Milestone achieved, 50 books for 2014.

I started this book at the beginning of December, and although it took time to digest, this was a very profound novel.  This is the story of the sea, of the Danish city of Marstal, and of 150 years of history and the lives the sea has claimed in one form or another.

It starts with days of the great sailing ships, and ends with the closing of World War II.  I don't think that I have ever read a book quite like this one before.  It seems to have been a year of finding books such as this.

I turned the last page, and I will admit to a few tears leaking out, likely just because.  This was a surprising novel - truly epic. I am searching for the right word - one that will take it's rightful place among the best of seafaring literature… Several stories are woven together throughout this book, and some are more compelling than others.  It is quite fascinating as one life merges with the next, and how our lives can be interwoven.  A story of courage, and disaster, love, and the depths of the human soul.  Definitely not a summer read, and well worth the time spent meandering through these pages and on the journey.  Makes me wish I knew more about my Swedish ancestors - some of the names seem familiar (like Gunnars, and Eriks, and Einars) and being close to the sea… it also made me appreciate in a different way the silence from our relatives about WWI and WWII and why there was a darkness in their lives they didn't speak of.   Makes me appreciate novels like this even more - to have a lens in to a part of history that is unspeakable.

Shelf Reads

I was speaking to a dear friend who also likes to read as much as I do.  We were talking about the books you buy, and then put on your shelf until you are ready to read them - she called them "shelf reads".  You don't always get to your shelf reads, because there is no pressure to read them until you have nothing else to read, and then dropped them again when something more interesting came my way..  or I put of reading them until they are a book club read, so it is finally time to read them!  A few in this pile I have picked up a few times and tried to read... and I am currently reading 11/22/63.  It is an interesting read, a huge read, but not a quick read.  Then again, I have been damn tired lately.  Last night we weren't in bed late, but I was just tired.  I read for a bit, and then put it down because I just wanted to chill out before I drifted off.  Of course it became one of those nights both kids woke up, and both ended up in our bed.  Reason #23 to have a king sized bed - 2 adults, 2 kids, 1 slightly annoying cat.  I brought my book with me in the hopes I would actually take some proper breaks today.  I will get a long walk in at lunch, but maybe in the afternoon, with the sun still shining, I will escape with my book and get some natural vitamin D for a change!

The Missing Gospel

A few months ago we read a travelogue (The sex lives of cannibals) and in a way, I kind of expected it to be like this book.  Not in terms of content, but I was expecting something that could be laugh out loud funny, with researched undertones.  I found the former to be bit of a let down, and this book was a really pleasant surprise.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  In some ways, it ended too soon for my liking, and even the epilogue wrapped up too quickly.  I am familiar with the bible, and have read a wide range of topics.  I am no expert, but I know what rings true for me.  In some ways this book is heretical, and other ways, so grounded and such an unique take on such an important religious idea/topic/person that it is not one to be taken lightly.

This is the story of Levi, also known as Biff, that is the best friend of Joshua, son of Mary and Joseph whom would be later known as Jesus Christ.  Much has been made of Christ's life after he turns 30, but not a lot has been made of his life up until that point.  Remove the religious aspect of this novel, and this is a coming of age novel of two young boys.  How Biff and Joshua bond, the bonds of their friendship, and how they grow and mature together.  At this times, this is laugh out loud funny.  At times, I really had to pause and to reflect upon what I was learning.  Who knows what parts could be accurate (and this book is not trying to be accurate), but there are some ideas buried in here that make a lot of sense.

Regardless of whether or not you are religious, Joshua as a person is very likeable in this book.  This novel brings the person behind the name and the religion to life as a person that made mistakes and wanted to learn, and reminds you of the basic and simple values that he preached (compassion, humility, love for your fellow humans, etc). I have some ideas about religion, and that there is no one true path, rather the path that is unique to yourself as you discover the god/love/divine spark within and this book nicely fits in there, somewhere.  I will keep this one on my bookshelf for a future look and it is well worth the time between its covers.  You WILL laugh, and you will hopefully get something out of this as well.

Alone, in a classroom

This is the second novel that I have read by Hay, and I have enjoyed both.  This isn't a quick read that sweeps you off of your feet until you turn the last page, rather it is a story that unfolds and pull you along by it's current.  There are poetic passages that are a joy to read - thoughts that I want to earmark in my library copy, or jot down as a future reference.  There are some truths that Hay quietly nails. 

The one criticism I have of this novel is that it can be really disjointed at times.  I had to wonder whom the story was about at certain points, and whether or not we were in Saskatchewan, and back in the Ottawa Valley.  Some parts of this novel I enjoyed more, and some parts I thought were a bit odd.  All in all, a very satisfying read that I suspect will stay with me.

I read a comment that likened Hay to Margaret Laurence or Alice Munro, in which their novels elevate ordinary lives in to extraordinary stories.  I would agree with this - this isn't a novel of sweeping events, this is a novel of interwoven lives and families.  Some details are sparse, and others are richly described. 

Aside from reading and trying to capture an opinion, I am finally on a bit of a break.  Holidays are somewhat disjointed this year, and this officially a "staycation".  I am thrilled about it - I am happy to explore our local parks and beaches, and see these things through my kids eyes.  It is strange moving back to a place you knew as a kid, sprouted wings from, flew away from, only to come back to roost.  I have grown, as has our new home town.  Today we are going to head out to a spray park out in the valley.  One close to a place I lived 25 years ago.  I hope that that mozzies are not too terrible, since I know it is near the river and in the woods.  I am enjoying the first moments of the day - the quiet before everyone is going and wants to move.  My coffee is warm, and the morning is perfectly cool.  I love the fleeting moments during the heat of summer when the weather is amazing, but the mornings start off with a bit of a chill and you know it is a matter of time before everything is almost oppressively hot.

All that to say and you talk about books?

Books, my dear friends I think I would be lost without them. The hours of escape, imagination, dreams, tangents, new thoughts, explorations...

I found a stash of my old Nancy Drews (and not sure what I am going to do with them) but I have not found my old Black Stallions... You win some, and you lose some I suppose.

Just because the last month has gone incredibly fast, I think I will hastily write a note about the books I have been reading lately to track them, since that is one of the things I was shooting for this year. Speaking of which, now that November is starting to draw to a close, I am really glad I didn't attempt NaBloPoMo. I would have failed miserably this year.

I just did a scroll past and then last book I made notes on was back October 21st!! That feels like a lifetime ago... Moving with 2 kids under 5 is really something else. I think I am just used to moving, and working, and sorting, and unpacking, and doing laundry. I finally did a real shop this weekend I am still in a state of shock at what I managed to spend between Costco and Superstore. I am not sure if I can even remember everything I have read since my last book entry.

To get caught up (I hope), I will start with October/November's bookclub read, which was amazing: Any Known Blood. I really enjoyed this book, and I really like Hill's writing style. I find it very easy to read, and I found that I really enjoyed this multi-generational story. Well worth reading, this is an author that is much more than just the book that he is known for (The Book of Negroes) and over time I look forward to reading more of his novels.


This was a perfect book to read while moving. Not all that deep, fast-paced and entertaining. I found myself interesting reading this because Crais is a new author to me, and I think I go through an adjustment period when I read a new author to see how they "fit" and whether or not I like their style. I found similarities to the Lee Child Books (Reacher series) maybe not in contact, but about an everyman hero(s) and a job that needed doing. I will certainly read more in the series because they are entertaining and a break from other kinds of reading (and the day to day grind)

Well, our library has quite a few Robinson's, so I flew through another one. Damn, I am getting to the end of the Banks series. I really enjoy these books and this one is as good as the rest, another good tale. Great series, good character development, very entertaining in a different way than Crais. A little less explosive and fast paced, more about character and how a mystery unravels. It has been a few weeks since I read this one, so that is about all I can say in this moment...


I enjoyed this one, although it wrapped up a little quickly to my liking. I can't say that this was an "oh my god this was one of Cricton's best" because IMHO it wasn't. It was entertaining, and insightful to an era of privateering. I found it interesting because it reminded me of a younger self that used to devour the bodice rippers almost nightly. Of course, where this book was about politcs and strategy, those books were about girl meets boy on the high seas, adventures arise, some drama, and then lots of steamy scenes. This was an adventuring novel of a different sort and it was good, but not totally satisfying. It was a book that was said to be found written prior to Crichton's death, so who knows how much he would have tweaked it prior to publishing submission if things had turned out differently.

There is one more that should be in this list that I will probably have to come back and edit in... The title is just not coming to me. I tried doing a search.. but it just isn't there. It is about a mom and daughter that run a boarding house, and for some reason, different heroines from books stay at their "boarding house" for a rest, to get away from the drama in their books. It is a sweet, quick read and it is kind of interesting to see a few famous ladies appear in print again (like Scarlett O'Hara and Catherine Earnshaw from Wuthering Heights).

It is interesting that through the absolute craziness of the last month, I still managed to read about a book a week. I am surprised.

Good doesn't always mean an easy read

Another classic novel that I have been curious about... Indeed this was a good novel, and a different take on Chinese culture and society than others that I have read (Snow Flower, Bonesetter's Daughter, Jade Peony to name but a few). It is simply written, and although it doesn't specify the timeframe, this is early twentieth century as revolutions begin to happen.

This is the story of a farmer, Wang Lung, and his family. Starting out poor but with land, this is the story of Wang Lung's coming of age in China, and follows the arc of his life. I found this book hard to read at times, frustrating because of how women were treated (as slaves, as fools, as worthless daughters) and I found that when O-Lan (Wang Lung's wife that he is given from the great house of Hwang) dies in the book, the quiet heart beating in the story went with her. This book is powerful in the story it tells, the quiet irony of it's pages as Wang Lung's fortune rises with the downfall of one great family, and his family ultimately moves towards a similar outcome. This story weaves several themes throughout, and one worth paying attention to is what happens when a parent/father sacrifices everything for land and prosperity, and the kids don't value it all, and think the parent is misguided and foolish when they reach their own maturity. That the parent makes their own mistakes in their own marriage, in their own discovery of free time and pleasure also makes an interesting backdrop to this book. I can appreciate how this was given the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1932.

After reading this, and the last few books I have read, I have a need to dive in to a good suspense novel... Lescroart here I come!

Back to that list of 100 books...

It was just about four years ago I tackled this meme - and bolded the books I had read from one of those lists that list the "100 best books of.. " . I have been trying to knock off a few of the titles I hadn't read to see if they were "all that". Here is the updated list.. 64 then... now 69... looking at the list, I am not sure how many more from this list I will end up reading.. some I have no interest in trying.. ah well, it was an interesting exercise to say the least!

*Look at the list of books below.
*Bold the ones you’ve read.
*Italicize the ones you want to read. NOTE to self- I made them RED
*leave blank the ones that you aren’t interested in.
*If you are reading this, tag you're it.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving) (tried, didn't finish)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible (not the whole thing)
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) - I tried, couldn't get through it
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb) - I tried here too, didn't go it for me
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy) (tried, didn't finish it years ago)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice) (tried)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) (once again, tried)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence) (may have read already)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Garden Spells

Every now and then a bit of whimsy is just what is required. We had an amazing weekend getaway... finally. No one got sick, the weather was agreeable, and the sights were awesome. I even got to read a light and fluffy book, that was just perfect for this weekend.

This is what I like about chick-lit. Okay, a little bit of magic happened (something endearing about an apple tree that drops apples at your feet that will reveal the biggest event of your life to you when you eat it, good or bad) between the pages, and in a way, it reminded me a little of a Nora Roberts book in that sense (with the romance, and the easy to connect to characters and the charm), and I truly enjoyed it. Not a heavy read, and it delivered a good, happy ending, which was what I was looking for. I would read more books by this author - this was a delightful book.

A little of everything

Reading this, I couldn't help but wonder where books like this where when I was doing all my literature courses...(damn dead WASPs... there is something to be said about World literature) for a book in translation, the prose was beautiful. This is a grand book, from beginning to end. It took me weeks to finish this - it really isn't a book that you pick up and read in one or two sittings. At times this is a coming of age novel, sometimes a mystery, at times a historical piece, sometimes it borders on a Greek tragedy, and at times, it is whimsical and fanciful in the language employed.

I quoted the opening passage a few posts back, and there is a thread about books and their stories that permeates this entire book. Have I mentioned how much I enjoyed this book? And not in the usual sense either... about 2/3rs of the way through I kind of did a bit of a groaner for the direction one of the characters ended up taking, but within the context of the book, it does create the Greek tragedy element to the tale, and makes it somewhat more poignant, even if this element was a bit distasteful (I won't give it away just in case you are so inspired to pick up this book).

How to describe in a nutshell what this is about - against the backdrop of WW II and the Spanish Revolution, this is the story about a young boy named Daniel, his widowed father, and their used bookstore. This is also the story of an obscure writer, whose life is ironically entwined with Daniel's and comes to a dramatic head by the climax of the novel. It is partly a coming of age novel, first loves, loss, war, living in an oppressed society, filial love, books, identity, stereotypes and archetypes. Did I mention this book had a bit of everything in it? I don't think I am doing the best job at relating what this book is about, but it is well worth a read. I had the urge to get out a highlighter and mark passages for future reference, and I did stick some bits of toilet paper in too.. but those bits are gone and I am not feeling up to searching through the book to find some worthy quotes to immortalize here.

Once again, I have to say I am glad that my reading habits have taken such a departure from what I was reading - I haven't been bored, and I have a bunch of books cued up that I am really looking forward to reading.

an odd read indeed

I just finished reading the Lace Reader, and I must admit, my experience resembled that of my dear friend, the KittenWhore.

It was an odd book, an interesting book, and now one that I am done with, and am still scratching my head a little bit about.

Would I recommend it, maybe. If you picked it up and were intrigued or just the right mood. I think I agree with KW that in many ways this book overstretched it's bounds and tried to do too much. When you reach the end, and an explanation of sorts, you then start to question the sequence of the whole book. There are parts that are brilliant, and then parts where you scratch your head and furrow your brow. It wasn't what I expected, and I wanted a little more of the lace reading... there were passages that I had to read a few times because the idea was novel - but overall, a strange book.

I did think it was interesting to note the author suggests that in the past there were no witches in Salem, and that now it is overrun with them. Interesting a town known for intolerance has evolved in to tolerance (of sorts). Some interesting ideas in this book, and I did enjoy reading it, but the end, and how the threads intertwined...yeah... One day I wouldn't mind seeing the east coast - Boston, Washington, Philly.. a few places in between.

I have a pile of books right now - some for both my reading selves. Some mysteries and whodunit adventures for the escapist side, and then some more literary books to satisfy my other, more "intellectual" side (laugh at self inserted here). After the Lace Reader I wasn't up for an escapist read, so I have started reading Where the Heart is by Billie Letts... which I think is going to be a surprising read

Open.

After a few days of reading and learning more about tennis than I have in my entire life, I have finished Agassi's autobiography, Open.

I found the beginning more refreshing - in a sense, learning about the early self of Agassi, and I found the whole book an interesting read. Although an autobiography, what you do learn a lot about it is AKA's relationship to and with tennis. I found myself cheering for him at times, and cringing at others. I really appreciated his voice, and laying parts of his life bare - his failed relationships and his brief flirtation with drugs. It feels like an honest read, and one in which you can see his character mature and grow up within the sport of tennis. This is a good book to read even if you aren't a tennis fan. It's funny, being about the same age I was aware of AKA, and some of the tennis rivalry's, and that he had been with BS... but it is different reading about it from his perspective, and his voice. In another decade, it would be be similarly interesting to read an autobiography of Crosby, as he has matured and grown up in the limelight of hockey.

Towards the end, a passage really struck a chord with me - AKA is speaking of who he has become, as he leaves tennis and embarks on his life with his family - "What people see now, for better or worse, is my first formation, my first incarnation. I didn't alter my image, I discovered it. I didn't change my mind. I opened it." Agassi, p372.

He doesn't envision himself as someone who has transformed, but formed. I like this idea - I joke about the many selves I seem to have been over the years, but you know, I like this idea of me "forming" over the years rather than transforming from one self in to another self. I like the idea that what has been happening is me opening my mind, and seeing the world with eyes that are gradually being opened and learning new things. What I have been through are experiments of self, figuring out myself, and it's funny to have read such insight in this book.

Books are always full of surprises, like people, when you least expect it you find a rich plum that you will bring in to the future with yourself.

April showers and poetry

A funny thing about being on mat leave is that I have found myself becoming more in tune with the cycles of nature - I am not sure if this is so much about being off and being able to "watch" the changes, or a part of aging and just being more aware.

April has definitely been about showers bringing flowers... my tulips this year were beautiful, and we had lots of blooms in our gardens. I am not sure what I am going to plant in my plot this year - I am leaning towards corn and peas and some flowers, and I am hoping my strawberries do a little better than they did last year. They were bigger than their northern wild cousins, but not by much.

I have to admit my reading habits over the past year have been quite satisfactory. I am glad that I am ranging through new and different books, and that I am taking some "risks" at what I am willing to pick up and read. I just finished Gilbert's Committed and I must admit, I truly enjoyed the book. I was curious about it, but I was equally skeptical as well, especially since I didn't think Eat, Pray, Love was as much as all that. I found that I could relate to some of her thought processes, and how she made peace with her (second) marriage. I liked some of the research that she drew upon, and I also enjoyed the tribute she makes to Aunties everywhere. It wasn't the book I expected, and I am glad for it.

I also blitzed through Angelou's Letter to my Daughter. Parts of this book were sheer inspiration, and other parts left me a bit wanting. About Angelou, I too have been curious because we have all seen the emails that liberally quote some of her writings and reflect her philosophy. I didn't mind the earlier chapters that were more like vignettes with a bit of a life lesson, but the later chapters which were more poetry, I found I wanted more. I like novels, I am not as good at short stories. All in all, worth a bit of your time to reflect upon some of the experiences that reveal some of life's lessons to see how they resonate with you.

I find it a personal weirdness that I feel moved to write poetry and I have a hard time reading other people's poetry. Yet, that being said, there are some poems that have never left me.. Like John Donne's No Man is an Islande, or Leonard Cohen's You have the Lovers, and then I think of a few Frost's, and Coleridge, and even Rupert Brooke's WWI poetry... some Yeats, some Shakespeare... okay, maybe I am starting to show off my English Lit major stripes here. Perhaps I am on somewhat friendly terms with some poetry after all... but honestly, with much poetry I find that I go in to a skimming mode. Although there are some short stories that I have truly enjoyed, I will normally steer myself towards novels.

Now I have embarked on yet another biography. I think I have read more non-fiction in the last year than I have in the last ten. This is one I would never have expected to pick up, nor would I have expected it to hook me within the first paragraph. I am reading Open, Agassi's autobiography. I was completely skeptical when I first picked it up (a friend loaned it to me, telling me that it was a surprisingly good read that I must try) but it is a helluva story. I am only about 50 pages in, but it has been eye opening and it comes off as very honest. Agassi's voice has been surprising so far, how he relates his younger years, his fearful father, and his hatred of tennis (although I would say it balances a bit on a love/hate slider). Will be interesting to see where this one ends up.

Finishing off LO

It has been a while since I chronicled what I have been reading.

I do tend to swing between a few poles of what I gravitate towards reading-wise. I have found a new suspense/crime writer, another Brit, Peter Robinson. I blitzed through the first book of his Inspector Banks series, Gallows View, and theN followed it up with A Necessary End. I really enjoyed both reads. Robinson is of the same ilk as Rankin, but perhaps not quite as dark? Both writers are very skilled at their craft and a great way to spend a few hours. I also read the prequel to the Nina Reilly series by Perri O'Shaughnessy, Show No Fear, and it too was a good book. I found the end of it a bit haphazard, but I enjoyed the background information and connections that were revealed between the main characters. I am just about done a Tami Hoag book, Dead Sky (aka Prior Bad Acts) that has redeemed the author a bit in my eyes after the last book I read by her (Alibi Man). DS brings back a few characters that I enjoy, the and the writing is a little tighter. AM was a good book, but it felt a little more "fluffy" than this one does. I am about 2/3s of the way through, and I am enjoying it.

On the other end of the spectrum, I finished off Living Oprah and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I should also mention that I had a (brief) conversation with Okrant through FB and she comes off as a lovely person. It is amazing that with this new technological age you can read a book by a person, be touched by them, and even let them know it in a quick way. It's funny some of the things you can take away from a book. We are getting a new to us couch in a few days, and with the cats, I am not going to allow them to destroy this couch the way they dug in to the (once) nice one Ken brought with him. I could make excuses and say the cats were young, but I didn't train them that well from the beginning to not attack furniture and have been paying for that since. The joys of being young and newly independent when you get your first animals that you are truly responsible for! So, now in my new and improved more responsible self, I am going to go by some advice in the book and put some double-sided tape on the couch the to turn the cats off their scratching. Some glue between the toes should be a good deterrent!

What else can I say about this novel? I appreciate how RO stuck by her guns and returned the Kindle that she received. It's about honour, looking yourself in the mirror. I would have anxietized (a real word in my personal dictionary) about receiving it, and ultimately have done the same thing. I appreciate the honesty and earnestness of this novel - of putting it out there unabashedly and leaving yourself open to life. There is something about honesty that is attractive.

I found myself agreeing about how RO reflects about interacting with other people "I've cultivated a deeper understanding of how I may be more respectful of other people, not only by listening but by being fully present when they reach out and share with me." (p 252 hardcover). I agree wholeheartedly. I feel like I learned this lesson the hard way a few years ago when it seemed I transitioned from having a lot of superficial friends to a smaller and closer knit circle of good girlfriends that I don't always get to see in person, but the feeling is always there.

I also appreciated the ruminations of what a "real woman" is, and what she does with her day. The real woman is a bit of a myth as much as it is a misnomer. It is nice to see it in print and be able to acknowledge this. I also like the rejection of the word normal or average. What do they mean, really? I don't think my life has ever been normal or average and I suspect I am not alone in this. Everyone has an unique story and that is what makes life interesting. I like how the book ends with a few thoughts on what her year of LO was like - the highs and the lows, and what she gleaned from the experience. RO states that in seeking the for her, seeking her own"'highest vision possible'" [it] will never be found viewing a television show, flipping through a magazine, or in seeking the approval of others." (p257).

As I said in my earlier post about this book, I didn't expect to enjoy this book nearly as much as I did. I found that it struck a chord with me, and reaching the end, I felt an affinity for RO. I feel that we can take many (unexpected) lessons from books, television, magazines, classes, (hell maybe even church if you are slanted that way), and other people, but at the end of the day, we are all the captain of our own boat's and need to chart our own course. Many people choose not to, or be influenced in their decisions by others, but truly, it is so important to listen to what resonates as right and true inside - being true to yourself and what you hold dear. Honesty, authenticity, integrity. Values that people respond to in others, but only once the individual has done their own work and found them inside themselves.

Okay, enough waxing philosophical. Time to play with my son!

Found loot!

Yet another post where I reveal my geekdom.

I have heard of the concept of "releasing books in to the wild" and the idea of paying books forward in public places. Once I found a book in the ferry terminal, but it looked more abandoned than anything else, and last year, I left a book in a public place at work, hoping that I would never have to see it again (in other words, not very fond of that book was I). I had heard of book crossings, the website where people publish where they have released books, but just thought it was a cool concept.

Until now. I was up at our local park, and as we wandered through the water park, I noticed something on a bench. It didn't quite look like clothes, but it did look intriguing. So off me and the boys went, and lo and behold! I found not one, but two books!

The are book crossing books! (check out www.bookcrossing.com) and they have ID numbers in them, and I can see where they were originally "released" and how they got to me. Unfortunately my books were released about 2 years ago, and it doesn't appear who has had them since has been all that diligent about updating the website. The books had also been left out in the rain, so they have now expanded to twice their size. That being said, they are now dry, and ready to be read!

I found Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks and The Inheritance of Loss, by Kiran Desai. Both look good. YOW is drier then IOL so I will read this one next. Needless to say I was thrilled to find the books, I will log them in before I will release them, and yes, I will find a public place to leave them and hopefully they will carry on in their journey. I will not leave them in the rain.

My hubby laughed at how thrilled I was to find the books. But he knows about my addiction. I have lots of books, and only in recent years have I gotten better about not accumulating too many more books. At a certain books, it just gets ridiculous in a limited space to have too many books.. because really, can you have too many books?? No, but there are some you never will read again, especially those pocket books, and it is okay to pay them forward or trade in for more... to once again, fuel the healthy addiction of reading.

That tree in Brooklyn.

When I finished a Tree Grows in Brooklyn I wanted to start typing out different quotes that I felt were relevant, or moved me. To reiterate myself, I can't believe that in so many years of university English literature classes, I never stumbled across this book. It is a really good read. It is so much a women's novel, and about growing up (coming of age), and about striving for more. This book is about family, and about surviving poverty, and even childhood.

It's funny, I am sitting here struggling with what words to say about this book and not really coming up with a lot more than "I enjoyed this book, and I think it is an important one to read". I think after coming up with a few posts for this week that have been floating around in my head that I have exhausted my store of thoughtful words.

It seems that in the last six months, I have been picking up some really profound books that have left quite an impression on me. I have also been reading just a lot of really good escapist novels too. I have this said before, but I couldn't imagine not being an avid reader and I hope I am raising two little readers. I love our night time reads, and we have been pretty good about picking out some great kid's literature that is a lot of fun to read to the boys.

Libraries

I am currently reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and it is really good. It is melancholic, and I can't say that it is a really happy book (or truly unhappy one either), but I am surprised it didn't make the short list of books to read in any of the English lit classes I took in university. It is profound in the story it is telling, and I look forward to seeing how the story unfolds over the pages.

There is a passage that describes the 12 year old protagonists feelings towards her local library, and it got me thinking. I spent a lot of time in libraries when I was young. In my small town, the little library was an old shack, seemingly parked on the side of the main street. It smelled like old books inside, and the librarians were some of my favorite people around. I remember the summer where you could fill out a yellow, flashy sheet with the goal of reading 50 books over the summer (yes, I easily achieved that at the time). I remember the joys of new books, and being able to take them out, and the routine of bringing them back to pick out more. I loved Bill Peet books, and a few John Bellairs books, and the Judy Blumes... to say the least. I have lots of memories of books, around books, because of books. I couldn't imagine not being able to read.

I just finished another few of Lescroart's books, which are such better law procedurals than Grisham, IMHO, and then a more profound book called The Tenth Gift by Johnson. It was a lovely read. I have borrowed a few books in the last few months from my friend Cher, and I must admit, she has picked out a few winners! This book followed dual story lines in the present and in the seventeenth century during the era of the Barbary corsairs. The common thread was embroidery and the Cornish coast. Well worth a gander.

It is interesting to note that as you talk to your friends that read about what they are reading, and what they want to read, there is a lot of overlap. Even if you aren't a big shopper like myself, spending a lot of time looking at what is new and coming out... I think it is cool that there is an unspoken grapevine in which the books worth reading get talked about.

Well, I am starting to feel like I have been neglecting the kids to write out a few thoughts this morning. Mornings do start out slow around here, this is one thing I will really miss when I go back to work. This first few hours of the day as we all ease in to it... I am sure it will be chaos once I am back to work... although that will make weekends all the sweeter.

Memory

It's been a long time since I blitzed through a novel as fast as I have read Still Alice. It is, (insert pause, as I search for the right string of words here, ironically enough) a powerful read. It is also not an easy read, but it is also an accessible read, if that makes any sense.

Now that I just finished the book, and it is 1am - what do I think? Reflectively, Alzheimers is a scary, progressive, degenerative disease. Alice ruminates that being branded with the big "A" is worse than being diagnosed with cancer, because with cancer you have a chance of winning the battle. There is something obscene about Alzheimers, how it robs you of yourself, your memories, your being. Still Alice is powerful because it is written from the perspective of someone who is diagnosed young, whom is still at the top of their game, so to speak. I think Alice's children have a nice character arc to them, but I am a bit lukewarm about her husband John. I think that is how it is meant to be, the ebb and flow of relationships as a loved one slips away and life still continues on.

This almost reminds me of reading a book by Mitch Albom. Not a book that you will place high on the big L literary shelf, but one that has meaning, and evokes an emotional response from the reader. Contemplating a degenerative disease is down right sobering. Scary. A potential that is hard to take beyond the initial stages of acknowledging it's existence and how it can unfold over time. Diagnoses like Alzeimers rob one of their innocence, and all the lives that this person touches.

I feel melancholic and reflective having read this book, I think we will have an interesting discussion at book club about it. I feel a little sad, and I think of the women I know whom have had and have Alzheimers. I feel for them, for their families. I think of my Uncle Roy (my grandfather's brother) and my Auntie Kittie, whom passed away a few years back from complications arising from Alzeimers. My Uncle Roy used to visit her all the time in the hospital, and he told me that even though she wasn't his wife anymore, she was his girlfriend now, and he found comfort in that. What do you say? Are there words? It is just so important to reach out.

This book affirms my position on trying to live without regrets, living life to the fullest, and speaking truths, a little carpe diem thrown in for good measure. You can never afford kids, you can never afford to travel, you can never afford to take time off and do the things that are important. Then again, you can't afford not to do these things. To weigh matters, and then go back to the first comment, and live without regrets by making your peace with your decisions.

This is a good book, a touching book, one that is hard to ignore. It is a fast read, a poignant one, and an important one.

You win some... you take some back to the library

Over the years, there have been a few literary greats I just couldn't get in to. I tried, really I did, and with some of them, a few times. A few examples are: the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Henry Miller's work , War and Peace, She's Come Undone, a PD James novel (really recently) and seemingly the majority of Margaret Atwood's books.

I gave it the old college try with Never Let Me Go. I couldn't get in to it. I read some reviews (love that big book seller website with lots of feedback) and it does sound like it deals with a profound, relevant topic (human cloning, the book was written shortly after Dolly was cloned in the UK) but it wasn't happening for me. I have read hundreds, nay thousands of books and it always surprises me when I come across one that I stumble through in the beginning and just cannot get myself up to reading. Where I look at the book, and find housecleaning to do instead of diving in between the pages.

I liken it to how you tend to at least like or be indifferent to most people you meet. About 2% of the folks out there, you will just not like on sight, and the feeling is usually mutual. (Weird tidbit I learned in a conference a few years ago). Well, it wasn't that this book was poorly written (it isn't) but I just couldn't work the will up to continue it. I asked myself - do I need to work this hard to enjoy reading? And the answer was an easy no, especially since I had Ian Rankin's latest novel lined up.

This is another perk about being friendly with the library again. It makes taking risks with books painless. Oh well, I didn't like this novel so I took it back early.

I am just about done The Complaints, and although I miss reading about the somewhat crotchety Rebus, I have enjoyed this newest offering. Amazing that you can blitz through 300 pages in a few days that you enjoy, and cover about 20 pages in that time of a book you can't be fussed by. Next up, Still Alice.

On the same vein, Brandon and I have been picking out kid's books at a rapid pace. We are not winning the battle. It is amazing how many terrible, boring, uninteresting kids books there are out there! Once again, nice to be able to take out a bunch of books, and when you are done, take them back!

Words, Books, Thoughts

It's been a busy weekend, in a way.

Had a fabulous Thursday night out with one of my dearest girlfriends. We went and saw Greg Mortenson speak. It was an amazing night on a few levels, and terrible traffic on the way in to the presentation and monsoon rains didn't deter from our experience, more enriched it as only it could here on the west coast. What a humble man with an amazing vision. It is hard not be moved by what he has to say, and to agree that everything begins with building relationships (in terms of bringing change, you could say to the areas he is directing his energies towards but I think that limits his vision to a degree, or in the specific case of building schools in remote regions in Central Asia). It is also hard not to agree with how important education is, for both sexes. I am humbled at times by how grateful I am for my own education, how it has been a struggle at times, how I am still paying for it, and also the opportunities I have had, and perhaps will have in the future. How important it is to hold on to them, and to try to pay lessons and opportunities forward (that is the true power).

Part of our ticket price included a copy of his new book, and we faithfully stood in line and were the very last souls to get our books signed by him. My gal was amazed that he was a climber because his build didn't fit that of a typical climber, and that he had a different kind of physical presences. I had to laugh, because he came off in person as I would have expected him to - not necessarily comfortable in his skin, but it doesn't really matter in what is important to him. He didn't seem that comfortable in his suit, but he did seem comfortable talking to people, children especially. He spoke much of educating women, and the role that education women plays in improving overall quality of life. I think his unwavering approach and his being true to himself is his key to success and we can all take a few lessons from this graceful man. I was choked up a few times, hearing about his experiences, and the tales of wonder and woe from some of the world's most remote places.

So what do you say when you get to meet someone you greatly respect and admire and know through their writing?? Hi. Thanks. I stumbled for words, and I wonder how awkward I may have come off. I still stick by standard saying - when you are yourself, and authentic, even if you are stumbling, your sincerity does come across. I shock his hand, thanked him for being himself, and for doing what he does. Then we left for home (and a chai), a little inspired, maybe a little verklempt, and just glad.

Then out with a great big group of friends for dinner on Saturday night. I think there was at least 12 kids with us at this kid friendly restaurant. My eldest kid was doing laps of our section. Running. They were all yelling, and having a great time. I spent how many years waiting for him to run, and then he starts to run and get all flushed in the face in a restaurant (yes, he has already been running, but it is funny, he does lap after lap after lap of our big tables chasing the other 3 year old with an endless supply of energy and no time to stop and take drinks until his pizza arrived at which time it was okay to sit still for a minute or two). Timing, right? It was noisy. Nothing like having a dining experience with 32 of your closest friends.. It was fun, and I got to talk to mostly everyone. I must say, I enjoy smaller gatherings better. I want to look you in the eye and have a conversation that isn't rushed. I want a little bit of more controlled chaos, I want to bask in news, rather than feel I get to hear it, sort of talk about it, and then chase a kid down while worrying about whether or not the other one is getting over-tired and cranky. Could be the age our kids are, but I think I have shifted within myself from wanting the big noisy gatherings to enjoying a little less chaos. Who knew? There is a time and a place for everything...

And of course I have finished another book. This time it is Dunant's Sacred Hearts.I think I will recommend this one for my book club because it was excellent. It takes place during the Italian Renaissance in a fictional convent. It is about so many different elements - love, religion, politics, medicine, art, relationships, women... It was a novel read - I had never really thought about the freedom a woman could actually enjoy in a convent, but this book gave me pause and illuminated a few thoughts I have not considered before. It is beautifully written, and I was almost sad to reach the last page.

I think we have hit teething full on. Connor's lower gum is swollen, he has a red cheek, his nose his running, lots of drool, and frankly, he was a little miserable, starting from about 10 o'clock last night. Hopefully we will fare better tonight and will sleep better. So, here we are, just over six months old... Connor has not cut any teeth yet (could change) and he has an amazing amount of hair... we love to call it the party in the back. Connor can roll when he wants to, but he doesn't do it very often yet. He can sit on his own for a while, and from an incline, and pull himself up to a sit position. He is babbling, and when he is really upset, it almost sounds like he is calling for mama... he smiles a lot, and doesn't wake up crying. He watches Brandon a lot, and he loves to be up and likes the excersaucer we have for him. His eyes are still blue, and who knows what hair colour he will end up with. He loves to hold my fingers, and he is a different kind of cuddler, he wants to be up, and as close to you as he can be, but looking out. He loves to grab things, and shake things, and he has a pretty good range of motion. He has done awesome with food - no allergies have cropped up, and it seems a little hit and miss with some dinner combinations I have tried out. Apparently in our house, stew is on it's way out. Not big around here. My stew is the only food Connor gags on. Yeah. I am making all of his food from scratch, like I did for Brandon (except cereals, obviously). Connor loves to eat - he will grab food if you aren't watching carefully, it is funny! Makes Brandon seem not that adventurous when it comes to food. What else??? He is big, about 21 pounds, about 28 and a bit inches tall, and pretty healthy.

While I think about it, I should stretch this marathon post even further - at 3 and 1/2 Brandon is doing awesome. He is really TALL. And big, and strong. It is very assuring because I would be surprised to have smaller kids. Neither Ken nor I are built that way. Brandon has an amazing vocabulary, and we are working with him on the building blocks of reading, and yes, I love phonics. He still loves story time, and he is just getting in to dinosaurs. He still loves the movie Cars, but he will watch other movies, if he has too. He is still very much a poppa's boy and walks at the lake to feed the ducks is still a big hit. He is in swimming lessons, and I am going to see about going to the gym or picking up another sport in the next while. His walking, running, and jumping are coming along at a good pace, and he is pretty good about playing with other kids. Being off with me we are in our little world and play dates are huge to help keep up the social skills (not that he will ever be shy, but just in terms of interacting with other kids and playing nice.. ) He is learning preferences, and he is coming up with some great sayings... like I startled him the other day and he said to me "mom, now was that necessary?" I laughed. He is a cool kid when he isn't trying my patience. He is three, he has a lot of energy, and he is starting to push boundaries and not always act out, but just trying himself out, and expanding his own world. It is cool to see as he emerges from the toddler stage to the preschool stage and his world and his thoughts are just expanding.

Phew. I think that is enough for tonight. Once again, a book calls as the house is silent, although this one is not profound, it is escapist literature, a Nora Roberts book which are always good in a pinch for some light reading but a decent story.

Another one of those inspiring reads..

I believe grace, and sometimes understanding, comes when we least expect it. A few days ago, I finished this month's book club read...not unlike a few other times, I was a bit skeptical on whether or not I would get anything out of this book. Of course, as fate would have it, I found it to be a very powerful story. We read The Prisoner of Tehran and I am sure that this will be an interesting night when us girls get to sit around and talk about it. What a courageous novel, and what an unbelievable life to have lived through to be able to talk about! Marina is inspiring, in how she is true to herself, and how she manages to get through the darkest hours of her life.

A few passages really stood out for me. I have taken the liberty to quote a few of them here (taken towards the end of the novel, after she has been released from Evin prison and she is attempting to reintegrate in to her previous life):

"I was going to find my life and reclaim it ... I was happy to see (all my birthday guests), but there was a tangible distance between us, between the girl who had gone and those who lived a normal life. There were uncomfortable pauses in every conversation...It wasn't their fault. Everybody was polite and kind, but that was where it ended. No one wanted to know....Home wasn't the same because I wasn't the same. The comfortable, safe innocence of my childhood was lost for good."

Marina recalls speaking to an older female relative about this, and how no one really was asking her what had happened to her, and how she was truly doing - "The answer is simple. We're afraid to ask because we're afraid of knowing. I think this is some kind of natural defense. Maybe if we don't talk about it, and maybe if we pretend it never happened, it will be forgotten."

Marina reflects that "I expected my homecoming to make things simple again, but it hadn't."

It struck me that in this completely different tale, that I found a thread of what I (and my DH, Ken) experienced when Brandon went through his surgery a few years ago. It was so jarring - the few hours leading up to the event, and then the return to a different but familiar life. No one really wanted to talk to me about it, how it impacted me, how that night after his surgery was for me: that Brandon was doing really well was all that anyone really wanted to know. I remember not having to bring anything for Christmas dinner, and that everything continued on as if nothing had changed, but I had changed, I was different (I can't speak for Ken on that one, I only know me inside, and how the world shifted for me). I wasn't the same person as I was before everything happened. Now, years later, and many experiences later... I have grown in to this new woman. Not totally different, not really the same. I see myself as having gone through fire and have come through stronger, and at times more vulnerable than before. This afternoon, before writing this, I was working on Connor's baby book, and I look at the four of us, and I am blessed. Our story that is unfolding and changing all the time. It has taken me a long time to reach the place where I am talking about things, and I am moving forward. I thank my core family unit, in each of their own ways for that. The Don is a charming, smart, funny little boy. C-man is a cool baby whom has been a real joy, and Ken is my rock, my island in the storm. In the midst of it all is chaos, but in the chaos, is the calm. Somewhere in the middle is us.

In a nutshell, read the book. I found compassion, empathy, and inspiration and I am really glad that it was suggested as a read. One of the really positive aspects of my book club are the books we choose. I don't know how many I would have grabbed if they weren't book of the months for us, but I am grateful for the journeys the stories have brought me on.

It seems I haven't posted a lot this January, but each time I have it has been a novella.