So... yesterday morning at the ALA conference in San Antonio, the announced all sorts of awards!
Newberry:
Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
Newberry Honors:
Whittington by Alan Armstrong
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson
Caldecott:
The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster, illustrated by Chris Roaschka
Caldecott Honors:
Rosa by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier
Zen Shorts written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth
Hot Air : The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride written and illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
Song of the Waterboatman and Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beckie Prange
There are a million others. The complete list is here.
I actually haven't read any of the Newberry books, but I've looked over all of the Caldecotts with the excpetion of Hot Air : The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride. And, I gotta say... where I really liked The Hello, Goodbye Window, the illustrations didn't grab me. They're a bit chaotic and if I'm not in the right mood, give me a headache. I like them, but they just weren't the "wowie zowie" type thing you'd expect from a Caldecott award winner, you know?
Now, Zen Shorts really did grab me in that way. The first time I read it I thought "Man, this should get the Caldecott". I didn't see Rosa or Song of the Waterboatman and Other Pond Poems until they started getting "Caldecott Contender" hype, but I think their illustrations both grab more than The Hello, Goodbye Window, especially Song of the Waterboatman and Other Pond Poems, which immediately grabbed me. Rosa didn't grab me in the same way, but I can definitely see why it might grab others...
I just used the word "grab" waaaaaaaaay too much. I apologize.
Touching back briefly on Newberry...
I've flipped through Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow a few times and it looks really good. I've checked The Princess Academy out and will read it soon. I'm also currently listening to Kira-Kira, which won last year. So far, I like it.
AND! I've only about 50 pages left in Unredeemed Captive, The : A Family Story from Early America. It's been worth the re-read.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Still going with last year's books...
Other books (of the literary fiction genre) I really enjoyed this year:
The Kite Runner Khaled Hosienni
Never Let Me Go Kazou Ishiguro
The Shipping News Annie Proulx
Kim (Penguin Classics) Rudyard Kipling
Great Expectations Charles Dickens
Brick Lane : A Novel Monica Ali
A Doll's House and Other Plays Henrik Ibsen
The Republic of Wine : A Novel by Mo Yan, trans. Howard Goldblatt
Persuasion Jane Austen
With the following comments:
LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED the Ibsen. And if you've ever studied May 4th Movement Chinese lit and haven't read A Doll's House, you should fix that. Like NOW. Plus, the other plays, especially, Lady from the Sea were excellent.
Brick Lane : A Novel was good, but just not initially what I wanted or expected it to be. It moved a bit slow, but I think I wanted another White Teeth or Crazy Times in on the Curry Mile. But it pulled me in after a while, and the ending was beautiful.
The Republic of Wine : A Novel is pretty f-ed up and the least accessible of Mo Yan's work. It makes more sense though, if you've had a lot of wine before reading.
The Kite Runner Khaled Hosienni
Never Let Me Go Kazou Ishiguro
The Shipping News Annie Proulx
Kim (Penguin Classics) Rudyard Kipling
Great Expectations Charles Dickens
Brick Lane : A Novel Monica Ali
A Doll's House and Other Plays Henrik Ibsen
The Republic of Wine : A Novel by Mo Yan, trans. Howard Goldblatt
Persuasion Jane Austen
With the following comments:
LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED the Ibsen. And if you've ever studied May 4th Movement Chinese lit and haven't read A Doll's House, you should fix that. Like NOW. Plus, the other plays, especially, Lady from the Sea were excellent.
Brick Lane : A Novel was good, but just not initially what I wanted or expected it to be. It moved a bit slow, but I think I wanted another White Teeth or Crazy Times in on the Curry Mile. But it pulled me in after a while, and the ending was beautiful.
The Republic of Wine : A Novel is pretty f-ed up and the least accessible of Mo Yan's work. It makes more sense though, if you've had a lot of wine before reading.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
The Best and Worst of 2005
I'm about half way through Unredeemed Captive by John Demos. This is a book I was supposed to read for the worst class I ever took in college. The class was so horrible (teacher's fault, not the subject, which was New World History) that I sold all the books we had to use, except for Sugar and Slaves: the Rise of the Planter Class in the English West Indies 1624-1713 by Richard S. Dunn. Not that I particularly enjoyed the book (I don't think I finished reading it, to tell the truth) but because, for some reason, they wouldn't buy it back from me.
I always regretted selling Unredeemed Captive as well as Captain Kidd and the War against the Pirates by Robert C. Ritchie. As both were good and I never finished reading them. Time to remedy such mistakes.
To keep you entertained until I finish such things, here's a back log of stuff:
OK, In 2005, I read 84 books. Ratings are now coming! Yay!
The best book:
I'm going to have to just give it up and go with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling, because dude.
Not counting Potter, I'd go with Andrea Levy's Small Isalnd. I also really enjoyed Saving Fish from Drowning(The best thing Amy Tan's ever written, IMHO) and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Worst Book:
Hands down, Rosemarie Santini's Sex & Sensibility: The Adventures of a Jane Austen Addict--A Novel which tried to be a high minded, Bridget Jones's Diary type thing and just failed failed failed and wasn't enjoyable on any level. Close second would be What You Owe Me. Ugh. Don't get me started.
Another Crap-tastic book from last year would be: Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend by Graham Russell Gao Hodges. Poorly researched. Poorly written. Poorly edited. I wanted to reread it with my red-pen in hand and then mail it back to him. Gargh.
Most fun discovery of last year was Lauren Child. Check out her Charlie and Lola picture books. Check out Clarice Bean. Just check her out. LOVE.
I always regretted selling Unredeemed Captive as well as Captain Kidd and the War against the Pirates by Robert C. Ritchie. As both were good and I never finished reading them. Time to remedy such mistakes.
To keep you entertained until I finish such things, here's a back log of stuff:
OK, In 2005, I read 84 books. Ratings are now coming! Yay!
The best book:
I'm going to have to just give it up and go with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling, because dude.
Not counting Potter, I'd go with Andrea Levy's Small Isalnd. I also really enjoyed Saving Fish from Drowning(The best thing Amy Tan's ever written, IMHO) and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Worst Book:
Hands down, Rosemarie Santini's Sex & Sensibility: The Adventures of a Jane Austen Addict--A Novel which tried to be a high minded, Bridget Jones's Diary type thing and just failed failed failed and wasn't enjoyable on any level. Close second would be What You Owe Me. Ugh. Don't get me started.
Another Crap-tastic book from last year would be: Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend by Graham Russell Gao Hodges. Poorly researched. Poorly written. Poorly edited. I wanted to reread it with my red-pen in hand and then mail it back to him. Gargh.
Most fun discovery of last year was Lauren Child. Check out her Charlie and Lola picture books. Check out Clarice Bean. Just check her out. LOVE.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Classic and Banned
Of Mice and Men (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century), by John Steinbeck
Can you believe I'd never read this before? I love Steinbeck's prose... I love his imagery of California and his dialogue and how he captures a certain segment of society.
Where my favorites are still Cannery Row and East of Eden this short bitter story of Lennie and George is one of Steinbeck's best. I came into knowing the basic plot, mainly the refrain of "Can I tend the rabbits George?" and the end. I also knew the bit about ketchup, as it was a scene used in my high school acting class, but it still moved me when told in Steinbeck's words and grace.
There is a feeling I get with Steinbeck, after not having read any for a long time, that diving back into his prose is like coming home to an old friend, or putting on your favorite pair of jeans.
Can you believe I'd never read this before? I love Steinbeck's prose... I love his imagery of California and his dialogue and how he captures a certain segment of society.
Where my favorites are still Cannery Row and East of Eden this short bitter story of Lennie and George is one of Steinbeck's best. I came into knowing the basic plot, mainly the refrain of "Can I tend the rabbits George?" and the end. I also knew the bit about ketchup, as it was a scene used in my high school acting class, but it still moved me when told in Steinbeck's words and grace.
There is a feeling I get with Steinbeck, after not having read any for a long time, that diving back into his prose is like coming home to an old friend, or putting on your favorite pair of jeans.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Love
Heavy Words Lightly Thrown : The Reason Behind the Rhyme, by Chris Roberts.
Love love, how I love. Even though I've read it (and got it from the library) it's still on my wish list, because I want to own this, do I ever.
Basically, Roberts tells us the reasons and history behind nursery rhymes. An entertaining, easy, and interesting read. No footnotes, not a lot of sources and not overly scholarly, but it doesn't pretend to be either, he's rather upfront about the whole thing, which is refreshing. I also learned a lot about British history and even taught Dan, who holds an advanced degree in such things a minor fact or two. (Like London Bridge is really the third London Bridge). Did you know goose bumps are a symptom of STD? (Goose being slang for prostitute, and when a prostitute gives you bumps, you know it can't be good)
Mary Mary quite contrary... Bloody Mary? Mary Queen of Scots? A good case to be made for either one!
And what's with Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater keeping his wife in a pumpkin shell? Suburban hell? Guilded cage?
I highly recommend. Absolutely LOVED.
Love love, how I love. Even though I've read it (and got it from the library) it's still on my wish list, because I want to own this, do I ever.
Basically, Roberts tells us the reasons and history behind nursery rhymes. An entertaining, easy, and interesting read. No footnotes, not a lot of sources and not overly scholarly, but it doesn't pretend to be either, he's rather upfront about the whole thing, which is refreshing. I also learned a lot about British history and even taught Dan, who holds an advanced degree in such things a minor fact or two. (Like London Bridge is really the third London Bridge). Did you know goose bumps are a symptom of STD? (Goose being slang for prostitute, and when a prostitute gives you bumps, you know it can't be good)
Mary Mary quite contrary... Bloody Mary? Mary Queen of Scots? A good case to be made for either one!
And what's with Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater keeping his wife in a pumpkin shell? Suburban hell? Guilded cage?
I highly recommend. Absolutely LOVED.
It better not be Ginny Weasley damnit
In an interview in the Telegraph JK Rowling says:
In the seventh and final Harry Potter book, there will be deaths of both goodies and baddies. She was talking to her husband, Neil, recently, after she had just written the death of one particular character. "He shuddered. 'Oh don't do that,' he said to me, but of course I did."
AIY! WHO GOT KILLED?! I WANT TO KNOW!
In the seventh and final Harry Potter book, there will be deaths of both goodies and baddies. She was talking to her husband, Neil, recently, after she had just written the death of one particular character. "He shuddered. 'Oh don't do that,' he said to me, but of course I did."
AIY! WHO GOT KILLED?! I WANT TO KNOW!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
I exsist, but do my readers?
So... I thought I'd do this blog more. More for my benefit more than anything. An online reading journal, if you will.
So, so far this year, I have read the following...
Boy Meets Boy David Levithan
A quirky love story that takes place in a town where the drag queens have their own clique (and one is the star quarterback), being gay isn't a big deal, and the cheerleaders drive motorcycles. It's sweet, it's fun, and really, really quirky. I enjoyed.
Catherine, Called Birdy (rpkg) (Trophy Newbery) Karen Cushman (100 best books!)
Catherine is headstrong and independant in England of 1290. A good historical fiction on life in the middle ages, and just plain funny. I had a hard time putting it down! I particularily enjoyed the fact that she had gotten ahold of a book of saints, and includes the saints day for every entry in her dairy, which leads to hilarious things like: Feast of Saint Malo, a bishop who sang psalms to his horse and Feast of Saint Cecilia, who refused to sacrifice to pagan gods and was suffocated in her bathing room.
Visions and Longings : Medieval Women Mystics Monica Furlong, ed. (non fiction!)
A good introduction and anthology of writings on Medieval female mystics. Each author had a good introduction with biographical notes and exploration of her role in the church and how her work was and has been percieved and recieved over the years. Contains the entire short text of Julian of Norwich's Showings, which I enjoyed after going to her room in Norwich during a non debauched section of an otherwise completely debaucherous weekend at East Anglia University. We also ate the Adam and Eve pub which dates from the 1300s and has been the site of a drinking establishement since something ancient, like 500AD. They had good fish.
Bindi Babes (Bindi Babes (Paperback)) Narinder Dhami
A funny story about 3 Indian girls in London trying to cope with the death of their mother and an interfering Auntie who moves in from India. Funny.
Bollywood Babes (Bindi Babes) Narinder Dhami
The Dhillon sisters are back! And they've invited a washed up Bollywood star to stay with them who expects Auntie to wait on her, might steal away Mr. Arora, or worse, their Dad. Ack. I'm also excited to see that in England, Bhangra Babes (Bindi Babes) has just come out, so I'm waiting not-so-patiently for it to come out here. WANT.
So, so far this year, I have read the following...
Boy Meets Boy David Levithan
A quirky love story that takes place in a town where the drag queens have their own clique (and one is the star quarterback), being gay isn't a big deal, and the cheerleaders drive motorcycles. It's sweet, it's fun, and really, really quirky. I enjoyed.
Catherine, Called Birdy (rpkg) (Trophy Newbery) Karen Cushman (100 best books!)
Catherine is headstrong and independant in England of 1290. A good historical fiction on life in the middle ages, and just plain funny. I had a hard time putting it down! I particularily enjoyed the fact that she had gotten ahold of a book of saints, and includes the saints day for every entry in her dairy, which leads to hilarious things like: Feast of Saint Malo, a bishop who sang psalms to his horse and Feast of Saint Cecilia, who refused to sacrifice to pagan gods and was suffocated in her bathing room.
Visions and Longings : Medieval Women Mystics Monica Furlong, ed. (non fiction!)
A good introduction and anthology of writings on Medieval female mystics. Each author had a good introduction with biographical notes and exploration of her role in the church and how her work was and has been percieved and recieved over the years. Contains the entire short text of Julian of Norwich's Showings, which I enjoyed after going to her room in Norwich during a non debauched section of an otherwise completely debaucherous weekend at East Anglia University. We also ate the Adam and Eve pub which dates from the 1300s and has been the site of a drinking establishement since something ancient, like 500AD. They had good fish.
Bindi Babes (Bindi Babes (Paperback)) Narinder Dhami
A funny story about 3 Indian girls in London trying to cope with the death of their mother and an interfering Auntie who moves in from India. Funny.
Bollywood Babes (Bindi Babes) Narinder Dhami
The Dhillon sisters are back! And they've invited a washed up Bollywood star to stay with them who expects Auntie to wait on her, might steal away Mr. Arora, or worse, their Dad. Ack. I'm also excited to see that in England, Bhangra Babes (Bindi Babes) has just come out, so I'm waiting not-so-patiently for it to come out here. WANT.
The Books I Read in 2005
Here they are, most recent on top.
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things Carolyn Mackler
Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 recipies, 1 tiny apartment kitchen: How one girl risked her marriage, her job and her sanity to master the art of living Julie Powell
Ella Enchanted Gail Carson Levine
Skipping Towards Gomarrah Dan Savage
Drina Dances in Italy Jean Estoril
The Painted Wall and other strange tales Michael Bedard
My Scrumptious Scottish Dumplings: The Life of Angelica Cookson Potts Cherry Whytock
My Cup Runneth Over: The life of Angelica Cookson Potts Cherry Whytock
We Danced in Bloomsbury Square Jean Estoril
The Three Incestous Sisters Audrey Niffennegger
The Unauthroized Autobiography of Lemony Snicket Lemony Snicket
Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and Rise of Raunch Culture Ariel Levy
The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame
Naked Pictures of Famous People Jon Stewart
First They Killed my Father Luong Ung
The Historian Elizabeth Kostova
Clarice Bean Spells Trouble Lauren Child
Utterly Me, Clarice Bean Lauren Child
Saving Fish From Drowning Amy Tan
The Kite Runner Khaled Hosienni
The Penultimate Peril Lemony Snickett
100 Best Books for Children Anita Silvey
The Grim Grotto Lemony Snickett
The Slippery Slope Lemony Snickett
Judiasm: A Very Short Introduction Norman Solomon
The Carnivorous Carnival Lemony Snickett
The Hostile Hospital Lemony Snickett
The Vile Village Lemony Snickett
The Ersatz Elevator Lemony Snickett
The Austere Academy Lemony Snickett
The Miserable Mill Lemony Snickett
The Wide Window Lemony Snickett
The Reptile Room Lemony Snickett
Year of the Secret Assingments Jacyln Moriarty
A Bad Beginning Lemony Snickett
America: The Book Jon Stewart
And then he Ate my Boy Entrancer Louise Rennison
Sex and Sensibility Rose Marie Santini
Feeling Sorry for Celia Jaclyn Moriarty
Chosing Judaism (revised edition) Lydia Kukoff
Never Let me Go Kazou Ishiguro
The Big Over Easy Jasper Fforde
Geisha, A Life Mineko Iwasaki
Small Island Andrea Levy
Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood Ann Beshares
Red Scarf Girl Ji-Li Jiang
How to Rent a Negro damali ayo
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood Ann Brashares
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Ann Brashares
The Shipping News Annie Proulx
Kim Rudyard Kipling
Something Rotten Jasper Fforde
The Well of Lost Plots Jasper Fforde (reread)
Lost in a Good Book Jasper Fforde (reread)
Book of Enchantments Patricia C. Wrede
The Eyre Affair Jasper Fforde (reread)
Talking to Dragons Patricia C. Wrede (reread)
Calling on Dragons Patricia C. Wrede (reread)
Searching for Dragons Patricia C. Wrede (reread)
Dealing with Dragons Patricia C. Wrede (reread)
Quidditch Through the Ages Kennilworthy Whisp
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Newton Scamander
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix J. K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J. K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J. K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets J. K. Rowling (reread) (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone J. K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince J. K. Rowling (2 times)
Dress your Family in Denim and Courderoy David Sedaris
Can you Keep a Secret Sophie Kinsella
Great Expectations Charles Dickens
Angels and Demons Dan Brown
Brick Lane Monica Ali
Away Laughing on a Fast Camel Louise Rennison
The Doll's House and Other Plays Henrik Ibsen
Cause Celeb Helen Fielding
L'Affaire Diane Johnson
Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend by Graham Russell Gao Hodges
The Secret Garden Frances Hodgets Burnett (reread)
The Republic of Wine by Mo Yan, trans. Howard Goldblatt
Changing Places David Lodge
What you Owe me Bebe Moore Campbell
Persuasion Jane Austen
[http://guystuff.oilies.com/?id=5Guy Stuff] Some guy named Dan
Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About Mil Millington
Longitude Dava Sobel
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things Carolyn Mackler
Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 recipies, 1 tiny apartment kitchen: How one girl risked her marriage, her job and her sanity to master the art of living Julie Powell
Ella Enchanted Gail Carson Levine
Skipping Towards Gomarrah Dan Savage
Drina Dances in Italy Jean Estoril
The Painted Wall and other strange tales Michael Bedard
My Scrumptious Scottish Dumplings: The Life of Angelica Cookson Potts Cherry Whytock
My Cup Runneth Over: The life of Angelica Cookson Potts Cherry Whytock
We Danced in Bloomsbury Square Jean Estoril
The Three Incestous Sisters Audrey Niffennegger
The Unauthroized Autobiography of Lemony Snicket Lemony Snicket
Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and Rise of Raunch Culture Ariel Levy
The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame
Naked Pictures of Famous People Jon Stewart
First They Killed my Father Luong Ung
The Historian Elizabeth Kostova
Clarice Bean Spells Trouble Lauren Child
Utterly Me, Clarice Bean Lauren Child
Saving Fish From Drowning Amy Tan
The Kite Runner Khaled Hosienni
The Penultimate Peril Lemony Snickett
100 Best Books for Children Anita Silvey
The Grim Grotto Lemony Snickett
The Slippery Slope Lemony Snickett
Judiasm: A Very Short Introduction Norman Solomon
The Carnivorous Carnival Lemony Snickett
The Hostile Hospital Lemony Snickett
The Vile Village Lemony Snickett
The Ersatz Elevator Lemony Snickett
The Austere Academy Lemony Snickett
The Miserable Mill Lemony Snickett
The Wide Window Lemony Snickett
The Reptile Room Lemony Snickett
Year of the Secret Assingments Jacyln Moriarty
A Bad Beginning Lemony Snickett
America: The Book Jon Stewart
And then he Ate my Boy Entrancer Louise Rennison
Sex and Sensibility Rose Marie Santini
Feeling Sorry for Celia Jaclyn Moriarty
Chosing Judaism (revised edition) Lydia Kukoff
Never Let me Go Kazou Ishiguro
The Big Over Easy Jasper Fforde
Geisha, A Life Mineko Iwasaki
Small Island Andrea Levy
Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood Ann Beshares
Red Scarf Girl Ji-Li Jiang
How to Rent a Negro damali ayo
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood Ann Brashares
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Ann Brashares
The Shipping News Annie Proulx
Kim Rudyard Kipling
Something Rotten Jasper Fforde
The Well of Lost Plots Jasper Fforde (reread)
Lost in a Good Book Jasper Fforde (reread)
Book of Enchantments Patricia C. Wrede
The Eyre Affair Jasper Fforde (reread)
Talking to Dragons Patricia C. Wrede (reread)
Calling on Dragons Patricia C. Wrede (reread)
Searching for Dragons Patricia C. Wrede (reread)
Dealing with Dragons Patricia C. Wrede (reread)
Quidditch Through the Ages Kennilworthy Whisp
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Newton Scamander
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix J. K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J. K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J. K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets J. K. Rowling (reread) (2 times)
Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone J. K. Rowling (reread)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince J. K. Rowling (2 times)
Dress your Family in Denim and Courderoy David Sedaris
Can you Keep a Secret Sophie Kinsella
Great Expectations Charles Dickens
Angels and Demons Dan Brown
Brick Lane Monica Ali
Away Laughing on a Fast Camel Louise Rennison
The Doll's House and Other Plays Henrik Ibsen
Cause Celeb Helen Fielding
L'Affaire Diane Johnson
Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend by Graham Russell Gao Hodges
The Secret Garden Frances Hodgets Burnett (reread)
The Republic of Wine by Mo Yan, trans. Howard Goldblatt
Changing Places David Lodge
What you Owe me Bebe Moore Campbell
Persuasion Jane Austen
[http://guystuff.oilies.com/?id=5Guy Stuff] Some guy named Dan
Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About Mil Millington
Longitude Dava Sobel
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Can you Keep a Secret
I finished Sophie Kinsella's Can you Keep a Secret this weekend. It was cute. Fun. British Chick-Lit.
I started David Sedaris's Dress your Family in Denim and Courderoy but it got packed. Erm. So I'm going to pick it up from the library tonight.
I also started Rudyard Kipling's Kim, but am still reading the 50 page intro by Said. I hate reading intros, because they inevitably give away the end of the book, but, I can never be bothered to go back and read them. So lazy am I.
I, like most people, am eagerly awating Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Due to moving and crappy circumstances, I will NOT have my book on Saturday. It will be mailed to me on Saturday. Such things make me want to scream, but, such is life, and I'm a big girl, so I will take a big breath and deal with it, or, just scream all the louder.
I started David Sedaris's Dress your Family in Denim and Courderoy but it got packed. Erm. So I'm going to pick it up from the library tonight.
I also started Rudyard Kipling's Kim, but am still reading the 50 page intro by Said. I hate reading intros, because they inevitably give away the end of the book, but, I can never be bothered to go back and read them. So lazy am I.
I, like most people, am eagerly awating Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Due to moving and crappy circumstances, I will NOT have my book on Saturday. It will be mailed to me on Saturday. Such things make me want to scream, but, such is life, and I'm a big girl, so I will take a big breath and deal with it, or, just scream all the louder.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Great Expectations
Ha! I read Great Expectations and really liked it.
I know I'm crazy, but man, that was a good book. Better than Tale of Two Cities.
Now I'm reading some (British!) chicklit a friend lent me.
Then, a week, from Saturday, my Harry Potter ritual shall begin.
The ritual is as follows:
1. Read the latest book.
2. Read all the books in order.
3. Re-read latest book.
Yum.
And by the time that's out, Something Rotten should be out in paperback!
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I know I'm crazy, but man, that was a good book. Better than Tale of Two Cities.
Now I'm reading some (British!) chicklit a friend lent me.
Then, a week, from Saturday, my Harry Potter ritual shall begin.
The ritual is as follows:
1. Read the latest book.
2. Read all the books in order.
3. Re-read latest book.
Yum.
And by the time that's out, Something Rotten should be out in paperback!
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Friday, June 17, 2005
David Lodge makes Everything Better
Point in case:
Yesterday, my man moved away. I will move to where he is in a few months. When he called last night, what did we talk about?
David Lodge.
What is the search string being used to find this blog?
David Lodge. Changing Places.
Boo-yeah.
Um. I like Great Expectations. Does that make me a freak?
Also, at the end of the summer, I launching a new site about the fact I haven't read the classics. It'll rock, I promise.
Yesterday, my man moved away. I will move to where he is in a few months. When he called last night, what did we talk about?
David Lodge.
What is the search string being used to find this blog?
David Lodge. Changing Places.
Boo-yeah.
Um. I like Great Expectations. Does that make me a freak?
Also, at the end of the summer, I launching a new site about the fact I haven't read the classics. It'll rock, I promise.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Someone had to be that person
Reading Dan Brown on the airplane.
And it was me.
Me.
Me.
Me.
So... we went to Houston this weekend to see Dan's fam. I was looking forward to a few hours of flights on which to read.
Notice I said "a few hours" NOT "a few days". DID YOU HEAR THAT AMERICAN AIRLINES?!
DID YOU?!
Anyway... so. ugh.
We land in Chicago at 10.20 (the exact same time we took off, that you very much Mr. TimeZone) only to find that our 12 flight to Houston had been cancelled. And the best they could do was a 4.30 flight to Dallas with a connection to Houston.
Ok. Called up Ruth to see if she wanted to do lunch, as we might as well go into town. She's going to see Nick Hornby read at the Printer's Row Book Fair. Sounds good enough to us.
Dear Nick Hornby's editor and editor of the Tribune's book supplement:
People who are willing to stand around in hot Chicago sun don't give a flying-anything about adaptations into movies, at least, not enough to warrant your first 15 mintues of questioning to be on such a topic. You suck. Bigtime.
Nick Hornby, however, was deligthful.
So we get back to the airport. And our flight to Dallas is delayed delayed delayed.
We realize we'll never make our connection and book ourselves onto the 6.45 flight to Houston.
I finish Brick Lane. I have 2 hours of waiting in the aiport, plus a 2.5 hour flight AND NOTHING TO READ. (As my backup book was in the checked luggage).
I go to the newsagent. And get Angels and Demons.
And then want to cry, because I forgot that the American terminal at O'Hare actually has a bookstore in it. Gargh.
But you know what? I loved Angels and Demons. Was it crap? yes. Was it trash? yes. Was it really hard to put down and as guilty-ily pleasurable as Britney Spears? Damn yes. Was is better than that other book you hate to admit you actually liked, DaVinci Code? Yep.
Brick Lane was also wonderful. Well written. Beautiful. And the ending made me want to cry for its beauty.
And it was me.
Me.
Me.
Me.
So... we went to Houston this weekend to see Dan's fam. I was looking forward to a few hours of flights on which to read.
Notice I said "a few hours" NOT "a few days". DID YOU HEAR THAT AMERICAN AIRLINES?!
DID YOU?!
Anyway... so. ugh.
We land in Chicago at 10.20 (the exact same time we took off, that you very much Mr. TimeZone) only to find that our 12 flight to Houston had been cancelled. And the best they could do was a 4.30 flight to Dallas with a connection to Houston.
Ok. Called up Ruth to see if she wanted to do lunch, as we might as well go into town. She's going to see Nick Hornby read at the Printer's Row Book Fair. Sounds good enough to us.
Dear Nick Hornby's editor and editor of the Tribune's book supplement:
People who are willing to stand around in hot Chicago sun don't give a flying-anything about adaptations into movies, at least, not enough to warrant your first 15 mintues of questioning to be on such a topic. You suck. Bigtime.
Nick Hornby, however, was deligthful.
So we get back to the airport. And our flight to Dallas is delayed delayed delayed.
We realize we'll never make our connection and book ourselves onto the 6.45 flight to Houston.
I finish Brick Lane. I have 2 hours of waiting in the aiport, plus a 2.5 hour flight AND NOTHING TO READ. (As my backup book was in the checked luggage).
I go to the newsagent. And get Angels and Demons.
And then want to cry, because I forgot that the American terminal at O'Hare actually has a bookstore in it. Gargh.
But you know what? I loved Angels and Demons. Was it crap? yes. Was it trash? yes. Was it really hard to put down and as guilty-ily pleasurable as Britney Spears? Damn yes. Was is better than that other book you hate to admit you actually liked, DaVinci Code? Yep.
Brick Lane was also wonderful. Well written. Beautiful. And the ending made me want to cry for its beauty.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Deja Vu
So... I'm reading along in Brick Lane and just *know* I've read this before. But, I know I haven't read Brick Lane yet. What the?
Then I get an image of me reading this on a train. I think harder and place the memory on the train ride from Norwich back the Manchester.
Think harder.
I was reading Granta. The only issue I've ever really read is the best of young British Novelists 2003. Hmmmm...
Go to the book shelf. Yep. Monica Ali. Chapter 1 has been edited and passed off as a short story. I *have* read this before, but just that bit.
Which makes me feel like this is cheating. Brick Lane had already come out and the point was to write a new short story. They talk about how hard it is for novelists to write short stories. Obviously, Ali failed. It taints it somehow.
I'm still really enjoying Brick Lane though. I just feel the author has lost a little street cred.
Then I get an image of me reading this on a train. I think harder and place the memory on the train ride from Norwich back the Manchester.
Think harder.
I was reading Granta. The only issue I've ever really read is the best of young British Novelists 2003. Hmmmm...
Go to the book shelf. Yep. Monica Ali. Chapter 1 has been edited and passed off as a short story. I *have* read this before, but just that bit.
Which makes me feel like this is cheating. Brick Lane had already come out and the point was to write a new short story. They talk about how hard it is for novelists to write short stories. Obviously, Ali failed. It taints it somehow.
I'm still really enjoying Brick Lane though. I just feel the author has lost a little street cred.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Judging Books by Their Covers
So, I took a quick break from Brick Lane to read the latest installment of the confessions of Georgia Nicholson: Away Laughing on a Fast Camel. And by "quick break" I mean "3 hours".
What can I say? I love Georgia. She makes me laugh in all of her absolute ridiculousness. I do, however, wish she'd get her head together and hook up for good with Dave the Laugh. He's good for her. Just sayin'.
Now, Yes, I love Georgia. Then why am I a year behind in her books? Well, here is my DEEP DARK SHALLOW SECRET:
My books need to match. When I buy books in a series, they need to match the other books in the same series. So, because my first few Georgia books were in paperback, I wait until the new installments come out in paperback, so they all look nice together on my bookshelf. This is why I haven't read Jasper Fforde's Something Rotten yet. Because I need it in paperback.
That said, when I finally broke down and bought Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason (despite having read it from the library when it came out) it had to be hardcover. Hardcover without Renee Zelwigger on the cover. I found it on Ebay.
This is also why I need the first 3 Harry Potter books in hardcover, because ever since book 4, I'm not waiting for paperback (I discover Harry Potter about 2 months before Goblet of Fire was released).
What can I say? I love Georgia. She makes me laugh in all of her absolute ridiculousness. I do, however, wish she'd get her head together and hook up for good with Dave the Laugh. He's good for her. Just sayin'.
Now, Yes, I love Georgia. Then why am I a year behind in her books? Well, here is my DEEP DARK SHALLOW SECRET:
My books need to match. When I buy books in a series, they need to match the other books in the same series. So, because my first few Georgia books were in paperback, I wait until the new installments come out in paperback, so they all look nice together on my bookshelf. This is why I haven't read Jasper Fforde's Something Rotten yet. Because I need it in paperback.
That said, when I finally broke down and bought Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason (despite having read it from the library when it came out) it had to be hardcover. Hardcover without Renee Zelwigger on the cover. I found it on Ebay.
This is also why I need the first 3 Harry Potter books in hardcover, because ever since book 4, I'm not waiting for paperback (I discover Harry Potter about 2 months before Goblet of Fire was released).
Friday, May 27, 2005
There's uproar about a Florida high school assigning Genesis for its summer reading. (Link via Bookslut)
I'm attune to seperation of Church and State issues as much as anyone. (You try growing up in Northeast Wisconsin as a non-Christian and hoo-boy!)
But really? I wish someone would have assigned me Genesis and then explained it. It would have made my English career a lot more successful and meaningful. The parents in the article suggest that the teachers just explain the story but that leaves some problems (both of which I encountered in my high school career):
1. The vast majority of the class will know this stuff and will immediately tune out
2. The way around this is for a teacher to ask if anyone doesn't know the story. Trust me. The 2 kids who don't aren't about to raise their hands and admit that.
Because you need Genesis to understand a lot of the western canon. Reading such things as Paradise Lost and East of Eden without it sucks.
They should assign the gospels as well, as Jesus also plays a big role. Not knowing the gospels kicked me in the butt during class discussions of As I Lay Dying and Grapes of Wrath. And The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe also made a lot more sense after reading up on the New Testament.
My first semester in college, I took a Bible Studies class. Just so I could understand literature. And European history for the same reasons. It was the smartest thing I've ever done.
I'm attune to seperation of Church and State issues as much as anyone. (You try growing up in Northeast Wisconsin as a non-Christian and hoo-boy!)
But really? I wish someone would have assigned me Genesis and then explained it. It would have made my English career a lot more successful and meaningful. The parents in the article suggest that the teachers just explain the story but that leaves some problems (both of which I encountered in my high school career):
1. The vast majority of the class will know this stuff and will immediately tune out
2. The way around this is for a teacher to ask if anyone doesn't know the story. Trust me. The 2 kids who don't aren't about to raise their hands and admit that.
Because you need Genesis to understand a lot of the western canon. Reading such things as Paradise Lost and East of Eden without it sucks.
They should assign the gospels as well, as Jesus also plays a big role. Not knowing the gospels kicked me in the butt during class discussions of As I Lay Dying and Grapes of Wrath. And The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe also made a lot more sense after reading up on the New Testament.
My first semester in college, I took a Bible Studies class. Just so I could understand literature. And European history for the same reasons. It was the smartest thing I've ever done.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Ready, steady, GO
So I finished up the Ibsen book. I really liked the final play, Lady from the Sea.
I've now started Brick Lane by Monica Ali, but am too lazy to change the side bar info.
I've also been gathering reading lists from High Schools and AP programs to fix some of the holes in my education.
I've now started Brick Lane by Monica Ali, but am too lazy to change the side bar info.
I've also been gathering reading lists from High Schools and AP programs to fix some of the holes in my education.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
My College Career Now Makes Sense
I can't believe that I never had to read A Doll's House in college.
I mean, I have a minor in Chinese Studies. That includes several classes on Chinese lit. in translation. Now, I know you're wondering what the connection between Norwegian drama and Chinese lit is but...
A Doll's House was crazy-popular in China at the turn of the twentieth century. It came at a time the youth was revolting and modernizing and women were starting to demand rights. It was highly influetianal in the May 4th movement (which was a political and litarary movement). In many pieces, comparisions to Nora were explicit! And I always knew from context what was up, but man, it falls into place a lot easier now.
I know none of my profs are reading this, but LISTEN UP! Grinnell College Chinese Department-- make your students read some Ibsen. It's not long and it'll be good for them.
I mean, I have a minor in Chinese Studies. That includes several classes on Chinese lit. in translation. Now, I know you're wondering what the connection between Norwegian drama and Chinese lit is but...
A Doll's House was crazy-popular in China at the turn of the twentieth century. It came at a time the youth was revolting and modernizing and women were starting to demand rights. It was highly influetianal in the May 4th movement (which was a political and litarary movement). In many pieces, comparisions to Nora were explicit! And I always knew from context what was up, but man, it falls into place a lot easier now.
I know none of my profs are reading this, but LISTEN UP! Grinnell College Chinese Department-- make your students read some Ibsen. It's not long and it'll be good for them.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Gotcha!
You know what's better than a book store? A library. A library having a book sale!
I can't even remember all the ones I bought.
I also checked some stuff out and last week wizzed through L'Affaire by Diane Johnson and Cause Celeb by Helen Fielding
They were both good, but I was most impressed by Cause Celeb. Maybe because I was so dissapointed by Fielding's Olivia Joules and the Over-Active Imagination last winter, while being so completely enamoured of both Bridget Jones books.
Anna May Wong continues to haunt me as this weekend had me watching Shanghai Express and next week will have me at the Michigan Theatre to see her in Peter Pan!
I can't even remember all the ones I bought.
I also checked some stuff out and last week wizzed through L'Affaire by Diane Johnson and Cause Celeb by Helen Fielding
They were both good, but I was most impressed by Cause Celeb. Maybe because I was so dissapointed by Fielding's Olivia Joules and the Over-Active Imagination last winter, while being so completely enamoured of both Bridget Jones books.
Anna May Wong continues to haunt me as this weekend had me watching Shanghai Express and next week will have me at the Michigan Theatre to see her in Peter Pan!
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Done and Done
So I finished Anna May Wong last night.
I liked reading about her life and all but... it just could have been so much better.
For instance, he was describing a guest appearence on a television show and said that her bottom lip was still stiff from a near fatal stroke two years previous.
This was THE ONLY MENTION of said stroke. You'd think something like that would at least warrant its own sentence!
Ah well... trying to decide what to read next. I'm torn between Brick Lane and Small Island...
I liked reading about her life and all but... it just could have been so much better.
For instance, he was describing a guest appearence on a television show and said that her bottom lip was still stiff from a near fatal stroke two years previous.
This was THE ONLY MENTION of said stroke. You'd think something like that would at least warrant its own sentence!
Ah well... trying to decide what to read next. I'm torn between Brick Lane and Small Island...
Monday, May 02, 2005
Life in 3-D
Anna May Wong is a fascinating person.
It would be nice if Gao Hodges didn't have her on such a pedastal, then *maybe* he could be a little more objective about his subject. Maybe he'd give her some depth and dimension. I bet she'd be even more fascinating then. As it stands now, really, this book is just a big mastabatory experience for this guy. Ugh.
That, and the copy-editing thing again. I mean, in the same chapter he uses Nanjing and Nanking. THEY'RE THE SAME CITY! Pick a transliteration style and stick with it. Put a freaking note in the begining.
And seriously? Peking? The book is largely in pinyin, and then the one time he's consistent, it's with PE-effing-KING?! Ugh. Beijing people. Beijing. If you want to be correct about it, Beiping, as "jing" is capital, it's the Nationalist government, so Nanjing was the capital and Beijing was renamed for a short period of time to Beiping. But really? I'd be happy with the Beijing. But noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Peking. OIY!
Also, minor things... Suzhou is not a seaside resort, as it, you know isn't on the coast. And it's known for its silk products. Hangzhou, as far as I am aware, not so much.
How rude would it be if I reread this with my red pen in hand and then mailed my corrected copy back to him?
It would be nice if Gao Hodges didn't have her on such a pedastal, then *maybe* he could be a little more objective about his subject. Maybe he'd give her some depth and dimension. I bet she'd be even more fascinating then. As it stands now, really, this book is just a big mastabatory experience for this guy. Ugh.
That, and the copy-editing thing again. I mean, in the same chapter he uses Nanjing and Nanking. THEY'RE THE SAME CITY! Pick a transliteration style and stick with it. Put a freaking note in the begining.
And seriously? Peking? The book is largely in pinyin, and then the one time he's consistent, it's with PE-effing-KING?! Ugh. Beijing people. Beijing. If you want to be correct about it, Beiping, as "jing" is capital, it's the Nationalist government, so Nanjing was the capital and Beijing was renamed for a short period of time to Beiping. But really? I'd be happy with the Beijing. But noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Peking. OIY!
Also, minor things... Suzhou is not a seaside resort, as it, you know isn't on the coast. And it's known for its silk products. Hangzhou, as far as I am aware, not so much.
How rude would it be if I reread this with my red pen in hand and then mailed my corrected copy back to him?
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
It's called a Copy Editor.
Ugh. So, some minor things about Anna May...
First off, the back has a quotation from Iris Chang, author of The Chinese American. Except, well, her book is titled The Chinese In America.
That, and at the beginning of the second (maybe third) chapter, Hodges is outlining a plot to one of her movies, and makes repeated references to the character named Chang Lo. Except every other time it's spelt Chang Low.
It's the little things that make me not take you seriously.
First off, the back has a quotation from Iris Chang, author of The Chinese American. Except, well, her book is titled The Chinese In America.
That, and at the beginning of the second (maybe third) chapter, Hodges is outlining a plot to one of her movies, and makes repeated references to the character named Chang Lo. Except every other time it's spelt Chang Low.
It's the little things that make me not take you seriously.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Book Store
After my jaunt to Borders, I remembered the gift certificate to Barnes and Noble I had gotten for Christmas. When it comes to big box book stores, I vastly prefer Borders, but there is no borders where my parents live, so, B&N; it was.
Last night I went a little crazy:
The Cook's Encyclopedia to Italian Cooking Carla Capalbo
A Noodle Cookbook that I can't find a reference for (it was on the clearane shelf)
The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes Bill Watterson
Geisha, A Life Mineko Iwasaki
Small Island Andrea Levy
Boundaries of Her Body:A Shocking History of Women's Rights in America Debran Rowland
Motifs Paris Combo
The last is a CD that came on when I was browsing the clearance shelf. I feel so in love with the first track that I had to buy it!
Last night I went a little crazy:
The Cook's Encyclopedia to Italian Cooking Carla Capalbo
A Noodle Cookbook that I can't find a reference for (it was on the clearane shelf)
The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes Bill Watterson
Geisha, A Life Mineko Iwasaki
Small Island Andrea Levy
Boundaries of Her Body:A Shocking History of Women's Rights in America Debran Rowland
Motifs Paris Combo
The last is a CD that came on when I was browsing the clearance shelf. I feel so in love with the first track that I had to buy it!
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
The wheels on the bus
I had to take the bus to work today. I miss taking the bus if only because it gave me 20-40 minutes each day to read...
I started Anna May Wong... today. Some comments on Amazon and my initial reaction to the introduction leave me wary that this won't be the most unbiased opinion of her life and work.
I mean, Hodges first found out about her because he saw a signed photo in a shop and bought it, even though it was really expensive. The way the intro reads, he became infatuated with this photo (almost Peony Pavillion-esque, really) and so got a book deal so he could research her... it seems almost... unhealthy. I am also very wary of historians writing outside their subject field (his is African American history).
But, all that said, I've only read the intro. We'll see how the rest of the book goes. Even if it is only a love letter to an unknown actress, it could still be a good read. I'll just have to get and read a poison pen letter too!
I started Anna May Wong... today. Some comments on Amazon and my initial reaction to the introduction leave me wary that this won't be the most unbiased opinion of her life and work.
I mean, Hodges first found out about her because he saw a signed photo in a shop and bought it, even though it was really expensive. The way the intro reads, he became infatuated with this photo (almost Peony Pavillion-esque, really) and so got a book deal so he could research her... it seems almost... unhealthy. I am also very wary of historians writing outside their subject field (his is African American history).
But, all that said, I've only read the intro. We'll see how the rest of the book goes. Even if it is only a love letter to an unknown actress, it could still be a good read. I'll just have to get and read a poison pen letter too!
Monday, April 11, 2005
Getting lost in the bookstore
So, I finished up Republic of Wine by Mo Yan this weekend.
It was a good book, but hard to read. It took a long time, partly because I'm a huge wuss and couldn't read it before bed due to visceral scenes of eating babies.
I think I need to reread it. It's all over the place so I think it'll make more sense when I know what's coming... if that makes sense...
Tonight, I went to Borders, as I had a gift card to be spending...
I walked away with:
A knitting magazine
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
The Red Brush: Writing Women of Imperial China ed. by Wilt L. Idema and Beata Grant
The Doll House and Other Plays by Henrik Ibsen
It was a good book, but hard to read. It took a long time, partly because I'm a huge wuss and couldn't read it before bed due to visceral scenes of eating babies.
I think I need to reread it. It's all over the place so I think it'll make more sense when I know what's coming... if that makes sense...
Tonight, I went to Borders, as I had a gift card to be spending...
I walked away with:
A knitting magazine
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
The Red Brush: Writing Women of Imperial China ed. by Wilt L. Idema and Beata Grant
The Doll House and Other Plays by Henrik Ibsen
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Failure
Oooooo... I've been tagged by Lynne for this book meme. This is the first time I've been tagged. It's quite exciting!
So...
You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be and why?
Ok, um, I've never read Fahrenheit 451. I know. It's embarassing. But, I read a plot sypnopsis online and juding off of Lynne's answer, I need to be memorized so I can survive, right? I'm going to go with Beowulf. In Olde English. Great story, easy to memorize and not only would the literature be preserved, but the history of the language would be as well.
The last book you bought is:
Well, one trip to the book store, 3 books purchased.
Red Sorghum by Mo Yan (as a gift)
Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend by Graham Russell Gao Hodges
Republic of Wine by Mo Yan
The Last Book you Read:
Changing Places by David Lodge. Hilarious.
Currently Reading:
Republic of Wine by Mo Yan
Gendering the Spirit: Women, Religion, and the Post-Colonial Response edited by Durre S. Ahmed
Five Books You Would Take With you to a Deserted Island:
Some sort of survival guide
Complete Works of Jane Austen
The Colombia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature
The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Literature
For the 5th one I'm torn between a Norton Anthology of American Lit or the Bible. I think I'm going to go with the Bible.
Sometimes I feel that my high school education cheated me. I don't know. But there are lots of books that I got to college having not read, and, given that I didn't major in English, a lot of books that I graduated from college having not read. I have a hard time comprehending how someone who went to the schools I did could have gotten this far reading certain titles. For instance, I have never read To Kill a Mockingbird. Seriously.
Books I didn't read:
Fahrenheit 451
Nothing by Austen
Nothing by any of the Brontes
Nothing by Dickens
To Kill a Mockingbird
Red Badge of Courage
Now, to be fair, it's not that kids in my school district didn't read such titles, but that kids who took top-level English all through high school didn't read these titles. We read such stuff as:
The Crucible
Things Fall Apart
As I Lay Dying
Hamlet
MacBeth
Romeo and Juliet
Huckleberry Finn
Killer Angels
A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Dandelion Wine
Sula
Beloved
Their Eyes Were Watching God
The Great Gatsby
Oedipus Rex
Antigone (by Anouilh, not Sophocles)
Lord of the Flies
Cat's Cradle
So...
You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be and why?
Ok, um, I've never read Fahrenheit 451. I know. It's embarassing. But, I read a plot sypnopsis online and juding off of Lynne's answer, I need to be memorized so I can survive, right? I'm going to go with Beowulf. In Olde English. Great story, easy to memorize and not only would the literature be preserved, but the history of the language would be as well.
The last book you bought is:
Well, one trip to the book store, 3 books purchased.
Red Sorghum by Mo Yan (as a gift)
Anna May Wong: From Laundryman's Daughter to Hollywood Legend by Graham Russell Gao Hodges
Republic of Wine by Mo Yan
The Last Book you Read:
Changing Places by David Lodge. Hilarious.
Currently Reading:
Republic of Wine by Mo Yan
Gendering the Spirit: Women, Religion, and the Post-Colonial Response edited by Durre S. Ahmed
Five Books You Would Take With you to a Deserted Island:
Some sort of survival guide
Complete Works of Jane Austen
The Colombia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature
The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Literature
For the 5th one I'm torn between a Norton Anthology of American Lit or the Bible. I think I'm going to go with the Bible.
Sometimes I feel that my high school education cheated me. I don't know. But there are lots of books that I got to college having not read, and, given that I didn't major in English, a lot of books that I graduated from college having not read. I have a hard time comprehending how someone who went to the schools I did could have gotten this far reading certain titles. For instance, I have never read To Kill a Mockingbird. Seriously.
Books I didn't read:
Fahrenheit 451
Nothing by Austen
Nothing by any of the Brontes
Nothing by Dickens
To Kill a Mockingbird
Red Badge of Courage
Now, to be fair, it's not that kids in my school district didn't read such titles, but that kids who took top-level English all through high school didn't read these titles. We read such stuff as:
The Crucible
Things Fall Apart
As I Lay Dying
Hamlet
MacBeth
Romeo and Juliet
Huckleberry Finn
Killer Angels
A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Dandelion Wine
Sula
Beloved
Their Eyes Were Watching God
The Great Gatsby
Oedipus Rex
Antigone (by Anouilh, not Sophocles)
Lord of the Flies
Cat's Cradle
Thursday, March 03, 2005
More of last year
A few things:
Republic of Wine is weird. Good, but surreal. I think it might make more sense if I were a least as partly drunk as the characters. Of couse, that worked so well when I played "Keeping up with Dmitry" when I read The Brothers Karamazov. (To my defense, that was my *professor's* idea.)
I am an utterly shallow person. This can be witnessed by the fact that I will wait patiently until Jasper Fforde's Something Rotten and Louise Rennison's Away Laughing on a Fast Camel come out in paperback before I buy and read them. Why? You ask. Because, I want all the books in a series to physically match on my bookshelf. I am denying myself pleasure so my shelves look bettter. I told you I was shallow.
See, not writing reviews after reading the book, I can't remember enough, so...
Short and Sweet things:
Of the two David Lodge books I read, Thinks... was vastly superior to Therapy. Therapy, overall, was just meh. Thinks... was pure Lodge-tastic.
The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde is phemonal. (The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, and The Well of Lost Plots) One big inside joke for those of us who read a lot, but still enjoyable to someone, like me, who is low on classics education. These books, did, of course, inspire me to pick up more classics. Yay for that. Yay for Thursday Next! Smart and absurd and light quick reading.
Out of the contemporary lit. by women pile I read Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, The Time-Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and The Red Tent by Anita Diamont.
The Red Tent was one of my favorite books last year, definetely the best out of this trio.
Bel Canto comes next and The Time-Traveler's Wife was last.
The Red Tent was the first work of fiction I've read by Diamont, but her Choosing a Jewish Life impacted me in different ways. But, oh, The Red Tent is phenomanal and fantastic. It is the story of Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob of Biblical fame, told in her voice. As she is only barely briefly dealt with in the Bible, it is largely imagined, and how! Beautifully written and moving and outstanding and astonishing and superb. You should read it. Now.
I like all of them, but I thought ...Wife could have dealt with some issues better. The main character had some extremely violent episodes, but we never get to explore the darker side. We never explore how the wife's complete lack of other romanitc involvment has stunted her. We never explore the ramifications of growing up with an adult version of your husband and knowing early on that he will be your husband. It's like an arranged marriage almost and we never explore the greater impact... I just wish it would have done more. It could have done more but wanted to be a sweet love story. So it was. Nothing more.
Bel Canto was nice and I recomend it.
Republic of Wine is weird. Good, but surreal. I think it might make more sense if I were a least as partly drunk as the characters. Of couse, that worked so well when I played "Keeping up with Dmitry" when I read The Brothers Karamazov. (To my defense, that was my *professor's* idea.)
I am an utterly shallow person. This can be witnessed by the fact that I will wait patiently until Jasper Fforde's Something Rotten and Louise Rennison's Away Laughing on a Fast Camel come out in paperback before I buy and read them. Why? You ask. Because, I want all the books in a series to physically match on my bookshelf. I am denying myself pleasure so my shelves look bettter. I told you I was shallow.
See, not writing reviews after reading the book, I can't remember enough, so...
Short and Sweet things:
Of the two David Lodge books I read, Thinks... was vastly superior to Therapy. Therapy, overall, was just meh. Thinks... was pure Lodge-tastic.
The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde is phemonal. (The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, and The Well of Lost Plots) One big inside joke for those of us who read a lot, but still enjoyable to someone, like me, who is low on classics education. These books, did, of course, inspire me to pick up more classics. Yay for that. Yay for Thursday Next! Smart and absurd and light quick reading.
Out of the contemporary lit. by women pile I read Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, The Time-Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and The Red Tent by Anita Diamont.
The Red Tent was one of my favorite books last year, definetely the best out of this trio.
Bel Canto comes next and The Time-Traveler's Wife was last.
The Red Tent was the first work of fiction I've read by Diamont, but her Choosing a Jewish Life impacted me in different ways. But, oh, The Red Tent is phenomanal and fantastic. It is the story of Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob of Biblical fame, told in her voice. As she is only barely briefly dealt with in the Bible, it is largely imagined, and how! Beautifully written and moving and outstanding and astonishing and superb. You should read it. Now.
I like all of them, but I thought ...Wife could have dealt with some issues better. The main character had some extremely violent episodes, but we never get to explore the darker side. We never explore how the wife's complete lack of other romanitc involvment has stunted her. We never explore the ramifications of growing up with an adult version of your husband and knowing early on that he will be your husband. It's like an arranged marriage almost and we never explore the greater impact... I just wish it would have done more. It could have done more but wanted to be a sweet love story. So it was. Nothing more.
Bel Canto was nice and I recomend it.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Booze Nation!
Mo Yan is my favorite author. I discovered this when I had to read Red Sorghum for a Chinese lit. class in school. I was only auditing the class and you know how these things go... I never finished the book for class, but I liked it so much that I read it over Christmas break.
His prose is so visceral in a way you rarely ever get, especially with Chinese lit. The smells and tastes and colors just permeate through everything.
Also, he always works with the same translator, Howard Goldblatt and it's obvious they have a really close working relationship, so the translation is faithful to Mo Yan's intent and artistry.
I'm suprised at Mo Yan's guts. I don't know HOW he gets away with publishing what he does, especially as one who works for the army! It's crazy.
Right now I'm reading his Republic of Wine. What I love is that Jiu Guo, the title of the book, is translated two different ways: Republic of Wine in the title, and Liquor Land in the actual text. I also like my own translation of Booze Nation. All are accurate.
jiu means alcohol and is modified to refer to a certain type of alcohol:
pu tang jiu is grape + alcohol= wine
guo mean country or nation (much to the fascination of my history advisor, the Chinese language does not really differentiate between these two concepts.)
Anyway, I'm not really far enough into the text to really comment on it besides that Mo Yan is AWESOME.
I thought I'd instead comment on a book of his that I read last year, in my continuing series of Books I read last year... (creative titling, I know)
Anyway...
Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh
Is a collection of short stories. The title story is a hilarious look at modern Chinese treatment of workers and lovers. I was very excited to read that the film Happy Times was an adaptation of this story, but was dissapointed. I really liked the film, but something kinda similair to the plot of the story occurs in the first 15 minutes of the film. The rest of the film is about something else entirely.
The collection also has a story that is a sequel of sorts to Red Sorghum, which was exciting.
His prose is so visceral in a way you rarely ever get, especially with Chinese lit. The smells and tastes and colors just permeate through everything.
Also, he always works with the same translator, Howard Goldblatt and it's obvious they have a really close working relationship, so the translation is faithful to Mo Yan's intent and artistry.
I'm suprised at Mo Yan's guts. I don't know HOW he gets away with publishing what he does, especially as one who works for the army! It's crazy.
Right now I'm reading his Republic of Wine. What I love is that Jiu Guo, the title of the book, is translated two different ways: Republic of Wine in the title, and Liquor Land in the actual text. I also like my own translation of Booze Nation. All are accurate.
jiu means alcohol and is modified to refer to a certain type of alcohol:
pu tang jiu is grape + alcohol= wine
guo mean country or nation (much to the fascination of my history advisor, the Chinese language does not really differentiate between these two concepts.)
Anyway, I'm not really far enough into the text to really comment on it besides that Mo Yan is AWESOME.
I thought I'd instead comment on a book of his that I read last year, in my continuing series of Books I read last year... (creative titling, I know)
Anyway...
Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh
Is a collection of short stories. The title story is a hilarious look at modern Chinese treatment of workers and lovers. I was very excited to read that the film Happy Times was an adaptation of this story, but was dissapointed. I really liked the film, but something kinda similair to the plot of the story occurs in the first 15 minutes of the film. The rest of the film is about something else entirely.
The collection also has a story that is a sequel of sorts to Red Sorghum, which was exciting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)