Do You READ All Them Books?

This weekend I read an entire book.  I don't know the last time I did that, just sat down and read a book and got all sucked into it and couldn't put it down.

It was Ender's Game, and I'm not going to go into the controversy about Orson Scott Card and his anti-gay stupidity because #1, the book was written almost 30 years ago and why was no one caring THEN, #2 the man is a Mormon and they're not exactly known for their gay-friendly outlook, and #3 it was a REALLY good book, and had zilch to say about marriage or sexuality at all.  It's a book about children..  Now I'm not saying that I'd look at paintings by Hitler and go, "Yeah, he killed all those Jews and started a horrible war and stuff but that's a REALLY good painting!"  Those would be hard to separate.  But this book?  This book was great.

I wondered a couple of things as I was reading.  The book starts when Ender is six years old and ends when he's around 20.  But it's definitely not a book for children, I guess more in the young adult age range.  I wonder how it would have impacted my life as a teenager.  Would it have impacted my life?  Would I have done anything differently?  Probably not.  It's always interesting to think about how books and other outside influences change you, or if they would have changed you differently if you'd experienced them at a different time in your life.

I also wondered if the book would have grabbed me in the same way had I read it on my Kindle.  Someone loaned me a copy of the paperback.  Would I have been so enthralled if it was the electronic version?  Again, there is no way to know this.  I can't re-read the book for the first time.

Ender's Game is about brilliant kids being trained to become commanders in an intergalactic army going to war against an alien race.  War games.  Strategy.  Survival.  It would be a good read for kids who feel a little different and have outsider status at school or in general.   I remember feeling like that when I was a kid- I didn't really come into my own until I was in my 20s.

I also painted my bathroom cabinets this weekend, and replaced the hardware, but that is another post for another day.  

French Kiss

Going to the library on my lunch hour is getting to be something of a habit. I LOVE it- it reminds me of when I was a kid and we'd be at the library for hours at a time when my mom was busy doing curriculum reviews with other homeschooling families or my sister was in ballet class. I would poke through shelves of books. I think I had the entire kids craft section memorized, and I'd read all of the Lois Lowry and Madeline L'Engle books (at least the ones written for kids) by the time I was 12. Going back to that library brings on a huge feeling of nostalgia.

Nashville has the best public library system I've encountered in all of the places I've lived so far (it's a pretty lengthy list). First of all, it is huge so I have yet to come across a book that they don't have somewhere in the system (although you might have to wait a while to get it). Second, it has a GORGEOUS main library, with floors of books, an entire room of Fine Art books, a genealogy room, rotating displays of interesting things, lots of computers, and free parking in the attached garage with validation. But the most important thing to me is the convenience. They will send a book to any branch I feel is convenient. They will hold that book for me for a week. I can return any book to any location- and that might be the very best part.

The other day I got a book about style that was written in the 90s, which was just funny. The book was written for the 40+ crowd, which I didn't realize when I checked it out. Some of the advice is classic- blue jeans with a white button down shirt always looks classy, keep black away from your face if you can't really wear it, make sure your bras fit right. Some of it is just outdated. I watched part of the movie French Kiss a while back, and I remember seeing that movie when it first came out- I was 16. I thought Meg Ryan looked so chic. But watching it now I just can't figure out why everyone is running around in clothes that are entirely too baggy and style that belongs on a 10 year old. But I realized that (gulp) this movie came out 13 years ago and style has really changed. Things are more fitted. There's a scene where Meg is trying to be all relaxed about seeing her ex-boyfriend and his new French (gorgeous, and stylish now because she was supposed to be the evil-boyfriend-stealer-woman, so she was probably supposed to look a little young and slutty but now it translates to really pulled together. What does that say about us today????) girlfriend on the beach and she's wearing khakis and a horizontal striped t-shirt and it just cracked me up. Back in the day I thought she looked so perfectly casual and relaxed and like she belonged in France and her boyfriend was SO GOING TO WANT HER BACK. But now? How I'm thinking those pants are 2 sizes too big for her and that shirt is atrocious. Let's take a look, shall we?

Good thing she's adorable.

And don't even get me started on Kevin Kline. Yes, men's style doesn't change nearly as quickly or dramatically as women's style does, but his suits are something else. One false move and he'll be buried in a mountain of fabric and never be heard from again.

Now that I think about it that movie just doesn't make any damn sense at all anyway. Yeesh. Spending your life savings on a thief and then staying in France to help said thief run his vineyard. Woman, grow up!

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
After reading East of Eden I thought I really needed something a little less... heavy. A little frivolous and fun. And I recently got this at a bookswap so I thought, HMmmmmm, why not?

Well Confessions of a Shopaholic is not good literature, and it isn't even good Chic Lit. This book sucks and for some reason I just kept at it until the end hoping that the shallow main character Becky or Becca or whatever would figure herself out and redeem herself and make herself into a likable person. But that DOES NOT HAPPEN.

What we are dealing with here is an addict with classic addict behaviors. She borrows money and lies about why she needs it. She lies to the bank that her nonexistent dog and aunt have died and that is why she hasn't paid up on her bills. Then she lies that she's getting a big windfall. She "borrows" from her friends and can't make her rent and lies and lies and lies. Even worse is the justification for every purchase she makes that is completely outrageous. She DESERVES treats for herself for everything. A treat to me would be a Starbucks coffee, a treat to her is a $400 pair of shoes. And she deserves them because she got through a fairly average, albeit boring, day.

But the end is what really annoyed me. Instead of really truly getting her act together she falls into a job in television and will make TONS more money than she used to so her debt problem is solved. In the real world this doesn't happen. You have to save and save and separate the wants from the needs and eventually, if you are careful, you will dig through your own personal mountain of debt. Also, since there are at least 4 more books about the Shopaholic, I'm assuming the little flash of redemption she had fails miserably. And I don't want to read about that.

So, if you're looking for a quirky likable British girl, stick to Bridget Jones. At least you'll want her to succeed. I sort of wanted Becky to get all of her stuff repossessed by creditors and wind up in jail.

View all my reviews.

Edit!

It occurred to me today that my last post was a little presumptive. The Duchess? What Duchess? HEATHER WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

Georgiana was the Duchess of Devonshine (England) in the late 18th/early 19th century. She was buddies with Marie Antoinette and was a sort of scandalous character. She got out the vote for her chosen candidates for Parliament, had affairs with politicians, and did a lot of traveling between her husband's country estates and Europe. She was also a prolific letter writer. Note to self: if you want to be famous in the future, write loads of handwritten letters.

So, the book is called Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire. The movie based on the book shortens that up considerably to The Duchess. The movie was good, but screwed around with timelines a lot so you don't have nearly the sense of how important this person was in her time. If you like biographies, this is a great read.

And now it is time to buckle down for an ice storm. Maybe. I have a feeling that if I lived further north I would be much more concerned. The local news, however, is going crazy with this. SALT THE BRIDGES! CALL OUT THE POWER COMPANY! SAVE THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN!!!

Ladies, Ladies

So today I did some exercising (I've done 23.5 miles this month, which means I'm ALMOST keeping up with my goal), and when I was done I turned the tape off and watched TV while I was stretching. Some channel was playing Ice Princess, which might be one of the worst movies EVER MADE. Joan Cusack plays the "Mean Mommy" role ("Professional athletes have a shelf life!") because clearly she just can't agree with her daughter's dreams. The most manipulative parenting I've ever seen on screen, and that's saying a lot. We all know people can't start college after the age of 18. Kim Cattrall plays the competition's mean mommy. It was really weird watching her in this role because I expected her to sleep with the judges Samantha style, all of them at once, to throw the score in her daughter's favor. I don't think she translates well to Disney fare. So I made it through about 20 minutes of that drivel, and I'm pretty sure I know the ending.

I finally finished "The Duchess" and let me tell you, that book was wayyyy better than the movie. That woman was a MESS. She gambled incessantly, and lied to her friends and banks to "borrow" money which she never intended to pay back. She was also one of the most influential women in politics ever, and it was interesting to read about those two sides of her- the political genius and the gambling wreck. Another interesting note: both she and her sister went abroad for several months to have their illegitimate children in relative privacy and no one was the wiser. It sounds like thanks to the work of the Victorian censors (who thought they were doing their ancestors a favor) it was hard to figure out just whose child was whose between Georgiana, her sister Harriet, and her "friend" Bess (who is another interesting character and probably needs her own biography). Back then it was not uncommon to go visit the continent for months (or years) and concealing a pregnancy was par for the course. Unreal. Can you imagine trying to do that now?

This weekend has been busy. Yesterday I did a two mile Walk Away the Pounds walk and then did a 20 minute dumbell routine from SparkPeople.com. (It's here if you're interested- there is also great 15 minute stablility ball workout- try it out.) I had bookclub and spent waaaayyy too long on Facebook. Today I went grocery shopping and prepped all of my snacks and veggies for the week. I even cut up chicken and froze it for quick meals later. I cleaned a lot, did laundry, walked 3 miles, and started another bookclub book. Tonight I'm making pizza for dinner and camping out on the couch to watch "Wuthering Heights" on PBS. It's going to be SO GOOD. I'm a sucker for 19th century British costume dramas.

Other things happening on Planet Heather:

• I'm thinking about getting a tattoo for my 30th birthday.
• I'm doing some excercises in the "Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook" and I think they're helping.
• I have gained almost 10 lbs since Christmas and it's making me furious. HOW? WHY???? This is why I'm hitting the exercise DVDs/videos pretty hard.

Does anybody else tend to gain weight in winter? Or is this something that just happens to me because I'm extra special?

My Goodreads Review of The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I LOVED the first 2/3rds of this book. It was riveting. I was totally taken in by the story, the writing style, and the words. I was fascinated because I couldn't figure out what the different time periods were supposed to be- still can't. There are cars and phones and sneakers but no internet or world wars or other markers of modern life. These were socially isolated people I was reading about, but I could relate to them. I loved the classic British 19th century themes that kept coming up- neglected children, incest, crazy relatives who are hidden away. Good stuff.



Anyway, that was the first couple of parts of the book. The last part felt like such a cop-out to me. Instead of making the story come together and make sense, there was a completely new character (well, sort of completely new) introduced to the story to neatly tie up all the loose ends, and after all the mystery I expected more. I was sitting there going through all of the characters in my head trying to puzzle out what happened, and it turned out to be none of them. The story comes to a close in such a way that even the cat is happy. And I didn't care about the cat! I think the only reason she wrapped up the book so tediously was to bring in an element of those old British Classics that have the summing up of the different characters at the end of the book. But I just found it so annoying that I threw down the book in disgust.



Bottom line: great for the first two hundred and fifty pages or so. Then I felt cheated.


View all my reviews.

This and That

Sorry for the sort of schizo posting lately. Being back at work for a full week was an adjustment, and things there have been slow so my brain gets sort of numb. It should pick up next week though. I'm figuring out ways to learn some new skills this year at work- I think it will pay off.

I have been reading this great book called "The Thirteenth Tale" that has me completely absorbed- it is sooooooo good! (Edited because I realized I can put my Goodreads.com reviews on here! Awesome!)

After I finish "The Thirteenth Tale" I need to read "The Glass Castle" (another book club book) which is supposed to be great. Then I have that biography that the movie The Duchess was based on- "Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire", but that I got after months on the library waiting list so I need to read that FAST because I can't renew it as it is on hold by someone else. I was going to take it back to the library and just re-join the holds list but I read the first page and it looks GREAT so somehow I'm going to have all of this stuff read in 10 days. Right. Dream big, I say. I did take back the John Adams biography because I was getting a little tired of it. And since so much was pulled from the letters he and Abigail wrote to each other I think I want to just get that book instead. Those two were insane correspondents. I don't think I've ever written so much in my whole life as they wrote to each other- school essays, blogging, letters, emails, and diaries included.

Last night I went out with one of my friends from work. We had dinner at PF Chang's where the waiter told us about all of the celebrities who come in (some lead singer of some band was there at the bar but I didn't really know who the band was so I didn't care). Then we went to see Gran Torino, which was a fantastic movie. I love Clint Eastwood films. They are exactly what I look for in movies. There's a good story, guilt, redemption, nice big sweeping themes tied into fairly small stories, and the pace is right. And they always feel a little old school to me. He was great in this movie. Go see it.

I've sort of tweaked my exercise New Years Resolution. I'm going to see if I can keep my number of miles walked at or above the day of the year it is. For example, today is the 11th day of the year and I've walked 11 miles. Ta Da! So far so good. I can do 2 miles every other day and then on the off days do strength training. I think strength training is the big weight-loss secret for me. I love to do it because you get results so fast (is that a bicep I see?) and you really feel like you're DOING something when you're so sore for the next 48 hours. I love that.

I know, I know, nothing major going on to write about. It could be a while before my next post. Winter is never a good time for me to keep up with this stuff. I'm more into reading and hibernating than writing or creating. So, sorry in advance....

The Duchess

I saw The Duchess on Sunday, and if you are even slightly interested in costumes, check out the page here on the costumer's guide. The movie was much MUCH better than I expected, and Keira Knightly seems to be growing into her acting- she's finally managed subtlety instead of flying around a room. The costumes and makeup and hair were excellent, as were the sets. (The costumes HAD to be good, we're talking about a fashion icon. The hats alone seem to test the limits of physics.) I might have to watch this one again on DVD.

I haven't read the book, so that might color your opinion of the movie if you've read it. From what I gather on the amazon.com reviews, the movie only scratches the surface of Lady Georgiana's life. ("Think money, sex, adultery, lesbianism, aristocracy, drug addiction, gambling, politics, scandals, betrayals, blackmail, fashion, theater, and the French Revolution....") The movie touches on all of those things but you don't get the impression that she's having wild cocaine induced orgies while she plays cards in a box at the theater. Obviously I'm going to read all about it as soon as it comes back in to the library!

Magic, Part 2

I have come up with another area of my childhood that gave the same feeling as Santa Claus. This has actually been bugging me since I wrote my last magic post, so I have been mulling it over and the answer was so obvious I might as well have dropped a 50 ton weight on my head:

BOOKS.

Duh Heather. There are some books (or series of books) that I think about almost every day. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that, since after all they are just BOOKS. But I had a fairly odd childhood. I was extremely (painfully) shy. I didn't have very many friends. My family moved around several times when I was growing up, and I make friends slowly, which is not a good combination for a little kid. On top of that, I remember the summer when I was 8 all of the sudden I could READ and I read everything I could find. I was homeschooled and we went to the library on a really regular basis so that wasn't too difficult. These are the books that have that magic. I feel like I know these characters personally, to the point where I find I get slightly offended (in the manner of an 8 year old) when people talk about these books like they know the characters as well as I do. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite books from when I was a kid.

#1 Little House on the Prairie. Yes, the entire series, by Laura Ingals Wilder.

SIGH. I LOVE these books. I watched to TV show too when I was growing up, but that was so sanitized and, well, diabetic compared to the books. I think my mom read the entire series aloud to my sister and me about three times through the course of our childhoods. These remind me that being a kid never changes, no matter what century you are living in. There will always be a Nellie Olsen. There will always be the teacher you don't get along with. You will you will play and you will hear stories from your parents and you will get in trouble. These are timeless. But when you go back and re-read them as an adult you see that LIFE never changes either. There will be times of financial stress, fires, death, sickness, moving, wondering if winter will ever end.... The descriptions of food alone reinforce the fact that Laura didn't have much when she was a little girl. Who ever thought that an orange would be such a luxury? Or a new dress? Or paper? They are books about growing up, sometimes growing up fast, and gaining strength and character and integrity.

#2 Narnia. Yes, the entire series, by C.S. Lewis.

I was totally obsessed with these books for several years. Did anyone enter a closet growing up and NOT secretly wish that the back would be missing and you'd be transported to another world where it was prophesied that you'd be a ruler and you'd get to ride Aslan? I didn't think so....

#3 The Dark Is Rising. Yes, the entire series, by Susan Cooper

Screw Harry Potter, this is the original magic stuff. These books are amazing. Oh, and I never saw the movie because I didn't want to ruin the image in my head, and I'm glad I didn't.

#4 Anastasia Krupnik. Yes, the entire series, by Lois Lowry

#5 Beauty: A Re-telling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, by Robin McKinley

Wow. I love this book. I still go back and read it. The descriptions, the language, and the creative plot combine to make a really amazing story. This is not your typical Disney version of being the little woman to a monster. This is good stuff.

#6 Camilla, by Madeleine L'Engle.
This book broke my heart a little bit.

#7 A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L'Engle. (Okay, really anything in the Murry/O'Keefe family of books.)

#8 Meet the Austins, by Madeleine L'Engle. (Okay, really anything in the Austin family of books.)

The last two are really special series. The Murrys are the family that the weird quantum/spiritual stuff happens to, and the Austins are more "normal". I really like how if you read far enough into the Austins the Murrys come back into the stories. Madeleine L'Engle is one of my very favorite authors, and I have yet to find a book of hers that I didn't love. Her adult writing is also amazing, particularly the Crosswicks Journals. I also LOVE Many Waters, An Acceptable Time, and The Arm of the Starfish. They aren't exactly kids books. Her writing speaks to so many people. When she died earlier this year I felt like I'd lost a friend.

I'm sure there are more, so this one might warrant a follow-up post later. There are several I could write about from an adult point of view as well.

nerds!

nerds!, originally uploaded by sassymedusa.

To think that I once was a little worried that I would never find a man who would just hang out and read in bed with me. And I was actually jealous when one of my friends described a night at home with her husband which consisted of eating nachos and then reading in bed until midnight. And no, that was not a euphemism or anything.

Reading List

I've been reading a lot lately, and as I am terrible with titles AND authors, I figured this would be a good place to keep track of all the stuff being poured into my brain via novels. Or non-novels. Most of my books I get from the libary, so it isn't like I can just browse my bookshelf for whatever it is I'm thinking of. So here's the list since, say, January. I'm sure there are more, I'll add them as I remember them....

Mayflower, by Nathaniel Philbrick. Really great descriptive account of the Pilgrims all the way from England to Holland to New England. And the ensueing war with the Natives. Great book, with lots of first-hand accounts. Feeds my fascination with 17th century American History.

Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison. Started really slow, but the ending was so good. The whole entire story came together in the last chapter, and somehow a search for family history was actually very gripping.

The Best Life Diet, by Bob Greene. It's smart. It makes sense. I'm just hanging out here in Phase 1 and I don't feel like I'm dieting. So I guess the book is doing its job.

The Buccaneers, by Edith Wharton. This was so Jane Austen-y, as in who is going to marry whom and will they be of the correct class and what happens when, gasp!, when they realize a marriage based on 1 month of courtship might not cut it? American women take on London in the 1800s. And they all marry titled men. And most are completely miserable. It was an odd little book, but I still enjoyed it.

Are Men Necessary? by Maureen Dowd. I'm not finished with this one yet, but lots of modern cultural references point to the fact that women's lib has probably gone the way of the corset. Women are actually turning back into 50s house wife wannabees and not noticing or caring. I guess we all want to relax from all of that pressure of career AND children. Pick one. And enjoy it.