Catching up with fire…

Why did I wait so long to read you?  I read the first book years ago. I borrowed the series from my niece months ago.  It took me forever looking at you on the shelf before I picked you up. I can be so strange at times.

These are well crafted books.  I enjoyed this one much more than the Giver, if you are going to go in to tween/teen science fiction.. or Pullman's "Dark Materials" trilogy instead. I enjoyed watching the story arch, and characters evolve after the Hunger Games.

Another second book by a writer that just didn't quite hit the same mark…

I will admit to a bit of "revisionist history" as I catch up from the last 5 weeks.  Apparently life got really busy and I stopped blogging and staying current with my emails.  Alas and alack.  Life is like that sometimes.  I am trying to recall parts of this book to my version of a proper recall, and well… I can say that parts of this book were interesting, and parts were quite far fetched and not all that realistic.

What does stick out, and it is a shame, is that within this book, the author had one of her main characters reading her first book.  She doesn't come out and spell out the title, but she describes the cover.  LAME.  I must admit, that was a real turn off for me.  Not really an arrogant thing to do… just… did not sit right for me.

This didn't have the same magic that the Memory Keeper's Daughter did for me.  It is hard when you are outrageously successful in your first novel… where do you go from there?

A bit of the south…

I chose to read this book because one of the author's that I like to read listed it as one of their favourites, and the last one I read by her was a decent read.  This one was pretty good.  A bit melancholic and sad, but a decent story.  A little whimsical and a little mystical.  I am writing this weeks after I finished reading it, so I can't really capture anything that really sticks out for me…

I remember the lushness of the river, and the roses that bloomed when they weren't really expected to.  I remember some of the characters, and the feelings, but overall… it was an okay read.  

Does it live up to the hype?

This Spring in our book club we consciously chose books that were currently being made in to movies.  It has actually been a pretty good ride so far, and it will be interesting to see how some of them translate to the silver screen.

This book has had many, many reviews.  Right up there with the Divergent series, 50 shades of something, Twilights, likely Harry Potter series… funny that these are either dubbed 'young adult' or 'well talked about and poorly written erotica'.  I wasn't quite what sure what to expect. Overall, it is a good novel.  There are some times that the story goes off a bit.  The characters don't always act like normal teenagers, but then again, they do not have normal teenage lives.

I liked it.  I didn't all out cry over the ending (Art of Racing in the Rain got me more), but I did leak out a few tears.  You could see how it would end by halfway through, and it did make it a little more poignant to fully grasp this different take on a Romeo and Juliet twist of star crossed lovers that just don't have nearly enough time.

There are some beautifully poetic quotes that you can pull from this story, and I was surprised when I went looking for some pics to attach, how many of them are out there.  I would guess with the movie coming out, and the age that this really appeals to (especially when you hear it is being read in high schools), that really isn't all that surprising.  Star crossed love stories kind of elicit that kind of response from readers.

This was a quick read - three nights and it will be returned to the library by Saturday.  I do feel a bit melancholic now that I am done.  I can't help but think of one of my really dear friends that died nearly a decade ago from AIDS.  They were one of those good ones that died young.  That lived a bit of a charmed life before everything fell apart.  I miss his friendship, his smile, and his quirky songs.  In the last chapters of this book, you can't help but think of those you have lost (we all have), and what it is to be a survivor (I am writing this and you are reading this) of this thing we call life.  There is joy within the sadness, and hope.  There is also a leap of faith to love, and reach for the stars even if it is for but a fleeting moment.  That we should all reach out and take some happiness, no matter how short lived.  I talk about choices all the time - the choices we all make when we face each new day.  The characters in this book reflect this in their own choices in the face of disaster.  There is a place for gallows humour, a little bit of crass talk, and for respect instead of tolerance.

Knee jerk I would give this book many stars.  It does move you, I am sure we are going to have a good discussion when we discuss this at a future book club (I have to stop reading months in advance… I blame my new library membership for the timing of this read, I was on the wait list and my turn came up!).  Is it perfectly crafted, nope.  Does it need to be? Nope.  It is a good read, albeit a wee bit sad.

Beauty and a Dwarf

Dunant's books make me glad that I studied a bit of Florence and the Medici family a lifetime ago in my undergraduate degree.  You never know where being well read comes in handy!

I have never read a book told from the perspective of an ugly dwarf before, and this was quite a novelty.  A very entertaining way to spend a few hours reading. 

I enjoyed reading this book for the different portrayal of Italy (Rome, Venice, and a few other cities) and it's citizens.  This book is about a courtesan and her companion dwarf (a beauty and the beast of sorts, and about how appearances can be deceiving in terms of their intelligence and relationships) and follows them from the fall of Rome in 1527 to Venice in the next decade or so.  I like that Dunant celebrates different female roles, without making her women out to be simpering fools.  I really enjoyed Bucino's point of view because it was so different.  I did find myself almost skipping ahead at times to see how the story would unfold, and there are some interesting characters that weave their way through this book and found the turn to focus on 'La Draga' in the last third of the novel to be somewhat rushed and not perfectly connected to the rest of the plot.  A moment in time is captured in the textures of this novel, and it is worth a gander.  I found it totally different from what I have been reading lately.  Not perfect, but crafted well enough with an interesting story to tell.

A frenzy of dishclothes and making baby blankets :)

 For this baby blanket, for a baby girl, I went for somewhat earthy tones.  I am not quite sure if pink, purple, and greens qualify, but this works for me.  This was a really quick knit up, and it feels nice.  It is a heavier weight, and likely a blanket that baby can use for a long time.

I do enjoy knitting baby blankets, and I also enjoy not purchasing baby wool for them.  There is nothing wrong with the pastels, however, I think when Ken traipsed in to my life, he brought colour along with him.   I really have no desire to knit a baby blanket that is as white as snow, or is that pale yellow colour.  I also don't really want to do one in mint green, and full on pink or blue in my mind, is pretty boring.  My goal is to knit three baby blankets this spring.  I am currently working on number 2.  One for a lovely coworker, one for Brandon's physiotherapist, and one for one of the ladies at daycare who has cared for both of our kids.  All I would consider friends.  It is amazing when you consider the people that come in to your life as a result of your kids.

I normally take a basic pattern, eyeball it, adjust it to the wool I picked out, and run with it.  I know there are mistakes in here, and I know there are some of my hairs interwoven in to it.  Likely there are also some of Ripley's as well.  End of the day, it makes a blanket like this pretty unique.  I still have the blankets that were made for my boys.  It is pretty magic when you consider the time that folks took to make something for your child.  In my mind, that is a pretty big deal and I have been happy to make them for our loved ones as well.

And now for something a little sweeter around the edges.

I finally cracked and signed up for a library card at my local.  It was time. I have tried to be much more disciplined about buying books, especially since I tend to go through about one a week.  It is a nasty little habit, right up there with enjoying good coffee.  Perhaps nasty is too strong of a word, but you catch my drift when your pile of books to take and trade in gets to be a few feet high. 

Which is why I am glad that I have a library card, and am learning their system so I can actually order books online from their lending system, and I am totally okay waiting for them to come in, as long as I have a few books at home on the go.  I will openly admit that I feel better when I have a pile of "to read" books.

I am also using 'goodreads' to track some of the books I have read, and to troll for books that may be interesting to read in the near future.  Since I have altered my reading habits, I am way more open to trying out new authors and types of books.  Which seems to be either rewarding, or a bust.

So, after the very dark previous book, it was really nice to turn to one of my favourite authors for a break. Each of SAA's books are easy to read, I like the magical realism, and the characters are easy to warm up to.  I like the blend of food, relationships, and earth magic.  They make for whimsical stories that are a joy to read.  I can't say the whole story sticks out and is life changing in the philosophical revelations that I explore as a result, but it captures more the feeling of her books being a quick, lovely read and a lovely escape to dive in to.

If you want a small taste of SAA's writing style, you can check out a short story that she has crafted as a teaser for her newest book.  Click here for a copy of the PDF version of "Waking Kate."  Alas, I only have one more book of hers to read before I have read them all.  Then I will be waiting anxiously for her to write more.

Appropriate title...

Hands down, Flynn is a good novelist. 

That being said, I can't say that I am a really big fan of her writing.  I have now read this one, as well as Gone Girl.  Both are well crafted thriller suspense novels.  I have grappled with my reactions to Flynn's writing and characters, and I think where I end up is that although these are truly good books for the genre, I find them really bleak, dark forays in to human psychology.  This is not a terrible thing, but I find that the absence of the redeeming, or of hope in a sense, makes these books not quite my cup of tea. 

I am not quite sure how to articulate this feeling, but these are not happy books to read.  The characters are definitely interesting, and everything comes together with some pretty amazing twists in the end... as I mentioned it is well written, but at the end of the day, it is a bit of an unsettling read.  I don't always need a knight in shining armor, or a happy ending, I just find these books to just not be completely satisfying as a result of the bleak darkness that the characters and tale tends to exude.  In a Tarantino kind of way, you could see this book as the adult characters ultimately catch their dues. 

specific measurable achievable relevant time-bound

Now this is the way that you describe time management and goal setting.

I intend to add more to this post.  Time will tell.

A practical soul

If I had a lot of fun in my twenties, and my thirties were a blur between hockey, before kids, marriage, kids, house in short order, I think I am buried in the very practical years of my life in my early forties.  I planned a baby shower this week for a coworker, and as I wandered around a box store picking up items for our group gift, I could not get away from practical soul. 

I went for things like a curved laundry basket, crack cream (ok zinc oxide cream for diaper rash), lanolin, books, a sleep sack.. I realized that I am thinking to cover the basic needs.  The practical.  I didn't even blink an eye at the flash in the pan type items you can get for a baby girl.  I wasn't even tempted.  I am definitely a planner at this point, and I keep lists, and I recycle, and I have a budget, even if I can't always stick to it.

Ken gets to be the fun parent.  He makes the kids laugh, and he scares them all the time, he plays video games with them.  I feel like I am the one that gets to do the stuff in the background, and when that is done, if I have energy, then it is time to have some fun.  I still laugh, and my sense of humor is definitely twisted and healthy... but I am not always the merry making person.  I am worrying about the laundry, or the bills, avoiding the dishes, or wondering if it is time to roll over the kids clothes to the next size.  I have a hard time sitting still, and I am half on the hunt for my next project... which has been filled with the making of baby blankets and dishclothes so far this year. I don't think that I am not a fun parent, but I think I have to get all the practical stuff out of the way first - the cleaning and cooking, and then the chasing for brushing teeth and practise reading. 

Which comes back to my practical heart. 

I think another side project for this year will be balancing practical with moments of whimsy.

Like wearing my crazy neon coloured zebra print socks when I go for a jog.

The writing is slightly better than it's competitor....

I can't say that this book is going to make my "top 10 reads of 2014" list anytime soon.  I picked this one up in our lunchroom out of curiosity since the "50 shades" has sparked off it's own cottage industry of similar novels.  This better writing, perhaps a little more plausible (fractionally in an impossible word) storyline, and still, fodder.

It really didn't take me long to blitz through this read, I don't think I will read the next ones in this series...

Not quite at a loss to say something profound about this book, but there isn't quite a lot to say.  If you are looking for some romantic escape, it is an average read and it does feel pretty predictable. I think I would return to a Nora Roberts, or even better, pick up another Sarah Addison Allen novel.  I think I am looking for a little more something in my reading... :)

I really value individuality.

I am catching up on my bookclub reads, and now I am ready for our next meeting in April.  I had a really hard time getting in to this novel.  I have come to recognize that not only do I have a hard time getting in to short stories, I also have a hard time getting in to futuristic novels that are pretty bleak.

This novel did get better after a few chapters, and it is an interesting exploration in to how "sameness"and "uniformity" and avoidance of pain can lead to a very bleak and joyless society. 

I found there was a lot of lead time to when the "giver" and the "receiver" meet, and then everything unravels quickly towards the end of the novel.  There were a few loose ends for me, which was likely by design since it would spark some good discussions with tweens, but for me, it wasn't a truly satisfying read. 

I am very much an optimist, which is affirmed when I read novels like this.  I know I can look at the world through rose-coloured glasses, and I am kind of glad for it.  I do believe we all have choices when we get up in the morning.  We can choose to dwell on the negative and have a pity party, or we can dust ourselves off, and choose a different path.  The path that involves us being the best us we can be in the moment.  I am trying to be more.. more of what I am not always sure but I do want to try to do my best, and push myself a little harder to enrich our lives to the best of my ability.  When I read novels like this, I like to see the role of the group, but also how important we ALL are as unique individuals.  The highs and lows makes our lives worth living and gives us depth and character.  I think it is important to step out of our comfort zones, and ask ourselves some tough questions at times.  I find complacency and fundamentalism/closed off minds disconcerting and I hope to never find myself in that place.

Amazing, inspiring, or just crazy?

This was certainly an interesting choice for our book club last month.  I am only a few weeks behind in our reads, and well, last month we saw a movie, so I am in the clear :)  When I was a few chapters in, I asked one of my mates how they felt about it - she made the comment that she was amazed by the accomplishment, but certainly not inspired by her to do the same thing.  Over all the reads we have tackled over the years, some of the authors have created quite the response in all of us (not always the same response).  Some of the authors we all wanted to reach out and connect even remotely on FB, and others, you realize you don't even really want to meet them in person.  I think I went through a range of emotions as I read this book, and considered whether or not this is an inspiring tale, or an amazing one.  I would err on the side of amazing.  Yes, it is truly inspiring to read about any individual challenging themselves physically or intellectually, however, how she goes about it is truly ass-backwards.  There are moments of clarity in this book, and there are profound moments that could have been revealed that are dropped like bombs and then moved away from as quickly as possible in a slightly disconcerting way.

 

It is hard to reconcile parts of her life - the woman who could shoot heroin the day before she takes off on such a momentus hike and the humbled person whose hand reaches out to touch the Bridge of the Gods.  The person who struggled with being alone, and the one who sought out to undermine her first marriage.  It is also hard to grapple with how the family horse was so ungraciously 'put down', and then the quiet serenity in the woods when she sees a fox or a deer. 

 

It is a good book.  I thought of myself when my friend Kelz and I did a 120 km backwoods canoe circuit in northern BC.  We planned the whole thing out, had our supplies, and took a fair amount of care heading out.  Definitely a personal accomplishment, and you meet some amazing people along the way.  Ken and I hope to take the boys and do it in a few years.  I digress. 

 

Was I truly inspired by this book? Well, I was impressed at what she accomplished but I am not planning to trail blaze in her path, in her manner.  Then again, who would?  We are all on a personal journey of discovery and I look forward to talking about this book in our next meeting.  Cheryl completed most of the PCT as a woman on her own, with limited financial means, with very little training. She most certainly accomplished something to be proud of. I suspect it will be a lively discussion and I look forward to hearing everyone's opinions about this book.

 

I have come back to edit a few paragraphs of this post, since the end felt a bit rushed.

 

I reflected a bit more, and I do admire her honesty in this book.  To know your kids are going to read about some of your mistakes, and events in your life that you are not proud of is raw and leaving your self vulnerable.  She does leave herself open to criticsm (such as the points mentioned above), but there is also a kind of courage in writing a book like this and not omitting these kinds of details from the book itself. 

 

I know that writing this blog, there are parts that I do censor, even if it is from strangers. I choose the details that I want to reveal.  Laying everything on the table isn't easy, and in this book, there are parts that I wish she talked about more, but perhaps the starkness of some her revelations are also telling.  So, to go back to an earlier point, it will be an interesting book club.  At some point  in the future, I think that I will pick up Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods"... which is another backpacking novel.  I also think about what will be my next personal, physical challenge.  Will it be participating in a few 5km jogs (I really don't move fast enough for them to be called runs yet) this year or if it will be something else that I don't know is coming... I look forward to figuring it out.  I would like to get in some local hikes and just challenge myself.  I would also like to start canoeing again, and spend more times doing these kinds of things outdoors.

 

one thousand posts

It is hard to believe that when I started this thing many, many years ago that one day I would reach this milestone.  I can't quite call this a journal or a diary, and perhaps that is why the name "blog" fits.  It has been many things over the years, and currently it is mostly tracking the books I read and the thoughts that spontaneously burst in to my head.

I think it would be interesting to grab a picture of me back then when this started in 2005 (OMG) and how I look today.  When this started, I wasn't a mom.  I worked somewhere else.  Ken and I were in the beginning stages of our relationship.  Some of my friendships were different, I was in my thirties.  Now, I have two boys, married almost 8 years, and most definitely over my 40 year old self.  I still knit, I still love the outdoors, I am still slightly offbeat.  We moved, and now live in a community that I grew up in that I never thought I would see again, and it has worked out beautifully.

What a journey!

Here is a mighty cheers to a 1000 posts. 

I can't wait to see what the next decade will bring.

Beginnings and Endings

I only have two more "work" days before I return to my old job.

I think I have run the gamut of emotions when it comes to this, especially when I think about everything that has transpired over the last eighteen months.  The good, the bad, and the really UGLY.

This has been a great learning experience for me - the things I wanted to be able to put on my resume, I now can.  I am hoping that eventually this allows me to take the next step in my career, whatever that looks like.  It feels like it has been really hard won at times.  This has not been an easy time.  When I look back over 2013, it is a real blur of experiences.  It feels like a year that I almost wish I could have a do-over for.  In that same breath, it was an incredible learning experience too, both personally and professional.  I also turned 40. I would not go so far as to say I had a midlife crisis, but it was an anticlimatic year, and I kind of shake my head a bit when I reflect over how it evolved.

I think I was a little crispy around the edges from a bit of everything for most of the year.  I can't say that anything was truly terrible, not was anything absolutely amazing.  There were some great moments along the way (like our trip to Olympia). It was a year that just was, in my books.  I started some things that I think will pay off in the long run - kids are happier now in school and care, I am jogging, I am making some better food choices, and I am grabbing control back for our finances, trying to just have a bit better balance.  I know as I write this post I am drinking from the "half-full cup".  I do try to see the positive, and I choose to find the silver linings rather than dwell on the negative. 

I leave this position and return to my old position a little more open, and a little more ready for whatever is next.  Our kids are a little older.  I am also getting better sleeps.  The jogging also helps heaps, even if I don't always get out and hit the pavement.  That hour on the weekend when I just get out and go, is great for both my head and my body.  This is something I have learned to enjoy more than I ever thought I would.  It helps my coworkers are really looking forward to welcoming me back.  Being wanted changes everything.  I am keeping an eye out on the postings here.  I may be picky at what could be next, but I think that it is a healthy attitude to have.  To be open to making a change, or a leap of faith and see where it takes me.  I was not there a year ago.

Searching for a profound title for this post. Nope. Not coming up with one right now.

You know that point in a book where you realize it is time to just buckle down and finish reading it?  Some times this is a really positive thing - you can't wait to get to that last page because you are so involved and wrapped up in the plot you really need to know what happens next so you can get on with your life.  Some times you need to finish a book so you can move in a different way without putting your finger on the exact reason why.

For me, this book fell in to the second category.

French is a good writer, she crafts memorable characters and plots, however, there is a layer in her books that gets under my skin.  Kind of similar to Gillian Glynn's book (Gone Girl), there is a layer in the novel that is unsettling.  Not about the crime, or the detective work (I have read plenty of these at this point) involved, but in the overall portrayal of the characters.  I guess I would call it around hope, and positive feelings.  In this novel, the characters are richly drawn, and quite fallible, but there is an underlying feeling that things are just poised on the brink of falling apart, or thinking about Scorcher Kennedy, of losing total control.  I like Scorcher (the lead murder detective in this book), and I have cared about the other main characters in her novels.. but there is this element that I do find unsettling, that sits with me.  It just takes something away from the experience for me - that isn't there with an Inspector Banks novel, for example. 

Far better than other books in this genre.

I waited for a while before I started this book because I knew it was Book 2 in a series, and that Book 3 wasn't coming out until the summer.  I was craving a good read.  A book that would catch my imagination and be hard to put down.  This one delivered.

I enjoy this world of witches, daemons, vampires and humans.  I like the world that Harkness creates, and the attention to details.  I was a bit worried I would find Matthew a bit overbearing again, but Diana certainly asserted herself more effectively in this tome.

I like that Diana and Matthew escape through time and land in Elizabethan England.  What a time to have lived in!  This was a great read and I am (im)patiently waiting for Book 3. 

Escape read.

Likely, I should have posted about this book after I finished it, since I can't say that much remains about this book after I turned the last page.

I enjoy the fast-paced thrill ride that is a Jack Reacher story.  Since I have read the series out of order, I enjoy picking up the backstory as I have been going along, and learning more about what makes Reacher, Reacher.  Reading one of these books for me is liking watching a summer blockbuster movie.  Entertaining, but not entirely intellectually stimulating. 

After the last few reads, this was a nice break from using my brain, and a good choice during a really busy, intense period at work.

Two jettisoned in two months. Blech.

I really wanted to like this book.  I started contemplating if I would finish it about page 75, made it to page 125, and I decided it was time to cut the cord.

The writing isn't terrible, and it hard some great opening lines, but it just didn't do it for me.   In a sense, the writing style reminded me of Dennis Lehane (Mystic River)… whom I also had a hard time getting in to.

I found the story interesting enough, it just didn't move fast enough, and I found I didn't care enough about the lead characters.  You knew the parents in this story were not well matched, would rob a bank, and one would commit suicide in jail. The sister doesn't really appear to have a great outcome in life, and the narrator will eventually lose themselves in education.

So on I have moved.  Between this and a few of the other books I have read lately, I figured I would just make a break for some totally escapist literature and I grabbed a Lee Child novel as predictable, entertaining, light fodder.  It is delivering a fast-paced, not all that intellectually stimulating novel.  In light of the week I just had at work, a perfect choice.

I have a month until I return to my old position at work.  I will admit to having an open mind about going back, and not being very excited, but I really don't know that to expect.  It will be really interesting to watch how things unfold in the coming months.  I was aiming to complete a job today, and it did get done, but it was a bit of a battle.  Time.  Processes taking their time.  Correcting errors and adjusting figures.  Very interesting, very time consuming.  In the end, very worth getting it done.  There is nothing like the satisfaction of completing a hard task.  It is strange this isn't my problem anymore in a month.  I will miss the different demands on me, and learning so much.

I tried. Short stories just don't rock my world.

This is a book that has intrigued me for a while.  Maybe it was the lead characters name or just the cover… I wanted to read it.

I kind of struggled through this one.  There are some poetic moments, and some really moving passages, but I really struggle with short stories.  This novel is about Olive Kitteridge, and she is the protagonist in a few of these stories, but this novel contains 12 short stories that paint a picture of Olive, and not always from her perspective.

It is compelling, and I did want to finish it.  At times some of the stories were unsatisfying because I wanted more.  I like sweeping epic novels, and this wasn't that.  It does have a bittersweet story to tell, and it is an interesting way to reveal a character through their own words, and the impressions of others.  Yes, it is a decent read.  Am I screaming "read this" from the rooftops, nope.  I would say that Olive may stick with me for a while just as a character, and how we learn about ourselves as we age (not always flattering what we come to realize about ourselves).  It is also important to pay attention to the little moments we take for granted, and our relationships with others.  I was happy to finish this one last night so I could move on to the next book.

Speaking of books, my oldest is taking a further leap in to reading and he is loving Geronimo Stilton right now.  He is reading on his own!  He is also totally into his current book, and I love seeing him that engaged.  As well, at his after school program, the boys are all learning how to make friendship bracelets with their fingers or forks and loving it.  How cool is that?