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Reading with a headache

I've had a headache for a week straight now (my head is pounding as I type this), so I've been trying to lay low when I can, which means I've been reading quite a bit. In fact, I started The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams on Friday night and finished it up on Saturday.

If you know me and my reading habits, you would probably be shocked that I am just now getting around to reading this cult favorite. In fact, I'm surprised at myself -- but even fanatical readers have weird holes in their libraries. Fortunately this was rectified when I came across a bunch of sci-fi novels at a garage sale (yes!)

If you are a fan of sci-fi, absurdest comedy, or both like me, you will really enjoy this book (think Asimov meets Vonnegut). Funny, thought provoking, and just plain fun. I am very happy that this gaping hole in my library has now been filled.

Reading, Reading, Reading

It's been a while since I posted a reading update, but that doesn't mean I haven't been reading. When last I posted, I was starting Rabbit Redux by John Updike, which I flew through. I think it may even have been better than the first book -- Rabbit, Run. Highly recommended. I'm sure I'll be reading Rabbit Is Rich, the next Harry Angstrom book, as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.

Next up was The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga which won the Man Booker Prize. I really enjoyed this book and the glimpse into social issues in India which I previously knew little about. The story is told as a series of letters written to the leader of China from an Indian man who works his way up from an orphan boy in rural India to an entrepreneur in the big city. The driving force of the plot is the murder he commits, why he commits it and how it changes his life. Highly recommended reading.

Most recently I finished reading Lisa See's latest -- Shanghai Girls, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I've written about Lisa See before and my love of her books exploring the fate of women in Chiona in the past. This book starts in Shanghai and the action moves to the United States as a pair of sisters flee during the Japanese invasion. It's a wonderful novel, historically based, with an engaging lead character. I recommend this book as well as her others -- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan & Peony in Love.

Baking with Dorie Greenspan

Sometimes I purchase a cookbook and right away I have to make something from it -- or several things. Then there are cookbooks that I gaze at and then place on the shelf, only to rediscover them months or years later. Dorie Greenspan's book Baking: From My Home to Yours is one of the later.

After ignoring it for ages, I picked it up a couple of weeks ago and  have made two recipes in succession which both turned out wonderfully. Now I shouldn't be all that surprised by this since this book did win the 2007 James Beard Award in the Baking and Deserts category.

First I made the chocolate chip cookies -- I usually use the Toll House recipe, so this was a departure. They were just perfect, the extra dough froze beautifully and the second batch that I baked up after thawing the dough was as good (if not better) than the first.

Then last night I made the Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Muffins. Perfect as a snack or dessert and everyone loved them. They were easy to make too.

I'm not sure what I'll make next from this cookbook, but one thing is certain -- this will be my go to baking book for some time.

Reading Classics, Award Winners & Graphic Novels

I can hardly remember where I left off, but I believe I was starting to read Pride and Prejudice on the Kindle. Really enjoyable and fun read as always.

After that I picked up The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson. I loved the first volume -- The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party -- and decided I had to read the follow up. It was as good, if not better than the first book and I highly recommend them. They fall into one of my favorite genres, historically based fiction. This book leads into the Revolutionary war and follows Octavian Nothing as he fights first for the Rebels and then for the Redcoats trying to figure out who will give him his freedom with all this talk of liberty. 

Next I picked up a couple of graphic novels at the library -- Good-bye, Chunky Rice and Thoreau at Walden.

I read Blankets by Craig Thompson ages ago and knew that he had another much loved graphic novel called Good-bye, Chunky Rice but hadn't seen it available anywhere, so as soon as I saw it at the library, I snagged it. It's a wonderfully sad little story and was a joy to read.

Thoreau at Walden by John Porcellino is a nice little volume composed mostly of quotes from Walden, mixed with endearing illustrations -- Thoreau and a friendly mouse, Thoreau working in his garden, and Thoreau enjoying nature. I think it is a fun read and a nice introduction to Walden for younger readers.

Right now I'm completely caught up in Updike's Rabbit Redux -- the second Rabbit Angstrom book. Incredible books (like Phillip Roth, but so much better -- more restrained and less egotistical.)

Booking Through Thursday -- Graphic Novels

This week's Booking Through Thursday discussion topic pertains to graphic novels -- of which I am a fan. In fact, that's one of the library sections I almost always check out (pardon the pun). My all time favorite is Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi which I completely recommend to everyone. (And the movie is pretty darn good too.)

My daughter is an even bigger fan of graphic novels and literally devours them. She always goes straight to them in any bookstore or library and has read so many, that I can't list them all here. I will say that she loves all Pokémon graphic novels as well as the graphic novel versions of the Warriors books, but we have also found some real gems like Robot Dreams and To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel. While I don't have any trouble getting Maddie to read (she takes after her mother and father in this respect), I would imagine that this would be a way to engage a reluctant reader. Check some of these great books out with your child -- I bet you'll enjoy them too!

Quicksilver & Octavian Nothing

A Couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I was reading Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver which is the first book in the Baroque Cycle. I actually flew threw it (considering it's length!) and I'm looking forward to reading the next book -- The Confusion.

I won't lie to you, this book took some time to get into, but not all that much time -- maybe a couple of hundred pages (the book is something like 1000 pages long) but once he focused more on the make believe characters, I was hooked. And that seems to be true for a lot of this book for me. I liked the characters he invented, but grew a bit distracted when he focused too much on historical figures. The scientists and mathematicians weren't too bad (Newton, Leibniz, et. al) but the courtiers -- oy!

The book story is told in an unusual manor -- much of the book is written as correspondence, there is a portion that is written as a play and a large portion at the end is a cipher -- actually the decoded cipher that had been sewn into a piece of embroidery. (crazy!)

It's a massive work, and an ambitious undertaking to re-tell history from this age of political upheaval and scientific discovery. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in this time period.

Strangely enough -- the next book I read was from nearly the same time period (a bit later, but a similar theme here) -- The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson. This book won the National Book Award (2006) and was Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book (2007). It's a strange tale of a slave who doesn't know he is a slave and is set in the (US) colonies, pre-revolutionary war. The owners of this unusual slave boy bring him up as if he were a prince -- giving him a classical education and measuring every aspect of his life for "scientific" purposes. He eventually finds out that he is not free and as the benefactor of this scientific group dies, he finds out how harsh life can be. It is a gripping tale and I literally sped through it.

This book is recommended for teens and I agree -- some aspects are too difficult for younger children. However, I would definitely recommend this book to adults. And I'm looking forward to reading the second book -- The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves.

Right now I'm reading (re-reading, actually) Pride and Prejudice because it was on my Kindle and I needed something to read last night after I finished Octavian Nothing.

Can I just say?

That I totally and completely love my Kindle .  Really.  I haven't read a regular book since I got it.  I'm completely in love and I'm 100% satisfied with my purchase.  If you are a reader and you have a tax refund check burning a hole in your pocket, I can't recommend it highly enough.

Currently reading Quicksilver -- a massive 960 page book that would be (at best) bulky to hold and (at worst) painful.  Books like this were made for the Kindle -- seriously.

Crafty Books!

Yesterday I received a box of crafty books from Trafalgar Square Books which I will be sharing with you over the next few weeks. I already quickly looked through about half of them and I have to say that there are some awesome books here! I'm especially excited about Crochet Workshop which is a Rowan publication. And I'm wishing I had a little one to knit for after looking through Essential Knits for Kids from Debbie Bliss.

I'll share more soon!

Twilight Saga -- done.

When you have the flu (the real, actual flu -- not the stomach flu) there isn't much you can do except lay in bed and wait it out. Since I was down for the count for the better part of a week, I was able to finish off the entire Twilight Saga -- not a bad thing to read when you are sick.

Overall I enjoyed them -- at least well enough to keep reading them -- and would recommend them to anyone looking for some light reading --- think beach read. I did however, have a problem with the role of the main character and her influence on young (teenage) women women who are the target audience for these books. If your teen reads them, I would suggest that you read them too and create a dialog about Bella.

While reading these I developed an unhealthy love for my Kindle. I'm completely and utterly hooked and won't look back. In fact, I'm now reading Little Brother by Cory Doctorow on it and loving it.

Red Mars -- A free Kindle book I love!

Now here's a free book I can recommend with no reservations at all -- Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. I've read the entire martian trilogy, and while I was lucky to find an oversize used copy of Green Mars, I had to read Red Mars in Mass Market Paperback form which was very hard on my eyes.  (I think I checked Blue Mars out from the library.) I'm so glad to have this for the Kindle because I can see myself reading it again.

Don't have a Kindle? Well, if you have and iPod you can read it using the Kindle app. I've loaded the Kindle app on my iPod touch and it seems to work quite nicely.  (Although it doesn't really compare to the ease of reading on a Kindle in my opinion.)

You can read about free books and more on the Kindle Blog.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Well, that was a quick read despite its length.

I'm sure you've heard of Twilight, or read it already or know someone who has read it already. I, myself, was quite unaware of the whole phenomenon until the 3rd or 4th book came out and I started seeing huge displays in bookstores. Teenage vampire story, though. Really? I couldn't bring myself to look at it. Then the movie came out and all the hysteria that came with it -- really, I thought? Then my sisters started reading the books. And truth be told, I couldn't let my sisters read them without reading them myself.

Well, I've read the first book and started the second -- New Moon -- and I guess I'm hooked like everyone else. Don't get me wrong -- this is not really very good writing and the characters fall a bit flat for my taste. Their motivations are also suspect and don't ring true in many places throughout the book.

But does all that really matter when you want a trash novel to read? Sometimes you want something easy, fun, intriguing. The storyline is engaging and she does a good enough job of moving the plot forward so you simply can't put it down. I'm sure I'll read the rest of the books -- why not?  They are a fun diversion from the usual stuff I read and you can really fly through them.

Free Books for the Kindle 2

So, you have a Kindle and you want some free books. Where do you go? Well, I suppose you could go straight to Project Gutenberg and download a book, then convert it and then load it onto your reader, but luckily the hard work has been done for you already. Thanks to a tip from Jenny I am using Feedbooks.

This was so much easier than I thought it would be. First you download the Kindle guide from the website. Then just put it in the "document" folder on your Kindle -- same thing as yesterday with the converted knitting pattern. Then you can click on the guide from your Kindle's homepage and you'll be taken to a website where you can easily download books.

I hope someone will find this helpful! I'll be doing some more file conversion and such in the coming weeks and I'll post tips as I come across them.

Slam & Twilight

I've been a fan of Nick Hornby for ages, reading pretty much all of his novels, and if you've been checking out my book posts here over the last year or so, you will know that I am all about the YA genre, so it should be no surprise that Slam would be on my short list of must read books.

Slam by Nick Hornby is the story of a teenage boy who knocks up his girlfriend, but doesn't find this out until they have broken up. His parents -- now divorced -- had him at a very young age so there is another dynamic at play. In addition, the boy is an avid skateboarder and idolized Tony Hawk -- going so far as to "talk" to him when trying to work though his problems.

I felt that the voice here was authentic -- not sure if that's entirely a good thing  -- as an adult reader, I found it to be a bit too easy to read and wanted a little more. However, it was authentic to my ears, so I have to give him credit for that. All in all, I think it's a fresh look at the whole teen pregnancy issue and am guessing it would be greatly enjoyed by any teenager.

Continuing the YA theme, I've taken the plunge and started reading Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I simply could no longer resist as just about everyone around me is reading it -- including 2 of my sisters who are not big readers. My sister who says she reads one book a year has breezed through the first two books recently and is ready to read the third. So I have to stay in the loop! I bought the first book for my Kindle and I'm flying through it. It's certainly not high literature, but it's quite entertaining and is better than I thought it would be.

Kindle Unboxed

What could be a better gift for a girl who loves to read and loves electronic gadgets than a Kindle ? 

It arrived safe and sound a few days after my birthday and I wasted no time opening it up.  I have to hand it to Amazon, the packaging was slick, protective and mostly recyclable.

I seriously felt like a kid at Christmas opening this package up!  Isn't she gorgeous?

I charged it right up, purchased my first book (only $6.04) and am already 25% through it.  I just keep saying "I love my Kindle!" over and over.  Seriously -- this is like a reading revolution.
More on Kindle soon!  And a big thank you to Pete & my Mom for bringing me and my Kindle together!

Rabbit, Run by John Updike

I finished Rabbit, Run by John Updike yesterday. I still can't believe that it took me this long to read Updike.

Before I even get into character, plot, and all that good stuff, let me talk a bit about the style. The prose here is dense, almost overwhelming at first, yet he writes about the mundane, revealing everyday glimpses of suburbia in a profound way. And the book is written in the present tense, jumping from one point of view to another -- making us privy to the thoughts of each character we encounter. Really nice writing -- very engaging.

The story here is of a young, straying husband who was a big basketball star in high school, but those days are behind him. He leaves his pregnant wife -- who is a drunk and rather unsympathetic character -- and runs into the arms of a whore, to whom he is introduced by no other than his former basketball coach -- once a god, now a broken and pathetic man. I'm sure you are getting the idea here -- all these people are flawed. Surburbia is diseased. However, at the same time he shows you the worst of his characters, Updike leaves them vulnerable and you can't help but feel sorry for them at times.

I'll be reading more about Rabbit at the first chance I get. Thank goodness there are three more novels and a novella to keep me busy.

One Vonnegut Down, One Updike Started

Now that's more like it. I started and finished Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five -- an *excellent* book. I don't know how many times I've read it, but each time I do, I discover something new. If you haven't yet read this classic, you really should give it a try. While it is a book about war, there is so much more to it than that.

I've started Updike's Rabbit, Run -- what dense prose! A delight so far.

Intrigued with Kindle

So, Amazon is coming out with a new version of the Kindle. I have to say, I was intrigued when they came out with the first one, but I'm always wary of the first generation of most any electronic device -- especially one in a  relatively unexplored (or unsuccessful) area such as electronic reading devices. Presumably people have reported on what they didn't like, or what they would like to see and Amazon has, hopefully, incorporated the best ideas into the new device.

So here are the pros and cons for me 

Pros:

• Thin and lightweight -- I tend to read some longer books and lugging around, or just holding a book that is over 700 pages can be a pain.
• Adjustable print size -- Love this!! I don't have the best eyesight and my eyes tend to tire easily. Being able to increase text size is HUGE for me.
• One charge lasts 14 days and you can recharge using USB.
• Tons of books available.

Cons:

• Price -- device is $360 and books are around $6-$10 each. Right now I use the library a lot to save $$. So this price tag is a bit hard to swallow.
• Fearful of eyestrain -- I would want to make sure this really was easy on the eyes.
• I'm a bit old fashioned and like the physical book as an object.

So, I'm not quite sold, but I'm getting there. Now I know there are some other electronic book readers out there besides the Kindle -- notably the Sony PRS-505. Do any of you have an eBook Reader? And if so, what do you think of it?

When to Stop Reading a Book

There are all kinds of theories as to when you should give up on a book. I like the Rule of 50 put forth by Nancy Pearl which says that you should give a book 50 pages if you are under the age of 50 and if you are over 50, subtract your age from 100 and use that number. I'm a pretty fast reader though and sometimes I allow myself to continue reading a book for far too long.

 

Case in point, The Given Day by Dennis Lehane (of Mystic River fame). I'm now on page 354 and I'm about to take it back to the library unfinished -- it is actually 704 pages long.

I guess I liked the characters well enough -- which kept me reading as long as I did -- but I don't really care if Luther ever gets back with Lila, or if Danny ever ends up with Nora, or gets his gold shield, or unionizes the police in Boston. And enough already with Babe Ruth! (There are these weird passages which are supposed to sort of link two stories here. They all include Babe Ruth and as far as I'm concerned, they have little value, break up the flow and make me wonder why an editor didn't convince Lehane to remove them.)

So there you have it. I've invested quite a bit of time in reading this book, but I just don't have it in me to finish. My mind keeps wandering to the other goodies sitting on my shelves and I find myself reading shorter bits of the book each night. It's time to say goodbye.

Up next: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut -- my all time favorite author. I've declared 2009 to be the year of Vonnegut and Updike. Can you believe I haven't read the Rabbit Novels yet?

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

I just finished up The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke and I have to say that I loved it. Lately I've discovered that there are many books tucked away in the "Kids" and "Teens" sections at the bookstore that deserve some notice from adults too.

This is an adventure tale about some homeless kids living in Venice. In has all the makings of a delightful story -- suspense, mystery, orphans, and even an old, abandoned movie theater. If you want a quick read that is lots of fun, check it out. Better yet, read it with your kid or grandkid!

I see this was also made into a film which I'll need to check out. And this is also the author of the Inkheart books which are now on my reading list.

The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien

I just finished up The Children of Hurin last night and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. You never know what you are going to get when someone goes mucking around in the papers of a deceased author, but in this case, J.R.R. Tolkien's son did him justice.

The story takes place much earlier than either The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, but has a very similar feel. There are still elves and orcs, dwarves and even a dragon, but the main characters here are men. Tolkien's storytelling is engaging as always and I really tore through this book. If you are a fan of Tolkein's other works, this is a must!

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

I finished Anathem by Neal Stephenson already despite its 900 page heftiness. Guess it didn't take me the two weeks I though it would but close enough. I have to say this book was so excellent that I stayed up past my bedtime on quite a few occasions because I simply couldn't put it down.

Now I'm reading Aldous Huxley's Island which seems promising already. And can I just say that the reason I picked up this book was LOST, which is back in only 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS! (I'm a wee bit excited.)

Books I received. . .

If you've read my blog for any length of time, I'm sure you can deduce that I have book fetish. So it's probably no surprise that I received quite a few books this holiday season. Here are some of them:

Slam by Nick Hornby -- received from Pete -- I've been a fan of Hornby for years and have read pretty much everything he's written (I'm talking about his novels here), so it was a good bet that I would want to read this too. This is the first book he's put out in the increasingly popular "young adult" genre. (Pete wants to read this too, I'm sure, so he may have had some ulterior motives behind this purchase.)

Jamie at Home & Martha Stewart's Cooking School -- two cookbooks to add to my growing collection. This year I need to invest in a bookcase solely for my cookbooks as they are growing out of their present space despite my having taken some to the local used bookshop. I'm sure I'll be posting more about these as I make recipes from them. I also received The Brownie Experience to go along with my new Baker's Edge Pan. No more undercooked center.

I'm a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, so I was happy to receive Frank Lloyd Wright The Houses from my SIL. It is filled with gorgeous photos of the insides and outsides of just about every Frank Lloyd Wright house ever. Just beautiful.

I feel like I'm forgetting something, but I'm too lazy to walk upstairs right now, so I'll leave it at that.

Currently reading Anathem by Neal Stephenson -- a beast at over 900 pages. I'm already completely sucked in, so I must continue reading now. Damn you and your excellent storytelling Stephenson -- I'll be reading this one for at least the next 2 weeks.

Home by Marilyn Robinson

I just finished reading Home by Marilynne Robinson and I wanted to post about it right away because it was a great book! I've already read her two other novels -- Housekeeping, which I loved, and Gilead which I liked but found a bit tedious. Home takes place in Gilead and concerns a aging preacher (friends of the preacher in the book Gilead), his daughter and son. The son, a one time drunk and troublemaker, has returned after 20 years to resolve some issues with his father. Meanwhile the daughter is home caring for her aging father and is caught up in the drama.

At first I thought this was going to be another Gilead, with too much introspection on the daughter's part (she's the voice here), but as soon as the brother arrives on the scene, the action starts up and things are recovered. Robinson is an excellent storyteller and I was completely caught up in the tale.

Issues here include belief vs. skepticism, past mistakes vs. the present and the place of women and African Americans in society. There is a lot to think about, but the story is simple and spare. Really excellent writing and a book that I would highly recommend.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

I got my copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard and have already dug into it. As a huge Harry Potter fan, I'm loving it and wanted to mention it here because I think it would be a great gift for all Harry Potter fans. Basically it is a collection of fairy tales for wizard children -- like little bedtime stories! There is commentary by Albus Dumbledore too. And as an added bonus -- all net proceeds from the sale of this book are being donated to The Children's Voice campaign -- a charity concerned with children's rights. Plus the book is very nicely made -- I especially like the full color hardcover. It makes a fun addition to the Harry Potter world.

The Hummingbird's Daughter & City at the End of Time

I recently finished two very interesting and very different books, The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea and City at the End of Time by Greg Bear.

Urrea's The Hummingbird's Daughter has met with much critical acclaim as it so rightly deserves.  The story of a young girl who helps spark a revolution during a critical time in the history of Mexico, this book is part non-fiction, part mystical epic.  The author has taken records concerning his actual ancestor and written a beautiful story that enhances and deepens the mystery surrounding "Saint Teresita".  I highly recommend this book!

Then there is Greg Bear's City at the End of Time, a mindbending sci-fi novel which blew my mind.  Seriously.  What really got me was the intermingling of mythology and hard science.  On top of that, it's a thriller which keeps you turning the pages, even though you may have no idea what you are reading.  In fact, you just need to stick with it at the beginning, because you are jumping into a whole different universe and it takes a while for you to orientate yourself.  If you like some serious sci-fi, or know someone who does -- this book is worth checking out.

Buy Books for Holiday Gifts

Obviously I'm a big reader, so are Pete & Maddie, and one of the things we like to do is buy books as gifts. I mean, think about it. Your kids will probably get too many toys and your relatives don't need another gag tie or goofy coffee mug. I find that books are easy to give, easy to get and most importantly, easy to lug home :) So I'm going to mention some of my favorites for lots of the people on your list. No gag books here!

KIDS: Don't be the aunt, uncle, grandma, etc. that gives the kids another hunk of plastic that will eventually end up in the landfill. These books are just as fun and more educational.

For the younger crowd:

• Charley Harper ABCs -- Awesome artist. Mid century modern meets the ABC's. Charley Harper is hot right now because his illustrations are timeless.
• Swing! -- The follow up to Gallop!, these books are interactive and as much fun for adults as for kids.
• Boynton's Greatest Hits -- Sandra Boynton was one of Maddie's favorite when she was younger. A must have!

Girls & Boys who are a little older and reading on their own. . .

• The Judy Moody Totally Awesome Collection -- Maddie *loves* the Judy Moody books and has flown through them. She is now onto the Stink books (Judy Moody's little brother -- great for boys!), and there is a nice holiday book too -- Judy Moody & Stink: The Holly Joliday.
• The Doll People -- The first of 3 books about dolls who are "alive" and have adventures. Maddie is currently reading the third as she liked the first two so much. These books include some great illustrations. (I would say these are geared toward girls.)
• The Trouble Begins: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-3 -- You have probably already heard of the Lemony Snicket books, but I thought they were worth mentioning. We read them in school and they are excellent. Good for boys and girls alike.

Older kids, teens, young adults:

• I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak who also wrote The Book Thief. Both excellent books. I reviewed them here and here.
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie will give them a new perspective. I also reviewed this book this year.

Well, this has turned out to ba a labor intensive post, so I'll leave it at that for now. Books for adults another day.

Spooky Reading for Halloween

Without realizing it, I matched my current reading list to the Halloween season. In fact, right now I'm reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova -- a novel about the hunt for Dracula's tomb. It started out a bit slow, but the further I get, the more of a page turner it becomes.

And when I was at the library the other day, I picked up the second Wicked book -- Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire. I liked Wicked which I read a while back after seeing the musical, so I thought it was time to pick this one up, especially since the third book -- A Lion Among Men -- is already out.

What spooky books are you reading this Halloween season?

Book Meme

A meme from Booking Through Thursday.  I am notoriously bad at remembering what I have read (even going so far as to start books and think -- gee, this seems familiar -- only to discover that I had read it previously).  So this should be fun or at least funny. . .

What was the last book you bought?

No idea.  I usually check out books from the library.  Hmmmm. . . maybe Printing by Hand by Lena Corwin (which I've been meaning to review here.)

Name a book you have read MORE than once

Well, I usually read series more than once.  There is the The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, the Rama books by Arthur C. Clarke, Harry Potter Books by J.K. Rowling and the Foundation books by Isaac Asimov.  I'm sure there are others, but these are most memorable.

Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?

Heck yeah!  So many books change the way I see life.  In fact, that's one of the reasons I love to read so much.  I like good historical fiction (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See was a powerful example) but I also enjoy contemporary fiction set in countries I might not know much about.  Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi opened my eyes.  I bought the complete Persepolis a while back and look forward to re-reading these graphic novels soon.

How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews

Never by cover design -- some are so bad, or just plain wrong.  I usually ask Pete what I should read -- I have a most excellent husband who knows what I like and makes great suggestions.  I also like to read literary prize winners.

Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?

I'd have to say it depends on my mood.  I read more fiction than non-fiction, but I like to mix it up.  The past year has been filled with some awesome food reading -- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Chocolate, The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food.

What’s more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot?

I would have to say that you need at least one.  I gripping plot will keep me reading, but beautiful writing will allow me to linger.  I can't think of illustrations of these two types off the top of my head.

Most loved/memorable character (character/book)

Wow.  Not sure on this one.  I love strong female characters -- Lyra from the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman was one I was sad to see go at the end of the third book.

Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?

Well, I'm on a Neil Gaiman binge right now -- just finished Coraline and right now I'm reading Anansi Boys, so that's on my nightstand.

What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?

See above  :)

Have you ever given up on a book half way in?

Sure all the time!  I just gave up on Rushdie's The Enchantress of Florence.  Heck, I just wrote about that last week.  In fact, there are so many books I want to read that I seldom slog through a book I'm not getting anything out of.  What's the point?

I have been reading. . .

Really I have.  It seems like I got off track with the Olympics and then the DNC & RNC.  They seriously cut into my reading time as I usually read in bed before I go to sleep.  After that I had a bit of a hard time settling into a book.  I started and then put aside Rushdie's The Enchantress of Florence -- an excellent book certainly, but I sleepread through the first part and was lost by the time I was about halfway through.  I'll definitely pick it up and try it on again sometime.  Then I read Margaret Atwood's The Robber Bride, which was quite long.  A good book, but not her best by far in my opinion.

I think there may have been another book or two in there somewhere since my last book post, but I am notoriously bad at remembering what I have read.  I do remember reading Markus Zusak's I Am the Messenger which was excellent.  Once again, a book marketed at young adults just as was his The Book Thief which I also thoroughly enjoyed.  This book does have a "hook" at the end, but nonetheless, I would highly recommend it.  (I'm not a fan of the "hook" concept, but sometimes it works.)

Right now I'm working on a book off the Man Booker shortlist -- Steve Toltz's A Fraction of the Whole. It's epic in nature but with a modern setting. It's wild, wacky, serious and disturbing all at once. Really interesting read. The characters are full and flawed and the storytelling is addictive. I'm looking forward to reading other books on this year's list -- I hope they are all as good as this one!

Phyllis Diller's houskeeping hints

Last weekend we had a yard sale.  It was a somewhat spur of the moment thing -- I decided to go get the license Thursday and then organized like a mad woman the rest of the day so that I could be ready for business at 8am Friday.  Things turned out well -- in 2 days we sold almost all our unneeded things and made some money too.

One thing that didn't sell -- although we didn't bring them out until near the end of the sale on Saturday -- were old books we've had stashed in the basement.  These aren't actually our books -- well I suppose they are ours now as we've had them for something like 5 years.  It's complicated.  Anyway, we started digging through them a bit and Pete posted some of the weirdness at over at PeteLit.  And now I share this gem -- Phyllis Diller's housekeeping hints. . .

First the dedication, which reads:

Dedicated to all the ladies who would rather skip the housework

And here are some gems from the pages:

• Never serve meals on time.  The starving eat anything.
• Discuss religion and politics at a dinner party so people get into heated arguments and don't notice what they're eating.  They may also think the arguing caused their indigestion.
• Buy an easel and leave it lying in a conspicuous place.  Much will be forgiven if people think you are an artist.
• Run the vacuum often.  Not to clean -- to drown out the kids.
• If you are single, get married on Thanksgiving Day so you can insist upon eating out on your anniversary.

Ah, that wacky lady!

Book Recycling

We are a family of readers and book hoarders.  There are books in every room -- overflowing from bookshelves and night stands and elsewhere.  Every once in a while we go through a shelf here and there and try to find a few we can part with.  This past weekend our county's land use department held a book recycling event -- it was a joy to behold!  Book lovers from throughout the community came with boxes of books they no longer wanted and left with some great used books.  From what I understand, the unwanted books at the end of the event were recycled instead of thrown in the landfill -- excellent!

So what if your community doesn't have an event like this?  Well, you could get one started, but there are other alternatives.  We also have a local used bookstore and they take used books and give you a store credit in return.  Or you can sell books to Powell's online.  I've done this before and the process was seamless. 

I'm sure there are other responsible ways to depart with books you no longer want.  I'd love to hear other suggestions!

Little Women

How long has it been since you read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott?  I hadn't read it since I was a little girl, but it was every bit as good -- maybe even better -- reading it as an adult. 

So, what prompted me to read this book now, after all these years?  It was Nancy Pearl.  You've heard of Nancy Pearl, right?  Of Book Lust fame?  Well, I've started listening to her podcast and her love of books is truly infectious.  A couple of months ago she interviewed Sherman Alexie and I ended up reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and this past month she interviewed Geraldine Brooks, which got me started on this path.

While they were talking primarily about Ms. Brook's new historically based novel People of the Book (which also sounds excellent), they also touched on March.  Now I had heard of this book, but never realized that it was the story of the father of the girls in Little Women.  Cool concept.  And the book is really well done -- interesting storyline, but rooted in history.  The character of Mr. March is loosely based on Bronson Alcott -- Louisa May Alcott's father -- who was an abolitionist and friend of the likes of Thoreau and Emerson.  Who knew? 

If you are like me, and haven't read Little Women in ages (or heaven forbid -- have never read it!) pick it up and give it a try.  Excellent summer reading if you ask me.

New Harry Potter Book!!!

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling is going to be available in December. Today was the first I've heard of this and I'm super excited. I had a feeling we would see more books forthcoming from Ms. Rowling and I'm sure this is just the first of many.

There is even a super fancy collector's edition of the book which is quite pricey but would be a great holiday gift for a serious Harry Potter fan.

Pulitzer (oops, I mean Nobel) Prize Winners (take 2)

I wrote this post yesterday and when I was about to finish it up, the browser crashed and I was so disheartened that I couldn't bear to re-write it.  Today I will give it another try.  Wish me luck.

Lately I have been reading books by some Pulitzer Nobel Prize winning authors -- not by design, but rather by chance.  First up was Blindness by Jose Saramago -- a novel I would liken to Cormac McCarthy's The Road.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that McCarthy must surely have read Blindness before writing The Road.  The post apocalyptic vision in both are eerily similar in their feeling of hopelessness and violence -- however, while I found The Road more emotionally moving, Blindness gave me more to think about.

The novel is about a pandemic which leaves all humanity blind -- leading to a total break down in society.  Only one woman retains her sight and through her we experience the depth of horror that only she can see. 

The writing style is a bit strange with dialog written out in paragraphs with commas separating different speakers' words.  It seemed a bit awkward at first (which could also be owing to the fact that it is translated from Portuguese) but after only a handful of pages it became easier to read.

Yesterday I went to the library and picked up Seeing -- the follow up to Blindness and I'm looking forward to revisiting these characters in a new setting.

Pan by Knut Hamsun -- another Pulitzer Nobel Prize winner and one of Pete's favorite writers was up next.  I enjoyed this book even more than his novel Hunger -- perhaps because there was more sex and less starvation. 

Pan is the story of Lieutenant Glahn -- a man who has opted out of society to a certain extent and has taken up living in a hut near the forest -- hunting wild game for food and communing with nature.  However, he feels the pull of society and often finds himself looking for companionship (with which he is quickly disillusioned).  The main action of the story centers around the romance -- if you can call it that -- between Glahn and Edvarda who seem to delight in tormenting one another.

I just found that you can read Pan online at Project Gutenberg.

In keeping with the Pulitzer Prize (okay, this one really did win the Pulitzer!) theme -- I started The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon last night and am enjoying it so far.

I also read Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and while he hasn't won the Pulitzer Prize (or Nobel), this book did win the the National Book Award. 

I haven't read many books about American Indians, so I found this book quite educational.  While it is fiction and directed at young adults -- I would highly recommend it to adults wanting to learn a little more about the struggles of American Indians and specifically American Indian teens who can be caught between two worlds. 

I've also been reading more Philip Pullman -- surprise, surprise.  Recently I finished Clockwork, Count Karlstein and Spring-Heeled Jack and I brought home I Was a Rat! from the library yesterday which should be a very quick little read.  I find that I'm enjoying reading these "young adult" books between novels and so many good authors are writing for this age group these days.  I just can't resist.

Intertwined

As I am getting back in the groove with my spinning, I couldn't resist picking up Intertwined by Lexi Boeger when I saw it on the new arrivals shelf at the library.  Like many of you, I followed Lexi's blog for ages and admired the wild and sometimes outrageous yarns she made, but thought it was something I a) couldn't do myself and b) even if I could do it I would have no use for the yarn.  This book changed all that. 

First of all, the book has detailed instructions and tips for each kind of yarn it covers -- and there are a lot of different yarn styles.  While I might not want to make yarn out of cassette tape (although this book will tell you how), I do want to learn how to make wrapped yearns and thread plied yarn and even thick and thin yarns.  All covered.

The patterns are diverse -- hats, scarves, shoelaces and more -- and these projects are not only for knitters.  Techniques used include weaving, felting, knitting, crochet and even sewing.  And there are tons of great photos of yarns, techniques and finished goods.

If you are a spinner, or even just a yarn lover, I think you'll really enjoy this book!

A cliché

I grew up in a very Catholic town (and in fact, have moved back here as an adult) filled with Catholic schools.  *Everyone* (at least pretty much everyone I knew) went to Catholic school and I was no exception.  I went to St. Paul the Apostle for grade school -- following in my mother's footsteps -- and then went on to St. Francis Academy -- a college preparatory school for girls -- again following in my mother's footsteps. 

Yes. . . I said for girls. 

The cliché begins.

Are you picturing wool plaid skirts?  (Actually polyester blend by the time I was in high school.)  White shirts with Peter Pan collars? You would be correct.  No boys to be found in the halls before or after school (well, unless you count band members who had practice first period.)  And our dean was in fact a Catholic nun -- Sr. Sue.  I have a vivid memory of her yanking on the tail of my blouse which was *gasp* untucked on one of the hottest days of the school year.

Then there was the ultimate cliché -- taking 4 years of Latin from Sr. Irene.  The final two years were spent translating Vergil's Aeneid from Latin.  Oh. My. God. 

What made me think of all this?   I just finished reading this:

Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin is the retelling of the Aeneid from the perspective of Lavinia -- Aeneas' wife (or last wife, as the case may be).  It was an interesting read and I enjoyed the story which brings a very human perspective to Vergil's epic poem.

And best of all -- it is written in English.  Ha!

Way Behind

I've been reading quite a bit lately, but I know I haven't kept the book section of the blog updated.  I'm sure I'll forget something, but here's a quick update:

I re-read Atonement and if possible, it was even better the second time.  What a book!

Blue Mars -- the third book in the Mars trilogy -- by Kim Stanley Robinson was a satisfactory ending to the series.  At his point I was very invested in the characters and enjoyed reading more about them.  This is one of the most amazing sci-fi series I've ever read.

Another Pullman -- this time The Tin Princess.  Really enjoyed this book -- still a Pullman fan.  I just checked out Count Karlstein and Spring-Heeled Jack from the library, so there is more Pullman in my near future.

I mentioned this book in conjunction with my reading of the Norton Anthology.  It is the Seamus Heaney verse translation of Beowulf.  Such a well written translation -- it captures the original Old English feel.  Love the facing page Old English and side margin notes.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart is a "children's book" but I'm quickly learning that many so called books for kids are equally enjoyable when you read them as an adult.  This was a fun little mystery book that kept the action moving forward.  Fun!

The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon is my latest finish.  Pete loved it and I have to agree that it was quite a book.  The symbolism is heavy and it is a book that you could read more than once.  Themes include disillusionment and the plight of immigrants or the disenfranchised in general.  Another impressive book from Hemon.  (I also enjoyed Nowhere Man.)

I think I'm caught up now, although I can't be sure since I went so long (over a month!) between updates.  Currently reading Ursula K. LeGuin's Lavinia and working through the Canterbury tales in the Norton Anthology.

Reading the Norton Anthology

I recently began re-reading the The Norton Anthology of English Literature -- for fun.  Okay, I know that sounds strange, but I was looking for a good challenge. 

So far I've only read The Dream of the Rood and Beowulf -- so we're talking Old English here.  Back in college I took an advanced course in the Old English language (I was just an undergrad, but I'm a sucker for dead languages so I took the course with my teacher's approval).  Old English is a Germanic language brought to Britain by the Anglo-Saxon invaders (loose dates to set the stage -- 450AD-1066AD).  This was the age of the bard in which the heroic ideal reigned.  Family led tribes ruled and the religion of the region was Christianity.

The old version of the Norton Anthology that I have has a rather dull translation of Beowulf, so I decided to read the Seamus Heaney verse translation -- which actually appears in the newer edition of the NA.  I love it because it keeps alive the rhythm and alliteration of the original and in addition the original Old English appears on the facing pages.  Haney's translation is quite impressive.

The last work in Old English is the Battle of Maldon and then I'm already into Middle English and the Canterbury Tales.  More updates to follow.

In love with Philip Pullman

I've been reading a lot lately and need to get caught up on my book reviews.  Since I've read 3 Philip Pullman books, I'll write about all these together first.  And first up is Once Upon a Time in the North which is another side story in the Dark Materials universe.  It's a nice little story concerning the first meeting of Iorek Byrnison (the king of the bears) and Lee Scoresby (the Texan balloonist).  I loved it just as I loved Lyra's Oxford -- another side story.  These are pretty little books with woodblock prints and little extras thrown in -- like the board game in the back of Once Upon a Time in the North.  A must have for fans of the Dark Materials trilogy.

I also read the next two Sally Lockhart mysteries -- or perhaps a better word is devoured.  They were both excellent and I think everyone should give them a try.  I just love Sally and really enjoyed being back with her for a little while. 

And while I'm on the subject of Philip Pullman... I recently listened to an excellent podcast from The Guardian in which Philip Pullman speaks and answers questions concerning the Dark Materials trilogy.   After hearing him, I like him even more!

I really want to get a copy of Milton's Paradise Lost which includes commentary by Philip Pullman as well as engravings from the 1688 illustrated manuscript.  Wow!

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

A while ago, I finished reading David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas and I've been hoping that with some time I would gain perspective so that I could more clearly share my thoughts on this "novel".  However, despite ruminating on it for several weeks now, I am no closer to consolidating my thoughts so I'll have to just make do.

First, I'd like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book -- which I hesitate to call a novel.  In fact, to me it felt more like a group of short stories linked together by a thread, or more like a set of nesting dolls first taken apart and then reassembled.  It is a group of 6 stories told in 6 different voices -- each presented in an open ended manner in the first half of the book and then completed (cascading back through time) in the second half of the book. 

In the beginning it took me some time to become fully engaged in the book, but by the halfway point I was completely hooked. While the structure in unconventional I feel that it only adds to the overall enjoyment of the book.  If you are looking for something very different, yet familiar, give this book a try.

Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light

For my birthday I received a copy of Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light by Mort Rosenblum -- a most excellent book about all things chocolate.  Rosenblum covers pretty much everything that you would want to know, starting with the history of chocolate and moving on to the current state of cacao production from the plantation to the factory (both large and small), finishing with a look into some of the finer (and not so fine) ways in which chocolate is used today.

Rosenblum draws you in with seductive passages which describe the smell and taste of chocolate, but is equally interesting while discussing cacao bean production.  He literally travels the world in order to explore this amazing bean and bring his knowledge to the reader. 

The book was so well written, that I had to ration it out -- reading only 1-2 (or 3-4) chapters a night. And I'm not the only one who thought so -- this book won the IACP Cookbook Award in 2006 for best literary food writing.   If you are interested in all things chocolate -- from where and how it is grown, to what the French master chocolatier can do with it -- read this book!

This was also posted over at the Chocolate Blog.

Knitting New Scarves

I was in the library a few weeks ago and I came across a knitting book I hadn't seen or heard of before.  It is called Knitting New Scarves and it was written by Lynne Barr.  When I picked it up to page through it, I figured I'd see the same old rehash of the usual scarves, but I was really quite surprised and shocked by what I saw here.  Instead of knitting in the traditional way, Barr presents some interesting new techniques that push the boundary of knitting.  I brought the book home for a closer look and was further inspired after having time to really check these techniques out.

First of all, many of the scarves aren't knit using two needles and more than often are three dimensional as a result.  Variety and unusual forms are the norm in this book and some of the scarves look like they would be a lot of fun to make.

I especially like the technique section at the back of the book that illustrates the steps involved in many of the projects.  This is definitely a well illustrated book with many photos to help you work your way through these scarves. 

I haven't started any scarves from the book yet, but I think I'll be playing with some of the techniques and perhaps tweaking them for use in my own designs.  It's a pleasure to see something really new in knitting after all these years.  Take a look at these scarves and find a little inspiration of your own!

A couple books

I'm still reading a lot as the effects of the writers' strike lingers on (man is TV really bad, or is it just me?)  I am happy that one show is back on -- LOST!  Man, I love that show.  And in a effort to be the best fan possible, I have read a book from the list of literary works referenced in the show. (Whoa -- I've actually read about half of that list!) 

The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien is a strange, sometimes confusing, sometimes funny book.  I don't want to give away the ending for anyone who wants to read it, but suffice it to say, this book felt like Monty Python meets Jean-Paul Sartre.  At times it was engaging and funny, and at times I was lost and had to muddle through.

The book does appear to have similar themes to LOST and I guess that's one reason to read it, but I mostly picked it up on Pete's recommendation since he mentioned that he wanted to read it during March -- when he traditionally reads literature by Irish writers.

Lyra's Oxford by Philip Pullman is a little side story set in the Dark Materials universe.  In other words -- yeah!  More time with Lyra!  I absolutely loved Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy and am glad to have a little more time with it's sympathetic and charismatic protagonist.  The book is lovely, with wonderful woodblock illustrations throughout as well as a fold out map and additional ephemera at the back of the book.  I love this fun aspect and am looking forward to the next little trip back to this universe -- Once Upon a Time in the North -- which is due out April 8th. 

I'm also in the middle of reading The Republican War on Science which is a bit drier, but quite interesting.  More on that soon.

Reading some great (and not so great) books. . .

I'm on a bit of a Nemirovsky kick I suppose as this is the third "book" I've read by her in less than a year.  I put book in quotes because the first one I read -- Suite Francaise -- was really two novellas, then there was Fire in the Blood which was actually a stand alone novel, and I just finished David Golder, The Ball, Snow in Autumn, The Courilof Affair  which consists of 4 separate works. 

What can I say?  I find her work mesmerizing -- her characters are so realistic and engaging that you can hardly escape their pull.  This current book was no different. Take the main character of David Golder -- I'm not sure if I disliked him or pitied him, but I know he was human and couldn't stop reading about his struggle.    I found these works to be quite dark as they explored the issues of money, war, society and class -- the four worked remarkable well together and I had no problem reading them one right after another.

I strongly urge you to give Nemirovsky a try -- I don't think you'll regret it.

Next up was J.M. Coetzee's Diary of a Bad Year and I have to say that I might rename it "Diary of a Bad Book".  Ugh!  I really tried to get through this one and waded through 90 pages before I gave up and returned it to the library.  I had high hopes because I read Coetzee's Disgrace back in 2005 and thought it was stunning.  So read that and forget the strangely structured political rant that is Diary of a Bad Year.

And since I'm serially reading certain authors, I decided to pick up Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke which is the first of the Sally Lockhart mysteries.  I have to say that it appears Pullman can do no wrong in my book because I loved this little gem and tore through it in just a couple days.  I'm very much looking forward to reading the other books in this series -- I'd call it a trilogy, but it appears there is a side book as he is want to do.  Speaking of Pullman's side books, I have Lyra's Oxford on my shelf waiting to be read and he has another Dark Materials side book -- Once Upon a Time in the North -- coming out soon!

Right now I'm in the middle of Flann O'Brien's The Third Policeman and I'm really into it so far.  More on that soon, I'm sure.

The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is marketed as a book for teens, but don't let that stop you from running out and getting this book for yourself. The story is incredibly engaging, the characters endearing and the themes are thought provoking.

In a nutshell, it's a book about Nazi Germany told by Death. Sounds strange, but the device is used well and enhances the story without intruding too much. Otherwise, the tale is rater straightforward although there are little asides thrown in here and there that make it different -- nothing Vonnegut hasn't done before.

While I fell in love with the characters, I also loved the honest portrayal of the German citizens -- torn by the Nazi dictatorship -- living in fear, trying to do the right thing, wondering what the right thing is when they can hardly take care of their own families. It puts things into perspective in a way that you might not expect.

So I highly recommend this book and not just for teens.

More Winter Reading

I enjoyed Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky so much that I was sure to pick up Fire in the Blood as soon as I saw it at the library.  It's a really lovely book and did not disappoint.   It's a love story, or more aptly put, a story of passions.  Her style is so easy and engaging, that I'm sure you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

After that it was time for a little sci-fi.  If you haven't read the Mars trilogy, I highly recommend it!  I read Red Mars several years ago and enjoyed it very much, but never found a used copy of Green Mars until recently.  (Now to find a copy of Blue Mars!)  So, I just re-read Red Mars and I'm a good ways into Green Mars.  Both are just incredible, but don't take my word for it.  Red Mars won the Nebula Award and both Green Mars and Blue Mars won the Hugo.  Quite impressive.

So, what are these books about?  Well, they are mostly speculative fiction about the colonization of Mars -- including questions of science, ethics and social structures.  Really well thought out and beautifully executed.  If you like sci-fi -- give these books a try.  (And if you don't know if you like sci-fi -- give it a chance.)

Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma was up next.  I've been looking forward to reading this book and it was even better than I thought it would be.  Of course there were some passages where it seemed that he could have used some editing -- he had a tendency to restate things a bit too much -- but parts of the book really were fascinating.  The section on fast food was informative and disturbing (all that corn!), the pastoral section gave me hope, and the "big organic" section was eye-opening, but the hunter-gatherer part of the book was my favorite.  It gives you a whole new appreciation for our genetic predisposition to this form of eating. 

If you are at all interested in knowing where your food really comes from (or could come from with some effort), or just in finding out what alternatives are out there, read this book.  I guarantee you'll learn something you didn't previously know about food.

Right now I'm working my way through Green Mars and looking forward to reading Pollan's next book -- In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto -- which is sitting on my shelf waiting for me.

Baking Bread -- the easy way!

I've been obsessed with making good bread for years and I've found a few recipes that are good, but none of them are particularly easy or --  more importantly -- quick.  So when I saw this book, I knew I had to give it a try.

The book is Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, and I have to say that I'm loving it!  The concept here is simple -- you make a large batch of dough, stick it in the fridge, and slice off a chunk of it whenever you want fresh bread.  The basic dough keeps for 14 days and is easy to mix up (no kneading!)   It uses only very basic ingredients and you can do a lot with it.  I made a batch of the basic dough and we have had fresh baked bread with dinner 3 times this past week. 

The book also includes some other dough recipes and then expands on these so that you can use the dough to make all kinds of different loaves.  I'm looking forward to trying one of the richer breads -- like the brioche -- soon.

What I like most about it is that I can make a family sized loaf.  There are only three of us, so I hate to make a huge loaf that goes stale before we can use it all.  And I also love that you only mix up the dough once every week or so.  Taking out all the ingredients and then cleaning up afterward takes most of the time in baking.

I wish I had some bread to show you, but I'm afraid it doesn't stick around for more than about 30 minutes after it comes out of the oven!

Book Binge

The cold damp weather makes me want to do one thing -- lay in bed with the blankets piled on and read.

Just before Christmas, I treated myself to the His Dark Materials Trilogy -- The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass -- by Philip Pullman.  I am so glad that I did!  At first I decided to read the books because of all the controversy.  In case you haven't heard about it -- some people are outraged because Pullman's Dark Materials world appears to be anti-god and truly can be called anti-organized religion.  What do I say about this?  Hurrah!  Finally an opposing view.  So much literature is overtly or covertly religious, what is wrong with voicing a different view.  (If you want to read his views on religion -- which I wholeheartedly concur with -- you can read more at his website.)

But religious themes aside -- I *loved* these books and devoured them greedily!  When I read the last word on the last page, I was sad that it was over.  This is when I know that I've read something amazing.  At its roots, it's a story of growing up and of good vs. evil -- wisdom vs. blind faith.  I can't wait to read them again and I can't wait for Maddie to be old enough to read them. 

I do want to say that these are not books for young children -- in fact, I think they are more than substantial enough for any adult.  And some of the themes are appropriate only for older kids -- on the cusp of adulthood -- teens perhaps.

After this I read something very different -- Forgetfulness by Ward Just.  This is a book set mostly in France and concerns the death of a French woman married to an American ex-pat.  It was interesting, as it concerns terrorism, 9-11 and anti-American feelings.  I'm not sure what to make of it.  The main character -- the American living in France -- seemed to dislike himself.  The French wife who died at the beginning was unsympathetic.  This lent realism to the story, but left me a bit cold.

My mom bought I Am Legend by Richard Matheson for Pete for Christmas, but as he has about 20 books on his "to read" pile -- I snagged it.  The book is actually a collection of stories -- I am Legend is more of a novella.  Right now there is a movie out starring Will Smith based on this book, but it sounds like they fleshed out the story and moved it to New York City.

This book is set in a suburban area and the main character is the last man on the planet  -- a planet that has now been populated with a kind of vampire.  It's certainly scary and fits right in to the apocalyptic genre.  If you like horror then you have to read some Matheson and I am Legend is a good place to start.  It's very old school horror -- akin to old school sci-fi which probably explains why I liked it.   I have to admit that I didn't read all of the other stories in the book.  After reading I am Legend and a few other stories, I had a nightmare and decided that I don't read horror for a reason  :)

Up next is Fire in the Blood by Irene Nemirovsky who wrote Suite Francaise which I read and enjoyed last year.  So far I love the book and read more than half of it yesterday.

The books of 2007

Well, it's that time again.  I've been looking back on what I read in 2007 and taking stock.  It was an unusual year for me -- the summer of classics, lots of "children's" books and more non-fiction than I'm used to reading.  It looks like I blogged about 41 books (not including crafting and cookbooks), but Pete swears I read more than that.  I'm guessing about 1 book a week this past year.  Here are some of the highlights:

Non-fiction:

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver was a clear winner.  I can't stop thinking about this book -- or talking about it for that matter.  I *highly* recommend it to anyone interested in local eating -- or healthier eating -- or just the state of agri-business in this day and age.  I reviewed this book in October.

Other notable non-fiction:  The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones by Anthony Bourdain

Fiction:

I don't know that there is one novel that I read this year that stood out above all others, but I have to say that I was most moved by The Road by Cormac McCarthy.  (I reviewed this book back in May.)

Other notable fiction: On Chesil Beach by one of my all time favorites -- Ian McEwan.

I have to mention series/trilogies too since I've spent a good portion of this year re-reading the Harry Potter books and am now finishing up the His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass).  I don't know if I can put one above the other, but they are both utterly fantastic and I would highly recommend them for adults as well as children (older children only for His Dark Materials, though).

I'm not sure where I'll be going with reading in the coming year, but I'd like to re-read some Vonnegut and I'd love to find some good science fiction.  We'll see what happens!
 

Been reading:

The Final Solution by Michael Chabon was on my to read list for quite awhile -- it's a short book and was a quick read. I'm thinking it would be a must for any Sherlock Holmes fans as it's a story starring SH as an old man.  I never read any Sherlock Holmes, so I missed most of the references I'm sure.  It's a nice little derivative work. 

What I really like is the cover, which was created by Jay Ryan.  We have the print hanging in our hallway, as well as several other Jay Ryan works throughout the house.  (See more of his stuff at The Bird Machine.)

So, all in all, I suppose the book would be a must read for the Sherlock Holmes fan, but I wasn't all that excited about it.

Next up was Nowhere Man by Aleksandar Hemon which was recommended to me by Pete.  It was a very impressive read with a strange structure.  Many different narrators recount bits and pieces of the main character's life.  Instead of switching back and forth amongst these narrators, Hemon sequesters each one to its own section of the book. 

The story feels (and is) somewhat biographical -- telling the story of a young man who flees Yugoslavia and makes a life for himself in the US.  It's not dissimilar in feeling to some of the books on immigration that I read earlier this year (notably The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears), but is completely unique at the same time.  I definitely recommend this book.

Right now I'm reading (yet again) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien -- although I'm reading a fancy version that Pete bought me several years ago which includes Tolkien's illustrations, as well as his color illustrations.  (My eyes are too bad for the ancient paperbacks which used to belong to my dad.)  I'm also following along in The Atlas of Middle-Earth which has a bunch of added maps -- yes, I'm a geek.  After that I plan to read the His Dark Materials Trilogy which is on it's way from Amazon.  Fun holiday reading -- yeah!