Peace of Brain

What's In A Name Challenge 5

2012-01-11T08:15:00.000-06:00

Beth Fish is hosting one of my favorite challenges from years previous: the What's In A Name Challenge. After deciding to take up reading challenges again this year, this challenge was the first one for which I went looking.

A planned list of books to complete the challenge is not required, but here is my planned list nonetheless:

A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title: Treasure Island by R. L. Stevenson
A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title: The Moonstone by W. Collins or Yellow Arrow by B. Pelevin
A book with a creepy crawly in the title: Germline by T. C. McCarthy
A book with a type of house in the title: The White Castle by O. Pamuk
A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title: A Guide to the Good Life by Wm. Irvine or America's Constitution: A Biorgraphy by A. R. Amar
A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title: 1000 Autumns of Jacob DeZoet by D. Mitchell

If you are interested in participating in this challenge, which runs for the entire year, head on over to the sign up page.

Return of Reading Challenges in 2012

2012-01-03T05:47:00.000-06:00

I have been absent from this weblog for over a year now. I am returning in order to increase the number of books I read. This year I would like to read over 100 books. I would like 50 of those to be books that I own, as I have quite a TBR pile in my personal library. I am hoping that participation in reading challenges will help me reach these goals.

In 2009, I used this weblog to participate in reading challenges and read 92 books that year. In the middle 2010, I decided that reading challenges were too restrictive and gave them up to just read as my whims took me. (I also gave up blogging.) In 2010 I read 78 books, a total which dwindled again in 2011 when I read only 60 books. 60 books is the least I have read since I started recording what I read in 2006. So, I am going to do reading challenges again this year.

The Seven Ages by Louise Gück

2010-04-27T09:46:00.002-05:00

I was disappointed by The Seven Ages by Louise Glück. The winner of the Bollinger Prize in 2001, The Seven Ages was very good, but, to be honest, I was expecting something better. I had a preconceived notion that I would absolutely love Gl¨ck's poetry, but I didn't. That isn't to say that it wasn't good. I particularly enjoyed Radium, From A Journal, Balcony, and Unpainted Door. But reading The Seven Ages just wasn't the life-changing event I though it would be; perhaps I should not have had such high expectations, but I did.

3.50/5

Genesis by Bernard Beckett

2010-04-18T13:55:00.003-05:00

In the post-apocalyptic world of Bernard Beckett's Genesis Anaximander is taking an exam to enter the Academy. Anaximander lives in a society modeled after Plato's Republic. But all is not what it seems. This society, intended to be just and good, is in many ways dark and cruel. Against this dark background, Anaximander's exam, in the Beckett's hands, turns into a philosophical riff on consciousness. A plot twist at the end leaves the reader wondering about the same tricky issues touched on during Anaximander's exam.

Despite it's deeply philosophical theme, Genesis was a fairly quick read that left me thinking about some serious issues. If you enjoy philosophy or science fiction, I think you should give Genesis a look.

3.75/5

The Almond by Nedjma

2010-04-08T09:31:00.003-05:00

Written anonymously through the use of a pseudonym, The Almond is the fictional tale of the sexual awakening of a Muslim woman from a small Moroccan village. She is married off to a cruel husband, who brutalizes her on her wedding night. Badra swears from that night on her husband will make love to a corpse. It is not until she flees her horrible marriage for the house of her aunt in Tangiers that life for Badra changes. She is introduced to Driss, a rich cardiologist. Badra becomes his mistress and Driss shows her the pleasures of sex. Badra's life becomes a fairy tale as the rich Driss keeps her in good style, despite living in a strict Muslim society. But Driss's libertine lifestyle soon stokes jealousy and Badra's love for him turns to hatred. But the hate eventually cools; Driss and Badra are reconciled after many years of separation.

I really enjoyed reading The Almond. The prose and story are erotic and, at times, terrible. Some, however, might find the frank sexual language offensive. While there is some question about the veracity of the story, I found it an enjoyable read that, even if not entirely accurate, makes me sympathetic to the plight of women in bad marriages, arranged or not.

4.25/5

Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata

2010-04-08T09:18:00.002-05:00

Thousand Cranes is the third Kawabata novel that I have read and by far the best. It is the story of a man haunted by the mistresses of his father. Kikuji is invited to a tea ceremony by one of his father's former mistresses, Chikako. She invites him in order to arrange Kikuji's marriage to Yukiko. But another of his father's mistresses, Mrs. Ota, also attends the tea ceremony, accompanied by her daughter. Kawabata weaves a sad and romantic tale from Kikuji's relationships with all four women.

I have described Kawabata's prose before as spare. In Thousand Cranes, he does a magnificent job of using this spare prose to touch the reader's heart with this romantic tale. For the first time I see why Kawabata deserved the Nobel Prize for Literature, which he won in 1968, shortly before his tragic suicide in 1972. Thousand Cranes certainly makes up for the last Kawabata novel I read, House of the Sleeping Beauties, which was awful. If you are looking to read some Kawabata, Thousand Cranes would be a good place to start.

4.25/5

Ballistics by Billy Collins

2010-04-08T09:05:00.003-05:00

Ballistics by Billy Collins, a former U. S. Poet Laureate, is full of the poetry of everyday life. For example, Old Man Eating Alone in a Chinese Restaurant is about aging and, perhaps, loneliness. Brightly Colored Boats Upturned on the Banks of the Charles about a tableau of boats that Collins must once have seen. Other poems are about the stray thoughts that Collins has; little fantasies like Hippos on Holiday or The Golden Years. Some are deeper, more ominous, like Looking Forward, a poem about death. Ballistics is full of poetry that is simple, full of the unadorned beauty of everyday life.

3.75/5

The Purity Myth by Jessica Valenti

2010-04-03T12:18:00.005-05:00

Jessica Valenti's The Purity Myth is about the abstinence movement championed by fundamentalist Christians. She justly questions the way this movement fetishizes feminine virginity. This fetishization of virginity constructs a social reality where virgins are seen as pure and good and non-virgins are seen as corrupt and bad. It reduces women's value to their sexuality alone, completely discarding the whole of their behavior in favor of a single item by which to measure their morality.

Valenti also questions the wisdom of abstinence-only sex education, which is clearly ineffective and dangerous. Statistics show that abstinence-only education programs do not reduce the likelihood of sexual activity but do reduce the likelihood of condom or other contraception use. Too often abstinence-only education efforts are riddled with mistaken information, at best, but more likely outright lies.

One of the more disturbing components of the abstinence movement is the purity pledge. A purity pledge is undertaken when a young woman, a girl really, pledges to her father that she will remain a virgin until she is married. The father pledges in turn to "cover" his daughter, providing a moral "shield" to protect his daughter, her virginity above all, from the immorality of the world. These pledges, which often take place at "purity balls" are eerily reminiscent of wedding ceremonies. These ceremonies seem to me, and Valenti's father, to have an almost incestuous overtone.

Valenti's book is an interesting contrast to Kathryn Joyce's Quiverfull. Both books are about the ideals of patriarchal Christianity. Unlike Joyce, Valenti makes no attempt to be respectful to the other side. The Purity Myth is, at times, a feminist rant, albeit quite justified. I agree with all of Valenti's criticisms of the Christian obsession with sexual purity, and I am strongly opposed to abstinence-only education. I liked this book, but found it less enjoyable than Quiverfull.

3.75/5

Quiverfull by Kathryn Joyce

2010-04-03T11:37:00.008-05:00

In Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement Kathryn Joyce covers three distinct but related pieces within the growing patriarchy movement in fundamental Christianity.

Once piece concerns the complete surrender of a wife to the "headship" of her husband. Called Titus 2 after the scriptural justification of this surrender.

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Titus 2:4-5

Titus 2 wives do not work outside the home. Instead they engage in homemaking activities, which the Titus 2, or complementarian, philosophy sees as the more naturally female endeavors. These women are to be unquestionably obedient to their husbands. Titus 2 wives must also be sexually available to their husbands at all times.

This sexual availability supports the second piece of the patriarchy movement. Quiverfull families eschew any kind of contraception, surrendering to God the question of conception.

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127:3-5

Quiverfull families have and raise as many Christian children as God sees fit for them to have. Many see their large families as growing armies in a cosmic war between Christians and non-Christians.

The final piece of the Christian patriarchy movement, discussed only briefly by Joyce, is the surrender of daughters to the "headship" of their father as well. This surrender is seen as a kind of preparation for the daughters immanent surrender to her future husband.

Kathryn Joyce does a wonderful job of covering the Titus 2 and Quiverfull movements, but the third part about daughters seemed to be a late and hasty addition to the book. Joyce's opinion of the Christian patriarchy movement is clear from the beginning, but she shows a great deal of respect for the men and women adhere to what the author thinks are mistaken ideals. If you have any interest in the Christian patriarchy movement, or just in fundamentalist Christianity, you would do well to read this book.

As both an atheist and stay-at-home-dad, I find these patriarchal ideals to be fascinating but anathema. The idea that women are unable or unfit to work outside the home; that only men without any masculinity can be nurturing and do housework, is ludicrous. I admire the convictions of the Titus 2 and Quiverfull families that can follow these ideals without harm. But it seems to me that these ideals can be dangerous. One only has to read about the spousal abuse and abject poverty suffered some by some of the families in Joyce's book to see the danger.

4.5/5

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

2010-03-30T10:15:00.005-05:00

The Left Hand of Darkness is a story about Genly Ai, an envoy sent to the ice-bound planet Winter to convince its peoples to join the Ekumen. Winter is inhabited by people that are bi-gendered. Once a month they enter kemmer, a time where they change into a man or woman. The man/woman in kemmer pairs with an opposite gendered person also in kemmer in order to have children. With no tendency to favor becoming a man or a woman during kemmer, inhabitants of Winter can be fathers and mothers to several children.

This bi-genderedness is the attention getting concept in The Left Hand of Darkness, but it is really just background to the actual story. Ai's mission proves difficult when he gets caught in the web of internal and external political struggles in both Karhide and Orgota. But, he does make a friend, Estraven, a once powerful figure in the government of Karhide now banished. Their mutual struggles make up the plot of this sci-fi classic.

A winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, I had high expectations for The Left Hand of Darkness. I was disappointed, for the book did not meet my expectations. The bi-genderedness of the inhabitants of Winter is, without a doubt, brilliant. But for me it wasn't enough to carry the entire novel. The plot, while decent, did not really excite. In the end, I found The Left Hand of Darkness to be a mediocre read.

3.00/5

I read The Left Hand of Darkness for:

Book Awards IV Reading Challenge as a winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards.

The Decades Reading Challenge for a book published in the 1960s.

The GLBT Reading Challenge for its alternate gender/sexualities.

Human Dark With Sugar by Brenda Shaughnessy

2010-03-24T09:37:00.003-05:00

Human Dark With Sugar, winner of the 2007 James Laughlin Award of the Academy of American Poets, is full of poems in which there is delightful play with words. The poems do not have a strong narrative element, which I usually prefer my poetry to have, but Shaughnessy's use of language is beautiful and evocative. I enjoyed reading her poetry so much it inspired me to sign up for the Clover, Bee, and Reverie Poetry Challenge.

4.00/5

The Conference of Birds by Farid Ud-Din Attar

2010-03-24T09:18:00.005-05:00

The Conference of Birds by Farid Ud-Din Attar is a mystical poem described by Reza Aslan in his book No god but God as by far the most famous parable describing the Sufi Way. Written in the twelfth century, Attar's poem describes how the birds of the world have gathered to elect a bird to lead them to the Simurgh, the King of the Birds. They elect the hoopoe to lead them. Before departing several birds question the wisdom of making the journey. The hoopoe answers each in turn with stories and parables. The birds then journey through the the Valleys of the Quest, Love, Mystery, Detachment, Unity, and Bewilderment before arriving at the Valley of Nothingness. Thousands of birds began the journey, but only thirty complete it. When they finally look upon the Simurgh they see themselves, for Simurgh means thirty birds in Persian. They struggled through the various challenges of the arduous journey only to discover that it was themselves they sought.

I heard about this book from Reza Aslan's No god but God. I looked forward to reading it, but was very disappointed upon doing so. The majority of the poem is taken up by the questions asked by the various birds. The parables and stories told in response were often seemed boring or repetitive to me. I would have liked to have read more about the actual journey, but it takes up surprisingly little of the poem. There were a few bright spots though. I especially enjoyed the story of Story Of Shaykh San‘an, which you can read for yourself at this online translation of The Conference of Birds.

2.75/5

The Clover, Bee, And Reverie Poetry Challenge

2010-03-24T09:00:00.004-05:00

I know I'm participating in many reading challenges right now. One of the things I like best about reading challenges is the challenge part. If chosen well, reading challenges encourage you to read things you would not have otherwise read. The Clover, Bee, And Reverie Poetry Challenge is such a challenge for me.

I have never really been a reader of poetry, so I was intrigued when I saw this challenge in my feed reader. I thought about it, but poetry? Nah. Besides, I had so many other challenges going. But over the last couple of months it kept nagging at me.

Then I read the Sufi mystical poem The Conference of Birds by Farid Ud-Din Attar for the Read Your Own Books Challenge. I didn't really enjoy it overall, but there were a few luminescent moments. So, on my next trip to the library, I randomly grabbed a book of poetry from the stacks: Human Dark With Sugar by Brenda Shaughnessy. Even though the Shaughnessy's poetry isn't the kind with a strong narrative arc I prefer, I enjoyed reading it. I now have several books of poetry checked out from the library with the intention of reading them and I'm looking forward to completing The Clover, Bee, And Reverie Poetry Challenge .

Flow: The Cultural History of Menstruation by Elissa Stein & Susan Kim

2010-03-22T18:05:00.004-05:00

In the book Flow: The Cultural History of Menstruation Elissa Stein and Susan Kim cover a broad number of menstrual topics: how we talk about it, the history of hysteria, religious views on menstruation. Most of the book is devoted to the growth and influence of what they call the femcare industry. They cover these topics with a great deal of humor. So much so that at times the prose feels forced. They often seem to try to hard to be hip or be funny. I could almost hear the laugh track in the background. Their humor also seemed at odds with their efforts that the topic be treated seriously. In fact I was disappointed at the lack of serious academic history. But do not let these minor quibbles put you off reading this book. It is a light read that you just might enjoy.

I know that it might seem weird that a man would read this book. I have to admit, I was curious. After all, my wife suffers through a period every month. Though never unsympathetic about it, I certainly have much more sympathy for her (and all women) after reading this book. So, perhaps more men should read it.

3.5/5

The Woman and the Puppet by Pierre Louÿs

2010-03-18T18:00:00.002-05:00

During the Carnival in Seville, a young Frenchman, André Stévenol, spots a beautiful young woman. But before he can speak to her she disappears. Fortunately he sees her again in a carriage. He chases it to a house. He knocks on the door but is turned away by the butler. André sees a match seller on the corner, who gives him the woman's name. She is Doña Concepción Pérez, the wife of Don Manuel Garciá. When André returns home, he finds a letter promising a rendezvous with the young lady.

Before his rendezvous, André visits with an old friend, Don Mateo. When Don Mateo finds out that André is meeting Conceptción, or Concha, he is becomes quite agitated. He urges André not to meet Concha. When André asks why, Don Mateo tells him that he was once Concha's lover. Don Mateo relates the story of how, over the course of several years, Concha cruelly teased him. While Don Mateo supports Concha and her mother, she continually led him to believe that she would sleep with him, but for years she never relents to do so.

Will André keep the rendezvous? What will Don Mateo do not that he has learned that Concha is in Seville, the very city in which he resides? You must read The Woman and the Puppet to find out.

This is my third Pierre Louÿs book. I enjoyed reading it, but thought Aphrodite and The Songs of Bilitis were better.

3.5/5

More Challenges? You have got to be kidding!

2010-03-16T13:59:00.004-05:00

I find myself unable to resist signing up for some more challenges. I have been making good progress on the ones in progress. I finished the Much Ado About Shakespeare and Centuries challenges. I have only one more book for the Numbers and GLBT challenges. I am considering, however, going up a level on the GLBT Challenge. Given the progress I have made, I thought perhaps I have room for some more challenges.

I have kept my eye on the Women Unbound Challenge for some time. Today I checked out the book Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation from my local library as a catalyst for signing up for the challenge. I must say that I feel a little weird reading the book since I am male. But I did see a favorable review of the book by a man on Amazon. Plus the Reader's Bill of Rights says I can read whatever I want to. Anyway, here are some of the books I am considering reading for this challenge:

Flow: the Cultural Story of Menstruation by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim

The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women by Jessica Valenti

Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement by Joyce, Kathryn

O: The Intimate History of the Orgasm by Jonathan Margolis

Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Infidel by A. H. Ali

Grotesque by N. Kirino

I will also be participating in the Orbis Terrarum Challenge. But no list of possibles for this one. I like to wander through the library picking things at random for this challenge.

Two Erotic Tales by Pierre Louÿs

2010-03-16T10:29:00.002-05:00

Two Erotic Tales by Pierre Louÿs includes The Songs of Bilitis, which I have already reviewed, and Aphrodite. Aphrodite is the story of Demetrios and Chrysis. Chrysis is a famous courtesan in Alexendria; Demetrios the famous sculptor and lover of the queen. During a chance meeting between the two Demetrios falls in love with Chrysis. But she is disdainful and says she will only bestow her favors upon him if he gets her three gifts. Demetrios must steal a silver mirror from Rhodopis, another famous courtesan; an ivory comb from the wife of the high priest of Alexandria; and the pearl necklace from around the neck of the statue of Aphrodite in the temple. All three are bold crimes which Demetrios commits. After the crimes Demetrios finds that he is indifferent to Chrysis, but she, convinced that his crimes means he loves her, has fallen in love with him. When Demetrios tells Chrysis where he has hidden the three gifts he rejects her loving advances and demands that she put all three gifts on and walk through the middle of Alexandria wearing them. Chrysis, her passion for Demetrios driving her on, does so. She is arrested and sentenced to death by drinking hemlock. Demetrios, however, escapes punishment.

Louÿs' poetic language made it a treat to read Aphrodite and The Songs of Bilitis. Aphrodite has more of a narrative; The Songs of Bilitis is a series of prose poems with a looser narrative arc. I really like the plot of Aphrodite. The crimes and their consequences, while horrifying, were riveting. Demetrios' eventual rejection of Chrysis followed by her execution lend the story a sense of tragedy. Aphrodite is a great story, but with its erotic themes, it is not for everyone.

3.75/5

Seven Pleasures by William Spiegelman

2010-03-13T10:05:00.001-06:00

William Spiegelman, a professor of English at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, has written a collection of essays, Seven Pleasures, about everyday things that make him happy: reading, walking, looking (at art), dancing, listening (to music), swimming, and writing. Each essay is a light, personal meditation on one of these activities. The essays are engaging and enjoyable to read, but ephemeral and soon forgotten.

I am glad I read this book, though not for the Spiegelman's essays themselves. More intriguing is this idea of ordinary activities that can bring one pleasure. Reading Seven Pleasures made me wonder what ordinary activities I would class as bringing me joy. Like Spiegelman, I too enjoy reading, looking at art, listening to music, and writing, but are there any other activities?

I couldn't think of many beyond those I share with Spiegelman. Just hanging out with my eight year old son can bring me real joy. I love tea and drinking a cup good Chinese black tea is a very ordinary happiness I enjoy every morning. But truly, reading is the ordinary happiness that I come back to over and over.

What about you? What are the ordinary everyday things that make you happy?

3.00/5

Read for:

Numbers Challenge

GLBT Challenge - because Spiegelman happens to be gay, although he only mentions it in passing and it doesn't really have anything to do with his essays.

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

2010-03-13T08:59:00.001-06:00

In William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Viola and her twin brother Sebastian are separated by a disastrous shipwreck. Viola, believing her brother dead, finds her way to the court of Duke Orsino in Illyria. There, dressed as a man, she becomes the confidant of the Duke under the name Cesario. Orsino is madly in love with Olivia, a wealthy countess. The duke sends Viola to woo Olivia in his name, but Olivia falls in love with Viola and Viola falls in love with the Duke.

While all the wooing and falling in love is happening, Sir Toby Belch, kinsman to Olivia, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, a friend of Sir Toby's and suitor to Olivia, pull a practical joke on Olivia's steward, Malvolio. Maria, Olivia's lady in waiting, forges a letter that she drops where Malvolio will find it. The forged letter convinces the steward that Olivia is in love with him. It instructs him to dress and act in a way guaranteed to annoy the Duchess. Upon doing so, Malvolio is thought to be mad and finds himself confined to the cellar.

Sebastian, rescued by the sea captain Antonio, now arrives in Illyria. Antonio gives Sebastian his purse to use while sightseeing. Antonio cannot go with Sebastian because he is a wanted man in Illyria, and so leaves to find lodging. Meanwhile, Sir Toby decides to prank Sir Andrew, convincing him to challenge Viola/Cesario to a duel over Olivia. Sir Toby conspires to convince both would be combatants that a duel is unavoidable. When the fracas begins, Antonio stumbles in and intervenes, mistaking Viola for Sebastian. Antonio is promptly arrested. He asks Viola for his purse, hoping to pay his way out of his legal troubles, but she of course knows nothing about it. Antonio curses the confused Viola.

Sebastian, while wandering about the city, encounters Olivia. The countess takes him for Viola and bundles him off to the church where they are married in secret. Later, Orsino visits the Countess. When he once again proclaims his love, Olivia reveals the secret marriage to Sebastian. But it Viola in attendance, not Sebastian. Viola denies the marriage, but the priest is called in to verify it. Orsino curses Viola as a betrayer and Viola is finally forced to reveal the truth that she is a woman. Orsino falls in love with Viola. Sebastian returns to the court and is reunited with his sister. Malvolio is freed from the cellar. Everyone agrees that his was badly used, but Malvolio remains angry and stalks off at the end of the play.

I rather enjoyed this play. It is certainly not on the level of Hamlet or King Lear, but it was a delight to read. I would recommend it if you have already read Shakespeare's great plays already, but this is not where I would recommend the new reader of Shakespeare begin.

4.00/5

Read for:

Much Ado About Shakespeare Challenge - an extra because it's Shakespeare and he is that good.

Numbers Challenge

GLBT Challenge - because of Viola's cross-dressing and Antonio's professions of love for Sebastian along with what he says about his time with Sebastian: ... and for three months before, / No interim, not a minute's vacancy, / Both day and night did we keep company.

36 Arguments for the Existence of God by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein

2010-03-09T10:36:00.002-06:00

Rebecca Newberger Goldstein's newest novel, 36 Arguments for the Existence of God, is about a professor Cass Seltzer. Cass is a professor of psychology and his field of academic study is the psychology of religion. Cass has written a book, "The Varieties of Religious Illusion", that discusses the novel's eponymous 36 arguments. The book, a best seller, has propelled Cass to fortune and fame. If academic success weren't enough, Cass has garnered the affections of a beautiful mathematician, Lucinda Mandelbaum. Cass, in the midst of this extraordinary luck, feels as though he has been mistakenly given someone else's life.

The novel alternates between Cass' famed present and his past. We learn about his ex-wife, Pascale; his ex-girlfriend, Roz; and his ex-mentor, Professor Klapper; as well as his relationship to Lucinda. Goldstein does a fantastic job of moving events in the past and present forward toward toward a climax. Will things work out with Lucinda? What about Roz, who, retired from an academic career as an anthropologist, has resurfaced in Cass' life? What about Azarya, a child prodigy who must choose between his phenomenal mathematical gift and his duty as the next Rebbe to the Waldeners?

I loved this book. It is everything a novel is supposed to be, an engaging narrative about human life and relationships. It is full of memorable characters: Professor Klapper, Azarya, Pascale, Roz, and Lucinda. The characters are so wonderfully developed I found myself rooting for a particular outcome. I cannot recommend you read this novel enough.

4.95/5

Moral Relativism by Steven Lukes

2010-03-04T14:42:00.001-06:00

I was disappointed by Steven Lukes Moral Relativism. I had expected an interesting treatise on the philosophical aspects of moral relativism, but instead the book is grounded more in sociology and anthropology, which, by personal taste, I find less engaging.

Lukes makes some interesting points about moral relativism. He asserts that there are two kinds of moral relativism. First is the concept that there are many moral systems instead of a single universal one; Amazonian tribal peoples have a different moral system than suburban Californians. Moral relativism also encompasses the belief that no moral system should be more privileged than another and that the morality of a particular behavior depends on the context. It is this idea that agitates people.

Lukes' discussion of moral relativism made clear to me that moral disputes can be a disagreement over the fundamental facts of the matter in question, rather than a disagreement about a particular moral precept. The prohibition of murder is an example of a fairly universal moral precept. But, how does this relate to the death penalty? I am against the death penalty because I think it is murder, the intentional killing of another human being. I live in the state of Texas where many people are pro death penalty. Does that mean they don't believe murder is immoral? Of course not. We disagree not about a prohibition against murder, but about whether execution of a convicted felon is murder. It seems that many disputes about morality are like this, more about definitions than about actual morality.

3.00/5

Othello by William Shakespeare

2010-02-24T09:55:00.003-06:00

In William Shakepeare's Othello, Iago seeks revenge upon Othello, a general in the Venetian army, when Othello passes him up for promotion. Instead, Othello steers the promotion to one of his friends, Cassio, provoking Iago to fury. The ensuing mayhem of Iago's revenge destroys many, including Othello, his new wife Desdemona, Brabantio, and even Iago himself. Want to find out what happens? Well then get thee to a library or a bookstore to get a copy of Othello to read.

Othello is another fantastic play by William Shakespeare, fully on par with King Lear and Hamlet. Iago is a wonderfully delicious villain, unapologetic in his evil ways. Othello, Iago's unfortunate dupe, is sympathetic, even though it is his own anger that leads to his downfall and the tragic end of the play. And what can we say about poor innocent Desdemona? Really, do go out and find a copy of this play to read. You won't regret it.

4.75/5

The Songs Of Bilitis by Pierre Louÿs

2010-02-14T14:28:00.004-06:00

Pierre Louÿs was a nineteenth century French author known for lesbian and classical themes in his writing. His short work The Songs of Bilitis includes both of these themes. It is a sensual collection of prose poems that were originally published as translations from the ancient Greek. Louÿs alleged that Bilitis was an actual lesbian poetess from Sapphic antiquity. But this was a hoax; Bilitis and the poems are the creation of Louÿs.

Many of the short prose poems are very beautiful. Some are erotic, but in a subtle rather than graphic or lascivious way. I rather enjoyed the short work. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I read two translations of The Songs of Bilitis. One by Michael Buck published by Capricorn Books in 1966. The other by Mary Hanson Harrison published in 1995 by Evanston Publishing. Buck's translation is more archaic, a thee and thou kind of translation. Harrison's uses more modern language. Both are beautiful in their own way, but Harrison's is often easier to read. Harrison's translation is part of Two Erotic Tales by Pierre Louÿs, which includes The Songs of Bilitis as well as Aphrodite, a better known work by Louÿs.

3.75/5

Read for:

Decades Challenge (1920s)

What's In A Name Challenge (Music Term In The Title)

GLBT Challenge

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

2010-02-14T12:39:00.002-06:00

What can I say about The Old Man and the Sea? It lived up to all the hype I had heard about Ernest Hemingway. The sparse prose, the theme of man against nature, and absolutely brilliant writing. The story is rather minimalist. An old man, fishing in the sea hooks a large marlin. What ensues is an epic battle between the man and the fish. Written so beautifully, Hemingway kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire novella. I know that I am gushing, but really I cannot say much more than brilliant, simply brilliant! If you love literature and you have not read The Old Man and the Sea, do so as soon as possible.

5.00/5

Read for:

Book Awards IV Challenge (1953 American Academy of Arts and Letters Award of Merit)

Decades Challenge (1950s)

What's In A Name Challenge (Body of Water in the Title)

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

2010-02-06T11:57:00.005-06:00

A Thousand Acres epitomized for me what the Reading Challenges are all about because it is a book that, but for the challenge, I would not have read. It struck me as much more Women's Literature than I would normally enjoy.

A Thousand Acres is a retelling of William Shakespeare's King Lear. In Iowa of the 1970s, Larry Cook decides to split his farm, all 1000 acres, among his three daughters. The youngest daughter, Caroline, is not interested so the farm is split among the remaining two, Rose and Ginny. But the family is soon torn apart by both new and old wounds.

Jane Smiley is a wonderful writer. She did a fantastic job of describing both the land and farm life. The book deserves its Pulitzer Prize. However, I did not find the book itself to my taste. I did like that in Smiley's retelling of King Lear the two older daughters are not villains but victims, a change that added nuance and ambiguity to the story. Be warned though, a monster lurks in the pages of the book; a monster that made reading many parts of the book an uncomfortable experience.

3.75/5

Yet Another Challenge

2010-02-05T09:27:00.002-06:00

Despite already participating in a number (get it) of challenges this, I could not resist doing the Numbers Challenge again this year. Especially since I have already read a book with a number in it, Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres. I hope to go for the brass ring and read five books with numbers in it. My tentative list is:

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Seven Pleasures: Essays on Ordinary Happiness by Wilard Spiegelman

2666 by Roberto Bolaño

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

Alternates include:

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands by Jorge Amado

Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey

2010-01-22T09:21:00.005-06:00

I am not much of a reader of Westerns, but Riders of the Purple Sage is a classic. On the Utah frontier, Mormons and Gentiles are in constant struggle. Jane Withersteen, the wealthy owner of a prosperous ranch finds herself at odds with her fellow Mormons, squarely in the middle of the struggle. What follows is a moving tale of intrigue and secrets, of sorrow and love.

I enjoyed reading Riders of the Purple Sage. However, I found that language a little archaic and the pacing somewhat slow. Still, as I said Riders of the Purple Sage is a classic and deserves to be read by any bibliophile.

3.5/5

Love's Labour Lost by William Shakespeare

2010-01-21T10:57:00.002-06:00

Often called one of Shakespeare's most intellectual plays, Love's Labour Lost is a witty comedy full of wordplay. The King of Navarre and his three companions swear an oath to live an austere life of academic study for three years, most notably swearing to give up the company of women. No sooner is the oath sworn than the Princess of France visits Navarre's court as an emissary from her father. She has with her three ladies in waiting. Unsurprisingly, the King and his three companions fall in love with the French women and high jinks ensue.

I did not originally intend to read this play for the Much Ado About Shakespeare Challenge but I happened to record Kenneth Branagh's 2000 film of it. So, before attempting to watch the film, I read the play, which is a good read, but not as spectacular as Hamlet or King Lear. The film, on the other hand, is atrocious. Branagh adapted the play into a musical. Now, I have nothing against musicals per se, but Branagh's adaptation reminded me of Cop Rock, a very short lived television show which could have been called Law & Order: The Musical. Both the television show and Branagh's film had singing in all the wrong places. I didn't watch more than the first ten minutes.

If you really dig Shakespeare, give Love's Labour Lost a read. It is one of eminent critic Harold Bloom's favorites. But, if you are just looking for a taste of Shakespeare, you would be better served sticking to some of his more acclaimed plays.

3.25/5

Deadly Viper Character Assassins by Mike Foster & Jud White

2010-01-19T09:58:00.004-06:00

I grabbed Deadly Viper Character Assassins from the New Books shelf at my public library. A well designed book with funky graphics, I checked it out. The book is about maintaining an upright character. The authors list six character assassins that you must beware:

The Assassin of Character Creep: Do not cut corners when it comes to your character. That is how most people begin their fall.

The Assassin of Zi Qi Qi Ren: Zi Qi Qi Ren is the Chinese term for deceiving yourself while deceiving others. The authors caution you not to drink your own kool-aid, better yet, don't serve any kool-aid. Be straight with everyone including yourself.

The Assassin of Amped Emotions: It is easy to lose your head and make a rash, harmful decision when your emotions are running wild. Think before you speak or act.

The Assassin of the Headless Sprinting Chicken: Beware burnout. But, also beware the seductive illusion of balance. You cannot be everything to everyone at the same time. Sometimes you work hard, sometimes you play hard, just don't do both at the same time.

The Assassin of Boom Chicka Wah Wah: This one is just what it sounds like. Sex is a very powerful force in human lives. Engage in it responsibly.

The Bling Bling Assassin: It is OK to enjoy your stuff, just do not let your stuff take over your life.

The High and Mighty Assassin: Remember, no matter what your title or position, you are human just like everyone else, whether you are the CEO or the janitor.

Overall, Deadly Viper Character Assassins is a short, fun read. I did not find anything earth shatteringly enlightening about it, but reading it gave me some things to think about. I was surprised to find that the book is classified as Christian non-fiction. I did not find any overt Christian content in the book and Christianity does not have a monopoly on upright character, so I would call this a self-help book instead. Also, I felt the authors tried a little to hard to be funky and fresh, which distracted from the actual content of the book. Reviews on the internet indicate that many Asian readers were offended by the author's stereotypical portrayal of Asians. Personally, I found their facile treatment of the martial arts a negative as well.

3.25/5

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

2010-01-17T13:13:00.003-06:00

Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a fantastic play. This is my third reading of the play, my first using the Arden series. In the introduction, the editors of the play discuss King Lear beginning to eclipse Hamlet in popularity. Having just read King Lear, I would have to agree somewhat. Before reading King Lear, Hamlet was my favorite Shakespearean play. However, I did enjoy King Lear more than I did this reading of Hamlet. Hamlet is about a young man and King Lear about an old man. Perhaps as I age, I have more sympathy for Lear than for Hamlet.

This is not to take away from Hamlet. It remains a superb play; one that every reader of the English language should read. So, if you haven't, go out and get a good copy, the Arden or Oxford would be my recommendation, and read it as soon as possible.

4.5/5

Challenge Extravaganza

2010-01-02T14:51:00.004-06:00

A new year means a new set of Reading Challenges. I toyed with the idea of foregoing challenges this year, but I just can't help myself. So, without further ado, here are the challenges I am going to do this year:

The Much Ado About Shakespeare Challenge (which has already started)

The Centuries Challenge

The What's In A Name Challenge

The Colorful Reading Challenge

The Book Awards IV Challenge

The World Religion Challenge

The GLBT Challenge

The Decades 2010 Challenge

The 2010 Chunkster Challenge

The RYOB Challenge

Now, I know what you are thinking. That is a lot of challenges for a guy who was thinking about foregoing challenges this year. But, like I said, I can't help myself. The challenges last year pushed me to read books I might never have read before. I am hoping that will be true this year too, especially the GLBT Challenge.

I am happy to have several repeat challenges: The What's In A Name, Colorful Reading, Book Awards, Decades, and Chunkster Challenges are all ones that I completed last year. The rest are new to me.

The challenge I am most excited about is the RYOB challenge. I have so many books on my shelves that I have yet to read, so this is a great challenge. I am committing to read 36 of my own books this year, that is 3 per month. I hope that fulfilling the other challenges using my own books this year will make it easy to complete the RYOB Challenge.

Fool by Christopher Moore

2009-12-29T12:19:00.003-06:00

Wow! Fool by Christopher Moore is a hilarious romp through Shakespeare's universe. And not just the play King Lear, but others too, like Macbeth. Moore tells the story of Lear's fool, Pocket, and the events that surround King Lear's retirement. All the characters from King Lear make an appearance, but Moore adds so much more and tells the story so well, you can easily read Fool with no knowledge of King Lear or any of Shakepeare's other plays.

Be warned. While the novel is full of side splitting humor, Fool is also as bawdy as the book's blurbs promise. If you are easily offended by sexual humor, this is not the book for you. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a really funny book to read and you can stomach racy comedy, I highly recommend Fool. I, for one, will have to go to the library as soon as possible to get more books by Moore.

4.75/5

ABANDONED: Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin

2009-12-29T11:18:00.002-06:00

I am an admitted liberal, but I try to be open minded and widely read. So, I tried to read conservative radio host Mark Levin's Liberty and Tyranny but I just could not stand it. I had hoped it would be a well reasoned defense of conservatism, but it struck me as simply a slipshod rant about those that disagree with Levin's conservative philosophy, people like me. For me, the last straw was when Levin was arguing about how government interference is the root of our financial problems. His example was the current housing problems that continue to be a drag on the economy. While making this argument he railed against the development of financial derivatives, blaming it on government intervention when this is clearly the work of the unfettered free market with which Levin is so enamored. Now, I happen to agree with many of his points on how the current economic crisis originated, but overall his ranting style and sloppy logic made this book unreadable.

0.00/5

Write These Laws On Your Children by Robert Kunzman

2009-12-29T10:26:00.004-06:00

Write These Laws On Your Children is a glimpse of the world of conservative Christian homeschooling. I became fascinated by the topic of homeschooling when I used some homeschooling books to find resources for enriching my son's public school education. Robert Kunzman does a fantastic job of highlighting some of the strengths and weaknesses of homeschooling. However, he expresses his main reservations about homeschooling: the quality of education and how homeschooling affects the development of citizenship.

Kunzman, an educator himself, spends time with several homeschooling families. He visits each family more than once over a two year period. Kunzman describes his time with each of those families. It is important to note that, while some of the families were clearly doing a disservice to their children by homeschooling them, others were providing top notch education. I think one of the things I liked best about the book was Kunzman's apparent even-handedness when describing the homeschooling experiences he witnessed. In between the chapters on the homeschooling families, Kunzman profiles homeschooling organizations and what he perceives to be the perils of homeschooling. Overall, Kunzman provides a balanced view of homeschooling, for better and for worse.

If you have any interest in homeschooling you should definitely read this book, if only to learn about the perils of homeschooling. If you are an educator, reading this book would help counter any stereotypes you may have about homeschooling.

4.25/5

Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey

2009-12-29T10:18:00.002-06:00

Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey is about James Stark, a man who is betrayed and dragged into Hell while still alive. He spends eleven years in Hell, fighting in a gladiatorial arena where he becomes Hell's most formidable fighter, known to the demons as Sandman Slim. His skills catch the eye of Azazel. Lucifer's general gives Stark a key that allows him to enter a shadow and come out anywhere he wants and Stark becomes Azazel's hitman. But Stark soon turns on Azazel, kills the demon general and escapes Hell. Once on earth, Stark seeks revenge on those who sent him Downtown and, one could say, all Hell breaks loose.

Sandman Slim was a pretty enjoyable read, fast paced with a well constructed universe. If you enjoy the urban paranormal genre, I do not think you would go wrong to give Sandman Slim a read.

4.00/5

King Lear by William Shakespeare

2009-12-19T10:45:00.005-06:00

In this masterpiece by Shakepeare, King Lear decides to retire and divide his kingdom among his three daughters. Courting tragedy, the king decides to test his daughters by asking which loves him the most. The conniving Gonoril and Regan flatter their father, the king, with words of love, but Lear's youngest daughter, Cordelia, refuses to play along. For this she is disinherited and banished. When the Earl of Kent speaks up on Cordelia's behalf, King Lear banishes him too. Meanwhile, another plot is afoot. Edmund, the bastard son of the Earl of Gloucester schemes to have his legitimate brother, Edgar, disowned and thereby inherit his father's lands and title. These two different plot lines collide in an orgy of violence, death, and tragedy not to be missed by any serious reader.

Though Hamlet is still my favorite Shakespearean play, King Lear comes in a close second. I really enjoyed the two different plot lines that run through the play. The characters were all engaging. The only negative was the frequent lines of the play that I did not understand and apparently scholars are unable to explain But, those unintelligible lines are but a minor distraction in a great work of literature that everyone should read.

4.75/5

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2009-12-14T10:46:00.004-06:00

Before this year, I would never have considered reading young-adult fiction. After all, I am entering my middle age and as an adult, I felt I should read adult fiction. Over the last year, however, my opinion has changed. It started with The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. After that I read a few other young-adult fiction books that were pretty good, but nothing really spectacular. All that changed when I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. What can I say other than Wow! The Hunger Games is a great read. A roller coaster that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. If you have not read this novel, do so as soon as possible. If you have, you might want to try Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. It had a similar feel to this book, although I enjoyed The Hunger Games more than Battle Royale.

4.75/5

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

2009-12-13T10:36:00.003-06:00

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins is a sprawling "Sensation Novel" about familial intrigue in Victorian England. It is a story about marriage, inheritance, deceit, and secret societies. The novel is full of interesting characters: the tempestuous Sir Percival Glyde, the cunning Count Fosco and his submissive wife the Countess, the indomitable Marian Halcombe, and of course Walter Hartright and the love of his life, the Lady Laura Glyde.

I really enjoyed this book, despite the overwhelming complexity of its narrative. Just before finishing it, I picked up a copy of Collins' The Moonstone from Half Price Books and hope to read it next year. If you have not read this classic, give it a try. You won't be sorry.

4.00/5

Glen Beck's Common Sense

2009-11-17T10:42:00.005-06:00

I am a little reticent to write a review of this book. Once you start discussing politics, things can become heated. By way of disclaimer, I am likely what Mr. Beck calls a "Progressive" in his book. I do believe the founders of our country were great men. I think they did the best they could with the Constitution. But that does not mean that I think those man and that document are inerrant. I think this has been amply demonstrated: slavery, women's suffrage, and the civil rights movement. I strongly believe that the Constitution should be amended and grow as this great nation changes and we learn to be a better country, to be better people.

That disclaimer aside, to Mr. Beck's book. I tried not to have a knee-jerk reaction to it. I tried to be open minded. I am sure some, having read my disclaimer above, will dismiss my thoughts on this book outright. But nonetheless, here they are. I think Mr. Beck's book is awful. It a poorly written screed. The arguments were so disorganized, I quite often had a hard time following them. I had specific problems with some of his anecdotes. Take for example the one about the poor woman who broke a compact fluorescent light and was told she would have to pay $2000 to clean it up. But Mr. Beck does not tell the true story of what happened.¹ It makes me wonder what else Mr. Beck has been mistaken or misleading about in this book.

What makes this book appealing, to those on both the Left and Right, is that Mr. Beck says some things that everyone can agree with. Many of those people who govern us are corrupted by the power they have. That is not any great revelation. What I find interesting is how he contrasts the "bad" government with the "good" capitalist private sector. Government is a human institution that is prey to human foibles. But so is capitalism. (That is not to say that I think capitalism is bad. I see it as a flawed human institution that can be both good and bad, just like our government.)

1.0/5

¹ See the Snopes.com entry to see what really happened.

House of the Sleeping Beauties by Yasunari Kawabata

2009-11-16T11:35:00.004-06:00

I am participating National Novel Writing Month right now, so this review will be brief. House of the Sleeping Beauties is a very weird book made up of three bizarre short stories. The first, House of the Sleeping Beauties is about an old man that repeatedly visits a house where old men can, for a fee, sleep with naked young girls. Sleep but not have sex. It is really creepy in a lecherous kind of way because the old man is not very pleasant. The second short story, One Arm is a surreal tale about a man that borrows a young woman's arm and takes it home. He talks to it. He substitutes it for his own arm. This one was just plain weird. Of Birds and Beasts is about a man that has a number of pets, many of which die through his negligence. I didn't really get this story at all.

The bottom line, if you are looking for good modern Japanese fiction, don't look for it here.

1.5/5

The Greatest Show On Earth by Richard Dawkins

2009-11-07T07:46:00.002-06:00

As soon as I heard about the publication of Richard Dawkins' The Greatest Show On Earth I got really excited. As an atheist, I find the theory of evolution credible. I am always surprised when I hear or read about the lengths that creationists go the make it sound like evolution is not credible, especially when they are arguing against teaching evolution in public schools. So, I was looking forward to reading a book on the evidence that supports the theory of evolution.

Dawkins book, however, is extremely disappointing. He does cover the evidence supporting evolution, but does so in an awkward manner. He constantly digresses from his main point or cuts a discussion off by saying that it is too complex for the layperson. My overall opinion is that there is a much smaller book in The Greatest Show On Earth that would have been much better. I think I might try Why Evolution Is True by Jerry Coyne to see if I like it better.

2.75/5

Black Dogs by Ian McEwan

2009-11-03T07:18:00.003-06:00

I must admit this was the book that I read at the end of the Readathon, so my recollections of it are vague. Black Dogs is about a woman's encounter with two huge, menacing black dogs while on a walk in France. Her husband out of earshot, the woman is attacked by the dogs. She manages to fend them off, but her life and the life of her husband are deeply altered. For Bernard, the encounter was just an unpleasant event. But for June, the dogs are the incarnation of evil. This rift drives them apart, opening a large metaphysical gulf between them as she becomes a devout Catholic and he remains an atheist.

It is really hard to rate this book because I don't remember it very well. But I do remember my impression that Black Dogs was not as good as my previous McEwan read, Amsterdam.

3.0/5

Night by Elie Wiesel

2009-10-27T10:52:00.002-05:00

Night by Elie Wiesel is the heartbreaking memoir of Wiesel's experiences in Nazi concentration camps. It was an emotionally difficult read, probably not the best choice for the Readathon. But, if you haven't read this book, get a copy and read it as soon as possible. Remembering the injustices of history can help us prevent injustices in the future.

4.50/5

Disquiet by Julia Leigh

2009-10-27T09:54:00.003-05:00

Disquiet by Julia Leigh starts off with a intriguing air of mystery. Olivia, with her two children in tow, returns to her mother's house in France. Olivia seems to be on the run, but why? Soon after Olivia arrives, her brother, Marcus, and his wife, Sophie, return to the house with tragic news. It seems that Sophie has given birth to a stillborn child. Unhinged, Sophie has taking to treating the corpse as if it was a live baby. Would she ever regain her sanity and allow the poor dead child to be buried?

In the end, I was horribly disappointed with this book. Leigh doesn't ever answer the first, and most intriguing, question about why Olivia has returned to France.

2.0/5

The Moon Opera by Bi Feiyu

2009-10-27T09:46:00.004-05:00

Xiao Yanqiu was a rising star with the lead role in The Moon Opera. But before the opera could open, Xiao, in a jealous fit, flung boiling water into the face of her understudy. Disgraced, Xiao is demoted to being a mere music teacher. But twenty years later, a rich businessman who remembers Xiao's beauty offers to underwrite a new performance of the The Mood Opera. But can Xiao, who hasn't been on stage since her disgrace, be the star she used to be? And what will happen when her new understudy begins to show signs of enormous talent?

The Moon Opera is a tragic look at the world of Peking Opera and of China. I enjoyed the story, despite the sad ending (which I won't spoil for any who want to read the book). This was one of the better short novels I read during the Readathon and I would recommend for Readthoners next time.

3.75/5

Koula by Menis Koumandareas

2009-10-27T07:06:00.002-05:00

Koula by Menis Koumandareas, a Greek novelist, tells the story of an affair between a young university student and an older woman who works for Greek IRS. They meet on the subway, where they often ride in the same car. Eventually, the begin to talk. Soon enough, they are carrying on an affair. The woman, Koula, becomes obsessed with the younger man. Realizing it, she breaks off the affair despite, or because of, her genuine affection for the younger man.

I read this during the Readathon for the Orbis Terrarum Challenge. It's pretty good novella, but not spectacular. But at 88 pages, it's a good read for the Readathon.

2.75/5

The Pink Insititution by Selah Saterstrom

2009-10-27T06:32:00.003-05:00

The Pink Institution by Selah Saterstrom is a short novel that chronicles four dysfunctional generations of a post-Civil War Mississippi family. A prose poem, many parts of it were touching, many disturbing, but they were well written. But there were also parts where the novel jumped the shark and became a little to "artsy" for me; parts where the narrative was absent or too difficult to find.

1.5/5

Readathon End of Event

2009-10-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Which hour was most daunting for you? Hour 24 by far. I had a horrible time trying to stay awake.

Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Night by Elie Wiesel was probably the best book I read during the last 24 hours, but it is a pretty heartbreaking story.

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope. The organizers do a fabulous job of putting on the readathon.

What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? Once again, the cheerleaders were awesome!

How many books did you read? 3 unfinished + 5 finished.

What were the names of the books you read?
1. The Number Devil
2. The Greatest Show On Earth
3. Black Dogs
4. The Pink Institution (finished)
5. Koula (finished)
6. The Moon Opera (finished)
7. Disquiet (finished)
8. Night (finished)

Which book did you enjoy most? Night

Which did you enjoy least? The Pink Institution

If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? I wasn't a cheerleader.

How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Are you kidding? I'm definitely going to do this next time too.

Readathon Hour 24

2009-10-25T06:59:00.000-05:00

Yeah!!! I made it. The whole head-nod-no-I'm-awake think prevented me from finishing Black Dogs or reaching the 1000 page mark. But I had a lot of fun.

Thank You Organizers and Cheerleaders. And to my fellow Readers, Well Done!

Final stats: 981 pages and 5 books completed in 13:40:02

Readathon Hour 23

2009-10-25T05:57:00.001-05:00

I'm still awake with only one hour to go. I'm still reading Black Dogs and still fighting to keep from falling asleep. With only one hour to go, I'm pretty sure I can make it now.

Running stats: 947 pages and 5 books completed in 13:02:50.

Readathon Hour 22

2009-10-25T05:00:00.003-05:00

Still slowly making my way through Black Dogs. I have resorted to reading while standing up in order to keep from dozing off. Only 2 hours to go. Maybe I can hit 1000 pages with a big push. We'll see ...

Running stats: 915 pages and 5 books completed in 12:26:07.

Readathon Hour 21

2009-10-25T03:57:00.002-05:00

The pushups helped me stay awake this hour. I'm still reading Black Dogs by Ian McEwan. This one is probably going to see me all the way to the finish line.

Running stats: 886 pages and 5 books completed in 11:51:29.

Readathon Hour 20

2009-10-25T02:58:00.004-05:00

Wow, it is really getting hard to stay awake now. I find myself starting to doze or reading the same sentence more than once. I think I'm going to have to do another round of pushups or yoga to stay awake. But only 4 more hours to go!

Dana asks what your four favorite books are. Right now, mine are:

Dante's Inferno

Homer's Iliad

Vyasa's Mahabharata

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

But if you ask me again tomorrow, they'd be different.

Running stats: 855 pages and 5 books completed in 11:22:33.

Readathon Hour 19

2009-10-25T01:57:00.004-05:00

Not getting a good night sleep last night is coming back to haunt me. My eyes sting and have started to get that gummy feeling. I started Black Dogs by Ian McEwan this hour. It happens to be a large print book; I was hoping the large print would make it easier to read, but it really isn't working out that way. But hey ... we're more than 3/4 of the way through the readathon. As they say in marathoning, "It's all down hill from here!"

Running stats: 834 pages and 5 books completed in 10:53:13

Readathon Hour 18

2009-10-25T01:12:00.003-05:00

Despite the suffering a few times from the "I'm falling asleep head nod," I was able to finish Disquiet by Julia Leigh. It is a creepy little novella about a woman who can't let go of her stillborn child. >Shudders< Finishing this book also means that I have completed the Orbis Terrarum Challenge.

Running stats: 809 pages and 5 books completed in 10:28:37.

Readathon Hour 17

2009-10-25T00:00:00.004-05:00

I didn't do much reading this hour. I am really tired now and eyes hurt so it was easy to distract myself by puttering around. I need to refocus and try to finish Disquiet during hour 17.

Running stats: 733 pages and 4 books completed in 9:36:42

Readathon Hour 16

2009-10-24T23:00:00.002-05:00

This hour I completed The Moon Opera and started Disquiet. I am starting to get sleepy now, so my reading pace has declined significantly. But, that's OK. I remember this from previous readathons. It's temporary, like the Wall in marathons. You just have keep pushing until you get your second wind.

I also completed the Wisdom of Aging Mini-Challenge hosted by Care. In addition, Lynn asks for your favorite five books from your childhood in the Give Me Five Mini-Challenge. Well here are my favorites:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Any Choose Your Own Adventure or Fighting Fantasy book.

Running stats: 715 pages and 4 books completed in 9:23:16

Readathon Hour 15

2009-10-24T22:05:00.003-05:00

This hour I continued reading The Moon Opera by Bi Feiyu. With only 14 pages left, I will finish it in hour 15. From there I will move on to Disquiet by Julia Leigh. If I can finish that one, I will have completed the Orbis Terrarum Challenge.

Running stats: 673 pages and 3 books completed in 8:50:57

Readathon Hour 14

2009-10-24T21:07:00.003-05:00

This hour I started The Moon Opera by Bi Feiyu. It is the story of a young opera star that disfigures her understudy. Then, after twenty years away from the stage, returns to the role that made her famous when a rich man sponsors a new production of the Moon Opera.

I also did some yoga, at the suggestion of Soleil at The Yoga Mini-Challenge.

Running stats: 618 pages and 3 books completed in 8:13:03

Readathon Hour 13

2009-10-24T19:57:00.003-05:00

In this hour I finished Koula by Menis Koumandareas, the story of a brief affair between a young man and an older woman. In the next hour, I plan to either read some more of The Number Devil to my son or read The Moon Opera by Bi Feiyu.

Despite not reading as many pages or hours as I had hoped, I am succeeding in my goal to knock out some of my reading challenges. I think I have a pretty good chance of finishing both the Orbis Terrarum Challenge and the Colorful Reading Challenge.

Running stats: 571 pages and 3 books completed in 7:37:39

Readathon Mid-Event Survey

2009-10-24T19:04:00.002-05:00

Mid-Event Survey:

What are you reading right now?

How many books have you read so far?

What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?

Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?

Are you getting tired yet?

Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?

My Answers:

Right now I am reading Koula by Menis Koumandareas

I have completed two books of the five books I've read during the readathon.

Black Dogs by Ian McEwan, for two reasons. (1) I enjoyed the previous McEwan book I read, Amsterdam. (2) It is a large print book which will be easier on my eyes.

I skipped the NaNoWriMo kickoff for the Houston area and had to arrange for my wife to take over my usual household duties: dinner, shuttling our child around, etc.

I've had quite a few interruptions. But I deal with them by understanding from the beginning that I'm not going to read for the entire 24 hours. This is supposed to be fun, not a joyless slog.

I was surprised at the amount of joy I got from reading to my son. I read to him all the time, but it was really cool to read to him for that long.

I think the readathon is very well organized and I wouldn't suggest changing a thing.

I think next time as a reader I will perhaps try to find more large print books. Also, audiobooks might allow me to "read" while doing household chores.

I didn't sleep well last night, so I'm already tired and my eyes hurt. But if it was easy, everybody would do it.

I don't have any tips right now, but I'll let you know about the large print book later.

Readathon Hour 12

2009-10-24T18:49:00.002-05:00

This hour, I had dinner with my family. I also completed the two mini-challenges of the hour:

The Books That Bite Mini Challenge

The Rereading the Classics Mini Challenge

What I didn't do is get a lot of reading done. But I did start a new book, Koula by Greek novelist Menis Koumandareas. It is a really short novella, just 88 pages. Perhaps I can finish it in the next hour.

Running stats: 521 pages and 2 books completed in 7:08:46

Readathon Hour 11

2009-10-24T17:08:00.003-05:00

This hour I finished Elie Wiesel's Night. A truly sad tale, but a good read.

Earlier this hour I completed Joy Renee’s Reading is Fundamental mini-challenge. I was the first because I've already spent a couple of my readathon hours reading The Number Devil to my son, so I just linked to my hour 8 update. I'm looking forward to reading more to him when he gets home from his friend's birthday party.

Running stats: 483 pages and 2 books completed in 6:45:58

Readathon Hour 10

2009-10-24T16:10:00.005-05:00

I continued to read Night during hour 10. I am surprised that out of 10 hours I have only spent 6 hours reading. That's only 60% of the time. I was shooting for 75%. Hopefully I can bring the average up over the remainder of the readathon.

I also completed Erika's minichallenge:

What book or books do you return to read again and again and why?

I am not really one to reread entire books, although I often refer back to books that I have read. But there are a few that I have read more than once:

Buddhist Sutras especially the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breath. I find the sutras can often help me on my path to "peace of brain."

The Mahabharata and the Ramayana. I have read more than one translation of each of these great Indian epics because I love epic poetry.

The Iliad and the Odyssey. See answer above.

Beowulf. See answer above.

Gilgamesh. See answer above.

Hamlet, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing. C'mon ... it's Shakespeare!

Update from hour 21: I just thought of another classic that I reread often: Dante's Inferno. It is one of my favorites. I can't believe I forgot it.

Running stats: 422 pages and 1 book completed in 6:00:40

Readathon Hour 9

2009-10-24T15:56:00.002-05:00

I didn't get much reading done this hour. I spent some time getting the pictures that I added to my hour 8 update. Plus, it is difficult to read about the horrors described in Elie Wiesel's Night; it is hard to believe that humans can do such things to other humans.

Running stats: 402 pages and 1 book completed in 5:36:09

Readathon Hour 8

2009-10-24T15:08:00.004-05:00

My family returned from the Halloween party. So, this hour I resumed reading The Number Devil to my son. He's really enjoying it and so am I. This hour we read about squares, square roots, and triangular & quadrangular numbers.

Bonus update ... Some pictures!

Reading to my son.

Keeping me company today while I'm reading.

Running stats: 382 pages and 1 book completed in 5:19:36

Readathon Hour 7

2009-10-24T14:06:00.002-05:00

During hour 7 I did indeed resume reading The Greatest Show On Earth. I'm already getting a little tired, so I had a hard time following some of what I read. It was a chapter full of scientific names. So, after finishing that chapter I switched to Elie Wiesel's Night. I'm only 14 pages in, but I can feel the sadness begin to build already. I hope to finish Night in the next couple of hours.

Running Stats: 341 pages and 1 book completed in 4:41:12

Readathon Hour 6

2009-10-24T13:11:00.002-05:00

The Pink Institution got weird again. I finished it, but it didn't make a lot of sense. It is a prose poem, so perhaps it doesn't have to make sense. Anyway, it is the first book I have completed during this readathon. Woot!

I think I will go back to Dawkins' The Greatest Show On Earth for hour 7 and then on to another book during hour 8.

Running Stats: 298 pages and 1 book completed in 4:04:02

Readathon Hour 5

2009-10-24T12:04:00.002-05:00

I started reading Selah Saterstrom's The Pink Institution. It is a strange book. A sparsely told tail of a family on the decline in post-Civil War Mississippi. I didn't like it at first, but now that I am over 80 pages into it, I am starting to see an engaging plot.

Running stats: 246 pages in 3:24:42

Readathon Hour 4

2009-10-24T11:13:00.002-05:00

This has been my favorite hour so far. I read The Number Devil by H. M. Enzensberger to my 7 year old son. It was a pretty interesting read, covering number theory in a kid friendly way. Alas, my son is off to a Halloween party, so I will be alone in the house again. But, he asked if I could read to him later. I'm looking forward to it!

Running stats: 164 pages read in 2:55:45

Readathon Hour 3

2009-10-24T10:05:00.001-05:00

Well, I didn't switch books because I wanted to finish the chapter I was reading in The Greatest Show On Earth. But, I will be switching books in hour 4 because my family is home from the gym and I will be reading to my 7 year old son.

Running stats: 98 pages in 2:04:42

Readathon Hour 2

2009-10-24T09:11:00.002-05:00

Well ... that's 2 hours done. I have to say that I am disappointed with the pace of my reading. Perhaps reading a nonfiction book on evolution isn't the best choice for a readathon. I think, perhaps, in hour 3 I will switch to something a little easier to read.

Running Stats: 67 pages read in 1:22:56

Readathon Hour 1

2009-10-24T07:31:00.002-05:00

So, I started the readathon with one of the books I am currently reading, Richard Dawkins' The Greatest Show On Earth. It is about the evidence for evolution. It is a pretty easy read, but surprisingly snarky. I would have prefer Dawkins to argue his case rather than make fun of the opposing view.

Mini challenge for this hour:

Where are you reading from today?

3 facts about me …

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?

I am reading in Sugar Land, Texas, a suburb of Houston. My readathon goal is to use the time to polish of some of my reading challenges. To that end, I went to the library and checked out a bunch of novellas that meet the criteria of my challenges. I am afraid I went a little overboard and checked out way too many to list. But, here a some that I want to finish:

The Greatest Show On Earth by R. Dawkins (for the Chunkster & Seconds Challenges)

Night by E. Wiesel (for the What's In A Name Challenge)

The Pink Institution by S. Saterstrom (for the Colorful Reading Challenge)

Black Dogs by Ian McEwan (for the Colorful Reading & Seconds Challenge)

Double Indemnity by J. Cain (for the Seconds Reading Challenge)

The Moon Opera by B. Feiyu (for the Orbis Terrarum Challenge)

Koula by M. Koumandareas (for the Orbis Terrarum Challenge)

Disquiet by J. Leigh (for the Orbis Terrarum Challenge)

I checked out a bunch of novellas, books of less than 200 pages, because I found last time that these books are the easiest to read. As you get tired, holding the events and characters of longer books in your head becomes a little difficult. In addition, shorter books give you shorter, achievable goals that can motivate you to keep going. So, a little late I know, I would recommend that novice readathoners choose shorter books to read. But, the most important advice I would pass on is that readers need to take breaks. Get up, walk around, change your eyes' focus distance. Remember, you have 23 more hours to go!

Running Stats: 31 pages read in 00:40:15

Pre-Readathon Thoughts

2009-10-24T06:14:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again when over 350 of us readers get together over the internet to read for 24 hours straight. If you are one of the readathoners, people might say, "Why would you want to read for 24 hours? That's crazy!" But, if we have to explain it to you, you won't get it. Don't make any mistake, it will be grueling. It's worth it though; the thrill of finishing is definitely worth it.

I have my big pile o' books sitting next to my reading chair. I have plenty of caffeine, I mean tea, and a willing attitude. I tried to get a good night's sleep last night, but I'm a light sleeper and my wife snores. (What can you do?) But I'm ready!

Before we start, I want to wish all my fellow readers good luck. To all the cheerleaders, thank you in advance. When it's dark and the house is silent, your encouragement keeps me going. See you all at the finish line!

Booking Through Thursday

2009-10-15T17:27:00.003-05:00

We’re moving in a couple weeks (the first time since I was 9 years old), and I’ve been going through my library of 3000+ books, choosing the books that I could bear to part with and NOT have to pack to move. Which made me wonder…

When’s the last time you weeded out your library? Do you regularly keep it pared down to your reading essentials? Or does it blossom into something out of control the minute you turn your back, like a garden after a Spring rain?

Or do you simply not get rid of books? At all? (This would have described me for most of my life, by the way.)

And–when you DO weed out books from your collection (assuming that you do) …what do you do with them? Throw them away (gasp)? Donate them to a charity or used bookstore? SELL them to a used bookstore? Trade them on Paperback Book Swap or some other exchange program?

I purged my library once in my life. When I got married and moved out of my parent's house, I gave away or sold many of the books that I had collected through high school and college. To this day I regret having done so. I have repurchased some of the books I got rid of and vow to never purge again.

For more answers to this question and others, check out Booking Through Thursday.

Hellenistic Philosophy by A. A. Long

2009-10-14T06:17:00.002-05:00

I have had a long time interest in Hellenistic Philosophy. I admire the Epicureans, the Stoics, and the Sceptics. Over the last few years, I have read several to learn more about them. I looked forward to reading A. A. Long's survey of Hellenistic Philosophy for some time. So, I was highly disappointed when I found it nearly unreadable.

I am sure that for someone with more technical knowledge of philosophy this book is an excellent overview of Hellenistic Philosophy. However, I don't have that technical knowledge. I was looking for a book written for the lay audience. Hellenistic Philosophy is not that book. So, unless you are ready for a slog through a dizzying array of technical topics on Hellenistic philosophy, find another book to read.

1.0/5

Sunday Salon: To Challenge Or Not

2009-09-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

Samantha over at Bookworms and tea lovers is abandoning her book challenges:

I'm chucking my challenges out of the window. Yes, you heard me right, all challenges that have a time limit have been discarded. Which means I can read without guilt! No more thinking 'I really should read a book for my challenges'.

Reading Samantha's "cry of freedom" made me consider if I too should quit my book challenges. Like Samantha, I chafe under the constraints of the challenges in which I am participating. The constant pressure to ignore all the new and interesting books that I find each week in order to read books to which I am already committed.

However, I think that my reading benefits from the challenges. I find there is a certain amount of inertia in reading. It is easy to read books that are like all the other books I have read, to read only books that are entertaining or easy, or those in a particular genre that I find appealing. This is the first year in which I have participated in challenges. During this year I have read many books that I would never have read without the challenges. Literary fiction, literature in translation, novels in unfamiliar genres. So, while I can certainly see why Samantha chose the freedom of reading as she pleases, I think I am going to persevere with my challenges.

What about you, do you participate in challenges or not? How have they affected your reading?

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

2009-09-15T11:02:00.004-05:00

In Agatha Christie's Murder at the Vicarage the vicar, Mr. Clement, returns from visiting a parishioner to find a dead body in his study. The dead man is Col. Protheroe, a judge in St. Mary Mead, and not well liked at all. But who could of have killed him? His wife? Her lover? Or perhaps someone else in the village with a grudge? When the police can make no headway toward solving the case, a village spinster, Miss Marple, steps up to solve the crime.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I did not find it as easy to read as The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I kept losing track of who was who during the course of my reading. Also, Murder at the Vicarage marks the debut of Miss Marple. So, I was surprised to find that she is not the narrator, nor seemingly even a main character, despite being the one to solve the case. Still, I look forward to the next Miss Marple book, in part to see if she takes a more prominent role in it.

4.00/5

Health Care for Undocumented Aliens

2009-09-15T09:15:00.003-05:00

I thought long and hard about whether to introduce politics here. I don't think many people, if any really, will actually read this, but there is always a certain element of risk when one takes a public stand on an issue. However, I strongly believe in public discourse and would like to add my voice to the clamor.

You were probably just as surprised as everyone else when you heard Rep. Joe Wilson interrupt the President's speech with his outburst. You have also probably viewed and read enough coverage on how rude he was (or wasn't) or how mistaken (or right) he is on the issue. However, I would like this opportunity to bring up something which I think is being largely ignored, something about which I have been thinking since Wilson's outburst.

I believe there is a strong economic case for insuring those that currently lack health insurance. Health care is already provided for them, the extremely expensive kind that they receive in the emergency room. And, when the uninsured are unable to pay for that care, we, those of us that can pay because we are insured, pay for that care when the the costs are passed on. So, it appears that we would save money by providing health care coverage for all, a savings produced when the formerly uninsured receive preventative or less expensive care from regular doctors.

By the same argument, shouldn't we provide health care coverage to undocumented aliens too? I know that this is a heretical view, but please, hear me out. If the argument made above in favor of providing coverage for the uninsured is accurate, and I believe there is strong evidence that this is so, wouldn't the same argument apply to undocumented aliens as well? Health care for undocumented aliens is the same emergency care relied upon by the uninsured. And when the undocumented alien is unable to pay, or is detained and deported like many want, who do you think will pay for that emergency care? That's right, you and I. So why not opt for the less expensive option by providing universal health care coverage, for every man, woman, and child who lives in our great country?

If you are truly interested, Andrew Romano has written an article for Newsweek that does a much better job of covering this issue than I could ever do.

Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman

2009-09-13T13:35:00.002-05:00

Ex Libris is a wonderful little collection of essays about books, reading, and words written by Anne Fadiman. In my favorite, The Joy of Sesquipedalians, Fadiman writes about archaic or not often used words and the delight one can have when discovering them. In another essay, Secondhand Prose, Fadiman writes about the joy of finding bibliographic gems in used bookstores, a favorite of mine as well. Broad in range, the collection includes essays on joining libraries upon marriage, political correctness, food and literature, plagiarism, and much more.

If you are bookish in any way, I highly recommend you read a copy of Ex Libris. You won't regret it, I promise.

4.5/5

Green Angel by Alice Hoffman

2009-09-01T17:32:00.003-05:00

When Green's family leaves her behind to weed the garden while they go to the city, Green is angry. Her anger turns into intense grief when a fiery disaster destroys the city, killing Green's sister, mother, and father, leaving Green to survive alone. What follows is a magical tale of how Green overcomes her grief to learn to live and love again.

Green Angel is not the kind of book that I would normally read. First, it is a YA novel, which I tend to avoid since I am an adult. (I know ... I am a little snobbish when it comes to reading.) Second, Alice Hoffman really isn't the type of author that usually catches my attention. However, when I couldn't find my first choice for a Green book for the The Colorful Reading Challenge, I saw that Mardel at Rabid Reader had read Green Angel as her Green book. Since I had just finished Blue Angel as my Blue book for the Colorful Reading Challenge, I thought I would give Green Angel a go.

I have to say that I am pretty happy I did. The story is sparsely told, but touching. The prose is wonderful. At 116 pages, it is a great short read, so go ahead, give it a try.

3.75/5

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

2009-08-31T10:56:00.003-05:00

This famous mystery classic saw the debut of the great detective Hercule Poirot. Asked to investigate the suspicious murder of Mrs. Emily Inglethorp at Styles Court, Poirot, with a little help from Mr. Hastings, solves the case and gets his man.

After reading this great book, I couldn't help wondering what it would be like to read a Poirot mystery without having known David Suchet as Poirot from the PBS series Mystery! How would Poirot look in my minds eye? Well, I couldn't conjure up anything except for Suchet's wonderful portrayal of that famous Belgian detective. Having watched Suchet as Poirot on Mystery! for years did not spoil my enjoyment of this novel, despite my remembering bits and pieces of the very episode about the murder at Styles Court.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a great mystery novel, with an occasional comedic turn. I highly recommend this to any reader who has even a passing interest in mystery novels.

4.5/5

Blue Angel by Francine Prose

2009-08-31T09:40:00.003-05:00

When it comes to embarrassment, I am a little squeamish. I don't like to read a book or watch television when a character is about to do something that will ruin their life in an extremely embarrassing way. So, I found reading Blue Angel by Francine Prose to be an uncomfortable experience.

Ted Swenson is a has-been novelist who makes his living teaching writing at an expensive albeit backwoods private college. When one of his students, Angela Argo, gives him a manuscript that shows real talent, Swenson wants to help her. But things soon go horribly awry. His marriage is destroyed and his tenure lost when Angela accuses him of sexual harassment.

Prose does a magnificent job of communicating both the depths of Swenson's unhealthy obsession and Angela's manipulative character. The events are an interesting contrast to those that take place in J. M. Coetzee's Disgrace where the professor is the transgressor. In Blue Angel the lines between culprit and victim are much blurrier.

4.00/5

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

2009-08-24T12:56:00.001-05:00

On a rainy night in London just after World War II, Maurice Bendrix, has a drink with Henry Miles. Henry tells Bendrix that he believes his wife, Sarah, is having an affair. Jealousy wracks Bendrix, who had an affair with Sarah some months previous. Despite the end of the affair, Bendrix' jealousy drives him to hire a private investigator to find out if Sarah is indeed having another affair. What follows is a tragic tale of adultery, hatred, and faith.

From the opening paragraphs of this book I knew that it would become one of my favorites. I found the prose to be exquisite. I read the book slowly, enjoying not only the plot, but also savoring each line of text. I loved this book and heartily recommend it to any reader who enjoys literary fiction.

5.0/5

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

2009-08-24T12:54:00.001-05:00

The grisly double murder of an elderly couple on a remote farm baffles the Skane police. Inspector Kurt Wallander doggedly pursues the solution to the mystery while dealing with a divorce, an estranged daughter, and an aging father. If that wasn't enough, when the dying woman's single last word, foreigner, is leaked to the press, escalating violence against refugees in Skane must take priority. But, Wallander doesn't give up on the double murder, despite being forced to solve yet another when a refugee is shot dead.

I was sorely disappointed with this book. I watched a BBC adaptation of the Wallander series starring Kenneth Branagh that was wonderful. But Henning Mankell's first mystery novel left me flat. But, just like Wallander, I won't give up. Hopefully the rest of the series will prove more enjoyable.

2.75/5

Shakespeare Challenge

2009-08-17T16:11:00.002-05:00

I wasn't going to join anymore challenges because I am kind of falling behind already. But, I just could not resist the Much Ado about Shakespeare Challenge being hosted by Andrea at The Little Bookworm. I mean, come on, it's Shakespeare!

Here are the rules:

The challenge runs from September 1, 2009 - April 26, 2009 (Shakespeare's Birthday). Read 6 of any Shakespeare's works or any book inspired by a Shakespeare play. You can also watch any movie from or inspired by a Shakespeare play.

And here is my list, which I reserve the right to change at will:

Hamlet by the man himself

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard

King Lear by the man himself

Fool by Christopher Moore

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

Othello by the man himself

Holy Mavericks by Shayne Lee and Phillip Sinitiere

2009-08-09T09:36:00.004-05:00

Tyler Cowen of Marginal Revolution says that we should treat books like television shows. When a book is not appealing to you, you should "change the channel," throwing out the unappealing book and moving on to a better one. Holy Mavericks for me was like that television show you keep watching expecting it to get better until ends and you realized that it was awful the whole way through.

Holy Mavericks is supposed to be an investigation of five pastors: Joel Osteen, T. D. Jakes, Brian McLaren, Paula White, and Rick Warren, as innovators in the spiritual marketplace. As a non-Christian, I picked this book up at the library because I am intrigued by the subject. I was hoping for a book that would explain what these pastors believe and how they draw so many people to their churches. But the promise to look at the pastors using the tools of economics never materializes. Holy Mavericks is a jargon filled book that gives only shallow profiles of each pastor in question in which the authors miscite psychological ideas or name-drop philosophers in ways that are awkward and distracting. In addition, though published in 2009, the material is dated. The profile of Paula White includes a postscript about events that occurred in 2007.

This is the first book that I feel obligated to recommend not reading. It was awful and disappointing. If you are interested in this subject, I think perhaps the only use you will get from Holy Mavericks is the bibliography.

0.5/5

Booking Through Thursday

2009-08-06T19:33:00.002-05:00

What’s the most serious book you’ve read recently?

The last serious book I read was Fool's Gold by Gillian Tett. It is about the development of the credit derivatives that caused the financial mess in which we currently find ourselves. That crisis being something that is quite serious indeed.

How To Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Pierre Bayard

2009-08-06T19:21:00.003-05:00

As a lifelong reader and bibliophile, I find the idea of talking about books I haven't read an anathema. That being said, Pierre Bayard has some very insightful things to say about reading in his book How To Talk About Books You Haven't Read. One important insight is that any act of reading a particular book is also an act of not reading other books. Like the economic idea of opportunity cost, you need to keep this in mind when you choose a book to read. Bayard also writes about how books are not just objective things, but are subjective. When you talk or think about a book, you are actually talking or thinking about your own mentally constructed version of the book. Others will have their own constructed version of the book which may have some overlap with your version of the book. A final insight is that a book has a place among all other books, a context in the collective library. When reading a book, you must consider this context.

As much as I find value in these insights, I did not find Bayard's book to be an enjoyable read. Perhaps is was too philosophical or obscure, but more likely I just don't like the idea of talking about books I have not read.

2.75/5

Fool's Gold by Gillian Tett

2009-08-06T17:15:00.003-05:00

In Fool's Gold, Gillian Tett, a reporter for the Financial Times, tells the story of how esoteric credit derivatives were developed and championed by a small group of independent thinkers at J. P. Morgan and how these derivatives came to ran amok among other banks causing the financial crisis from which we currently suffer. She details how a small close-knit group at J. P. Morgan developed and championed credit derivative swaps (CDS). J. P. Morgan was quite careful with these derivatives. It is interesting to note that they looked into the possibility of creating similar instruments backed by residential mortgages, but thought it too risky.

When J. P. Morgan merged with Chase Manhattan, the change in culture led many of the team to leave JP Morgan Chase for other banks or hedge funds. Those that stayed watched as the credit derivatives they invented took off, sometimes baffled by the risks other banks seemed to be taking. Did those banks know more than they did?

Another merger, this time between JPMorgan Chase and Bank One, brings in Jaimie Dimon who was the head of Bank One. He soon took over as JP Morgan Chase. The previous derivatives team had been conservative, but Dimon, with his "fortress balance sheet" idea really drove home the possible dangers of credit derivatives. Other banks, however, continued increased their CDO outputs, leveraging themselves with increasing ratios to do so. Then the bottom fell out. Two hedge funds at Bear Stearns collapsed due to their heavy investment in CDOs. Downgrades by the rating agencies forced many banks to write down their derivative assets, leading to billions in losses. Mortgage lenders like Countrywide failed, then commercial banks like Northern Rock. Bear Stearns blew up, with J.P. Morgan swooping in the buy them for a song. More write downs led Lehman Brothers bankruptcy and AIGs government rescue. The original team watched in horror as all this unfolded, but retained a belief that the instruments themselves were a useful way to manage risk, even if their abuse led to a financial crisis.

If you are at all interested in the how we got into this current financial mess, Tett's book is a good place to start. Earlier this year, I read William Cohan's account of Bear Stearns fall, The House of Cards. I found this a much more readable book.

3.75/5

Rapt by Winifred Gallagher

2009-08-03T16:31:00.008-05:00

In Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life the author, Winifred Gallagher, does an excellent job of covering the relevant neurological and psychological knowledge of how attention works. But I was hoping for more "attention" to the "Focused Life" part of the book's subtitle. Still, there is a lot of good stuff in the book.

Gallagher starts by explaining the latest research on how attention works. She notes that attention is regulated in two ways. Top down attention is regulated by your will. The other, bottom up attention, is more reactive. Attention is multiplicitous. You can think of it as a series of "sensory dials" that allow you to "adjust the volume" of sensory information. For example, you can "turn down" visual information while "turning up" aural information, like when you close your eyes in order to listen more closely. Gallagher also stresses that attention generates a mental model of reality, meaning your experience of reality is one step removed from actual reality. She goes on to discuss how emotion influences attention. Our brains are more sensitive to negative stimuli than to positive stimuli, likely due to evolution. This phenomenon is called the negativity bias. On the other hand, there is a positivity offset, the tendency for us to more often remember positive events despite your attending more closely to negative ones. There are also a number of attentional styles along that vary along different axes. First is in what direction attention is focused, outwardly (extroversion) or inwardly (introversion). Second is on what type of events generally receive more attention, positive events or negative events. (This appears to be temperamental and independent of the negativity bias.) Finally, attention can be respondent, rapt attention to sensory experience, or instrumental, goal oriented attention.

After discussing the mechanics of attention, Gallagher goes on to make a number suggestions for improving your life based on knowledge of these mechanics. I was disappointed somewhat by this part of the book. Many of her suggestions are facile. However, there is something to be said having them explicitly suggested. The suggestions that most caught my eye were:

Meditation can improve your ability to control your attention. This is possible due to brain plasticity, the fact that your brain can be physically changed by your experiences and actions.

Pay attention to your family. Gallagher cites statistics that show the woeful inattention with which we treat each other.

To make good decisions, be sure to pay attention to the right things. More specifically, Gallagher cites The Paradox Of Choice by Barry Schwartz and reiterates his suggestion of "satisficing." Satisficing is the difficult art of making a choice that satisfies you without over analysing or searching for the perfect choice.

Ultimately, what I got out of Rapt was the admonishment that controlling your attention can have a positive impact on your life. The Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh has a wonderful metaphor. What you pay attention to nourishes the seeds in your mind. If you pay attention to positive things in your environment, you will nourish the beautiful flowers of your mind. However, if you pay attention to negative things around you, you will nourish the rank weeds of your mind.

If you are interested in cognitive science or the mechanics of attention, you might enjoy reading this book. If, however, you are looking for some practical advice, it still might be worth a read, but is more likely better skimmed.

3.00/5

Rhyming Life & Death

2009-08-01T19:35:00.003-05:00

Rhyming Life & Death is a strange stream of consciousness multi-point-of-view novel by Israeli novelist Amos Oz. Nominally it is about eight hours of an unnamed author's life on a summer night in Tel-Aviv. The book jumped out at me from the New Books self at my local library. I picked it up in order to replace a book that fell off of my list for the Orbis Terrarum Challenge. Despite finding it touching in places, I was disappointed with the novel.

2.0/5

Stiff by Mary Roach

2009-07-25T11:03:00.003-05:00

Have you ever wondered about what happens to your body after you die? If you have, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach is the book for you. Roach writes about a number of ways in which the bodies of the dead are used: medical education and research, ballistics research, forensics research, etc. She also writes about the different final dispositions of the dead, the traditional burial, the more modern cremation, or even newer ones like composting and liquefaction. Not for the squeamish reader, Roach's book is a trip through the morbid afterlife of our bodies here on earth.

This was my second book by Roach. I thoroughly enjoyed my first, Bonk, finding it quite hilarious at many points. Stiff was a little disappointing. Her attempts at humor seemed more strained, perhaps because of the subject. It was, however, an fascinating book about a variety of topics. Overall I think I found this book disappointing because I had such high hopes for it given how much I liked Bonk. That being said, Stiff is a solidly enjoyable read. If you are curious or even just a very eclectic reader, I would suggest adding Stiff to your TBR.

3.25/5

Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell

2009-07-21T12:00:00.003-05:00

Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell has been on my TBR list for a while. I cannot remember where I heard about it first, but as a regular listener of This American Life, I am somewhat familiar with her work. Wordy Shipmates is about the Puritans who founded Boston. No, not the Pilgrims of the cliché Thanksgiving parades, but the dour Calvinists of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Vowell traces American Exceptionalism and even much of our democracy itself back to these people. Jumping off from the sermons of John Cotton, Vowell regales us with the tale of colonial Boston. She writes about the heated religious disputes between Cotton and his two nemeses, Roger Williams and Anne Hutchison, both of whom would be banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Vowell also discusses the colonists relationship with the Native Americans, culminating in the brutal Peqoud War.

Vowell's writing is breezy and conversational. It is sprinkled with ironic humor, some of which made me laugh and then read aloud to my wife. Although some might not take kindly to her critique of both American Exceptionalism and a strain of anti-intellectualism that she feels springs in part from these colonists, I certainly enjoyed her book. Of particular interest to me was her discussion of the bookishness of these colonists in particular. For example, when a friend of John Winthrop's was trying to dissuade him from going to America, the friend wrote:

How hard will it be for one brought up among books and learned men, to live in a barbarous place, where is no learning and less civility?

Or perhaps when John Cotton escapes a certain prison sentence by coming to America because in prison there would be no opportunity for books or pens.

3.5/5

House of Cards by William Cohan

2009-07-16T15:05:00.005-05:00

House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess On Wall Street is an engaging look at the fall of Bear Stearns. Mr. Cohan makes an admirable attempt at explaining how the giant investment bank imploded. Unfortunately, I expected a better book. Cohan's book suffers from it's length and from the sheer number of people that about whom he writes. I found myself taking notes just to keep track of who was who. Also, at the end of the book, Cohan tacks on a little bit about Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. But this coverage of Lehman Brothers is shallow and irrelevant to the main story of the book, that of Bear Stearns.

My overall feeling about the book is that Cohan rushed to get it published, and his haste shows. It reminds me of Blaise Pascal's quip about writing a long letter because he didn't have time to make it brief. Perhaps Mr. Cohan didn't have time to make his book clearer and shorter.

3.5/5

Sunday Salon

2009-07-12T10:49:00.007-05:00

This week I wrapped up the Numbers Challenge, for which I read the following books:

39 Steps by John Buchan review

7 Deadly Sins by Aviad Kleinberg review

A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters review

At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien review

And Then There Were None (also published as Ten Little Indians) by Agatha Christie review

I am currently reading House of Cards, a book about Bear Stearns and the crash of 2008. I started it earlier this year but put it aside. It grabbed my attention again this month, so I picked up and started reading it again. It is an interesting read so far, but it is sometimes difficult to keep track of all the names because the author quotes and talks about so many people. I continue to read What Is Ancient Philosophy? by Pierre Hadot, albeit rather slowly. I also started The Time Paradox by Philip Zimbardo (of the Stanford Prison Study fame) and John Boyd. In addition, I will be starting a novel too, I just haven't decided which yet. I am getting a little burned out on serious fiction, so I am probably going to read some easy fantasy or sci-fi. That would leave me reading four books at one time. How many to you usually read at once?

At-Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien

2009-07-07T18:15:00.003-05:00

At-Swim-Two-Birds is such an odd and chaotic novel that it is really hard to review. It was so queer, in fact, that I cannot even really decide if I liked it or not. Nominally, it is about a sullen student of Irish Literature who is writing a novel about a novelist whose characters conspire against him. Perhaps enjoyable by those that like really strange novels, I found it more confusing than anything else.

1.5/5

Bonk by Mary Roach

2009-07-04T18:07:00.003-05:00

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex was a fantastic read! Mary Roach's book discusses a variety of topics from the multifaceted world of sex research. Despite the book's subject, or perhaps because of it, Roach can be hilariously funny. At times I laughed so hard there were tears in my eyes. Unfortunately, on the rare occasion, Roach's attempts at humor crossed over the line between funny and juvenile. But don't let that stop you from reading this fascinating and brilliantly funny book. Fair warning though, the book is not for those easily put off by frank discussions of sex.

4.95/5

For a preview of what you will find in Bonk, try listening to a talk she gave at TED:

In The Land of Invented Languages by Arika Okrent

2009-06-28T11:20:00.004-05:00

In the Land of Invented Languages by Arika Okrent is about artificially constructed languages. Okrent's style in this book closely resembles that of a travelogue. For several of the languages Okrent gives a little historical background mixed with a description of her personal experiences with the language in question. At times the material can be a little dry, it is linguistics after all. But don't let that discourage you because Okrent can be uproariously funny too.

I found the topic and Okrent's style so engaging, I read the book in a little over a day. I enjoyed it immensely, recognizing several of the languages she discusses. My only disappointment was that, at times, Okrent may have been a little too breezy. I would have enjoyed a little more background in linguistics and perhaps a more description of how the constructed languages she discusses worked.

If you don't know anything about artificial languages, Okrent is a capable tour guide. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the geeky world of constructed languages, even if that interest is only a passing one.

4.25/5

And Then There Were None

2009-06-21T17:32:00.003-05:00

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is an iconic whodunit that lives up to its promise. The prose felt a little archaic, but the plot and mystery were compelling. If you are looking for a quick and enjoyable beach read, you won't go wrong with this mystery novel.

As an aside, I have decided to count this toward the Numbers Challenge. I believe it is within the rules because "None" is a number word in the same sense as "First". Also, this novel has also been published as Ten Little Indians, which would definitely qualify as a "Number" book.

3.5/5