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Orange July Update
I finished my first book for Orange July - Half of a Yellow Sun (my review). It's one of those books that pulls your heart out, squeezes it and then puts it back into your chest. It's definitely a book I will remember.
Now, I am on book #2 for Orange July, which is the mixed-reviewed The Gathering by Anne Enright. I love Enright's writing style, but you have to get past the many phallic references. I should finish The Gathering in the next few days, and then I will start Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. This is a book that I have always wanted to read!
EW Top 100 New Classics - Now a reading challenge!
I blogged about this list a few Sundays ago. EW (Entertainment Weekly) magazine printed a list of 100 "new classics" books published from 1983-2008 that they felt would stand the test of time. Based on my fellow bloggers' comments, some of you loved this list and some of you did not. Well, for those of you who did, you may want to check out the new reading challenge that's based on this list. Julie is hosting the New Classics Challenge, where you must read six books from the EW list between August1, 2008 and January 31, 2009. Check out Julie's blog for more details.
Thanks for visiting The Magic Lasso and see you next Sunday!
- Location:home
- Mood:
complacent
I can't believe July is just around the corner. So far I have read 43 books during the first half of 2008. Here are the books that earned a five-star rating from me (in order that I read them).FIVE-STAR BOOKS (FICTION)
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
Property by Valerie Martin
FIVE-STAR BOOKS (NON-FICTION)
A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen
The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari
How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen
Tara Revisited by Catherine Clinton
AND MY TOP FIVE BOOKS
1) The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
2) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
3) The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari
4) The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
5) Property by Valerie Martin
READING CHALLENGES COMPLETED:
1) Beg, Borrow and Steal Reading Challenge
2) Pub 08 Reading Challenge
3) Themed Reading Challenge
4) Spring Reading Thing
5) Southern Reading Challenge
6) Book Awards Reading Challenge
I also participate in Bonnie's Book Around The States and Book Around The World reading challenges, and here is a summary of the places I have been:
BOOK AROUND THE STATES (my reviews)
Alaska - The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon
Hawaii - Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
Louisiana - Property by Valerie Martin
Maryland - Two Brothers: One North, One South by David H. Jones
Missouri - Becky by Lenore Hart
North Carolina - On Agate Hill by Lee Smith
South Carolina - Bulls Island by Dorothea Benton Frank
Texas - The Story of Forgetting by Stefan Merrill Block
BOOK AROUND THE WORLD (my reviews)
Iran - The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani
Pakistan - The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
Sudan - The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur by Daoud Hari
Yugoslavia - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Wales - Resistance by Owen Sheers
Whew! It's been a very adventurous reading year so far! I am looking forward to my Orange July, when I will be reading a ton of books that have won or been nominated for the Orange Prize. That promises to be a good reading month, don't you think?
- Location:home
- Mood: excited
Admittedly, I am a sucker for book lists, and I stumbled across this one today on one of my Yahoo Groups: EW Top 100 New Classics. EW, for those of you who don't know, is short for Entertainment Weekly - a magazine of celebrity, movies, TV - and yes - book news. It's a fun little read if you like pop culture.
I am not sure what criteria EW used to compile this list, but here's what they propose as the top 100 books that are modern classics (published 1983-2008). I have highlighted the ones I have read in red and those on my TBR pile in blue.
1. The Road , Cormac McCarthy (2006)
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)
3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
4. The Liars' Club, Mary Karr (1995)
5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
6. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)
8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)
9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)
10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)
11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
12. Blindness, José Saramago (1998)
13. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)
14. Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates (1992)
15. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)
16. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
17. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez (1988)
18. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike (1990)
19. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)
20. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding (1998)
21. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)
22. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz (2007)
23. The Ghost Road, Pat Barker (1996)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
25. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)
26. Neuromancer, William Gibson (1984)
27. Possession, A.S. Byatt (1990)
28. Naked, David Sedaris (1997)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
30. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson (2004)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien (1990)
32. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch (1988)
33. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (2005)
34. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)
35. The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst (2004)
36. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
37. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)
38. Birds of America, Lorrie Moore (1998)
39. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
40. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (1995-2000)
41. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)
42. LaBrava, Elmore Leonard (1983)
43. Borrowed Time, Paul Monette (1988)
44. Praying for Sheetrock, Melissa Fay Greene (1991)
45. Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)
46. Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996)
47. World's Fair, E.L. Doctorow (1985)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
49. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)
50. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001)
51. The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcom (1990)
52. Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan (1992)
53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
54. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware (2000)
55. The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (2006)
56. The Night Manager, John le Carré (1993)
57. The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe (1987)
58. Drop City, TC Boyle (2003)
59. Krik? Krak! Edwidge Danticat (1995)
60. Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)
61. Money, Martin Amis (1985)
62. Last Train To Memphis, Peter Guralnick (1994)
63. Pastoralia, George Saunders (2000)
64. Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)
65. The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)
66. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace (1997)
67. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)
68. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006)
69. Secret History, Donna Tartt (1992)
70. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)
71. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)
72. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)
73. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
75. Cathedral, Raymond Carver (1983)
76. A Sight for Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell (1998)
77. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
79. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
80. Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney (1984)
81. Backlash, Susan Faludi (1991)
82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
85. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)
86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)
87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)
88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)
89. Close Range, Annie Proulx (1999)
90. Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl (2001)
91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)
92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)
93. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (1991)
94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)
95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1998)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
97. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson (1992)
98. The Predators' Ball, Connie Bruck (1988)
99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)
100. America (the Book), Jon Stewart/Daily Show (2004)
While I have not read all of these books, I have to wonder how they determined the order. I was surprised to see The Handmaid's Tale not in the top 10, for example. And I see a few authors who are missing: Jodi Picoult, Anne Tyler, Anne Rice and Mary Doria Russell. Or maybe it's because they are among my favorites and I am biased.
What do you think of this list? Who's missing? What's right on? I will be curious to know what the Sunday Saloners have to say!
- Location:home
- Mood:
contemplative
Throughout July, several of my LibraryThing friends and I have committed to reading books that have won, or were short- or long-listed for the Orange Prize. If you're like me, several "Orange" books grace my bookshelves, and I have found many of these books to be insightful, provocative and enjoyable reads. I would like to extend an invitation to my fellow bloggers, Sunday Saloners and Orange Prize Project participants to join me in an Orange July. This personal challenge is exactly that - you determine the rules, how many books you want to read, whether you want to post reviews - whatever works for you.
For my Orange July, I am not setting a minimum number of books to read. Instead, I plan on reading my Orange books in the following order and see where I end up when July ends:
1) Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2007 winner)
(review)2) The Gathering by Anne Enright (2008 Long List)
3) Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood (1997 Long List)
4) Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (2004 Short List)
5) The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (2007 Short List)
6) The Keep by Jennifer Egan (2008 Long List)
7) The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler (2004 Long List)
8) We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (2005 winner)
9) The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney (2007 Long List)
10) Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (2003 Long List)
Because this is a personal challenge, I will not set up a blog or list of participants. However, I encourage you to join the Orange Prize Project (if you haven't done so already) if you are interested in placing your reviews somewhere. This blog also is a great resource for finding reviews on Orange books and complete lists of Orange Prize winners and books that have made the long and short lists.
I hope you enjoy an Orange July with me!
- Location:home
- Mood: excited
America AmericaBy Ethan Canin
Completed June 8, 2008
Corey Sifter was an average boy, living with his working-class parents in New York, when the wealthy, well-connected Metarey family employed him to work on their estate. Liam Metarey, the family’s patriarch, took a shining to Corey and gave him important jobs at the mansion as well as paid for his education at a prestigious boarding school. While working on the estate, Corey was exposed to the presidential campaign of New York Senator Henry Bonwiller, who Metarey supported despite Bonwiller’s flaws. In turn, Corey witnessed numerous scandals, politics and events, which eventually shaped Corey into the man he became.
America America by Ethan Canin was, in effect, the story of the have’s and have not’s, 1970’s political scandals, family and friendships, and the power of the almighty American dollar. And this book’s main character saw it all.
This book was a slow-starter, slowly building momentum until the reader reaches the mid-point. Canin’s writing style reminded me of Richard Russo – quaint, meandering and illustrative. It takes patience to read a Russo book, and I needed the same patience to finish this Canin novel too.
I also have to comment about the characterization. While the reader gets to know Corey well enough, the other characters were flat to me. The wealthy Metareys seemed plastic and unbelievable. I felt no rapport for Corey’s parents, who were more like bystanders than parents during Corey’s employment with the Metareys. Even Senator Bonwiller, who had the potential for interest with his drinking and womanizing, was boring and lifeless. Perhaps the passivity of the characters was intentional, but for this reader, it cast a long shadow over this long book.
Critics are already raving about this novel, and I suspect that America America will make notable and prize lists this year. For me, the novel’s story was a good one, but I have a personal distaste for books that take awhile to build into a crescendo of a story. If you like books about politics and are a more patient reader than me, then I would recommend America America to you. ( 
)- Location:home
- Mood:
hot
Becky: The Life and Loves of Becky ThatcherBy Lenore Hart
Completed May 29, 2008
I must admit that I am a sucker for a good companion novel. Last year, I read Finn by Jon Clinch, which was a story about Huck Finn’s infamous father. My latest read was the feminine side of this group of friends – a story about Becky Thatcher, Tom Sawyer’s sweetheart. In Becky: The Life and Loves of Becky Thatcher by Lenore Hart, Becky got her voice and opportunity to set the story straight.
"I loved and hated men, lost and found them, tried and failed to tempt them away from their own destruction. I’ve been the cause of more than one death. I’ve been a friend and enemy and fiancée, wife and mother and widow. I’ve killed in a fight, and longed to do murder once or twice at home. I’ve taught, mothered, soldiered, mined and even written for the newspapers. But I was never the weeping little ninny Sam Clemens made me out to be in his book."
And with this statement, Becky began her story as a complex, multi-dimensional character, dead set about shaking this timid image that Mark Twain described in his novels.
The story opened as Becky’s husband, Sid, was about to leave for the army during the late months of the Civil War. This began Becky’s adventures as she chased her husband into the wilds of Missouri in an attempt to bring him home. She disguised herself as a soldier to accomplish this mission and was involved in skirmish or two. Once reunited, the couple decided to move to Nevada to escape the war atrocities as home – thus, beginning another set of adventures for Becky as she moved West.
Hanging like a web over all of these stories were Becky’s feelings for Tom. Tom and Huck were minor characters in this book, and Hart added different perspectives to these famous boys (who are now men in this book). Tom was self-absorbed and restless, always caring for his childhood sweetheart despite his lack of commitment to her. Huck was Tom’s loyal companion – raw, impatient, cunning and unforgiving - but I felt that Huck had more sense than his reckless friend. In addition to Tom and Huck, Hart added Sam Clemens, who came across as imaginative and scheming, eventually betraying his friendship with Becky when he published his books.
With all of these males in her life, one can see how Becky did not grow up to be a “weeping little ninny.” However, I think Hart tried too hard to prove Becky was as strong as her male counterparts. The killings, the soldiering, the wearing of pants, the lying, the adultery – it was a tad too much. Women can be strong without acting like men.Despite this small criticism, I enjoyed Becky and highly recommend this book to lovers of Tom Sawyer stories, Civil War fiction and tales about women’s lives in history. (
) - Location:home
- Mood: good
If you want to join the fun, check out the rules and play along. You have until May 30.
So, what name have I come up with for my homestead?
Need Grace Land
I definitely need Grace in my humble abode. Two young sons and their equally youthful father think nothing of leaving their shoes in the middle of the flooor, the cat thinks nothing of leaving regurgitated hairballs on my kitchen table, and I think nothing of not cleaning the toothpaste from the side of the sink. The garden is full of weeds, the patio floor needs resealing, and my walls all could use a fresh coat of paint.
But it's not just the condition of the house that requires Grace. You need a lot of Grace to maneuver over the Lego land mines, Matchbox cars and Webkins that are scattered all over the floor. You need even more grace to go on the Laundry Hunt, carefully teetering the basket on your hip, dipping down to pick up the miscellaneous socks, underwear and football jerseys that never seem to make it to the laundry hamper.
Yes, Grace is definitely a must-have in my home.
It takes Grace to look the other way when the floor needs a-mopping, the carpet needs a-vacuuming and the garage needs a-cleaning.
It takes Grace to watch the Home and Gardens Network and see how the other side lives - and determine that it's just too plain pretty for Need Grace Land.
Because truth be told, I would rather have my boys, hubby and cats have free rein in the house than live in the cleanest house on the block. There's time for pretty homes later. Right now, we're just living with as much Grace as we can. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.
- Location:home
- Mood: complacent
Here is a wrap-up of my completed books (click here for my reviews). Many thanks to 3M for hosting this terrific challenge - the second challenge that I signed up for!
1) Billy Bathgate by E.L. Doctorow (Faulkner 1990) (completed July 17, 2007)
2) The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Man Booker Prize 2000) (completed July 8, 2007)
3) The Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings (Pulitzer 1939) (completed September 8, 2007)
4) The Human Stain by Philip Roth (Faulkner 2001) (completed October 5, 2007)
5) March by Geraldine Brooks (Pulitzer 2006) (completed April 11, 2008)
6) The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Pulitzer 2007) (completed July 22, 2007)
7) Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding (British Book Award 1998) (completed December 13, 2007)
8) Empire Falls by Richard Russo (Pulitzer 2002) (completed November 11, 2007)
9) Blindness by Jose Saramago (Nobel Prize 1988) (completed August 12, 2007)
10) Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Pulitzer 2005) (completed September 21, 2007)
11) Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (Pulitzer 2003) (completed September 29, 2007)
12 ) The Hours by Michael Cunningham (Pulitzer 1999) (completed October 27, 2007)
13) The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (Pulitzer 1953) (completed November 24, 2007)
My favorite award-winner: The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Never had I thought that the stark representation of works on a page could be so compelling. Almost a year later, I still think about this story.
My least favorite award-winner: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I lost my patience with the sprawling family history.
Have a wonderful Sunday!
- Location:home
- Mood: cheerful
I am still feeling under the weather, but I wanted to take a moment to wish a Happy Mother's Day to my fellow Saloners. Despite my cruds, I had a wonderful day with my family. The boys got me flowers, a Precious Moments figurine and lots of homemade cards and letters. I also spent time with my mom and sister.My favorite gifts are always the ones the kids make me, and here's a snapshot:
Joseph's Poem
My mom is sweet
On weekends we have fun
Thank you for taking care of me
Her heart is peaceful
Every night my mom is there for me
Really loving
Anthony's Letter
Dear Mom,
You are the best. I love when you take me to Busch Gardens.
Love,
Your Best Son
I hope your day was filled with wonderful sentiments too.
On a reading note, I am halfway through Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. This book is really good, which I am glad to report after disliking The Double Bind several months ago. Hopefully, I will have my review posted mid-week.
Until next week....
- Location:home
- Mood:
sick
Who are my favorite or newly favorite authors? Or, as I think of it, what authors am I always excited to read, or am excited to read more books from in the near future?
A - Margaret Atwood and Poppy Adams (who had a strong debut with The Sister)
B - Stefan Merrill Block (brilliant debut with The Story of Forgetting) and Geraldine Brooks
C - Michael Chabon and David Czuchlewski (check out The Muse Asylum if you like psychological thrillers)
D - Tim Dorsey (recommend to all Floridians)
E - Leif Enger (I have not read his books, but I have Peace Like A River on my bookshelf that I can't wait to get to)
F -
G - Steven Galloway (read The Cellist of Sarajevo and you'll thank me for it later!), John Green (check out his YouTube videos too) and Sara Gruen
H - Khaled Hosseini and Travis Holland (The Archivist's Story was a phenomenal, edge-of-your-seat book)
I - Kazuo Ishiguro (a new-to-me writer; his Remains of the Day is on my TBR list this year)
J-
K- Barbara Kingsolver
L - Lorna Landvik (she writes fun chick lit with some substance)
M - Margaret Mitchell, Cormac McCarthy, Ian McEwan, Kate Morton (her The House at Riverton is gothic fiction at its best!) and Valerie Martin (looking forward to Property)
N - Irene Nemirovsky
O - Julie Otsuka (When The Empire Was Divine was absolutely divine)
P - Jodi Picoult
Q - Anna Quindlen
R - Anne Rice and Mary Doria Russell
S - Diane Setterfield, Shel Silverstein, Lee Smith, Nicholas Sparks and Matthew Sharpe (reading his Jamestown and snickering my way through it)
T - Anne Tyler
U-
V-
W-
Y-
Z- Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Markus Zusak (highly, highly, highly recommend The Book Thief and I Am The Messenger)
I have some letters missing - any suggestions?
- Location:home
- Mood: satisfied
....The Handmaid's Tale!I was, um, assigned The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood in college, but let's just say I got the gist of the story without actually reading it. I was an English literature major and a history minor, so cutting corners on reading my assigned books was a survival technique - and a successful one. My method was to read the last chapter first, then the first chapter, and then every three or four chapters. Between my fragmented reading and the class lectures, I was able to do well and save a ton of time.
But I digress...
The Atwoodian Group on LibraryThing is hosting a discussion of The Handmaid's Tale, which starts officially on May 18. It will be a rolling discussion, meaning you can contribute at any time (including before the official start date) and will continue until people are done discussing it. Interested in joining us? You have to be a member of LibraryThing to participate (it's free and painless and addicting!). I hope you will join us.
Another side note: This will be my third Atwood read - my first two were The Blind Assassin and Penelopiad. I have Alias Grace also sitting on my shelf, which I will read this year for the Orange Prize Project. I am looking forward to reading more Atwood in the near future.
And another side note: Thank you fellow bloggers for my many birthday greetings. You may be
wondering about the status of the requested bookshelves. Well, unfortunately, it didn't happen - but not for a lack of trying. My hubby looked for the bookshelves but couldn't find something nice. I had a wonderful birthday sans bookshelves, spending time with my family, which is really the mucho importante part!Happy Sunday!
- Location:home
- Mood: refreshed
To my dearest husband,Saturday marks the 36th anniversary of my existence on earth, and I know you often struggle with what to get me. Here's a hint. A big hint. Jilly needs some new bookshelves.
Look at this literary mess. My dad's Civil War books on the floor. Piles stacked two-deep on shelves intended for a vase and a few paperbacks. The top littered with too many pictures. What is a girl to do?
Certainly you would never suggest that your beloved wife stop acquiring books. I know this thought never entered your mind.
So, please help me out. And get a gift that keeps on giving - until I acquire more books and need more shelves. (But that's what next year is for.)
Thank you for your thoughtfulness and your love.
Your Wife
- Location:home
- Mood:
mischievous
It has been an eventful week! It started last weekend when Anne Rice posted a comment to my blog. Rice is one of my favorite authors, and I was thrilled to see that she's leaving comments on blogs that reviewed her latest book, Christ The Lord: The Road to Cana. Starstruck? You bet!Next, I finished two compelling books this week: Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult and The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. While they had different storylines, each book made me stop and think. Change of Heart contemplates what happens to a person when she accepts an organ donation - does she take on characteristics of the organ donor? The Cellist of Sarajevo is a provocative look into the city of Sarajevo during its siege in 1992 - and how brave residents "resisted" by committing benevolent, neighborly acts. I would recommend both books to my fellow readers.
Finally, this weekend kicks off my week-long Spring Break - no work or school for us! We have many plans, including visiting the beach, going to Busch Gardens and getting our pool ready for another season of swimming. Plus, I hope to squeeze in a book or two.
This week is also BAFAB (Buy A Friend A Book) Week. What a great concept! If you haven't done so already, head over to the Novels Now Web site and check out the four-book giveaway there. 3M launched Novels Now recently as a one-stop place to read reviews about recently (or soon-to-be) published books. I hope you will check out this site and sign up for her giveaway. Winners will be announced Tuesday.I hope each of you has a wonderful week!
- Location:home
- Mood: relaxed
Double Vote Getters
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (2 votes)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (2 votes)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (2 votes)
Single Vote Getters
The Collected Words of William Shakespeare
Journals of Virgina Woolf
Poems by Maya Angelou
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Light in August by William Faulkner
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
See something missing from the list? It's never too late to participate. Leave your save-from-the-fire book titles in my comments, and I will happily add them.
- Location:home
- Mood: sick
How Reading Changed My LifeBy Anna Quindlen
Completed March 21, 2008
For the Mini-Challenge 2008's task of reading an essay, I reached for Anna Quindlen's How Reading Changed My Life. This long essay/short book captured Quindlen's evolution as a reader (and a writer) and her thoughts on reading as a way of life.
I was anticipating a bibliography of what Quindlen read when I started this slim book, but I was pleasantly surprised that she offered so much more. Quindlen drove to the core of why she reads, why others read and why reading is an activity like none other. Her writing is philosophical but pedestrian. So many times when I read Quindlen's words, I nodded my head in agreement and thought "that's exactly how I feel." And I bet many of you would find her words equally resonating.
Quindlen contended that reading - and what people like to read - goes beyond a desire for a learning experience. Instead, reading is more of a social exercise: "...so can a book be personal, political and entertaining all at the same time." She furthers: " [A book] is not simply that we need information, but that we want to savor it, carry it with us, feel the heft of it under our arm, We like the thing itself." (
)Quindlen ended her treatise with lists of books (she must know that list making and book loving go hand-in-hand). I thought this list was very interesting:
The 10 Books Anna Quindlen Would Save in a Fire (if She Could Save Only 10):
1) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2) Bleak House by Charles Dickinson
3) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
4) The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
5) The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
6) Middlemarch by George Eliot
7) Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence
8) The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats
9) The Collected Plays of William Shakespeare
10) The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
What books would you save from a fire? I would have to give it some thought, but first to mind include To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Please comment me with your top "save from the fire" books. If I get enough responses, I will be happy to post a summary in a future blog entry. I will come up with a more definitive list too.NOTE TO SUNDAY SALON READERS: I am posting early this weekend because my Easter Sunday will be filled with fun, family and food. I hope all of you have a wonderful Sunday and Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate this holiday.
- Location:home
- Mood:
curious
People of the BookBy Geraldine Brooks
Completed March 16, 2008
People of the Book is a fitting title for Geraldine Brooks’s latest novel. This book explored the many people who touched an ancient Hebrew codex that traveled through Europe for 500 years. Though a work of fiction, the book is based on a true story of the Sarajevo Haggadah, a Jewish manuscript that was rescued by Muslim librarians twice – once during World War II and most recently during the nationalist wars in Yugoslavia. The irony that Muslim men rescued a Hebrew text during times of cultural strife provided Brooks with her framework. But it’s Brooks’s fictional illumination of what else happened to the haggadah during its long life that further advanced the message of People of the Book - how people can do the right thing, despite religious differences and political rules of the time.
In this book, Dr. Hanna Heath, an Australian expert in book conservation, was called to Sarajevo at the beginning of the cease-fire to inspect the haggadah and unravel its mysterious origins. As she inspected the book, Hanna extracted several clues to its past: an insect’s wing, sliver clasps, red stains on the page, a morsel of salt and a white hair. As she investigated each clue, Brooks took the reader back in time to how each item found its place in the haggadah. The “flashbacks” are all fictional, but they provided a narrative on the treatment of Jews through the years, from the Spanish Inquisition to World War II – and how one book survived it, thanks to the love and care of the people who were entrusted to protect it.
Admittedly, I found some of the historical narratives a little drawn out, but each fact had its place in the large context of the story. Hanna’s personal life also entered into the story, which in my opinion did not add to the story of the haggadah but explained why she became so interested in the conservation of books.
All in all, I enjoyed People of the Book because of what it represents: “It was here to test us, to see if there were people who could see that what united us was more than what divided us. That to be a human being matters more than to be a Jew or a Muslim, Catholic or Orthodox.” The real Sarajevo Haggadah is testament to this feeling, and thank God there are people out there who remember that humanity should transcend everything else.
If you like religious historical fiction, I highly recommend People of the Book to you. (
) - Location:home
- Mood:productive
1) Drowing Ruth by Christina Schwartz
2) My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
3) The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
4) The Sister by Poppy Adams
5) The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Of these, my favorite sisterly tale is The Thirteenth Tale because the sister relationship is so richly explored, plus its Gothic elements of a musty old house, past and present storylines and family secrets make thrilling reading.
Sisters make for great stories. We love, we fight, we compete, we support, we laugh and we cry. I am very fortunate to have a sister and a brother, and I am very close to both of them. My sister, Sandie, is nine years older than me, and while we had our typical "little kid" fights during our childhood, we have always maintained a strong sisterly relationship. In fact, we get along so well that we would probably not be good material for a Sisterly Tale.
Have you read any good books about sisters? If so, leave me a comment and let me know so I can check it out!
Sandie with her beautiful family (L-R: Michael, Tom, Charlie and Sandie)
- Location:home
- Mood: pleased
It feels like spring here in Florida.
We have the windows open, I can hear the birds chirping outside, butterflies are making their debuts, and my pool looks warm enough to swim in (though a quick dip of the toe into the icy water convinces me otherwise).
But I have the exact opposite of spring fever. I am too pooped to move.
I had to work six days this week, which is very unusual. Yesterday, my employer hosted a community health event where we think 1,500 people attended. I have a nice desk job, so when I am forced to stand for eight hours, the old body protests greatly. And that's exactly what it's doing on this beautiful Sunday.
So, I am keeping my feet up, my heating pad on and enjoying nature from my patio. I hope to catch up on blogging (posting and reading) and continuing my current read, The Sister by Poppy Adams.
I hope you have a restful Sunday. Is spring making a sneak preview where you live too?
- Location:home
- Mood:
tired
A Short Guide to a Happy Life By Anna Quindlen
Completed February 23, 2008
I am participating in a Mini-Challenge for members of the Yahoo "A Novel Challenge" reading group. We have a series of 12 reading tasks to complete, and one of them is to read an inspirational book or story.
As a fan of Anna Quindlen, I selected her A Short Guide to a Happy Life for my inspiration read, and I am so glad I did.
This book is filled with Quindlen's wise words about living life - enjoying the journey and not just the destination. Take in the small things - hugs from your kids, birds flying against the blue sky, your spouse's smile - whatever seems small and insignificant are really the important parts of life. Quindlen wrote this as a commencement address to college graduates, and while she commented that she is not an expert in economics or academe, she is an expert at reminding us how human we all are. Together with her words, this book is filled with beautiful black-and-white photography that captures life's little moments.
This book is filled with many poignant nuggets, but here are a few of my favorites:
"Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work...The second is only a part of the first."
"No man ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time at the office."
"You are the only person alive who has sole custody of your life."
"I show up. I listen. I try to laugh."
"You cannot be really first-rate at your work if your work is all you are."
"Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger paycheck, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you developed an aneurysm one afternoon, or found a lump in your breast while in the shower?"
"All of us want to do well. But if we not do good, too, then doing well will never be enough."
"The knowledge of our own mortality is the greatest gift God ever gives us."
"Life is made of moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement."
At fifty pages, this small book lifted my heart and soul. I plan on keeping A Short Guide to a Happy Life to read during times when I feel like "the rat race" is kicking my butt, or when I feel like I have more than I can handle, or when I need reminding that the work project or vacuuming the carpet can wait until tomorrow. Life is about so much more. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially fans of Anna Quindlen. I hope it lifts your heart and spirit too. (
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- Location:home
- Mood: mellow
Good. Here goes:
I am addicted to reality television.
Wow, that felt good to say.
The writers' strike has unleashed a whole mass of reality TV shows that I can not, will not resist. Survivor and American Idol are my usual wintertime reality TV shows. Big Brother is my favorite summertime show, resurrected for the winter to fill empty time slots. And Monday night boredom forced me to watch something new, and American Gladiators was happy to answer the call. It would be okay if these shows were on once a week, but no, Idol, BB and Gladiators are multiple-night shows, clogging my TV viewing like hair down a drain.
And I can not, will not stop watching them, so fierce my addiction.
This would be okay if I didn't have Mount TBR, grumbling low and strong like a volcano about to erupt. A pile of ARCs over there, books for challenges over here. The piles are getting taller and taller, and my reading time is getting smaller and smaller. Throw in Prison Break, Lost and Jericho - my usual TV dramas - and the whole thing just spins out of control.
Alas, I remind myself, even if I lived for 200 more years, I would never finish all of the books that I want to read, so fierce that addiction. So, I will program my TiVo, read during commercial breaks and neglect the housework - and it will all get done. And if it doesn't, well, that's okay too.
I bet many of you are reality TV addicts also. Step up to the confessional, fellow addicts, and feel the redemption of letting the world know. Is TV getting in your reading way too?
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- Location:home
- Mood: guilty
