Can I Read That After You?

The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell

2010-01-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

I had a hard time sorting out what this book meant. At first I thought it was sci-fi, but it became pretty spiritual pretty quickly. Jesuit priests learn about the existence of another planet and head off to explore without really getting buy in from the rest of the planet. This is sort of they way they have operated throughout history so I guess that is why they got that job in this book.

Emilio Sandoz is the main character in the book and his journey to the planet Rakhat runs parallel with his journey to God. He is a good priest and linguist - he does everything right, but he doesn't feel a love for God like he feels he should. A group of people are assembled to accompany him. They all have talents to assist with the journey and they all either love each other, or come to love each other during the course of the journey. The concept of family is very strong in this novel, although not the traditional kind. The assembled, chosen family is what is represented.

The main idea I will take away from this book is that God watches what happens, but doesn't intervene, even if he loves the people who are involved. This point is illustrated by the Father General when he quotes Matthew ten, verse twenty-nine "Not one sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it." It is noted however that the sparrow still falls.

Many beloved characters are killed, but the more endearing they were, the more I knew they would have to die. It made it easier to relate to them and their likability. They were an obvious set up, but I loved them anyway.

Little Bee - Chris Cleave

2009-05-28T09:21:00.001-07:00

How far would you go to save someone's life? What sacrifices would you make and can you really know that without the pressure and timing of the actual situation? A person's demise can be immediate and urgent, or slow and compounding over a great deal of time.

Would you consider their value before deciding? Would you consider how this could offer you benefit? Or, do you consider all life valuable without regard to how you are perceived in the whole saving decision thing?

This book made me think of these things. I sometimes put myself to sleep with rescue fantasies and in these fantasies I save and rescue because it feels like an ultimate good. The balance between good and evil should be tipped in the direction of good whenever possible and I find this work to be soothing. I like to go to sleep this way.

There were many horrific scenes in this pretty book. The doomed protagonist is funny, clever and surprisingly upbeat. She considers suicidal options in any new setting the way most people look for a second exit in case of fire. She does this in case "the men show up" and torture and murder her the way her sister was murdered. She struggles to survive in an environment where there is such a casual randomness of violence.

The violence has to do with the export of natural resources in Nigeria. The exporting business is conducted below the usual standard operating procedures that bored us when they were explained in Social Studies. This business stomps and kills any inconvenient human condition that poses an obstacle.

I would like to think that I would save someone - if presented with the situation. I hope I never really have to test that though. Living with a bad outcome could undo me.

Ablutions - Patrick DeWitt

2009-05-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

Some books have the ability to stain you with whatever they are made of. This book is made up of ugly, hopeless misery and I wore the stain for about a week. Work and daily living seemed like drudgery. Everyone had a motive that was designed to hurt me. Friends shook their heads and moved away for a while.

The main character is a bartender in LA and this book is about his life among the regulars. The story is told in second person. This made it feel like an embarrassing acquaintance standing next to me at a party. I kept feeling like I was in biology class with a microscope and each scene moves up a magnification with a nearly audible click. Crazy drunk person - crazy drunk person with an issue - crazy drunk person with an issue that feels hopelessly familiar. You get the idea.

When literature affects me like this, I remember why I love to read so much. I liked being stained for a while - I like being touchable.

Safer - Sean Doolittle

2009-05-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

This was a kind of mystery about a literature professor (Paul Calloway) who has been framed for sexually abusing a 13 year old neighbor girl. The book opens with his embarrassing arrest in the middle of a Christmas party he and his wife are throwing. At that point, you don't know any of the details - you don't know for sure who is setting him up - you feel sorry for the guy.

After a while you learn that Roger, the crazy vigilant neighbor is behind the frame. His son was murdered 10 years earlier and his wife killed herself in the aftermath of grief. He has made it his life mission to protect his community and keep everyone strong and safe. He has learned that Paul had a one nighter with another neighbor and decides that Paul is not the kind of guy you want on the block and tells him he has to move - or else.

Paul is almost likable. He never quite gets there though and I struggled over who to root for. In the end, the back story about Roger and who killed his son took over in a really confusing way with lots of murder and confounding resolution. Things get wrapped up, but I am not sure what happened. The cool characters like Maya Lamb, the smart reporter or Brit the worldly 13 year old drop off the story and out of sight.

It felt like Sean Doolittle had to finish the story in a hurry. He seemed to have a cool beginning and an ending with lots of action, but connecting these two things was a lot of work.

How to Steal a Dog - Barbara O'Connor

2009-04-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

I grabbed this book to read to my 6 year old before bed. It is a Scholastic book that he got at the last book fair. He was bored after the first page, but I was hooked and had to finish it.

I thought it would be about kids who want a dog and they try to steal one, but learn a valuable lesson about responsibility and honesty. Oh no - nothing like that. It was about a couple of kids who were living in their car with their mom. They thought if they stole a dog, they could return it for some reward money and that might be enough money to put down as a deposit on an apartment.

Well, as it turns out, the person that they stole the dog from wasn't well off enough to offer reward money. She was also heartsick from losing such a dear companion. The kids make friends with her and now they have to decide what to do. (they give the dog back with a tearful explanation)

The homelessness was told with realism and clarity. The embarrassment at having dirty hair and clothes, combined with slipping schoolwork (you can't easily do your homework in the car) was carefully described and not watered down for kids.

I was surprised and pleased to see this offered for children. I am urging my 9 year old son to read this so we can talk about it more from his perspective.

Tran-sister Radio - Chris Bohjalian

2009-04-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

This tried to read like a documentary. There was an NPR context to the narrative, but this is a work of fiction. This is a story about a male to female gender change.

Dana is the main character and she didn't even have to change her name because - hey - it works both ways! When she was a he, she started dating a single woman (Allison) with a grown daughter and an ex-husband who was still stuck on her. Dana considered herself to be lesbian, but Allison considered herself to be straight.

The small Vermont town where Allison teaches 6th grade really freaked out about this change and the attempt at keeping the relationship together. I found that to be somewhat unrealistic, but perhaps I am somewhat sheltered in my liberal SE Portland neighborhood. They eventually break up and people stop giving Allison a hard time.

The most unrealistic part happens at the end though when Allison's ex husband, Will, falls in love with Dana. No freaking way. Will could not have moved from disgusted and repelled to hubba hubba in any time frame, let alone 6 months or so.

The things about me that make me feel feminine have nothing to do with skirts, soft sweaters or make up. This may be just a way I don't relate to someone who is transgendered. I imagine that Chris Bohjalian put a lot of effort into researching transgendered issues and threw the plot together as an afterthought.

Running with Scissors - Augustin Burroughs

2009-04-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Augustin Burroughs has one of the most bizarre childhoods you could imagine. He tells stories about his alcoholic father and psychotic mother with a great deal of humor. I laughed out loud more times than I could count. I felt so often like I was sitting right beside him as he watched the strange cast of characters in his life.

When he was 13, his mother gave him away to her very unorthodox shrink. He lived in filth with no rules or limits with a group of people who were endearing, unhealthy, disgusting and very self centered. He was sexually abused and completely liberated in every possible way.

His life could not be described in any way except damaging and horrifying, but Augustin made it seem fun and entertaining much of the time. I was attrated and repelled in equal measures.

Other Lives - Andre Brink

2009-04-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

This book was made up of 3 stories all taking place in South Africa. The first one describes what it would be like to come home from work one day and have an entirely different wife and, oh ya, two kids you didn't have before. Weird. He didn't try very hard to go back to the original life - the new one was pretty sweet. All the inhibitions he had collected along the way down maturation road seemed to disappear. He was the artist he wanted to be, he had the courage to love a woman of color and he was a father. You can't help but daydream a bit after this story. What sort of life would I walk into? I am pretty boring though - all my roads would lead me to the place I am now - I feel sure of this.

The second story is about a white man waking up as a black man. Every other circumstance of his life is exactly the same, but his change of color leads him to examine all of his interactions through a new filter. He is convinced that his colleagues are trying to undermine him and question his authority. When he is out to dinner with his wife, criminals come in to rob the restaurant and all the diners. His wife urges him to confront the criminals - he feels because he is one of them. Good fun - but I would really like to know how he would behave if he were returned to his original color.

The third story was about a pianist who accompanies a gifted soprano. She can't mix music and love so he has to pine for her for a good long time while wishing he was more talented. They finally cross the line and he knows great happiness, but she kills him. He should have listened to her warnings. Longing, regret and a little madness ends this book.

All that I Have - Castle Freeman Jr.

2009-03-21T14:45:00.001-07:00

This was a good book - the main character is a county sheriff to the tune of Andy Griffith. His marriage seems shaky and his career on the edge of obsolescence. There was a mild plot having to do with shady Russians coming to town to do no good - but the main message had to do with the value of tolerance. If you have to come down to the hard line of the law - you have already lost. The best kind of "sheriffing" allows people to do the right thing eventually and staying out of their way. The book was short, only 165 pages - but good to the last drop.

Stealing Love - Mary A. Fischer

2009-03-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

I thought this was going to be a story about a woman who steals abused dogs and finds them new homes. Instead, the story was about Mary Fischer's life and how she was affected by all the bad things that her family did to her. Except, I can't see what was so bad for her, especially compared to the horror that her mother experienced, being committed to a mental facility in the early 60s as treatment for depression.

Mary Fischer seems to me to be the most self absorbed, narcissistic, pop psychology riddled human being I have encountered in a long time. Only the last 40 pages have to do with her stealing abused dogs and finding them new homes. She is the absolute judge and jury about the alleged abuse and seems to be looking for congratulations after the fact.

I was fascinated at how she could point any situation back to her and how it affected her. It made for interesting reading - even though she was so unlikable.

Dreams from my Father - Barack Obama

2009-03-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

I really liked this book. It was written well before Barack Obama became president and paints a very realistic portrait of who he is as a person. He isn't as slickly guarded as he is now - he speaks plainly about his conflicting feelings regarding race, and life and authenticity. You can tell he isn't a writer - he gets really flowery and preachy sometimes, but he isn't self congratulating or appearing to hold back on how great he is. I was kind of hoping to get an insight about what drew him to Michelle - what kind of a person she is and how she fits into his scheme of life, but that didn't happen in this book. You also don't get a good glimpse of his mother and her influence in his life. His sister Auma was a strong figure and when I finished the book I found myself wondering how she is and what she is doing.

He seemed to be a character in fiction - it's strange to reconcile that character to the person who is now running our country. It would be like if Harry Potter became the school principal or some other type of authority figure. He is more real than before, but reality feels kind of funny.

Small Steps - Louis Sachar

2009-02-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

The main characters of this sweet story are Armpit and X-Ray. They were characters from Sachar's earlier book, Holes. This isn't a spin-off of Holes, but more like a side street.

Armpit has formed a friendship with a neighbor girl with cerebral palsy. She is quickly judged by her appearance and has learned to deal with prejudice by applying a straightforward approach. Armpit learns a bit from her when he faces similar prejudice.

There is a young pop star and some ticket scalping that tests the integrity and loyalty between X-Ray and Armpit.

Redemption and kindness are two big themes. There is some predictable stuff here about the dangers of racial profiling, but I really wish someone would have the courage to write about the tendencies for racial profiling. It's not like this stuff comes out of nowhere. It is correct and responsible to predict future behavior on past behavior. Just don't get swayed by hype and don't turn your brain off.

I Have the Right to Destroy Myself - Young-Ha Kim

2009-02-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

This was a short sparsely written book. The narrator finds people who seem to have an inclination towards suicide and helps them accomplish the task. The story was told around the lives of brothers C and K. They meet strange, hopeless, attractive young women who eventually kill themselves. Sex is compulsive and void of any real passion.

It was an easy read and very compelling. Discussions of art and the business of capturing images - do we do this out of fear of the blank canvas, or to hide behind. All in all, not very uplifting stuff.

Hide & Seek - Clare Sambrook

2009-02-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

This was a hard book to read. It was about a family dealing with disappearance of 4 year old Daniel from a school field trip to Legoland. The author knows full well how the news of the disappearance will affect the reader and teases out the full drama by first having another child turn up lost. Harry (the 9 year old narrator) is Daniel's older brother and you can feel the hot dread as he scans the bus looking for his little brother. When he finds him and cradles him, you fully realize the horror of possibly losing this child. They find the first kid and the bus stops for a bathroom break. It is here, that Daniel is lost.

The rest of the book is about how Harry and the rest of his family cope with the nightmare. His mother becomes untethered to sanity and his father moves out. Harry also becomes unhinged but seems to straighten somewhat. They simply have to face life knowing that this terrible thing will never ever go away. Daniel is never found and the book lets off at the end with this terrible knowledge.

Walk the Blue Fields - Clarie Keegan

2009-02-26T11:18:00.000-08:00

I found this book by wandering around the library picking up thing that looked interesting. I used to do that when I was a kid and it is still the most rewarding way I find good things to read. I am off of work this week and with the kids at school and spouse at work, I can enjoying reading all day if I feel like it.

This was a collection of short stories taking place in Ireland. Most of the main characters were tough, interesting women. Although each character suffered adversity, they all seemed to have secret hidden weapons. Life is hard in these stories. Viewing one hardship after another (because that is how you view a collection of short stories) left me feeling a bit gritty and blue.

Night of the Quicken Trees was my favorite story. It read like a song. A young girl named Margaret has a priest's baby (he was also her cousin) and the baby dies of SIDS. She loses her fertility and most of her mind after that. Not much is told about her youth, but when she is not quite 40 the priest dies and leaves her his house. It is really a duplex and they guy living on the other side is really a hoot. He has never been with a woman and his main relationship is with a goat named Josephine. Loving him and joining the houses into one restores her fertility and she has another baby. Margaret eventually leaves this place with her son when the local people turn unfriendly. The boy's father does not go with them. Doom and heartache again.

Loving Frank - Nancy Horan

2009-02-24T11:03:00.000-08:00

I tried not to be too harsh on Mamah Borthwick Cheney for leaving her kids for Frank Lloyd Wright because this was the whole point of her message. It was hard for me though, because my own filter on the world sees things as what is best for my children.

This historical fiction novel attempts to tell the story of Mamah - who she was and what her influences were. She was an early feminist and a translator for a Swedish feminist, Ellen Keys. The time period was between 1907 and 1914, but I had to keep forcing my mind back to that time period. The issues that women face today regarding individualism are still fresh and when you lay her story over a modern time frame, it is hard to understand her struggles. Divorce was very uncommon and if you chose that path, you would almost certainly lose your children.

She chose Frank over the kids. I found myself hoping that they would be okay and everything would work out for them - they would come to understand their mother's choice and even respect her courage when they were grown. That wasn't possible though because she and the children were murdered in 1914 by one of the workers at her home during a summer visit with her kids.

Anyone for more sorrow? Man alive - that was an unexpected ending. Did I learn anything new about the rights of the individual woman for erotic true love? Not really - I think I gained a bit of compassion for Mamah and reminded myself that every situation has a story. Don't be too quick to judge.

In the Woods - Tana French

2009-02-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

I figured out the ending about halfway through and was pretty frustrated that dimwitted Rob, the detective, couldn't get there. At the end he made it seem like an assumption that we were just as tricked as he was. I found myself muttering "Idiot..." every few pages. Cassie, his partner, was perfect in every way and ended up with the short end of the stick a the end. A stick that I wanted to beat Rob over the head with, by the way.

There were two mysteries in this book. One was solved and the other, older mystery was not. Why even put that one in the book?? It's only function was to illustrate how messed up Rob was, and why.

The pace was fast and I liked that. The plot was predictable, but it moved well and that was also very welcome. I got a fresh perspective of modern Ireland - I was sort of stuck in the 1700s with that place. This was a good snack - but it didn't change my life.

Three Junes - Julia Glass

2009-02-24T10:18:00.000-08:00

This story is told through the perspective of a man and later, his son. It tells the story of love, being understood and learning to live without regret. I just have to ask though, do all love stories involving gay men have to be doomed, sad and decoratively tasteful?

The book opens in June (of course) and is written from the perspective of Paul, a widower on a cruise. He is trying to branch out a bit, but he typically hates these kinds of things. He is looking back on his life a bit and develops a crush on a young woman on the boat.

The wife and mother in this story raised Collies in Scotland and probably had an affair with the neighbor. She wore bright red lipstick and an irreverent attitude. She was Catherine Hepburn in my mind. She had three sons and the book takes the perspective of her oldest son as the book moves on to the second June.

Both parents have died at this point and Fenno, the oldest son, moves the narrative back and forth between the present and his past in Manhattan. He has a strong friendship with Mal, a witty Opera critic who is dying of AIDS with dignity and stifled rage. Fenno has an affair with Tony, but they never bring this relationship into the light. They never develop beyond the secret sex.

The last June is told from the perspective of Fern - a young woman on vacation in the Hamptons with Tony. Here we learn that Fern is Paul's crush from the cruise. Fenno shows up with one of his brothers and the story ties up here.

All the images presented in this story were beautiful - colorful bookstores and doting mothers, just to name a couple. Love and sex didn't live comfortably though.

Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

2009-01-22T10:10:00.000-08:00

Historical fiction is not usually a favorite of mine. It's too much like oatmeal - supposed to be good for you but not very delicious. Anytime you add in a love story though, it gets better. This was a pretty good love story.

Claire Randall starts out in Scotland - 1945 and ends up in the same place only 200 years earlier. She leaves a husband, but not much else. No children or other relatives are left behind. We don't learn what her poor husband does in her absence - it is somewhat callous treatment of him I thought.

Young, handsome Jamie Fraser comes along and they run around Scotland having many adventures trying to avoid the sadistic, gay, bad guy (an early ancestor of her present day husband). They also have to sort out and deal with evil secret plans of Jamie's clansmen. There is one scene where Jamie beats her because she disobeyed his orders and this is passed on as justice. It really creeped me out and I actually found myself crying out of humiliation for her. I didn't really recover after that. Their love story was pleasant but didn't affect me nearly as much as it seems to have affected others.

There are other books in the series. I may read them - I am curious about what happens to this pair, but I am not desperate to follow this thread.

The Brothers K - David James Duncan

2009-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

The pace was slower than what I needed right now. The major themes were religion, baseball and the blending of the two. Love, forgiveness and justification for bizarre behavior were also present and never cease to confound me. Overt selfishness gets old fast, but what about the argument that we are all essentially selfish and the act of being selfless makes us feel good so is, therefore, selfish. That argument leaves me with no response but a dull sadness. No enlightenment there. No possibility for change.

This story was about a family of 8 living in the Pacific NW - not far from where I live. Comfort and security for the mother is found in her Adventist faith. Comfort and security for the father is found in baseball - specifically pitching. This is where the book gets it's title - K is the symbol for "strike out swinging". Optimism in failure - hmmm? Each of the 4 boys had a theme that slowly worked itself out in a beautifully written way.

For Kincade, the story had to do with his mother and their relationship. When you don't understand what drives a certain kind of devotion, it can install a wedge between people and keep them separate - infuriatingly visible, but not reachable. There is a place where Kincade describes a kind of giving up feeling that I really identified with. "I felt at times that she loved me. I also felt, almost constantly, that she disliked me. And I was satisfied to reciprocate. It damaged us. But that's the way it was."

The family struggled to stay close - to find the common ground that they could share together. The person who was best at this was Irwin. He could pass easily, without harming anyone, between the areas of faith and sports. He had a great love of life and everything in it. His ability to love was huge and infectious and very likable. This created a kind of doom around him because anyone who is witnessing a story understands that bad things happen to the kind, happy, innocent guy. Vietnam happened to Irwin and it was pretty bad. The family rallied around him in a rescue mission that was heartening.

Everett, the oldest boy, waged a battle for individual authenticity. He developed a hunger and need for a crowd of people who would feed his image as a wise, witty truth teller. It was mostly bullshit - the stuff of bumper stickers. I see these people in very liberal Portland, OR and having already been acquainted with this smug crowd pleaser, I was happy to see him come to his senses and finally become his real self.

Peter was the second to the oldest and just as obsessed with spirituality as his mother, but not the Adventist kind. This was a deal breaker for them that was almost permanent. As soon as he was able, he left home for school working his brain as hard as he could, seeking enlightenment. His struggle was hard to define, but it was finally put this way, "Some long-lived insidious problems simply slip us off to one side of ourselves. Some gently rob us of just enough energy or faith so that days which once took place on a horizontal plane become an endless series of uphill slogs." I get that. Hard.

I enjoyed this book - I will probably reflect back on images of hope, love, maturation and that terrible sense of unhinged freedom that settles after a screaming family freakout.

Broken for You - Stephanie Kallos

2009-01-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

Breaks, cracks and fissures in the soul are the prerequisits for intimacy. I will remember this from this book. I loved the characters and how their lives were laid out like puzzle pieces. The author seems to know that this is crazy impossible - but it's the magic of fiction. You can make all circumstances of chance however you want when you are writing. I like it best when an author doesn't apologize for that.

Margaret's death didn't seem scary with her mother and young son visiting her from wherever dead people are. They hung out with her - other people couldn't see them and they sort of kept her company. That seemed so comforting.

They broke rigid precious things in order to rebuild something better and more meaningful. We hold onto the rigid precious things and keep them safe when maybe we should let them break. Maybe that is stupid and dead wrong and I am under the spell of fiction.

Barefoot - Elin Hilderbrand

2008-12-26T14:50:00.000-08:00

As chick lit goes, this was pretty good. I loved the total devastation that the younger sister caused in her life. It was a total wreck and entirely of her own doing. I tend to be a cautious person, so this really gave me a shiver. The almost dying of the older sister made me feel manipulated and I resisted the urge to cry (but of course, I finally gave in). There was another friend, but she was a pretty whimp and I couldn't connect to her at all. The relationship between Josh and his high school girlfriend felt familiar. It was strange how her death was sudden and shocking, but the lingering illness of one of the main characters was supposed to make you reflect on life and death in a kind of 'big picture' way. I guess it goes to show you that you never know how and when it will all end.

Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

2008-12-20T18:36:00.000-08:00

I really liked the eat part, but pray and love were tedious. This book could have been an enjoyable blog - Elizabeth Gilbert is an entertaining writer, but it really got blah, blah, blah. I will keep the image of her on her bathroom floor at 3:00am crying in desperation about her failing marriage. I will probably forget the rest.

The Last Summer (of You & Me) - Ann Brashares

2008-12-09T16:45:00.000-08:00

This was the author of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and I was expecting light chick lit. It was a little better than I thought it would be. The fated paths of the two sisters kept reminding me of "The Gift of the Magi". It was a little riduculous it was how the actions of one sister would have such unintended rippling consequences for the other. Love causes accidental death (murder?). The pace was a bit slow but the images of water were compelling. I enjoyed this but I can't say I will remember it.

For The Time Being - Annie Dillard

2008-12-05T12:52:00.000-08:00

This one was hard for me to get through. I really felt like I should though, so I kept at it. The topic interests me - God in every day life and how it relates to an individual. There was so much other stuff though, stuff that I didn't understand. I got bored and impatient and kept checking how much of the book was left. One part that I liked and that I hope to remember is "I don't know beans about God." This was stated more than 3/4th of the book in and it made me laugh outloud. To be fair, Annie Dillard never claimed to know anything about God, but still - that is what the book was supposed to be about.

The Rope Walk - Carrie Brown

2008-12-04T16:23:00.001-08:00

I loved this book. It was a coming of age story with several different themes. All phases of life were represented, but not in a sappy way. The rope walk turned out to be a journey - an end of life journey. I can't hardly keep it all straight. The main characters were Alice and Theo - both 10 years old. Some things that were supposed to sentimental, but weren't:

the death of Alice's mother - she died right after Alice was born. Alice doesn't have any memory of her mother so no time is spent mourning her. I want to feel sad about this though, but I don't really get the chance.
Elizabeth's journey to the US from Vietnam - Elizabeth is the housekeeper, the person who cooks and cleans for the family. She escaped from Vietnam in a boat with her son and daughter in law leaving everything behind and risking her life. When Alice asks her what that was like she says something like "boring, thirsty, what do you think?"

Really, my favorite part of this book was the relationship between Alice and Theo. Theo was such a great character, always prepared for anything but fearful of ordinary things like doctor visits. Alice begins to lose her innocence when she realizes that nobody misses Theo and that there is a possibility of a child not being loved.

I kept thinking that the times were older than they were. Alice was just a year older than my daughter Maggie, but she could have been Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. I had a hard time visualizing this in modern times.

You Won't Remember This - Kate Blackwell

2008-12-04T08:09:00.000-08:00

This is a collection of short stories. They were all pretty good. Opportunity missed and concealment (not with malice) were common themes. I remember feeling sad after reading some of these. There was a woman who weaves and has a secret love - a friend who was married to another friend. There was a woman who learned that her husband was gay after he died. I won't forget the images of that woman having dinner with a gay couple on her block - they were unpleasant and that, combined with the dawning knowledge that her best friend and love had another side - another life - got stuck in my brain.

Darkness Visible - William Styron

2008-12-04T07:59:00.000-08:00

This was a memoir, focused mainly on William Styron's battle with depression. If you had read Sophie's Choice, you can pretty much be assured that the creator was going to be depressed for a while. I can't imagine going unscathed after that experience. The tone of this very small (84 pages) book was pretty self congratulating and didn't improve my opinion of William Styron at all. I found the descriptions of depression to be vivid and helpful when trying to understand what someone with depression is going through.

Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer

2008-12-04T07:55:00.000-08:00

I have read this series twice, along with my 12 year old daughter. I know this is children's literature, but I really got caught up in the themes of dangerous desire and love. This provided an echo (for me) of first love, first desire and the lure of deviance.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (final) - Carson McCullers

2008-10-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally finished this one. The ending was so depressing - nearly comically so. I guess the heart has to be lonely for the title to make sense. Everyone ended up alone - physically or emotionally.

I loved this book anyway. It had the same lazy laying out as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It was a pleasure to get more insight into each character. I had such high hopes for these people. I wanted the frusturation to be resolved - the misalignment to be aligned. I wanted that for these people because I really liked them. The characters were so well developed by the time they started their downward spiral that I had to disassociate myself from them before they crashed.

The City of Ember - Jeanne Duprau

2008-09-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

This is the first book in a series that my almost 9 year old son is reading. He said it was really good and I love to have an opportunity to talk about books with him. Since it is for kids, I was able to read this pretty quickly - I finished it yesterday. What a wonderful book! The metaphors were laying around like a really easy Easter Egg hunt, but there was enough adventure and action to hold my son's attention. The writing is simple and so is the story. The protaganists are two 12 year old children, Doon and Lina. They are the "good guys" but they can see how easy it is to succumb to the temptation of greed and anger. I really liked that they examined those choices realistically. There is evidence of beauty in frugality and hope in darkness. There is the absolute thrill of discovery and a really cool boat ride. My son is in the middle of the second book and it is easy to see how I named this blog - can I read that after you Joey?

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers

2008-09-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

I am a bit further now. I think all the characters are present now. The character of Mick, the young girl, is becomming more defined. Last night I read about her throwing a party in hopes of making some new friends and belonging to a particular group. It started out with stinging anticipation for such a grown up event, then by the end of the party, she had reverted to kid like ways. After the party, she sits outside a neighbor's house listening to their radio and catches a piece by Beethoven. She is so moved by music that she needs to inflict pain on herself just to come back down to her life. She is affected in the part of her soul that is more woman than child. I wonder how Mick will change in this novel. Will we see this passage, or are we just mean to witness this in-between-ness.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

2008-09-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

This one will have to go a bit slower - it's rich and there is a lot I could miss if I go too fast. Each chapter is about a new character - I am not sure if they will join up at some point. The images of Mick, the child in the 3rd or 4th chapter were so compelling. Everything seemed so reckless and dangerous. She was babysitting an infant, but standing on the roof of an unfinished house looking down on the world - I felt like I was her - tethered between the two places. Baby crying on the ground and the whole sky above and grave danger between. I can still feel dizzy thinking about it. She was reluctant to leave the place, but knew she had to. There is something raw about that place between child and adult.

First Post

2008-09-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

this is my new blog. I am going to keep track of everything I read and everything I think about it.