Nickelini's 100 Books in 2010 Challenge

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Nickelini's 100 Books in 2010 Challenge

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1Nickelini
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 31, 2010, 1:11 pm




Hello, all. I'm moving over here this year from the 75 Book Group. I don't always make 100 books a year, but I usually come close. I'm excited for another great reading year in '10.

December 2010

89. The Girl Who Cried Flowers, Jane Yolen
88. Amsterdam, Ian McEwan
87. Parrot and Olivier in America, Peter Carey
86. Yes You Can! Your Guide to Becoming an Activist, Jane Drake & Ann Love
85. The Making of Pride and Prejudice, Sue Birtwistle
84. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
83. Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote
82. Love in a Cold Climate, Nancy Mitford
81. Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement, Kathryn Joyce

November 2010

80. the Ghost Road, Pat Barker
79. the Eye in the Door, Pat Barker
78. The Wars, Timothy Findley
77. Regeneration, Pat Barker
76. A Voice of Her Own, Marlene A Schiwy
75. Annabel, Kathleen Winter

October 2010

74. Halloween Tree, Ray Bradbury
73. Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
72. Gothic Tales, Elizabeth Gaskell
71. Sanctuary Line, Jane Urquhart
70. Ghost Stories of British Columbia, Barbara Smith
69. The Life of Insects, Viktor Pelevin

September 2010

68. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte
67. The Caged Virgin, Ayaan Hirsi Ali
66. The Means of Reproduction, Michelle Goldberg
65. Smile, Raina Telgemeier
64. Garden in the Wind, Gabrielle Roy
63. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera

August 2010

62. Possessing the Secret of Joy, Alice Walker
61. Kabul Beauty School, Deborah Rodriguez
60. Giovanni's Room, James Baldwin
59. The Forgetting Room, Nick Bantock
58. Greengage Summer, Rumer Godden
57. Sky Burial, Xinran
56. Murder in Amsterdam, Ian Buruma
55. The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches, Gaetan Soucy
54. Travel as a Political Act, Rick Steves
53. The Lover, Marguerite Duras
52. Tom's Midnight Garden, Philippa Pierce
51. Orlando, Virginia Woolf
50. Psyche in a Dress, Francesca Lia Block
49. The Girls, Lori Lansens

July 2010

48. Horse, Flower, Bird, by Kate Bernheimer
47. The Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers, Xiaolu Guo
46. Fault Lines, Nancy Huston
45. The Underpainter, Jane Urquhart
44. The Best American Science Writing 2009, Natalie Angier, ed.

June 2010

43. The Death of Ivan Ilych, Leo Tolstoy
42. Song Over Quiet Lake, Sarah Felix Burns
41. The Oprah Affect, Cecilia Konchar Farr, ed.
40. Short Stories by Anton Chekhov
39. Exit Lines, Joan Barfoot
38. Salvation City, Sigrid Nunez
37. The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
36. Loitering With Intent, Muriel Spark
35. The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde
34. The Anybodies, NE Bode
33. Light on Snow, Anita Shreve

May 2010

32. What Maisie Knew, Henry James
31. Planet of Slums, Mike Davis
30. Villette, Charlotte Bronte
29. the Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter
28. Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America, Barbara Ehrenreich
27. The Probable Future, Alice Hoffman
26. Have a Nice Doomsday, Nicholas Guyatt
25. Enlightened Sexism, Susan J. Douglas
24. Ethan Frome & Selected Stories, Edith Wharton
23. Life After God, Douglas Coupland

April 2010

22. Cat's Eye, Margaret Atwood
21. My Story: Bloody Tower, Valerie Wilding
20. A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
19. the Slap, Christos Tsiolkas
18. the Love of a Good Woman, Alice Munro
17. Living Dolls, Natasha Walter

March 2010

16. The Age of Oprah, Janice Peck
15. Women and Writing, Virginia Woolf
14. The Pleasure of My Company, Steve Martin
13. Ines of My Soul, Isabel Allende
12. Italian Journey, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

February 2010

11. Food Rules, Michael Pollan
10. How to Read Novels Like a Professor, Thomas C Foster
9. Imperfect Birds, Anne Lamott
8. Family Album, Claribel Alegria
7. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer
6. A Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf
5. Virginia Woolf: an Illustrated Anthology

January 2010

4. Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier
3. Who Owns the World: the surprising truth about every piece of land on the planet, Keven Cahill
2. Palace Walk, Naguib Mahfouz
1. When Christ and His Saints Slept, Sharon Kay Penman

2torontoc
joulukuu 20, 2009, 10:04 am

I always like to follow your reading!

3jfetting
joulukuu 20, 2009, 11:14 am

Welcome! This'll make it easy to find you.

4Carmenere
joulukuu 21, 2009, 7:32 am

I starred you Joyce. Good luck with you challenge in '10.

5Cauterize
tammikuu 6, 2010, 12:56 am

Got you starred!

6Nickelini
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 9, 2010, 7:49 pm

1. When Christ and His Saints Slept, Sharon Kay Penman

Historical fiction, 1995

Rating: 4/5

Comments: This novel covers the first sixty years of the 12th century, and the central action is the fight for the English throne between William the Conqueror's grandchildren Stephen and Maude (aka Matilda). In the final third of the novel, the future Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine (the Brangelina of the 12th century) enter the action (which is continued in Penman's sequel).

What I liked: I love this time period--it's so old and obscure. This is before the Magna Carta, Thomas Aquinas, and 400 years before the reign of Henry VIII. Really old stuff. True medieval culture complete with knights on horseback (though no damsels in distress--the women characters are all strong in this one).

I also really liked how Penman had me cheering for whatever character I was currently reading about--I had sympathy for Stephen when reading about him, and Maude when reading about her, but --hey--they're in opposition. Some people might find this frustrating, but I think it doesn't really matter who the reader sides with, as history has already determined the outcome anyway. I feel for Stephen--history hasn't been kind to him, but according to this novel, he was just living in the wrong age. He seems like he would have been a good ruler if he lived in a social democracy. The war-mongering, feudal world he lived in just wasn't right for him. And Maude had similar problems--history has her down as haughty, but that history was written by misogynistic men who feared strong women.

What I didn't like: The things I disliked about this novel perhaps say more about me than actual criticism of the book itself. First, it was really long--746 large pages. I started on Dec 27 and finished today, Jan 9. I really didn't have the luxury of the time needed to read this as I have other obligations, so the length started to annoy me. Plus, I usually prefer shorter books, whether I have commitments or not.

I've read a lot of historical fiction over the years, and I've developed very particular tastes in what I like. This book had far too many battle scenes and political ruminations for my liking. The ever-switching allegiances among the large cast of nobles really didn't interest me. If these parts would have been trimmed down, the book could have been a much more manageable 400 pages, and I would have liked it more. When Penman focused on her main characters' actual lives, the book was most interesting.

Why I Read This Now: I thought it would be a nice long, escapist, Christmas-break read, but I think I got more book than I bargained for.

Recommended for: People who like long, involved historical fiction, lovers of Tudor-era fiction who are ready to expand their fictional horizons.

7Carmenere
tammikuu 9, 2010, 8:05 pm

Hey Joyce, I bet Whisper (linda) would like this book if she hasn't already read it. It sounds very interesting as I like that period in time as well, but its length hinders me.

8loriephillips
tammikuu 9, 2010, 8:29 pm

Your review of When Christ and His Saints Slept reflects my impressions of the book exactly after I read it last year. Very nicely put. Do you think you'll read the next book in the series, Time and Chance? I think I will get around to it sometime, but I'm in no great hurry, since it's another big tome of daunting length to slog through. The best thing about Penman's series is the detail and the historical accuracy she incorporates into her fiction. I'd also like to try one of her historical mysteries sometime.

9Cauterize
tammikuu 9, 2010, 9:43 pm

6: Wow, that was a great review... really thorough. I still debating whether or not to TBR it, because of the length thing, but your description of its good qualities is making me hover the 'add' button.

10ktleyed
tammikuu 9, 2010, 10:36 pm

Nickelini, I enjoyed reading your impression on WCAHSS, but I can't help wishing you started with one of Penman's other books before reading this one. I've read most of her books and she's one of my favorite authors, though I must admit, When Christ and his Saints Slept is my least favorite of them. Don't get me wrong, it's still good, but your review is just as I felt. Her other books have more body to them, not just so much of the long drawn out war and battle after battle resulting in stalemate. Time and Chance is much better, an easier more fluid read, I savored it and gave it a 5/5, especially since much of it all centers on Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II's marriage. I still have yet to read Devil's Brood which is the third book in the cycle, but I intend to read it soon this year. For other Penman books, I highly recommend her Welsh Trilogy beginning with Here Be Dragons. The Sunne in Splendour is a tour de force, and probably considered her best book, it made me a devout fan of Richard III after reading it. It's one of my favorite all time books. Good luck with your reading and do try more Penman, and don't be put off by the length of her books, you'll learn to love it!

11Nickelini
tammikuu 10, 2010, 1:49 pm

Do you think you'll read the next book in the series, Time and Chance?

I'd like to one day. For now I'm just trying to read what's in my TBR pile, so I won't go looking for it. I actually like a long, meaty novel, but at this stage in my life I simply don't have time for them.

I can't help wishing you started with one of Penman's other books before reading this one.

You're probably quite right. I didn't actually pick this one, as it was borrowed from someone who said "here, read this" and thrust it into my hands. Still, I was very interested in Stephen and Maude, as I knew very little about them.

I will try more of her books 1) once I've whittled down Mnt TBR, and 2) when I have time to enjoy a long book and not feel other pressures looming over my shoulder.

12socialpages
tammikuu 15, 2010, 5:54 pm

I have had Devil's Brood sitting on my book shelf for over a year now. I nominated it in my 2009 TBR Challenge but it was the only book in my first list of twelve books that I did not read. I'm a fan of Penman's books (especially the Welsh series) but the size of Devil's Brood seems to lead me away from it and towards a smaller length novel from the tbr book shelf. I always think that next month I'll have more time and I'll read it then but of course next month arrives and I choose another shorter book.

13Nickelini
tammikuu 16, 2010, 1:05 am

I know exactly what you mean. The Penman book was loaned to me in early 2008 . . . although I looked forward to it, I just never felt I had the time to indulge in a long book (which doesn't really make sense because I read other long books during that time). But what you say fits me too.

14Nickelini
tammikuu 17, 2010, 2:00 pm

2. Palace Walk, Naguib Mahfouz (translated by William M Hutchins & Olive E Kenny)

1956, Egyptian literature

Rating: 3.5/5

Why I Read This Now: It was the January book for my book club.

Comments: This is a story of a middle class Egyptian family in Cairo from around 1917-1919. Mahfouz does a wonderful job of bringing the reader behind the very closed doors of Egyptian life. In fact, one of the strongest emotions it pulled from me was deep gratitude that I didn't live in WWI-era Egypt.

The most interesting character was the husband/father, who was a tyrannical control-freak who was extreme even in his time and place. I think my deep loathing of this character is proof of Mahfouz's talent as a writer.

The language in this novel is straight-forward, and the chapters are short, which makes for quite an easy read. However, the book was very long (or maybe it just seemed so to me because I have a huge stack of other reading obligations looming that I must get to). My other complaint about this book was that I didn't like any of the characters--the wife was far too weak (I was hoping that she'd murder her husband in her sleep, or get revenge on him in some way). Their adult children were all dislikable in some way, and the youngest child was not endearing either. In fact, the only character I liked was the daughter-in-law, but her part was tiny.

Overall, I liked this book--I think it was certainly well written-- but it's not something I would have picked up on my own.

Recommended for: anyone looking to experience a slice of life in the Cairo of 90 years ago.

15bonniebooks
tammikuu 17, 2010, 11:30 pm

I don't remember what I thought about the women, themselves, but I do remember--like you--really disliking the male characters. But that's why I think this book was so good. I still wanted to keep reading even though what I was reading was so uncomfortable for me.

16Nickelini
tammikuu 24, 2010, 3:55 pm

3. Who Owns the World: the Surprising Truth about Every Piece of Land on the Planet, Kevin Cahill

2010, non-fiction

Why I Read This Now: it was an ER book that I thought looked really interesting.

Rating: 1/5 stars. I'd give it zero stars, but then it would appear that I didn't rate it.

Comments: I’m a geography geek, so I was thrilled to get an ER copy of Who Owns the World—a question I have pondered often in my travels. Chapter one, “Of Wealth and Poverty,” although not very well written, is an interesting and thought-provoking essay on the important relationship between poverty and land ownership. Unfortunately, this chapter was the only worthwhile part of the book. I’d really like those hours back that I spent with this one.

Who really does own the world? I’ll save you the frustration of reading the book and just tell you: according to this book, it is highly probable that wherever you are, the land is somehow in some form, ultimately owned by the state. Not very useful, I know, but there you have it. For example, Cahill says that Queen Elizabeth II is the largest single landowner on the planet. The first problem with that is that he uses her name as a synonym for the British monarchy or crown, which it is not. The second—bigger—problem with this is that he includes her property to include every inch of the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and a whole bunch of other countries. Maybe that’s technically true on some level, but it is simplistic and meaningless. It gives zero information on the reality of everyday life for the people connected to that land. Furthermore, in the case of Canada, he doesn’t even mention that Quebec is legally a “distinct society” has its own system of law based on the French system, and he fails to mention Indigenous land claims. He doesn’t come right out and say it, but the implications of his statements are that, if she wanted to, Queen Elizabeth could, say, kick everyone out of the province of Prince Edward Island because she wants to retire there on her own private sheep farm. This is absolute nonsense.
The structure of the book is terrible. First, there is not one single map. Not one. How do you have a geography book without maps? Two, instead of logically dividing the world into its physical landforms, he discusses first “The Land of America,” by which he means only the United States, and utterly ignoring all the other countries that are part of America (the Caribbean, Central America, Canada, South America). This is just one example of how the author is sloppy in his use of language. He may think that America = USA, but many people in this world strongly do not. Along the same lines, he states that Columbus “discovered America.” Why would he choose that term when it has been widely deemed offensive and inaccurate for at least the past 25 years? He could so easily have selected historically correct and neutral words. It’s not just with language that he is imprecise. He does not value precision of fact either. According to Cahill, Canada (which he categorizes not as part of North America, but as a “Land of Queen Elizabeth II”) is a “federation of 13 provinces.” Uh, no it’s not. There are ten provinces and three territories. Similarly, he claims that Australia is “a federation of six states, including Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and Jarvis Bay Territory.” That one isn’t even close to correct. It’s not like these details about Canada and Australia are obscure or confusing. I had this info down by the time I was nine years old. And it’s easy to verify. So why would he blunder so? And if he gets this simple information wrong, what else has he messed up? Why would you bother to read a book by an author with no credibility?

Okay, maybe I’m being too nit-picky, and I need to look at the larger picture. Unfortunately, as a whole, the book doesn’t get any better. Many sentences are ambiguous, and Cahill constantly drops facts into paragraphs without explaining the implications of what it means. The organization is a mess—entirely inconsistent. He throws in trivial tidbits intermittently that have nothing to do with landownership, but then doesn’t give basic information in other places. (I really could go on and on and on and on about how poorly organized this book is—if you really need to know, ask me for more details on my profile page.) He uses seemingly important statistics but doesn’t explain what they mean. For example, for most countries, he gives an “ownership factor,” which is always either “N/A” or “1”. I have no idea what that means. He sometimes gives the information collected from a World Bank land-registration system questionnaire, but does not explain the implications of this information, or what the reader should expect to see.

In conclusion, this book is a worthless mess that is sadly a waste of the paper used to print it.

Recommended for: people who like lots and lots of stats, but don’t really care about accuracy; people who think the United States is the centre of the universe; people looking for scrap paper to start their campfire.

17wandering_star
tammikuu 24, 2010, 7:41 pm

I'm sorry you had to waste your time with this book... but on the positive side, I'm sure that this review has given many people a good laugh! Three thumbs already...

18wookiebender
tammikuu 25, 2010, 1:25 am

I’d really like those hours back that I spent with this one.

Ouch. I am rather boggled by "Jarvis Bay Territory" too.

19merry10
tammikuu 25, 2010, 7:28 am

Great number crunching, gave you a thumbs up.

20loriephillips
tammikuu 25, 2010, 8:17 am

I hope your next read is better!

21Nickelini
tammikuu 28, 2010, 5:15 pm

4. Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier

2010, Historical fiction

Rating: 4.5/5 stars . . . I rated the book so high because it brought me great enjoyment and was the perfect comfort read, and not because I think it's a literary masterpiece.

Comments: Remarkable Creatures is a highly enjoyable read. Set against the scientific world of Regency England before Darwin, it is the story of the friendship between two unlikely companions and fossil hunters. A spinster who is dependent on her brother for support, Elizabeth Philpot reminds me of a character from a Jane Austen novel. Working class Mary Anning is more like someone out of Dickens. Together they explore the world of 19th century paleontology, support each other, quarrel, and take on the patriarchal scientific community (in their own humble way). As with the other two Chevalier novels I’ve read, there are no glaring anachronisms in her historical fiction. I also love how she focuses on people from history who are barely known, instead of royalty; I also appreciate her focus on material culture over politics and battles. I have little interest in fossils, but in Remarkable Creatures, I felt like I was right there with Mary and Elizabeth exploring the wind-swept beaches of Lyme Regis.

What would have made this book great is if there were illustrations of the fossils. I read Chevalier’s Girl with the Pearl Earring with my Vermeer book at my side, so I was thrilled that her Lady and the Unicorn was illustrated. Chevalier and her publisher should take a close look at Barbara Hodgson’s books (eg: Hippolyte’s Island) and learn from her example.

Why I Read This Now: This was an ER book from late last year that I was thrilled to get.

When I was in England last year we got fairly close to Lyme Regis. In the last few years I've loved Persuasion, the French Lieutenant's Woman and On Chesil Beach. But had I gone there, I wouldn't have known to look for fossils. So, on my next trip to England, I have all the more reason to make sure I get to Lyme Regis.

Recommended for: I think this book will appeal to a wide range of readers, especially those who appreciate well-done historical fiction, and also those who like reading about science in a fictional context.

22Carmenere
tammikuu 30, 2010, 3:47 pm

Nice review, Joyce. I like Chevalier's style so I'll be sure to look for this one when I'm out and about.

23Nickelini
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 4, 2010, 1:40 pm

5. Virginia Woolf: an Illustrated Anthology, Jann Dunn ed.

1995

Comments: This is a delightful little--and I do stress little--book that any Virginia Woolf fan would love. Well, I think so anyway. It's a compilation of quotations from Woolf and some of her friends, and pictures that are relevant to the quotation.

Why I Read This Now: I read this entire book while waiting in the car for my daughter. I ordered sight unseen from AbeBooks and when it arrived I just couldn't resist. I had bought it with the thought of turning it into an altered book, but it's much too nice a copy for that (also too small for what I want to do, anyway).

Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: this would make a lovely gift for the Virginia Woolf fan in your life.

24wandering_star
helmikuu 4, 2010, 8:03 pm

Can I ask, what is an altered book?

25Nickelini
helmikuu 4, 2010, 10:20 pm

An altered book is a work of art that you create out of a book that is not precious. I'm wanting to do a Virginia Woolf-themed altered book, so I'm looking for a cheap hard cover to work with. I've ordered three from Abebooks, but when they arrive I find that each one has been too beautiful for me to mutilate. Old library discards are perfect for this. (If anyone has any crappy old VW hardcovers that you want to get rid of, I'll pay the postage).

Here's a link to the first website that Google lists for altered books. Although it is fairly typical of the type of art people create, like any art it's highly individual, so of course the next site may show something entirely different.

http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/alteredbook.html

I'm currently working on a mini-book with a Room of One's Own theme. I'm using my daughter's old Paddington Bear board book which she has long out grown. I will post pictures when I'm done.

26Carmenere
helmikuu 5, 2010, 8:28 am

Interesting link, I look forward to seeing your work.

27Nickelini
helmikuu 5, 2010, 10:36 am

6. A Room of One's Own (Annotated Edition) Virginia Woolf

1929, Essay

Comments:This was a detailed, word-by-word, reread for a class I'm taking. I enjoyed the book the first time I read it (about 6 years ago), but I loved it this time. It really helps to read Woolf slowly and with all brain cells clicking. A lot of what she says in this long essay is self-evident to us today, so it makes me wonder how it would have been rec'd back in the '20s. However, HOW she says it is still wonderful and makes the book more than just an interesting historical document. The annotations were pretty helpful, and the introduction was very good in this edition.

Why I Read This Now: I'm doing a presentation on the book next week and writing my term paper on it later on.

Recommended for: people who like to think, someone who has never read Woolf before (I think it's a bit easier than her novels).

Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars.

28Cauterize
helmikuu 6, 2010, 2:04 am

@16: Wow, I can't believe that Cahill book would claim to be a book about geography and land ownership and state so many incorrect and overly simplistic claims. I find it so condescending that he ignores Native land claims. Bah! Great review, though!

29Nickelini
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 11, 2010, 4:25 pm

7. the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer

2008

Comments: I'm probably the last woman in the western world to read this book, so I'm not going to say a lot. I didn't expect to like this one much--I expected it to be fey and sacchrine. So it was a pleasant surprise--I found it very charming. I'd call this a comfort read. Sure, I could pull apart the books flaws--and there definitely were some. But it was so charming that I don't want to. How can I complain about a book that celebrates reading? And I really liked the little Oscar Wilde tangent near the end. Oh, and I also really liked the Channel Island setting.

Why I Read This Now: bookclub selection for February

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: grumpy people, die-hard literary snobs and people stuck in genre fiction won't give this book a chance, otherwise I think it's good for everyone.

30Carmenere
helmikuu 11, 2010, 2:53 pm

I'm probably the last woman in the western world to read this book

No, you're not Joyce. This snail reader will probably be the very last. I do look forward to reading it some day as many people have sung its praises.

31wookiebender
helmikuu 11, 2010, 10:33 pm

Carmenere, if you're last, then at the rate I'm going, I'll be second last...

I only got it for Christmas 2008. Oh dear.

32Nickelini
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 12, 2010, 3:56 pm

As promised back in message #25, here is my altered book of A Room of One's Own. Every element has some relation to the book.

It started with a Paddington bear board book:



33Nickelini
helmikuu 12, 2010, 3:57 pm

And I turned it into this:

front and back covers . . .



34Nickelini
helmikuu 12, 2010, 3:58 pm

First page spread:



35Nickelini
helmikuu 12, 2010, 3:59 pm

Second page spread:



36Nickelini
helmikuu 12, 2010, 4:01 pm

Third page spread:





(the little black doors close to show the front of the door with a keyhole)

37Nickelini
helmikuu 12, 2010, 4:02 pm

Fourth page spread:



38Nickelini
helmikuu 12, 2010, 4:03 pm

Fifth page spread:



39Nickelini
helmikuu 12, 2010, 4:04 pm

Sixth page spread:



40torontoc
helmikuu 12, 2010, 4:51 pm

Your book is beautiful! You have created a beautiful work of art! Congratulations.

41Carmenere
helmikuu 12, 2010, 5:09 pm

Very impressive artwork, Joyce. I would think that it would be challenging as well as fulfilling and relaxing.

42merry10
helmikuu 12, 2010, 5:21 pm

Your book deserves it's own woolf-whistle! Wow!

43teelgee
helmikuu 12, 2010, 5:58 pm

That is stunning, Joyce. I love this kind of work and you do it so well.

44wookiebender
helmikuu 12, 2010, 6:07 pm

Oh, that's fabulous! You must have had fun doing them too.

45lauralkeet
helmikuu 13, 2010, 7:29 pm

That's really cool, Joyce. I hadn't imagined anything so sophisticated and beautiful!

46bonniebooks
helmikuu 15, 2010, 9:51 am

What Laura said! I want to learn how to do that! Cooler than cool!

47Nickelini
helmikuu 21, 2010, 1:37 pm

8. Family Album, Claribel Alegria

1990, Latin American fiction

Comments: Look for my review in the upcoming Latin American issue of Belletrista.com.

48Nickelini
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 22, 2010, 1:14 am

9. Imperfect Birds, Anne Lamott

2010

Comments: A few years ago I read Lamott's non-fiction book Bird by Bird, which I really enjoyed. I don't remember much about it, but I do remember reading it on the ferry and laughing out loud. So I was thrilled when I won a ARC of Imperfect Birds as part of the Early Reviewers program. I guessed it was some sort of sequel. Wrong, it's a novel, but the description sounded good: Elizabeth's teenage daughter seems to have a perfect life, but "there are disturbing signs that the well-adjusted teenage life Rosie claims to be leading is a sham . . . slowly and painfully, Elizabeth and James are forced to confront the fact that Rosie has been lying to them." It sounded pretty good to me.

But the description on the back cover didn't match the actual book. The opening line is "there are so many evils that pull on our children," and the opening pages describe Elizabeth's great worries about her daughter who she knows is lying, and she knows is doing drugs. I didn't see any slow realization happening--it was all there in the first few pages of the book.

By page 37 I seriously considered quitting. I couldn't relate to the characters, and I found the writing choppy and sort of all over the place. But as a mother of a teenage daughter, I thought I should stick it out. I did gain some empathy for the parents, but the lying, selfish party girl was boring, as most lying selfish partiers tend to be.

Although Lamott turns a nice phrase occasionally, for the most part this book did nothing for me. If you want to read a book about a parent's struggle with their successful teen throwing away their life to addiction, I recommend instead Beautiful Boy by David Sheff.

Rating: 2.5 stars

Why I Read This Now: ER book

Recommended for: it's not the worst book I've ever read by any means, but I can't really recommend it either.

49Nickelini
helmikuu 23, 2010, 12:12 pm

10. How to Read Novels Like a Professor, by Thomas C Foster

Literary criticism, 2009

Comments: A few years ago I read and loved How to Read Literature Like a Professor, so when I saw this "sequel" at the bookstore, I couldn't resist. But part of me wondered if it was just the same material recycled. I'm happy to say it wasn't--evidently, there's lots to talk about when it comes to books. Reading this book is like sitting through lectures by a really interesting professor. The only complaint I have is that there is no index. What is up with that?

Rating:4 out of 5

Recommended for: anyone who likes to read about books.

50Nickelini
maaliskuu 1, 2010, 10:28 am

11. Food Rules: an Eater's Manual, Michael Pollan

Non-fiction, 2009

Comments: I adore Michael Pollan, and this very small book was an impulse buy. This is a mini-version of his other books--kinda the highlights condensed into small bites.

Recommended for: anyone who wants the basics on how to eat in a healthful and ethical way, but doesn't have time to read his real books (I highly recommend Omnivore's Dilemma).

Why I Read This Now: it was an impulse, but not much of an investment because it's extremely short.

Rating: while it doesn't compare to his longer books, for what it is, I'll give it 4 out of 5 stars.

51Carmenere
maaliskuu 1, 2010, 10:34 am

Thanks for bringing How to read novels like a professor to my attention. I wish I new about that one a couple of weeks ago when I picked up literature like a prof. I would have bought them both. Oh well, just another excuse legitimate reason to run to Borders.

52Nickelini
maaliskuu 12, 2010, 1:06 pm

12. Italian Journey, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Travel memoir, 1786-1788

Why I Read This Now: assigned reading for my Humanities 340 class on Rome.

Comments: First, I have to say that the other students in my class seemed quite enthused about this book, and it did generate lots of fairly interesting discussion. There were some really well-written, though-provoking bits.

But I disliked the absence of a story—this is, for the most part, just a series of events of his time in Italy made up of letters, diary entries and memories. There are moments of splendid finesse, but over all, I found it rather a bore and was quite annoyed with Goethe by the end. Reading this was like listening to some pompous distant relative go on and on about himself. So I had to laugh when the next writer I had to read, the grouchy historian and fellow-German Barthold George Niebuhr, dissed Goethe’s musings on Rome. Writing 30 years later, he says that Goethe wrote “in a fit of intoxication,” and he was “doubtless infected by the spirit of his age.” He goes on to say that Goethe “has no inward, native insight” and writes “with an air of patronizing superiority.” Never mind that Niebuhr writes with an air of patronizing superiority himself. It just felt good to know that I wasn’t the only one to find Goethe’s Italian Journey to be a snooze-fest.

That said, it was an unintimidating read, and I look forward to reading other works by Goethe as long as I’m assured that they have a narrative.

Recommended for: Readers who are interested in first-hand accounts of the Grand Tour.

53Nickelini
maaliskuu 18, 2010, 10:18 am

13. Ines of My Soul, Isabel Allende

Historical fiction, 2005

Comments: look for my review in the upcoming Latin American issue of Belletrista.com.

54jfetting
maaliskuu 18, 2010, 12:02 pm

I keep meaning to read something by Allende, but she never quite manages to make it to the top of the TBR pile. Now I have an excuse - I need to wait to see if you liked Ines of My Soul first!

55Nickelini
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 18, 2010, 12:36 pm

This was my second Allende. Last year I read one of her memoirs, Paula. I really disliked the memoir portion of it, but she kept slipping into fiction, which was really great.

Because of her best known book, House of the Spirits, many people think that Allende = magical realism. However, Ines of My Soul was pretty much straight-forward historical fiction with no magical realism at all. (I got about 80 pages into House of the Spirits a few years ago but it came due at the library and I've never had a chance to try it again. What I read to that point I really liked).

56jmaloney17
maaliskuu 18, 2010, 5:04 pm

I really like Allende. I consider her writing historical fiction. Her descriptions are great. I really liked Ines of My Soul. I also enjoyed Portrait in Sepia and Zorro. Zorro was really fun.

57Nickelini
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 22, 2010, 2:00 pm

14. The Pleasure of My Company, Steve Martin

Contemporary fiction, 2003

Comments: Yes, the author is that Steve Martin. He's one multi-talented individual.

Although Daniel Cambridge lives in an apartment near the ocean in Santa Monica, California, he really lives in his own world. Daniel's life is controlled by his OCD, but somehow he manages to have interesting and fulfilling relationships with a whole raft of characters (none as quirky as himself), save a psychology student from her abusive ex-husband, and win the Most Average American essay contest. Martin has a gift for language--the novel is highly amusing, though not the laugh-out-loud funny you might expect from him. He is obviously a writer of great intelligence. There isn't a lot of plot to the book, but the character arc is very satisfying.

Rating: Right now this is just a shade under 4 stars, but I'm going to think about it and decide in a week or so and see how the book settles in my mind.

Why I Read This Now: When I picked it up I thought it was a novella that I could read for the Club Read novella month. But it's 163 pages long and reads like a novel. Also, I wanted to read something completely different from what I've been reading this year.

Recommended for: people who like books with quirky characters or are interested in OCD, people who like books that have intelligent language but are still easy to read.

edited to add: I read Martin's other novel, Shopgirl, a few years ago. I definitely preferred the Pleasure of My Company because Shopgirl was just too lonely and depressing. Even though PoMC has some sad moments, and Daniel is controlled by his anxieties, he is always optimistic.

58Nickelini
maaliskuu 22, 2010, 2:42 pm

15. Women and Writing, Virginia Woolf

Essays & literary criticism, 1904-1942

Comments: This book is an absolute gem. Part one covers essays where Woolf discusses women and writing as a whole, part two covers essays about particular women authors (inc. George Eliot, Christina Rossetti, Katherine Mansfield and of course Jane Austen and the Brontes). There is also an excellent 39 page introduction. Woolf covers many of the same themes and topics as she does in A Room of One's Own, but from a slightly different angle.

My very favourite essay is "Professions for Women" (which is also published in the collection The Death of the Moth). In it, the narrator brilliantly describes how she had to kill the Angel in the House: "I turned upon her and caught her by the throat ..." This is Woolf at her most vigorous, taking agency in her life. I also really enjoyed her essays on Jane Austen and the Brontes, and also one titled "Royalty." Great stuff!

Why I Read This Now: I wandered in to it looking for a quotation or two for an essay, and stayed to read the whole book.

Recommended for: This is a must-read for fans of A Room of One's Own and anyone interested in the issues that women novelists face, and also anyone interested in women writers in general.

Rating: 4/5 stars. I would have given this a full 5 stars, but there were several essays that I didn't care for, mostly because I had no knowledge of the authors Woolf discussed. That doesn't take away from how fabulous some of the other essays were, however.

59Nickelini
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 27, 2010, 5:23 pm

16. The Age of Oprah: Cultural Icon for the Neoliberal Era, Janice Peck

2008, non-fiction (media & cultural studies)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Comments: I was surprised at how much I liked this book. It was meticulously researched, and decidedly scholarly, but a well written and interesting read. The author of The Age of Oprah, Janice Peck, teaches journalism and media at the U of Colorado, and she has never been a fan of Oprah. That does not mean that this book is a smear job; this is not a personal attack. Instead, Peck unpretentiously but scrupulously traces Oprah’s shadow through Reaganomics, the Clinton years and up to the present, and situates her within a broader political milieu.

The author gives a great crash course on the changes to US social and economic policy brought on my neo-liberalism, a political philosophy that views the world entirely through the lens of economics (and is not in opposition to neo-conservatism, as I once assumed). She traces the development of Oprah’s worldview that everyone can be empowered by positive thinking. She shows with specific examples how Winfrey resisted efforts by her guest experts to connect whatever issue was under discussion with the broader political and economic issues. For Oprah, right thinking and an entrepreneurial spirit solve all problems. According to Peck (and I agree now that she’s pointed this out), Winfrey subtly distances herself from feminist politics and the radicalism of the Civil Rights movement. Further, she has a “propensity to valorize individual volunteerism approaches to systemic social problems.” Through thinking, acting, doing, it is up to each individual to overcome inequalities of race, class and gender: after all, Oprah did it herself. What’s your problem? The downside to this way of thinking is that it has a strong “depoliticizing power” that results in a society of consumers rather than citizens. (And consumerism is another thing that Oprah is definitely a cheerleader for--an aspect of her that has bothered me for many years).

I’ve always had mixed feelings about Oprah. I admire that she at least tries to send a positive message, because that’s a rare thing to see on TV. And I’ve certainly seen some interesting things over the years of her shows. But I’ve often been annoyed by her, and I think her ego is larger than her bank account. So, in other words, I neither loved nor hated her. After the Age of Oprah, however, I know I will never see her in such a benign light ever again. From now on, colour me skeptical.

Recommended for: anyone interested in US cultural studies. This is also and excellent example of good academic writing that is sophisticated without being mired in pretentious jargon.

Why I Read This Now: I was tempted by it at the uni bookstore, but then found it at the library and couldn't resist. This was in impulse read.

60bonniebooks
huhtikuu 2, 2010, 2:42 am

Perfect description of how I feel about Oprah's behavior and her show. I'm going to look for this book.

61Nickelini
Muokkaaja: huhtikuu 2, 2010, 5:00 pm

17. Living Dolls: the Return of Sexism, Natasha Walter

2010, Non-fiction

Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Comments:. My . . . where to start . . . this was a very interesting book that covers a side of British culture that I missed on my visit last year! Actually, there are two books here. The first section, titled "the New Sexism" discusses various ways our pornographied culture (did I just make up that word?) is bad for women, despite the claim that it gives us choices. The second half, titled "the New Determinism," shows the different ways that the media pushes aside ideas of socialized behaviours in favour of biological determinism, and again, how this is detrimental to girls and women. Unfortunately, the bad science that the popular culture follows negatively affects our beliefs and our behaviour.

Walter wants her readers to "become more alert to the impact the new fashion for biological determinism might have on strengthening stereotypes in everyday life and therefore on holding back the possibility of greater equality."

Recommended for: any female over the age of 14, anyone who meets females during their day to day activities.

Why I Read This Now: Because Avaland recommended it and it had just arrived at my library.

62wookiebender
huhtikuu 2, 2010, 5:51 pm

Nickelini, that Oprah book does sound fascinating! And, going back a bit, I also recommend Steve Martin's Pure Drivel - highly amusing short snippets of humour.

63Nickelini
huhtikuu 2, 2010, 7:05 pm

I'll look out for that one. I have a copy of his Cruel Shoes that I've been packing around with me since grade 12 (a very long time ago!). I don't think I'll ever get rid of it . . . it always makes me laugh, or at least reminds me of how funny I used to think it was, anyway.

64Nickelini
huhtikuu 4, 2010, 12:08 pm

18. the Love of a Good Woman, Alice Munro

1998, Short stories

Comments: I'm not sure what I want to say about this one. There are things about it I liked (general writing style, some of the settings), and things I disliked (unsettling feeling it brought on, some of the characters and situations). Giller Prize winner.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: people wanting to read prize winners in CanLit.

Why I Read This Now: this hard cover had been taking up room on Mnt TBR for way too long.

65Nickelini
Muokkaaja: huhtikuu 7, 2010, 9:48 pm

19. The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas

2008, Australian lit

Rating: 4/5 stars ... at times I thought his might go up to 5 stars, at other times I thought it was more like 2.

Comments: Crikey! This was one of the most engaging books I’ve read in a long time. "At a suburban barbeque, a man slaps a child who is not his own." The novel is divided into eight sections, each covering the point of view of one of the characters who was at the barbeque. But it is soon clear that there are many, many issues besides the slap. I thought about giving up after the first page because the introductory character is so despicable. I continued on and soon found myself swept up in the story. About ¾ of the way through, it really tanked, but got more interesting again with the final section.

What I liked: the best thing about this book is that it is a compelling a read. The almost 500 pgs flew by. I also liked the strong hit of Australian culture. Finally, I liked how the story was structured around eight different characters and their various points of view.

What I didn’t like: Although the judges that awarded this book the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize obviously disagree with me, I thought this book needs a ton of editing. The Slap should not have gone a page over 300. They could have saved trees and trimmed out 50 pages just by deleting all references to smoking cigarettes. Next, the language used by every single character was ridiculous. Adults really say the F-and C-words in front of children? Really? Also, everything the author knows about sex was apparently learned from watching porn. There are too many characters in this book, and I disliked all of them (except perhaps Anouk—not sure about her. And maybe Richie). The rest of them have to be the most despicable citizens of Australia.

Why I Read This Now: it’s the April book for my book club.

Recommended for: Book clubs. This is NOT a typical book club, but is definitely great for sparking discussion.

Not recommended for: readers who dislike gratuitous swearing, sex and drug use and books with nasty characters.


66wookiebender
huhtikuu 15, 2010, 9:58 pm

Oh, I'm glad you liked The Slap, I thought it was a very powerful read! (Although "like" may not be the word...)

And, yes, in some sections of Australian society, use of the F & C words in front of children (and *by* children, with the F word) is very common. I've definitely had to learn to rein in my foul language since I've had kids of my own (well, since my friends started having kids), but I must just be old fashioned or something. (Definitely a snob, as well.)

67Nickelini
huhtikuu 20, 2010, 11:24 am

20. A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

1859, British literature

Rating: 3.5 stars

Comments: I have been trying to read this book for at least 20 years (bought my copy somewhere between 1988-1990) and finally did it. I really thought this was the Dickens I was going to love best. I loved the opening lines, and loved the idea of a novel set against the French Revolution. Unfortunately, I found most of the first half a real slog. It did pick up in the second half, and I rather enjoyed it in the end, but it's not a page turner for me like Bleak House was. The details about the revolution were great, and I know next time I visit Paris, I will really look at it through different eyes! Every Dickens book has at least one outstandingly memorable character, and in this one I'd have to say it's Madame Defarge. Just thinking of her sends shivers of fear and revulsion down my spine! And that's all I have to say about that.

Why I Read This Now: I tried to read it for the February Dickens group read, but didn't get very far, also it's one of the oldest books in Mnt. TBR. And I'm on a quest to read a Dickens a year, so this is my 2010 entry.

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended for: I hear that people who don't care for Dickens like this one; it's different than his other stuff. Definitely a must read for anyone who is interested in the French Revolution because it captures the capricious atmosphere of the time perfectly.

68bonniebooks
huhtikuu 20, 2010, 11:32 am

Definitely a must read for anyone who is interested in the French Revolution because it captures the capricious atmosphere of the time perfectly.

That's why I remember liking it, but not that fond of Dickens after reading Great Expectations. Promised arubabookwoman/Deborah that I would eventually read Little Dorrit though.

69clif_hiker
huhtikuu 20, 2010, 12:10 pm

now there's an idea that I like a lot... taking an author like Dickens and reading one work by that author a year

I think I will adopt that.. maybe even with Dickens, whom I can't honestly say that I've read even one book written by him.

I may do the same with Jane Austen, Dumas, Melville, Hemingway, Steinbeck (although with the exception of Austen, I've read all of those other authors...)

70Nickelini
huhtikuu 20, 2010, 12:27 pm

kcs_hiker - that's exactly what I'm doing . . . I think I started out with Jane Austen (only one book left!), and then I added Dickens, and since then I've added Henry James.

71Nickelini
huhtikuu 20, 2010, 12:28 pm

Oh, and Margaret Atwood. But sometimes I read more than one a year. I don't give myself any extra brownie points for extra reads though. :-)

72Nickelini
Muokkaaja: huhtikuu 26, 2010, 2:04 pm

Bloody Tower, Valerie Wilding

2002, Children's

Comments: These are the diary entries of Tilly between the ages of 12 and 18. Tilly is the daughter of the Tower of London’s physician, and it is set in the years starting with the short reign of Lady Jane Grey and ending with Elizabeth I’s ascent to the throne. During these years Tilly watches the waves of change in English politics that flow around the Tower, and witnesses many executions. There are some nice details of daily life in 16th century London that the author slips in unobtrusively.

This book doesn’t spare any gory details, and some of them may be disturbing to especially sensitive readers, but it IS a children’s book, so it’s pre-teen level head chopping ;-) This is part of the My Story series, which also includes books about the 17th century plague, the Irish famine and the London Blitz.

Recommended for:This is also a good gateway book to start any young reader’s Tudor addiction. Bloody Tower at ten, Wolf Hall at 18.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Why I Read This Now: My 10 year old daughter has been playing university and she assigned this book for me to read and then write an essay on.

73wookiebender
huhtikuu 26, 2010, 10:34 pm

My 10 year old daughter has been playing university and she assigned this book for me to read and then write an essay on.

Oh, that tickled my fancy. (Along with Bloody Tower at ten, Wolf Hall at 18.)

74Nickelini
Muokkaaja: huhtikuu 30, 2010, 12:34 pm

22. Cat's Eye, Margaret Atwood

Canlit, 1988

rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Comments: Atwood is really a fabulous writer. She is able to describe people, places and events that is absolutely crystalline (by that I mean both clear and sparkling). There were many brilliant moments in this book. I especially liked the parts about the protagonist's brother, especially when he is an adult. However, there were also some repetitive boring bits in this book--I think it should have been about 150 pages shorter.

I guess that I was a little disappointed because based on the book's description, I expected this to be my favourite Atwood yet (art! memory! bullies! What could be better?). It was good, but not my favourite.

Why I Read This Now: I'm reading an Atwood a year, and there was an Atwood group read happening this month.

Recommended for: a broad audience . . . people who appreciate well-written contemporary literature.

75Nickelini
Muokkaaja: huhtikuu 30, 2010, 12:34 pm

duplicate post

76bonniebooks
toukokuu 1, 2010, 2:56 pm

Hmmm...I told someone else that Cat's Eye was my favorite Atwood based on my vague memories of how I felt about the book while reading it relative to other Atwood's read. I wish I could plug into my brain and compare all reactions to her books concurrently. I'm really only tempted to read The Handmaid's Tale and Cat's Eye again, though, so maybe I'll find a time to read them together.

77Nickelini
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 4, 2010, 12:25 pm

23. Life After God, Douglas Coupland

1994

Comments: What an odd little book! Some readers describe it as short stories, and I guess some parts are, but, no, I wouldn't label this short stories. Vignettes? Tidbits? Fictionalized memoir? Postmodern snapshots? All of those and none of those.

The title, Life After God, relates to the theme of the book, which is the ennui experienced by the "first generation raised without God" and their search for meaning and purpose.

There were some real gems in this book. A lot of readers like Coupland's philosophical insights, but what I really like is when he describes events I've experienced or places I've been. He has a fabulous gift for capturing these in just the right words.

Here's one bit that I found most enjoyably bizarre: "I looked at her and didn't even blink an eye--the answer just flashed into my head--it was the name of Peter Zzyzzy, the guy who had always been listed as the last person in the Vancouver telephone book. 'Peter Zzyzzy,' I said."

. . . every year when I was a kid we'd check the last name in the phone book, and yes, indeed, it was Peter Zzyzzy. And we would marvel at such a fabulous name, and wonder if he changed his name just so he could be at the very end of the book. Over the years, the names at the end got stranger and stranger (this is before we realized you could give the phone company any name--it didn't have to be real). And at the same time, on the other side of town, little Dougy Coupland was doing the same thing. And then grew up to be a famous author and write about it. Bizarre.

The book is also physically odd: it's 360 pages long, but there are lots of illustrations, and it's only about 3 inches by 2 inches. A friend read it in one sitting, but the voice got to me after a while and I had to read it in chunks.

Why I Read This Now: it was time for something completely different, and short.

Recommended for: people who like reading post-modern snapshots? People who like humorous philosophy?

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

78Nickelini
toukokuu 5, 2010, 12:07 pm

The latest issue of Belletrista is up! http://www.belletrista.com/2010/issue5/index.php

My reviews for #8 Family Album and #13 Ines of My Soul are there, as promised. Here are the links:

book #8: http://www.belletrista.com/2010/issue5/anth_7.php

book #13: http://www.belletrista.com/2010/issue5/anth_13.php

79Nickelini
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 18, 2010, 10:37 am

24. Ethan Frome and Selected Stories, Edith Wharton

1910-ish

Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

Comments: When I bought this book for $1 a few years ago, I thought I'd just read Ethan Frome and then pass it on to a charity shop. Based on the negative comments about Ethan Frome here at LT, and descriptions of its grim bleakness, I really wasn't expecting to like it. So what a pleasant surprise it was! Yes, the story of a poor man, frozen by bleak circumstances and trapped by life, is hardly a FUN! read. But Wharton's gift of language and manipulation of story makes for a fascinating read. And yes, the ending is melodramatic and overblown, but I didn't see that as a negative.

The novella Ethan Frome takes up the first half of this edition, and it is followed by four shorter stories:

"The Pretext" - I have to admit this one did nothing for me. In ways it was similar to Ethan Frome, but not as interestingly drawn.
"Afterward" - A ghost story that's really more about karma.
"The Legend" - Wharton shows how silly pretentious scholars really can be.
"Xingu" - the best of the lot . . . Wharton shows how pretentious silly book club ladies really can be. Seriously though, if you've ever been to a book club, I suggest you read this story. It's widely available for free online.

I know I haven't said much about what any of these stories are actually about, but you just have to read them and see for yourself. Sorry, I've sent my brain on a little vacation as a reward for finishing my degree. It will be back sometime later this month.

I also have to mention that although I own several of these Barnes & Noble Classics editions, this is the first I've read. I'm quite happy with the quality of the binding, paper, extras and artwork. I had assumed that these were sort of throw away editions, but now I think they're rather nice.

Oh, and I'm going to go add Edith Wharton to my favourite authors list.

Why I Read This Now: I read a Wharton short story a few months ago for school ("Roman Fever") and I wanted to read more of her. ClubRead's group project this month is short story collections, and I was going to read Ethan Frome anyway, so I thought I'd read them all.

Recommended for: fans of literary fiction.

edited to adjust rating . . . I first gave it a five but then noticed all the wonderful 4 and 4.5 books in my library and so have now adjusted it.

80lauralkeet
toukokuu 6, 2010, 8:44 pm

>24 wandering_star:: Oh, and I'm going to go add Edith Wharton to my favourite authors list.
Yay! She's one of my favorite authors as well. Although I've read and loved a number of her books, I have yet to read Ethan Frome. I allowed myself to be swayed by my daughter's opinion when she had to read it for school at age 15 or so. And then I came across many more positive opinions and reviews (and, yes, others who hated it), and decided I was probably being silly. It hasn't made it to the top of my tbr yet, but I will definitely read it at some point.

81Nickelini
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 6, 2010, 9:03 pm

I don't get why teachers assign books like Ethan Frome to teenagers. Sure, some will "get" it, and some will like it, but really, it'll be wasted on most of them. It's the kind of book that you give to people who love reading, who love literature . . . not to kids who just want to get a decent grade and just maybe be entertained too. There are good books that appeal to the 15 year old brain--use those ones! I would have detested it as a teen--I can guarantee that I would not have finished it. And lucky kids now days have sparknotes and other internet sites to help them out so they don't ever have to read these ...until they're ready. In other words, this is the type of book I think you have to read because you want to, not because you have to.

Rant over.

82ktleyed
toukokuu 6, 2010, 10:19 pm

#81 - I was one of those teenagers that had to read Ethan Frome in high school, and yes, I was bored stiff and hated it (and I loved reading, particularly classic literature at the time.) But, the book was so dreary and dull to me at the time, I still don't know (30 something years later) if I can bring myself to ever pick it up again. I think the teacher must have had something to do with it too, but I could just not appreciate it.

83paruline
toukokuu 7, 2010, 10:01 am

#79-81, I read Ethan Frome last year and quite liked it. I thought the descriptions of wintery landscapes were spot on, and the author was very good at steadily building a sense of dread and suffocation.

Maybe, in order to appreciate it, one needs to have experienced some sense of entrapment into one's life, and (just a hunch) I think a lot of teenagers are turned toward the future instead of reflecting upon their own lives. Good for them I say, there will be time enough for looking back.

Anyway, I will be starting The house of mirth this evening and looking forward to it.

84Deern
toukokuu 7, 2010, 10:22 am

Now I am all curious about Ethan Frome.... I only read The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton and liked it a lot. I will put EF on my watchlist for the next book order.

85Nickelini
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 7, 2010, 1:06 pm

25. Enlightened Sexism, Susan J. Douglas

2010, non-fiction

rating: 4.5/5 stars

Comments: In this book, Douglas examines how girls and women are represented in the media. Popular culture says that full equality for women has been achieved. Of course, any reflective, thoughtful adult would recognize that this is a myth. But the media doesn’t recognize it, and instead perpetrates the idea that feminism is now pointless and even bad for you. This is part of what defines “enlightened sexism.” The definition also includes the idea that, because women are now equal, it is amusing to resurrect sexist stereotypes. TV shows and movies that show women in power—the judges, high-powered attorneys, police chiefs and surgeons—while very nice to see, do not reflect the reality of life for women in our society. One of Douglas’s main points is that these fantasies distract us from the ongoing status of women as second class citizens.

Douglas examines a vast array of shows and personalities to expose enlightened sexism. She cites others as good examples of feminist media. Just some that she discusses include: Murphy Brown, Beverly Hills 90210, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Loreena Bobbit, Ally McBeal, Living Single, Grey’s Anatomy, Sex & the City, Cosmo and Vogue magazines, reality TV, Mean Girls, Clueless, celebrity culture (including the search for the ‘baby bump’), Hilary Clinton, Sarah Palin, Desperate Housewives and the dearth of lesbian characters and celebrities. This is a partial list, and she discusses many others.

Although I haven’t seen half of the shows she discusses, I still found Enlightened Sexism extremely interesting. At times it was so discouraging and depressing that I had to put it aside for a few days. However, Douglas has a great sense of humour, which helped to elevate the extreme bleakness of the material. She also writes in a conversational tone that makes for smooth reading.

Recommended for: This is a must-read for anyone interested in cultural studies, media studies or women’s studies. Also recommended for anyone who is female or knows anyone who is female.

Why I Read This Now: A LT book fairy sent it to me and it was too intriguing not to read immediately.

86jfetting
toukokuu 7, 2010, 1:12 pm

And after your comments, it is pretty clear to me that jfetting needs to read it, asap!

Re: Ethan Frome, I had a different reaction to it. I love Edith Wharton to pieces (if you ever want to read a 1000 page bookstopper, Hermione Lee's biography of her, Edith Wharton, is great) but I didn't like Ethan Frome much. I'm a much bigger fan of her novels.

Paruline - The House of Mirth is fantastic. I once missed a subway stop because I was reading it on the el and was too engrossed in the life of Lily Bart to pay attention to where I was.

87Nickelini
toukokuu 7, 2010, 1:27 pm

Jennifer - sounds like Edith Wharton only gets better! I can see why people wouldn't like Ethan Frome, but I really enjoyed the writing (more than the story itself). If you think EF is a low point, than I have a lot to look forward to . . . I currently own Age of Innocence and another short story collection (Roman Fever and Other Stories), and I'm sure House of Mirth will wander into my house sometime soon.

88lauralkeet
toukokuu 8, 2010, 6:42 am

>87 Nickelini:: I loved Roman Fever and Other Stories. It fell into my hands quite by chance and I was completely unfamiliar with Wharton as a short story writer. There are some really amazing stories in that book, ones that capture your attention and then hit you with a "whomp" right at the end.

89bonniebooks
toukokuu 9, 2010, 1:26 am

>81 Nickelini:: I'm with you, Joyce!

90wookiebender
toukokuu 9, 2010, 8:57 pm

Just going in the Edith Wharton fan club as well! I did rather enjoy (if that's the right word) Ethan Frome, but have loved the novels she's written. Must keep my eyes open for the short stories!

And Enlightened Sexism sounds fascinating. It's been a while since I've read any feminist non-fiction, this sounds like a good one for dipping my toe back into those waters.

91Nickelini
toukokuu 9, 2010, 10:14 pm

And Enlightened Sexism sounds fascinating. It's been a while since I've read any feminist non-fiction, this sounds like a good one for dipping my toe back into those waters.

Yes, it's good . . . but it also depends how up on US TV and movie culture you are . . . I had only watched maybe half of them and it was fine . . . but if you're a total intellectual snob (right!), it's just not going to work.

92wookiebender
toukokuu 9, 2010, 10:56 pm

I think I'll be right, I know everything on that list (with the exception of "Living Single"). I may dip my toes in the bracing waters of intellectual snobbery, but most of me likes the soft warm comfort of sheer entertainment. :) So this sounds like an excellent book - feminism AND pop culture! How can I lose??

93Nickelini
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 11, 2010, 10:12 am

26. Have a Nice Doomsday: Why Millions of Americans are Looking Forward to the End of the World, Nicholas Guyatt

2007, Non-fiction

Comments: Apparently, 50 million Americans believe that we are living in the end times, and that any day now, Jesus is going to swoop down to earth and Rapture his true believers. Everyone else will have to hang around for the Tribulation and life under the one-world global empire of the Antichrist and face Armageddon. Guyatt, an Englishman, is fascinated by this worldview and wonders why, if these people are leaving soon,are they bothering to get involved in US politics? And are the leaders of this movement (prophecy preachers who are part of the Religious Right) influencing Washington in hopes of bringing this on?

Having been raised by Bible-literalists as a child, but waking up as an adult to realize I don't share that worldview, I find literalists, fundamentalists and political evangelicals both fascinating and scary. Guyatt approaches these people with a great deal of respect, and for the most part they come off as nice people (he is no Richard Dawkins). This is an interesting, easy read (he's a history professor here in Vancouver, but this is not a dry academic read).

Some readers have criticized the book because he doesn't exactly answer the question in his title ("WHY millions of Americans are Looking Forward to the End of the World"). I think he does in an oblique manner -- one answer he gives is that people are attracted to this belief because it means they will avoid "the whole death thing" (p 211).

The biggest concern that this book raises is that these prophecy preachers are often invited to appear on TV (Fox of course, but also CNN) and are presented as "Middle East Experts" but without mentioning that they've earned this label only through studying Biblical prophecy and not through educational or career credentials. Further, they are in regular communication with congressional representatives and government staffers. This could have scary results, as their idea of the future is very different from the general population.

The author is currently working on a book about creationism that I will definitely read when it is published.

Why I Read This Now: I couldn't find the non-fiction book I planned to read, but this one was just there, calling my name.

Recommended for: readers interested in fringe influences on US politics, people interested in cultural studies.

Rating: 4/5 stars

94Nickelini
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 14, 2010, 12:03 pm

27. The Probable Future, Alice Hoffman

2003

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Comments: Since the 1600s, in the small town of Unity, Massachusetts, there have been only girl children born to the Sparrow family and every one of these daughters has kept her family name. On their 13th birthdays, the Sparrow women have woken up to discover they have a "gift"... in the case of the three Sparrow characters in The Probable Future, the gifts are the ability to spot a lie, the ability to see other people's dreams, and the ability to foresee how others will die. I guess this book could be summed up by saying it's about the youngest, 13 year old Stella, struggling to come to terms with her gift.

What I Liked: There is an enchanting atmosphere about this book that made me happy to enter its world every time I picked it up. If this town really existed, I would want to move there. Other words I'd use to describe it are lush, verdant, and charming.

What I Didn't Like: This book has flaws on a number of levels. Errors of fact, annoying repetition and flaws in pacing are just some of the things that jump out at me. I think it should have gone through at least one more edit before publication.

Recommended for: This is not the type of book I usually read, but I really enjoyed it. It is a good vacation or comfort read.

Why I Read This Now: Just clipping through my TBR pile.

95Nickelini
toukokuu 19, 2010, 7:03 pm

28. Brightsided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America, Barbara Ehrenreich

2009, Non-fiction

Comments: I finished this book the other day, and I've been thinking about what to say, but I'm just not feeling very inspired. It was an interesting, quick read. At times the nihilist side of me felt conflicted with the glass-is-half-full side.

Recommended for: This book would appeal to a wide-audience. Somehow though I think it's more likely to be read by grumps and nihilists like me. People like my annoyingly perky sister-in-law, who walks around cheering "Life Is Good!!!!" and "I am So Blessed!" should read it, but most likely won't.

Why I Read This Now: it was calling my name from the top of Mnt. TBR.

96Nickelini
toukokuu 22, 2010, 12:02 pm

29. the Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter

1979, Short stories

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Comments: The Bloody Chamber is a collection of short stories that are all inspired by fairy tales. They all have a distinctly adult and very dark side to them. Sounds like something I'd like, but alas, I didn't. Carter writes many stunningly beautiful sentences and has an exquisite gift for imagery. Unfortunately, I didn't find the sentences worked when placed together. The parts did not make a whole. I find quite often that retellings of myths and fairy tales have a distant, distracted tone to them that just doesn't do it for me.

Recommended for: people who like new twists on fairy tales.

Why I Read This Now: It's short story month at ClubRead.

97Nickelini
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 23, 2010, 11:15 am

30. Villette, Charlotte Bronte

1853, British literature, Audiobook

Comments: Villette is a lengthy novel told by the duplicitous first person narrator, Lucy Snowe, about her life as an English governess in the faux Belgian city of Villette.

What I Liked: Charlotte Bronte is truly writes beautifully, and the language in this book is delightful for its own sake. I also like the atmosphere created by the tension of the dark, almost gothic elements threatening the light. Even though Lucy Snowe's cagey, enigmatic narrative technique often drove me a little crazy, I did like how there was a lot that went unsaid in this novel. I also liked the proto-feminist statements and stance of the book.

What I Didn't Like: This book drove me crazy. One problem is that it was simply too long--many times I found myself screaming inside "just get on with it!" Huge sections of the book were about Lucy Snowe judging other people, or being judged. Then I found myself screaming "stop being so damn judgmental and just get on with your lives!" And, as in Jane Eyre, there is a tremendous amount of surveillance going on--everyone is constantly watching the other and trying to control other's behaviors through surveillance. It's interesting how this combines with Lucy Snowe's layers of concealment (which actually makes me think it's an element of the novel that perhaps I like--at least it would make an interesting essay topic. But, yea!, I don't have to write an essay on Villette.) But I digress . . .

And as in Jane Eyre, some of the plot developments were just too convenient (although, unlike Jane Eyre, they weren't as unintentionally comical). Although I get that Lucy Snowe is intentionally concealing facts in order to tell HER story, I think most readers would have liked more information about her past and how she came to be in this situation.

Many readers today are annoyed or even offended by Bronte's commentary on Catholicism, and I can see their point. It's not just Catholics who she looks down on though, but anyone non-English. It seems very dated, although I suppose this book could be viewed as cultural commentary on its time and place.

If so, then it gives me yet another reason to be happy that I didn't live back then--Lucy Snowe's was a most unpleasant world.

Rating: Part of me sees this book as a 4 star read, but another really loud voice says 2. So I guess that makes it 3 stars out of 5.

Recommended for: This one is only for the true-blue 19th century fiction fan.

98jfetting
toukokuu 23, 2010, 12:19 pm

***Spoiler alert!*** (not to you, Joyce, since you know the ending)

The ending of Villette had me yelling "Damn you, Charlotte Bronte!". I like my happy endings unambiguous, not "Well, if you want, you can believe that this all didn't happen, and they lived happily after".

The incident where Lucy goes to confession is completely autobiographical, from the time when Charlotte was in Brussels and alone and sad and in love with her married teacher (the original of Paul Emanuel) and having a bit of a spiritual crisis. Juliet Barker thinks that this is part of why Charlotte is sooo anti-Catholic - because she came darn close to becoming one.

99Nickelini
toukokuu 23, 2010, 12:41 pm

SPOILER: The ending of Villette had me yelling "Damn you, Charlotte Bronte!". I like my happy endings unambiguous, not "Well, if you want, you can believe that this all didn't happen, and they lived happily after".

:-) That's funny! The English major in me just can't see that as a happy ending--mainly because of the line that says that the three years leading up to the end of the book were her happiest. Which to me means she was living under the idea of love and hope. Argh, such a frustrating book!

The incident where Lucy goes to confession is completely autobiographical, from the time when Charlotte was in Brussels and alone and sad and in love with her married teacher (the original of Paul Emanuel) and having a bit of a spiritual crisis. Juliet Barker thinks that this is part of why Charlotte is sooo anti-Catholic - because she came darn close to becoming one.

Interesting! I did not know that, but it makes sense. Obviously she put a lot of thought into it.

100Nickelini
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 30, 2010, 11:40 am

31. Planet of Slums, Mike Davis

2006, Non-fiction

Comments: This book made me want to crawl into bed, pull the covers over my head, and never ever come out. Davis looks at the urbanization of the planet, and along with it, the billions of people living in urban squalor. According to Davis, the "exponential growth of slums is no accident but the result of ... corrupt leadership, institutional failure, and IMF-imposed (International Monetary Fund) Structural Adjustment Programs leading to a massive transfer of wealth from poor to rich."

For the most part, this book looks at the situation from a very high level, and does not focus on any city or specific issue for more than a paragraph or two. I was disappointed that the book stayed at such a high level and didn't delve into specifics--although Davis is outraged at the plight of billions of slum dwellers, this book lacks humanity. This complaint might be meaningless for readers who are looking for other information from the book. And I did learn all sorts of very interesting things. For example:

- in the list of top 20 countries with the largest slum populations, all of the countries are outside of the Western world, except the United States, where there are 12.8 million people living in slums. That's more than the population of all of Greece. However, that was one of the few mentions of the US in the book, as the focus was elsewhere.

-the best way to clear a slum is to soak a cat or a rat in kerosene, light it on fire, and let it loose to run through the slum (they don't use dogs because they die too fast)

- the upper classes have built walled suburbs to sequester themselves from the great unwashed. This is not surprising, but what is surprising to me is that these are often engineered to copy a fantasy southern California lifestyle. These 'off-worlds' have names like Orange County (Bejing) and Beverly Hills (Cairo), and are more like private cities than suburbs. This sounds like something out of Oryx and Crake!

- Of course many of the slum dwellers live in excrement. But I never considered how the absence of latrines causes particular problems for women in many third world countries, who are "terrorized by the Catch-22 situation of being expected to maintain strict standards of modesty while lacking access to any private means of hygiene . . . to defecate, women and girls have to wait until dark, which exposes them to harassment and even sexual assault."

It's an ugly world we live in. This book describes the situation and its causes, but doesn't suggest solutions or give any hope. An interesting read, but very depressing.

Rating: 3.5 stars--perhaps not a true reflection of the merit of the book, but more a comment on my disappointment at the lack of human detail.

Recommended for: readers interested in the topic who want a well-researched, thoughtful look at this dire reality.

Why I Read This Now: I felt like reading some non-fiction.

101Nickelini
toukokuu 31, 2010, 4:43 pm

32. What Maisie Knew, Henry James

1897

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Comments: In another take on innocence corrupted, Henry James tells the story of Maisie Farange, who is used as a pawn by her two nasty divorced parents. Her life becomes entangled in a web of relationships involving her selfish parents, her stepparents, and a handful of assorted lovers and governesses. Poor Maisie never meets another child through the whole story. This is mid-career James, so although I found it a fairly quick read, it is composed of typically Byzantine Jamesian sentences and one must keep one's brain cells active in order to understand what is going on and read between all those lines.

Recommended for: Henry James fans. I wouldn't recommend this novel to a James newbie.

Why I Read This Now: I was in the mood for some James, and this one was the oldest in my closet.

102Nickelini
kesäkuu 2, 2010, 12:17 pm

33. Light on Snow, Anita Shreve

2004

Comments: A 12 year old girl is struggling to create a life for herself with her father in New Hampshire after the accidental death of her mother and baby sister. Out snowshoeing one December afternoon, they find an abandoned baby.

Someone commented on this book's review page that this book read like a movie-of-the-week, and that's a perfect description. A quick, interesting-enough read that's fairly benign. My edition had a mesmerizingly shiny purple dustjacket and underneath the book was a very pretty shade of violet. I liked that part a lot.

Recommended for: Well, literary snobs can skip this one. I'd recommend it as a beach read, but most of it happens during a snowstorm, so perhaps it is better suited to take along on a ski vacation. Anyway, recommended for anyone who wants a quick, easy read.

Why I Read This Now: I needed a break from the heavier and more difficult stuff I've been reading these past few months, and this was a refreshing break, in a potato chip sort of way. I'd never read Shreve before, and I will read her again when I'm in this sort of mood.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

103Nickelini
kesäkuu 5, 2010, 12:04 pm

34. The Anybodies, NE Bode

2004, Children (10-13 yrs according to the back of the book)

Comments: Written in a similar style to the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events books, The Anybodies is the story of a most unusual girl named Fern. Early in the book Fern learns that her parents, the Drudgers, who are "ridiculously dull" (after all, they are both accountants for the firm Beige & Beige), are not indeed her real parents. Her real--somewhat magical--family is much more interesting, and somewhat more dangerous.

There are lots of delightful details in this book (the Drudgers themselves had both been "exceptionally boring children who enjoyed putting their toys in rows and keeping their pencils sharp. When feeling wild, they might have hummed, but that was about it") and it is packed with literary references (Alice, Oz, Narnia, Charlotte's Web, Roald Dahl). It also has fabulous illustrations by Peter Ferguson (who according to the back cover, "lurks in a dusty corner of the hamlet Montreal, not far from the Arctic Circle"). Further, there was a strong female protagonist who, it is very clear, can take care of herself. I loved all the details, but put together, it was all a bit frantic for me. However, I am not the target audience. My 13 year old thought it was great.

Recommended for: This book would appeal equally to boys and girls. It has humour and action, and literary references that reward the book lover. However, most of the books referred to have been made into popular movies, so the non-reader would not feel left out.

Why I Read This Now: it looked interesting and fit into my 1010 challenge.

104Nickelini
Muokkaaja: kesäkuu 6, 2010, 2:37 pm

35. The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde

late 19th century; novel, short stories, plays, poetry, essays

Comments: I didn't actually read all 954 of these oversized pages, because I had already read much of it in other places. I decided that it's not important that I read every word Oscar Wilde ever wrote. I've previously read A Picture of Dorian Gray, which I will read again in the future. I read all the short stories, but I'd rather see the plays preformed than read them. And I've read enough of his poetry and essays to get the idea.

Recommended for: big time Oscar Wilde fans; other readers can stop after The Picture of Dorian Gray (although they should also see his plays if the opportunity arises).

Why I Read This Now: It's a great big chunkster that's been in Mnt TBR for ten years, so this winter when I had to study one of his essays and a bunch of poems, I thought now was the time (I started back in January).

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

105Nickelini
kesäkuu 13, 2010, 9:44 pm

36. Loitering With Intent, Muriel Spark

1981, BritLit, Audiobook

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Why I Read This Now: I had never heard of this book when I downloaded it from my library's website on to my iPod. There was almost nothing available, and desperate for something, I went on Spark's reputation alone.

Comments: I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this. The tag "autobiography" was prominent on the book's page, and I knew little about Spark. It was soon clear that this was no straight biography, but a novel about a young writer in mid-20th century London. Highly amusing, at times laugh-out-loud funny (which is always fun when one is listening to her iPod in public). If Fleur Talbot is Muriel Spark, then I think she's just fabulous (and much nicer than that strange Miss Jean Brodie!). This made the Booker shortlist in 1981 (lost to Midnight's Children, which keeps winner the Booker after all these years).

Recommended for: people who like books about writers, Anglophiles.

106Nickelini
kesäkuu 14, 2010, 11:19 am

37. The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy

1997, Indian literature

Rating: 4/5

Comments: I think I'm the last person to read this one, so all I'll say is that I thought this was a beautifully written book. When I started it, I thought it was about half-way between A Fine Balance and Midnight's Children, but I soon realized it was a lot more like the Rushdie book. Arundhati Roy uses magical, evocative language to describe horrific things and events (rather than Rohinton Mistry's depressing stark realism).

I couldn't give this book five stars, however, because I thought the author overused the non-linear narrative technique. The novel is a puzzle that jumps back and forth in time, necessitating the use of heavy foreshadowing to help make connections for the reader. A little less of this would have made it a stronger book.

Why I Read This Now: this has been on my wishlist since 2004 and my sister-in-law had a copy to lend me.

Recommended for: readers who like beautifully written books, readers who like books about India, readers of Booker Prize winners.

107bonniebooks
kesäkuu 14, 2010, 12:01 pm

>106 Nickelini:: Yeah, you can tell it was her first novel (said by someone who can't write at all), but such an amazing first novel.

108Nickelini
kesäkuu 14, 2010, 12:04 pm

Quite an amazing first novel--it won the Booker Prize! How often does that happen? Apparently she's not writing fiction anymore and instead concentrating on social activism.

109Nickelini
Muokkaaja: kesäkuu 16, 2010, 11:53 am

38. Salvation City, Sigrid Nunez

2010

Look in an upcoming issue of Belletrista ( http://www.belletrista.com ) for my review.

110iftyzaidi
kesäkuu 17, 2010, 8:50 am

100> I've been lobbying the local book store to get hold of Planet of Slums along with a number of Mike Davies' other books for over a year now. Thanks for the review - its made me even more determined to somehow track this down, along with Late Victorian Holocausts and Buda's Wagon and Evil Paradises among others.

111Nickelini
Muokkaaja: kesäkuu 24, 2010, 12:38 pm

39. Exit Lines, Joan Barfoot

2008

Why I Read This Now: it was my book club selection for the month.

Comments: Four residents of a retirement home commit "small acts of pleasurable rebellion". Barfoot is a gifted writer--the characters are interesting, this book is well-structured, and I enjoy the tone of her writing. The layers of stories are absorbing, and the author has something to say about life and aging.

When my book club picked this book, I had no interest in it what-so-ever. Unfortunately, because of other priorities, I did not have much time to read this book before we met on it, and I only made it to page 167 (out of 320). And due to other priorities, I don't think I'll have time to finish it before it's due at the library. Despite all the good things that I think about this book, somehow I'm still not committed to finishing it--it's interesting, but maybe not quite interesting enough? Perhaps I'm just afraid of getting old and so don't want to hear about it? However, if it ever crosses my path again, I will try to finish it. And I will definitely look for the author's other books in the future too.

Rating:3.5 out of 5 stars. If I finished it I suspect it would be a 4 star read.

Recommended for:Despite the fact that I didn't finish it, I do recommend this book.

112Nickelini
kesäkuu 24, 2010, 4:20 pm

40. Short Stories by Anton Chekhov

Russian literature (1860-1904), audiobook

Comments: A collection of five interesting Chekhov stories (Talent, Anytua, The Helpmate, Ivan Matveyitch & Polinka) that are deceptively simple. On the surface they seem more like vignettes than complete stories, but under the surface Chekhov exposes the inequalities of class and gender.

As audio books go, this one is fine. At times the reader sounds almost like a computer voice, which is sort of odd. More of a quibble than a complaint though.

Recommended for: fans of literary fiction & classics.

Rating: 4/5

Why I Read This Now: This ER book was sent to me months ago and I needed something to listen to while I did mindless housework.

113captainsflat
kesäkuu 25, 2010, 12:15 am

Hello, just posting a message to get you on my post list! you have read some very interesting books, and I have really enjoyed your reviews. I like how you actually consider style, pacing and editing, something I do not.

114Nickelini
Muokkaaja: kesäkuu 27, 2010, 10:37 pm

41. The Oprah Affect: Critical Essays on Oprah's Book Club, Cecilia Konchar Farr, ed.

2008, Non-fiction (cultural studies)

Comments: This is a collection of 16 scholarly essays about what Oprah's book club means to current culture. As with most anthologies, some of the essays were fabulous, some not so much. The gist of the book is that there is something culturally significant behind the whole thing, and for elitists to dismiss or diss Oprah's book experiment is to be simplistic and miss the point. There's also a lot of criticism about the manner in which the book club approaches and discusses books (for example, using novels as therapy). Overall, it was interesting and thought provoking.

Rating: 4/5

Why I Read This Now: I found two scholarly books about Oprah in the uni bookstore a few months ago. I immensely enjoyed the first, The Age of Oprah by Janice Peck. I've since been reading this one, an essay at a time.

Recommended for: a must read for anyone interesting in both books and cultural studies. The essays are not about Oprah herself, but about the cultural implications of her book club.

115bonniebooks
kesäkuu 28, 2010, 12:40 am

a must read for anyone interesting in both books and cultural studies

That's me! And I probably wouldn't have even looked at it, if not for your review, so thanks!

116Nickelini
kesäkuu 29, 2010, 10:59 am

42. Song Over Quiet Lake, Sarah Felix Burns

Canlit, 2009

Look for my review in an upcoming issue of www.Belletrista.com

117Nickelini
kesäkuu 30, 2010, 12:27 pm

43. The Death of Ivan Ilych, Leo Tolstoy

Russian literature, 1882

Comments: A brilliant little novel that is still completely relevant today.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Why I Read This Now: was in the mood for a short book.

Recommended for: Everyone. This would also be a good introduction to Russian literature for those who find the longer works intimidating. This book is very accessible.

118jfetting
kesäkuu 30, 2010, 12:41 pm

Oh God so depressing though - with the whole "death is a thing that happens to other people" (which is brilliant and true, because otherwise we'd all go insane). I thought it was a really tough read, not because of the language or anything but mainly because I don't like thinking about death.

It is very short, though.

119clif_hiker
kesäkuu 30, 2010, 12:57 pm

yes now I'm depressed just from reading these comments...

120Nickelini
kesäkuu 30, 2010, 1:25 pm

Jennifer -- it was depressing, wasn't it! I thought maybe it was just me because I have sort of a lousy day lined up (all errands & tasks, nothing fun). Maybe not the best way to start the day!

121Deern
heinäkuu 1, 2010, 4:19 am

I was also in the mood for a short book, so thanks for the recommendation.

I found an online version of The Death of Ivan Ilych and am already halfway through it. I've read (and immensely enjoyed) Anna Karenina, but somehow I can't bring myself to starting War and Peace yet. So this one is a perfect filler to keep me in Tolstoy mood and it's also on the 1001 list.

So far I am not depressed, maybe the sunny weather balances it out. The book should probably not be read on a rainy November day.

122Nickelini
heinäkuu 1, 2010, 1:44 pm

I've read (and immensely enjoyed) Anna Karenina, but somehow I can't bring myself to starting War and Peace yet. So this one is a perfect filler to keep me in Tolstoy mood and it's also on the 1001 list.

My thoughts exactly! I'm saving War & Peace for my retirement.

123kristenn
heinäkuu 2, 2010, 3:11 pm

Dostoevsky rather than Tolstoy, but speaking of depressing:

The author of Crime and Punishment never had a reputation for lightness in his soul. Now the Moscow authorities have postponed the opening of a metro station named after Fyodor Dostoevsky over fears that illustrations from his works that decorate it could turn the station into a "mecca for suicides".

The new station was decorated with black and white marble mosaics of scenes from Dostoevsky's most famous novels, including Crime and Punishment, Demons, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov. But unsurprisingly for a writer famously preoccupied with death, the scenes include images of suicide and murder.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/dostoevsky-images-on-metro-lsquoc...

124Nickelini
Muokkaaja: heinäkuu 12, 2010, 12:24 pm

44. The Best American Science Writing 2009, Natalie Angier, ed

Non-fiction, 2009

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Comments This is a collection of 24 science-related articles that appeared in publications such as The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, and Harpers. As with any anthology, there are stronger pieces and weaker. Overall, I really liked this collection--there was only one article (about monkeys) that I found too boring to finish.

My favourite was "The Itch," by Atul Gawande, which was originally published in the New Yorker. where the author talks about not just itching, but also why people with missing limbs still feel them, and most shockingly, about a woman who scratched through her skull into her brain (I told my daughter about it and she has had me retell it to all of her friends--it's a story that never fails to fascinate!). There was also a chilling article by Gregg Easterbrook titled "The Sky is Falling" that explains how NASA's messed up priorities may be jeopardizing the future of the planet. If I lived in the US I'd certainly be contacting my elected representatives and drawing their attention to it. The other article that stood out for me was "Looking Up," by Jennifer Margulis (from Smithsonian), and which is about an endangered breed of giraffes in west Africa. (Although I've been a big giraffe fan since childhood, I had no idea about their interesting mating habits. Hmmm).

Recommended for: People who like to learn interesting things about our world.

Why I Read This Now: I found it on the sale table a few weeks ago and thought I should read it before it became dated-- so it never went into Mnt TBR. Reading a series of articles was perfect for my super busy week, because I only had small snippets of free time.

125jfetting
heinäkuu 12, 2010, 3:44 pm

about a woman who scratched through her skull into her brain

ewwwwww...

126Nickelini
heinäkuu 12, 2010, 6:54 pm

Oh, yeah.

127Nickelini
heinäkuu 14, 2010, 7:47 pm

45. The Underpainter, Jane Urquhart

Canlit, 1997

Rating: 4/5 stars

Comments:The narrator, Austin Fraser, is a successful painter from New York who is in his old age, reflecting back on his life. He is emotionally stunted and has suppressed commitment and genuine friendship his whole life. I've known selfish artist types like him, and so I had no sympathy for the character. However, the people who's lives he messed with--namely Augusta, George & Sara--were very interesting and likable, and their stories made up most of the book. Their stories traverse from New York to the north shores of Lake Superior and Lake Ontario, and over to the WWI battlefields of France.

A LT friend with similar tastes as mine gave up on this book in the first 100 pages, and I can see her point. It got off to a slow start. But Urquhart is a beautiful writer, and I saw glimmers of promise so I persevered, and was rewarded for my patience. Urquhart is one of those poetic, atmospheric writers that are a treat for the senses.

Recommended for: readers of literary fiction who are in the mood for a somewhat chilly, distracted, meandering journey.

Why I Read This Now: Although I loved two other Urquhart novels that I've read, and this book has been in my TBR pile for years, I was just never interested in this one. But it's Orange prize July, and I needed to go on a couple of flights, and this was one of the lighter Orange prize books I own, and the first page grabbed me . . . and there you have it.

128Nickelini
heinäkuu 14, 2010, 7:57 pm

When I posted my review of The Underpainter on the book's page, I added this note:

I've made this comment about other novels with a strong visual element (mostly books about painters, but also novels about archaeology and architecture): give the reader some illustrations! I can make a picture in my mind of what Fraser was painting, but I really would like to see what the author had in mind. Publishers could learn so much by looking at illustrated novels like the ones by Nick Bantock and Barbara Hodgson.

129wookiebender
heinäkuu 14, 2010, 8:23 pm

#125> I'm feeling itchy just thinking about it...

Good review, I'll keep my eyes open for it! I haven't read any science writing for a long time (although I did get a Stephen Jay Gould book on sale just the other week...).

130bonniebooks
heinäkuu 14, 2010, 10:29 pm

The Best American Science Writing of 2009 was one of my travel/restaurant/going-to-be-waiting-in-line books. Love that series!

131Nickelini
heinäkuu 14, 2010, 11:59 pm

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/30/080630fa_fact_gawande

I searched the author's name and the title and it looks like the article is available. Try the link above. Everyone seems to like a good "scratch through your skull into your brain" story.

132Nickelini
heinäkuu 16, 2010, 1:13 pm

46. Fault Lines, Nancy Huston

Contemporary lit, 2007

Comments: This compelling read is the story of four generations of a family, told in reverse order by the characters as six year olds. The book starts out with the off-the-scales obnoxious Californian, Sol, then jumps back to his father living in 1980s Israel, his grandmother in Toronto and New York City in the early '60s, and finally, his great-grandmother in WWII Germany. I found this book un-put-downable from the first page.

Other reviewers have pointed out its flaws, and there are many. None of the characters actually sounds like a six-year old. Twelve, at the youngest. There is a lot of political agenda crammed into their young minds. And they aren't even every likable, either. The historical detail is pretty sloppy--something that usually drives me crazy. Somehow none of these problems especially bothered me, and I just enjoyed the ride.

Recommended for: readers who are looking for a good read and can forgive its flaws (and handle some politics that rub against US conservatism).

Rating: 4/5 stars

Why I Read This Now: it was the Orange prize book calling loudest from Mnt. TBR.

133Nickelini
Muokkaaja: heinäkuu 28, 2010, 1:22 pm

47. The Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers, Xiaolu Guo

Contemporary literature, 2007

Comments: I bought this book after hearing so many positive, interesting comments about it. But then I started hearing negative comments--and from people who I usually agreed with. Yikes! But I gave the book a try anyway, and was pleasantly surprised.

Yes, the main character Z gets herself into a relationship with a man that no sane woman would touch with a proverbial 10-foot pole. Yes, she is waaaaay too fixated on men and sex, and acts toward this part of her life in what seems to me a very unrealistic manner. But . . .

I really liked how the novel was structured by months, and then by dictionary words and definitions within each month. I liked how you could follow her progress as her English skills developed. I really liked the cultural comparisons between China and the west, and how she showed strengths and weaknesses of both. The other really strong point of this novel was the Z's voice. Not her cutesy mistakes, but her actual Chinese English. Living in Vancouver I've always gone to school and worked with many Chinese people. Most books that attempt to capture the Chinese voice utterly fail, in my opinion. It usually comes off sounding like something out of a bad Hollywood sitcom. In this novel, Z sounded authentically Chinese, and not just like someone playing Chinese.

Rating: Right now, I'm giving it 4 stars for capturing the language right and for the cultural observations. I might decide to knock back half a star if I think about it and the silly storyline irritates me.

Recommended for: readers who are looking for something different and enjoy cultural observations in their fiction reading.

Why I Read This Now: it was the Orange prize book that fell into my lap.

134wandering_star
heinäkuu 27, 2010, 8:12 pm

Interesting - your very balanced review makes me more keen to read this than all the very positive ones have!

135Nickelini
heinäkuu 28, 2010, 1:25 pm

48. Horse, Flower, Bird, by Kate Bernheimer

I can't say much about this because I'm reviewing it for an upcoming issue of www.Belletrista.com, but I will say that I loved it. Quirky, strange, funny, dark, did I mention strange? Somewhat indescribable, but I'm reviewing it anyway. Highly recommended for the right reader. Everyone else will just go "huh?"

136Nickelini
Muokkaaja: elokuu 3, 2010, 5:33 pm

49. The Girls, Lori Lansens

2005, contemporary lit

Comments: When this book was published I put it right on to my wish list--the premise of the story of conjoined twins sounded so interesting. I finally got around to reading it and I have to say it really wasn't for me after all. I don't know why I didn't like it--I think maybe it was the two narrator's voices. And there were some annoying elements--like the whole thing to do with the grandmother's ashes. And it was really sad in parts. Still, I managed to get through the whole 455 pages, so it wasn't awful.

Why I Read This Now: It was my last Orange July book.

Recommended for: well, I don't recommend it, but I know a lot of other readers liked it, so don't let me stop you from reading it.

Rating: 3/5

137bonniebooks
elokuu 7, 2010, 3:06 pm

I didn't like The Girls all that well either, Joyce. Evidence? It immediately went into a "Willing-to-Trade-or-Give-Away" box.

138Nickelini
elokuu 8, 2010, 4:59 pm

50. Psyche in a Dress, Francesca Lia Block

2006, YA

Comments: This is a highly unconventional little book. Using Greek myths and characters, it tells the story of a young woman raised by dysfunctional Hollywood parents. Block uses evocative, poetic language to describe both whimsy and horror. At first I thought it was very pretentious, but that impression didn't last long as I was swept up by the beautiful language and unusual story.

I found this on the sale table in the teen section. I've always considered YA books to be aimed at teens, but in this case I think this book is really is adult. Not just because of the dysfunctional sex, and drug use, but because of all the allusions to Greek myths and also the emotions of motherhood. I wouldn't have a problem with a mature teen reading it, but I just don't think they'd appreciate it. Anyway, I liked it.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Why I Read This Now: I started reading it when I was moving some books, and didn't stop. It took about an hour to read.

Recommended for: people who like retellings of myths and fairy tales, people who like urban fantasy, people looking for something interesting and different.

139Nickelini
Muokkaaja: elokuu 9, 2010, 2:21 pm

51. Orlando, Virginia Woolf (Annotated edition)

1928, Brit Lit

Rating: 5/5 stars

Comments: Although the movie version of this book is one of my favourites, and although I've read a decent amount of Virginia Woolf, I was rather dubious about this book. It seemed very odd compared to her other writing. And it is . . . but it's wonderfully odd. This may be my favourite of all her novels.

What really made this book for me was all the magic realism elements. I loved her descriptions of Orlando viewing all of England from his/her oak tree, including "the wild tides that swirl about the Hebrides". The whole Great Frost section was exceptionally well done, and I especially loved the description of the porpoise frozen in suspended animation in the icy Thames, or the Norwich countrywoman who turned visibly to powder by the cold while she crossed the road. I could go on and on . . .

As for the annotations, as with the other annotated Woolf books published by Harvest Harcourt, I have mixed thoughts. Some of the annotations were very helpful. However, I thought they missed some things in the text that I would have appreciated a note on, and there were many notes that I thought unnecessary.

Why I Read This Now: because I wanted to!

Recommended for:I want to say "eveyone," but alas, Virginia Woolf is not everyone's cup of tea.

140lycomayflower
elokuu 9, 2010, 3:29 pm

I'm always glad to hear that someone enjoyed Orlando, as it is one of my favorite Woolfs, and I think it is often overlooked!

141wookiebender
elokuu 9, 2010, 9:24 pm

I'm beginning to think I need to re-read some Woolf books! Or, better yet, read some of her unread books that are on my shelves...

142LauraBrook
elokuu 9, 2010, 9:49 pm

I was just thinking the same thing, that I need to read more Woolf, when I was at my local Half Price last week. I've only read 2 (or 3?) of her books and loved them, and I think I'm long overdue for a revisit to this lovely lady's books! I'll look for Orlando the next time I'm out snooping around!

143wookiebender
elokuu 9, 2010, 10:46 pm

Hm, whatever I've read of Woolf's work was so long ago now, that looking at my catalogued books, I can only say for sure that I've read Orlando and A Room of One's Own! Considering I have eight of her books catalogued, that's not a great achievement!

I think Mrs Dalloway will have to be read rsn.

144Deern
elokuu 10, 2010, 1:43 am

This review was just the encouragement I needed to finally pick up Orlando.

So far I loved everything I've read by Virginia Woolf, especially A Room of One's Own and The Waves, but when it came to Orlando I always feared I might like it less than the others, so I didn't dare touching it. I am just finishing her "Selected Short Stories" (Penguin Classics Edition), then I will get to Orlando.

145Nickelini
elokuu 10, 2010, 11:37 am

I'm just lovin' all the Woolf fans here!

146GCPLreader
elokuu 12, 2010, 5:52 pm

Joyce, I was turned on to reading Woolf because of The Hours-- one of my favorite books. Thank you for the Orlando recommendation. I'm definitely scheduling it for this fall. (I do remember the brilliant Tilda Swinton in the film version!) --Jenny

147Nickelini
elokuu 13, 2010, 12:42 pm

52. Tom's Midnight Garden, Philippa Pierce

1958, Children's literature

Rating 4/5 stars

Comments: Tom is sent to live with his very boring relatives because his brother has measles. When the grandfather clock in the hall downstairs chimes 13, Tom gets out of bed to explore and finds a portal to a Victorian garden where he meets a young girl and has adventures. Delightfully English.

Why I Read This Now: one of the older books on Mnt TBR. I bought this when I was studying the children's lit canon back about 12 years ago but was never very interested in actually reading it (despite rave reviews). I think I would have really liked it when I was 10 or 12.

Recommended for: 10 to 12 year olds who like a little magic in their stories, and who like a story that wraps up nicely. And did I mention that it's delightfully English?

148Nickelini
elokuu 15, 2010, 11:39 am

53. The Lover, Marguerite Duras (read in translation)

1984, French literature

Comments: A French woman looks back on her life, focusing on her youth in Vietnam and the sexual relationship she began with a wealthy Chinese man when she was 15 yrs old. She also looks at how her dysfunctional family (mother with mental health issues, a brother with a gambling addiction) shaped her life. The story is told by both first- and third-person narrators, and Duras uses a distanced, distracted style. This style suits a story of someone reflecting on a life of pain. However, it also kept me distanced from the story and made it difficult for me to actually care about anything I was reading. In the end, it was a "meh".

Rating: 2/5 stars

Why I Read This Now: wanted a book for my 1010 challenge category "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." I know I could definitely have lived rather nicely without ever having read this one!

Recommended for: I actually don't recommend this one, although it's not awful or anything.

149jfetting
elokuu 15, 2010, 5:53 pm

I didn't care for it either - it wasn't actively offensive, but not my thing. Like you said, "meh". Happily short though.

150Nickelini
elokuu 15, 2010, 5:55 pm

54. Travel as a Political Act, Rick Steves

2009, non-fiction

Comments:There are two Rick Steves. Probably the better known is Rick Steves, host of the PBS TV show “Rick Steve’s Europe.” He’s a benign über-dork who reminds me of a Lutheran youth minister, and the best guy to show you where to find the last remaining lederhosen wearers in Switzerland, or every cheese maker in Holland. He’s a pretty cheesy guy, actually.

Then there is Rick Steves, the travel writer. This is the guy I find much cooler—more interesting and funnier. His guidebooks (Europe through the Backdoor, etc.) have given me the best advice for my four European excursions and I can’t recommend them highly enough. I agree with his travel philosophy: the most enriching and rewarding experiences are found when you meet the locals in their spheres. (Although I love this way of travel, I have to admit that I’ve also loved the opposite, such as the week I spent at the Westin Resort in Maui. But I digress.). In preparation for my first trip to Europe back in 1992 (a seven-week backpack, Eurorail romp), I read his Europe 101, which is a thoughtful look at European history and its implications. So I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from Travel as a Political Act.

In this book, however, he goes beyond Europe to look at some pressing global issues. His mantra is that you can understand people better by experiencing their world. The most interesting chapters for me were about El Salvador and the how the people live with oppressive poverty; Denmark where they are “highly taxed and highly content,” Europe’s approaches to illegal drugs; and his fascinating look at Iran. In the final chapter, he gives some fabulous ideas on what people can do to increase global understanding and improve the planet.

Recommended for: this book is clearly written for Americans. Particularly those who think that the United States is the best country in the world and that it is so great that there is no reason to look beyond its borders for any reason (other than to export US culture). The people who think it’s only important to be an American citizen, and not a citizen of the world. For those who have this view because they haven’t been exposed to anything else, this book could be an eye-opening, life-changing experience. For those who have that ideology because they’ve thought long and hard about it and decided that is the view they want to have will probably find this book to be a stressful read. Maybe even make them angry. I’m afraid that this is one of those books that the people who should read it, won’t.

Rating: I was going to give it 4 out of 5, but then I read the final chapter full of suggestions on how to get involved, which I thought was excellent. So in the end, I'm giving this one 5 big shiny stars.

Why I Read This Now: Because. (Isn’t that a good reason?)

151jfetting
elokuu 15, 2010, 6:00 pm

Oh I've been wanting to read that! And you gave it 5 stars! I may have to break down and buy it. I love Rick Steves and I love his PBS show.

I’m afraid that this is one of those books that the people who should read it, won’t.
Sigh. They never do, do they?

152kristenn
elokuu 15, 2010, 7:08 pm

He’s a benign über-dork who reminds me of a Lutheran youth minister

Oh totally.

But like you say, the excerpt I read from that was fantastic. The Iranian cab driver. "Death to traffic!"

153lauralkeet
elokuu 15, 2010, 9:54 pm

What a great review! I confess I've only seen the über-dork and never read is more urbane alter ego. But I so agree with your "Recommended for ..." paragraph -- well said!

154Nickelini
Muokkaaja: elokuu 17, 2010, 11:51 am

55. The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches, Gaetan Soucy (translated by Sheila Fischman)

1998, Canadian literature, originally written in French

Comments: Oh, what a strange, disturbing little book! The narrator and her brother have spent their whole lives cloistered on their father's estate with no contact with the real world. The story begins with their discovery of his dead body, which leads to their exposure to the outside world and a slow revealing of what reality is to them. The two siblings are almost feral children, so ill-prepared are they to be in society. The narrator has a highly-peculiar way of speaking and thinking ("I rememoried in bits and pieces") which I found very interesting but also distracting (I kept thinking "what word did the author use for that in the French version?"). The unusual language builds a mystery that the reader has to pull apart and what really makes the book interesting, but also makes it more work than I had expected. It's the kind of book that I'd like to reread because the second reading would be a completely different--but just as interesting-- an experience.

Recommended for: readers who like unusual--and somewhat creepy--books.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Why I Read This Now: need to return it to its owner.

155wookiebender
elokuu 17, 2010, 8:24 pm

Some great reads! Although, agreed about The Lover, I was a little meh about that one too.

156Nickelini
Muokkaaja: elokuu 18, 2010, 11:25 am

56. Murder in Amsterdam: the Death of Theo van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance, by Ian Buruma

2006, Non-fiction (cultural studies)

Comments: I remember how shocked I was when Theo van Gogh was murdered in full daylight on an Amsterdam street by an Islamic fascist. I really couldn't understand why people who didn't believe in tolerance would live in the Netherlands--a country that is known around the world as highly tolerant. So I wanted to read this book as soon as it was published. My interest in it increased after I read the amazing Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (who made the feminist film Submission with van Gogh and was the excuse for his murder).

In Murder in Amsterdam, Buruma looks far beyond the murder itself and at today's Dutch and even European society as a whole. He makes every effort to report fairly, and does an excellent job at showing a wide range of viewpoints. He hides his personal biases well. He answered a lot of questions and increased my understanding of the the issue of immigrants in Europe today. But the question remains: How do you make people feel at home in a secular, liberal society, in which customs, values and collective memories clash with their theocratic, traditional ones?

Recommended for: Anyone interested in contemporary European cultural studies. Many scholars predict that parts of Europe will soon have a population that is 50% Muslim--will this change in the fabric of European society go well, or is Europe looking at yet more war? I think this is a subject that is in everyone's best interest to learn about.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Why I Read This Now: I've wanted to read it since it was published.

157lauralkeet
Muokkaaja: elokuu 19, 2010, 7:28 am

>156 Nickelini:: that sounds very interesting. My curiosity was also piqued after reading Infidel. Great review.

158Nickelini
Muokkaaja: elokuu 21, 2010, 12:42 pm

57. Sky Burial, Xinran

2006, memoir (?)

Comments: Not going to say a lot here because I read this for something that's going on in an upcoming issue of www.Belletrista.com (not a review--you'll have to check in and see). In a few words, this is the story of a Chinese woman in the 1950s who goes to Tibet on a quest and gets lost, disappears from the world, and resurfaces in China thirty years later.

159Nickelini
Muokkaaja: elokuu 24, 2010, 12:30 pm

58. Greengage Summer, Rumer Godden

1958, Brit lit

Comments: 13 year old Cecil travels on holidays to a French hotel in the Marne district with her mother and a gaggle of siblings. Her mother immediately takes ill and is hospitalized and their father is in Tibet (and everyone knows, once someone goes to Tibet, no one knows when they'll be seen again). Essentially, the children are on their own except for a mysterious but kind English gentleman who sort of takes them under his wing. Cecil's older sister is so beautiful that all the men in the story lose their senses around her (what is it with men like this in fiction? Are their brains so fragile that they fall apart in the mere presence of a pretty girl? Sheesh!).

This is a charming book, what I like to call "a quiet novel." Actually, some parts aren't so quiet--there is crime and teenage drunkenness. But still, it's so atmospheric that the mood overtakes the story (which is essentially a coming-of-age novel).

Rating: 4/5 stars

Why I Read This Now: I'm trying to read the oldest books in my closet, and this one was obviously set in summer, and it's summer now, so seemed fitting.

Recommended for: not sure . . . give it a try.

160Nickelini
elokuu 26, 2010, 12:48 pm

59. The Forgetting Room, Nick Bantock

1997, Illustrated novel

Comments: An artist travels to Spain to claim his inheritance upon his grandfather's death. There is a mystery, discovery and art.

I think the concept was stronger than the execution. While I liked it, it isn't as strong as Bantock's Griffen and Sabine series or Barbara Hodgson's illustrated novels.

Rating: 3/5

Recommended for: fans of illustrated novels. Newbies should start elsewhere.

Why I Read This Now: It was one of the older books in my closet. I bought it in 2000 when I was really into illustrated novels.

161LauraBrook
elokuu 26, 2010, 2:18 pm

Thanks for the reviews of Greengage Summer and The Forgetting Room, as they've both been added to my wishlist recently! They may have to get bumped up the TBR list!

162Nickelini
elokuu 27, 2010, 6:23 pm

60. Giovanni's Room, James Baldwin

1956

Rating: 5 stars

Why I Read This Now: I actually had little interest in this book, but it was a really ugly little mass market paperback that I wanted to get off my shelf. I had bought it for a quarter at a charity sale a few years ago because it's on the 1001 books list. I have found books that wouldn't normally cross my radar on the list that turned out to be fabulous. This was one of them.

Comments: I don't want to start describing this book, because it is so rich and full of material that I'm afraid I would write an essay. I wish I was studying this at university and had to write about it.

Yes, it's about a young man's struggle for his identity, and his struggle with his homosexuality, but it's more than that. I loved the contrasts between clean and squalor, and between Americans and Europeans. The filth reminds me of Thomas Mann's Death in Venice, and the louche, hard-drinking expatriates remind me of The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway. But Giovanni's Room is more interesting than either of them.

This book must have made quite the explosion in the book world when it was published back in the 1950s. Not only is it an exploration of forbidden sexuality, but it's a book about a white man written by an African-American.

Recommended for: lovers of rich, intense literature.

163lycomayflower
elokuu 28, 2010, 6:14 pm

The filth reminds me of Thomas Mann's Death in Venice, and the louche, hard-drinking expatriates remind me of The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway. But Giovanni's Room is more interesting than either of them.


YES!

Love this book. Glad you enjoyed it.

164Nickelini
Muokkaaja: elokuu 31, 2010, 10:57 am

61. Kabul Beauty School, Deborah Rodriguez

2007, Memoir

Why I Read This Now: I'm trying to make room in my shelves and so am reading some books I know will leave my house after I've read them. A friend lent this to me last year and I figured it was time for it to go home.

Comments: My friend that put this book in my hands is a passionate reader of all things about Afghanistan, and even she gave this book a so-so recommendation. I really had no interest in reading it. Beauty school? Who cares?

Well, it turns out that beauty under the burqa is a very important thing in Afghanistan. The narrator travels to Kabul as an aid worker and soon finds herself teaching young women to apply makeup and style hair. With these skills they can then find some of the only jobs available to women in their culture, and in making their own money, empower themselves. Thus, it isn't only aid from doctors, nurses, and engineers that this country needs.

There were many interesting vignettes about daily life for women in Afghanistan in this book. Unfortunately, I didn't like the narrator. I think she's supposed to come off as plucky and gutsy, but I found her annoying, foolish and a bit of a twit.

Rating: a generous 3/5 stars

Recommended for: readers interested in the lives of women in Afghanistan.

Edited to say: after thinking about the book for another day, I've decided I really can give it only two stars and a very limited recommendation.

165wookiebender
elokuu 31, 2010, 2:34 am

I'm another fan of Giovanni's Room, another book that I only picked up because it was on the "1001" list. I thought it was quite brilliant, so I'm glad you liked it too.

I may give Kabul Beauty School a miss however. I do remember reading some time ago about how cosmetic surgery was (relatively? unexpectedly?) big in Islamic countries because if all you have to show yourself off to a potential husband is your eyes, you're going to make damn sure they're as beautiful as they can be.

I thought it was an interesting point. Although I'm really not a fan of cosmetic surgery. (Reconstructive plastic surgery rocks, however.)

166wandering_star
elokuu 31, 2010, 3:40 am

Yes - nose jobs are big in Iran, while in Brazil buttock lifts are all the rage. It's an interesting glimpse into a culture!

167Nickelini
elokuu 31, 2010, 10:55 am

Wookie - I don't recommend Kabul Beauty School to anyone unless they are super interested in learning about women in Afghanistan. And I'm sure there are better books about them too. After having the book settle in my brain for a day, I've decided to re-rate it and give it 2 stars.

168Nickelini
elokuu 31, 2010, 12:00 pm

62. Possessing the Secret of Joy, Alice Walker

1992

Comments: In this novel, Walker pulls peripheral characters from The Color Purple that live in her invented African country, Olinka. The focus is on Tashi, who voluntarily underwent female genital mutilation as a young woman.

I found this book very interesting, both in concept and execution, and I recommend it. However, I'm having trouble describing it briefly--it sort of begs for an essay, which I'm not in the mood to write. Although it was well done, I've read a lot about FGM and I didn't learn anything new here. Therefore ...

Rating: I liked it a lot, but didn't love it. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommended for: Readers who don't know much about female genital mutilation, or who are very interested in the subject.

169Deern
syyskuu 3, 2010, 8:15 am

I just finished Giovanni's Room which I got for my Kindle after reading your review in #162. I am deeply moved - what a heartbreaking story, what a brilliant book!

170Nickelini
syyskuu 3, 2010, 11:38 am

Glad you liked it too!

171captainsflat
syyskuu 4, 2010, 7:16 am

Hi Nickelini, just added four books to my wishlist. Soucy, Buruma, Godden and Baldwin. Your reviews are beautifully clear. Thank you.

172Nickelini
syyskuu 5, 2010, 11:23 pm

63. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera

1984, translated from Czech

Comments: This is yet another book that is impossible to sum up and comment on with only a few sentences. It really commands--and deserves--an essay. Which I won't do. Let's see, there's a lot of philosophy, and it's very European, and extremely interesting, and a lot easier to read than I expected.

Recommended for: readers who like something different and rather philosophical, but not weird make-your-brain-hurt philosophical.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Why I Read This Now: It spoke to me from Mnt. TBR.

173Nickelini
syyskuu 7, 2010, 11:54 pm

post 109, book #38 Salvation City, Sigrid Nunez

My review is now up at Belletrista: http://www.belletrista.com/2010/issue7/reviews_17.php

And my interview with the author is at: http://www.belletrista.com/2010/issue7/features_1.php

174Nickelini
syyskuu 7, 2010, 11:56 pm

Message 116, book #42 Song Over Quiet Lake, Sarah Felix Burns

I reviewed this novel set in the Yukon and in Vancouver at Belletrista: http://www.belletrista.com/2010/issue7/reviews_10.php

175Nickelini
syyskuu 7, 2010, 11:58 pm

Message 135, book #48 Horse, Flower, Bird, Kate Bernheimer

This is probably my favourite book that I've reviewed for Belletrista. You can read more here: http://www.belletrista.com/2010/issue7/reviews_1.php

176Nickelini
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 8, 2010, 12:09 am

Message 158, Book #57 Sky Burial, Xinran

I had fun participating in a conversation about this book at Belletrista. You can read all about it here: http://www.belletrista.com/2010/issue7/features_4.php

177Nickelini
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 8, 2010, 12:30 pm

64. Garden in the Wind, Gabrielle Roy

1975, Canlit

Comments: I will review this reissued edition for a future issue of www.Belletrista.com

178Nickelini
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 10, 2010, 3:55 pm

65. Smile, Raina Telgemeier

2010, graphic novel memoir

Why I Read This Now: My 10 year old read this book earlier in the week, and kept telling me about it. Specifically, she kept describing in great detail the dental treatment the main character went through. Having worked for years in the dental field, I noted how in depth the book was going--who's ever heard of a story about dental treatment? My daughter also asked me a bunch of questions about the San Francisco earthquake. My interested was piqued!

Comments: This is the memoir, in graphic novel format, by NY Times bestselling author and cartoonist about her pre-teen and early teen years, sort of centred around the years and years of dental treatment she needed after falling and knocking out her two front teeth. But she also goes through the usual teen angst issues--friendships, sports, school, crushes. Quite an entertaining 45 minutes!

Recommended for: both my 10 year old and 13 year old liked it. Also for anyone interested in stories about dental work :-/ I have a dentist appointment today, so I'm going to take it in to show my dentist.

Edited to say: my dentist found this fascinating.

179Nickelini
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 13, 2010, 1:00 pm

66. The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power and the Future of the World, Michelle Goldberg

2009, Non-fiction

Why I Read This Now: saw it at the bookshop, and as I loved the same author's Kingdom Coming last year, I bought it and read it right away.

Comments: As the subtitle says "sex, power and the future of the world." Yikes! How do I sum that up in a couple of paragraphs? I can't. The best I can say is that Goldberg looks at the conflicts around the world between tradition and modernity that are being fought on the "terrain" of women's bodies. She connects many different trends and concerns and believes that women's rights will ultimately shape the future. She reasons that if women in the western world have brought about societal change, then women elsewhere can too--it is not simply a matter of the West imposing its value system everywhere. In every one of these trends and concerns, she pulls the topic apart and looks at it from different angles--it is clear that nothing is simple. All her statistics and claims are supported and referenced.

Some of the topics she covers include: reproductive rights and access to safe abortions (65,000 - 70,000 women die annually because of botched abortions). She goes into great depth about the history and developments of the global family planning movement (I had no idea that in the 1960s the Catholic church performed an extensive study on birth control and the panel recommended its approval--the recommendation was denied by a very small uber-conservative group of Vatican officials and the reason for denying it had nothing to do with the findings of report, or reason, but had everything to do with power and politics.)

Other chapters cover female genital mutilation (again, more complex an issue than I'd read previously) and infant sex selection in Asia and the ramifications for societies with an unbalanced female-to-male ratio. She also touches on the AIDS epidemic in Africa, which was fascinating but too short. And she talks about a whole pile of other interesting stuff too.

Recommended for: Everyone. This was an informative, enlightening read.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. I took off half a star because somehow I didn't quite like the book as much as Kingdom Coming. That may have just been that I find nutty fundamentalists really interesting, and so I was more entertained by her earlier book. So I'm probably not being fair, because The Means of Reproduction is looks at very serious topics that cover a tremendous scope, and which are really not entertaining.

180loriephillips
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 13, 2010, 12:57 pm

Ok, I'm convinced I need to read The Means of Reproduction and I'm adding it as well as Kingdom Coming to the wish list. Thanks for the review!

181wookiebender
syyskuu 13, 2010, 7:57 pm

The Means of Reproduction does sound great, I really should read more non-fiction!

182Nickelini
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 19, 2010, 2:16 pm

67. The Caged Virgin: an Emancipation Proclamation for Women and Islam, Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Non-fiction, 2006, originally written in Dutch and translated by Jane Brown

Comments: This is a collection of essays that Ayaan Hirsi Ali wrote while she was still a Dutch politician. I have long admired her for her courage to speak out for women's and children's rights and also her intelligence. Reading this book I realize that I also admired her communication skills--she clearly presents her argument, gives examples and reasons why she holds her view, logically reasons through the argument, answers counter-arguments and presents a thoughtful conclusion and call to action. Some of these essays would be excellent material to use in a university-level writing class.

Because this is a collection of essays written at different times and perhaps for different audiences, there is some overlap. However, this didn't bother me and just showed me how she is unwavering in her mission and beliefs. Basically her argument is that the moderate Muslims living in the west must speak and act to reform the religion and halt its hijacking by fundamentalists. She sees Islam as a static belief system where questioning and discussion are strictly banned, and therefore is forcing people today to try to emulate a lifestyle of 7th century nomadic Arabs. She has absolute disdain for cultural relativists (who say that all cultures are equal and one group cannot critique another). Her paramount belief is that human rights far outweigh the rights of any culture. She tackles all of these issues from different angles, which I think are quite clear from her essay titles:

1. Stand Up for Your Rights! Women in Islam
2. Why Can't We Take a Critical Look at Ourselves
3. The Virgin's Cage
4. Let Us Have a Voltaire
5. What Went Wrong? a Modern Clash of Cultures (where she heavily references What Went Wrong by Bernard Lewis)
6. A Brief Personal History of My Emancipation
7. Being a Politician is Not My Ideal
8. Bin Laden's Nightmare: Interview with Irshad Manji
9. Freedom Requires Constant Vigilance
10. Four Women's Lives
11. How to Deal with Domestic Violence More Effectively
12. Genital Mutilation Must Not Be Tolerated
13. Ten Tips for Muslim Women Who Want to Leave (a very important, and somewhat chilling chapter!)
14. Submission: Part 1 (the script for her film, which is available on YouTube)
15. The Need for Self-Reflection within Islam
16. Portrait of a Heroine as a Young Woman
17. A Call for Clear Thinking

There are reference notes and an index. I might add that my copy is heavily underlined!

Why I Read This Now: my book club is planning to read Infidel this year, which I've already read, so I thought I'd read something else by her. Also, I recently finished The Means of Reproduction and was in the mood for some more about human rights.

Recommended for: anyone interested in human rights, anyone who is interesting in living in a world where those of different faiths can co-exist, or --gasp--, even co-operate.

Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

183LauraBrook
syyskuu 19, 2010, 5:00 pm

Onto the TBR heap it goes. I've been wanting to read something along this vein for awhile now and didn't know where to start - now I have a great springboard! Thanks!

184lauralkeet
syyskuu 19, 2010, 8:34 pm

Sounds really interesting, Joyce. thanks!

185bonniebooks
syyskuu 19, 2010, 11:37 pm

I've got to read all three of these last ones! But, sigh, not in a row, because I still imagine that they were pretty upsetting to read, even though you sound energized and inspired.

186Nickelini
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 24, 2010, 3:47 pm

68. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte

BritLit, 1847

Rating: part of this book gets a dazzling 5 stars from me, but unfortunately chunks of it get 1 star. In the end, I'll give it 3/5 stars.

Comments:

What I Disliked This book was ridiculously over-long. My edition was 487 oversized pages, which doesn't sound that bad really. However, too many of these pages were completely unnecessary. The actual story, which took up the middle of the book was framed with a 96 page (sixteen chapters!) introduction and a 76 page conclusion. Everything that happened in these 172 pages could have been considerably condensed. The events of the first section could easily be told in one paragraph. Okay, to add a little suspense, Bronte should have made it one short chapter. The concluding frame was a little more important to the story, but again could be told in one chapter. As for the middle section, it also could have been trimmed.

Bronte really likes to use a lot of words. She uses a lot of words to describe every.single.detail of what is going on in a character's mind, and what they think is going on in the other characters' minds. There is also a lot of moralizing and 19th century social commentary. For pages and pages and pages and pages. Near the end, Gilbert apologizes for his "melancholy musings." Sorry, too late. I already hate you.

What I Liked: There is probably about a hundred pages of this novel that I just love and think are brilliant. The protagonist, Helen, is a courageous proto-feminist who stands up to her abusive alcoholic husband in an era when that just wasn't done. And the 150-odd pages of actual story were very interesting.

I also think that Anne's main characters were much more realistic than her sisters'. In particular, her ability to write male characters far surpasses Emily and Charlotte's. These men actually have conversations, and can speak to a woman without going into diatribes and sermons, like every male character in Jane Eyre. Sure, Huntington is a tyrannical reprobate, but he's not an evil psychopath like Heathcliff.

And when the going gets tough, Helen forms a plan just like an real adult. She doesn't have a hissy fit and will herself to die (Cathy, Wuthering Heights) or run away, immediately lose all her money and then wander the moors (the heroine in Jane Eyre). In the end I like both Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre better than The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, but the one thing I can say in Anne's defense is that her main character is a grown up.

Just for fun, I'd like to see this story retold from Huntington's point of view. Yes, he was vile--I mean, what sort of father gets his four-year old son drunk and teaches him to swear? But still, I think from his wing-back in front of the hearth, Helen would look like a humorless stick-in-the-mud. He was no angel, but considering he was met with her dour, judgmental face at breakfast every morning, its no wonder he escaped to London for months at a time.

Recommended for: Fans of 19th century British literature. I also think that anyone who has enjoyed the other Brontes should give this one a try too.

187jfetting
syyskuu 24, 2010, 5:52 pm

I haven't read Tenant in years, but I'm planning a reread next year. It is interesting that you mention how Anne has much more realistic men characters - that makes a lot of sense considering that she is the only one who left home for any length of time, and saw real people in the real world.

There is a lot of speculation that some of the descriptions of alcoholism come straight from the experience with the drunken Branwell.

188Nickelini
syyskuu 24, 2010, 6:25 pm

Well, if you didn't need to rely on him for anything, I bet he was fun at a party.

I'm looking forward to your thoughts after you reread Tenant.

189lauralkeet
syyskuu 25, 2010, 6:25 am

I read Tenant quite some time ago and liked it well enough -- I gave it 3.5 stars, so not far off. I liked Helen's character a lot, especially realizing how radical her actions were for the time period. I'm amused by the idea of a retelling from Huntington's point of view! There are two sides to every story after all ...

190Nickelini
lokakuu 3, 2010, 11:37 am

69. The Life of Insects, viktor Pelevin

1996, Russian literature

Comments: Another mixed reaction to a book:

What I Liked: I loved the premise of satirizing life in late 20th Russia by showing people as sometimes-insects, or insects as sometimes-people. The whole book was terribly clever.

I also liked the chapter structure that sort of cycled between different insects (some interact with the others, some don't). Some of their stories were very interesting and amusing.

The language was quite simple and straightforward, which helped, because the imagery was sometimes difficult to sort out in my brain . . .

What I Disliked: because characters morphed from human to insect and back again, sometimes on a sentence-by-sentence level, and characters also morphed from one type of insect to another, it was often difficult to form a mental picture in my head of what I was reading.

Here's one example: “Seyozha especially loved finding windows: he would thrust his fingers into the earth and carefully feel the cold hard surface, then clean it off, trying to guess what he would see behind the glass.” As I read on in this story ("Paradise"), the metaphor here became clear and was rather clever. But reading this, my brain couldn't figure out what it looked like--windows in the dirt? Insects with fingers? Human digging for windows in the earth? Huh?! There were a lot of these moments.

I also found that I never really wanted to pick this up and read it. I had to force myself. Once I got into it, I liked it, but I was never that sad to put it down either. Often the characters were quite boring.

Rating: 3/5

Why I Read This Now: There was a 20th century Russia theme read going on at the Reading Globally group and I had this one sitting in Mnt. TBR. .

191Nickelini
lokakuu 5, 2010, 11:31 am

70. Ghost Stories and Mysterious Creatures of British Columbia, Barbara Smith

1999, "true stories"

Comments: These aren't really stories in the usual sense of the word, but instead bits of reportage, as one might find in the local interest section of a community newspaper. Somewhat interesting when I was familiar with the people or places involved, otherwise not at all interesting.

Why I Read This Now: This month I'm reading an October ghosts and ghoulies theme. I found this in my TBR stack when I was looking for appropriate books. I started with this one because I was super tired one night but still felt like reading something.

Rating: 2/5 stars. My expectations of this were super low to begin with, and so I almost gave it 3 stars. But in the last third of the book she discusses the Sasquatch (Big Foot, Yeti) and then the Ogopogo (our Loch Ness monster), and talks about how they are real. That was a fail for me.

Recommended for: only those who are interested in silly local lore.

192Nickelini
lokakuu 9, 2010, 1:41 pm

71. Sanctuary Line, Jane Urquhart

2010, Canlit

Rating: 4/5 stars

Comments: Urquhart fans will love this one. Can't say more because I'm reviewing it for the next issue of www.Belletrista.com

193Nickelini
lokakuu 18, 2010, 3:36 pm

Now that I've written my review of Sanctuary Line for Belletrista.com, I can post a separate and shorter review here (for my expanded comments, please see the next issue of Bellestrista):

I enjoyed this book when I read it, but as with all the Urquhart novels I've read, I appreciate it more upon reflection and introspection. And reflection and introspection are what this novel is all about. The story is made up of the narrator's memories, and the family legends that were passed down to her. I particularly liked the tangents about the past relatives who had been lighthouse keepers (especially the one that got himself into a Stephen Crane story).

Urquhart is a master at weaving motifs and themes throughout her novels, and the beauty of her writing really shows when the reader sees these fragments build into a whole story. For the first 2/3 of the book I wasn't sure where she was going, but she tied everything up in the last third and inserted a few surprises as well. As I think back over the novel, I remember different bits that didn't seem significant when I first read them, but in retrospect were part of her complex but subtle craft. Recommended for the reader who has the patience to let a story unfold in layers. (

194Nickelini
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 19, 2010, 2:19 pm

72. Gothic Tales, Elizabeth Gaskell

1851-1861, British literature

Rating: 4/5 stars

Comments: As with every collection, some pieces are better than others. In this book, there are four stories and novellas that I loved, one I had mixed feelings about and four I disliked. However, the strength of the four outweighed the weakness of the others.

I was puzzled why the collection began with "Disappearances," which is more a series of vignettes than an actual story. It was based on real life disappearances that Gaskell had read about. A very weak beginning, but I see in the chronology that the pieces are printed in the order that they were published.

The next story is "The Old Nurses Story," which is a wonderfully typical Gothic ghost story set in a creepy old English house. It was followed by "The Squire's Story," which really isn't so Gothic but interesting all the same. I also loved "Lois the Witch," a story that was obviously inspired by the actual Salem witch trial documentation. My favourite of all, however, was the final story, "The Grey Woman." It started a little slowly, but soon took off and Gaskell maintained the tension for the remaining 50 pages.

I have the Penguin Classics edition (with the wonderful creepy Caspar David Friedrich cover), which includes a lengthy introduction. I found this intro helpful, as for one thing, I wouldn't have understood the story "Curious, if True" without it.

Yeah, so the other stories really didn't do it for me, but because I loved the four that I do, I'll have positive memories of this book.

As for Gaskell's writing, I suspect I'm definitely becoming a fan. I read and liked Cranford a couple of years ago and now know that I'll read more of her. Compared to other 19th century writers, she's not as excessively verbose, and I appreciate that.

Recommended for: readers who want to take a literary trip to 19th century England.

Why I Read This Now: I'm trying to read ghostly and ghouly stories to celebrate October, and this one was the oldest on Mnt. TBR.

195Nickelini
lokakuu 24, 2010, 11:26 am

73. Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen

2006

Why I Read This Now: this month's selection for my book club

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Comments: I have always found circuses both boring and distasteful. Therefore I now found this book about circuses boring and distasteful. The writing wasn't good enough to rescue the story and make it a worthwhile read despite its setting.

I have often been pleasantly surprised when my book club picks a book I don't want to read. Not in this case--I could just tell.

Recommended for: people who like circuses. However, this book is not very well written, so I'm somewhat flummoxed by all the rave reviews here and at Amazon.

196jfetting
lokakuu 24, 2010, 12:50 pm

Uh oh - I also have that one on the TBR, but I am also anti-circus and anti-bad-writing. Oh no! I'll put it off a lot longer, I think.

197lauralkeet
lokakuu 24, 2010, 4:15 pm

Oh dear, sorry you didn't enjoy that one Joyce. I have a vague recollection that you were apprehensive about reading it.

198alphaorder
lokakuu 24, 2010, 5:15 pm

I have put off reading Water for Elephants for years, even amid all of the praise. Guess I won't change that!

199Nickelini
lokakuu 24, 2010, 5:42 pm

#196, 197 & 198 -

Yes, it was pretty clear to me before reading the book that it wasn't going to be one of those surprise great book club reads. Sometimes you just know yourself and your tastes.

200torontoc
lokakuu 24, 2010, 5:45 pm

I wasn't fond of that book either- it had one of those endings that are not endings.

201loriephillips
lokakuu 24, 2010, 8:31 pm

I never understood all the hype about Water for Elephants. It's good to know I'm not the only one.

202Nickelini
lokakuu 24, 2010, 11:46 pm

I wasn't fond of that book either- it had one of those endings that are not endings.

Interesting comment. How did you want to see the book end, Cyrel? I actually didn't mind the ending--but mostly I was just thrilled to see that I had actually reached the end of the book ;-) I thought the ending kinda fit the book as a whole--but then, I admit that my only thought was "yay! I made it!" so I wasn't exactly being analytical or putting any thought at all into it.

203Nickelini
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 25, 2010, 12:46 pm

74. Halloween Tree, Ray Bradbury

YA, 1972

Comments: In The Halloween Tree, some pre-teen neighbourhood boys gather to trick or treat and instead find themselves whisked off on a time-travelling romp through Halloween history. The book invokes the mythical mid-twentieth century world where there were no parents, or girls either, to get in the way of your fun. Despite a certain charm and some wonderful phrasing by Bradbury, the dialogue—with its unwavering barrage of excitement—and endless run-on sentences was exhausting to read. In the end, this book completely fell flat for me.

Recommended for: I don’t actually recommend it, but if you like andocentric worlds where boys are named Ralph and Wally and say “shucks!” and “gosh,” well you might like this book better than I did.

Why I Read This Now: October is ghosts and ghouls month, and this one was on Mnt TBR. It also filled in a YA spot on my 1010 challenge.

Rating: 2/5 stars

204Nickelini
lokakuu 26, 2010, 1:27 am

My book club met on Water for Elephants tonight. As predicted, I was the only negative review. However, we had a great discussion and much fun was had by all. They may have convinced me to raise my rating to 2.5 stars.

205captainsflat
lokakuu 26, 2010, 6:42 am

Oh, your initial review I agreed with so much, that I downgraded it in my own opinion even though it was about circus folk (usually a seller for me, unlike you). Again, really interesting books - I went to your review of Infidels after the Caged Virgin, and have never heard of Ali, but think she is definitely worth discovering. Always such a good balance of fiction and non-fiction, modern and classic.

206wookiebender
marraskuu 2, 2010, 2:16 am

Sorry, I think I was one of the people insisting that you'd *love* Water for Elephants! I thought it was a great read, but, hey, we all have different tastes & opinions.

207Nickelini
marraskuu 3, 2010, 2:31 pm

75. Annabel, Kathleen Winter

2010

I just finished this and want to think before I write my review for the ER program, but I just wanted to say that this was definitely one of my very best reads of 2010. Five stars.

208bonniebooks
marraskuu 3, 2010, 3:31 pm

>206 wookiebender:: Tania, I just read your comment as, "...we all have different tastes in onions."

209Nickelini
marraskuu 3, 2010, 3:38 pm

Yes, I agree. I prefer shallots and green onions myself. ;-)

210Nickelini
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 4, 2010, 11:05 am

75. Annabel, Kathleen Winter

2010

Rating: 5 stars

Comments:
First off, I have to say that this was definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year. Interesting, beautifully written, unique. Winter writes with elegant simplicity. As the blurb on the cover by author Michael Crummey says, “a beautiful book, brimming with heart and uncommon wisdom,” and that sums it up perfectly.

Annabel is the story of a baby born in 1968 in a remote village in Labrador---itself a remote region of Canada—with both male and female genitalia . A decision was made—somewhat reluctantly by his mother and her best friend/midwife-- to raise the baby as male, and so his vagina was stitched shut, he was given life-long meds, and the female side of little Wayne was hidden inside himself. By the time Wayne reaches puberty though, it is clear to him that he is not like any other child, and the truth is revealed to him in bits and pieces. More than just a story of what it’s like to live an intersex life, this is a story of silences and secrets, and all about identity and how we all perform our genders. Winter approaches this all with great dignity and sensitivity. If I have quibble about this book, it’s just that Wayne’s poor mother disappears from the book about 2/3rds of the way through. What happened to her?

I received this book as part of the ER program back in July, but between the frosty blue cover with the deer on it and the author’s name “Winter,” the book just seemed too cold to read in the height of summer. Having read it now I wonder why I took so long—this is a great read any time of the year.

One more small thing: Gabriel Fauré’s “Cantique de Jean Racine” is important to a three of the characters in a few spots. When it came up right near the end I was curious and so pulled it up on YouTube. Of course I recognized it right away. It’s a stunning piece of music, and listening to it as I read the final pages was an enriching experience that brought tears to my eyes.

Annabel was nominated for the literary triple crown in Canada: the Roger’s Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize (which was recently awarded to Emma Donoghue for Room), the Governor General’s Literary Award, and the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

Why I Read This Now: It was a long outstanding ER book, also, I wanted to read it before the Giller announcement next week.

Recommended for: Everyone.

211lauralkeet
marraskuu 4, 2010, 12:47 pm

That sounds interesting. Have you read Middlesex? Can you compare/contrast the two?

And I just love “Cantique de Jean Racine”.

212Nickelini
marraskuu 4, 2010, 4:26 pm

No, I haven't read Middlesex. It's just never piqued my interest at all. However, after reading Annabel, I will give it a try if I come across a copy.

213Nickelini
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 7, 2010, 11:01 pm

76. A Voice of Her Own: Womean and the Journal-Writing Experience, Marlene A. Schiwy

Non-fiction, 1996

Comments: It was with some trepidation that I bought this book. Was it silly to buy a book on journalling? Was it just going to be a bunch of new age mumbo jumbo? Well, I'm happy to say that the new age stuff was kept to a minimum and my gag reflex was never activated.

Was it a waste of money? Well, no. On one hand, the secret to writing a journal is just to write. That's it. No one needs a book to tell them that. However, this book tackled every angle of resistance. It was chock full of advice on overcoming the self-critic, exercises to inspire, how to journal as therapy and life coaching, using the journal to feed the artist muse, etc. and so on. Very helpful! She also debunks rules we journal writers put on ourselves. As she says, "there is no correct way to write a journal." This is very liberating and enriching.

Further, Schiwy has a strong feminist tilt that is wonderful. She is really driven to help women find their voices.

The downside of the book is that Schiwy is extremely long-winded. I'm sure we all know people who are very nice, perhaps even interesting, but who just talk too much. You have things to do, but they won't get off your front porch or let you off the phone. Or, you enjoy their company, but would like to get a word in edgewise. I suspect the author is one of those people. She went on and on about every point, and inserted every example she came across in her research. I often found myself getting cross and muttering "yes, I get it already! You've already told me several times." I would have liked this book better if it were tighter, and only 200 pages instead of over 300.

Recommended for: women who want to maximize their journal writing experience.

Why I Read This Now: I've been looking at this book on Amazon for a few months. I recently saw that Schiwy is teaching a series of journalling classes at the University of British Columbia this fall. I so very much wanted to attend, but it wasn't possible. So I bought the book instead.

Rating 4/5 stars.

214Nickelini
marraskuu 14, 2010, 12:01 pm

77. Regeneration, Pat Barker

1991, historical fiction

Why I Read This Now: I'm doing a personal World War I theme read for the month of November, and I want to read Barker's trilogy. This first book in the set is also on the 1001 Book list.

Comments: This World War I book is set a hospital in Scotland that treats soldiers with what was then called shell-shock. Barker mixes both imagined characters (such as Billy Prior) with historical people (Dr Rivers, Wilfred Owen, Sigfried Sassoon, Robert Graves) to tell her story.

I don't have a lot to say about this book--perhaps because I've seen the movie twice already. But I did really like the book.

Rating: 4 stars

Recommended for: readers who are interested in WWI, but perhaps not really the battles of WWI.

215Nickelini
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 22, 2010, 1:37 pm

78. The Wars, Timothy Findley

1977, historical fiction (or perhaps even "historiographic metafiction")

Why I Read This Now: book two for my personal WWI theme read.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Comments: This novel is narrated by a historian who is trying to put together the story of Robert Ross, a controversial young Canadian officer in WWI.

I'm at a loss on how to describe this book. I find WWI stories usually interest me (it is my "favourite" war, after all), so I expected to like this one too. But it's very different, and I liked that. More post-modern than most historical fiction, and I find that rather interesting. I'm babbling--just go read it and see what you think. I wish I would have come across this one in my classes at university--it would have been great fun to write about.

Winner of the 1977 Governor-General's award.

Recommended for: readers who want a different kind of war book. Also, readers who like books with horses in them. Horses are very important in this story.

216jfetting
marraskuu 14, 2010, 1:16 pm

Regeneration sounds great! Let us know how the other books go.

217Nickelini
marraskuu 22, 2010, 1:37 pm

79. The Eye in the Door, Pat Barker

1993, Historical fiction

Comments: In this second installment of the Regeneration trilogy, Rivers, Prior and Sassoon return to fight the contemporary climate that says the war is going poorly due to pacifism, homosexuality and general cowardice. I enjoyed this one at least as much as the first--if not more. A rather detailed homosexual act early in the novel may unsettle some readers, but it does not set the tone for the whole book. Definitely recommended.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Why I Read This Now: Doing a personal WWI theme read this month.

Recommended for: People who like war books without battles, people who like better quality historical fiction.

218Nickelini
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 27, 2010, 1:58 pm

80. the Ghost Road, Pat Barker

1995, Historical fiction

Why I Read This Now: to complete the Regeneration trilogy, which I'm reading as part of my WWI theme read this November. This book is also a Booker award winner and on the 1001 books list.

Rating: 4/5

Comments: I think this one is probably the best-written of the Regeneration trilogy--I think the symbolism was particularly sharp. Interesting story, and I think it would stand on its own, but I'm glad that I read the other two books first. I suspect the Booker Prize was really for the whole series and not just this one book. I know some readers didn't like the sections where Rivers remembers Melanesia, but I didn't mind them--possibly because I've been there and think Barker captured it quite well.

Recommended for: Obviously anyone who has read the earlier two books, but also anyone who likes war stories that are different from the usual.

219captainsflat
joulukuu 6, 2010, 2:21 pm

Hi Nickelini, I have never heard of the Barker trilogy before. Would guys enjoy them? I hope that doesn't sound too silly.

220Nickelini
joulukuu 6, 2010, 6:32 pm

Yes, I think guys would enjoy them, as long as (1) the guy doesn't need a lot of battle scenes in his war books, and (2) the guy isn't a homophobe. Not silly at all--these books are not "chick lit".

221captainsflat
joulukuu 6, 2010, 10:53 pm

I will have to check them out, he's read everything in the house. He likes things like Highways to a War, which is not battle scenes. The Findley one looks interesting too.

222Nickelini
joulukuu 7, 2010, 12:04 am

Both are excellent for someone who likes a bit of an intellectual read and some history. But for someone who needs a straightforward plot and action, maybe not the best choice.

223lauralkeet
joulukuu 7, 2010, 1:07 pm

>219 captainsflat:, 220: My husband liked them quite a lot and actually read them long before I did. It also inspired him to read some of Siegfried Sassoon, who is featured in the first book.

224Nickelini
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 7, 2010, 5:25 pm

81. Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement, Kathryn Joyce

2009, non-fiction, cultural studies

Comments: The title, Quiverfull, refers to Psalms 127 which directs us to give birth to a quiverfull of God's arrows. Followers of Quiverfull philosophy are setting out to create a pure church, which strictly follows the Bible literally. They believe in a strict patriarchal structure with all females in total submission to the males in their lives. They leave God to open and close the womb, meaning no birth control, including the rhythm method. This ensures a full quiver of between five and twenty children for each family.

These children are home schooled and kept under tight control to prevent any outside influences. In this way, the movement's leaders hope to flood the US with a powerful group of pure Christians who will save the country while preparing for Christ's return.

Although there are only about 10,000 followers in the US (with a smattering in other English speaking countries)--a true fringe group--there are many more people who subscribe to these beliefs without self-identifying as a Quiverfull family. Many protestants who have left the mainstream churches because they aren't Biblical enough stumble into this lifestyle without realizing it has a name. Also, this isn't a strictly cohesive group--they range from the typical Christians who only care about God, Church and the Family all the way to extremist Taliban-like dangerous nutjobs (e.g.: Andrea Yates, who murdered her five children, was a Quiverfull mother who was mixed in with a extremely dangerous pastor)

Unfortunately, in reality, most Quiverfull families are not living the good life as exemplified by the most famous bunch--reality TV's Duggar Family of 19 Kids and Counting fame. Instead, most of these families struggle on one small income and daily life is quite harsh for them. Women live a cycle of housework, birth, breastfeeding and home schooling--oh, and church, of course. Schooling for girls is sometimes neglected and there is certainly no need for post-secondary education for those without a penis. Instead the ideal daughter should focus on serving the men in her life, by doing things such as "fetchng a father's slippers for him in order to free the father up for weightier dominion tasks in reclaiming the world for Christ."

Kathyrn Joyce is a feminist and not a Christian, so obviously her book is not written in support of this lifestyle. However, she stays away from pointed observation and lets the adherents speak for themselves through their own words.

I think the biggest fault of this book is that for all the research she obviously did, the author neglected to cite her sources directly. Otherwise, this was a thought-provoking and eye opening read.

Why I Read This Now: I hadn't planned to, but I was a little bored with the novel I'm reading, and then I read an interesting article at the AlterNet site ( http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/149022/creepy_christian_patriarchy_m..., and I just couldn't NOT read it. I mean, it has it all--cultural studies! wacky fundamentalists! Atrocities against women that get my feminist hackles up! How could I let it just sit on my shelf?

Recommended for: Readers interested in -cultural studies! wacky fundamentalists! Atrocities against women that get your feminist hackles up!

225jfetting
joulukuu 7, 2010, 6:33 pm

creepy, creepy, creepy.

226wookiebender
joulukuu 8, 2010, 12:05 am

My feminist hackles are up, definitely. Grrr.

227Nickelini
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 13, 2010, 11:53 am

82. Love in a Cold Climate, Nancy Mitford

Britlit, 1949

Comments: I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it, and can open at any point and enjoy the words on the page, but in the end it didn’t add up to much. In 2007, I read In Pursuit of Love, which is included in this same volume. I had really liked it, and rated it four stars, so I was always looking forward to getting to this second novel in the book. It’s very much the same—actually, it’s too much the same. I like her wry commentary on upper class 1930s English society, and I like the sort of Jane Austen-Evelyn Waugh feel to the books. But really, they do go on and on without any sort of direction. That, in itself, is not necessarily a bad thing. However, the aimlessness of Love in a Cold Climate made me not really care, and I started avoiding the book. What should have been a quick book ended up taking 16 days to read. My pace did pick up after I got to Part 2—it didn’t seem as aimless as the first part, and I found myself rather enjoying it. Both In Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate were included in the original 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, and Pursuit was dropped in later editions. I’m not sure why they thought Love was the one to keep, but I do agree that one is sufficient and they both don’t need to be there. In fact, I’m not sure that either deserves a spot on the list. Although I did enjoy some of my time in the Mitford world, the charm has gone off, and I’m generously giving Love in a Cold Climate three stars.

Rating: 3 stars

Why I Read This Now: Book had been hanging around since 2007

Recommended for: someone who likes Evelyn Waugh and Jane Austen.

228lauralkeet
joulukuu 13, 2010, 9:28 pm

>227 Nickelini:: I was lukewarm about those two books as well (mine were both in the same physical book). My hopes had been raised and it just didn't live up to the hype for me.

229wookiebender
joulukuu 14, 2010, 1:47 am

I'm a Mitford fan, although it's been a while since I read the books!

230iftyzaidi
joulukuu 20, 2010, 10:59 pm

@219 - I really liked Regeneration as well. I had already read some Sassoon before, but this did also inspire me to read Robert Graves' autobiography Goodbye To All That which covers his experiences in World War One amongst others. Its worth a read.

231clif_hiker
joulukuu 21, 2010, 11:01 am

I read Regeneration several years ago and enjoyed it a lot. I've never got around to reading the rest of the trilogy, but it HAS been on my wish-list for some time.

232Nickelini
joulukuu 24, 2010, 12:43 pm

83. Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote

1959

Comments: I think my main problem with this book is that this Holly Golightly is no Audrey Hepburn, and I adore Audrey Hepburn. In fact, now that I think about it, the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's is sort of weird and pretty annoying, and the only thing that makes it watchable is Audrey. So, yeah, the book didn't really do it for me. But on the upside, it was short and not difficult to read.

Recommended for: readers looking to check something off the 1001 books list.

Why I Read This Now: I was expecting it to be a sparkly read for the end of the year.

Rating: 3 generous stars

233Nickelini
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 27, 2010, 2:31 pm

84. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

1813

Rating: how do I give a book more than 5 stars? As Ralphie imagines in A Christmas Story, A+++++++++++++++++

Why I Read This Now: I was actually having trouble showing my face around here--what kind of book obsessed, LibraryThing aficionado and Jane Austen fan hasn't read Pride and Prejudice? Well, it goes like this. I've been reading one Austen book a year, and I thought I'd save the so-called best for last. Also, I own the BBC/A&E version, I've seen the dreadful Kiera Knightly version and the wonderful Bollywood Bride and Prejudice, I have Bridget Jones's Diary all but memorized, and I've watched Lost in Austen three times. So really, I was wondering if it was really necessary to read the book.

Comments: Despite my familiarity with both Austen's writing and the story itself, I was in for a huge, pleasant surprise. I really believed that Mansfield Park would always be my favourite of her novels, but no, it gets solidly bumped down to number two. P & P is indeed Austen's masterpiece. On every page there was something new to amuse me. This book was not just my favourite of the year, it has earned a place on my top 5 of all time. I'm looking forward to many rereadings over the years as Austen's humour will continue to delight. Add me to the legions of rabid P&P fans.

Recommended for: people who like really good books. Duh.

234jfetting
joulukuu 27, 2010, 2:48 pm

From one rabid P&P fan to another - welcome to the club!

235Nickelini
joulukuu 27, 2010, 3:20 pm

Thank you very much, Jennifer! I feel like I should offer you tea, or something.

236LauraBrook
joulukuu 27, 2010, 9:24 pm

Confession: I have never read Pride & Prejudice. Hello, my name is Laura. I am an English major and I have never read P&P. I didn't even own a copy until a couple of years ago (I KNOW!), then I picked it up and stopped reading it. In my defense, it was around the time when my health took a dive and all I was good for was napping and reading some mindlessly entertaining stuff.

I'm feeling like I need to right this wrong in 2011. Perhaps I'll take a day off in January to really get cracking on it. Hmm...

237wookiebender
joulukuu 27, 2010, 9:42 pm

Ooh, I'll have a cup of tea, if one's on offer. :) Congratulations on joining the Pride & Prejudice aficionado club!

238lauralkeet
joulukuu 28, 2010, 7:46 am

Congratulations, Joyce! This was my first Austen, and I was much younger. I really need to re-read.

239Nickelini
joulukuu 28, 2010, 1:10 pm

Hello, my name is Laura. I am an English major and I have never read P&P.

Shocking! But I think you're in good company--I suspect lots of English majors haven't read it.

240Nickelini
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 28, 2010, 6:55 pm

85. The Making of Pride and Prejudice, Sue Birtwistle and Susie Conkin

1995, Non-fiction

Rating: another 5 star book (by that I mean 5 stars for a book of its type)

Comment: This 120 page book was packaged with my 10th anniversary boxed set of DVDs of the BBC/A&E production of Pride and Prejudice. My expectations were quite low as I usually find books like this to be poorly written. So when it turned out to be an extremely interesting page-turner, I was pleasantly surprised.

The book covers all the details of putting making a film. I was especially fascinated by the part on finding locations. The costume design part was also very interesting. Each section is written by the expert who handled that section of making the film. And there's a whole chapter by Colin Firth on how he approached Darcy!

Jennifer Ehle (who played Elizabeth Bennet) had something very interesting to say about learning the dialogue: "It's the hardest dialogue I've ever had to learn. Shakespeare is a doodle compared to Jane Austen. I think this is essentially because the sense of the line comes at the end of it and also the lines are much longer. When I get to the end of a sentence I usually say 'Oh, I see!' and then I have to go back and read it again. Sometimes the thoughts are quite convoluted--you do all these hairpin bends--so it takes some getting used to. But it's like anything--by the end I found it much easier to learn. It's like learning another language." I think that captures the challenge of reading Austen that a lot of readers experience!

The book is chock-a-block with high quality colour photos, and from a graphic design standpoint, it is a delight. It looks as if no expense was spared.

Recommended for: Obviously, anyone who loves the film, but I also recommend it to anyone who is interested in the details of how films--especially period ones-- are made.

Why I Read This Now: I just wanted to look at the pictures one day, and then I just started reading.

241LauraBrook
joulukuu 28, 2010, 7:30 pm

239: Really? Phew! I was afraid of getting tarred and feathered once I fessed up.

240: I own this - why, exactly haven't I read this yet? Oh bother. Perhaps I'll try to smoosh it in before years end. :)

242Nickelini
joulukuu 28, 2010, 7:54 pm

241 Really? Phew! I was afraid of getting tarred and feathered once I fessed up.

No tarring and feathering around here! You're safe.

I just graduated with an English lit degree, and I would be surprised if even half of my fellow students had read P&P. I think there are just too many books and people's tastes are too varied for any book to be read by everyone (except maybe the really common high school ones like To Kill a Mockingbird). When I was studying Mansfield Park, I even had a young student ask me if Jane Austen was still alive! I guess she hadn't bothered to read the name of the course, which was 19th Century British Literature--the Romantic Period (and I'm pretty sure she had no clue what the Romantic period was!).

243Deern
joulukuu 29, 2010, 1:13 am

Saving the best Austen for last - that's a great idea!
P&P was my second Austen and as she is not that widely read in Germany I didn't know what to expect. It became at once an all-time 5star favorite and it's the only Austen I re-read regularly.

#240: I need to read that "Making of"! :-)

244Nickelini
joulukuu 29, 2010, 12:47 pm

86. Yes You Can! Your Guide to Becoming an Activist, Jane Drake & Ann Love

2010, Non-fiction

note: touchstone says "your guide to changing the world," but it appears to link to the correct book. Go figure.

Why I Read This Now: This is an ER program book.

Comments: In 2010 I found myself thinking about social activism more than ever, so when this book became available through the ER program, I jumped at a chance to read it. I didn't realize that it was marketed for a teen audience. That wasn't a detriment, however, as most of the information in the book is applicable to a wider-audience.

This slim volume is well organized and packed with information. The chapters, or "steps" as the authors call them, tackle one issue each. They include an inspirational background story (for example, the beginnings of Greenpeace, or a short history of Gandhi), a section on useful strategies and tips for skill development, and finally conclude with a timeline of milestones and setbacks of a particular movement. Regardless of whether your area social activism is at the neighbourhood or global level, this book has helpful information, inspiration and advice to get you moving on your chosen cause. The writing is clear and concise and doesn't condescend to the audience. I also appreciate that the publisher included a useful index.

Recommended for: anyone who is interesting in getting involved in social change, whatever their age.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

245Nickelini
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 30, 2010, 12:33 am

87. Parrot and Olivier in America, Peter Carey

2010, audiobook

Why I Read This Now: I've actually been listening to this audiobook since I think September. I needed something to download to my iPod for when I do mindless chores, and this was all that was available at the library. Although I do like historical fiction, this isn't set in one of my time periods and the subject matter didn't interest me. However, I had heard wonderful things about Peter Carey, so thought I'd give it a try.

Comments:

1. The book itself: Although the story isn't one I'd normally select, Peter Carey is such a fabulous writer that I was drawn in right from the beginning. I think his talent is really for great characters and great dialogue. Both the French Olivier and the English Parrot made quips and observations about the USA of the 1830s that could easily still apply today, and I found those particularly funny. I'd say that this book was just a little bit Dickensish.

2. Audiobook: the reader was Humphrey Bower, and he was excellent. The book was written in the first person by both main characters, and he did appropriate accents for each. His particular reading made Parrot an extremely sympathetic and somewhat loveable character, and I think he nailed the lower class English accent. But his real talent was getting Olivier just right--I've heard a number of readers criticize this book because they find Olivier too much. Bower's French aristocrat accent is pompous and silly, but just restrained enough so that he doesn't cross the line into farce. You can just hear that despite all his self-importance, Olivier is a short-sited, asthmatic little twirp. Instead of being too much, he's really quite funny.

3. Listening to books on the iPod: I must take a minute to disparage the iPod as a device for listening to audiobooks. The controls are extremely crude and I ended up listening to the same parts twice because it's impossible to mark your place, and it's almost impossible to get to where you left off. I'm so looking forward to the technology that will replace the iPod!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: fans of quality historical fiction.

246wookiebender
joulukuu 30, 2010, 3:23 am

Nice comments about Parrot and Olivier in America, we're reading that in 2011 in my bookgroup. I was already looking forward to it, and I still am! :)

247Nickelini
joulukuu 31, 2010, 1:38 pm

88. Amsterdam, Ian McEwan

1998

Rating: 4/5 stars.

Comments: What an odd little book. A lot of readers have disparaged this one, and I can understand their criticisms. However, I really like McEwan's way with language, the strange twists and turns he steers the reader through. Further, I think he makes some interesting observations about our culture. While many found the ending preposterous, I found it amusing.

Overall, a quick, well-written, interesting read.

Why I Read This Now: I wanted to read something short that I knew I could finish this year, and also, I like Ian McEwan and hadn't read him in a while.

Recommended for: readers who can enjoy a book even though they don't particularly like the main characters. Also, anyone trying to read the Booker Prize winners.

248jfetting
joulukuu 31, 2010, 1:40 pm

I really enjoyed Amsterdam and thought that the ending was amusing (funny, even) too.

249Nickelini
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 31, 2010, 1:44 pm

89. The Girl Who Cried Flowers, Jane Yolen

1974

Comments: Although published as a children's book, there is nothing childish about this collection of original fairy tales. Jane Yolen has a gift of capturing the feel and language of ancient folk tales and myths. My favourite is "The Lad Who Stared Everyone Down," although the title story was also hauntingly fine. The illustrations are clearly 20th century, but with just the right touch of timelessness and history.

Why I Read This Now: Sneaking one more in for my 1010 challenge. Also, it's been sitting around my bedroom forever.

Rating: 3.5 stars. I think it could easily be rated higher based on the writing, but I'm just not that into fairy tales. I think I like the idea of them better than the actuality of them (if that makes any sense).

Recommended for: readers who like fairy tales, of course!

250Carmenere
joulukuu 31, 2010, 3:24 pm

Joyce, Do you have a new thread for 2011? Although I lurk more than I post I enjoy seeing which interesting books you're reading. Happy New Year!!

251Nickelini
joulukuu 31, 2010, 4:00 pm

Yes, I do have a thread. I'm leaving the 100 group and just posting over at Club Read: http://www.librarything.com/topic/104427

Please join me over there!