacrifice.  As the reader watches Jane throughout the book, we see a growth of understanding of these things.  It can be compared to a painting Jane describes the process of designing.  She first knows what love is not, establishing the parameters of love like the outline of a painting.  Then she discovers that love is respectful, then gentle, then forgiving, then forbearing, each of these qualities like the brushstrokes of the painting using different shades and techniques.  Then she discovers that love can in fact break your heart through disappointment.  She builds upon that foundation a final understanding that for love to be fully realized it must be returned.  When she has finally discovered love, she has the completed painting before her in the picture of her chosen husband.

Jane Eyre is not so much a romance novel as a coming of age story in which the main character seeks, ultimately, respect.  She seeks a place among society that is not questioned.  She seeks companionship based upon the quality of her character and one's enjoyment of her person.  In this way, it could be considered feminist literature (because those feminists love to take every strong female character and use her for their cause), but it is a human story of growth in love. 

Other things not observed by 17 year old self:
The overt "Christian-ness" of the book.
The mega controlling nature of the relationship between Jane and St. John (some of the things he said to her were doozies!).
The slowness of the plot unfolding.  I don't remember the story taking quite so long to tell.


P.S. Has anyone seen the recent remake of the movie?  I am interested to check it out and see what they left in and left out of the St. John story line.  I am also interested to see how Mia what's her name plays Jane.

Rating: 4.5 out of 7

-L

Here's Hoping

The title of this post is meant to be said in a sort of wistful sarcastic tone.  Reason: I have been such a bad reader lately and I would love to reform myself, but really, life happens and reading is not my life's pursuit. 
So, everyone seems to be setting book reading goals around the book blog community and I have to say, I too have some goals.  Here's hoping.

The Top Ten theme for this week over at The Broke and the Bookish is Top Ten Books I am Excited to Read in 2012.  Since I have a list (just made it this evening), I thought I would share it with you: (in no particular order)

1. When They Come for Us We'll Be Gone.  Not only an amazing title, but a promising non-fiction account of the attempt to save Jews during the Cold War in the Soviet Union. 

2. Forgotten God.  I got this one from my husband for Christmas.  It is Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle's book on the Holy Spirit.  It should prove good.  I loved Crazy Love, so I am really looking forward to delving into this one.

3. The Woman in White.  I read another novel by Wilkie Collins a couple years ago and wanted to take a good long break in between, so now is the time. 

4. Curse of the Narrows.  Another non-fiction account of events in Halifax, Nova Scotia during WWI: a crash of a munitions ship and another vessel, an atomic-bomb like explosion that caused a tsunami, and a blizzard that cut Halifax off from the outside world (all occurring on the same day).  Until I picked up this book, I had never even heard of these events, but the dust jacket is so riveting, I can't wait to hear the rest of the story. 

5.  The Crossing.  I started the Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy a while back and loved the first entry.  This is the second, and I assume it will be wondrously sparse, just like all the rest of his works.

6. Room.  I got this for my sister in law for Christmas last year and she read it very quickly and recommended it highly.  It has been sitting on my shelf way too long.  It will beckon me very soon.

7.  Half Broke Horses.  I started reading this the week before I gave birth last year, but never got back to it.  I loved the opening stories so much, I look forward to reading the rest.

8.  An Expensive Education.  Highly recommended thriller and who doesn't need a little thrill in their life?  If you get a chance to look at the picture of the author, Nick McDonell, on the back of the paperback, please tell me if you think he looks like he belongs on the cover of a romance novel?  Too funny!

9. The Great Gain of Godliness.  From my absolute favorite Puritan (yes, I have one).  I have a long standing goal to read all of the works of Thomas Watson I can get my hands on.  This is the one I will be reading this year.

10.  Only Time will Tell.  I was waiting on my dad to finish this one so I could save myself the cost of the book, but he lost it.  I will be buying it for my nook color soon.  So excited!  Archer is my favorite contemporary author!

What is on your list for this year?  Have you read any of my future reads?  Any advice on them?

New Year's Read

I am of the opinion that all reading done in the month of December should be light reading.  I am also of the opinion that all reading done during the week between Christmas and New Year should be simple, almost to the point of mindless. 
Thus, I met my goal for this month by reading 3 books at the end of December, all of which fall in line with my opinions. 

First, I finally finished Jane Eyre (a re-read put on hold by a certain small being needing almost constant attention for 6 months and my lack of a nook color reader during the intervening late night feedings).  But I will review that one later.

Then, I started and finished (emphasis on both of those events because of the aforementioned long pause in reading) Babywise: Book Two.  But I may not review that one on this blog ever because it is really just about introducing food to your baby (not riveting stuff, folks).

And lastly, I started and finished Vince Flynn's Transfer of Power.  This book very easily falls into the category of simple reading.  I have read approximately 4 of Flynn's Mitch Rapp books and find them action packed enough for a road trip/beach read.  They are nothing great in terms of characterization (most of the characters are painted with a broad brush - the politicians are incompetent for the most part, and the men on the front lines are the heroes; which I must say, I don't necessary disagree). 

Transfer of Power has one distinction from the other Rapp books I have read in that it was written before 9/11.  This was before Americans had a concept of jihad, radical Islamists, or terror in their own backyard.  Thus, Flynn proves prescient at points in the novel and at others, it seems a little implausible.  The story revolves around a 9/11-light terror attack on the White House during which the terrorists storm the White house and take hostages.   The number of people actually killed by terrorists in the book is extremely low (leading a post 9/11 reader to wonder, "What makes that such a big deal?") and the idea of hostage-taking terrorists is a bit more 1970s/1980s style terrorism than the Al Qaeda style multiple suicide attacks of the twenty-first century.  But at it's heart, Transfer of Power asks many of the questions that confront Americans (and indeed all the world) when terrorists strike: Is negotiation a feasible solution?  Is one man's life more important than another's?  How should terror suspects be brought to justice? 

Overall the book is a good rest-your-brain and watch the action kind of read.  It is surprising that one of his books has not been adapted into a Hollywood screenplay yet, but I assume it is in the works.  What each of Flynn's books (this one included) end up saying is the good guy is the one who takes down the terrorists without remorse and without flinching while the politicians sit on their hands and wonder what the best course of action is. 

NOTE TO VINCE FLYNN:  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE get a better editor (both content and grammar).  Goodness gracious, you misspelled your main character's name in this one.  The errors get so tedious!

Sorry, just had to put that in there in case he reads this. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 7

-L

Where have we been?

Hey Folks,

It's insane that we've been spending so much time doing other things like parenting and still have time to read. You might not see a lot of reviews lately, but we're still here compiling oodles of books to create reviews for. I have around 4 or 5 books that I need to comment on. Some fun ones like The Magicians by Grossman, and others that aren't so much..... The Naked Communist or Blacklisted By History.

In many ways, my latest grouping of books has been influenced by what we have going on in our world. The Occupy movement triggered that moderately dormant political desire that resides within me. I'm not a fan of what's happening out there b/c of the people behind the scenes via endorsements or monetarily. I don't like that the propaganda arm of OWS feels like Stalinist Russia(think Bolsheviks and 99%). I don't like the encouragement for even more entitlements from our government - free programs that aren't free. We live in an enviable place and time. I feel that we forget what we have and where we are b/c we haven't seen the dirty side of life and politics that our past generations have. That led me to read up on Communism... soon to cover Socialism, Progressivism, Capitalism, and perhaps a couple that span those.

On the happier side of things, the child is growing up quite nicely. It'll be 6 months in just a few days. It's amazing how time flies and how much they change. Leah is doing a Christmas special on her blog - Seldom Made - so while we're lagging behind on our reading, you can catch up on more exciting reads. Perhaps you'll see a political post over at my oft-ignored personal blog.

Take care, and have a Merry Christmas,
Drew

The Dark Tower - The End is Here...

If you've been reading from the beginning or just trolling the old posts, you'd know that I started my foray into Stephen King two years ago with The Dark Tower series( and reviewed Book 2 here). He wasn't ever on my radar due to books like It and Pet Cemetary that were turned into horrific(genrewise) movies. After reading the synopsis of the first book, I decided that it might be worth getting into this epic. Who doesn't like a multi-book story that's part fantasy, part science fiction, and part western? The series started well and bogged down close to the end, but I have a tough time putting down a series when the end is getting close.... think Robert Jordan around Book 8 or 9. So, that paltry perseverance brings us to Book 7 of Stephen King's epic.

I don't want to get too much into the story in case folks decide they want to read the series so I'll try to get into my praise or criticism for the book. This wasn't that impressive of a book for me. In Book 6 King introduces himself as one of the characters. I wasn't sure I really liked the idea, and by the end of this book, I definitely didn't care for it. It's very self-serving. When you also consider that he's tied a multitude of other books to the Dark Tower then it almost feels like he's trying to advertise his other novels, or forcing you to read others novels to get a more clear picture. I wasn't a fan of how this works, and he does talk about it in the afterward. Then again, I have the easy job of reading the story and critiquing as I see fit - that's a far cry from the difficult job an author can have when creating readable material.

Ultimately, I wasn't as impressed with this series as I wanted to be. Maybe the expectations were high since Stephen King is considered one of the greatest authors of our time. I'll leave this up to the individual, but I can't recommend the series b/c I can't recommend all the books. I really wanted to come away liking it in it's entirety. Perhaps the new mini-series will bring it down to a level of tedium that's manageable. Sorry, Mr. King.

-D

Rating: 3 CBs.... I wanted more.

Anniversay Book Hoarding

We celebrated our 7th anniversay this weekend (yes, we got married on 9/11 and are happy to celebrate something wonderful while recognizing a horrendous event also occurred on that day).  And on our way to our date night dinner, we strolled through the latest casualty of the economic downturn/fascination with reading words on a screen instead of on a page: Borders. 

Let me just say this:  we are supposed to be on a book buying ban, until we can get through some of the hundreds (literally hundreds) we need to read.  BUT, we struggle with book lust just like the rest of the book blogging community.  Thus, here are our latest purchases/future (although likely distant future) reads:

We got all these, plus The Book of Basketball for $30.00!  Not bad.

But we promise, really, we are on a book buying hiatus, really.  

Any good reads/buys for your ever growing pile?

-L

Guide to Digital Photography

If you clicked on this from your blog reader thing (yes, that's what I call mine) because you thought it was a clever title and wondered what book I would be reviewing, well...I have some good news and some bad news. 

The good news is I have a very funny quote for you from the book. Wait for it...

The bad news is this is a review of The Nikon Guide to Digital Photography with the D40 Digital Camera. 

Here's the quote in case you don't want to get to the end:

When operating the viewfinder diopter control with your eye to the viewfinder, care should be taken not to put your finger in your eye accidentally. 

Thank you Nikon!  I don't know what I would do without your sage advice. 

The above quote appears not once, but twice in this dry read of a book.  And without that quote, I don't think I could have made it through the rest of the book.  "Why?" you ask did I read this.  Because we just had a beautiful (I can say that, right?) baby and I would like to be able to take better pictures of her.  In my quest for beautiful pictures I came across a blog series from October of last year about getting better photos.  I have not completed the series, but the first assignment was to read the owner's manual for my camera. 

The result?  I know very little more about shooting better pictures than I did when I started, but I do have a working knowledge of each tiny part of my machine.  Sadly, I did not understand half the stuff they talked about.  This left me with the feeling that I should take a professional photog course at the the local community college; but as a new mom, I think I will work my way through the blog series instead. 

Here's hoping I take some better shots in the future.   Oh, and although my fellow photog blogger recommends reading the owner's manual - I can't recommend it the way I would other books.  Maybe you could do a drinking game for every time the manual writer wrote a "this is common sense and you, reader would be an idiot to do what I just told you not to do but I am covering my butt for the legal department" sentence.  Yeah, that would make it more fun. 

Rating: 3 out of 7, but only because it is tabbed (I like a sense of order in my owner's manuals).

-L

The Daughter's Walk

A walk to remember?  Hmm...oh wait, that is another book altogether (one I haven't read - missed out on the Sparks phenomenon).  No, this is a whole other genre: historical fiction. 

It may surprise many people who know although I love history (it was my major in college),  I do not like historical fiction.  I would rather spend my time reading a biography or book on events in history than reading someone's imaginings of a certain historical period or person.  Oh, and it may surprise others that although I am a Christian (did I mention my major in college was actually church history?), I don't like Christian fiction - again the same thing applies.  So, when I signed up to get The Daughter's Walk as an ARC, I really don't know what I was thinking. 


The Daughter's Walk is the story (based on actual people) of a mother-daughter team who decide to walk across the United States, sponsored by a group of investors to promote dresses (that ladies can walk in) and save the family farm at the turn of the 20th century (an actual time).  I think this is where actual history and fictional history part ways and the author takes over in the storytelling department.  The story becomes a basic prodigal story without the squandering of inherited fortune and without the loving father taking back the wayward daughter. 

So, what is missing?  Um...my interest.  I did not really enjoy this book.  I got through it but I found it tedious and mundane.  Each of the story elements seemed to be attempts to be historical fiction.  Yes, I do know that should be an accomplishment, given it's intended genre.  But what I mean is the author seemed to be working to make it historical in nature.  She has entire paragraphs where she attempts to show the passing of time by almost listing the things she found out about the period when she was conducting research.  It is not woven into the story, it is an obvious "this is the time we are talking about" device. 

Which brings me to the question: What would it take for historical fiction to capture my interest? 

I think it should be the type of work where the reader feels like they are actually reading a work of history.  Where the author has done the research so well and so intertwined it with the story that it could feel as though it was written during the historical period or by the best historian EVER!  Have you ever watched the Ken Burns series for PBS on the American civil war?  The historians in there never met, nor walked this earth during the civil war (I know because I have done the math and they would have to be over 150 years old); yet they speak about the men and women of the day as though they grew up with them - they breathe life into the dead.  That doesn't mean they are right all the time.  There is no way they could know the emotional lives of these people; but they use inference and a little bit of imagination to bring the viewer right on the scene, experiencing the war right along with them. 

So, until authors can approach their subjects this way (or someone can recommend an author who does), I'll take my actual history the way it was intended to be digested - in fascinating non-fiction. 

Which brings me to the question: What would make you enjoy Christian fiction? 

This I have less of a grip on.  As it goes right now, I am on a case-by-case basis for Christian fiction.  I absolutely loved The Great Divorce and Redeeming Love.  But other Christian fiction has not captured my heart the way these two did.  So, I am not scanning the shelves of the Christian fiction section of the local Barnes and Noble very often; but I have not closed my mind on the genre the way I have for historical fiction.  All that to say, I will take your recommendations for Christian fiction, just don't make it Christian historical fiction - I don't think I could take it.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

-L

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Waterbrook Multnomah through their Blogging for Books program.  If you enjoyed or hated this review, you have recourse: rate my review.  You just may get a free copy of this book. 

Age of Misrule

Here's a hearty welcome back to the blogging scene! We've sort of caught folks up on what's been happening with our personal lives, and now we can get back to writing about what's been happening in our reading lives. Having a child has been exciting, and her weird sleep schedule (although that's pretty much normalized now) had led to some decent reading time in the wee hours. With that said, let's get back to it!

This first book since our hiatus was the first book sent out by Pyr after asking if they had any review copies. It took me a little longer than it should have to get to reviewing their books, but I'm very grateful for the opportunity to do so. Picked up a book by Mark Chadbourn by the name of World's End. It's the first book in his Age of Misrule trilogy. You start the story with a couple of English folk..... then it really gets weird! Something quite strange is happening in the natural world that appears to be connected to old mythology. After a short introductory period, you're taken on a whirlwind of destruction and oddities. 

World's End wasn't a bad book, but it's definitely a tedious book. Mark Chadbourn, the author, has quite the vocabulary and he isn't afraid to use it. I'm not one to shy away from a long word every now and then, but the usage is quite prolific(ding!) in this first novel. It's very proper and, perhaps, that's the way our English brethren prefer it. It was also a little difficult for me to get into just after delving into mythology with American Gods by Neil Gaiman (another English author). American Gods was a dichotomy of great storytelling and graphic situations. It was good, but dirty. World's End is exhausting in it's definition and sometimes feels lost when coming up to story progression. It makes you wonder upon finishing the book if it was really worth it.

All in all, if you are looking for perfect punctuation, grammar, and to expand your vocabulary then you will want to pick up this book. If you are looking for a book that touches on a bit of the ol' mythology you are more than welcome to pick this up, but I would recommend American Gods - especially the 10 year anniversary edition that can be found here.

Rating: 4 of 10 CBs

-D

In the Hopper

Alrighty, we are trying to get back in the swing around here.  So, we thought we would get the blog juices flowing (that sounds inappropriate somehow) by joining the global book blog hop hosted by Crazy for Books.  It has been a while for us.  But, then again, it has been a while for almost everything around here. 
The question for the week is: what is the longest book you have ever read?
-D said (sleepily): "probably some Robert Jordan book, I guess."  Fear not, lovely readers of fantasy/sci-fi fiction, the reviews on this site are plenteous. 
and
-L says: Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  This is THE book I recommend to almost anyone who will sit still long enough for me to tell them it is the best Lincoln biography out there.  It actually ends up being a four-for-one deal because it is also a biography of Lincoln's rivals for the 1860 Republican nomination for president.  Go...read it...be happy I told you about it...then pass it on!

Anyway, if you are new around here (or if it has been a while) feel free to browse around, leave a comment, start a conversation with other readers, whatever makes you feel at home.  Glad to have you here and glad to be back. 

-L

One Day

Many days long, long ago I read One Day and never got around to telling you about it.  Now that the movie is making it's American debut, I was reminded of it and thought my first post-baby post would be about it.  Apparently it was some sort of phenomenon in the beach read world some time back; thus making it a candidate for the Hollywood treatment, complete with Anne Hathaway playing a British girl and Jim Sturgess playing a British toff (new word I remembered I had learned whilst watching Top Gear the other day on BBC America...how very Anglophilian of me). 

Anyway, I don't usually read anything that could be considered beach reading, nor do I read romance novels; but I got a copy of this book as a prize in an Oscar trivia contest and pregnancy does crazy things to one's brain.  So, like I said, I read the book. 

How did I feel about it?

At first I didn't really have any connection with the characters.  They seemed to be hackneyed characters for a romance novel: the brainy, middle class girl secretly pining for the upper-crust, aloof guy stunted in the emotional maturation department.  The only thing I found interesting about the book was the structure of it.  Each chapter is set on the same day, each year for a number of years, begining with the day after college graduation for both characters.  I think the structure is what kept me coming back.  It was like some soap opera I couldn't turn my back on even though the characters do everything predictable soap opera characters do.  I guess I was hoping they would go all Passions on me and have a witch with a little person who creates lots of mischeif. 

No such luck.

The story remains predictable through most of the book.  What wasn't predictable was my reaction to the end of the book.  Either the characters had grown on me so much that I feel in love right along with them OR I was so overloaded with hormones whilst reading it, that I bawled for an entire afternoon as I finished the book.  I think it must have been the latter because when I look back on it now, there is no way it was the characters. 

So, the age old question: Should I read the book or see the movie first?  Well, I don't think I can answer that for you, because I haven't seen the movie.  But, having read the book and having seen other romantic movies from Hollywood, I can tell you: there's not much special to see or read here.  I think you might be better served saving your money on both the book and the movie.  How about Pride and Prejudice instead? 

Rating: 3 out of 7

-L