King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard is a classic adventure tale set on the "dark continent" of Africa. It is the tale of three men on a search for a missing brother and the untold riches of King Solomon's Mines. It is full of wild animals, warring tribes, and an evil witch.
King Solomon's Mines is what could be called a good yarn, nothing special perhaps but enjoyable nonetheless. I definitely enjoyed it enough to add H. Rider Haggard's other classic tale, She to my TBR list.
3.75/5
I am, despite its physical impossibility, in several places at once:
Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett is the story of an anonymous Continental op, a private dick, that is hired by newspaper man Donald Willsson to come to Personville for a case. As soon as he arrives in Personville, which is sometimes called Poisonville, his employer is murdered before they can meet. So begins the story of intrigue and deceit in which the Continental op finds himself in the middle of a war between four men who want to run Personville.
I was quite disappointed by this novel. I love the movie Yojimbo, which is said to based, in part, on Red Harvest. Perhaps this led me to set the bar too high, but I did not feel that Red Harvest lived up to its billing. It was entertaining, sure, but it really wasn't anything special. So, if you like noir, give it a try. Otherwise, you might want to look elsewhere for your fill of crime and punishment.
2.0/5
Coming towards the end of April, we’re a third of the way through the way through the year. What’s the favourite book you’ve read so far in 2009? What about your least favourite? (question courtesy of MizB)
That is a really tough question. I read a lot of fiction and non-fiction books. It is too hard to pick an overall favorite. So, as an added bonus for you the reader, I will pick my favorite of each.
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa is easily my favorite work of fiction so far. It is so elegantly written and it is a great story about friendship and love. I highly recommend it to you.
It is a tough choice, but I have to go with How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer. This is a book about the neuroscience of how we make decisions, which may sound dry and boring. It isn't! Lehrer begins each chapter with the riveting story of a really hard decision someone had to make: the pilot of a plane who cannot control any of the flight surfaces, a Lt. Commander who has just seconds to decide whether to fire on unknown targets threatening the lives of those serving on an aircraft carrier at war, and many more. It is a great book.
All the Names by Jose Saramago. I know he is a nobel prize winner but I just cannot get into his novels. I abandoned this one earlier this month. It is the second one I have tried by him. I also attempted to read Blindness several years ago, but didn't get that far in that one either.
Louis L'Amour's Silver Canyon is the story of Matthie Brennan, a drifter and gunslinger who rides into dusty town of Hattan's Point and finds more than he bargains for. Almost immediately, he finds the woman he loves and, he insists, is going to marry, Moira Macleran. To win her hand, Matt vows to settle down. He hears that there is a bitter, sometimes violent, dispute over the land of the Two-Bar Ranch. Sensing the opportunity to make a settled life that would allow him to marry Moira, Matt leaps into the fray by forming a partnership with the owner of the Two-Bar. What follows is an adventure, for Matt and the reader.
The plot, while intricate, is easily followed. L'Amour's prose is simple and clean, making the book an easy read. It was my first western and I have to say I enjoyed it more than I thought.
3.5/5
I made it! I finished Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett this hour.
1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
The last one, it was really hard to stay awake.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
My books were pretty good overall, but nothing special enough to recommend specifically for the read-a-thon.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Nope! It is great as is.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
The cheerleaders were relentless with their encouraging comments.
5. How many books did you read?
I read from 5 books and completed 4.
6. What were the names of the books you read?
7. Which book did you enjoy most?
The Graveyard Book, not only because it is a great story, so far, but also because I am reading it to my seven year old son.
8. Which did you enjoy least?
Red Harvest, but that may be just because it was my last read and I am so tired.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
I was a reader.
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
I am definitely game to be a reader again!
Final stats -- 709pp in 15:57:17 | 5 books read from, 4 books completed | awake for 24 (well, actually 25 1/2) hours.
To my fellow readers, good night or good day in whatever part of the world you live. Go to bed! To the cheerleaders, thank you for your encouragement. Finally to the organizers, thank you for making this event possible.
Breakfast was yummy, but it did not wake me up. But with only one hour left, I am sure I will make it.
I am approaching the end of Red Harvest, but I don't think I will be able to finish it during the read-a-thon. I have 41 pages left, but I haven't been able to get anywhere near that number of pages in an hour in the last few hours of the read-a-thon. But, I will make a valiant effort.
Running stats: 668 pp in 14:51:47 | 5 books read from, 3 books completed.
I have hit the dreaded wall! If I am still for more than a few minutes, I start to doze off. But it's OK, I just keep moving. I am going to try eating some breakfast to see if that helps. Only 2 hours left!!!
I continued to read Red Harvest in hour 22, although at this point I find myself rereading paragraphs when I start to lose track of what is going on. I'm sure this is a product of fatigue rather than poor writing on Hammett's part.
Running stats: 650pp in 14:07:41 | 5 books read from, 3 books completed.
In this hour, my caffeine has deserted me. I started doing that thing where you start to fall asleep, but when your head falls you immediately awake. So, I made myself another cup of tea. I continue to read Red Harvest at a crawling pace. But, just like the end of a marathon, as long as you keep moving forward, you will reach the end.
Running stats: 631 pp in 13:32:38 | 5 books read from, 3 books complete.
Still awake, still reading Red Harvest, still reading slowly.
Running stats: 612pp in 12:53:51 | 5 books read from, 3 books completed.
I am starting to get into Red Harvest now. I am also feeling a little more awake now. It is a little after 2:00 a.m. here in the Houston area. I just might be getting my second wind. Hopefully it can carry me to the finish.
Running stats: 586pp in 12:07:53 | 5 books read from, 3 books completed.
All right! The tea has helped a little. I have also started standing to read instead of sitting. Lying down is definitely out.
This hour I continued reading Red Harvest. The story hasn't really grabbed me yet. I am reading much more slowly than I did earlier in the day. It might take longer for me to get into the book because of the more leisurely pace.
Running stats: 565pp in 11:28:17 | 5 books read from, 3 books completed.
I started Red Harvest this hour. I also started to become quite sleepy. I have brewed a cup of tea. I hope that helps.
Jessica's mini-challenge:
1. Go back to your blog, and tell us about the books you’re rereading during the mini-challenge. Maybe post a picture of each book and describe why you love it enough to reread it.
OR
2. Go back to your blog, and give us a list of your top favorite rereads of all time. You know, those books that you can go to time and time again for comfort and escape. Again, pictures are good. :)
I am not re-reading any books during the read-a-thon. At least I don't plan to. I am not really much into re-reading at all, to be honest. There are only a few works of literature that I have returned to:
Running stats: 542pp in 10:50:07 | 5 books read from, 3 books completed.
In this hour I finished Silver Canyon by Louis L'Amour. I read this for the Colorful Reading Challenge. My next book, Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett, is also for the Colorful Reading Challenge.
It was in this hour that my wife went to bed. So now the house is silent. Without the hustle and bustle of family, I can finally focus on reading. But of course, now that it is getting later, I find myself getting sleepy. And the quiet is so conducive to sleep ...
Running stats: 522pp in 10:19:21 | 4 books read from, 3 books completed.
Alas, story time did not continue into this hour. My son became cranky and so my wife decided it was bed time. After help putting him to bed, I continued reading Silver Canyon. I have enjoyed it more than I expected. I am hoping to finish in in the hour 16, or early in hour 17.
Running stats: 462pp in 9:21:35 | 4 books read from, 2 books completed
This hour I read some more of Silver Canyon. But I also got to read my son part of The Graveyard Book for story time, which will continue into the next hour.
Running stats: 424pp. in 8:42:42 | 4 books read from, 2 books completed.
I am still reading Silver Canyon by Louis L'Amour. I am starting to get into the story now. I wish I had held this book in reserve though. The plot, while engaging, is hardly difficult to follow and the author's prose is clear and simple. This would have been a good book to read later, when I am very tired. Oh well. I am too interested now to put it aside.
Running stats: 400 pages in 8:09:43 | 4 books read from, 2 books completed.
Halfway there! This hour I continued to read Silver Canyon. I also had dinner which has given me a renewed vigor. Also, the storms have abated and I can look out on blue skies over Texas this evening.
The newest mini-challenge is the mid-event survey:
1. What are you reading right now?
Silver Canyon by Louis L'Amour
2. How many books have you read so far?
I have read from 4 books so far. Of those 4, I have completed 2.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
I am most looking forward to story time this evening when I get to read The Graveyard Book to my son.
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
Yes. My wife and son have been pretty cooperative in allowing me time to do this. I am grateful to them for that because I have enjoyed myself so far.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
I have really only had three classes of disruption. First, normal family stuff. I helped my wife cook dinner, I watched my son when my wife took a nap. The second was eating. I was able to read during some of those two disruptions, but just let the rest be a break. The third disruption was the stormy weather that plagued the Houston area for most of the day. I really don't like thunderstorms. They distracted me, but I just tried to keep on reading.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
I don't remember as many people participating last time, so that surprised me.
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Nope. I think the Read-a-Thon is great the way it is!
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Nothing really. Maybe I would like a better chair to sit in, perhaps, but that's about it.
9. Are you getting tired yet?
I am getting tired, but fortunately I do not feel sleepy yet.
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
Nothing really. Although I would like to applaud the Cheerleaders. It lifts my spirits when I read their comments.
Running stats: 380pp in 7:40:35 | 4 books read from, 2 books completed.
This hour I continued reading Silver Canyon. It is kind of interesting because I have never read a western before. It is pretty good, but so far nothing really special.
Running stats: 356 pages in 6:56:10 | 4 books read, 2 books completed.
I didn't get much reading done this hour. I started Silver Canyon by Louis L'Amour. I have only read the first two chapters, but it starts off at a rip-roaring pace.
My eyes are starting to sting a little and I am getting a headache. I tried to get a good night's sleep last night, but I awoke in the middle of the night and slept restlessly, if at all, after that. It is unfortunate that I am feeling this way this early in the Read-a-Thon. But, if it was easy, everybody would do it, right?
Running stats: 333 pages in 6:37:08 | 4 books read, 2 completed.
The thunderstorms here got so bad during hour 8 I thought it prudent to turn off all my computer equipment, so I shall combine hours 8 & 9.
First, the mini-challenge for hour 8:
During the last couple of hours I finished The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (yeah!!!) and read a little bit of The Graveyard Book to my seven year old son. I will provide a full review of Junot Diaz' book in a day or two. As for The Graveyard Book, it is fabulous. I read it aloud for story time. My son, wife, and I are enjoying it immensely.
Running stats: 315pp in 6:16:57 | 3 books read, 2 books completed.
This hour the storms continue unabated, and I continue my reading of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I have less than 100 pages now, so hopefully in the next hour or two I will be moving on to another book, probably Silver Canyon by Louis L'Amour
Running stats: 224 pages in 4:39:26 | 1 book completed.
The challenge for this hour is go for a walk. Well, as you may have gathered from my previous posts, that is kind of a problem here in the Houston area. We're getting some really nasty thunderstorms here (severe thunderstorm warnings, tornado warnings, flood watches, the whole enchilada). So, no dice on the walk.
When I look outside I see dark clouds, and so much rain that it is pooling in large puddles in the street (which is normal for this area). We are in for a little bit more stormy weather, but hopefully by later this afternoon all these thunderstorms will be out of here.
I took some pictures, but the camera is set up for my wife's computer, so she has to put them on her laptop and send them to me. I will post then when I get them.
Here are the pictures I took:
I read some of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, had lunch (which my lovely wife brought to me), and checked the weather frequently to find out about the yucky weather we are having.
Running Stats: 200 pages in 4:10:15 | 1 book completed.
I finished On Love and Death by Patrick Suskind and started back on The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Meanwhile, the storms here in Houston are getting nastier.
Running stats: 177 pages in 3:19:07 | 1 Book Completed
During hour 4 I decided to take a break from The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I started On Love and Death by Patrick Suskind. It is a very short book of 76 pages. I didn't quite finish it this hour. I will do so in the next hour before returning to The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.
Running stats: 150 pages in 2:49:49
Still working my way through The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. What started as a very funny book has become a little sad now. But it is still a great read so far.
The weather here in the Houston area is turning nasty. I don't like thunderstorms and we're getting some doozies here this morning. I know some others are buried in snow, but how is the weather where you are? Is it conducive to your reading?
Running stats: 95 pages in 2:09:47
Three facts about me:
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
See my pre-read-a-thon post.
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon?
I would, of course, like to stay up and read during the entire 24 hours. I think I can do that, I did last year. I also would like to finish The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Silver Canyon, and Red Harvest. But at my current pace, that isn't likely to happen. But most of all I want to have fun!
Where are you reading from today?
Right now, from my home office. But I will be reading from several different places in the house. As a matter of fact, in the next hour I plan to read while walking around a little bit.
If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?
I have done one other Read-a-Thon. But my advice comes more from running several marathons. Pace Yourself! This is going to be a long event. Don't come out of the gates at a sprint. You will pay for it later. Take breaks. Get up and walk around. Rest your eyes by looking at stuff in the distance every so often. But most of all, even though it may get grueling, have fun!
I am still reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I feel like I read a little more slowly this time. It seemed there were more allusions or Spanish expressions to look up in the chapter I just finished.
Running stats 57 pages in 1:21:49.
For the first hour, I read from The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. I have enjoyed the book so far. It is quite funny. My only complaint is that there are quite a few Spanish expressions in the book that I cannot read. However, I did find The Annotated Oscar Wao where you can find translations. Others have complained about the allusions to sci-fi/fantasy culture, but as a geek, I have understood most of them.
This is my second Read-a-Thon. This time I decided to use a stopwatch to keep track of how much time I spend actually reading. My running total on time 0:46:43. In that time I have read 32 pages.
The Read-a-Thon for April 2009 starts in less than 20 minutes. When I ran marathons, this was the pre-race time when you limbered up and tried to relax because you had a long way to go.
Like most people I spent the last few days preparing for the Read-a-Thon. I got some last minute books from the library. I made sure that I had enough tea to last me for 24 hours. I tried to clear my schedule (with mixed success) so I could devote all my time to reading.
I also gathered some books to read during the 24 hours. I make no promises that these are the actual books I will read. I am fortunate enough to own a fair number of books from which to choose, so I reserve the right to go "off course" if I want to.
If I finish those before the end of the 24 hours, I have a few other short books or graphic novels to read.
Good luck to everyone!
As a follow up to last week's question, Joseph asked how you keep track of your tbr list. Do you have a paper list or on your computer? Do you take it with you when you go shopping? How do you decide what gets added to it?
Wow! That's my question. That is so cool!!!
Sorry, I guess I geeked out there for a moment. Anyway, since I suggested it, I had better answer the question!
Like many of you, I am somewhat
obsessed with books. I am constantly finding new books that go on my TBR list. Reviews by fellow book bloggers; author appearances on Book TV, the Daily Show, the Colbert Report, etc; reviews in print; the bibliographies of other books I have enjoyed. Needless to say, my TBR list is quite large. But it really isn't a single list per se. It is actually a disorganized set of lists. I have notebooks with lists of books to read. I have a folder in my desk with reviews that I have clipped from newspapers and magazines. I have a page on Backpack with books to read. I have an Amazon wish list. And if I were to clean my desk, I would find many scraps of paper each with a book or two that I found interesting in some way. And that is only the books that I don't own already. My bookshelves are bursting with books, many of which remain unread.
Caite asked:
So, who is this Joseph...and why is he so interested in my books? ;-)
I am interested because my list(s) is/are so disorganized, I wondered if someone else might have a better way to keep track of all the books that I want to read (even though I will never be able to read that many books). So, I can't wait to see what everyone else says. Oh, and I hope somebody shares some magical way of reading all those books on my list too ...
Do you keep track of what and/or how many books you read? How long have you been doing this? What's your favorite tracking method, and why?If you don't keep track, why not?
I started keeping track of my reading in 2006 when I became a stay at home dad. Before retiring
, I was a software developer. Most of my reading was technical reading: manuals, programming books, computer science books, etc. But when I stopped working, I had much more free time to read non-technical literature. Of course, now I am a freelance software developer and that is beginning to take up more of my time ...
I use a free web service called Backpack to keep track of my reading. The service allows you to create pages that contain lists and other things. So, I just have a page that contains the list of everything I have read, broken down by month, since February 2006. I used to keep track of the title, author, publishing information, ISBN, and number of pages. But, lately I have gotten down to the title, author, and number of pages. I have considered moving the list to my laptop or a notebook just in case Backpack goes away. But, I have never gotten around to it. I just backup the page on my laptop occasionally. Of course, now I also have the book reviews on this blog if I need.
On a related matter, I also have a page on Backpack that has books that I want to read. But, there are so many of those that my TBR list is not just on Backpack. I have several notebooks in which I keep lists of books to read, as well as notes from books that I have read. Where to you keep your TBR list?
Jonah Lehrer's How We Decide is what I wish every book about science could be. Lehrer approaches a complicated topic and makes it understandable without losing nuance. In How We Decide, Lehrer explains the latest discoveries in psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics in order to tease out some insights on how we make decisions, and how those decisions can be improved.
Lehrer begins each chapter with a riveting story about a very difficult decision. He then explains what science has to say about the decision. Generally, it appears that we have two different brain mechanisms for making decisions, our emotional system and our logical system. Each is located in different portions of the brain, and with new techniques like fMRI, scientists can actually watch these areas of our brains as we make decisions. Lehrer investigates each system and discusses the relative merits and weaknesses of each, ending up with some clear recommendations on how each of us can make better decisions.
I would highly recommend this book for the riveting stories alone. But, I think Lehrer does really provide some important insights on how we can make better decisions. The most enlightening one being the last in the list above. If you are more mindful of how you make decisions, you will make better ones.
4.75/5
One of the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper is a novella of a mere 23 pages. However, it is a hauntingly spare depiction of the descent into madness. The Victorian narrator has been removed from her home to a cottage in the country in order to recover from a nervous breakdown. However, the "resting cure" is foiled when her husband, a physician himself, chooses to situate their bedroom in the former nursery, a room with walls covered by a wallpaper the narrator describes as repellent, almost revolting; a smouldering unclean yellow
, with patterns in it that commit every artistic sin
. Supposed to be resting, the narrator becomes obsessed with the wallpaper and its pattern. Eventually it begins to drive her mad. (Or does it?) She begins to see a women caught behind bars formed by the wallpaper's pattern. She soon becomes wild and violent, tearing at the wallpaper; biting the bedposts. At the conclusion of the novella, she locks herself in the room, the madness overcoming her completely.
This short novella was quite creepy. Not in a BOO! scary kind of way. But instead, in a raise the hairs on the back of your neck way. However, I cannot say that I enjoyed it all that much, so I would not necessarily recommend it to anyone. I certainly wouldn't characterize it as something you must read before you die.
1.75/5
I picked this one up at the library on the recommendation of 3M at 1morechapter. It was absolutely sublime! The novel tells the story of a housekeeper contracted to keep house for a math professor. The professor was involved in an auto accident that damaged his brain. He can no longer form long term memories and his short term memory lasts only eighty minutes.
What follows is the touching tale of how the housekeeper and her ten year old son befriend the kindly old teacher, despite his mnemonic handicap. It is a wonderful story of math, baseball, and unconditional love. I second 3M's high recommendation!
4.95/5
Sometimes I think I may be starting to obsess about reading challenges as much as I do about books themselves. Because I haven't got enough challenges (or books) already, I decided to sign up for a few more.
First, the Colorful Reading Challenge hosted by Rebecca. The point of the challenge is to read 9 books with 9 different colors in the title. Six colors are required, while the last 3 can be your choice. Books may be overlapped with other challenges. At least 6 of the books should be new to you (doesn't matter which 6). They must be read between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.
Second, the Numbers Challenge. Five books with numbers in the title between January 1, 2009 and August 1, 2009. Three can overlap with other challenges.
Finally, the Orbis Terrarum Challenge hosted by Bethany. For this challenge, the reader should choose 10 different books, written by 10 different authors, from 10 different countries, and read them between March 1, 2009 and December 31 2009. A list is not mandatory, but I do have a tentative list in mind already.
The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite is a graphic novel by Gerard Way & Gabriel Ba. One of the many book bloggers that I read reviewed it several months ago (I cannot remember who now). I thought nothing of it at the time, but while at the library, I noticed it on the new books shelf. So, I picked it up.
I am not really a graphic novel person
per se. However, I will read them on occasion. I was not overly impressed with this one. It was mediocre, at best. So, I would not necessarily recommend it to anyone. There are probably better things out there to read. But, if you have a little time to kill, there are worse ways to do so.
2.0/5
What’s the worst ‘best’ book you’ve ever read — the one everyone says is so great, but you can’t figure out why?
Most recently, On Beauty by Zadie Smith. I found this to be an absolutely horrible read. I am one of those people that will usually stick it out to the very end once I start a book. But this one ... it was so awful I don't even think I made it to the 50 page mark. Before reading it I had read so much good press about Smith. This novel was shortlisted for the Man Booker and won the Orange prize. But wow! I thought it was a stinker.
A Canticle For Leibowitz, winner of the Hugo Award in 1961, is a post-apocalyptic tale in three parts. The novel begins soon after the flame deluge
when the world has lost most of its technology. The second part tells of a new awakening, a second renaissance when much of our technology is being rediscovered. The final part, however, tells of how that technology is once again put to use to re-destroy the world. The one constant throughout the novel is the church. In particular, the novel concerns itself with the monastic Order of Leibowitz.
One would expect much from a Hugo Award winning science fiction novel. However, I found A Canticle For Leibowitz incredibly disappointing. Perhaps the post-cold-war reduction in the threat of nuclear annihilation makes the novel less frightening. Perhaps it was how each section skipped forward a millennium. Or perhaps it is just a matter of personal taste. Whatever it is, I found this novel quite difficult to finish, and would not recommend it to anyone.
1.5/5
I know what you are thinking. But Group Theory In The Bedroom is about nothing more risqué than the mathematics of group theory applied to flipping a mattress. Brian Hayes book is a collection of previously written articles and afterthoughts all of which articles concern topics in mathematics or computing. I enjoyed some them, but found others uninteresting; I found the collection uneven. Chapters I enjoyed were about clocks, the genetic code, mathematics and gearing, and ternary computing. There were several moments where the math challenged me, but overall it was a pretty good read.
3.00/5
The Grand Inquisitor's Manual: A History of Terror In The Name Of God was the second book by Jonathan Kirsch that I have read. It is a horrifying history of human cruelty that is full of fascinating details. Kirsch discusses the three phases of the Inquisition: the Medieval Inquisition that persecuted the Cathars and other heretics; the Roman Inquisition, a later push against heresy motivated by the Protestant revolution that included the trial of Galileo; and the Spanish Inquisition that persecuted conversos, Jewish and Muslim converts to Christianity. Kirsch goes on to discuss other Inquisition-like persecutions. He talks about the persecution of the Jews in Nazi Germany, which stressed purity of the blood just like the Spanish Inquisition. In the U.S., the New England Witch Trials and the House Un-American Activities Committee stressed the naming of names before a confession was deemed acceptable, just like the Medieval Inquisition.
Though covering a dark chapter in human history, this book was a great read. Kirsch includes citations of actual records from the Inquisition, giving a human face to both the absurdity of it all, as well as the suffering. I am definitely going to look for more books by Mr. Kirsch!
4.50/5
What is your policy when it comes to new authors? Do you feel comfortable purchasing a book or do you prefer to borrow new authors from the library? How often do you 'try out' a new author?
If at all possible, I like to check out a book from the library before purchasing my own copy. I will relax this rule if the author is recommended by a source I trust, usually another author or reviewer that I like. For nonfiction books, I will also purchase books without previewing them as library books if I have heard or seen the author give a lecture that I enjoyed. For example, I bought Niall Ferguson's books the The World At War and The Ascent of Money based on some of his lectures I viewed.
In Why Read? by Mark Edmundson laments that teaching of the humanities no longer involves students struggling with great works of literature. Edmundson alleges that the teaching literary theory that now passes for education in the humanities is actually an impediment to the real power and use of great literature. Edmundson argues that books should not just be read, and certainly not read as a mechanical exercise in which to apply your pet literary theory -- marxism, psychoanalysis, feminisim, etc. -- but instead a book should read you. Edmundson believes, with Milan Kundera that great works of literature provide experimental selves
, people that we could be or become. Edmundson elaborates by with a lengthy quote from Proust:
I thought more modestly about my book, and it would be inaccurate even to say that I thought of those who would read it as 'my' readers. For it seemed to me that they would not be 'my' readers but readers of their own selves, my book being merely a sort of magnifying glass like those which the optician at Combray used to offer his customers -- it would be my book but with it I would furnish them with the means of reading what lay inside themselves.
3.0/5
We’ve all seen the lists, we’ve all thought, “I should really read that someday,” but for all of us, there are still books on “The List” that we haven’t actually gotten around to reading. Even though we know they’re fabulous. Even though we know that we’ll like them. Or that we’ll learn from them. Or just that they’re supposed to be worthy. We just … haven’t gotten around to them yet.
What’s the best book that YOU haven’t read yet?
My first though was, Wow! What a tough question. I have my TBR List, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, 501 Must Read Books, among other books on books in my library. I have also been eyeing 501 Great Writers. How am I supposed to pick one book from that kind of pool?
Then I thought about it for a moment and realized that there is one great book that I haven't read yet. A book that some think was the very first novel. A book that languishes on my bookshelf despite my best intentions.
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
So, what does "Peace of Brain" mean. Well, like many men in the United States, I have the uncanny ability to communicate using only movie quotes. And this blog get its name from a movie, Major League: Back To The Minors to be exact. I don't remember the exact quote but it goes something like this:
Taka:Family bicker. Customers complain. Everyone blames Taka. Have no... peace of brain.
Gus:You mean peace of mind?
Taka:Same difference!
Taka goes on to add that in order to find peace of brain he must:
Listen to innnnnnnner voice!
So, this blog is my innnnnnner voice, with the added bonus that you get to listen to it too.
When reading do you read every word? Do you ever skip chapters or skim over parts?
I read every word. I never skip chapters or skim over parts. I have a strong belief that if you are going to read a book, show the book and its author the proper respect by reading what is written. On the other hand, if what is written is so boring or poor, show yourself the proper respect and find something else to read. (And yes, I realize this goes against Pennac's Reader's Bill of Rights you see in the sidebar of this weblog.)
How to Enjoy Shakespeare is aimed at the theater-goer about to attend a Shakespearean play. Mr. Fallon attempts to briefly give enough exposition about the language, themes, staging, characters, and plot of Shakespeare as to provide the reader with a more enjoyable experience at the theater. Personally, I found only the chapter on language particularly useful. Despite having read only a few of the Bard's plays, I was quite familiar with much of the material covered in the chapters on themes, staging, characters, and plot.
The chapter on language, however, was quite enlightening. I was surprised that in all my education, I do not remember being taught much about Shakespeare's language. One item I find key: Shakespeare's use of language is in large part determined by his having to fit his words into whatever type of pentameter he was using. This means that he omitted syllables, or even whole words, as well as changed word order to fulfill his rhythmic requirement. From the quotes provided by Mr. Fallon, it is abundantly obvious that this one fact will grant me a much greater enjoyment of Shakespeare.
2.0/5
I ended up with a fairly decent number of books read in February, especially given that it is the shortest month. I reviewed all of them, save one. I still have a draft to be revised for The Tyranny of Dead Ideas, but I have yet to get around to it.
I love the library. I cannot help but check out more books than I can possibly read in the two or three week checkout period. To make matters worse, I live in a place where I can belong to two library systems, so I check books out from both. Anyway, here is a list of the books that I currently have checked out:
Quite a list, I know. I checked out some of these books after reading or hearing something about the subject that inspired me to find out more. I checked out the Brothers Grimm after listening to a fascinating radio program/podcast about them and their tales. Checking out the two books on Cortés and the conquest of Mexico was inspired by having read Laura Esquivel's Malinche, but I am not sure I will actually get around to reading those two. My interest in Shakespeare was intensified by an essay in Ellen Gilchrists' wonderful book The Writing Life. With the exception of Hellboy, the rest were on my TBR list.
In his book The Trillion Dollar Meltdown, Charles R. Morris tries to explain how we got into this economic mess in which we now find ourselves. It is a rather short book, but I think that is due to Mr. Morris' concise explanations. This concision makes his book fairly easy to understand, even if you don't work on Wall Street or spend all day watching CNBC.
Mr. Morris clearly lays the blame for our economic problems at the feet of the Chicago School of Economics. To be fair, in tracing recent historical precedents for economic difficulties, he points out that historically there is a cycle between the more liberal and the more conservative economic ideas that hold sway. So, he does not say that there is something wrong with the Chicago School per se. However, Morris strongly believes that the Chicago School's cheerleading for laissez-faire capitalism got out of hand and led policy makers into a hands-off approach to financial engineering that allowed greed to get the better of caution, to the detriment of us all.
The belief that markets can regulate themselves and Greenspan's refusal, despite warnings, to prick the developing credit bubble, have created an unstable financial system. The combination of complicated financial instruments and leverage are at the root of the current problems in the financial sector. Surprisingly, Mr. Morris makes no proposals for actually solving those problems. Instead, he appears to assume that we just have to stomach the bitter pill of unwinding the financial positions positions in question.
On the other hand, Morris does have suggestions for what to do to prevent this kind of thing from happening in the future. He recommends greater regulation of the financial industry -- transparency, exchange trading of financial instruments instead of over the counter trading, capital requirements for financial institutions that make loans of any kind, and the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall act or something like it. In addition, Morris warns, in somewhat of a non sequitor, that health care also needs to be reformed. In fact, he recommends universal health care of some kind.
One quote from the book stood out. In discussing how the rich seem to get richer, but the rest of us are at best no better off, Morris says:
There is no conspiracy against the poor and middle class. It's more the inevitable outcome of our current money-driven political system combined withthe disposition to admire, and almost worship, the rich and powerful,which Adam Smith fingered asthe great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral sentiments.
3.75/5
Some interesting books cited in The Trillion Dollar Meltdown to read or follow-up on:
I am on Wall Street finding out how the "Masters of the Universe" created this mess in which we now find ourselves. (The Trillion Dollar Meltdown by Charles R. Morris)
I am also in a post-apocalyptic desert in Utah observing a Lenten fast. (A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.)
The Grasshopper is a departure from my usual reading. It is a philosophical treatise that seeks to define games. Suits uses a series of dialogues and stories to explore games and come up with a solid definition. Clearly written, I was able to follow Suit's arguments despite having no background in philosophy. This has given me the confidence to read other philosophical writings, including an article cited in the book. Overall, I found The Grasshopper an enjoyable read, so if you are looking for a change of pace and have an interest in games or play, give it go.
3.0/5
How often do you visit the library? Do you have a scheduled library day/time, or do you go whenever? Do you go alone, or take people with you?
For probably my entire adult life I have visited the library at least once a week to check out more books than I can possibly read. I quite often went alone, especially since I became a stay-at-home-dad/freelancer.
However, things have changed lately. First, after moving to the Houston area, I found that I could not only belong to my county library system, but to the Houston Public Library as well. Between the two library systems, I can get almost any book on my TBR List. I don't often visit an HPL branch myself. Instead, I reserve books and have my wife pick them up for me, since we live in the suburbs and she works in the city.
In addition, my soon to be seven year old son has decided that he likes to go to the library too. I am disappointed that he likes to go to play on the library computers, but at least the games he plays are educational and we do check out books for him to read. So, now my once a week visit to my county library system has turned into a once or twice a week visit right after school with my son.
Dewey is the heart warming story of a cat found in the book drop of a small Iowa town library on a brutally cold winter morning. Vicki Myron, the director of the library, nursed him back to health. Soon, named Dewey Readmore Books, the cat was adopted by the library and made his home among the stacks, quickly making friends with practically the whole town. He eventually became world famous. As much about the life of Vicki Myron and the town of Spencer, Iowa, Dewey narrates the life and eventual death of a wonderful library cat and how he came to lift the hearts of those who came to know him.
A tale of hope and friendship, this book was a good read. My mother purchased it for my six year old son, to whom my wife and I read it. He enjoyed it too. However, to those parents who might think that this would be a great story for their kids, I want to warn you that there is some discussion of adult topics such as Ms. Myron's failed marriage and her health problems. However, these passages can be easily skipped without spoiling the story, if you decide you want to read this to a small child.
3.00/5
Malinche by Laura Esquivel tells the story of Malinalli, a young Native American woman who becomes the translator, or "Tongue", and lover of Hernan Cortés. The story itself is quite interesting, but I found the quality of the writing patchy. Esquivel tells the story with a great deal of spiritual or mystical language that, at times, is distracting to the narrative. However, at other times, the language is strikingly beautiful:
All birds take their shape from fire,the grandmother said as the dry branches burned.Thought also has its origin in fire. The tongues of flame pronounce words as cold and exact as the fieriest truth that lips can utter. Remember that words can remake the universe. Any time that you feel confused, watch the fire and offer it your mind.
As to their divine character, words transformed in the empty space in the mouth into the center of Creation, repeating there the same act with which the universe had been made, by uniting the feminine and the masculine principles into one. ...The mouth, as feminine principle, as empty space, as cavity, was the best place for words to be engendered. And the tongue, as masculine principle, sharp, pointed, phallic, was one to introduce the created word, that universe of information, into the minds in order to be fertilized.
The search for the gods is the search for oneself. And where do we find ourselves? In the water, in the air, in the fire, in the earth.
3.25/5
John Buchan's The 39 Steps is a great yarn. Nothing really special, but a good story nonetheless. The narrator, Richard Hannay gets mixed up in espionage while visiting London. There are spies with evil plots, chases through the Scottish moors, and much more. If you are looking for a good spy story, you won't go wrong with this short novel. After reading, you could watch Alfred Hitchcock movie adaptation.
3.0/5
Over the last week, I have watched with a certain amount of interest the debate in the U.S. Congress over the then proposed bill to stimulate the failing U.S. economy. Before I continue, a disclaimer: I am a progressive. The majority of the time, I vote Democrat. What I cannot understand is how can anyone still believe that the Republicans have any answers to our current difficulties.
The Republican arguments against the stimulus bill were baffling to me. First, the idea that tax cuts are the answer is ludicrous. I am no economist, but my Econ 101 understanding is that the government has two sets of policy tools to control the economy. First, monetary policy, which is the more useful, less drastic tool. However, the Federal Reserve has exhausted its monetary policy options to stimulate the economy. Second, fiscal policy, which is either cutting taxes or direct government spending. Now, the Republicans have been touting their beloved tax cuts as the answer to the current economic difficulties. However, the previous round of tax cuts, brought to us by a Republican President and Congress, had very little stimulative effect on the economy.
The second fiscal policy tool available to the government is direct spending. And, as we all know the Republicans, who believe that government is the problem, cannot stand the idea of government spending. And, while I am not always a fan, my Econ 101 understanding is that the current economic conditions call for it. Beyond their philosophical argument against spending, the Republicans have stated that the proposed spending cannot be accepted because it will lead to a deficit that will have to be paid by our descendants. Really? Aren't these the same Republicans that presided over a doubling of the national debt? Aren't these the same Republicans that spent our government from a surplus to a deficit? I am outraged! In the previous eight years, Republicans have had their way: tax cuts for the rich; two wars, one of which was completely unnecessary and illegal; and the complete disregard for the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution. Who do they think is responsible for this mess? They are! They have some nerve now to argue, basically, that it is irresponsible to borrow money to spend on rebuilding the U.S. and stimulating our economy. But, it is perfectly OK to borrow money so that the wealthy can pay less taxes or we can preemptively invade another sovereign nation on the justification of dodgy intelligence.
The Republicans made some other ridiculous arguments against the stimulus bill. Senator John Kyl, a republican from Arizona, argued that because the Congressional Budget Office said that by 2019 the spending in the stimulus bill would reduce the GDP by 0.1 to 0.3 percent, that that would be a recession, given the definition of a recession as two quarters of negative growth. However, this assumes that the stimulated economy is not strong enough to overcome the drag and continue to grow, which is possible. How can anyone predict with any accuracy what the economy will be like in ten years? Senator John Ensign from Nevada looked at the historical record and argued that tax cuts are the only way. After all, Coolidge, Reagan, and Bush (43) cut taxes. What he failed to mention is that Coolidge's tax cuts preceded the Great Depression, and Bush's tax cuts preceded our current economic woes. Somehow I found his arguments for tax cuts unconvincing! The Republicans even complained that it wasn't fair what the Democrats were doing, after all it was just what the Republicans did when they controlled Congress.
Now, I am not saying I am 100% confident that the stimulus bill with all of its spending will work. I don't really know. I don't think anyone really knows. But this situation reminds me of the kind of thing that happens on one of my favorite TV shows, House. Quite often, House and his staff are faced with a patient that must be treated to prevent death. The problem is the treatment could also kill the patient. That is how I feel our economy stands right now. If we don't do anything, the situation will become dire. So, we have to do something. Tax cuts? We already tried that and it didn't work. Government spending? But that could kill patient, cry the Republicans. But if we don't do anything, the patient will die anyway, reply the Democrats. So, the Democrats, like Dr. House, have decided to treat the patient, to pass the stimulus bill, on the chance that it will actually work. And, I agree with them. We have to try something, because doing nothing is not really an option.
Do you read any author’s blogs? If so, are you looking for information on their next project? On the author personally? Something else?
I actually read several author's blogs:
I found some of them by following links in people's blogrolls. I find many of the blogs I read that way. Especially the lit blogs.
I am actually between books right now. I just left a deserted island somewhere in the Pacific. (The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares). I am on my way to London (The 39 Steps by John Buchan) or an unnamed city in the U.S. (Being Written by William Conescu).
The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares is a strange little novella about a man, sentenced to life in prison, who escapes to a deserted island. On this island, he is surprised by the strange arrival of a group of men and women who do not seem to know that he is there. He soon learns that the men and women are actually projections from a machine invented by one them, the titular Morel. The narrator falls in love with Faustine, one of the projections. In a bid to be closer to her, he uses the machine to record and add himself to the projections. Unfortunately, the act of recording is deadly, but this does not dissuade him.
I really wanted to like this novella. I have read so much praising it. But, it left me very flat. Casares does a very good job of building the dramatic tension. Even though I did not really enjoy the novel, I was curious enough about what was going on to finish it. But, overall, I am not sure I can recommend this one to anyone.
2.0/5
The Island of Dr. Moreau is a quick but enjoyable read. I wonder what it must have been like to read the book without knowing what Dr. Moreau was actually doing. Alberto Manguel mentions this kind of thing in his book A Reading Diary, I can barely recall what it was like not to know that Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde were on and the same person ...
. Nowadays, it is impossible to grow up without knowing that Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde are one, or that Dr. Moreau was physically anthropomorphizing beasts on his island. It is a shame that a book's influence on our culture can ruin the first reading of that book by the inheritors of the culture it influenced.
3.5/5
What do you use to mark your place while reading? Do you have a definite preference? Do you use bookmarks, paper, or (gasp) turn down the pages? If you use bookmarks, do you have a favourite one?
I always use a bookmark. I have a collection of them, nothing fancy, they are mostly bookmarks picked up from the counter at my library or the bookstores I frequent. They sit in a little pile on one of my bookshelves. When I find that I need one, I always go to my (home) office to get one. I would never dog-ear a book. I think that is despicable, evil behavior that disrespects the book.
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa is an odd little novel. It tells the story of Mario, a young Peruvian living in 1950s Lima, that falls in love with his Bolivan aunt, Julia. Recently divorced, Julia has come to Lima to live with her sister, Mario's father's brother's wife. There is no blood shared by Mario and Julia, but the family is still not happy about their relationship. Around the same time Julia shows up in Lima, the radio station at which Mario works hires a Bolivian scriptwriter to write their soap operas, or serials. Llosa alternates the story of Mario and Julia with vignettes from these serials. What makes the book odd is that the scriptwriter, Pedro Camacho, is slowly losing his mind. So, characters in the serials begin appearing not only in their own serial, but in others too. Later in the novel, characters will change even during the single episode of a serial. Funny as they are, these serials do not distract from the main plot, the trials of Mario and Julia as they seek to get married.
This novel was pretty good. Until they crossed into the bizarre, the serial episodes were very engaging. Mario's and Julia's tribulations were, at times, quite humorous. Overall, a solid offering from the Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa.
3.5/5
London based psychoanalyst Brett Kahr's book Who's Been Sleeping In Your Head? is not for the faint of heard. Subtitled The Secret World of Sexual Fantasies, this book is intended to be a scientific study of adult sexual fantasy. Kahr, through both online surveys and in-depth personal interviews, gathered data on the sexual fantasies of over 23,000 men and women from the U.S. and Britain. In the first section, Kahr gives the reader some initial information on his credentials an the psychoanalytic view of sexual fantasy. He then poses some questions he hopes the study of the data will answer. The second section is a sample of the fantasies gathered during the study. It is here that the warning not to read on if you are faint of heart applies. Many of these fantasies are quite disturbing. In the third section of the book, Kahr gives a more in-depth look at sexual fantasy and its development through several case studies. He posits hypotheses as to the cause of the sexual fantasy in each individual case. For some of these cases, the childhood trauma that caused the fantasies are even more disturbing than the fantasies themselves. In the fourth and final section, the author attempts to draw some conclusions from the study.
I have to admit, I am ambivalent about what to say about this book. I would not necessarily recommend it to anyone I know. As I stated, some of the material in the book is upsetting. In addition, I am quite skeptical about Kahr's conclusions due to their psychoanalytic nature. In the end, he appears to conclude that the most adult's sexual fantasies are produced by traumatic childhood events. But, even though he admits but ultimately discounts to the possibility of bias, I cannot help but wonder if he simply found what he what he was looking for in the first place.
2.75/5
I almost didn't read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I am a little bit of a book snob and have some reservations about reading fiction that is classified as young adult. After all, I am not a young adult. I am an adult and should read adult fiction, right?
I changed my mind after the New Year, when all the book bloggers posted lists of their favorites from 2008. The Book Thief was on many of those lists. Plus, I had already committed to reading it for the BangBang challenge. So, I went ahead and read it.
I am quite happy I did. Markus Zusak's tale of a young girl growing up in a small German town in the midst of Nazis and World War II is something special. Funny and heart-breaking at the same time, this novel definitely deserves all the praise I have seen it receive from my fellow book bloggers. This book is so good, I feel that I will be forced to rethink my snobbishness about reading young adult fiction. So, if you haven't already read it, please go pick up a copy from your local bookstore and library and do so with all haste!
4.75/5
This evening I finished Mark Zusak's The Book Thief to complete the BangBang Book Challenge:
I am going to participate in the 2009 Chunkster Challenge. I am trying to complete the Mor-book-ly Obese level by reading 6 or more books over 450 pages in length before November 15, 2009. I am also going to go for the Too Big To Ignore Anymore award by listing the books from my TBR list that I will read, each of which overlaps with another challenge:
Dr. Niall Ferguson, an historian at Harvard University, believes that you cannot understand our current financial crisis unless you have a solid grounding in financial history. In The Ascent of Money he tries to provide just such a grounding. He starts by tracing the development of money itself. But, it is only after money is developed that things really get interesting. Ferguson goes on to cover what he believes are the cornerstones of modern finance: credit, bonds, stocks, and real estate. He traces the development of each, regaling the reader with fascinating historical anecdotes. My favorite is how John Law ruined the finances of France by inflating the first stock market bubble. The penultimate chapter of the book covers modern financial history, with a look at such things economic empires and hedge funds. Finally, in the Afterword, Dr. Ferguson points out the evolutionary character of financial markets, as well as the irrational behavior of its participants.
I found this book to be quite entertaining. It is full of interesting historical anecdotes. But, there is much scholarship to learn from as well. However, I am not entirely in agreement with Dr. Ferguson that understanding financial history will help you understand our current economic straits. Having finished his book, I am still a little baffled about how exactly we have reached our current point of crisis.
4.5/5
The novel The Night Watch by Sarah Waters follows several Londoners during WWII and shortly afterward. The sections of the novel move backward from 1947, 1944, and 1941. The novel tells the story of clandestine lovers, Julia and Helen, and their circle of friends. Also the story of Vivien and her brother Duncan, both harboring painful secrets. As the novel retrogresses through 1944 and 1941, these secrets are revealed. We also learn how Julia & Helen met and fell in love.
I was underwhelmed by this novel. The prose is fantastic, but overall the story left me flat. It took about half of the more than 500 pages of the novel before I could recognize the characters. I did not like the way the story moved backwards. I will admit that it added some dramatic tension to the secrets carried by Vivien and Duncan, but not very much tension. Those secrets, especially Vivien's, were quite easy to divine beforehand. I am resolved to try another of Waters' novels, most likely Fingersmith, but I was definitely disappointed with this one.
2.5/5
I am in London during World War II, screeching through the streets at night in an ambulance. (The Nightwatch by S. Waters)
Wow! I am shocked. Claire over at Kiss A Cloud gave me a Premios Darda award. I am sort of new to this book blogging thing, so I am surprised to receive this award from Claire. I am very grateful.
Now, the rules of the award say:
I would love to pass this award on to fifteen other bloggers, but I have a feeling that the award giving is becoming a little bit of an echo chamber. I started making a list, but when I started poking around I found that many of the bloggers that I follow had already received one or more of these awards. So, instead, I am just going to say thank you!
It’s a week or two later than you’d expect, and it may be almost a trite question, but … what were your favorite books from 2008?
I misread the question at first. I thought I was being asked to choose one favorite. One!?! Just One?!? Fortunately, I reread the question and, much to my relief, I can pick more than one favorite book from 2008. So, without further ado:
Fiction
Non-fiction
I didn't really read that much non-fiction in 2008. Certainly less that I did in previous years. I wonder if it might have something to do with discovering all these book challenges ...
Read to My Six Year Old Son
I am still at the ad agency, although I have since found out that the office is in Chicago. (Then We Came To The End by Joshua Ferris)
I am also in the United States Scotland, Holland, Japan, and the United States learning about the development of insurance. (The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson)
I am in Paris, France in 1720 watching the stock bubble created by John Law collapse. (The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson)
I am also in the offices of an ad agency, waiting for it all to end. (Then We Came To The End by Joshua Ferris)
Finally, I am at home, hanging out with my six year old son, who is out of school on winter break.
I was not overly impressed with Being Dead by Jim Crace. Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2000, this book, like my last, begins with a murder. Joseph and Celice, husband and wife, are murdered brutally on the beach at Baritone Bay. The narrative then moves back and forth between the decomposing bodies and, first the story of how the two victims fell in love and then later of how their daughter Syl deals with their deaths.
The prose in this book is quite good, but the story itself did not really grab me. I think I will try another of Crace's books, perhaps Quarantine, both a Booker finalist and a Whitbread winner. But, Being Dead really left me flat.
1.5/5
The Tenderness of Wolves begins with a murder. The scalped body of a trapper, Laurent Jammet, is discovered in his cabin in the backwoods of Dove River, in the Canadian Northern Territories. The woman that discovers the body, Mrs. Ross, soon finds that her son, Francis, is missing and that the authorities investigating suspect that Francis is the murderer. However, conflicting motives swirl around the case. The authorities are actually representatives of the Hudson Bay Company and Jammet was in the process of setting up a competing company. Soon, Mrs. Ross, Donald Moody, a Hudson Bay Company man, and Parker, a local guide and also a suspect in the murder, all set off across the snowy wilderness in pursuit of Francis and, Mrs. Ross hopes, the real killer.
The author, Stef Penney, beautifully evokes the blustery, snowy, frigid Canadian wilderness. This is an especially impressive feat given that Penney, an agoraphobe, has never visited Canada, and wrote to book on the strength of research done in the libraries of London. Well plotted and engaging, the only weakness is that several plot lines are left completely unresolved at the close of the book. However, if you can stand the lack of closure, I would highly recommend reading The Tenderness of Wolves for its evocation of the frigid Canadian winter alone.
4.75/5
I started reading Zadie Smith's On Beauty and I must say I was most disappointed. I did not like the prose, I was not interested in the story, it just plain left me flat. So, after starting it I am going to chuck it. I have removed it from my Book Awards II Challenge list. On Beauty has been replaced by Andrew Solomon's The Noonday Demon which won a National Book Award in 2001.
Some of you might ask, "Really, you are going to give up on a book, just like that?" And I have to say that it has taken some effort to stop finishing books that I started but did not like. Steve Leveen writes about the 50 Page Rule in his wonderful The Little Guide To Your Well-Read Life. I probably did not make it to the 50 page mark, but as all you other readers know, there are too many good books out their to waste your time on books you don't enjoy. As the third of Daniel Pennac's Readers Bill of Rights says, I have the right to not finish a book!
What I want to know today is … what are the most “wintery” books you can think of? The ones that almost embody Winter?
This year I read few books that were quite "wintery." First, The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney. It takes place in the Canadian wilderness, full of snow and ice. I was reading it during several cold spells here in Texas and the book made it seem even chillier than it actually was. The second "wintery" book I read recently was A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It is appropriate to the winter season for all the obvious reasons: christmas, ghosts, and snowy streets. Finally, earlier this year I read Cold Skin by Albert Sanchez Pinol, a very strange tale that takes place in an Antarctic island.
It has everything you could expect to find in a big old-fashioned novel or several of them -- characters, suspense, military action, romantic attachments, satire, with tenderness, philosophy.This is an apt summary. At times the story is hilariously funny, and at others it is heart achingly sad. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a good read.
What is the best book you ever bought for yourself?
And, why? What made it the best? What made it so special?
I would have to say that the best book that I ever bought for myself was the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. I had coveted a good OED for years. The full 20 volume OED would have been ideal, but a little too expensive. Not to mention the question of where in my crowded bookshelves I could put the 20 large volumes. I agonized between the Compact OED, which is all 20 volumes printed in one volume using really print, and the two volume Shorter OED. Many of the reviews on Amazon said the print in the Compact OED was too small to read, even with the included magnifying glass. That plus an extra $200 for the Compact OED convinced me to get the Shorter OED.
This purchase was special for several reasons. First, I had wanted to own an OED for so long that finally purchasing it for myself was reason enough for it to be special. Second, I had gone through a uncomfortable time in my life and felt that I was finally making some progress toward a better life. Purchasing a version of the OED was, silly enough, part of that progress. It was a symbol of the possibilities that were now open to me as I left the rough patch behind. Thirdly, it is special because it is the most expensive book I have purchased.
Do you give books as gifts?
To everyone? Or only to select people?
How do you feel about receiving books as gifts?
I do like to give books as gifts. I value reading so much myself that I give books as gifts in order to encourage others to do so too.
I am selective about the people to whom I give books though. First, I always want to make sure that the book is one that is appropriate, one that the other person will enjoy. This means I have to know that person pretty well before I can purchase the right book, and as a rather introverted person, I don't get to know many people that well. Second, in my family my wife handles most of the gift giving. So, I actually choose gifts only for close family members.
As far as receiving books as gifts, is there any other kind of gift? Anyone that knows me well enough to give me a gift knows that I am an avid reader. So, books are pretty much the extent of the gifts that I receive. Years ago I wasn't as keen on receiving books as gifts because often the books I received weren't to my liking. Now an Amazon Wish List means that I mostly receive books that I want to read.
Just One More Page asks:
I always like to have a book with me at all times – call it a nerdy grown-up security blanket – and rarely do I leave the house without slipping one into my bag (even if I KNOW I’m not going to have a chance to read it). Do you take a book with you? Do you take whatever book you’re currently reading, or do you have a special on-the-go book? And do you have a preference for a these types of book (paperback, hardback; short stories; poetry etc)?
I almost always take a book with me when I leave the house, a "just in case" book. You never know if you will get stuck in traffic, have to wait in line, etc. There are so many opportunities to read if you are ready take them when they come. Typically, I will take the book I am currently reading, unless it is a rather large sized book. As a man, I don't have a purse in which to throw a book, so I prefer to take smaller books, like paperbacks, for my "just in case" book.
