Time Travel Books

As I closed the cover after finishing a book yesterday afternoon, I realized I have read two time travel books in a row this week.  I can't believe I didn't recognize the coincidence sooner.

There are tons of books out there whose plots involve time travel.  Classics like The Time Machine, blockbusters like The Time Traveler's Wife.  It wouldn't be impossible to pick up two in a row, though I do find it odd.

I heard about To Say Nothing of the Dog long ago, and finally picked it up at the library.  It's from 1997, though it feels a decade or two older.  Connie Willis packs comedy, mystery, romance, history, and the science of time travel into an intriguing story.  The characters are highly like-able even though the story moves a tad too slow in some places.  Ned Henry, working with a team of time travel experts in 2057, is researching historical details in order to rebuild a cathedral that was destroyed in WWII.  In the meantime, a lovely researcher of 19th Century England causes a potential crisis by bringing a cat back through the time travel net with her.  Ned and the lady must go to Victorian England to try and repair the incongruities they think she has caused before history is rewritten with dire consequences.

The comedy comes in as Ned blunders around in the highly mannered Victorian era.  The romance is, of course, between the two time-traveling researchers, but also between couples that they are either trying to put together or keep apart in order to save history.  The history is sprinkled throughout...I learned quite a bit here.  And the mystery involves the "Bishop's bird stump" which Ned has been trying to locate for a long time but has seemingly vanished without a trace.

I liked this book, but my favorite was definitely the second time travel book.  I read it in a single afternoon.  It's a new release called The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells.  This book was expertly woven together.  I am highly impressed by Andrew Sean Greer's ability to interrelate the three story lines.  It's the mid 1980's and Greta Wells has become chronically depressed following the death of her twin brother and the end of a 10 year relationship with her boyfriend.  As a last ditch effort she agrees to electroshock therapy.  With each treatment, she awakens in a different era.  She is herself in each era, and surrounded by the same or similar people she knows, but the situations are all unique to 1918, 1941, and 1985.  The novel explores the courses of our lives, the patterns, the tragedies and joys, the decisions, the relationships.  It really makes a person think.  The tension builds as the treatments near their end and Greta must decide in which time period she will remain.

It sounds like an unlikely story that would be impossible to make work...but it does work!  I was enthralled with it.  I had doubts, but I am so glad I picked up this book.

Book Club Weekend

I'm feeling so thankful for the weekend away I got to enjoy with these lovely women.  God has blessed me with dear friends who know me...flaws and all...yet still love me.  And I hope that they feel my love and care for them as well.

I don't have a lot of close friendships at this stage in life.  But the few I have are incredibly beautiful and encouraging to me.  I have learned a lot about what it means to be a friend over the past couple of years.  Part of that education came from some of the women in this photo who have modeled selfless friendship and have mentored me.

We had a great time in Canton...you can read more about it here.

Great Book

I should be cleaning the kitchen, but instead I'm going to share this wonderful book.  I just finished it last night.

Sometimes I find historical, non-fiction books a bit dry, but that was not the case this time.  The story of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution is incredible.  I had heard those names before, but I was unaware of the story of their lives.  Somehow I also totally missed that there was a huge 200 year old mystery about the fate of their 8 year old son who had been kept prisoner in a tower along with them.  Their daughter was also prisoner but was released several years later.  The boy died in captivity.  However, many believed he had escaped and his death was a lie.  This was a big deal because he would have been the rightful heir to the throne.

Many had tried to solve the mystery, but only in more recent times was it even possible thanks to DNA testing.  I won't tell you what the testing revealed...I don't want to spoil the ending!

The first 4/5ths of the book is a fast paced account of what happened to the royal family.  It starts with the marriage of Marie Antoinette to the future King, continues through unrest and revolution, the beheading of the King and Queen, and the treatment of the children who were still prisoners after their parents' deaths.

The last part of the book talks about how many came forward claiming to be the "Lost Prince" and many people believed the boy didn't really die as a prisoner.  That part is equally interesting.  The book wraps up with the findings of the research team that did DNA testing.

This was a very enjoyable read.  I highly recommend it.

Added bonus: I feel smarter after reading it.  I would rather read a book like that then sit through a boring history class any day.

By the way, my interest in France has been piqued because Cody and I are going there this summer for our 15th anniversary.  I'm trying to learn some French and also learn a little more about the country before our trip.  Interestingly, we don't plan to hit Paris at all while there.  Instead, we will be focused on the Southwest corner enjoying the Dordogne River Valley and Bordeaux.

Markus Zusak

I had the coolest experience last night.  If you know me at all, you know I love to read.  You might even know that one of my most favorite books of all time is The Book Thief.  Last night, a friend and I got to hear the author of The Book Thief, Markus Zusak, speak at a literary event.

I got there early so we had great seats on the third row.  Zusak came onto the stage and was a delightful speaker.  For the next hour the audience was captivated by his fantastic story-telling, his slight self-deprecating humor, and his warm and humble demeanor.  I couldn't believe how quickly the hour passed.  Then he took a few questions from the audience.  As soon as the closing applause sounded, my friend and I jumped up and sped to the book signing area.  We were about the 8th ones in line...not bad!

I had brought my paperback copy of The Book Thief, but my friend also generously surprised me with a hard copy.  So I had the paperback inscribed to me and decided to have the hard copy inscribed to Ava.  I figure it will be meaningful in a few years for me to share such a favorite book of mine with her, and how sweet that I can give her her own signed copy of it when I do!

The evening was just perfect.  I can't describe what a treat it was for me to see one of my favorite authors in person and to get my books signed.

Creative Outlet

I'm sure most people, women especially, will understand when I say sometimes I just need a creative outlet.  I decorate cakes every now and then.  (Today, in fact.  It's Lucas' birthday.  Better get on that...)
I crochet and knit every other year or so.  (This was my off year...)  I take photographs, even though I wish my skill level was higher.

And then sometimes a creative opportunity comes out of the blue in a place I would least expect it and takes me by storm.  That's what happened as I planned our latest book club event this week.  It was a perfect storm, really.  I happened to have chosen a Chinese-themed novel by Pearl S. Buck.  I also found myself teaching an Asian unit at preschool and realizing that the Chinese New Year is days away.  A plan started to form in my mind...Chinese decor, Asian food, homemade fortune cookies, paper lanterns, the colors red, black, and gold.

I hit the Dollar Tree and Party City like a woman on a mission.  I dusted off my old Thai recipes from the Central Market cooking class I took last year.  In a freak act of coincidence (I casually mentioned making fortune cookies to a friend at school) I ended up borrowing a fortune cookie maker appliance.  Did you even know there is such a thing??

I had a blast decorating the dining room with festive reds, Chinese wine bottle covers, paper fans, Chinese take out boxes, and more.  I had fun making the food, especially the Spring Rolls which are so delicious.  I could eat those every day for dinner.  And even though this week happens to be on the crazy hectic side, I spent extra time on this book club event just for the pure creative enjoyment of it.

Creativity brings me joy.  Spending time with close friends, discussing a book (well, really life...) brings me joy.  Life is good.  My baby is 6 today.  Life is good.  I have lots of dishes to put away.  Life is good.  I'm having chocolate fondue tonight (birthday boy's request.)  Life is good.

There are many more pictures in a slideshow and a summary of the really great book we read, Pavilion of Women, here.  The photos are guaranteed to put you in the mood for the Chinese New Year on Sunday Feb. 10th as the Year of the Snake rolls in.

2013 Books

It can't really be time to start a new list, can it?  I've been keeping track of the books I read each year ever since 2007.  At some point, I added a rating and a short blurb to help me remember what I thought about it and maybe to help others decide if it's a book they want to read or not.  This little 10 point scale has been a perfect fit for me as I rate books...

1-3 I wish I could burn all copies of this book.
4-6 Had a few things going for it, but definitely not my favorite.
7-8 I enjoyed or got something out of this book, worth reading.
9-10 One of the best, highly recommended.

So without further ado...here are the books I read in 2013:

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman 9 This is an excellent way to start the year.  An excellent choice for book clubs because it raises a ton of questions about motives, love, decisions and the consequences that change lives and can't be altered.  The characters and situations of this book have stuck with me for days.  One of the reasons I can't stop thinking about it is because it perfectly highlights how good people can make bad decisions.

Under the Dome by Stephen King 3 One of the worst books I have EVER read.  Just a foul, vile, worthless excuse for a book.  There is no town in America with people as evil as the ones in this book.  It's so unbelievable and disgusting to read.  I don't appreciate murder and rape being on every other page of a book.  And the entire plot was stupid, too.  The writing was not good, and it needed to be edited down another 500 pages.  I was 30% into and felt like I had been reading forever...at 50% I thought what more can happen if I'm only half into this book, at 70% I thought maybe I should just quit.  But I had too much invested so I finished it.  Regret that.  Terrible, depressing book!

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller 8 This post apocalyptic book was a great surprise.  It was fresh, absorbing, thought-provoking.  A page-turner, I finished it in less than a day.  Some graphic and uncomfortable parts, but those did not seem added for shock factor, they seemed to flow with the story.

My Father, Maker of the Trees by Eric Irivuzumugabe 6 Not my favorite book on the topic of the Rwandan genocide.  It's not bad, but there are many better books in my opinion.  Still, I am glad he shared his story.

Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck 8 Great story, loved the setting and time period, had a lot of great lines and words of wisdom to think about and made for great discussion at book club.

In the Shadow of the Banyon by Vaddey Ratner 7 Good story, informative of the time and place (set in Cambodia in the mid 1970's), a little too slow paced for me.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 10 reread this favorite to prepare for hearing Zusak speak .  Read it in 2 sittings over the course of 2 days and it seemed to fly...the character development, the creative twists, the beautiful word imagery, the way it provokes a pondering of humanity (beauty and destruction).  I love this book.

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl 9 Really like this thought-provoking book.  An excellent book club choice.

Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda by Rosamund Carr 9 I read this while IN RWANDA which was super cool.  Her story is amazing.  She lived in Rwanda for about 50 years and I felt like I gained so much knowledge of the country through her story.

Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan 6 It's a good book, but too heavy on tech-y stuff and just not my cup of tea.  I bet some people really like this one, but not me.  Seemed just out of belief the entire time.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn 7 Well-written, intriguing story that kept me interested but left me feeling empty and kind of dirty because the topic was just so disturbing.  Too much violence, sex, and despair for me to really end up liking the book.

The Round House by Louise Erdrich 8 After reading this I realized what was missing from Mr. Penumbra's: great characters!  I fell in love with the characters in Round House, and the story was good, too.  Just goes to show how important believable, well-developed characters are to a novel. 

Tenth of December by George Saunders 5 A collection of short stories that were hit or miss for me.  Only a couple of them really intrigued me and all of them were fairly dark which just isn't my cup of tea.

State of Wonder by Ann Prachett 6 Not my favorite.  Too unbelievable, both the setting and plot and the actions of the characters.  I kept thinking: people would never act like that!

The Lost King of France by Deborah Cadbury 9 I really enjoyed this book.  The history portion (which is 4/5 of the book) is fascinating.  I didn't know much about Marie Antoinette, King Louis XVI, their family and the French Revolution.  The rest of the book which is DNA crime-solving focused is interesting too as they try to prove definitively if 8 year old Louis XVII died as a prisoner after his parents were beheaded.

Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron 8 Well written fiction set in Genocide-era Rwanda.  This is a good book to read AFTER reading a lot of non-fiction accounts.  The story really captures the every day lives of those who endured the horrific events.  

The Matchmaker of Perigord by Julia Stuart 6 I loved parts of this book.  The writing was often clever, quirky, deliciously funny and smart.  However, sometimes it went too far into annoying or repetitive territory.  Because I enjoyed the good parts of the book so much, I was willing to put up with the times it missed the mark.  I read it because this is the area of France I will visit in June.

The Measure of a Man by Sidney Pointier  5 Not my favorite.  I disagreed with a lot of his conclusions about the spiritual life, and I found him to be slightly arrogant.

Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey 8 A really good classic.  Makes one consider what is right/wrong.  Great characters, interesting plot...would be a good discussion for book clubs.

The Franchise Affaire by Josephine Tey 6 A decent read, with the characteristic wit and clever writing from Tey I love.  The story was not as compelling for me as Brat Farrar, but still interesting and worth the read.

Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me by Ian Cron


Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Garcia-Marquez 6 Not my favorite from this author.  I found myself not caring much about the characters, though I still enjoyed his fantastic style of "tall-tale"ish writing.

The Pleasures of the Table by Brillat-Savarin 8 Translated from French, this book from 1825 was the perfect thing to read while visiting France.  It covered all aspects of eating, cooking, and wine and was surprisingly relevant for today while giving a glimpse into French history.  Loved it!

The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley 6 Set in France, alternating between present and WWII.  Interesting enough to keep me reading, and I enjoyed the setting and historical aspect but the present day story line was hard to believe or enjoy.

Chasing Francis by Ian Cron 8 I've got a lot in common with this author.  Our childhoods, our search for intimacy with God, he even threw Rwanda into this book.  Was he writing it just for me?  It's fiction on a mission, as a pastor goes to Italy to find out more about Saint Francis of Assisi.  I learned a lot.

Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan 7 His books are hit or miss with me so I usually love or hate them.  This time the hits and misses were combined in one book with slightly more hits.  It's a clever book that gets bogged down in espionage and history and a few graphic sex scenes but is otherwise enjoyable and highly engrossing.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis 7 I'm so glad I finally read this sci-fi, time travel classic.  It was really good, with interesting characters.  The plot was slightly weak, and the work could use a stronger editing (quite a bit could be cut without sacrificing the story I think).  My eyes glazed over every time the scientific blah-blah would cover a page, and I still don't understand a few parts of the book, but the characters and witty writing make up for that.

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer 8 Really liked this book and wrote a review about it here.

The Healing by Jonathan Odell 4 Even though it received high reviews on Amazon, I didn't care for this book.  I found it tedious and boring.  I wasn't interested in the characters.  It felt repetitive and immature despite the strong references to women's periods and birth tossed in every now and then.  It also relied too heavily on the mystical over and over again instead of reality.  Not impressed.

Book Love

I don't have a memory of learning to read.  It feels like something I've always been able to do from a very young age.

But my love of books probably had something to do with the one pictured above because I remember it vividly as my favorite book as a young elementary school student.  I don't clearly recall any books before it.  This one was special.  Our school was having a book fair.  I must have carefully perused the hundreds of titles, enjoying the shapes, colors, fonts.  And somehow, I made my selection.  I don't know what drew me to the book, but I knew I had to have it.  Sideways Stories From Wayside School. Can you imagine a school accidentally built 30 stories tall, one classroom stacked on top of another instead of one story high with 30 classrooms?    The book was full of short stories centered on the wacky, interesting students and teachers at this funny school.

What I remember most clearly, however, is that when I brought the book up to the check-out table I found out I was ten cents short.  My face fell.  The lady suggested I return the book to the shelves.  Then suddenly, a much-loved teacher, who happened to be sitting near by, reached into her pocket and tossed a dime onto the table for me.  I was shocked at her generosity.  You might be thinking, it was only a dime!  That's hardly anything.  But I can't tell you the impact it had on me.  The book belonged to me!  I owned it.  And I read it cover to cover a million times.

I still have my copy of that book.  And when I see Ava or Nate enjoying it, or they read paragraphs of it out loud to me because of their excitement to share it...I get chills.  That book is a big part of my history, of whatever it is that makes me me.

I think that's part of why I am so greatly enjoying a recent release called The End of Your Life Book Club.  Will Schwalbe writes about the books he and his mother read and discuss in their own informal book club of two during the last months of her life as she receives chemo treatments for terminal cancer.  The books come alive.  They represent so much between the author and his mom.  They are more than stories.  They become pieces of the people who read them, who pass them on, who discuss them and are touched by them.

Books have a tremendous power, a power I am afraid we are beginning to forget and ignore.  I am inspired anew to read and share books with others, especially my kids, because by doing so we deepen our understanding of each other and our connection.

Kindle

I can't believe it.  People who know me well can't believe it.

I got a Kindle.

I've been one of the most "anti-kindle" voices for years.  I had all sorts of reasons in my mind why I should not have a Kindle.  And then suddenly, without warning, I took the plunge and got one.  It's almost like I woke up one day with counters to the reasons for not getting an electronic reading device swimming around in my mind.

I like the feel of a physical book...well, I do.  And I will still read the occasional physical book, but really it's much easier to take my reading material with me in Kindle form.  It's easier to hold, pack in my purse, and has a plethora of reading choices.  Plus, I don't have to figure out what to do with the physical book after I'm done reading it.  Should I sell it, give it away, let it take up space in my house?  Problem solved.

If I pay for a book, I want to own a copy...this was tricky to overcome.  If I shell out money, I want a copy I can give away or lend as many times as I want.  But then I started thinking, I pay $10 to see a movie once and I don't own it.  I can pay $10 for a reading experience and I do "kind of" own it because it's available to me for reading whenever I want.  I can't loan it out, but when I loan books I rarely get them back anyway.  If I ever read a book I truly love, I can always buy a physical copy if I feel I must.  If I really want someone else to experience reading a particular book, I could buy them a copy and still have my own copy on my Kindle.

It will become extinct at some point and the books I purchased will be useless...did anyone buy BETA instead of VHS back in the day?  You feel my fear.  What if I sink tons of money into buying books for my Kindle and 5 years from now it's an unsupported wasteland?  I guess it's possible.  But Amazon has been going strong for a long time now and I feel fairly confident that even if the Kindle device becomes obsolete, the content I have purchased which is stored on the Amazon website will be available to me with a new device.

After overcoming my "cons", I started taking a good look at the "pros."
Quick, easy access to almost any book I could ever desire
Convenient storage and take-along ability for all my reading material
Easy way to read borrowed books from the e-library and Kindle Lending Library
Easy to highlight, make notes, search for particular passages, look up words I don't know, etc
Lightweight, comfortable reading experience (better than holding an 800 page book)

And really it's fairly inexpensive.  So I bit the bullet, and I got one.
And so far, I'm absolutely loving it!

I got the touch screen because I am so used to the iPad I didn't think I could handle button pushing.  I got a nice case for it, downloaded a book (which is really good, BTW- Skeletons in the Zahara...a nonfiction account of sailors who wrecked in Africa in 1817 and survived a terrible ordeal) and have been happily reading ever since.

I know there are lots of Kindle users out there, so I welcome any helpful tips and advice about using it.
Happy reading!

Good Books I've Read Lately

I used to get an email from a lady named Nina Sankovitch titled "Good Books I've Read Lately."  She had just finished a project where she read one book a day for an entire year!  Can you even imagine?  After she finished her 365 days of reading, she still read more books per month than the average person, so she kept sending out emails with ratings and reviews of some of her favorites.  I got a lot of good book ideas from her.

I'm stealing her title today.  I don't read anywhere near a book a day, but I have read some great novels lately that I feel like talking about.

The first one on my mind is Watership Down by Richard Adams.  I've always been intrigued by this classic novel, but the length and the topic (bunnies) kept me from diving in.  I wish I had read it sooner.  It's such an unusual, original tale.  The story focuses on one small group of rabbits and their trek, adventures, relationships, dilemmas, and survival.  Interspersed throughout the main story are tales the rabbits tell of a mythical rabbit and his adventures.  They also come across other groups of rabbits who are living differently than them, which is the main way the author works in the social metaphors he wants to portray.  I had always heard that this book is really a commentary on social, political, and religious topics...and it is...but it could also just be read as an interesting story because it's easy to get invested in the characters of the rabbits and caught up in their adventures.

I also read another classic novel written in the 70's called Time and Again by Jack Finney.  This is a time travel book that has a cult following.  I had never heard of it before, but somehow ran into on Amazon and saw that it had an extremely high rating.  It was similar in many ways to Stephen King's latest time travel book 11/22/63, which I also enjoyed, but less detailed and less psychologically challenging which made it a more mellow, yet still great, read.  It's set in the 70's and the main character travels back to New York in the 1880's.  One of the best parts is the description of that time period.  In that aspect, this book is fabulous historical fiction.  But there's also a modern day mystery that needs to be solved, by observing the events of the 1880's.  And, there is romance, both modern day and in the 1880's.  The book has it all, and it wraps it all up in a sort of dream-like, romantic, classic way that appealed to me greatly.  This would be a terrific choice for book clubs.

I also really enjoyed a book called Whistling Season by Ivan Doig.  I read it when I was traveling to Montana this summer because Doig was born and lived in a town very close to where I would be.  He's a favorite son of Montana, someone who has captured some of the spirit of that great state in his writings.  If you're looking for character development, look no further than Whistling Season.  I would write a review/summary, but I can't do better than this review by Sven Birkerts written when the novel was first coming out.  Keep reading because the actual review starts 4 paragraphs in.

There we have it...three books that are very different from each other, and very good.  I love sharing great books with others, which is one reason why I am super excited about the new book club that formed at the beginning of the summer where I get to swap ideas with some really neat ladies.  We are keeping track of our reads on a blog, so check it out if you ever need inspiration about what to read (or not read) next whatever the case may be!

Looking for a Summer Read?

I wonder if people read more in the summer or winter.  Winter seems ideal with the long dark evenings, warm firesides, and perhaps the cozy ski cabin (we can dream!)  But summer is known for vacations which means travel time or lounging by the pool (or beach).  It seems everyone is always looking for an ideal "summer read" to take on a trip.

Here are a few of my favorite book suggestions for those that find themselves looking for a good read.  I have tried to steer away from the blockbusters everyone has heard about (11/22/63, The Help, etc) and focus on some lesser known gems I have enjoyed.

A treat that defies categorization:
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt 9 This was unlike any book I've ever read. Set in the 1850's, about a famous pair of killers for hire. A taste of the old west, but also a modern fantasy feel to it. The relationship between the brothers was compelling, and the incidents they got into were fresh and interesting to me.


For those that like their books totally unpredictable:
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut 9 Just a crazy page-turner of a story that is amazingly unique. Never read anything like it and even though it borders on nutty, it has just the right amount of philosophy, interesting characters, plot, to keep me guessing and totally intrigued.

Larson is a master at historical story-telling:

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and An American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson 8 different look at hitler's rise to power through eyes of American diplomat. Interesting and disturbing.

Nonfiction that grabs:

Through a Night of Horrors: Voices from the 1900 Galveston Storm by Casey Edward Greene and Shelly Henley Kelly 8 Details of this horrific natural disaster from letters, memoirs, and oral histories of survivors. Doesn't take long to read, captures the scope of the disaster, a window into that era and this specific tragedy.

Historical Fiction/Mystery at its best:
The Sherlockian by Graham Moore 8 I enjoyed this book so much! A back and forth between two tales, one modern about a missing Conan Doyle diary and a murder, the other set in 1900 about Conan Doyle and what he was up to during the time of that diary. A bit corny at times, but in an endearing way not annoying. Fascinating detail of Conan Doyle's life- a historical fiction type of thing.

A Classic Western:
Horseman, Pass By by Larry McMurtry 9 His first novel, and it knocked my socks off. Love it when an author captures the longings and disturbances of the human heart so eloquently. What a contrast between the old "principled" West and the new "every man for himself" West. The movie Hud is based on this novel and pretty darn good. Stars Paul Newman, but doesn't follow the book exactly. In the book, Newman's character rapes the black housemaid and guess what...that sure doesn't happen in this 60's film. The maid is white and the attentions from Hud are far less brutal.

And for the Sci-fi/Fantasy lover:
a trilogy that I rarely hear talked about but I thoroughly enjoyed!
Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen by Garth Nix.  Three books, all excellent.
An Amazon Review:  After receiving a cryptic message from her father, Abhorsen, a necromancer trapped in Death, 18-year-old Sabriel sets off into the Old Kingdom. Fraught with peril and deadly trickery, her journey takes her to a world filled with parasitical spirits, Mordicants, and Shadow Hands. Unlike other necromancers, who raise the dead, Abhorsen lays the disturbed dead back to rest. This obliges him--and now Sabriel, who has taken on her father's title and duties--to slip over the border into the icy river of Death, sometimes battling the evil forces that lurk there, waiting for an opportunity to escape into the realm of the living. Desperate to find her father, and grimly determined to help save the Old Kingdom from destruction by the horrible forces of the evil undead, Sabriel endures almost impossible exhaustion, violent confrontations, and terrifying challenges to her supernatural abilities--and her destiny.

Reading Grooves

I love books.  Always have, always will.

I've noticed I tend to get in certain grooves sometimes and read a bunch of books in a short time about a topic.

This happened with WWII/The Holocaust.  I've also read several about the Rwandan genocide.  (Hmmm, apparently my grooves are tinged with sadistic and traumatic tendencies...)

My current reading groove is the Kennedys.  (Yep, still traumatic...)  First I read the memoir Mrs. Kennedy and Me which I can't really discuss on here because I don't want to give away my thoughts before I get a chance to discuss it with my book club!

As soon as I finished it, I picked up 11/22/63 by Stephen King which is about an average English teacher going back in time to try to stop the Kennedy assassination.  This book I can freely discuss, and gladly will (!) because it was such a great read.  I have not read such an imaginative book in some time.  It just proves once again what a brilliant author King is and how varied his work can be.  He has such a gift for capturing a scene, conveying the inner thoughts of a character, and building suspense and intrigue.

This particular book really made me think about how difficult it can be to classify events as "good" or "bad" in life.  We also can't know what all would change if one event happened differently, or didn't happen at all.  I've carried thoughts of the "butterfly effect" in my head long after I read the last page of this book.  It boggles the mind to try and grasp how interrelated all of life is...how our paths can intersect and affect even the most distant random things.

And of course there is the phrase that King uses throughout the entire novel: "life can turn on a dime."  Isn't that a truth we all feel in our gut?  Some feel it more intensely than others.

This book has it all.  There's a love story (which for me was the weakest aspect, but still good), an investigation to prevent the assassination (whodunnit?), a scientific/philosophical line of thought about meddling with the past, a blast to the past to tickle any history buff (hi ho daddy-o), and some intense action-packed adventure.

Even though it's really long, I could barely put it down and finished it in 4 days.  I think lots of people are experiencing the same thing because it did not take long for me to move up from twenty-something to ready for pick up on the waiting list at the library!

Thanks, Henri

I'd like to pause for a moment and thank Henri Nouwen for writing this book, The Way of the Heart, just for me. At least, it seems it was written just for me, since every line resonates with right where I am in this moment. Henri (I like to think we're on a first name basis, after all he did write this book for me...) has assembled the trifecta of spiritual existence by explaining solitude, silence, and prayer in ways I had never been able to grasp before.

"Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self. Jesus himself entered into the furnace. There he was tempted with three compulsions of the world: to be relevant (turn stones into loaves), to be spectacular (throw yourself down) and to be powerful (I will give you all these kingdoms). There he affirmed God was the only source of his identity. (You must worship the Lord your God and serve him alone.) Solitude is the place of the great struggle and the great encounter- the struggle against the compulsions of the false self, and the encounter with the loving God who offers himself as the substance of the new self."

That's just one example of a paragraph that is rocking my world. I could spend days thinking about that one idea above, but this book is completely full of these kinds of truths about where we find meaning, how we connect with God, how this affects the way we live. I added the italics to the quote above because that last line is where I am living right now. I want to be totally fulfilled by God, to experience his presence in a way that leaves no room for trying to fill myself.

The Way of the Heart is a short book. It can probably be read in about an hour or two. But the concepts it presents are life changing. They can be chewed on for a lifetime. They speak to and nurture a desire to rest in God. I plan to read this little book over and over until it's falling apart.

Beautiful Books

I'm salivating over this set of 20 beautiful books called the Penguin Great Food Series.

With stunning covers and topics ranging 400 years of recipes and food writing, these have captured my heart. All but one of them is available at amazon.com. I think they would make great birthday presents, Christmas gifts, Mother's Day perhaps? I don't mind collecting them a few at a time. They are actually a good price, though I can't spring for the entire set of 20 at once. I'm just letting the world know that the way to my heart could very well be through my stomach...literally.

2011 Books

What literary gems and disasters does 2011 hold?

One thing I plan to do a bit differently this year is to include a short blurb about the book along with the rating. Hopefully that will give others a little more information about each book and also serve as a reminder to myself months or years from now when the plot may get fuzzy in my mind.

As always, the rating:

1-3 I wish I could burn all copies of this book.
4-6 Had a few things going for it, but definitely not my favorite.
7-8 I enjoyed or got something out of this book, worth reading.
9-10 One of the best, highly recommended.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver 7 a "teen" book with an interesting "Groundhog Day meets Mean Girls" concept. Well written and interesting, but slightly boring and did not like the ending.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult 7 Good writing and informative about Asperger's Syndrome...only complaint was it was too predictable.

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner 9 great sequel to The Maze Runner that makes me long for the final book coming out in October. Similar to Hunger Games, I recommend it.

Push by Sapphire 7 extremely graphic, horrifying story of an abusive upbringing that does have some redemptive aspects. thought-provoking, inspiring.

A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro 8 absolutely loved this book until the last chapter which I found confusing and ambiguous. would have given it a 10 if it had ended better. interesting, slightly macabre tale of a Japanese woman's eerie friendship just after WWII.

The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card 7 Great sci-fi book about a boy with a rare mystical talent. The tale jumps between two main stories that eventually intersect. Not as good as Harry Potter but way better than the Percy Jackson series. Am hoping for more (a series?)

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan 9 McEwan writes with perfect clarity and detail (how does he get inside a person's mind and describe their thoughts so perfectly?) about the disastrous sexual encounter of a honeymooning couple in the 50's. Loved it.

Paramedic to a Prince by Patrick Notestine 3 A Californian paramedic works in Saudi Arabia in a hospital and with a royal family and details his experiences with the culture there. His disorganization and arrogant tone made him a pain to read.

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley 7 Back and forth between a modern day tale of a female writer who is intrigued by an old Scottish castle by the sea and the young woman in the past of whom she writes.

Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card 8 Sci-fi story involving time travel, space travel, and has great character development. Stayed up way too late one night to finish it!

Trapped by Michael Northrop 5 Young adult "horror"mm genre about 7 students trapped in their high school when a terrible blizzard strikes. Good plot idea, but the writing was too juvenile and the ending, which suddenly came out of nowhere, was rushed and anticlimactic.

The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz 7 A common girl marries the Emperor's son in this fictional novel set in Japan in the mid 1900's. It doesn't go especially well for her. Enjoyed the culture but it seemed slow to me.

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent 5 I should have liked it- interesting plot, good writing style, but I just found it boring. I think it was too slowly paced. About the Salem witch trials.

Heat Wave by Richard Castle 6 I admit, I watch the show Castle and like it a lot. The book is just like watching an episode of the show, it just takes longer. Not bad, not great. A distraction murder mystery to kill time with.

The Pledge by Friedrich Durrenmatt 9 Wow. I picked it up based on the short description on the book jacket, and the fact that it looked old and was a first edition English version translated from French. So glad I did because it was a beautiful read. An inspector hunts down a serial killer. The twists are delightfully unexpected and the writing is full of subtlety and wit.

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton 7 A nice gothic read but a bit too long. Story of the history of 3 old unmarried sisters living in a castle. Many twists and turns. I read it because her previous book The Forgotten Garden is one of my favorites.

Horseman, Pass By by Larry McMurtry 9 His first novel, and it knocked my socks off. Love it when an author captures the longings and disturbances of the human heart so eloquently. What a contrast between the old "principled" West and the new "every man for himself" West. The movie Hud is based on this novel and pretty darn good. Stars Paul Newman, but doesn't follow the book exactly. In the book, Newman's character rapes the black housemaid and guess what...that sure doesn't happen in this 60's film. The maid is white and the attentions from Hud are far less brutal.

Ape House by Sara Gruen 3 I don't think I've ever stopped reading a book whemn I was already 3/4 of the way through it but this book is terrible. After such a hit with Water for Elephants, Gruen has put out a story that is contrived, boring, and predictable yet somehow amazingly irrational at the same time. I really don't care what happens to any of her shallow characters at this point and am gladly putting it down.

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht 9 Reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Beautiful writing, fascinating and complex story lines. Loved it.

The Sherlockian by Graham Moore 8 I enjoyed this book so much! A back and forth between two tales, one modern about a missing Conan Doyle diary and a murder, the other set in 1900 about Conan Doyle and what he was up to during the time of that diary. A bit corny at times, but in an endearing way not annoying. Fascinating detail of Conan Doyle's life- a historical fiction type of thing.

Galore by Michael Crummey 9 Another fabulous book! And yet another book that reminded me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Intricate, surreal, fantastic story spanning 2 generations in a small community in 1800's Newfoundland. I was slightly more interested in the first half of the book (the first generation) but that's ok.

Interview With a Vampire by Anne Rice 5 This classic vampire tale left me not so impressed. It's too long, too drawn out, and has an unsatisfying ending. It did hold my interest, but barely. I do think I'll watch the movie since it has a lot of big name stars.

The Last Brother by Nathacha Appanah 8 Sad tale of two boys, one an island native beaten by his dad and surrounded by grief...the other one of about 1500 Jewish prisoners who end up being detained on this island near the end of WWII. Great writing. Touching story.

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin 10 Translated from Korean, this international best seller is incredibly unique, thought-provoking, raw in revealing human thought and emotion, inspiring, and lovely. Told from 4 different perspectives after a family's mom goes missing in a crowded subway station.

Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuchoff 9 Fascinating true story of an end of WWII plane crash. Three survivors (one a woman) land in a unknown native tribe in New Guinea- the US military must rescue them.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford 7 Pretty good story and informative of that time period (1940's America as seen through the eyes of Chinese and Japanese living in America)

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen 4 What a stupid shallow book. Shallow plot, shallow characters, flimsy sentences and immature presentation of ideas. Total waste of time for me, and basically flipped through the ending via speed reading because I was so tired of it all.

Roads by Larry McMurtry 5 It was a decent book of his musings and thoughts as he drives the major interstates of America. A little dry in places, but made me laugh out loud sometimes. Not a must read by any means.

The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen 10 3 aspects of the spiritual life explained in depth: solitude, silence, and prayer. Needed to read what was in this book.

Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen 10 Taken, Blessed, Broken, Given- our lives explained using these 4 spiritual metaphors. Again, deeply moved by Nouwen's ability to write about spiritual things in a deep yet practical way.

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen 9 Excellent thoughts on this parable and Rembrandt painting.

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer 7 Okay story, just too long. Wish it had been shorter and then it would have held my attention better.

The Inner Voice of Love by Henri Nouwen 10 Short nuggets of wisdom from his journal during a time he went through a very difficult experience/depression.

Turn My Mourning into Dancing by Henri Nouwen 8 Not the best I have read by him but still very good and excerpts spoke to me directly.

Bossypants by Tina Fey 8 The parts that were funny (and there were a lot) were hilarious. A few parts fell flat or were not as interesting. An overall great read, though.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and An American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson 8 different look at hitler's rise to power through eyes of American diplomat. Interesting and disturbing.

Contemplative Prayer by Thomas Merton 8 very revealing thoughts on this practice. I need to dive in and do it more but really appreciate the guidance this book offers.

Through a Night of Horrors: Voices from the 1900 Galveston Storm by Casey Edward Greene and Shelly Henley Kelly 8 Details of this horrific natural disaster from letters, memoirs, and oral histories of survivors. Doesn't take long to read, captures the scope of the disaster, a window into that era and this specific tragedy.

Thoughts in Solitude by Thomas Merton 9 Borrowed it from library but will need to get my own copy sometime. So many rich, compelling insights and teachings about spiritual life. The format of short, 1-3 page discourses make for easy digesting also, just read one and chew for a while.

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks 7 Loved the first 2/3rds but it got less interesting to me at the end. Based on true story of an Indian boy attending Harvard, but that is a small part of the story.

When God is Silent by Barbara Brown Taylor 7 Some great thoughts about how God speaks to us, but I disagreed with a few things she said.

The Genesee Diary by Henri Nouwen 9 I love Henri, and since this is a diary it offers a less polished glimpse of his personality and thoughts which makes me feel like I know him better...still packed with tons of great ideas and lessons for me. He is the first person about whom I have thought that I really want to give him a hug when I meet him in Heaven.

Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton 10 Love it. Now to go back through and read it again while practicing some of the prompts she gives. Practical, encouraging book on solitude and what is to be gained from it.

Addiction and Grace by Gerald May 10 One of the best books I have ever read and highly applicable to every person because all struggle with some forms, perhaps less destructive than others, of addiction and idolatry.

With Open Hands by Henri Nouwen 7 a fine book, but not my favorite on prayer. enjoyed the compilation of his writing on prayer (see below) better.

The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life by Henri Nouwen 9 All his writings on prayer from all his many books taken and grouped by topic in this compilation. Could only read a few pages at a time then had to set the book down and digest. Deep. Enriching.

Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton 9 a nice companion to the other book I read by her. Focuses on arranging life with spiritual disciplines in order to live a more contemplative, authentic way. I took a lot away from this book.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 9 Read it 5 years or so ago and liked it, realized I couldn't recall much about it so read it again and liked it even better this time. What an unusual and intellectually stimulating novel.

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut 9 Just a crazy page-turner of a story that is amazingly unique. Never read anything like it and even though it borders on nutty, it has just the right amount of philosophy, interesting characters, plot, to keep me guessing and totally intrigued.

Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden 7 I would have LOVED this book except for the graphic war violence (it was about WWI so I know it was valid...) and the two unnecessary graphic sex scenes. The story of two Native Americans who fight in the trenches of the war and how it affects their friendship and lives.

The Death Cure by James Dashner 5 Did not think this book did a good job of tying up the trilogy. Weak characters, weak story, seemed more juvenile than the previous books.

The Paris Wife by Paula McClain 6 Liked the setting and knowing more about Hemingway but was a bit slow for me.

Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami 7 I'm not ready to sum up this book. Very strange.

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt 9 This was unlike any book I've ever read. Set in the 1850's, about a famous pair of killers for hire. A taste of the old west, but also a modern fantasy feel to it. The relationship between the brothers was compelling, and the incidents they got into were fresh and interesting to me.