On your nightstand.

This month's book group selection -

2012-01-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

When the book group chose this last November - we are "dark" in December - I was sure it would be some fluffy romance that I would have to wade through.

I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't. It's a pretty well-wrought mystery tale with historical overtones. I thought I had it "figured out" several times - and was off a bit each time. It's nice to be "off the mark" now and then so that you want to keep reading.

The story is really 3 stories going one in a parallel fashion - 1909-1913, 1975, and 2005. I wonder how the author keeps track of all those details??

Latest read

2011-11-11T17:26:00.000-08:00

My book group selected this for November - I had not even heard of it.

It is historical fiction based on some facts uncovered by the author. She has researched some of the events portrayed too. It deals with slavery in the 1700's - and an Irish girl who joins them as an indentured servant.

The quality of the book is uneven, but the story is compelling. My biggest complaint was that there were some obvious threads that were introduced - and then just left hanging!!

Maybe we are just supposed to make up an ending for ourselves!!

But it's a pretty good read.

Latest Grisham Read

2011-11-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

I really have no patience I guess!! I was in the market, and the newest Grisham was there for my reading pleasure. So I bought it - figured it would be good for the plane ride to D.C. this month.

Trouble is, I went ahead and started - and finished it!! Not the best - but not the worst either. It was entertaining and diverting - just what I needed!!

A good read

2011-10-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

In the midst of all that has been going on, I did have a good book I was engrossed in. I usually fell asleep when I finally found a moment to read however!! Finally finished it.

It's about one of the first Native Americans to matriculate at Harvard. It's fiction, but based on a lot of historical fact. I like the way the author used archaic dialogue to add to the authenticity.

Give it a look see and let me know what you think.

My book group is reading The Kitchen House by Katherine Grissom for next month. Anybody read it??

Finished it -

2011-08-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

While I was at Eliza's, I ran out of things to read. I found this on her shelf and started reading it. I asked her about it - and she told me that I had given it to her one year for Christmas!! I need to start writing down the gifts I give people - because I truly had no memory of the event or the title!

It's an odd kind of book - some very quirky characters, lots of agricultural references that have no familiar ring to them - but the story line emerges. You feel an affinity for the characters - and I wished I could know more about them.

Maybe she writes about them in her other stuff.

A Movie Weekend

2011-08-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

In a last hurrah for summer, I went and saw two movies this weekend. They were both based on books I had read, and I actually had not planned to go see them. Generally speaking, I like the book better than the movie. For this reason, I find that seeing the movies is usually disappointing. There are some exceptions - I love Gone With the Wind - book and movie. And I loved Giant - book and movie.

I read The Help and enjoyed it while I was reading it. After I had finished, though, I found myself feeling like the story was not truly a depiction of the civil rights movement, and in fact had been somewhat disingenuous. There is lots of current controversy on both sides - especially since the movie has been such a big hit. But it was not quite "gritty" enough as a book. The movie, on the other hand, focused more on the individuals and their relationships with one another. I think this factor helped the movie succeed where the book did not.

A couple of years ago, we decided to read this as a kind of family "book group" reading - and to compare it to Suite Francaise - since it covers the same time period in France. After reading the book - which was compelling in its own way - I felt manipulated by the author. The ending was "pat," the story was a little hackneyed, and you knew how it would end after you read the first chapter.

Suite Francaise, on the other hand, was a much more nuanced depiction. You were caught up in the events as they unfolded, the writing was excellent, and the story rang true.

That being said, the film version of Sarah's Key was much better than the book. The filmmakers took the story line and gave it substance and meaning. The parts added up to more than the whole. The acting was good and the back and forth with subtitles was handled well.

I'd recommend both movies. And one book!

Sunday Night at the Movies

2011-08-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

A lazy Sunday - we ate dinner in front of the TV while watching A Place in the Sun, the movie version of An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser.

It's another from the list I got from the LA Times about great movies that didn't win Oscars. You can tell it's from the 50's, but Elizabeth Taylor is gorgeous. And Montgomery Clift ain't so bad either!!

And Raymond Burr played the District Attorney!!

(But the novel was better.)

On the film/literary front

2011-08-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy summer indeed, but I have been doing some reading and seeing some movies. Ella and I enjoyed watching this film. It had come highly recommended, and I have to agree. If you are interested in autism and it's ramifications, you should see this movie. It looks like Claire Danes studied the real Temple Grandin, and she does an excellent job of genuinely portraying an individual with autism.

A while ago I read the first Theo Boone book by John Grisham, and I enjoyed it - as did everyone I gave it to! Once again the intrepid author has found a ready market - and tapped it wisely. It's for teens, but I enjoyed it too - vintage Grisham in a fast, easy format!

Hannah introduced me to Wendell Berry, and I must say I really enjoy his writing. I keep going to the library - because of my new-found resolve to quit buying so many books - and they don't have the Wendell Berry books I'm looking for - so I check out what they have! This one doesn't show up on a lot of the lists, but it was really very good - an excellent description of life and a marriage - how they failed and how they succeeded.

Ella said she read the book on this movie and loved it, so we watched the film too. It was not great art, but it was informative and entertaining - and clean enough to show my students!!

Right now I'm reading Quite a Year for Plums by Bailey White. I ran out of stuff to read at Eliza's and found this on her shelf - she said I gave it to her for Christmas one year. I don't remember doing that - or why I chose it either. It's well-written and quite charming - brings a smile not a chuckle - but it's a bit hard to follow. Maybe the end will tie it all together.

I'll let you know!

In the Garden of Beasts

2011-06-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

The time is 1933. The place is Berlin, Germany. The new government in power is being crafted by Adolf Hitler.

Into this setting, Franklin D. Roosevelt sends William Dodd, a University of Chicago history professor who loves spending time on his farm in Round Hill, Virginia. According to the author, Ambassador Dodd "proved to be exactly what Roosevelt had wanted, a lone beacon of American freedom and hope in a land of gathering darkness."

The story of his first year there - he ended up being there for 4 1/2 years - is the basis for this work of non-fiction by the author of Devil in the White City. Harry heard an interview with the author on NPR and thought I'd like it, so he ordered it for me.

It's a good read - and quite compelling. I recall asking my mother once how Hitler managed to come to power so easily and for so long. She told me that no one could quite believe that what they were hearing was true. So they chose not to believe it. This book probes some of the attitudes and individuals that allowed these ideas to flourish long enough for Hitler to gain absolute power.

Erik Larson is a good story teller. His works are non-fiction, but they read like a novel. I have read lots of books about World War II and the Holocaust, and it is certainly enlightening to read about the conditions and events that preceded those horrific times in history.

(The title of the book refers to the term they used to refer to the zoo there in Berlin - and maybe all zoos - my German is non-existent. The irony is apparent - the zoo near the Ambassador's home is full of beasts - as is the government Mr. Dodd is there to deal with.)

Third time's a charm!

2011-06-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

Just finished this series. There are some "holes" and some hasty transitions that don't work entirely, but overall it was a satisfying end to the series.

I hope my students will respond to them when I introduce it next school year. It is thoughtful fiction - and fairly well-written. Really makes you think about a lot of things, like being prepared for what life throws at you and the importance of human relationships.

My book group is reading the series for their summer read and we will discuss it in September.

Want to join us??

wastelands

2011-05-31T19:48:00.000-07:00

just finished "wastelands" for last month's book group, which goes along with mom's latest reads in terms of genre. i am a big fan of post-apocalyptic movies so it's not surprising that i was a fan of the short story format. there are familiar names like orson scott card, cory doctorow, and stephen king in this collection. i think post-apocalyptic sci-fi can be difficult to take in large doses (like "the road"... what an intense book) so i liked the short story format because it was only 5-15 pages of feeling sorry for the characters, then moving on to the next, haha. overall i'd definitely recommend it. not something i'd pick up on my own but i'm glad it was chosen for the month's read.

2 down, one to go!

2011-05-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

Just finished the 2nd book in the trilogy that started with Life As We Knew It.

Sometimes sequels and trilogies are not as good when you get to the second and third books, but this one delivers. Now I'm anxious to get to Number 3!

This is a story about the same moon event from the first book - only it's about what happens in New York. It's "doomsday" for sure, but since it's a young adult novel, it's not graphically horrific.

A good, quick read - put it on your list for summer!

I need to stop reading and start getting things done!!

2011-05-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

I bought this in the bookstore at the airport because I was afraid I'd finish the book I brought with me - and I did finish it, so I was glad to have a book on hand.

I tend to like Chinese-themed novels - and this was no exception. However, the quality of the writing was uneven. The story is quite compelling, but as often happens in many novels I read, it seemed like the author went along telling a good story - and then felt the need to hurry up and finish it - and got a little sloppy.

This is about a young woman and her mother who come to New York from Hong Kong - seems like the 70's or 80's - and they live under terrible conditions and work in a sweat shop. The daughter decides that getting a good education is the only way out - so she excels academically. But there's a sad love story there too - with a kind of O'Henry twist at the end.

I think I need to stop starting books and get through the end of the school year before I start up again!!

Another good read - with more to come!

2011-05-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

Marcie suggested this to me - a student in one of her classes was reading it and recommended it, so she gave it a look see - and liked what she saw. It is young adult science fiction, and it has won some prizes. It was a good read - there were some weak spots in the plot, but by and large, you were drawn into the story - it was tough to put down.

The basic premise is that the moon has been hit by a large asteroid that bumps it slightly off its axis - and so the gravitational pull is all out of whack - tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes - and young Miranda and her broken family need to figure out how to survive in a world gone crazy.

And there are 2 sequels - apparently it was written as a trilogy.

I think a nice trilogy is just right - not too many, like a series that goes bad after the 3rd or 4th book. But just enough to keep you going for awhile.

It worked for me!!

Louder Than Words

2011-05-10T20:36:00.000-07:00

I bought this book a couple of years ago at the book fair. I had no idea that the author was a former Playboy centerfold!! I had no idea who she was at all in fact!

I also had no idea that the book itself was something of a rant against vaccinations and other suspected agents!

But her style is loose and easy to read. Sometimes it's funny - if you can believe that.

And after she finally got the therapies and programs she wanted for her son - she was incredibly diligent in applying them at home too - which is a lesson all parents could benefit from.

The diets, and rants are less absorbing.

I thought it would help me understand some of the students I have with autism. I suspect it could help me understand their parents though!

And she contacted the LDS Church - and had two elders come and give her son a blessing. And they taught her once too and she took a Book of Mormon. They came often to her house - that part was funny to read - she kept telling them it wasn't a good time to teach her - finally she said yes and took a lesson.

Only one lesson though!

Like I said, it was a different book.

She dedicates the book to lots of doctors, teachers, therapists "and the Mormons!"

An odd sort of story . . .

2011-05-06T17:24:00.001-07:00

I go to Curves about 4 times a week. They have shelves for your bags and purses. And many people put magazines and books on these shelves for others to borrow and then return. I can never pass a pile of books without going through them, and I came across The Accidental Tourist in late January. I enjoyed reading it - when I returned it, I was hoping there would be something that might catch my eye.

Alas, there was nothing but pulp fiction, tawdry romance, lackluster mystery novels, and some questionable aging best sellers of no particular note!!

Until the other day when I saw this one - and the book jacket said it had started out as a short story in the New Yorker. The New Yorker does indeed have some good fiction - sometimes. Mostly it's odd or strange. Sometimes it's right "on the money" though. I don't recall reading this one, but the book itself, though odd and strange, had some redeeming qualities.

I had never heard of it before - and the author's sister is Aimee Bender - the reviews mentioned that fact as if it was a fact of some note - and I'd never heard of either Karen or Aimee Bender!! So maybe you've all heard of it/her/them and I'm just a "day late and a dollar short" once more.

I would not go out and buy it - but I would check it out at the library. It's about a woman with a mentally retarded daughter - growing up in the early 50's in LA - the families are Jewish. In the course of one actual day, the stories of three generations are told. It was pretty insightful in its portrayal of mental handicaps and how society used to deal with them. And it is also an insightful portrayal of love and family dynamics.

You could put it on your list - but maybe not at the top!

Don't bother!

2011-05-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

My book group chose this - or rather someone suggested it and I didn't object strenuously enough!! (I was pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy anything by Richard Paul Evans!!)

I went to get it from the library and it was on hold until 2 days before we were supposed to meet. Then the reference librarian called and said it was at the Sierra Madre Library. I was going to drive over there but decided that with gas prices the way they are, it might be cheaper to get it from Amazon. So I did. That was Tuesday - I ordered it that night - and it came today!!

Harry is working late, so I sat down and started reading it - broke for dinner and then finished it. (It's a very skimmable book, btw!!) I think I read it in 3 1/2 hours - 3 1/2 hours that could have been better spent surfing the net!! Or maybe playing Solitaire!!

I often joke around about books of this caliber and say "I could write that." But you know, I couldn't write that. I could never come up with such drivel!!

It's in diary form - a man loses his wife, his business, his house, his cars - and then decides to walk to Key West, Florida. There are the de rigeur "other-worldly" elements. There are panic attacks, a homeless man without hands, a suicide survivor who "understands," and it looks like there's a female interest on board - something for the sequels I am sure.

And her name is Angel!!!

hotel at the corner of bitter and sweet.

2011-05-04T21:23:00.001-07:00

I just finished this last night and I really enjoyed it. It's the story of the relationship between a Chinese boy and a Japanese girl during WWII in Seattle. It's a clean read and I would easily recommend it to anyone (Grandma Mary might like it!). After I read it I decided to do a bit of research on the author, Jamie Ford, and discovered that he is LDS. The bio bit about having 6 children tipped me off:).

Anyway- if you've read it let me k now what you thought!

Also, I finished Hannah Coulter, after Hannah recommended it, and I think it might be my favorite read of 2011.

Don't "neglect" this one!

2011-05-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

After reading and enjoying Still Alice, I was anxious to read her next book. (There was a teaser chapter at the end of Alice.)

This was a compelling read. Well-written, and very informative about a neurological condition with which I was not familiar. But the story that was the framework was what made the book worth reading - the question of how much sacrifice is too much sacrifice for a life-style that may not really be desirable.

The story gives new meaning to the phrase, "stop and smell the roses."

This needs to be on your "must read" list!!

Latest good reads

2011-04-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

With our internet down, and Harry not home for most of the weekend, I did lots of reading!! And it was lots of fun - ate popcorn too!!

I'd had this on my shelf for over a year - it was a good, fast, compelling read. I like the Shannon Hale books - they sell well, so there must be an audience out there. This one had a "vampire" touch that I'm sure made it especially popular. It's a nice twist on an old fairy tale.

This is very funny!! Definitely chic-lit, but pretty well written. Maybe you have to be from the San Gabriel Valley to appreciate it - but I wish I'd had this on the plane when we were going through turbulence - it would have distracted me for sure!!

I'm in the middle of Left Neglected - same author as Still Alice. So far it's a good read - well-constructed too.

A day late and a dollar short -

2011-04-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

Funny story: I bought this book two or three years ago. Never read it. Tossed it when I did a book purge a year ago - not really a toss, gave them to the library.

Then coming home from Boston, I needed a book to read - we had delays, etc. and I had run out of reading material - and this was the only thing in the airport bookstore that wasn't trashy or a romance. So I bought it again.

It was a good read - got "dark" at times and was substantially "gritty" but it did have a good plot line. I liked the way they had a story frame with the present day. Apparently that's not as major in the movie as it was in the book. One friend thought the movie was better.

I know everyone else has already read it and is talking about the movie.

I need to get more circumspect about buying/tossing books!

Still Alice

2011-04-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

We were in Boston, and I had completed the book I had brought - it had become pretty compelling, so I was unable to leave it for the flight home!! We were downtown at the Expo, which is connected to the Prudential Center, which is connected to the mall. And there was not a children's play place - except in Barnes and Noble - so we headed over there.

Well, being stuck in a book store is not such a bad thing. I browsed the stacks of "new fiction," "new paperbacks," "staff recommendations" but couldn't anything that struck my fancy.

I saw this title. Eliza said a friend of hers had read it and thought it good. I read the back cover and it sounded like something I would like to read. It's a story about a brilliant Harvard professor who comes to discover that she has early-onset Alzheimer's.

It was a very compelling read. (I use that word a lot - but I can't find another word that describes a book you just keep reading - instead of doing other things you ought to be doing!!) I am impressed at the number of authors in the various fields of science and medicine who come up with interesting plot lines and take the time to write books. This author is a neuro-scientist, so the book really rings true.

But it's also a very human story, and it is well-written. The pacing is effective - you find yourself getting sadder and sadder as the story progresses. I will not spoil it with the plot development, but the author has very effectively drawn the reader into the lives of Alice and her family.

Give it a read - and let me know what you think!! (The reviews I read online were basically in agreement with me - so they must be right!!)

The latest Maisie Dobbs

2011-04-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

I was looking for something to read in Barnes and Noble while Harry was at the Expo on Saturday. Eliza informed me that there was a new Maisie Dobbs book - and so I got it.

Just finished it. It was vintage Maisie Dobbs - a few surprises though!!

Give it a read!!

Latest read

2011-04-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

We are here in Boston - and I'm using Harry's computer - which I don't use extremely well - I don't do well with laptops - I need a mouse and a regular keyboard. So no illustration this time.

But I just finished The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. I chose it rather randomly - it was on the shelves at the recent bookfair at Clifton - they always have a shelf of books for parents to buy - and I knew I needed a book for the upcoming plane rides I was scheduled for.

But random works - this time anyway. It started slowly, and I was a trifle confused at first. But once the story took off, it was pretty compelling.

There are problems with the story line, but the writing is excellent. There is an underlying theme about the power of words, which is the theme that spoke most clearly to me.

The time frame is the very beginning of World War II. The author has made some changes to dates and actual events to fit her story line. But it all works.

A good airplane book - even a good read at home book. If you've read it, let me know what you think.

A great read

2011-04-06T21:04:00.001-07:00

The title for this book comes from the Hippocratic oath which admonishes the physician against "cutting for stone," and refers to the practice of cutting out bladder stones. Apparently these developed from the drinking water. They were fairly easy to remove also. However, the surgeons, who were often just barbers, were not hygienic in the practice. Many died the next day from severe infection. Hence the oath warned against a medical practice that was unsafe, and possibly unnecessary.

One of the reviewers I read explained the significance of the title, and then criticized the author for not fully developing the idea of unnecessary surgery. Although the story is not about unnecessary surgery, it is about unnecessary loss - that ultimately appears to be redeeming.

It's also a fascinating geo-political history treatise that alone would make for compelling reading. The story of conjoined twin boys born to a nun and a surgeon - you're thinking it's something you want to read aren't you??

The author is a physician - and a fine writer also. I have noticed that frequently doctors who become writers seem to do well with the skill of writing. Perhaps the attention to detail that is the hallmark of good medicine spills over onto the pages of the story.

Let me know what you think.

Testing...testing

2011-04-04T18:24:00.001-07:00

Wowzers. I guess it has been awhile since I checked this!

A few books I have read in the past year or so that I found worthwhile...not particularly in order.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

These Is My Words - LOVED (and Star Garden and Sarah's Quilt)

The Water and the Blood - LOVED

The Glass Castle

Half Broke Horses

All the Maisie Dobbs books - hooray!!

The Help (I liked most of it, didn't love the ending)

Recently I have been skimming Malcolm Gladwell's books (Outliers, Blink, The Tipping Point) which I find compelling because of the anecdotes, but otherwise I find them very obnoxious! His books should really be trimmed down to longish New Yorker articles. Yet the stories keep me going back anyway.

Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child (as recommended by Kacy, because I like her recommendations.... except for Gladwell but apparently I like him anyway) is interesting and I have been flipping through it.

Re-read A Midwife's Story and A Wise Birth and have been re-reading Birthing from Within. I LOVE Birthing from Within. She's a little "out there" with some of her stuff but I still love the book. I particularly love the chapter about how labor/birth is hard and you shouldn't count on being able to "transcend" it through meditation or breathing or even drugs. It's hard no matter what, even if you do have drugs and support people, but most importantly, it is doable and it doesn't have to be scary.

That's all I can remember reading after a quick skim of my Goodreads. I recently re-read Joy in the Morning and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn which I re-read every 5 years or so. Also re-read Huckleberry Finn, a classic of course.

Now I think it's time for me to get something new from the library.

What have you been reading?

Summer books 2010

2010-07-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

I'm never going to get around to reading ANYTHING this summer, let's be honest, but NPR has a nice comprehensive list of recommended summer reads here.

Babies - the movie version anyway!!

2010-05-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

Dad and I went to see Babies last week. I had seen the previews several months ago and was intrigued. Then I read the reviews - which were pretty intriguing also.

So we went!

A good choice too - although the showing we went to was also the showing that a Family Living class from MHS was attending!! I was thinking that they would be pretty awful. But they were only mildly annoying. They mostly all had their phones on so there were all these little lit up screens all over the theater.

And of course there was a lot of running commentary. I love how they said, when one of the babies was obviously sitting there having a bowel movement, "Oh look, she's going to the restroom!!"

It's a movie worth seeing. Apparently a current U.S. fad now is for moms and babies to get together and watch it.

I think I'd rather see it with an adult though!!

At the Terrill Backroom Cinema!!

2010-04-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

Dad and I had a film from NetFlix arrive in November - and we never ended up watching it!! I finally just sent it back last week - and the film that had been number 2 on our queue was Roll Bounce - I can't remember who recommended it or why - but we watched it. And it wasn't great art, but it was entertaining. All my students knew about it - and seemed amazed that I'd seen it!

And then after the afternoon session of conference today, we just kind of stayed there on the couch and got "hooked" on One Good Man. Once again not great art, but it did have its moments. And we could relate.

The guy who played the stake president was named Kevin Westenskow - and he looks exactly like a friend of ours whose last name is Westenskow - so we're thinking they are related.

See, Mormons can always find a connection!

This is the fittest you will ever see me!!

2010-03-20T01:15:00.000-07:00

We just finished a 12 week "Wellness Challenge" at the district. To qualify, you just had to keep track of the servings of fruits and vegetables you ate - and the number of 10 minutes increments of exercise you accomplished.

Unfortunately, there were no penalties for consuming chocolate! So, even though I consumed lots of fruits and veggies - and engaged in a modicum of exercise - that mostly consisted of walking to and from school - I can't say that I'm any smaller.

Apparently the "magazine cover" is our reward!!

So I'm posting it in honor of Hannah and Robbie - who are running a real race today - and who probably ate right and exercised for more than 12 weeks!!

I am slightly motivated to really get smaller.

I'll let you know how it goes!!

Sargent's Daughters by Erica Hirschler

2010-03-17T23:11:00.000-07:00

My book group chose this book - called the "biography of a painting" by many reviewers and critics. It's a "true" story - one with many details missing. Sometimes all the "artistic" details become tedious - unless you are an art scholar - but mostly they are interesting.

And the story of the lives of the young girls in the painting, their parents, John Sargent, Henry James and others whetted my appetite for more - so now I'm reading a biography of Edith Wharton!!

It has long resided in the Museum of Art in Boston - drat, we are not going this year - but it's on my list for 2011!

Newest read

2010-02-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

This book has been recommended to me by a large and disparate group of friends, family, acquaintances. And it's the pick for next month's book group discussion - which will be at my house.

It's not great literature - but it is a good read. It belongs to that ever-growing body of "Southern women regional writers" that I am wont to bring up from time to time.

I have often said that if I ever went back to finish my master's degree, my thesis would be about this particular category of female authors. I often wonder why there isn't a category for "Southern California women regional writers!"

I wonder how many men would enjoy it. Is it truly just for women talking to other women? Somehow these women know how to capture our interest. The stories are somewhat removed from my own personal experience, but I can still relate. This one does deal with the 60's and all that entailed, but actually in a somewhat superficial way. But the superficiality isn't a stumbling block.

It's certainly a popular book. And as I said before, a good read.

And sometimes that's all I want from a book!

A must read!

2010-01-19T21:46:00.000-08:00

Talk about random!! I was in Vroman's months ago looking for something that they ended up not having. But the clerk had been so helpful, I felt like I should buy something. There was a display near the Customer Service counter, and this book was on it. The cover was intriguing. And I had seen the title a few times. So I bought it.

I took it and another book to my book group that night. We were trying to decide what to read next - and so we picked it. Pretty random. (the clerk had told me it was an adolescent novel - which it certainly is not - so we all thought it would be a "quick read." Wrong again!)

Although it was certainly not a "quick read," it was indeed a worthwhile read! Check it out - or buy it - or borrow it from me. I actually have two copies, and Bonny has one of them. And then let me know what you think.

Be prepared for some very advanced vocabulary - you could stop and look them all up if you are consumed with curiosity. But you can easily divine meaning from context. Also, lots of references to Russian literature, classical music, film - foreign and American, and philosophers.

But it still works. Don't give up - it starts ever so slowly - but when you finish, you will realize why it had to start that way. A few fave quotes to pique your interest:

"What charms me about the whole business is that he stubbornly insists on remaining a dog, whereas his mistress would like to make a gentleman of him."

". . .particularly when you think that such a destiny should surely have doomed her to the eternal worship of Barbara Cartland."

"For years my inevitable conclusion has been that the films of the seventh art are beautiful, powerful and soporific, and that blockbuster movies are pointless, very moving, and immensly satisfying."

"When illness enters a home, not only does it take hold of a body; it also weaves a dark web between hearts, a web where hope is trapped."

"When something is bothering me, I seek refuge. No need to travel far; a trip to the realm of literary memory will suffice."

And my favorite, and you will love Manuela:

"If you have but one friend, be sure you choose her well." (Manuela is Renee's friend.)

The amazing thing is that what makes this book great is the writing - the words chosen - and it's a translation from the French!!

A Sleeper

2010-01-14T21:43:00.000-08:00

I am in an AR Points competition with Kyle McClure at Clifton - and he's inching closer to me - I am in the lead at the moment - so I had to ratchet up the adolescent lit reading. Actually, I haven't done much reading at all for several weeks - too much else going on - and when I snuggle up with a book at night, it's pretty much snoozeville for me!

I can't even remember when or how I got this. I think it was a bonus from a book fair last fall. I was at home and needed something worth a lot of points - so I picked it up. The cover never appealed to me - but, Surprise!! what a great little novel!!

I'm not sure if it's in England or the U.S. It is modern - but not overly so - little reference to technology other than a reference to a microwave - nothing to tie it to a time or place - although there is a blizzard.

But a very compelling story! I'm not even sure how to describe it other than to say that you feel like cheering at the end. It's a Newbery Honor Book - give it a read through - I think you'll be glad you did.

Splendor in the Grass

2009-12-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, Dad and I happened upon a screen biography of Natalie Wood. It was quite interesting, with lots of great clips from her films.

When the ones for Splendor in the Grass came on, I commented that I'd always thought it was a really great film. Dad said he'd never seen it. I frankly thought everyone my age had seen it when it came out in 1961, but apparently I was wrong!

So we got it on NetFlix and watched it Monday night. Dad agreed with me that it was a really great movie. I had seen it 2 or 3 times over the years - though it is 48 years old, it's as "current" as ever. I consider it a well-wrought film, and of course a young Warren Beatty adds to the charm!!

The title comes from lines in Wordsworth's Ode on Intimations of Immortality, and was originally a story by William Inge - who also wrote Picnic and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs.

I'd recommend it to you!!

Friday Night at the Movies on Primrose

2009-11-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I see that this is a very small shot of the poster for The Pacifier, but it will have to do.

I'm not sure who recommended this to me, but I got it on Netflix and then wondered if I'd be sorry. It may not be "great art," but it was certainly entertaining.

Not bad for a Friday night movie at home. And clean - no sex or profanity and the violence was pretty low key. (Seems oxymoronic to say that violence is low key. But it was more like the violence in the very old Batman movies from the '70s.)

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

2009-11-20T17:07:00.000-08:00

I just finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. It was a recommendation from a friend and I loved it! It is set in England and it is a mystery, so I guess there is not much of a surprise that I enjoyed it. Flavia de Luce is the almost eleven year old that is busy solving mysteries at the family's ancient country house. She quickly became a favorite literary character. And the best part is that there is a sequel. Can't wait to read it!

At least it's worth AR points

2009-11-19T21:41:00.001-08:00

This is a Newbery Honor Book - but I didn't find it all that great. For one thing, it moves ponderously - a death sentence as far as I'm concerned. There were long passages where legends were told - and I ended up skipping most of them.

The basic story had some merit, but the ending was precipitous - and not even very clear. There is a sequel, but I think I will skip it.

We use the Accelerated Reader program at our school - students read books, take quizzes and earn points. Mr. McClure and I decided we wanted to compete, so Mrs. Hoopes gave us user names and passwords, and the race is on.

Mr. McClure got a head start on me - but I plan to catch up - I have 30 points already and I just started Wednesday.

I'll keep you posted!!

An intriguing story

2009-11-09T22:31:00.000-08:00

With all my holocaust reading, I had never come across the stories about Hitler's plans to decimate Czechoslovakia and send all the blonde, blue-eyed children to re-identification camps where they would be turned into good Germans!

This story, though fiction, is based on facts - and the facts are pretty amazing. Children taken from parents and literally turned into someone else - and then adopted by good German families - who vowed to raise them to help perpetuate the "master race."

It's a chilling concept. The story is for adolescents - it is written in a simple, straightforward way - but I enjoyed reading it. The story line alone was compelling; other aspects of the story were secondary.

Undoubtedly there are as many stories out there as there are individuals to tell them.

A quick read

2009-11-04T22:12:00.000-08:00

I'm not really a fan of the supernatural, but this book caught my eye at our recent book fair at school. I picked it up, but it sat on my shelf for several weeks.

Last night I was tired, and didn't feel like doing much, so I laid down on the couch, elevated my legs, and read!!

It's a true "ghost story" and as such is sufficiently gripping to keep you reading. But I found it a bit hard to willingly "suspend disbelief!"

It will undoubtedly find fans in my classroom though!

Latest "good read!"

2009-11-02T20:42:00.000-08:00

Every other year I do Diary of Anne Frank with my students. I can't do it every year because my classes are mixed grades, so I have to cycle through students before I can repeat. The group this year is not responding to the diary itself as well as the class did two years ago, so I have had to use a lot of supplemental materials.

They are interested in and fascinated by the Holocaust - I am always amazed at how they don't know anything about it - that fact alone disturbs me.

So I have been reading a number of other Holocaust stories, and this collection looks like a winner - as in the kids are relating to it. The book is a collection of 8 stories of real Jewish children who overcame some horrific odds to survive the brutality of Hitler. They are all Polish, and apparently they never spoke about their backgrounds until they were well into adulthood.

One woman had never spoken of it at all, but once the Civil Rights movement began, she felt she had to speak up, since the atrocities suffered by blacks reminded her of the conditions she thought she had left far behind in Poland. (Nearly all of them had emigrated to the U.S. after the war.)

Another aspect is the simplicity of the reading - the stories are told very directly, with little description - just bold facts. It works on many levels. It is very effective at grabbing the attention of my kids, the prose is easy for them to read, but it is not simplistic, just simple.

It was a quick read - and each chapter is a story in itself, so it is an easy book to put down. If you have a teenage reader who wants to find out information about the Holocaust, you could read this with them quite effectively.

Friday Night at the Movies on Primrose

2009-10-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

A friend suggested this film - so I got it from NetFlix - about 3 weeks ago!! There has been no movie time it seems. We finally watched it last night.

It has an interesting story line - somewhat old and hackneyed - but it works. And the music was charming. The characters were well-drawn - and the humor was funny most of the time - it got a little "bawdy" at times, but it was a music hall in Paris in 1936 after all! (Be warned, the sub-titles are essential - Dad commented that the French was almost indecipherable!)

It made for some Friday night fun back in the old family room - you know, the room down the hall from the room formerly known as Noah's/Harry's room and next to the room formerly known as Bonny's/Phoebe's bedroom - and the popcorn is in the cupboard formerly known as the water heater closet in the room formerly known as the laundry room!

And there was a whole list of previews to scroll through - so now we have our NetFlix queue filled and waiting for next Friday night!!

So, should you make a book into a movie?

2009-10-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

The reviews are mixed on this film. And I can see why.

There is some charm to it - especially when Max is on the shore with the wild things. They are pretty well done. But it does drag in places. And the main message seems to be that Max doesn't know how to behave - doesn't understand all the conflicting emotions he is experiencing. But what little kid does??

I have to agree with Kenneth Turan in the Times that, "In Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are," less - 10 sentences, 37 pages, 338 words - became more: a much-loved children's book that's sold more than 19 million copies worldwide, 10 million in the U.S. In the new film version of Sendak's classic, more - admired director Spike Jonze, smart co-screenwriter Dave Eggers, top-flight actors including Chris Cooper, James Gandolfini and Forest Whitaker, and a budget estimated at $80 million to $100 million - has paradoxically become less: a precious, self-indulgent cinematic fable that not everyone is going to love."

He goes on to say that the film makes "explicit what was implicit," and I think that's where I think it falls apart. Sometimes it can be tedious to have everything spelled out.

But it's certainly not the worst film I've ever seen - and there were some highlights . So I don't want to spoil it in case you plan to go see it. (Hint: Look for the chicken arm.)

Eve and Porter stayed with it pretty well - but often asked "Why did he say that?" or "Why are you laughing Grandma?" Baby Harry had a harder time staying with it - but did a pretty good job of behaving well even when a little bored. They all appreciated the "knock, knock" joke sequence however!

So, I'm hoping they never try to make a film out of "Ask Mr. Bear," or "Outside Over There," or "Rain Makes Applesauce!!"

YA book covers

2009-10-07T05:52:00.001-07:00

My friend Courtney directed me to this funny blog of bad YA book covers from the 80s. Sadly, the author seems to have run out of material but I think that she is giving up too easily.

El Norte

2009-09-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

Dad and I finally watched this. Eliza had recommended it. I'm not sure Dad liked it all that much, but I thought it was well-done. I liked the music, the scenery, the costumes, the native influence - Guatemala is a beautiful place - if indeed that is where they filmed part of it.

And the characters were well-drawn. It was sad - but then it was talking about a very sad situation - many immigrants do feel that they don't belong anywhere. If they felt like they belonged, they probably wouldn't leave!

There was some comic relief in the stereotypes portrayed - sometimes that part failed to deliver - but other times it was just the right touch - especially when Rosa couldn't figure out how to work the washer, so she scrubbed the clothes by hand and laid them out on the lawn of this mini-mansion to dry!!

And the scenes in the sewer as they crawled to "freedom" were wrenching and powerful I felt. It is indeed a good companion piece to La Misma Luna.

Jericho's Fall

2009-09-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

I've read Emperor of Ocean Park and Civility, both by Stephen Carter. And I enjoyed them. The review I read of his new book was pretty enthusiastic, so I got it.

It was pretty good - but I wish I'd waited and checked it out of the library or something instead of buying it. Although I won't feel bad if I lend it out and lose track of it - which actually happened to the other two.

I think it's perfect airplane fiction - I should have saved it for our upcoming trip.

So now I will go finish My Life in France!

Sisters

2009-09-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

"It's not that their mother capriciously encouraged one and discouraged the other from following the same path. The order of their birth made going to college a different act for each of them. There is no equal protection clause in the family constitution. . . .

"You were born into the same family. But that's an illusion; it's a different family when each child is born. A sister is like yourself in a different movie, a movie that stars you in a different life. . . .

"If I wanted to be like my older sister, she wanted to be like . . . herself. We all seek to figure out and show the world who we are. Having a sister adds an extra image in the mirror. Understanding who you are means discovering who you are in relation to her. And to find your place in the world, you need to know how close to or far from your sister you want to stand.

"Closeness is the holy grail of sister relationships. I frequently heard, 'I wish we were closer,' but never, 'I wish we weren't so close.' "

I read this article today as I leafed through Sunday's Post and thought you might be interested, particularly if you read You're Wearing THAT? by Deborah Tannen that Mom sent around. (I am still reading it.)

Her latest book, coming out this week, is called You Were Always Mom's Favorite!: Sisters in Conversation throughout Their Lives.

Monday Night at the Movies

2009-09-14T21:47:00.001-07:00

Dad and I seem to be in a rut - FHE keeps ending up being Monday Night at the Movies - although we do enjoy it!!

This one was lots of fun - I recommend it highly - and it's squeaky clean too - no sex, no profanity - maybe the high speed motorcycle chase was considered violent or something!!

And a school called Webster Elementary School figure prominently in the plot line!!

That might interest some members of the family.

Movie Night With Eve

2009-09-12T21:50:00.001-07:00

Eve came for her Grandma's Birthday Sleepover and chose this movie for Friday night.

It wasn't bad - a little slow-moving though. And I'm glad I watched it as a rental - I might have felt bad if I'd paid $11 to see this!

Monday Night at the Movies

2009-09-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

When I read the book about GWTW, there was a chapter on 1939 being a bountiful year for great movies. So I thought I'd get some of them from NetFlix, so that I could be au courant in the world of vintage films.

We watched it Monday night - the character in the film has glioma - the same tumor that felled Senator Ted Kennedy. Kind of ironic.

The film has, in addition to Bette Davis, a very young Humphrey Bogart playing an Irish horse trainer. And an equally young Ronald Reagan playing a drunken playboy!! Those characters alone made it worth watching!

I enjoyed it - it was a little cheesy - but then old movies usually are - I think that's what audiences demanded then. And Bette Davis is truly amazing to watch in action.

Next on the queue: El Norte.

Catching up

2009-08-31T13:47:00.001-07:00

I have been reading so many books lately, which is why I haven't been posting them here. Just too busy!

I just finished What is the What by Dave Eggers, which is about the Lost Boys of Sudan. It's really amazing. Even though it's a true story (about Valentino Achak Deng) it is classified as a novel--Deng's reasoning is because when he was sending information to Eggers to write the book, he couldn't be 100% sure of conversations that happened when he was a young boy. Either way, it's really sad and funny. I stayed up late last night finishing it. Also interesting is how much criticism the book got because of Eggers' style of writing. I've read A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (also by Eggers) and I didn't think that his writing style was too apparent in this one. Either way, the story is true, and very sad. Also--if you are planning on reading it and don't know anything about the Sudanese Civil War... you might want to read up on it. The book does a pretty good job of explaining it but I had to keep asking Robbie questions about it. And if you even try to comprehend Darfur in the mix... woof. It's just complicated.

Anyway. During the last week of Europe I read Love in the Time of Cholera, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Year of Magical Thinking, and Eat Pray Love. I should really expound on my feelings on all of the books but let me make it easy for you: LinToC left something to be desired (I really hated the protagonist!), TTTW was... ugh (I just can't imagine it being portrayed on-screen, yet I have this desire to see how it plays out), TYoMT was sad and good (I think it deals with a lot of the same issues that the two former books do [loss of love, real or imagined] but so much more maturely--probably because Didion is 1) older and 2) a real person), and EPL was okay. I liked it at first--compelling, funny, and engaging--but the author lost me when she started sharing too much information about her love life. I don't know. It was okay.

Anyway. Done with the blogging break. Off to apply for jobs at bookstores. (Not kidding.)

A Baseball Story

2009-08-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

I found this little gem many years ago while browsing the BYU Bookstore during some Education Week or Women's Conference.

The story is wonderfully imaginative. And when Noah played baseball with MYBL, I thought often of this character in the outfield. The bugs are great stand-ins for people we all know.

And his parents - clueless but loving and supportive.

Read and smile - and weep and laugh too!

Another Children's Fave

2009-08-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

I was speaking with someone the other day - a mom and and a school teacher - and she didn't know about this book!

I was quite surprised. So I thought I would let anyone who didn't know about, know about it!!

The rhyming is wonderful - but what is even better is the way the lines build on one another - a device young children love - and so it's easy to memorize.

The New York Times Book Review said:

"This is a lovely small book, well-conceived and very well-drawn, gentle, humorous, unsentimental."

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Kids' Books I Have Known and Loved

2009-08-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

There are lots of wonderful books on the market for children. I first discovered this when I took a children's lit class at the U about 33 years ago. I learned about the wonderful world of Caldecott and Newbery winners. I reveled in the fact that it was a class requirement that I immerse myself in all these wonderful books!

I used to subscribe to the Horn Book magazine and diligently peruse all the best new books for children. When I worked at the nursery school, I was even more diligent. And the teachers there kept me up on the latest. While substitute teaching, I took to carrying around a totebag full of wonderful books and read them to the classes where teachers had not left sufficient lesson plans.

While pursuing my teaching credential, I was introduced to even more great books for kids and teens. When I began teaching full-time, I scanned the Scholastic handouts for new titles. I scoffed at Harry Potter when it first came out - thought it wasn't really literature. Shows just how wrong you can be sometimes!

But now I find myself pretty much sticking with the old faves, and I don't venture out too much. I don't think it is a function of age - I think I just can't do everything, and keeping track of kid lit was one of the items that got left by the wayside.

When Phoebe encouraged us to read the Newbery winners this summer, I was pulled back into the children's side of the library. While scanning the shelves for Newbery winners, I found a few "winners" of my own - and have posted them too.

Then Keli Clayton did a post about her girls squabbling, and I was reminded of a book about two girls who shared a room and had trouble getting along. It was a great little book - and I can't remember the title! But while unsuccessfully looking for it, I found myself stopping at every other book and thinking, "I love this book," "Why don't I read this to the grandkids?" "I need to tell everyone about this book."

So, here I am with my first recommendation - if you don't already have this one, try to locate it - you will be glad you did!

We first found this in the public library - probably in Bountiful, Utah. It's been a Terrill fave for years. The words have wonderful rhythm, the illustrations are delightfully "otherworldly," and it's lilting cadence lends itself to almost "singing along" with it.

Try it - you'll like it!

A pretty good movie

2009-08-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

Dad and I went and saw Adam - a film with Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne. I have never heard of either of them, but they did a good job.

The LA Times had given the film a good review. When I looked it up online, the reviews were mixed. It apparently did well at Sundance though.

It's about a young man with Asperger Syndrome. And I think their portrayal of the condition - on the autism spectrum - was "spot on." I could just imagine several of my students in a few years being just like the character Adam.

It's worth a look-see as far as I'm concerned.

Latest "good read!"

2009-08-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

I read about this book on cjane's blog - and it sounded like something I might enjoy - so I ordered it. The guy from the site later commented on her blog that "now he knew why he'd had 25 orders in the last hour!"

If you've read it - cjane said they were going to have a discussion on it, but said discussion has not occurred yet - I'd be interested in your take. It's not a typical "Mormon novel" by any stretch. But I wonder if a non-Mormon would read it and find it enjoyable.

Basic premise is about a young "hippie" in Colorado who comes in contact with the church via a young woman named Annie.

Let me know - if you haven't read it, I think you'd find it a "good read."

Don't bother!!

2009-07-27T23:46:00.000-07:00

Dad and I were disappointed in a major way with this film.

The best thing about it was the trailer - which whetted our appetite for nothing.

I'd never even heard of it, but it's from 2008, so it's not very old.

Just a little too cheesy, and as one reviewer said, full of "Hallmark Hall of Fame-isms!"

I won't bore you with the plot!

Checking off the Newbery books!

2009-07-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

Just finished Kira-Kira - I'm trying to finish the newest 20 - and quite enjoyed it.

I enjoy reading about other cultures in other times - in this case, a Japanese family in Georgia in the 1950's - and the character development is the story's strong suit.

The author does "wrap things up" a bit quickly at the end - a little too tidy to seem real - but the story is mostly well-done and is a good read.

Another Newbery winner to check off -

2009-07-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have noted before that I thought I'd start at the front end of the Newbery list - since the ones at the end seem to drag a bit.

The is the 2002 winner - and it was a great read. It's about 12th century Korea and pottery making - and I've always loved learning my history from novels!! This story did not disappoint - I recommend it.

And I'm off to the library for reinforcements!!

Don't "criss cross" this off your list!

2009-07-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

I was noticing as I went through the Newbery list that I have read most of the new ones - after the 70's, my numbers go down. But I hadn't read the newest ones - except for The Higher Power of Lucky - which was wonderful - so I thought I'd be sure to have read the last 10 anyway.
For this reason I picked up Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins. This is a first novel - and all the more impressive for that. What a delightful read -you may want to do it in one setting - it has a "stream of consciousness" feel to it - but the characters are well-drawn, the emotions are real, the story line comes together remarkably well, and you kind of hate to see it end - all good qualities in a book, to my way of thinking.

It's a kind of coming of age story that takes place in the 70's - I'm not sure where, but it's not California - they make a point of emphasizing that fact. The name of the town is Seldem - don't you love an author who plays with words like that?? There are some quirky drawings that add to the story, almost effortlessly.

On the back cover, there is this quote from the story, "She was thinking that the grass really could be greener on the other side of the fence. It depended on who was standing in the grass. Maybe you had to go take a look."

My favorite lines were in the chapter where Hector starts taking guitar lessons from the local minister: "Maybe there had been a time, a moment, when he had made the choice between being a rock star and a Presbyterian miniser. He had that funny voice, but he seemed to enjoy performing. He threw his head back and scrunched his eyes shut and emoted. He did as much as could be done with that voice. The abandoned rock star option had not quite given up. It had not completely faded away."

If you read no other Newbery book this summer, read this one!! You'll be glad you did!

Finally!

2009-07-16T02:08:00.000-07:00

I finally finished You're Wearing That? after going through a chapter at a time. I usually read it when we were traveling so it was in small segments.

Overall, I liked it. Maybe I should get into more detail when I have the time, but I thought that it was interesting that Mom recommended it to all of us because I don't think that I have as strained a relationship with either of my parents as the subjects in the book seem to! (Unless maybe there's something you're not telling us, Mom?? ;) It did give me a lot of insight on my sisterly relations, too, which was interesting, maybe because I feel like I have been mothered by all of my sisters at one time or another. And then there is the angle of adding my female in-laws into the mix and seeing how we all interact with each other. I thought it was interesting.

Anyway, Eliza gets it next! In a month!

New on the shelf at the New and Improved Monrovia Library!!

2009-07-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

I finished And Now Miguel - which was good but dragged a bit - the pace could have been snappier - and went to get another Newbery winner and was distracted by this book on the "new books" display.

It's about a boy who's learning disabled - can't read - but no one knows about it -I may read it to my students at the beginning of the year. There' s another book, My Name is Brain (crossed out) Brian, with a similar theme and I read it to my students at the beginning of the year one year, and they enjoyed feeling like their own story was not so unheard of.

Last year I started with a novel about bullying - I like to address a theme each year at the beginning - allows for some good discussion.

This book wasn't totally believable - but enough believable to be enjoyable.

So now I'm back to the Newbery books - Criss-Cross to be exact.

Summer Reading

2009-07-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

(I always think a post needs a photo - if Grandma and I had really been on a voyage on the Queen Mary in 1971, we would have been on the deck reading - I'm sure!)

It seems to be a slow summer - reading-wise anyway. I gave up on Adam Bede - after I saw the BBC production and realized how true to the book it was - couldn't bring myself to keep plowing through the extensive prose that is the hallmark of much Victorian writing! (The BBC production was excellent, btw!)

But I did delve into Middlemarch - and it is not such slow reading - but it's easy to put down too - or fall asleep over! But I plan to finish it - it's not a library copy, so I can take all summer.

On the Newbery front, I'm readng And Now Miguel - and it is pretty good. I like the way it sounds - a Hispanic boy in turn of the century New Mexico - he has really caught the flavor.

So that's where I stand now - maybe I read so much this last spring, that I am "read out" or something.

But I do have several Hornblower converts under my belt!

Moving down the list -

2009-07-01T22:44:00.000-07:00

That would be the Newbery list - I was struggling with The Dark Frigate - and thought I'd get a jump start with some lighter fare - this is perfect for such an occasion!!

If you have not read it, do. I never saw the movie - so don't know how they compare. But the story is delightful - and beautifully written.

So now I've read 48 of the 87 - of course, if I had to write book reports on 47 of the ones I've read, I'd be hard put to give more than a skeleton overview.

I will give The Dark Frigate another chance!!

An early summer read - just finished!

2009-06-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

I read of review of this book in the LA Times. I was intrigued - being a die-hard GWTW fan of some renown. I ordered it and was initially a bit disappointed.

Upon finishing it however, I decided that I had enjoyed reflecting on the social implications of GWTW, book and movie.

And it was quite interesting to read the commentary on other films of the same era - I have added a few they mentioned to my NetFlix queue.

Don't buy it, but get it at the library - or borrow my copy!!

More book recommendations!

2009-06-23T05:05:00.001-07:00

Here is another book recommendation site: this one is automated. Kind of cool!

Check it out here.

Reading, reading

2009-06-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

In spite of the end of the Hornblower series, I have been keeping myself busy. I read a not-very-good A Reliable Wife - it had rave reviews, but I don't recommend it. Kind of trashy and very "dark" - I really did a skim job on it just to figure out "who dunnit!"

Now I'm enjoying The African Queen - by C.S. Forester - as good as the film.

At the same time, I'm reading The Biography of Horatio Hornblower - by somebody Parkinson - it's an "official" biography of a fictional character - and pretty good reading. An interesting construct.

I'm getting ready to attack the Newberry list!!

Let's get this party started!

2009-06-08T23:18:00.000-07:00

So if you are in for "Phoebe's Summer Book Club" (prizes to follow-I swear!) I am starting this week with Newberry Medal winner #1.

1922-The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon

I am curious to read this book since I know absolutely nothing about it. Should be fun!

Summer Reading Club Challenge

2009-06-05T22:24:00.001-07:00

I am officially inviting all of you to join my Summer Reading club. I think I will call it Phoebe's Summer Reading Club-that is, until I come up with a catchier name.
The goal for Summer 2009 is lofty, but I think I will be able to reach it. I am going to read all of the Newberry Medal books in chronological order. I am excited for this adventure for many reasons. First, I am looking for new reading material to introduce to Henry- he definitely inherited the Terrill Reading Gene. I am always at a loss for new books for him. Second, I was surprised at how many book son the list I hadn't even heard of, I thought I had read most of them. Third, I think it will be interesting to compare all of the books over the years. I will be looking for trends, quality, genre, etc. Anyway, I am getting ready to roll on this one.
Are you game? I'll try to post regularly to this blog and Goodreads to keep you all updated on my progress. I am sure you will be waiting anxiously for my reports.

Almost French

2009-06-04T05:57:00.000-07:00

I just finished this work of boringness. Has anyone else read it? Sarah Turnbull is an Aussie expat living in France with her French husband. I guess I should have known that it would be a letdown, since that topic isn't really all that innovative to begin with--she just happened to write about it. She's got about as much sentence variety as Stephenie Meyer and she lives quite the glamorous life compared to most transplanted people (she name drops like CRAZY ["my interview with Kristin Scott Thomas," "my interview with John Galliano," etc.]; it gets really old after a while).

On the upside, it was nice that I could identify with some things, like how it's really hard to find a good restaurant in Paris, even though it's a city renowned for its cuisine. And... that you get addicted to the idea of owning a dog after you live here. And that it's a hard city to drive in? Come on, Sarah!

Overall, I wouldn't recommend it. You can just interview me after I get home and get the same idea.

Racing right along!

2009-05-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

I've just finished the next one - and they are actually getting better and better. I'm going to be sorry to have them end!!

I truly wonder why I never read these - they must not have been in the Los Angeles County Bookmobile!!

I continue to recommend them to one and all!

Moving right along with the Hornblower saga!

2009-05-25T00:44:00.000-07:00

I was too impatient to wait for the next book to come from Amazon.com, so I went and visited the new Monrovia Library - which is really lovely by the way - and checked it out instead.

Although this one is number 4 chronologically, it was the last book Forrester wrote. He wrote it to fill a void in the years covered in the saga. However, he didn't finish it. His notes for finishing it are included - and I will say that it's a shame he didn't get to finish - it was getting pretty exciting - he was going to be a spy!!

3 down, 8 to go!!

2009-05-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

I seem to be racing through these - but I don't have the others - I may finally go visit the new Monrovia Library and get the next one!!

They are pretty compelling reading. Forrester also wrote The African Queen, a fave film of mine - maybe I will read it too! The author is a great story teller - I can't figure out half the technical jargon, but that doesn't take away from my enjoyment.

Another book I ordered came yesterday - Frankly My Dear by Molly Haskell about GWTW of course. It is interesting, but not compelling - which is what I need for my "icing the knees" reading!

2 down, 9 to go!!

2009-05-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

I am loving Horatio Hornblower in print, as well as on DVD. I suspect that having seen the DVD's first, I can tell what's going on - the seafaring lingo is like a foreign tongue.

But the stories are more than just action - there's a lot of inner workings of the characters that makes for compelling reading.

And I dearly love a good series, don't you??

One down, 10 to go!!

2009-05-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

Now that I've started the Hornblower novels, I'm going to have plenty to read for a long time I suspect!!

It definitely helps that I've seen the movies - I'm not sure I would understand all the naval and seafaring talk.

They are a good read!!

I'm on the second one now - Lieutenant Hornblower. They are somewhat true to the movies - changes are minor, however. What I'm enjoying the most is the insights into the characters - the films did a good job of "fleshing out" the different ones, but it's nice to make the judgments yourself.

Stay tuned - and watch the DVD's if you haven't already!!

"Aye, aye sir" the fans said in chorus!!

The end of the road -

2009-05-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

So, I have apparently finished the Maisie Dobbs series - hopefully there will be more forthcoming, because I really enjoy reading them - the perfect escape literature.

I recommend them - Phoebe had thought the last one was "weaker" but I enjoyed it as much as the others. I want her to hurry up and fall in love though - with Detective Stratton!!

Just finished . . .

2009-05-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

Felt like I had to finish this before I read my newest Maisie Dobbs novel - and Dad gave me the first two Horatio Hornblower novels, so I have those to look forward to also.

This book has Hester's name in it - but it wasn't a fave or anything - the writing is uneven. The story is compelling, but I didn't feel that things were resolved either.

On to more of Maisie!!

My new fave!!

2009-05-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

Perhaps some of you remember when I noted that the first motion picture that I have a memory of seeing was Captain Horatio Hornblower - I wonder how it would look to me now? Maybe I will NetFlix it to see. I remember thinking it was very bloody and exciting. Of course, with Gregory Peck, I'm sure I thought it was romantic too! I do wonder if my folks knew what movie we were going to see? (After our chores were done each Saturday, we hauled off to the Panorama Theater to see the double feature and to have Root Beer Barrels or Bon Bons for our treat. I guess I had finally come of age and could go too! Or maybe I don't remember the others!)

So when Leslie suggested that we would love the A&E version of Hornblower, we gave it a look/see.

Let's just say Dad and I devoured 8 episodes in 5 nights of viewing - and loved every minute of it!

And I am so a fan of Ioan Gruffudd - wonder why he hasn't hit the big time heartthrob-wise?

Maybe I will just have to watch them over and over again - a la GWTW!!

I highly recommend the series!

5 down, one to go!

2009-05-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

I think I will be going back to work next week - I see the doctor tomorrow, but I am feeling much more like my old self.

And besides, I only have one more Maisie Dobbs book to go before I'm done with the series - until the author writes another one - which I hope she does soon!! These actually get better with each one!!

This one was quite good - a nice mix of mystery, sorrow, Gypsy lore and wartime reflections - Jacqueline Winspear does know how to spin a tale!

Digging around in the old stuff -

2009-05-03T00:07:00.000-07:00

My latest Maisie Dobbs had not arrived, so I picked this one out - even though I have studied Hemingway extensively - at least in years past - I had never read this one.

If you clicked on this to make it larger, you would note how very old it is - as in the price was $1.65!! (And that was new!)

It was your dad's copy for a class at the U I think. Anyway, the Maisie Dobbs books take place after WW I and focus a lot on the issues of that war and how it impacted so much of history. So this was another take - the war in Italy - told from an American point of view.

It is vintage Hemingway - and so some of the staccato dialogue got tedious at times.

But it's a good story - a sad one too - but instructive with the use of imagery and symbolism.

I'm thinking I will add both movie versions (1939 and 1961) to my NetFlix queue.

I'll let you know what I think.

"Another one bites the dust!"

2009-04-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

So, I am tearing through the Maisie Dobbs books - gotta say they are the truly quintessential escape reading for invalids!

I have two more to go - maybe I should save them - or not!

Tired of books?

2009-04-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

I'm actually a little tired of reading. Maybe I just need the right book. I'm plowing through The Eyre Affair but it's just not grabbing me - and some people I trust have recommended it to me, so I may keep plugging.

Instead I've been watching movies - saw The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - disturbing but profound. I would be interested in other reactions. One girl told me she was very "disturbed" by the ending. Another said she was almost feeling "hysterical."

It is thought provoking.

Last night I watched The Duchess. It's based on a true story - a rather intriguing true story I might add - despite changing a lot of details - that ultimately don't seem that essential - I thought the movie seemed true to the facts I read online anyway. I don't know if I'd like the novel they based it on - sometimes I find historical fiction difficult to plow through - but the movie was thought-provoking and well done.

It was a nice diversion!!

Another book to check off the list!

2009-04-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

Leslie sent me the Horatio Hornblower series on DVD, so I may give up reading for a few days - although a new Maisie Dobbs books just came in the mail - but I did finish Revolutionary Road - and it was sad and tragic and very well written.

Seems like everything is reminiscent of some previous writer - this has the makings of a modern Dreiser or Edith Wharton.

It takes place in the 50's after WW II - and I was struck by the portrayal of suburbia. I grew up when Granada Hills was quite rural - then "tract houses" came to town. And they were a novelty - I thought them quite sleek and modern - and I went baby sitting for families who lived in them. And much of what he says in the story about life in suburbia rings true with my memories. I have had this thought about other novels and short stories I have read.

So pay attention to social changes now - in 40+ years you may read a novel exploring their origins and effects. And won't you feel slick saying, "I knew that!"

I should be keeping a count I guess -

2009-04-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

I woke up about 2:30 this a.m. and could not get back to sleep. The pain meds are worthless - they do nothing. Advil helps, so I took some. Ice packs work too - but I'd fallen asleep with them and they were no longer icy.

So I hobbled out to the living room and thought I'd read until I fell asleep - the couch is actually a good place to sleep, since there is something for me to lean against - I'm a side sleeper and I can't do the side thing with these bulky dressings in a regular bed. (That may be a misplaced modifier?)

I was about 3/4 of the way through the book - and it turned out to have a gripping ending - so I stayed awake until I finished!! And then slept till 9:30 or so. But I'm still feeling groggy - I think a nap will soon be in order.

These Maisie Dobbs books are a good fast read - and pretty intense. I'm usually not a mystery fan at all - but the setting for these is England after WW I - and the inherently interesting historical details make them compelling for me to read.

Guess I will have to get another one - this is #2 for me - I think there are 6 or 8 of them.

And there will undoubtedly be other sleepless nights ahead! (If not, there are afternoons ahead for reading too!)

Another book down -

2009-04-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

I am ready to say that I am a little bit tired of reading!! Never thought I'd say that! I need to mix it up with some movies - but Dad keeps stalling a trip to Blockbuster for the movies I want. This is when it would be handy to have Netflix, yes??

But I had started this before my surgery and wanted to see how it ended badly enough to "read through the pain" as they say. (And the pain has greatly diminished too.)

This, it turns out, is a kind of Holocaust novel too - but from a very different perspective - that of a family of Jews - who will not acknowledge their Jewishness after they immigrate to the U.S. in 1936. The ending is very surprising - and a lot of tension is maintained through the middle of the book. There is some difficulty towards the end - the story seems to drift and swirl before moving forward once more.

But it's a good read. I have not read her other books - just an occasional short story - but I may check out her biography of Marilyn Monroe - called Blonde, of course!

Now I'm going to go back to the couch - 5 minutes upright is about all I can handle at the moment.

Revolutionary Road

2009-04-13T21:49:00.001-07:00

Goodness. I don't even know where to start. Richard Yates said, "If my work has a theme, I suspect it is a simple one: that most human beings are inescapably alone, and therein lies their tragedy." I have a hard time relating to those kinds of themes, for obvious reasons (the gospel, a happy and fulfilling marriage, my family, etc.), but it was an interesting book. The American Studies classes I enjoyed most were my 50s and 60s classes, so I got to think back on things like the paint by numbers craze and the emergence of suburbia in order to better understand the book.

One thing that I was trying to wrap my mind around was why Sam Mendes decided to adapt the book into a movie this past year, almost 50 years after the book was published. (I haven't seen the movie, but it sounds like a pretty accurate adaptation.) I definitely believe that media is a mirror of our times; I probably just need more time to think on it. I would be interested to hear your thoughts if any of you decide to read it, and hope that you have that question in mind.

Like I said, I guess I have gospel goggles on, because I don't feel trapped in my marriage, and Robbie has never tried to suppress my hopes and dreams. It was a really difficult task to try and sympathize with the protagonists because they were both just sickeningly selfish, yet I was still quite shaken by the time I finished the book. Simultaneously shaken and relieved, strangely enough.

I'd recommend it. It seemed a bit daunting and slow-moving at first, but I plowed through it in a couple of days. Really compelling.

Ed. note: I just read Kenneth Turan's review, and he says that "the core of this film finally cries out to us today, makes us see that the notion of characters struggling with life, with the despair of betraying their best selves because of what society will or won't allow, is as gripping and relevant now as it ever was. Or ever will be." Interesting.

The Latest Read

2009-04-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

We had a give and take table at one of our book group nights, and I picked up this one.

The author won the Pulitzer Prize - but I'd never heard of him. But it was a pretty good read - very Faulknerish so it took some concentration. It was a very different construct - about blacks who owned slaves before the Civil War - takes place in Virginia - Manchester County.

Apparently it was not a very common practice - but it did exist.

The stack is getting smaller - but it's still got plenty of reading material in it!

A new treasure

2009-04-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

Bonny introduced me to the first Penderwicks books - they are like a modern-day Betsy-Tacy story about a family of 4 girls.

This is the second one - and hopefully many more will come. It's obviously light weight reading, but it has its charm - a father who scolds them in Latin, a sister who wields a wicked pen, and lots of neighbor boys to keep life interesting.

It was a lovely diversion!

Running out of reading material -

2009-04-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

I will need to get the rest of the books in this series that Phoebe recommended - because I really enjoyed this first one.

Just the right amount of mystery and history -and a dash of Upstairs, Downstairs thrown in for good measure - made for a good read.

Airplane, doctor's waiting room or the living room couch!

Nothing quite like a good book - especially on a school holiday!

2009-03-30T21:56:00.001-07:00

Another good read - passed on to me by Phoebe and the Dequer girls one and all!

I confess I was a little put off by the title - thought it might be some Mitfordish concoction (I loved the Mitford books at first - but then they got tedious.)

But it's a wonderful book - a fast read, in fact, it's an epistolary novel and is set just after World War II. It delves into the aftermath of the war in England - and also deals with Hitler, the rise of Nazism, and the island of Guernsey.

I'm not sure how much of the story is based on fact, but it's all very believable. The prose is spare but revealing. The characters are well-drawn. The plot line is compelling.

I don't think you can ask for much more. The pity is that it's a first novel - and the author died before it was published - a niece helped her finish it before she died. It was a great collaboration too.

I guess we will just have to wonder what else she might have written.

Now I'm on to the Maisie Dobbs books - recommended by Phoebe too.

As I have said before, I'm slowly catching up with yesterday's news!!

This is a winner!

2009-03-27T21:53:00.001-07:00

Maybe everyone has already read this book, but I just discovered it - in fact someone handed it to me at my book club and said, "Here, have you read this?" Didn't even want it back - I think I'm supposed to spread the wealth - but I'm planning to inspire Dad to read it before I send it on!

This book was written as a young adult novel, but captured a much wider audience than that - in fact, it was a New York Times #1 bestseller.

I think what impressed me the most was how well-wrought the story was. And the careful, effective use of figurative language made it all very lyrical. Sometimes I think modern writers have forgotten about how wonderful a great metaphor can be - "Above her, Rosa appeared to be smudged, but she soon clarified as her cardboard face loomed closer."

The most effective device is the use of Death as the narrator - it gives the story shape and meaning that it could get in no other way.

And the story keeps making wise, perceptive statements: "I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that's where they begin. Their great skill is their ability to escalate." There's a lot of "food for thought" there!

The story takes place in Germany in the late 1930's and early 40's. There are the requisite concentration camps and escaping Jews, but none of it seems tired or hackneyed. I suspect that it would be very difficult to make light of those details anyway. (Even though Life is Beautiful is somewhat comical, it is a tragic, but endearing comedy that only makes the tragedy more poignant.)

I recommend this highly - let's all read it and discuss it - I mean if you haven't already read it.

Let's put some life into this book blog!

Just finished . . .

2009-03-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

The Reader. It was a strange story - but compelling. What is it about translated books? It's not like it's poorly done, but the words seems almost too carefully chosen. But it doesn't really spoil it - just gives it a certain foreign tone - which adds to the overall enjoyment I suspect.

Without giving away the plot - and even if I'd read the end first, I don't think I would have figured it out - I will just say that the part about the cassette tapes really struck a chord. If you've read it and remember that, let's have a conversation.

Another book finished -

2009-03-18T23:01:00.001-07:00

I finished Love in the Time of Cholera. Go here for my somewhat extended comment on a part of the book that reallys struck me. (After I'd written that post, I thought, "Gee, that should have been a book blog post." But I don't know how to shift a post from one blog to another. A skill I should probably have someone show me.)

Some words of particular note

2009-03-15T00:10:00.000-07:00

Found this quote in a book I was reading. I think it is apropos to a book blog:

"Books are the quietest and most constant friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient teachers."

Charles William Eliot

clever blog

2009-03-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

Just in case you were curious about the origins of book titles, a writer for The Sunday Telegraph has a blog of how books got their titles. Kind of cool.

How books got their titles

The Reader

2009-03-03T13:33:00.000-08:00

So, I just plowed through The Reader. It's only 218 pages long so it only took me a couple of hours to finish. Since a friend lent it to me I decided to work on this one before attacking the other books in the pile. And now I have one book adapted into a movie starring Kate Winslet down; maybe I'll start Revolutionary Road next.

Anyway, it's really powerful, and sad, and reads like a true story (to me, at any rate). And it's very conflicting. And it's not at all as graphic as I thought it would be--my friend who lent it to me said that she was a little shocked when she read it, but it's not very bad at all. (Although I can see why the movie is rated R.)

I especially think Mom might be interested in it, because it's about the Holocaust. It took me a while to figure out the time period of the book... I had to do some mental math to figure out when it took place.

Moving on. I think you'll all enjoy it. I wrote down a couple of phrases that I found interesting to the moral message of the novel. So, it's not super fluffy, but if you have a couple of hours to spare you could finish it rather easily, I'm sure. And Mom, promise me that you won't read the end before you finish the book. Thanks.

Another book done -

2009-02-28T21:43:00.000-08:00

I just finished Snowflower and the Secret Fan - I'm not sure who left it with me and told me how great it was - but I really enjoyed reading it.

I love novels about Chinese life and history - China is so very different - and it never ceases to amaze me.

The stories are so varied but still have a common thread. And footbinding - whoa, I will never understand that, but they went into more detail in this story than I've heard before.

I would recommend it.

I am actually reading!

2009-02-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

Since the entire family has been hit with various forms of the flu for the last week I have taken the chance to catch up on a ton of reading. I just finished two of the sequels to Maisie Dobbs and I loved them! The perfect tone, speed and quality for reading on the couch in the afternoon. Thye are all mysteries that take place in the late 1920's early 1930's and the very capable Maisie Dobbs, Psychiatrist and Investigator is on the case!

So I officially recommend...
Maisie Dobbs
Birds of a Feather
Pardonable Lies
all by Jaqueline Winspear

Enjoy!

On your nightstand.

This month's book group selection -

Latest read

Latest Grisham Read

A good read

Finished it -

A Movie Weekend

Sunday Night at the Movies

On the film/literary front

In the Garden of Beasts

Third time's a charm!

wastelands

2 down, one to go!

I need to stop reading and start getting things done!!

Another good read - with more to come!

Louder Than Words

An odd sort of story . . .

Don't bother!

hotel at the corner of bitter and sweet.

Don't "neglect" this one!

Latest good reads

A day late and a dollar short -

Still Alice

The latest Maisie Dobbs

Latest read

A great read

Testing...testing

Summer books 2010

Babies - the movie version anyway!!

At the Terrill Backroom Cinema!!

This is the fittest you will ever see me!!

Sargent's Daughters by Erica Hirschler

Newest read

A must read!

A Sleeper

Splendor in the Grass

Friday Night at the Movies on Primrose

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

At least it's worth AR points

An intriguing story

A quick read

Latest "good read!"

Friday Night at the Movies on Primrose

So, should you make a book into a movie?

YA book covers

El Norte

Jericho's Fall

Sisters

Monday Night at the Movies

Movie Night With Eve

Monday Night at the Movies

Catching up

A Baseball Story

Another Children's Fave

Kids' Books I Have Known and Loved

A pretty good movie

Latest "good read!"

Don't bother!!

Checking off the Newbery books!

Another Newbery winner to check off -

Don't "criss cross" this off your list!

Finally!

New on the shelf at the New and Improved Monrovia Library!!

Summer Reading

Moving down the list -

An early summer read - just finished!

More book recommendations!

Recommended summer reading

Reading, reading

Let's get this party started!

Summer Reading Club Challenge

Almost French

Racing right along!

Moving right along with the Hornblower saga!

3 down, 8 to go!!

2 down, 9 to go!!

One down, 10 to go!!

The end of the road -

Just finished . . .

My new fave!!