Tuesday Thingers - LT and RL (real life)

Do you have friends in real life that you met through LibraryThing? Have you attended any LT meet-ups in your area? Would you be open to attending meet-ups or is LT strictly an online thing for you?

I don't have any real life friends from LT and I haven't been to any meet-ups. I'm a bit apprehensive about meeting people from online in real life. I had a not-so-great experience meeting people from a theatre message board once when I was in college . . . and some of us even went to the same college!

Maybe I should give it another try, once I'm a bit more active in the LT groups. Aside from my usual shyness, there were a lot of other factors that contributed to the horridness of that outing. They had all known each other for a while and I was having an awful day (I thought my friend stood me up on plans for my birthday, so I went out with the theatre people instead). I've also decided--as awful as this sounds--that since I'm just a fan of going to the theatre and reading plays, as opposed to participating in productions and performances, that there's somewhat of a personality clash between most theatre people and myself. They seem to think I'm a mute freak. I think I might do better with book people.

Review - Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively

Title: Moon Tiger
Author: Penelope Lively
Date: 1987
Booker Prize Winner (1987)

Nearing the end of her illustrious life, Claudia Hampton decides that her final work as a historian should be to write the history of the entire world. While she may not achieve this lofty goal, Claudia succeeds in providing the history of her own life. Lively uses her narrator's profession to great advantage, and the novel is comprised of Claudia's ruminations on her past told in the first person, as well as glimpses of her experiences told in third person. Her philosophies about history--which permit both anachronisms and fictionalization--dictate the manner in which her life story unfolds. Claudia informs us, "I've always thought a kaleidoscopic view might be an interesting heresy. Shake the tube and see what comes out. Chronology irritates me." Her other assessment, that she is "a myriad Claudias who spin and mix and part like sparks of sunlight on water," also provides the framework for which the story will be told, and is representative of the poetic tone Lively uses throughout the novel.

The majority of the novel recounts Claudia's experiences as a journalist in Egypt during World War II, where she engages in a fondly-remembered romance with a soldier named Tom. With the exception of the unusually close bond she shares with her brother Gorden, most of the other events and interactions in Claudia's life--however exciting and life-altering--pale in comparison to her love for Tom. Her relationship with her daughter, Lisa, is strained, probably because two of Claudia's most admirable traits--professional ambition and wanderlust--result in frequent absences from the child's life. Although her relationship with Jasper, Lisa's father, is amicable and provides one of the few constants in Claudia's life, it lacks the intensity she feels with Tom. As her life draws to an end, Claudia considers the separateness of the past and present, while not discounting the former's everlasting influence.

While the temporal and narrative shifts are initially confusing, they work well within the greater concept of the novel, and it is interesting to watch Claudia's life unfold from the "kaleidoscopic" view. Occasionally, a scene narrated by Claudia will then be told in the third person, with slightly different details, adhering to the notion that history is never free of fiction. Lively's narrator is witty and amusing, albeit distant and abrasive to those around her. She's seldom apologetic or regretful which, strangely, seems to make her more likable. Claudia does not try to drive people away for the sake of being icy or vindictive, it is simply part of her nature to give precedence to her own pursuits. (As I was reading, Katharine Hepburn came to mind. Claudia would have been right at home in Hepburn's repertoire of unconventional, fiercely independent wartime heroines.)

Rating: (4/5 bookmarks)

Friday Fill-Ins #85

Number four is my favorite this week. Sort of.



1. The last meal I had at a restaurant was strawberry-banana French toast at IHOP.

2. Gossip is something I intensely dislike.

3. The full moon looks like it's smiling.

4. Um. . . (there aren't any) is one of my favorite local expressions.

5. Sometimes it's best to be in denial.

6. The Dark Knight is the best movie I've seen so far this year!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to celebrating Mum's birthday, tomorrow my plans include sleeping and reading and Sunday, I want to go to Whole Foods and the bookstore!

Damn, I need more exciting weekends.

Booking Through Thursday - Gold Medal Reading

* Do you or have you ever read books about the Olympics? About sports in general?
* Fictional ones? Or non-fiction? Or both?

And, Second:

* Do you consider yourself a sports fan?
* Because, of course, if you’re a rabid fan and read about sports constantly, there’s a logic there; if you hate sports and never read anything sports-related, that, too … but you don’t have to love sports to enjoy a good sports story.
* (Or a good sports movie, for that matter. Feel free to expand this into a discussion about “Friday Night Lights” or “The Natural” or whatever…)

I haven't read any books about the Olympics. It hadn't appealed to me before, but I'm on the hold list at the library for Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World by David Maraniss. I saw Maraniss on a morning show, and the book sounds really interesting. And to answer the next question . . .

I'm generally not a sports fan (when I went to my first high school football game, it was half time before I realized the game started, no joke), but I'm getting into this year. I've always liked watching figure skating, luge, and bobsledding (in the winter) and gymnastics in the summer. This year I really liked watching the marathon, oddly, since that was just hours of people running, but I was impressed by how long the gold medalist from Romania held her lead. And like most poeple, I've loved the swimming this year. I really wanted Dara Torres to win the gold, though. I don't know when I last went swimming, and I never really did any proper strokes, but I kind of feel inspired to go and learn how to swim correctly (just for fun). I need to be in better shape before I get up the nerve to do that, though.

Review - Feather Man by Rhyll McMaster

Title: Feather Man
Author: Rhyll McMaster
US Release Date: September 1, 2008

Rhyll McMaster's first novel is the turbulent coming of age story of Sooky, a young girl who lives in Brisbane, Australia at the start of her narration. Not long into the novel, she recounts an instance of sexual abuse at the hands of her adult neighbor, family friend, and amateur chicken farmer, Lionel, which sets the tone for the types of unhealthy and abusive relationships she will encounter throughout her life. Sooky's quarrelsome parents are blind to the instances of abuse, and as their interaction with their daughter increasingly consists of ignoring or berating her, Lionel's abuse morphs into welcome attention in the young girl's mind. When Sooky intimates that she "suffered people-burnout at an early age," it is not difficult to see why.

As she matures and eventually relocates to England in hopes of becoming a professional artist, Sooky struggles in nearly all of her relationships, particularly those that include men. Although she is often the victim in such relationships, Sooky's sympathetic situation does not absolve her from perpetuating unhealthy alliances. She comes to believe that "simple pleasures are for inferior people," and seems determined to break ties with any benevolent figure in her life. After encountering no shortage of narcissistic, manipulative characters, Sooky herself has acquired these traits and manages to shun seemingly successful relationships while pining over Lionel's equally troublesome son, Redmond.

Although Sooky is plagued by an inordinate number of volatile, abusive situations, McMaster imbues the novel with a dry humor that can induce actual laughter despite the largely bleak subject matter. It is occasionally difficult to sympathize with Sooky, and her decisions can be frustrating, but she is an intelligent, reflective character who is self-deprecating and witty. While she may be guilty of some of the behavior she abhors in others, Sooky's actions are often a painful reminder of the abuse she endured. Early in the story, McMaster writes that Lionel robbed Sooky of the "mundane, unexamined happiness of ordinary life," and despite her faults, one hopes that Sooky, having mastered the art of examining her life, finds some inkling of happiness even when she doubts that she wants it for herself.

Rating: (4/5 bookmarks)

Tuesday Thingers - Favorite Bookstores

What's your favorite bookstore? Is it an online store or a bricks-and-mortar store? How often do you go book shopping? Is your favorite bookstore (or bookstores) listed as a favorite in LT? Do you attend events at local bookstores? Do you use LT to find events?

My very favorite bookstores aren't where I live at the moment. I went to college in NYC, and the Strand is reason enough to make me want to move back. The prices may not be as good as other used bookstores, but they usually beat the chains, and since a lot of the books seem to be overstock from other stores, they're usually in fairly good condition.

Also in NYC is the Housing Works Used Book Cafe, which I loved, and I hate myself for not going there more often. It's volunteer-run (I also hate myself for not volunteering), and 100% of the sales from the used books and cafe go to a non-profit organization that provides a number of services, including housing, health care, and job training, to homeless NYC residents living with HIV and AIDS. It's such a good cause and it really is the quintessential used bookstore. It's very cozy and there's even a spiral staircase! The Web site proclaims that it's "Soho's best kept secret," and it's so true.

In another city in which I'd love to reside is Powell's Books. When my friend took me to her hometown of Portland, Oregon, I didn't believe her declaration that Powell's was better than the Strand. Even though it broke my New York-loving heart, I have to say that Powell's flagship store is not only larger than the Strand (that in itself is to be expected given NYC's small spaces), but it's also better organized.

In my hometown in Northern Virginia, we used to have a small used book store that I liked, but sadly, it closed a few months ago. Even though I'd prefer an alternative, I enjoy Barnes & Noble and Borders. The local Barnes & Noble was actually my favorite high school "hang out." I also love autumn, which I should start calling "Massive Used Book Sales at the County Libraries Season."

I should look into book events at these places, but I went to a few events in college and always felt awkward. This ultimately ruins any chance I have at enjoying or reflecting on a book without my own neuroses getting in the way. Maybe I'll give it another go sometime . . .

I don't have the stores "favorited" on LibraryThing, but I think I'll do that later today.

Friday Fill-Ins #84

Number four is my favorite this week. Sort of.



1. You know you're old when you can think of a way to fill in this blank.

2. My heart is divided between books and everything else.

3. Sleep is what I need RIGHT NOW!

4. I have felt the warm, fleecy skeins of yarn, I have known the depths of unraveling an entire day's worth of knitting.

5. Gah, won't these people turn down the TV so I can read.

6. Autumn, come as soon as you can!

Review - Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story by Leonie Swann

Title: Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story
Author: Leonie Swann
US Date: 2008

When shepherd George Glenn is found in his field with a spade driven through his body, the sheep he leaves behind take it upon themselves to solve the murder. The victim's habit of reading to his flock has rendered the animals unusually intelligent, and each sheep contributes his or her own talent as they observe the villagers of Glennkill in hopes of uncovering the mystery. The best detectives in the flock appear to be the brilliant Miss Maple, smart enough to avoid the trivial "Smartest Sheep in Glennkill" contest, the bold black ram Othello, and the all-remembering (and all-eating) Mopple the Whale. As the sheep piece together clues and debate motives, they find that there's no shortage of suspects: "Bible-thumping Beth" paid George frequent visits, George's wife Kate was unhappy, the neighboring shepherd Gabriel has a strange flock of non-fleecy sheep, and the flock's favorite human to place under suspicion, Ham the Butcher, always smells of "screams, pain, and blood."

The novel can be cute and gentle but also darkly humorous, and even though the author has fun with the genre, there are serious elements to the story. Swann strikes a balance between making her furry protagonists intelligent and human enough to have emotional depth while still allowing them to maintain a sheep-y, childlike view of the world. A ram has a point after all, when he notes that death caused by blood-inducing injuries is "All perfectly natural," and no sheep is above ogling aromatic vegetables. While the novel is primarily a mystery, these particular sheep are also rather philosophical and will, for instance, pass their time pondering the "cloud sheep" in the sky, wondering what one does to become a "cloud sheep." Othello in particular is a very introspective ram, having lived through the horrors of a circus and the exoticism of residing in a zoo. The sheep's personalities are treated with as much care as those of any human characters, and the fate of the shepherd-less flock becomes as central to the story as the identity of the murderer.

The novel is not a fast-paced mystery, but taking time to graze among the sheep as they wax philosophic about the advantages and downfalls of being part of a flock, whether it's comprised of sheep or humans, is just as rewarding as their moments of amateur sleuthing.


Rating: (4/5 bookmarks)

Booking Through Thursday - Other Worlds

Are there any particular worlds in books where you’d like to live?

Or where you certainly would NOT want to live?

What about authors? If you were a character, who would you trust to write your life?

I don't read much fantasy, so I can't think of too many other worlds in which I'd like to live. Like half of the rest of the world, I do think Hogwarts would be fun. Generally, I just pick books of places in the real world where I'd like to live. Lately it's been Great Britain. (I didn't expect to regret not studying abroad as much as I do.)

I wouldn't want to live in any of those worlds in dystopian sci-fi novels for obvious reasons.

Is it awful to say that I wouldn't trust any author with my life? Although I'd like to see a Woody Allen version of my life.

Bookish Mural

This article from the New York Times book section discusses a mural commissioned by New York University that depicts writers' work spaces and their book collections. The paintings that comprise the mural by artist Elena Climent represent "six authors who spent some, if not all, of their careers in New York": Washington Irving, Edith Wharton, Zora Neale Hurston, Frank O'Hara, Jane Jacobs, and Pedro Pietri. Each panel is part scene from the author's work or life, part work space with touches relevant to the author's life, and part bookshelves depicting the author's personal library.

Four of the paintings, along with comments by Climent, can be seen in the slide show here:A Mural of Writers at Home With Their Books. I love them all, although I'm not familiar with Jane Jacobs or Pedro Pietri's work. I just wish the pictures were larger and all six paintings were shown.

I'd love to see these in person. I also liked Climent's observation that "writers don't get photographed writing. It's not like painters in their studios." I wonder if it's accurate to say that writers write more about writing than artists write about their own work? That seems like a logical assumption since painting and photography are both visual mediums, while writing obviously isn't. Nevertheless, I think a photography book that depicts writers while they're working would be quite interesting.

Tuesday Thingers - Memes

What other weekly memes or round robins do you participate in? Is this the only one? Why Tuesday Thingers and not some other weekly Tuesday meme? Or do you do more than one?

It's only been one week since I posted my first review, so my blog is 50% memes at the moment. I realized that I'm an even slower reader than I thought and thinking of original content on a daily basis is challenging.

I didn't know about Tuesday Thingers until several days ago, but I was drawn to it because of its connection to LibraryThing, which led me to book blogging in the first place.

I also plan on doing the Blogging Through Thursday and Sunday Salon memes, since they're book-related and seem to be a good way to connect with other book bloggers. I've started on the Friday Fill-Ins too, because they just look like fun!

Movie Adaptation Monday! - Girl, Interrupted

Each weekend I'm going to try to watch the movie adaptation of a book I've read and compare the two in a not-so-formal way. If I'm feeling particularly ambitious, I'll try to read the book and watch the film in the same week. We'll see how it goes . . .

I loved Susanna Kaysen's memoir when I read it last fall. I seldom remember specific lines from the books I read, but there are moments that, cliché as it is, will stay with me forever.

Even though I've been meaning to see the movie since it first came out, I hadn't done so until yesterday. Despite anticipating the viewing for nearly a decade, and even with a slew of actresses who I thought were quite good in their roles, I was disappointed. Certain characters are given larger roles, some become less significant, and quite a few of the scenes never occur in the memoir. While these added scenes are more dramatic and action-packed than comparable moments in the book, they aren't as effective. I didn't expect the film adhere to to the book perfectly, but there is something subtle about Kaysen's memoir that ultimately makes a greater impact. In the movie, the bond between the girls in the hospital never feels as developed or believable as it does in Kaysen's account, and of course, in the film, it's harder to know exactly what is going through the character's mind. However biased her view may be, Kaysen describes her mental state and reaction to being institutionalized with a clarity and poignancy that is lost in the film.

One thing I did enjoy about the film, however, is the way it handles the anachronistic nature of Kaysen's memoir. Since Kaysen feels as though she can't always tell the past from the present, the film makers use the idea of Kaysen's thoughts drifting to an earlier time to their benefit. Kaysen will be in a doctor's office or in her bedroom until something triggers her memory and the scene will change to an event that occurred prior to the time line of the film.

If the book didn't exist, I might have a more favorable view of the movie. And even though Kaysen herself has said that memoirs shouldn't be taken as fact--that the author can be very manipulative in what he or she discloses--it bothered me that Kaysen's name was used for the main character when the movie was so drastically different from her own account. If you're going to put the name of an actual person in your movie that's based on her memoir, at least make some attempt to represent her telling of the story.

I thought I was just being cranky until I came across this article where Kaysen says she doesn't like the film either. She's kind of an authority on the subject matter . . .

Friday Fill-Ins #83

My first Friday Fill-In!


1. If I could travel back in time, I'd go to the Globe theatre in Renaissance England to see the opening of a Shakespeare play.

2. Give me caffeine or give me a pillow.

3. I am listening to The Killers and feeling nostalgic for my second year of undergrad.

4. Somewhere, someone is thinking, "Is Jenny still alive?".

5. I'll always be wondering if I made the right decisions.

6. My idea of a good time includes friends and food.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching "Monty Python" and "That Mitchell and Webb Look" on BBC America, tomorrow my plans include going to the farmers' market and plowing my way through "New Moon" and Sunday, I want to start reading "Eclipse," get caught up on other reading, and watch "Girl, Interrupted"!

Review - The Story of Forgetting: A Novel by Stefan Merrill Block

Title: The Story of Forgetting
Author: Stefan Merrill Block
Date: 2008

Stefan Merrill Block's debut novel, The Story of Forgetting, ambitiously explores the effect familial Alzheimer's has on one Texan family, revealing both the burdens and freedoms that result from the memory-devouring disease. The novel is a conglomeration of fictional narrative, fable, scientific fact, and historical fiction.

When teenager Seth's mother is diagnosed with familial Alzheimer's, a form of the disease which will take her memory and her life much earlier than usual, he is determined to trace his family's roots in order to uncover all he can about his maternal relatives and the disease they carry. With little information about her past, Seth searches for other sufferers of the rare genetic malady--all of whom are related to each other, however distantly--in hopes of finding a close relative. The only other lead in his ancestral investigation is the stories his mother told of Isidora, a fictional land where the inhabitants have no memory. Armed with a list of names and the memory of his mother's stories, Seth searches Texas for anyone who may know about his family's past.

At the same time as Seth's journey unfolds, we are told Abel's story. An elderly man, Abel has little left but the memories of his life during occasionally happier and always less lonely times. Living in the only home he has known, reminders of the past are both a plague and a comfort. But his quiet life, which has gone unaltered for decades, is threatened when a new neighborhood of high-end homes is planned to be built on his land.

In between the chapters about Seth and Abel, Block tells the the fictitious, often humorous tale of the first carriers of the familial Alzheimer's gene--Seth's English ancestors--and how they found their way to America. Also interspersed throughout the novel are the fairy tale-like stories of Isidora and a bit of true scientific information about the disease. The intertwining of different stories is mostly successful, and Block's two main characters have believable, distinct voices. The chapters that focus on both the fictional and factual history of the disease occasionally feel superfluous, but even when it is not always clear how they connect to the larger story, the chapters are enjoyable to read.

Despite the grave subject of the novel, there are times when the story almost feels lighthearted, and perhaps because Block can write beautifully about everything from the Texas landscape to the bewildering effect Alzheimer's has on the mind, the novel is not as grim as I expected. Although Alzheimer's is a painful, frightening disease, and its shattering effect on everyone it influences is evident throughout the novel, Block also addresses the pain that comes with remembering the past too well. While the title of the novel is The Story of Forgetting, in the end, it does not feel as though the novel is about what people forget (or wish to forget) so much as it is about what remains a part of you despite a deteriorating mind or a troubled past.

Rating: (4/5 bookmarks)

Hello

This is going to be another book blog.  

Just testing to see the layout!