Sunday Salon 13 - 2009 Mid-Year Thoughts

SUNDAY SALON MID YEAR THOUGHTS

BEST OF 2009 (in no order)

*Kafka on the Shore - Huruki Murakami

*Watchmen - Alan Moore

*A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka

*The Glass Castle - Jeanette Walls
*Fun Home (no review yet)

*The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz

*Boy's Life - Robert McCammon

*The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

A Huge Accomplishment: Middlemarch - George Eliot

My Favorite Review (Self Interview): Twilight - Stephenie Meyer

Did Not Finish: Miles from Nowhere - Nami Mun

TOTALS

10,729 Pages

31 books

My goals this year were a little different--read 24,00 pages and 40 books from the TBR stack. 16 of the 31 are from the TBR stack (acquired before 12/31/08) and 10,729 pages. Not great on either count. But, I'm not stressing and I'm having fun. So, I'm OK with the goals not quite being met.

My Current Challenges (this will make you feel good):

Orbis Terranum hosted by Bethany (2/9)

Non-fiction Five (hosted here) (1/5)
Classics Challenge hosted by Me (2/7)

Arthurian Challenge hosted by Becky (0/5)

Finished challenge:

Once Upon a Time 3 hosted by Carl

And what the heck, Some New Ones:







The Southern Reading Challenge hosted by Maggie

The GLBT Challenge hosted by Amanda

The Canadian Book Challenge hosted by Book Mine Set (John Mulford)

As you can see, I've gone kind of lax this year with the challenges. I'm absolutely, 110% OK with that--having fun, right? And reading!! I'd love some suggestions for the GLBT and Canadian Book Challenge if you've got them. Of course I'll be reading Atwood for the Canadian and Fingersmith for the GLBT.

WHEW! What is on your top 10 (or 8) list for the midway point? If you had to say: "Trish! Read this book now" what would that book be?

**I'm headed out of town and will be trying to schedule this post. I'm sure the formatting is going to hate me--if it's all muddled, forgive me and I'll fix it on Sunday/Monday. boo!

Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain

Title: Tom Sawyer
Author: Mark Twain
Published: 1876 Pages: 184
Genre: Classic Literature
Rating: 4/5

I don’t think I’ve read this book since I was in the seventh grade. There are parts of it that seemed really familiar, like the whitewashing and the incident with the cave, but I’m wondering if those memories are more from watching the Disney movie. Either way, reading this was a really pleasant trip down memory lane and just what I was in the mood for. That Tom Sawyer is one funny fellow—and Huck is even better!

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is the classic tale of a very rambunctious boy of the same name. I don’t think there is any simpler way to put it other than Mark Twain seems to be trying to figure out all the different ways a boy Tom’s age can get in trouble! I had forgotten all of the shenanigans and mischief—the playing pirates and looking for gold and pretending to be bank robbers—just good old fashioned fun. Deep down Tom and Huck are good kids with a little streak of rebellion, and as Twain puts it--most of the trouble they get into is because of the "shouldn'ts" and "can'ts." Once those restrictions are taken away, any type of desire to be "bad" disappears.

Much of the fun of Tom Sawyer is getting to see what the boys will do next, so I won't go any further into what the books is about. It did take me a few chapters to get into the rhythm of Twain's writing, but his writing has a wonderful lyrical style and he is quite humorous. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the witticisms and little philosophical side notes Twain interjected into the book. My favorite part of Tom Sawyer, though, is the dialogue. I had a tougher time with the dialect in Huck Finn, but Tom Sawyer is fairly readable. I'll leave you with two passages--the first is one of my favorite parts of the book when Tom feeds Aunt Polly's cat Painkiller. The second is an example of the dialogue in an exchange between Tom and Huck when they think they've happened upon a treasure of money.

"Peter [the cat] was agreeable. So Tom pried his mouth open and poured down the Painkiller. Peter sprang a couple of yards in the air, and then delivered a war whoop and set off round and round the room, banging against furniture, upsetting flowerpots, and making general havoc. Next he rose on his hind feet and pranced around, in a frenzy of enjoyment, with his head over his shoulder and his voice proclaiming his unappeasable happiness. Then he went tearing around the house again spreading chaos and destruction in his path. Aunt Polly entered in time to see him throw the open window, carrying the rest of the flowerpots with him. The old lady stood petrified with astonishment, peering over her glasses; Tom lay on the floor expiring with laughter" (68).

***********************************************************

"I'm going to buy a new drum, and sure-'nough sword, and a red necktie and a bull pup, and get married."
"Married!"
"That's it."
"Tom, you-why, you ain't in your right mind."
"Wait-you'll see."
"Well, that's the foolishest thing you could do. Look at pap and my mother.
Fight! Why, they used to fight all the time. I remember, mighty well."
"That ain't anything. The girl I'm going to marry won't fight."
"Tom, I reckon they're all alike..." (128).

I can just hear the two boys bickering back and forth in my head--usually I don't need a lot of dialogue in books and aren't bothered if the book is text-heavy, but in this case I looked forward to every little exchange. I hope you'll read this book. It is full of fun and southern charm, and although there are probably lessons to be learned from Tom and Huck and their scrapes, I just relaxed with this one and let the adventure sweep me away.

What was the last book you read that was just plain fun?

**I didn't see any reviews of this one in my very quick search (saw it on a lot of lists!), so if I missed yours, let me know and I'll include the link.

What's on Your Desk? (aka Picture Overload)

First and Foremost: Happy Canada Day!

Although I was born in the states and moved to Texas 19 years ago, Canada will always have a rather large part of my heart.

Second, Becky from One Nut Literature and Linda Ellen from Bambi Reads tagged me for the What's on your Desk Wednesday meme hosted by Sassy Brit.


So what's on my desk? Please please assure me your desk is messier than mine is!

Here's what you do:
1. Grab a camera and take a photo of your desk! Or anywhere you stack your books/TBR pile. And no tidying!
2. Add this photo to your blog. Tag at least 5 people! Come back here and leave a link back to your photo in the comments section.That's it.

Maggie and Ms. Poppet (she's new and doesn't have a name yet--suggestions?)

List at least 5 BOOKISH things

*Um, books, books, and books. Mostly new/recent additions

*In the bottom picture you can see my book thong I've yet to use

*1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

*Spiral to write down wishlist books

*Several more bookmarks not shown in pictures (mixed in with bills--didn't think you wanted to see my bills)

List at least 5 NON BOOK things

*Maggie the cat (Meow)

*Texas A&M lamp (Whoop!)

*Gorilla pod (that pink and black thingy)

*Canadian Maple Syrup

*Cards and stationary

*Stamps!

What's on YOUR desk?

*It's taking 3-4 hours for my posts to load in Google Reader and my scheduled posting isn't working--any ideas why this is happening??

Non-Fiction Five July Reviews

Post your July reviews in the comments below using the following format:

Your name and title of book: Trish - The Hot House
Your URL: http://trishsbooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/hot-house-life-inside-leavenworth.html

Since Mister Linky is down, I'll add them to this post so you have a list to click through.

JULY REVIEWS:


See June Reviews

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen - Susan Gregg Gilmore

Title: Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen
Author: Susan Gregg Gilmore
Published: 2008 Pages: 293
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3/5

I foresee this being kind of a busy week on the blog. Wednesday will be the Non-Fiction Five Review post (is the current format working or do you have suggestions?) and I promised to do a What's On Your Desk meme. And hopefully I'll finish Tom Sawyer and get a review out. So, probably another four posts. Oh, and Sunday Salon will probably be a mid-year review if I can get it done before going out of town again. You'll forgive me the barrage of posts, right?

Wait, this is a book review! I remember seeing Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen last summer, and I immediately put it on my wish list. I love Southern fiction and this one sounded like it might be in the same vein as Fannie Flagg's works. Just like my favorite Chicken Fried Steak from Cotton Patch Cafe, Southern fiction screams comfort. Do you feel this way about books set in your locale?

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen is set in the small town of Ringgold, Georgia in the 1970s. Catherine Grace Cline, a daughter of a preacher, knows she is destined for bigger things than what Ringgold has to offer and she dreams of one day breaking free. With the help of her little sister, Martha Ann, and her stand-in mother, Gloria Jean, Catherine Grace grows into a strong young woman who yearns for independence. The book chronicles her youth and into her young adulthood when she finally sets out for Atlanta on her own. But she discovers some things about herself and her family that could change everything she has ever known and home becomes more important than making it in a big city.

Looking for Salvation was an enjoyable read--the characters are just as colorful as you would find in any Southern fiction novel and Catherine Grace has witty sense of humor about her life. The book is often times funny and even more times heartfelt. In the end, though, it didn't do a lot for me--not like I was hoping anyway. I'm not sure if it was because the book is rather short and by the time Catherine Grace is a young woman the events begin to occur too rapidly or if it was simply timing? It was a fun and quick read, but it isn't one that will continue to be memorable in the long run. Instead, when I think of my favorite Southern fiction book, I'll continue to think back fondly of Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg.

This book, however, is perfect for a lazy summer weekend. I think many people would really like it and I don't have any major complaints, it just lacked oomph for me. Hmm--how does one even define oomph?!? I guess it's one of those things that you just know what you see it. Do you have a favorite genre that you go to when you are seeking reading comfort? Do you have a favorite Southern fiction book? Can you define oomph?

Sunday Salon 12 - Burn This Book

Good morning everyone! This post might end up being a little information-overload, but bear with me (I'll do my honest best not to ramble since I'm providing a lot of extra data). If there is a topic that will get book lovers riled up, it is censorship and banned books. Just this week, Stephanie from Confessions of a Bookaholic talked about Book Burning and there have been many many others. The freedom to read is very near and dear to me and the thought of that freedom being challenged makes my blood boil.

FSB Associates emailed me earlier this week about a pro-bono project they are doing for Burn This Book, a new collection of essays edited by Toni Morrison and published by Harper Studio. And while I didn't get a chance to get the book, let alone read it, this week, I wanted to share the information with you all.

Burn This Book contains a number of essays from literary heavyweights such as John Updike, David Grossman, Francine Prose, Pico Iyer, Russell Banks, Paul Auster, Orhan Pamuk, Salman Rushdie, Ed Park, and Nadine Gordimer. They pose the question of what censorship means and what the consequences of censorship could be. What can we do for our part? I'm not really sure, but I don't think it is a topic that can or should be ignored. You can even sign a petition for the right to read (go now!!).



What do you think the implications are of censorship and banned books? What does it even mean for you when a book lands on the banned book list? Do you think that certain material should not be taught in the schools? Are there books you read in school when you were younger that are now on that list? Do you have a favorite banned book?

What does our world look like with more and more of our favorite books landing on the banned or challenged book lists every year? Where do we draw the line?

Oh ya...come find me on twitter!! I'm still learning, but I don't know the best way to find people yet, so find me! :D (Shameless plug over)

Tweeting My Way into Insanity

As if I'm not going crazy enough. I caved. I joined twitter. Wanna be my friend? Wanna give me tips and advice (please??)? Wanna reassure me that I'm not crazy?

If you do pop by, a note on the name: TriniCapini is my nickname (from my mom). If I joined twitter, I didn't want to be completely defined by books. OR, I'm just crazy.

The Lost City of Z - David Grann

Title: The Lost City of Z
Author: David Grann
Published: 2009 Pages: 299
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: 4.25/5

I'm not entirely sure how I ended up getting my hands on this one-or how I let it sit on the shelf for so long, but I'm glad I finally took the time to read this one. What an exciting book/adventure/story/legend!

In the early twentieth century (1920s), Percy Fawcett led a number of expeditions into the depths of the Amazon in South America in search for the lost city of El Dorado, a city he coded as “Z.” In 1925 Fawcett, along with his son and other expedition party members, disappeared and were never heard from again. While the search for Z in many ways consumed Fawcett, his disappearance has caused such a buzz that it is estimated 100 people have also died in the search for Fawcett’s remains.

In The Lost City of Z, David Grann, a journalist and columnist, delves into the Amazon and searches for answers to the mystery surrounding Percy Fawcett’s disappearance. It is evident that Grann has done his research, not just on the life of Fawcett, but also on the numerous other expeditions into the Amazon before and after Fawcett’s disappearance. Grann must have looked at a ton of resources because the book is brimming with information, but one thing that I really appreciated was how Grann included his quotations and secondary information seamlessly. The facts and material he used never felt out of place or even superfluous—even the details about other sometimes non-related events occurring during Fawcett’s time were fascinating.

This book could not be more interesting—well, it could be, but if I explained then I’d be giving something exciting away and you want to find that out for yourself, don’t you? Even though the book is relatively short at 300 pages, there is so much crammed in—information about Fawcett and his explorations, information about the Amazon and the tribes that currently live there (what little is known), information about the flora and fauna of the Amazon and all over fascinating tidbits (lots of information about contemporaries of Fawcett including Arthur Conan Doyle whose The Lost World is loosely based on Fawcett and his search for Z). There are some aspects, especially near the end, that I would have liked to know more about, but I think the reason why Grann does not provide more information is because of the lack of information in general on said topic (my lips are sealed!).

Would you enjoy this book? Sure! I just passed it on to my mom and I hope she likes it. While it isn’t incredibly gripping, it isn’t dry either. Non-fiction sometimes gets such a bad rap for being boring—the author shoving too many facts in your face or not incorporating research material well or stilted writing—but this book is very readable. While I don’t think we will ever know just what happened to Percy Fawcett once he disappeared, Grann compiles and interprets all of his research in a way that posits a very realistic theory. Overall a very exciting book—you know those books you read and you want to tell everyone you see little tiny details? This is definitely one of those—especially when it comes to the bugs in the Amazon—my favorite being the “eye licker.” I found myself saying over and over, “Oh my gosh—listen to this!” If you’re on the fence about this one, check out David Grann’s website. Still on the fence? Did I mention a Lost City of Z movie in 2010 with....Brad Pitt??

What's the most exciting non-fiction book you've read? (The Devil in the White City by Larson is probably mine).

Sunday Salon 11 - Audiobooks

I have a hellish commute. Ok, so it's probably not as bad as others, but Dallas's traffic is horrendous and was recently rated as having the second highest amount of road rage. I'll admit that I contribute to those road rage sentiments. I don't use my horn very often and hand gestures even less, but I do grip that steering wheel and probably daily yell "Seriously!?!" I drive 25 miles to work and home every day, but most days it takes me an hour each way. Whew--getting anxious just thinking about it!

What's a girl to do? This year I've been listening to audiobooks as an alternative to radio commercials or annoying morning talk show hosts. I've only listened to five so far (Sundays at Tiffany's and First to Die by James Patterson, The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller, Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag, and Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner), but I've got a few more on the shelf and will be seeking out others. Actually, Laura and I usually trade off CDs since we work together and have similar commutes (although she is much calmer than I am).

I have struggled with audiobooks. My first attempt was a year and a half ago when I tried to listen to Eragon. Bad choice. 14 hours, unfamiliar plot and themes, too much to keep up with. I always envied Joy from Thoughts of Joy who is always listening to something fabulous on audio. She wrote a really great post about listening to audiobooks versus reading that has stuck with me over a year later. I SO want to be able to listen like she can and have looked to her for advice over the years. But I have a short attention span and I have to pay pretty close attention to traffic not to be sideswiped, so I am constantly rewinding the audio to hear what I missed. The key to me is to listen to books that don't require a ton of attention. And I really like the mystery/crime audiobooks that I wouldn't normally read in hardcopy.

I haven't reviewed any of the books I've listened to because I'm not sure how. I find that my reaction to them is more akin to watching movies than reading a book. I can't seem think about them as critically, especially the writing, so at this point they are pure entertainment. I haven't counted them towards my book count as of yet, but only because for me it doesn't quite feel the same as reading a book. Maybe as I continue to get used to them I'll be able to think about them in the same way.

Sunday's Questions about Audiobooks:
So how about you? Do you listen to audiobooks? Do you have a certain type of genre that you stick with? Have you tried audiobooks and they didn't work for you? Do you have the same reaction to audiobooks that you do to paperbooks? Do you review audiobooks on your blog? Do you count them toward your yearly book count? Any new advice for a new listener?

Hope everyone is having a fabulous Sunday and Father's Day. I'm jealous that I didn't get to partake in the Bloggiesta hosted by Natasha of Maw Books, but I'm at my in-laws' for the weekend. Anyone want to take over my blog and put it into shipshape for me? :P

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister - Gregory Maguire

Title: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

Author: Gregory Maguire

Published: 1999 Pages: 368

Genre: Fiction

Rating: 3.5/5

Last year I read and really enjoyed Wicked by Maguire, so I was excited when I found a used copy of Confessions for cheap. And of course then it sat on my shelf for about a year. Hate when that happens! Carl's Once Upon a Time Challenge was the perfect chance for me to read this one. And I'm glad I did--but I didn't love it as much as Wicked.

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a retelling of the Cinderella tale, but while many parts of the book were familiar, this definitely isn't the Disney version. Set in the seventeenth century, Margarethe flees England with her two small daughters, Ruth and Iris, to start a new life in Holland. Their circumstances are mysterious, but is evident that a tragedy involving Ruth and Iris's father has occurred--a tragedy that is quickly swept under the rug. Desperate to make sure her daughters are fed and sheltered, Margarethe does everything she can to claw her way into situations that will help them all rise above the dirt and squalor of reality. Along the way, they become involved in the Van der Meer household where they meet Clara--a small and curious child, a changeling of sorts.

Once Margarethe and her daughters intertwine themselves in the life of the Van der Meers, the story becomes more familiar--Margarethe eventually becomes the evil stepmother we all know and Ruth and Iris become the stepsisters. But they aren't evil like we have learned in the original fairytale. This story is twisted into a perspective that recreates the story of Cinderella.

"In the lives of children, pumpkins can turn into coaches, mice and rats into human beings. When we grow up, we learn that it's far more common for human beings to turn into rats" (x).

I enjoyed many elements of the story--of course seeing the wellknown fairytale in a different light. I've come to really enjoy different tellings and one of my favorite aspects of literature is perspective. There is always more than one side of the story, but we usually see the side of the successor. In this case the reader sees what might have really occured--what Clara or Cinderella was truly like, the interaction between the stepsisters and Clara, and of course the stepsisters' part in the tale.

I also really liked the characterization and side stories in this book. Iris seems to be the main character, and she is a strong and willful young woman. Her sister Ruth is mute and often plays second fiddle (or even third after Clara), but she is still an important member of the cast. Margarethe is wretched--everything you would expect an evil stepmother to be. Surrounding the story is the tulip craze and a painter, Luykas Schoonmaker, who tries to capture beauty but often paints the horrific truth instead. And then Caspar who in many respects is the fairy godmother of the story. True beauty is a major theme within the novel, and all of these characters in some way represent some type of beauty--whether pure beauty or tainted and false.

There is a richness to Maguire's storytelling that I really love, but the execution of the storytelling is sometimes jarring or disconnected. There were many storylines that were dragged on for too long in the book and some that I didn't think were fully satisfied, such as the story of what happened in England before they left for Holland. I suppose this is to be left a mystery, but it felt a little too unsettled to me.

This review is much longer than I intended--when beginning I half thought I didn't really have much to say about the book. It was an enjoyable read, but I didn't find it terribly memorable. If you're looking to read Maguire, certainly go with Wicked which seemed much more complex to me. I'm interested in reading more of his Oz series but don't know if I'll try any of his other retellings just yet. What is your favorite fairytale retelling? Have you read any Maguire?



Also reviewed by:
Bonnie from Redlady's Reading Room
Jeane from Dog Ear Diary
Raych from books i done read
*let me know if I missed yours

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This concludes my reading for the Once Upon a Time Challenge III. I had hoped to read The Book of Lost Things and Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell, but there just isn't enough time. What I did finish:

Tales of Beedle the Bard - JK Rowling
The Light Fantastic - Terry Pratchett
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister - Gregory Maguire

Date Finished: June 13, 2009 #29