Kimmie's Krap

All the Pretty Horses

2010-08-11T19:29:00.003-05:00

All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
1992 National Book Award

John Grady Cole is a 16 year old cowboy. He was raised n his grandfathers ranch, but after the old mans death his mother decides to sell and move the boy to town. John Grady convinces his best friend Lacey to go to Mexico with him. On the trip down, the pair meet a kid claiming to be Jimmy Blevins. One night during a storm, Blevins freaks out. He lists a dozen or so relatives who have been struck by lightning. He strips down to get away from the metal in his clothes. During the storm his horse runs away and a flash flood carries off all his belongings.

A little later the three ride into a town where they spot the horse. Blevins steals it and hauls ass. John Grady and Lacey escape to and travel further south and eventually find work. He also finds the ranch owners daughter. And the posse finds them.

I liked this book more than I expected to. Although I LOVED Lonesome Dove I'm not much into westerns. I think I bought this soon after I read The Road a couple of years ago and wanted to read something else by McCarthy. I'm very glad I did.

Little Dorrit

2010-06-01T19:25:00.002-05:00

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

Little Dorrit was born in the poorhouse in London. Her father, brother and sister all live there. She does sewing to help the family get by. Authur Clennam is a rich gentleman who befriends her. As the Dorrit family's fortunes rise Authur's fortunes fall.

This is a typical Dickens novel, full of shady banking and corrupt government. But this is the first time I could attach the word "typical" to Dickens. The characters were too caricatured to suit me. There was nothing in this story to make it stand out from his other books. Kinda felt like a repeat to me.

White Noise

2010-04-29T19:05:00.004-05:00

White Noise by Don Delillo
1985 National Book Award

Jack Gladney is a Hitler professor. He's on his fifth marriage. He's got kids and stepkids, some at home and some with other parents. He has a set of friends who like to sit around discussing deep thoughts.

Both Jack and his wife Babette are obsessed with death. They are both terrified of it. So when a toxic chemical cloud is released near town and Jack is exposed he has something to focus his fears on. But his wife has fallen into the influence of a scientist who convinces her he has a pill that will help her overcome her fear.

White Noise is about the chaos that is modern life. TV, traffic, other people, consumerism, our own personal demons. The list goes on and on. I liked the book. It was a quick read and a realistic view of modern life. Except it was written before the tide of cell phones hit society.

The Mayor of Casterbridge

2010-02-24T19:21:00.003-06:00

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

Michael Henchard is a poor workman dragging his family across country trying to find work. At a county fair they come across, Michael gets drunk and begins to brood on his family. He feels the responsibility and thinks his wife and baby will drag him down. So he sells them to a sailor who is also just passing through the area. The next day he wakes up and realizes what he has done. But they are no where to be found. He makes a vow to not drink for a period equal to how long he has already been alive.

So after years of hard work he has become a successful businessman and the mayor of Casterbridge. But after the sailor disappears at sea his wife, Susan comes to town with her daughter. Henchard now has on opportunity to make up for the sins of his past.

And there's a new man in town named Donald Farfrae. Farfrae's star is rising. But Henchard's nature won't let him take a backseat to anyone.

This was a wonderful book. It's about second chances and self-destruction. It's my favorite Hardy so far. Highly, highly recommended.

Lisey's Story

2010-02-17T20:50:00.002-06:00

Lisey's Story by Stephen King
2006 Bram Stoker Award

Two years ago, Lisey lost her husband after 25 years of marriage. Now it's time to clean out his studio. She has gotten on with her life but going through his papers is stirring up memories. Scott was a Pulitzer winning author and since his death vultures are swarming trying to get Lisey to release all of his notes and unpublished works. And one professor has aimed a madman at her.

But being a King novel, there is a secret world that Scott shared with Lisey. And in this world is where Lisey will find the means to fight the killer stalking her.

It had a slow start but after King had it set up it moved along rather quickly. I liked the book. But. It wasn't quite as scary as most of his books. And there wasn't much humor in it. I expect the smart ass conversational tone of his books. This one seemed a little more remote.

A Death in the Family

2010-02-02T18:43:00.005-06:00

A Death in the Family by James Agee
1958 Pulitzer

"A Death in the Family" explores the emotions of the people left behind immediately after an sudden, accidental death. Jay Follet has been called out in the middle of the night by his alcoholic brother, Ralph. Ralph tells Jay their father has had a heart attack and asks Jay to come as soon as he can. Jay immediately leaves Knoxville for his fathers farm. And as he had suspected, the heart attack had been exaggerated. So he heads for home. On the way he loses control of the steering, crashes the car and is killed.

His wife May is overwhelmed by grief. His small children don't completely understand. His brother feels guilty for calling him out. His in-laws are more detached, but still sorrowful.

Mary turns to religion. And some of the family feel Jay's presence. some cling to the hope his spirit is still with them.

This is a book with a characters and emotions everyone can relate to.

Odd Thomas

2010-01-26T19:29:00.002-06:00

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas is the best short order cook in Pico Mundo. He also sees dead people. And bodachs. Bodachs are shadowy creatures that show up when something bad is about to happen. And one day a customer at Odd Thomas' diner shows up leading a parade of them.

So now Odd Thomas is following his 6th sense trying to figure out just what this customer is up to. He finds the guys house and inside there is a room devoted to the worst killers of all time. So Thomas is left waiting for the worst.

Ghosts and killers aside, this was a fun book to read. One of Thomas' ghosts was Elvis. Fun, huh. I'll be looking for more in this series.

Book Awards Reading Challenge IV

2010-01-21T18:24:00.004-06:00

BookAwardChallengeIV

I'm a little late, but I'm in. As I did last year, I picked books I already had in my house. I buy more books than I read. And, unfortunately, my local library has an honor room where you can get books for a dollar or less. So I went through the award lists and found 8 on my shelves. Then I had to go through the books and look up the ones that may have won something. Snagged another like that. And as I was going through the books I kept seeing something I want to reread "someday" but I didn't know when "someday" was. So I decided it's now. I threw in one of my all-time favorites to round out the 10. If this isn't O.K. let me know.

Here's my list.

1928 Nobel
Sigrid Undset Ж The Bridal Wreath

1934 James Tait Black Prize
Robert Graves Ж I, Claudius

1985 National Book Award
Don DeLillo Ж White Noise

1989 Man Booker
Kazuo Ishiguro Ж The Remains of the Day

1992 National Book Critics Circle
Carmac McCarthy Ж All the Pretty Horses

1993 Irish Times International Fiction Prize
E. Annie Proulx Ж The Shipping News

1999 Pen/Faulkner
Michael Cunningham Ж The Hours

2005 Alex Award
Jodi Picoult Ж My Sister's Keeper

2006 Bram Stoker Award
Stephen King Ж Lisey's Story

2009 Pulitzer Prize
Elizabeth Strout Ж Olive Kitteridge

The Guernsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society

2010-01-19T18:45:00.004-06:00

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is set immediately after World War II. Writer Juliet Ashton is at a loss for her next story. Then comes a letter from stranger named Dawsey Adams. Dawsey has found Juliet's name and address in an old copy of Charles Lamb, his favorite author. He writes asking her for a address for a bookstore so he can order another Lamb book. And in this letter he explains how Lamb got him through the German occupation of Guernsey Island. And he mentions the Society. This piques her interest and she writes back and they begin a correspondence which eventually grows to include the entire Society. And Juliet has her next story. She begins to gather the stories of the occupation from the islanders.

This story is told through letters, journals and telegrams. It's told by Juliet, her best friend, her publisher and the island residents. It's a charming book, happy and hopeful but filled with some horrific stories of the war that contrast with the pleasant life that has resettled over the island.

I loved this book. I borrowed this from my sister (like I don't have enough unread books here) but I'm going to have to get my own copy. I know I'll be rereading it.

Book Awards Challenge III

2009-12-01T18:15:00.003-06:00

I finished the challenge Friday but I'm always behind with the posting. I have a pile of 5 books awaiting their turn now.

My List

Possession was my least favorite. Actually, I didn't much care for it. I liked A Lesson Before Dying and The Book of Ruth. Flowers for Algernon was a reread so I new I would like it. The biggest surprise was The Bridge on the Drina. Loved it. I've had it for a year. I wanted to read it because my book club had and I want to read everything they have. If I had of known how much I'd like it I would have read it last year. I'll definitely reread it one day.

Flowers for Algernon

2009-12-01T17:54:00.004-06:00

Flowers for Algeron by Daniel Keyes

1960 Hugo Award for best short story
1966 Nebula Award for best novel

Charley is a 32 year old man with an IQ of 68. He has a job and his own place. And he is desperate to learn to read. He's taking a course at a college for the retarded. His teacher is so impressed with his enthusiasm she submits him as a candidate for a experiment. He has brain surgery that increases his IQ tremendously. But once his IQ eclipses that of the scientists trying to cure retardation, he realizes the boost in brain power is only temporary.

This is a wonderful book. It began life as a short story and was so popular, it was rewritten as a novel. It's written as a journal the doctors ask Charley to keep so they can monitor his progress. In the beginning he writes like a 6 year old. But as his IQ goes up, so do his abilities. But then everything begins to regress. It's a sad story. It actually brought tears to my eyes at the end.

Possession

2009-11-27T17:41:00.004-06:00

Possession by A. S. Byatt

"Possession" is about a literary mystery. Roland Michell is researching a Victorian poet named Randolph Henry Ash when he discovers old letters that suggests a romance with another poet, Christabel LaMotte. His search leads him to a LaMotte scholar named Maud Bailey. Roland and Maud search through old letters and diaries trying to find the truth.

I found it hard to get into this book. Along with the third person narrative, it's told through diary entries, letters and poems. It's full of references of people I've never heard of and am not sure if they really exist or not. You have to read this book with a dictionary and thesaurus. The only other book I've read like that was "Humbolt's Gift."

Of Human Bondage

2009-11-05T19:00:00.003-06:00

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham

Philip Carey is orphaned at the age of 9. He goes to live with his aunt and uncle. His uncle is a village vicar. For a while Philip goes through a deeply religious stage, even thinking he'll go into the clergy himself. But instead, after many unhappy years at a boarding school, he goes to study in Germany. He eventually spends time in Paris studying to be an artist.

After realizing he'll never be a great artist, he returns to London to study to be a doctor. He also meets Mildred and becomes obsessed with her. But Mildred is looking for the good life.

"Of Human Bondage" is a character study of a man who is not perfect.Philip is complicated. At times you understand what he's feeling and at other times you want to knock him in the head. He's one of the most fascinating characters I've come across in a long time.

Body of Lies

2009-10-28T19:10:00.003-05:00

Body of Lies by Iris Johansen

"Body of Lies" is about a forensic sculpture named Eve who goes to Louisiana to work on a skull found in a swamp. It may be a missing senatorial candidate. But, naturally someone doesn't want the skull identified. So amidst all the danger she's provided with a bodyguard named Sean.

Eve has left her boyfriend, Joe, and adopted daughter back home but the people who are stalking her now use her family to try to control her.

I read this book a month or so ago. It didn't stick in my head too well. There were too many characters who seemed to blend into one another. I was constantly looking back to see if Sean or Joe were the boyfriend. I could never remember which was which. Johansen has written some good mysteries. This isn't one of them.

The Bridge on the Drina

2009-10-23T19:39:00.004-05:00

The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric

The building of the bridge on the Drina River was finished in 1571. It was destroyed at the beginning of World War I. "The Bridge on the Drina" tells the stories of people who live in the towns around the bridge. Turks, Serbs, Muslims, Christians, Jews.....Many different peoples.

There is an area in the center of the bridge where people meet to socialize. They have their coffee, drinks or cigarettes and pass the time. Life is slow. All the people live in a state of cooperation. But as time goes on and centuries pass the world gets smaller. And eventually the affairs of the rest of the world begin seeping into the small villages that surround the vally.

This is an amazing book. It's like a series of short stories all tied to the bridge. I would recommend this book with 4 stars.

The Odyssey

2009-10-20T18:31:00.003-05:00

The Odyssey of Homer by T. E. Lawrence

"The Odyssey" is the story of the return of Odysseus from the Trojan War. It has all the stories we've known all our lives- Cyclops, the Sirens, Calypso, a visit to Hades....But this is the first time I've read the book. I didn't realize there was much more to the story.

My version was translated by Lawrence of Arabia. It was surprisingly easy to read as opposed to The Iliad. I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to it, but I wound up enjoying it more than I expected.

Black Lightning

2009-10-07T18:19:00.003-05:00

Black Lightning by John Saul

"Black Lightning" is a supernatural story about a serial killer. Anne Jeffers has been writing about Richard Kraven's bloody path. And now he's due to be executed. But in his final message to her he tells her the killing won't stop with his death. And it doesn't.

The murders begin again. And they're closing in on Anne, getting closer and closer.

I enjoyed this book. I like a good spooker.

A Lesson Before Dying

2009-10-01T18:05:00.005-05:00

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J Gaines

Jefferson goes to the local liquor store with two friends. One of the guys tries to get the store keeper to give him a bottle on credit. An argument erupts and the friend pulls out a gun. The store keeper has one too. So after a gunfight, the only one standing is Jefferson. He is convicted of the murders and sentenced to death.

It's the late 1940;s in Louisiana. Jefferson has never had the breaks Grant had. Grant managed to get to college. He has returned to teach in the black school. His aunt is a friend of Miss Emma, who is Jefferson's godmother. Together the two old ladies pressure Grant to teach Jefferson to be a man before his execution. But Grant has not earned the respect of the white community with his accomplishments and has grown detached from everyone.

But while he teaches Jefferson the value of life, he learns it himself.

The Brothers Karamazov

2009-09-17T18:57:00.004-05:00

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Don't let the cover fool you. This isn't the translation I read. I found a copy in my local library honor room for a dollar. It was translated by a Russian princess in the 1930's. Something aroused my curiosity over halfway through the book. Where was all the philosophy, ethics and morals the book was supposed to go into? After a little research I realized my book was about 240 pages shorter than the next shortest version sold at B&N. So all the deep ideas in the book were gone. Basically, the little princess turned a Russian classic into a murder mystery. A lame one at that.

I was supposed to be reading this with TheClassicClub on Yahoo. I kept in the discussion, but I don't really feel I've read the book.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

2009-09-09T18:00:00.003-05:00

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is set in the beginning of the 20th century. It tells the story of Francie who lives with her parents and brother in a poor tenement in Brooklyn. Her dad Johnny is an alcoholic singing waiter. He's a poor provider so mother Kate struggles to make ends meet.

Francie is a dreamy child. She also wants to learn. She gets her father to help her fake an address so she can get into a better school. And she loves to write.

The book is a simple story about growing up. It follows the family from Francie's childhood until adulthood. There's a hopeful thread through the hardships Francie lives through. It's all about surviving with dignity.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

2009-09-01T18:50:00.004-05:00

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Snow Flower and Lily are laotongs-"the same." They were united by a matchmaker when they were both seven years old. They are bound to be best friends for life. They live in different villages and communicate on a fan by writing nu shy. Nu shu is the secret Chinese writing that women use to communicate with each other without men knowing.

The story is set in the 19th century. Women were just property. They were raised to be given away. Sons were much desired and the woman who couldn't produce them was replaced by concubines.

Snow Flower and Lily share their dreams and hopes through the fan from their foot-binding through the births of their children. But naturally as they grow up they learn. And this brings changes in personalities that lead to misunderstanding.

This is a very good book. It describes the era just through the lives the girls are led through without turning into a history book. The description of the foot-binding is one of the most horrific things I've ever read. My feet hurt just thinking about it. I can't imagine a culture that would do that.

My sister insisted I read this. And I'm going to insist my sister-in-law reads it next.

The Book of Ruth

2009-08-28T18:09:00.006-05:00

The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton

1989 Pen Hemingway Foundation Award

Ruth lives in a rural area in Illinois. They're a poor family. Dad Elmer left when Ruth was a child. He took off to Texas. Mom lost her first husband in WWII. She's been bitter and disappointed since. Brother Matt is a mathematical genius. He doesn't want to belong in the family.

And Ruth is a very submissive person. She was the butt of the jokes in school and has grown up not to expect much. She marries the first guy she can, Reuben. Reuben, or Ruby as he's known, was the son of a military man. Ruby couldn't ever please his father but his mother adored him. He grows up to be a drinker and drugger. He doesn't want to work. So Ruth and Ruby live with her mother after their married.And Ruth gets caught between bitter Mom and slacker Ruby.

I enjoyed this book. But it's very depressing. Hamilton makes occasional hints about bad things to come but it's not told until late in the story. And even then you get the feeling Ruth is on another path she's not equipped to deal with.

Eden's Outcasts

2009-08-26T19:50:00.003-05:00

Eden's Outcasts by John Matteson

2008 Pulitzer for Biography

Eden's Outcasts is the story of the lives of Louisa May Alcott and her father Bronson Alcott. Bronson was a teacher and writer. He was a philosopher and abolitionist. He tried to run schools and utopias. But he wasn't very good at supporting his family. Of course, after Louisa started writing things got better for the family. But Louisa had no choice in becoming an intellectual. Bronson ran with the likes of Hawthorne, Emerson and Thoreau.

Eden's Outcasts was a good book. I learned a lot about someone whose books I've always loved. And I learned about a fascinating man I'd never heard of. One who deserves to be remembered.

Booking through Thursday-Best Reads

2009-08-20T18:18:00.004-05:00

Booking Through Thursday-Recent Best

I have to say it's The Stories of John Cheever. I haven't read many short stories and the wonderful tales in the book have opened up a whole new genre for me.

The Short Stories of John Cheever

2009-08-18T19:31:00.004-05:00

The Stories of John Cheever

1979 Pulitzer

This was my first foray into short stories (except for Stephen King) and I loved them. There are 61 stories in the order he wrote them. The earliest are set around WWI and the later stories are in the 70's. It was interesting to watch the changes in society as they occurred.

Most of the stories are filled with sadness and disappointment. Some are full of anger, crime, adultery, and all kinds of dubious behavior. Others deal with the randomness of fate.

I've become a fan of short stories with this one book. I'll never overlook the genre again.

Eleanor and Franklin

2009-08-09T19:04:00.003-05:00

Eleanor and Franklin by Joseph Lash

1972 Pulitzer for Biography

I read this with Pulitzer_literature on Yahoo. Or tried to. Only a couple of us went past the point of pain and no one was able to finish it. Joseph Lash was a friend of Eleanor's. He was a reporter she met through a youth organization. So the book is 90% hero worship of Eleanor. And since it was written by a reporter it reads like a newspaper article...a looong article. It's full of names, dates and places but there isn't much personality.

About halfway through the book I skipped about a chapter and a half by accident and didn't even know it. So about 3/4's of the way in I realized it when someone asked Eleanor about Franklin's polio. I didn't know he had it yet. I'd read a quarter of the book and Lash mentioned crutches once but I thought he was talking figuratively.
You'd assume polio would have a greater influence on their lives than Lash indicated.

This book was a waste of time.

Strangers

2009-07-28T18:25:00.002-05:00

Strangers by Dean Koontz

All over the country are suffering from fear. Bone-chilling terror strikes them. And they don't know where the fear came from. Some of them suffer in their dreams, some while awake. Some are triggered by harmless objects, and some become obsessed with the moon. But slowly, hidden memories are beginning to leak through and lead them all to the Arizona desert. But finding the truth doesn't bring peace.

Sci fi disguised with suspense. Really cool. It's a big book, but the suspense keeps the pages turning.

Born to be Wild

2009-07-24T18:43:00.003-05:00

Born to be Wild by Catherine Coulter

Born to be Wild is a very lightweight mystery. Mary Lisa Beverly is a soap opera star who someone is trying to kill. She is almost run over by a car and goes to her Oregon hometown. With no interesting men in L.A. she is pleased to find two at home. The town's D.A. and Chief of Police both get involved in the L.A. crime while they are also investigating a local murder.

Mary Lisa also has drama with her family. And scenes from her soap opera are played out. All-in-all, this story is all over the place. Nice time-killer, but no deduction skills are needed.

Cloudsplitter

2009-07-01T18:51:00.003-05:00

Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks

"Cloudsplitter" is the story of abolitionist John Brown as told from his son Owen's point of view. Owen is writing a letter to a reporter who had tried to interview him about his father. Feeling remorse for being rude, Owen decides to cooperate with a written statement. He follows his life with John Brown through childhood through the raid on Harper's Ferry.

The book is very long-winded. Owen repeatedly spends pages writing about his fathers philosophy and influence on other people. He comes across as a little awestruck by John.

Banks straight-out tells you it's a work of fiction. He changes facts, adds events and changes the sequence of events to fit his literary needs. Personally, I felt there was too much fiction. I think you should be able to learn a little something with books. But with "Cloudsplitter" you need to read the book with an encyclopedia nearby to separate fact from fiction. I've read too many fictionalized stories to think you have to rewrite someones life so completely. Either use the life as a basis for a fictional book or write a fictitious original character. Don't try to mix the two.

Book Awards Reading Challenge III

2009-06-17T19:18:00.009-05:00

Book Awards Challenge III

5 Award winners in 5 months.
I'm in.

1961 Nobel Prize in Literature
Ivo Andric The Bridge on the Drina

1993 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction
Ernest J Gaines A Lesson Before Dying

1989 Pen Hemingway Foundation Award
Jane Hamilton The Book of Ruth

1990 Booker Award
A S Byatt Possession: A Romance

1966 Nebula Award
1960 Hugo Award for Short Story
Daniel Keyes Flowers for Algernon

I like the rules of this challenge. Just 5 books from any award program. I just went looking through books I already have. There's so many books on my TBR. I love a reason to knock them off.

Breathing Lessons

2009-05-31T21:15:00.003-05:00

Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

1989 Pulitzer Prize

Ira and Maggie Moran have been married 28 years. They have a son and daughter. Their son, Jesse, has a daughter of his own but his marriage didn't work out. Their daughter Daisy is set for college.

Maggie's best friend's husband has died and Ira and Maggie set out for the funeral. They have a fight on the way and Maggie demands to be let out of the car. She walks to a gas station/cafe but Ira soon comes back to get her. The trip home after the funeral is even more eventful. Maggie is determined to repair her sons marriage 6 years after the split. Ira is a calm and patient man, but Maggie is emotional and a bit scattered.

"Breathng Lessons" is a simple story about what it takes to live with someone. It's a lovely story.

The Sound and the Fury

2009-05-29T19:07:00.005-05:00

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

1949 Nobel

The Compton family are the descendents of a once noble family with a Civil War general and a governor in their family tree. But they are self-destructing. Father is content to rest on the laurels earned before him and Mother is self-absorbed and can't connect with her children. They are basically being raised by Dilsey, the black housekeeper.

The Sound and the Fury is written in four sections. The first section is through Benjy's eyes on his 33rd birthday. Benjy is severly retarded and cannot talk. While roaming around outside with one of Dilseys boys, Benjy's mind keeps jumping around as things provoke his memory. But Benjy has no concept of time so his memories could have happened yesterday as far as he knows. The second section narrated on the last day of Quenton's life. Quenton is unable to handle the loss of honor his sister has caused the family. The third section is narrated by Jason, the mean-spirited middle son. The final section is written in the third person.

It's an incredible book. The different sections are written in different voices and no two are alike. Benjy jumps all over time. Quenton gets more and more disjointed as his day goes one. And Jason just reeks of hate and greed. You have to pay attention with this book but it's well worth the effort.

Dr. Zhivago

2009-05-26T18:38:00.004-05:00

Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

1958 Nobel Prize

Zhivago is a doctor and a port. He is married to his cousin Tonia. But occasionally he sees a woman named Laura. During the war he finally meets her and the two have an affair. She is working as a nurse while looking for her missing husband.

I can't say I much enjoyed this book. Unlike the movie, the book is mainly about the war and Zhivago's reaction to it and his disillusionment with people. And not being much up on Russian history (or geography) much of the story needed researching. Sometimes I like researching--but not this time.

Rendezvous with Rama

2009-05-13T18:36:00.003-05:00

Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clark

1974 Hugo Award
1973 Nebula Award

In the year 2131 a huge object is discovered near Jupiter. It is traveling unbelievably fast and is headed in Earth's direction. Survey photos determine it is not a natural spacecraft, but a manufactured vessel from outside our galaxy.Man has populated planets and moons around the solar system and manned spacecraft are always in flight. The logical choice to investigate the new arrival is a solar survey vessel named Endeavor.

I don't read much science fiction but I plan on reading the rest of this series. It was meant as a stand alone book but it also left questions about the mysterious Ramans. Maybe the next book will give some answers.

Beowulf

2009-05-06T19:16:00.003-05:00

Beowulf by Seamus Heanly

Costa/Whitbread winner 1999

Heaney has adapted the ancient tale of monsters and heroes for a new audience. It's the tale of a hero who comes to the aid of a king when a fierce monster begins killing King Hroŏgars warriors. Beowulf crosses the sea to help kill Grendel.

Beowulf is a story of battles loyalty and honor. This new translation is a much easier read than the tale I had to read in high school. Heaney has used more modern language than any version I've seen.

The World According to Garp

2009-05-01T18:26:00.003-05:00

The World According to Garp by John Irvng

T. S. Garp is the son of Jenny Fields. Jenny decided she wanted a child without a husband so she got herself pregnant by a brain damaged war veteran. So with this bizarre birth begins the bizarre life of T. S. Garp. That's his name Jenny never knew the fathers first name so she gave him the initial of his rank- Technical Sergeant. So T. S. was named, but everyone called him Garp.

The book follows Garp throughout his life. First at a school where his mother was nurse. Then at graduation the two take of to live in Europe, where Jenny writes her autobiography which everyone takes to be a feminine statement. Garp wants to be a writer too, but he can't quite capture the attention his mother gets.

This is a very funny book. The characters are completely off the wall. I thoroughly loved it.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

2009-04-23T19:24:00.003-05:00

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

During the French Revolution a anonymous Englishman was helping the French aristocrats escape. Chauvelinis the French envoy to England. He is determined to catch The Scarlet Pimpernel. He threatens Marguerite Blakeney, the beautiful wife of Sir Percy Blakeney. If she doesn't help him catch the Pimpernel, he will arrest her brother for aiding him.

This was a fun book. It is very predictable though. I found it very enjoyable.

Middle Passage

2009-04-21T17:52:00.003-05:00

Middle Passage by Charles Johnson

1990 National Book Award

Rutherford Calhoun is a newly freed slave. He has a brother who took to the Christian life of their owner. Rutherford did not. He was a thief, liar, cheat...you name it. He gets involved with a woman named Isadora. She wants marriage and gets the local crime boss to help her trap him. Instead of marriage, Randolph chooses to jump the first ship leaving harbor.

It turns out the ship is a slaver going to pick up cargo. And the captain has alot in common with Captain Blgh. But before the crew can mutiny, the slaves gain the ship.

The Iliad

2009-04-19T18:32:00.002-05:00

The Iliad by Homer

The Iliad is the original war story. It's set in the 9th year of the Trojan War. It begins with an argument between Achilles and Agamemnon over a woman. Agamemnon wins the argument and the woman. So Achilles goes off to pout, leaving the war for the others to fight. The gods and goddesses have all chosen sides and often help their chosen army.

The story was already hundreds of years old when Homer finally wrote it down. It was an epic poem that had been passed down through the century's. I watched a program on History International the other night and the subject of how could so long a poem be accurate centuries later. Well turns out early in the first half of the 20th century some researcher wondered the same thing. So he went out and studied the songs The Serbian story-tellers sang about a war that occurred about 400 years before. And he found the songs were very accurate. I found that extremely interesting. It lends a little credence to the legend of the Trojan War, but I still don't believe Aphrodite spirited Paris off the battlefield.

The Kite Runner

2009-04-14T18:21:00.003-05:00

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Amir and Hassan are two Afghanistan boys who are growing up together. But Amit is rich and Hassan is the servant's son. They are the best of friends. But another neighborhood boy looks down on Hassan because he is Hazara. One day while Hassan is running down a kite, Assef and his thug friends catch Hassan and rape him. Amir sees this but hides instead of helping. Overwhelmed by guilt, he then frames Hassan for a theft. Hassan and his father leave the house. But the guilt is now doubled and Amir has to live with it.

This was an incredible book. Amir does some terrible things but he's only 12 years old. You're left feelng sorry for him in spite of his actions.

Killer Angels

2009-04-02T18:44:00.003-05:00

Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

1975 Pulitzer

"The Killer Angels" is a fictionalized account of the Battle of Gettysburg. The story switches back and forth between different people from both sides and helps explain the reasons both had for fighting.

I liked this book much more than I thought I would. The story was well written and turned something I thought I knew into something new. For a well-known historical event, the book brought a little page turning wonder to it.

Black Lightning

2009-03-31T18:18:00.004-05:00

Black Lightning by John Saul

Journalist Anne Jeffers has been working for five years to see that a serial killer is kept off the street. On the day of his execution he tells her the murders won't end with her death. And they don't.

I enjoyed this book. I'm a fan of the supernatural and murder genres. So when you combine the two it's fun. And this one was truly creepy.

The Keepers of the House

2009-03-24T18:41:00.002-05:00

The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau

1965 Pulitzer

The Howland family have lived on the old homestead since the early 1800's. In 1965 the current occupant is Abigail. Her grandfather, William, had brought home a young black woman named Margaret to help take care of Abigail. But Margaret also became his mistress and had children by him.

Abigail's husband is a budding politician. So William and Margaret's secret is a devastating blow to his campaign. And to the community at large.

"The Keepers of the House" is a powerful book about race relations and hyprococy in the south. It asks the question "Do you say what you mean or say what you think people want to hear." It's pertinant in todays PC dominated world.

The Stranger

2009-03-17T18:17:00.006-05:00

The Stranger by Albert Camus

1957 Nobel

Meursault is a young man living in Algiers. Learning of his mother's death he travels to her funeral where his behavior is less than grief-stricken. He decides not to view his mother. And he naps during the vigil.

Upon returning home afterwards, he befriends his neighbor, Raymond. Raymond asks Meursault to write a letter to his girlfriend asking her to come back to him. Once she does, Raymond beats the crap out of her. So her brother is out to get Raymond. On a trip to the beach Meursault, his girlfriend Marie and Raymond are followed by the brother and an Arab friend. On a walk on the beach Meursault runs across the Arab and winds up killing him.

Meursault is arrested and put on trial. But the trial soon veers away from the murder and focuses on Meursault's attitude. The court decides his attitude is a threat to society.

Water for Elephants

2009-03-11T19:26:00.004-05:00

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

2007 ALA/Alex award

Jacob Jankowski is 90 or 93. He's not sure which. He's recovering from a broken hip in a nursing home where his busy family have put him. Right down the street a circus is putting up tent. Jacob is suddenly transported to memory-land.

Just days before Jacob was due to graduate from veterinary school, his parents are killed in a traffic accident. While settling their affairs, Jacob learns they had remortgaged the house for his schooling. So a despondent Jacob jumps a train and finds himself among circus folk. With his veterinary schooling he soon finds himself a welcome addition.

Among the people he meets with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth is the cruel animal trainer August, and his beautiful equestrian wife, Marlene. And there's also the elephant, Rosie.

I loved this book. I'm going to make my sister read it. I have to buy my own copy though. I checked it out of the library not kowing how much I would like it. I only chose it for the BookAwards ChallengeII because it had won one.

Always Time to Die

2009-03-05T18:57:00.003-06:00

Always Time To Die by Elizabeth Lowell

Carly May is a genealogist who is invited to New Mexico to chart a family tree for the Quantrell family. The Quantrell family has intermingled with the Castillo family for centuries. But now the powerful Senator has died and Miss Winnifred Quantrell wants a record of the family. But there have been some nasty people in the family and someone wants the skeletons left in the closet.

Brave New World

2009-03-02T18:56:00.004-06:00

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

"Brave New World" is set in the future in London. Most of the world is united in The World State and years are measured in "the year of our Ford." People are no longer born but raised in jars. They're chemically treated to control their traits and are classified onto 5 classes, from brains at the top to mindless laborors at the bottom of the scale. People are trained to consume goods. They're controlled with a drug called soma.

Bernard and Lenina take a trip to New Mexico to the Savage Reservation. While there they meet a woman who had belonged to the New World but got separated from her group and forced to remain on the reservation once she got pregnant naturally. Laura has an 18 year old son, John. Laura ans John are brought back to London. John's culture shock causes a storm in the new society that understands him no better than he understands them.

Age of Innocence

2009-02-26T18:48:00.003-06:00

Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

1921 Pulitzer

Set in New York's High Society, Age of Innocence is The story of a young man trying to follow the rules of society against his vague discomfort with them. Newland Archer is a young lawyer engaged to the proper young lady, May Welland. Everything is on tract until May's cousin returns to New York.

Countess Ellen Olenska has left her husband amid scandal and returned to her family. But in the late 19th century divorce is a scandal. So Newland is drawn into the family's efforts to persuade Ellen to return to her husband. And Newland finds himself attracted to her and begins to question the path he is taking.

2009

2009-02-25T18:20:00.009-06:00

January
A Summons to Memphis Ж Peter Taylor
Mrs. Dalloway Ж Virginia Woolf
Ironweed Ж William Kennedy
Dreamcatchers Ж Stephen King
The Painted Veil Ж W Somerset Maugham

February
The Invisible Man Ж H. G. Wells
The Handmaid's Tale Ж Margaret Atwood
Tree of Smoke Ж Denis Johnson
American Pastoral Ж Philip Roth
Age of Innocence Ж Edith Wharton

March
Brave New World Ж Aldous Huxley
Always Time to Die Ж Elizabeth Lowell
Water for Elephants Ж Sara Gruen
The Stranger Ж Albert Camus
The Keepers of the House Ж Shirley Ann Grau
Black Lightening Ж John Saul

APRIL
The Killer Angels Ж Michael Shaara
The Kite Runner Ж Khaled Hosseini
The Illiad Ж Homer
Middle Passage Ж Charles Johnson
The Scarlet Pimpernel Ж Baroness Emmuska Orczy

MAY
The World According to Garp Ж John Irvng
Beowulf Ж Seamus Heanly
Rendezvous with Rama Ж Arthur C. Clark
Doctor Zhivago Ж Boris Pasternak
The Sound and the Fury Ж William Faulkner
Breathing Lessons Ж Anne Tyler

JUNE

JULY
Cloudsplitter Ж Russell Banks
Born to be Wild Ж Catherine Coulter
Strangers Ж Dean Koontz

AUGUST
Eleanor and Franklin Ж Joseph Lash
The Stories of John Cheever Ж John Cheever
Eden's Outcasts Ж John Matteson
The Book of Ruth Ж Jane Hamilton

SEPTEMBER
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Ж Lisa See
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Ж Betty Smith
The Brothers Karamazov Ж Fyodor Dostoevsky

OCTOBER
A Lesson Before Dying Ж Ernest J Gaines
Black Lightning Ж John Saul
The Odyssey Ж Homer
The Bridge on the Drina Ж Ivo Andric
Body of Lies Ж Iris Johansen

NOVEMBER
Of Human Bondage Ж Somerset Maugham
Possession Ж A. S. Byatt

DECEMBER
Flowers For Algernon Ж Daniel Keyes

American Pastoral

2009-02-20T18:47:00.004-06:00

American Pastoral by Philip Roth

1998 Pulitzer

Swede Levov is trying to live the American dream. He marries a beauty queen and buys a house he's loved since his youth. But during the 60's his daughter becomes a war militant. Merry plants a bomb that kills a man and then goes into hiding. Levov's life sowly begins to unravel.

Tree of Smoke

2009-02-18T18:22:00.005-06:00

Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson

"Tree of Smoke" is a story about the people who fought in the Viet Nam was. Skip is an undercover CIA agent engaged in psychological warfare. His only contact is his maybe crazy colonel uncle. The book is full of the twists and turns that go with was. It's a big book, but it's fast reading. And it covers all the pertinent elements of war- spies, friends, enemies, battles, family. All of it. It's an incredible novel with so many threads that are easy to keep tract it. A must read for all war story fans.

The Handmaid's Tale

2009-02-11T18:12:00.004-06:00

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

"The Handmaid's Tale" is set in a future in which religion is used to rule the population. After a series of disasters, the United States had been replaced by Gilead. Women are now expected to be housewives, concubines or nuns. Most women are now sterile and handmaids are fertile women who are used as surrogates. "The Handmaid's Tale" follows a woman named Offred who is a surrogate. She has been separated from her husband and child and placed in the home of an official. Her fate depends on her ability to conceive.

I found this book very disturbing. The premise seems plausible. It would be Utopia for men. But I've never read about any Utopia I would want to live in.

The Invisible Man

2009-02-03T18:11:00.003-06:00

The Invisible Man by H G Wells

Griffin is a scientist who learns to control light refraction with the human body...sort of. He has learned to make himself invisible, but now he can't undo the experiment. So he heads off to a small English village where he gets a room to try to figure out how to reverse the procedure. And while he begins terrorizing the village, the villagers begin to figure out his secret.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. It's one of those where you think you know the story because it's rooted so deep in popular culture. Like Frankenstein, it's been retooled and played with so much during the last century you're never sure what is authentic. I would suggest everyone read it. It's not very big in size but it's huge in creepiness.

The Painted Veil

2009-01-27T17:43:00.003-06:00

The Painted Veil by Somerset Maugham

Kitty Fane has married Walter so she can be married before her younger sister. But she doesn't love him. Walter is a bacteriologist who is vacationing from his work in Hong Kong. After their arrival, Kitty meets and falls in love with a diplomat. But Walter finds out about their affair and insists she accompany him to China where he is going to try to help with a cholera outbreak.

Kitty doesn't start out as a very sympathetic character. But as the book goes on you learn what motivates her. Very slowly she grows on you. "The Painted Veil" is a very easy book to read...flowing language and believable characters. I'd recommend it to everyone.

Dreamcatchers

2009-01-21T18:35:00.004-06:00

Dreamcatcher by Stephen King

Four lifelong friends are taking their annual hunting trip when a disoriented man stumble upon them. The stranger is in pretty poor condition, so he's taken to the cabn where strange thngs begin to happen. Stephen King strange.

This was a good book. 850 pages I read in 3 days (I had to go to work). King jumped from character to character, which would irk me but then I got involved in the current narrative. So within a couple of pages I was into that section so it was OK until he changed characters. It was a vicious circle.

Ironweed

2009-01-13T17:53:00.004-06:00

Ironweed by William Kennedy
1984 Pulitzer Prize

Francis Phelan has blood on his hands. He killed a scab during a strike. Then he accidentally dropped his infant son and killed him. Then while living the hoboes life, he kills another bum in self-defense. Now he has returned to Albany with his girl-friend Helen, who is an alcholic as is he. He's trying to come to terms with his past. Helen is trying to self-destruct.

Ironweed is set in the back alleys and two bit dives that most people never see. It's about the way life can conquer some people before they even get started.

Mrs. Dalloway

2009-01-07T18:49:00.003-06:00

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

This book is one woman's inspection of her life. It's set in one day as Mrs. Dalloway prepares for a party. As she goes about her arrangements she ponders on the past and the future. It's a calm little book and well worth reading.

A lucid review at Time which named it one of the All Time 100 Novels.

2008

2009-01-04T16:12:00.010-06:00

January
Bleak House Ж Charles Dickins
Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe & Alexander Selkirk Ж Stu and Stevey Bruce
From the Corner of His Eye Ж Dean Koontz

February
Never on These Shores Ж Stephen R Pastore
Lonesome Dove Ж Larry McMurtry
The Magnificent Ambersons Ж Booth Tarkington
The Pilgrim's Progress Ж John Bunyan
Gulliver's Travels Ж Johnathan Swift
Playing for Pizza Ж John Grisham
Frankenstein Ж Mary Shelley

March
The Scarlet Letter Ж Nathaniel Hawthorne
Dr Jekyll Mr Hyde Ж Robert Louis Stevenson
The Search Ж Iris Johansen
Tess of the d'Urbervilles Ж Thomas Hardy
Notes on a Scandal Ж Zoë Heller
Killer Bodies Ж Michael Fleeman
Queen of the Slayers Ж Nancy Holder

April
Oliver Twist Ж Clarles Dickens
Pride and Prejudice Ж Jane Austin
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Ж Muriel Spark
So Big Ж Edna Ferber
The Ugly Duckling Ж Iris Johansen
Les Misérables Ж Victor Hugo
Angle of Repose Ж Wallace Stegner
Cold Mountain Ж Charles Frazier

May
Beloved Ж Toni Morrison
Hawaii Ж James A Michner
Jane Eyre Ж Charlotte Brontë
Uncle Tom's Cabin Ж Harriet Beecher Stowe

June
Madame Bovary Ж Gustave Flaubert
The Grapes of Wrath Ж John Steinbeck
Fahrenheit 451 Ж Ray Bradbury
Humboldt's Gift Ж Saul Bellow
The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao Ж Junot Díaz
The Life of Pi Ж Yann Martel
Arrowsmith Ж Sinclair Lewis
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler Ж E L Konigsberg
Up a Road Slowly Ж Irene Hunt
Gone With the Wind Ж Margaret Mitchell

July
The Poisonwood Bible Ж Barbara Kingsolver
East of Eden Ж John Steinbeck
The Power and the Glory Ж Graham Greene
Justine Ж Marquis de Sade
The Prince Ж Niccolò Machiavelli
Anna Karenina Ж Leo Tolstoy

August
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold Ж John le Carré
The Optimist's Daughter Ж Eudora Welty
Cell Ж Stephen King
The Hunchback of Notre Dame Ж Victor Hugo
Paradise Lost Ж John Milton
A Cold Day in Hell Ж Stella Cameron

September
Lord of the Flies Ж Willian Golding
Heart of Darkness Ж Joseph Conrad
The Regulators Ж Richard Bachman
Tree of Smoke Ж Denis Johnson

October
Mrs Dalloway Ж Virginia Wolfe
Ironweed Ж William Kennedy
Dreamcatcher Ж Stephen King

November
The Paintd Veil Ж W Somerset Maugham
The Handmaid's Tale Ж Margaret Atwood
A Summons to Memphis Ж Peter Taylor

December
The Invisible Man Ж H G Wells
American Pastoral Ж Philip Roth

A Summons to Memphis

2009-01-04T15:49:00.004-06:00

A Summons to Memphis by Peter Taylor

1987 Pulitzer Prize

A Summons to Memphis tells the story of the Carver family. Dear old dad is about to get married again and his spinster sisters summon Philip home to help dissuade him from an action that could see all the family's old money being redistributed. Seems it was a common occurrence that the sisters were determined to avoid in their family. Memphis takes Philip down memory lane and leads him to reevaluate the past and the events that sprang out of it.

"A Summons to Memphis" is about Southern customs and traditions. It reminded me of Eudora Welty's "The Optimist's Daughter." I liked Daughter but I've found that as time goes on I remember it more and more fondly. I expect the same thing to happen with Memphis.

The B&N lucid review.

Prime New Years Resolution

2009-01-02T17:50:00.004-06:00

A #1 this year: Spend No Money. I'm amazed at how much money I can go through. I spent hundreds of dollars on books alone last year. I just went to add more to LibraryThing and I was amazed to see just how many I haven't even read yet. I have more than enough to last me a year or two (or three) and I was checking through them thinking "I want to read that one next" several times. So the only ones I will buy this year will be for my book clubs or out of the library's honor room. At 50¢ or $1 apiece maybe it'll pacify my hunger for new books.

New Year

2009-01-01T19:20:00.005-06:00

Survivers

OK. It's a new year and I've made my resolutions. One of them is to begin this blog again. Things have been rough this year. Well, since the hurricane. It turned my job into a major headache. I work at a landfill and the amounts of debris brought in have been astounding. Three and a half months later the cleanup goes on. But it is easing up.

Then at the end of October my brother committed suicide. A delayed Gulf Storm casuality. I lost interest in everything for a while there. It's very traumatic for everyone who loved him. Confusion is reigning in my brain and there's something missing in my life that will never return. It's been two months now, but I still can't get a grip on it.

Hurricane Ike

2008-11-09T09:21:00.004-06:00

I am so far behind with the 888 challenge I don't think I can catch up. Hurricane Ike hit Houston and my life has been hectic. I work for Waste Management. My landfill has been too busy. Our hours were extended. I went through 4 weeks of only seeing my house on Sundays. I was gone during all daylight hours. I didn't have electricity for a month. I had to stay with friends for 2 1/2 weeks. They were 50 miles north and that added an extra hour of driving time daily.

During the last 8 weeks I've only managed to finish 4 books. And they've been books for my Yahoo Groups. I had The Far Pavillions from the library and only got halfway through it before I had to give it back. There's a waiting list for it so I felt guilty keeping it while someone else wanted it.

But hopefully I can get back on track now that things are settling down. But I don't think my 888 has a chance. But I plan on reading all the books anyway. I'll just call it 889.

The Regulators

2008-09-08T17:31:00.003-05:00

The Regulators by Richard Bachman

Poplar Street is an idealistic neighborhood street in Ohio. The neighbors know each other and (mostly) get along. But one hot, sunny July afternoon things get very bad very fast.

Audrey Wyler has taken in her autistic nephew Seth. His parents, brother and sister were all killed in a drive[by shooting out in California. On their last family vacation, while visiting an old mine in Nevada, Seth was invaded by an ancient spirit who calls himself Tak. Tak lives by draining the energy out of others.

Tak brings all of Seth's favorite TV shows out into reality when his energy levels are high. Seth likes westerns-particularly Bonanza and a sci-fi cartoon with lots of high-tech weapons. And as these weapons kill the residents of Poplar Street, Tak's energy and control grow. Pretty soon the surrounding town turns into the Nevada desert, shutting off any chance of help from the outside world.

I liked this book. It was a quick red and kept me interested although I have to admit I've read it before. But all I remember from the previous read is that I liked it. That's a gook enough reason to reread a book.

Heart of Darkness

2008-09-05T17:56:00.004-05:00

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

"Heart of Darkness" follows an Englishman, Marlowe, on his travels into the Congo. He has been hired to ferry ivory from upriver, and bring back an ill station manager, Kurtz. He becomes fascinated with Kurtz' reputation. Kurtz is seen as a highly able man who is extremely successful at supplying ivory.

Marlowe is forced to spend several weeks at the port awaiting supplies to repair his boat. He's horrified to see the way the natives are treated. They're disposable. Barely fed, and badlly mistreated. Disposable. They're considered subhuman.

Marlowe is horrified with everything around him and events on the trip are no better. But when he finally meets Kurtz, he truly sees the heart of darkness.

Lord of the Flies

2008-09-02T18:33:00.003-05:00

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

A group of British schoolboys are marooned on a desert island. They were being evacuated for safety during a war. Finding themselves alone without adult supervision, they begin to form their own society. And their society soon begins to break down.

This is a new entry on my list of favorites. An amazing book. Golding uses children to explore the darkness in human nature. And the horror of it is, it feels like a logical natural progression from the order and co-operation of the early days to the fear and savagery that builds as time goes by and personalities assert themselves.

A Cold Day in Hell

2008-08-29T19:25:00.003-05:00

A Cold Day in Hell by Stella Cameron

Christian De'Angelo has just moved to Pointe Judah, Louisiana. He has with him the teenage son of a murdered mobster. Sonny has made friends with Arron, a local boy. And the two have been getting into trouble. One day, someone shoots at them in the swamp. But which boy was the target?

I enjoy Camerons books when I'm in the mood for a mystery. But she sets her stories in the same small towns- 2 that I've recognized so far. With each successive book more characters are added. This is fine when you begin with the first book. But "A Cold Day in Hell" must be deep into a series. There's a lot of people to remember.

That said, the book dept my interest for the two days it took to read. And I wasn't sure whodunit. It's a good, quick read.

Index Liborum Liberorum

2008-08-27T18:11:00.004-05:00

Index Librorum Liberorum
Toast the taste makers of the religious world

I finished another challenge. This one was difficult.

1.) Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert<>France
2.) Les Misérables by Victor Hugo<>France
3.) The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo<>France
4.) Justine by the Marquis de Sade<>France
5.) Candide by Voltaire<>France
6.) The Prince by Niccolὸ AMachiavelli<>Italy
7.) The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene<>England
8.) Paradise Lost by Milton<>England
9.) Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift<>Ireland

Both of the books by Victor Hugo were huge. It was my second time reading Les Mes. Candide and Gulliver's Travels were both fun to read. Justine was a waste of time, money and brain space. It was the only one I agreed with the Vatican on. My favorite off the List was The Power and the Glory. I'll reread that one someday.

Paradise Lost

2008-08-24T19:19:00.003-05:00

Paradise Lost by John Milton

"Paradise Lost" is the story of the exile of Adam and Eve from Eden. The book is a 12 part poem. It begins with the fall of Satan from heaven. He then decides to corrupt men to get back at God. It's a wonderful fictionalization of a story we all know well.

I have a special edition from Barnes & Noble complete with the illustrations of Gustave Dore. That's half the beauty of the book.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

2008-08-18T17:31:00.003-05:00

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

The hunchback is Quasimodo. He was orphaned at the age of 4 and adopted by Claude Frollo. Frollo is an archdeacon at Notre Dame. Quasimodo is the bell-ringer. He loves the bells but they have left him deaf. He is also deformed. He's an outcast in Paris.

Claude Frollo is devoted to learning. And he falls desperately in love with Esmerelda, a beautiful young gypsy dancer. One night he attempts to abduct her with the help of Quasimodo, but an army officer thwarts their plan. Only Quasimodo is caught. Esmerelda gives him water and he also falls in love with her. He's never had much human kindness. But Frollo isn't giving up. And Paris society decides Esmerelda is a witch and must hang.

Naturally, being Victor Hugo, the book is a commentary on humanity. This time in Paris in the 15th century.

Cell

2008-08-17T16:20:00.004-05:00

Cell by Stephen King

Clayton Riddell is having just about the best day of his life. Someone is finally going to publish his comic book. He stops for ice cream. But while in line, the people around him suddenly go nuts. He quickly realizes they had all gotten a "Pulse" through their cell phones. Now Chaos rules the city.

So Clayton and another cell-less man named Thomas McCourt decide to find safety together. After picking up a couple of other normal people they start heading north. Messages are beginning to appear that lead people to an area without cell coverage. And Clayton is desperate to get to his family.

I love Stephen King, but I didn't much like this book. It was easy reading with King's usually flippancy and his humor popping up. But there was something far fetched about this story. (King far-fetched? Nah!) But with all the talk about people's brains being short-circuited and rebooted, it just didn't catch my imagination the way most King books do. But being King, it's still worth reading.

Booking Through Thursday-Gold Metal Reading

2008-08-14T18:00:00.003-05:00

Booking Through Thursday

You, um, may have noticed that the Olympics are going on right now, so that’s the genesis of this week’s question, in two parts:

First:

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

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

No, No, and double no.

I did watch the USA girls gymnastics the other night and I'm keeping up with the medal count but that's about as far as it goes. I also own all my mothers figure skating books but I haven't read any of them.

I read Playing for Pizza which is about a football player. Does that count?

The Optimist's Daughter

2008-08-12T19:01:00.004-05:00

The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty

1973 Pulitzer

"The Optimist's Daughter" follows Laurel McKelva Hand as she copes with the death of her father. Laurel was raised in the South but moved to Chicago to follow an art career. Laurel and her young step-mother take her father to Mississippi for burial.
In her fathers old house, Laurel must come to terms with the past.

It's a simple little story, but it has a big emotional impact if you've lost a parent.

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold

2008-08-06T18:22:00.001-05:00

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carré

Alex Leamus is a a British spy working in East Berlin. He's just lost his last operative. So he decides it's time to retire. But the bosses want him to do one more job. That's to take down a particularly vicious German agent.

So the stage is set to look like he is self-destructing. He begins a desk job at the agency but is fired because of thefts. He gets a job in a library, a cheap boarding house room and begins drinking. He then assaults a local grocer and lands in jail.

So naturally the East-Germans begin to try to turn him into a double-agent. Once he's taken to East Berlin, he has to call on all his experience to stay alive.

Anna Karenina

2008-07-28T18:40:00.004-05:00

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina is the story of a woman's affair in the late 19th century. She is the wife of a government official and lives in the upper echelon of society. Upon arriving in Moscow to mediate between her brother and sister-in-law, she meets a military officer named Vronsky. Vronsky had led Kitty to believe he would be "making her an offer" but upon meeting Anna he forgot Kitty completely. And Kitty had just refused an offer from Lenin. Anna Karenina is a long book that tells the story of many people. And they are all well defined characters. It's hard to leave one character for a couple of pages, but then you get wrapped up in the next character.

Anna Karenina is a story of love gone bad and love gone right. Tolstoy uses his characters to explore Russian society, from the aristocrats to the peasants who work for them. Religion, agriculture, politics, society, culture, the list goes on.

Anna Karenina is a Great Book. One of the best I've ever read.FirstCrime and Punishment and now this. I can't believe I was ever scared of Russian literature. I'm ready to take on War and Peace.

The Prince

2008-07-22T18:45:00.004-05:00

The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli

Machiavelli was born in 1469 in Florence, Italy. His father was a poor lawyer and his mother was a poet. Being a natural politician, he entered into government service. He often accompanied diplomats to neighboring countries, but being of "low" birth he was only an assistant. But his shrewd observations were noticed.

Machiavelli lived in a very volatile era. Italy was divided into city-states. France, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire were continuously invading these territories. The Medici family had controlled Florence for a century, but in 1494 Charles VIII dove them out. Florence becomes a republic until 1512 when the Medici family regain power. Machiavelli is ousted from government and exiled to his country farm. Here he begins writing.

The Prince was his attempt to regain favor with the Medici's and return to government service. In The Prince he attempts to council a new ruler on the methods he should use to keep his kingdom secure. He writes advice on the military, the public, nobility, foreign relations, etc. He picks through battle after battle and explains what went wrong and what should have been done.

The Prince is the book which gave rise to the current Machiavellian definition-cunning and deceptive. He writes "...one looks at the outcome." This has been take to mean "the end justifies the means." But what Machiavelli is saying is that people don't care what a prince does as long as it benefits them. This is true enough.

Justine

2008-07-20T15:46:00.004-05:00

Justine by The Marquis de Sade

Justine follows a young girl from the age of 12 to 26. She's determined to be virtuous but circumstances are against her. She keeps getting kidnapped and imprisoned by perverts. Of course, she usually walks into the situation. Some man will tell her he'll give her a job and then lock her in a dungeon when she follows him home. She'll try to talk him into leading a virtuous life and he'll rant on about how Nature makes a man what he is and he shouldn't ignore Nature.

I read this for the ILL challenge, but it is certainly not my cup of tea.

Booking Through Thursday-Vacation Spots

2008-07-17T18:18:00.002-05:00

Booking Through Thursday

Do you buy books while on vacation/holiday?

Do you have favorite bookstores that you only get to visit while away on a trip?

What/Where are they?

I usually take something with me. Usually?? Always!! I can only remember once going ot a bookstore while on vacation and that was somewhere near Austin or Dallas. I can't remember which so needless to say I'd never find my way back. I do have good memories of it though.

The Power and the Glory

2008-07-15T18:34:00.004-05:00

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

The last priest in Mexico is running for his life. The government has decided all priests must be killed or forced to marry. The Power and the Glory is about an unnamed priest who is traveling among the poor towns trying to serve his church as best he can.

He's what's known as a "whiskey priest." During one night of drinking he fathered a child. He remembers better times where he was living good in the priesthood, not thinking much about the poor people in his parish. And now he's hiding from the authorities and depending on those same poor people to help him. He's tired of hiding but considers surrender a sin akin to suicide. He only sees his failures, not realizing he is making a difference in some peoples lives still.

This is a wonderful book. The priest is a great character---full of humility. And he has a nobility he is unaware of.

East of Eden

2008-07-13T15:13:00.005-05:00

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

East of Eden is the story of the Trask family. It's centered on Adam but it includes his father and his sons. Cyrus was injured early in the Civil War. But over time he convinces everyone, even himself, that he had a glorious military career. He eventually winds up in a DC cabinet position. And he forces his youngest son, Adam, into the army.

After the army, Adam returns to his Connecticut home which is being run by his brother Charles. The two do not get along. Charles has always resented Cyrus' favoritism of Adam. One day a young girl shows up at their door. She has been beaten to a pulp. Adam takes it upon himself to nurse her back to health.

Cathy is a bad seed. She murdered and robbed her parents. She then took a turn as a prostitute. Her pimp beat her and left her for dead. But Adam builds a picture in his head that has no basis in reality. He marries her and takes her to California. She doesn't want to go but Adam doesn't hear her.

After they settle in the Salinas Valley, Cathy gives birth to twins. But she has no interest in being a wife and mother. She shoots Adam and leaves to work in a brothel in a nearby town. Adam is left to raise the twins with the help of his Chinese servant.

East of Eden is about the struggle between good and evil within all people. Adam's son Cal has a dark side that he struggles against. It's the same side that his mother embraced.

I enjoyed this book. But out of the four Steinbeck's I've read it only ranks third.

The Poisonwood Bible

2008-07-09T18:55:00.005-05:00

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Nathan Price has taken his family to live in a remote, primitive village in the Congo. He is fanatical and can't meet the natives halfway. He refuses to give an inch to their ways, insisting that only his way is right. His wife was once a fun-loving girl who has slowly become passive to her husband. And she's beginning to realize the Congo is no place for her family.

The story switches back and forth between the 4 girls in the family and told by their individual prospectives flavored by their personalities. As the political climate changes, life around them changes also.

Book Awards Reading Challenge II

2008-07-06T08:58:00.012-05:00

I completed part one of the Book Awards Reading Challenge and read some really great books. This years Part II will be 2 books fewer and 2 months shorter. I'm looking forward to it.

Here's my list:

The Alex Awards
1.) The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini 2004 winner
2.) Water for Elephants by Sue Gruen 2007 winner

The National Book Awards
3.) The World According to Garp by John Irving 1980 winner
4.) Middle Passage by Charles Johnson 1990 winner

Nobel
5.) The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner 1949 winner
6.) The Stranger by Albert Camus 1957 winner

Pulitzer Prize
7.) Ironweed by William Kennedy 1984 winner
8.) Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler 1989 winner

Costa/Whitbread
9.) Beowulf by Seamus Heaney 1999 winner

Hugo Award
10) Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clark 1974 winner

Book Awards Reading Challenge Completed

2008-06-30T12:40:00.004-05:00

I finished the BookAwardsChallenge.
I had 17 books on my original list. But somehow I had different books on my handwritten list. I picked up my original list for this post but on my sidebar I have a list of 20 books. I'll have to do better when I join BookAwards II.

Booker
1.) The Remains of the Day---Kazuo Ishiguro---1989

National Bood Award
2.) Cold Mountain---Charles Frazier---1997

Newbery Medal
3.) Up a Road Slowly---Irene Hunt---1967
4.) From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler---E L Konisburg---1968

Nobel Author W/ Pulitzer
5.) Sinclair Lewis 1930---Arrowsmith 1926
6.) Pearl S Buck 1938---The Good Earth 1932
7.) John Steinbeck 1962---The Grapes of Wrath 1940
8.) Saul Bellow 1976---Humbolt's Gift 1976
9.) Toni Morrison 1993---Beloved 1988

Pulitzer
10.) The Executioner's Song---Norman Mailer---1980
11.) Lonesome Dove---Larry McMurty---1986
12.) The Road---Cormac McCarthy---2007
13.) To Kill a Mockingbird---Harper Lee---1961
14.) Gone With the Wind---Margaret Mitchell---1937
15.) The Known World---Edward P Jones---2004
16.) Gilead---Marilynne Robinson---2005
17.) Middlesex---Jeffrey Eugenides---2003

Gone With the Wind

2008-06-29T19:42:00.004-05:00

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

1937 Pulitzer Prize

Gone With the Wind is a story of the Civil War and it's effect on Southern culture through the eyes of Scarlett O'Hara. Scarlett is a spoiled, self-centered, shameless 16 year old when the war begins. She's in love with Ashley Wilkes who plans to marry his cousin Melanie. So Scarlett marries Melanie's brother, Charles Hamilton, to make Ashley jealous. But the war begins and Charles is soon killed. She has a son now that she doesn't want. And she has to be "in mourning" in proper Southern society. Used to being the belle of the ball, she finds this very difficult.

The war hits Georgia hard. The book details the hardships of an army who has no government footing the bills for arms or provisions. They have to take what they need from the communities they pass through, leaving the citizens with nothing. The rich are reduced to paupers.

I've never paid alot of attention to Gone With the Wind. I want to read all the books my book club read before I joined. So when I joined the BookAwardsChallenge I found out this one won a Pulitzer. I have to admit I dreaded it. But I was surprised at how much I liked it. It is an amazing book. Everyone should read it.

Up a Road Slowly

2008-06-28T11:19:00.004-05:00

Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt

1967 Newberry Medal Winner

Up a Road Slowly follows Julie Trelling from the ages of 7 to 17. The book opens immediately after her mother's death. During a hysterical outburst Julie is sedated and wakes up to find herself moved into her spinster aunt's home where she spends the next ten years. The book has no major plot, just a simple story of a girl growing up. It follows her through childhood pettiness, adolescent jealousies and burgeoning adulthood.

This was another of my favorites when I was a child.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

2008-06-26T18:16:00.004-05:00

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

1968 Newbery Medal

Claudia is a 12 year old girl who decides to run away from home. Being the careful planner she is, she decides to invite her 9 year old brother Jamie along. Jamie is a miser. So Claudia knows he can bring some much needed funds along. And Jamie agrees because he feels a sense of pride on being the one Claudia invites.

So the two head to New York. Claudia's plan is to live a t the Metropolitan Museum of Art until her parents learn to appreciate her. The two sneak around and hide for a few days and then Claudia sees the statue. She calls it her angel and begins a quest to prove it was sculpted by Michelangelo. Along the way she decides to visit the old woman who donated it to the museum, Mrs. Frankweiler.

Claudia is on a quest to feel special. Such a secret will do this for her.

I read this book when I was a child. It was one of my favorites growing up.

Arrowsmith

2008-06-25T18:27:00.004-05:00

Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis

1930 Nobel Prize for Literature
1926 Pulitzer (declined)

Martin Arrowsmith is an aspiring biologist. He's very serious about his work but he can't seem to get to it. First he marries and has to practice medicine so he can afford a wife. When that doesn't work out he moves to a larger town to become a public health officer. After that he gets on at a top-notch reasearch facility. But Arrowsmith's problem is that he doesn't know how to play the game. Everything from small town gossip to big town politics to big city jealousies get in his way.

This was an enjoyable book. It had no big ideas. Just a small one--sometimes there's no particular cause for failure.

Life of Pi

2008-06-23T21:14:00.004-05:00

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Piscine Molitor Patel decides his name will be Pi once his classmates begin to pronounce his name as pissing. He is not quiet so decisive when it comes to choosing a religion. He is a practicing Hindu, Christian and Muslim by the age of 16. He's a very likable boy.

His father owns a zoo. But politics cause him to uproot his family to take them to America. On the way the ship sinks. Pi had gone investigating in the middle of the night and wound up in a lifeboat by himself for a while. But it's not long before he is joined by a few fleeing animals. But very shortly the tiger has made meals out of the others. Now Pi must fight for survival not only against the ocean, but also against the tiger.

Life of Pi is a delightful book. Pi uses his fathers teaching along with his religious views to make sense of his situation. He sees God in everything and it helps keep his spirit up while he waits for rescue.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

2008-06-22T08:10:00.005-05:00

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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

2008 Pulitzer Prize

Oscar is a nerd. He's fat. He lives in the typical teen-age boy's genre of sci fi, fantasy and comics. And his biggest goal in life is to loose his virginity.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is the story of a Dominican family who are living in the US. Oscar's mother was the daughter of a rich man who fell afoul of the dictator Trujillo. The family fortunes were lost and a safer home was sought in the US.

The book skips around in time telling the story of Beli's life in the DR and her children's, Oscar and Lola in New Jersey. It's language is flowing with alot of Spanglish scattered in. Even the footnotes are interesting and sometimes funny.

Humboldt's Gift

2008-06-20T18:39:00.005-05:00

Humboldt's Gift
Saul Bellow 1976 Nobel Laureate

1976 Pulitzer Prize

Charles Citrine is a young man who loves literature. He sets off to New York City and meets the great poet Von Humboldt Fleisher. But in the early 20th century the fate of poetry is bleak. Humboldt's gifts are no longer being appreciated. But Charlie has success writing for the stage and the cinema. Humboldt thinks he has sold out his art.

After Humboldt's death, Charlie learns Humboldt has left him something in his will. The book is set in a four month time frame, but while Charlie tries to retrieve his legacy he reminisces about the past and the paths he and Humboldt took.

Fahrenheit 451

2008-06-18T19:39:00.004-05:00

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

"Fahrenheit 451" is the story of the awakening of Guy Montag. He's a fireman in a society where a fireman's job is to burn houses and the books in them. Slowly Montag becomes curious about why people would defy the law to keep the forbidden items. People are expected to spend their time in front of the television walls.

Montag accidentally reads a line in a book during a burning. Soon he has several books hidden in his house. And he meets an old man and a young girl who gives him the courage to think...something that is frowned upon.

The Grapes of Wrath

2008-06-16T19:19:00.002-05:00

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

1940 Pulitzer Prize

The Great Plains were hit with major dust storms during the early 1930's. The Dust Bowl was caused by drought and farm mismanagement. Combined with the beginning of the Great Depression, farming families were unable to hold onto their land. Around 500,000 people were forced to leave their homes and go in search of work. The Grapes of Wrath follows the Joad family as they try to find a new place for themselves.

As the book opens, Tom Joad has just been released from prison for killing a man in a bar fight. He returns to his family's farm to find everyone gone. A passing neighbor tells him the family is at Uncle John's but will soon be leaving. Handbills advertising for pickers for California fruit have been distributed and people are heading west.

So after selling what they can't talk with them, the Joad family goes west. Thirteen people, 1 dog and everything they have left on one truck. But once on the road they find people from everywhere are doing the same. And some are returning because there are too many people and not enough jobs. Giant farm conglomerates are paying slave wages. They've built company stores with exorbitant prices. They have the police arresting anyone who even whispers "union". And if a profit can't be made, crops are destroyed rather than giving them to the starving migrants.

Steibeck tells the story of one family trying to survive. But he also writes sections about the era in general. These help explain how conditions got so bad and what should have been dome to ease the hardships the migrants faced.

I loved this book. It was incredible. Of Mice and Men is my favorite book. Looks like I'm destined to be a Steinbeck fan.

Booking Through Thursday-Trends

2008-06-05T07:53:00.003-05:00

Booking Through Thursday

Have your book-tastes changed over the years? More fiction? Less? Books that are darker and more serious? Lighter and more frivolous? Challenging? Easy? How-to books over novels? Mysteries over Romance?

My tastes have definitely changed. During my teenage years I read romance. When I got tired of those I switched to nonfiction. Now I'm on a classic kick. But I'm building a TBR pile of modern novels I plan to attack once I finish the challenges I've joined. I guess these days anything goes.

Madame Bovary

2008-06-03T19:17:00.005-05:00

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Madame Bovary is a bored housewife. A farmers daughter educated in a convent, Emma married the first man she met whim she returned home. Charles Bovary is an uninspiring, unambitious health official for the village/

After Charles assists the Marquis d'Andervilliers, the Bovary's are invited to a ball. Emma thinks they've "arrived". But there is no invitation the next year and Emma becomes depressed. Charles moves her to another town thinking she needs a change of scenery. She meets a law student, Léon Dupris, and the two are attracted but nothing happens. So Léon leaves to continue his studies.

Rich landowner Rodolphe Boulanger meets Emma and decides to seduce her. They carry on an affair for several years, but slowly Emma decides this is not enough.She and Rodolphe decide to run away together. But Rodolphe sends her a Dear John at the last minute. Depression and illness hit Emma again.

After her recovery, she meets Léon again. They begin the affair they missed the first time they met. But, as usual with Emma, this is eventually not enough.

First published in 1857, Madame Bovary caused quite a stir. Considered obscene, it was put on trial the following year. With all the publicity, the book went on to be a bestseller.

There are few likable characters in the book but it's still a great read.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

2008-05-31T18:18:00.004-05:00

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Uncle Tom's Cabin was and anti-slavery novel written before the Civil War. As the book opens, Kentucky farmer Arthur Shelby has been forced to sell two of his slaves because of debt.

The first, Uncle Tom, has a wife and children. He's sent to market down the Mississippi, but on the way he is befriended by a child named Eva St. Clare. After Tom saves her from drowning her father buys Tom. But circumstances eventually led Tom to be sold to Simon Legree. Simon Legree is one of the worst villains in literature. He beats his slaves, uses the women as sex slaves and fosters mistrust among the slaves. He's pure monster.

The second slave sold was a small boy named Harry. After his mother, Eliza, overhears the Shelbys discussing the sale she decides to run away with her son. She heads north to Canada in hopes of finding her husband. She finds them but by now they are being hunted by slave hunters. But the Underground Railroad is helping them along.

Uncle Tom's Cabin was a very influential book for a very short time.

Jane Eyre

2008-05-29T19:16:00.006-05:00

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre is a young orphan being reluctantly raised by her aunt, Mrs. Reed. After fighting with her cousin John, Jane is sent to a charity school. But the headmaster is underfunding the school while providing a luxurious lifestyle for his own family. Cold housing and poor nutrition finally causes a typhus outbreak. Many of the students die and conditions at the school bring in new donors and overseers.

Many years later, Jane begins to teach at the school but the marriage of another teacher causes Jane to yearn for something else. So she advertises for, and receives, a position as governess. Her student is the ward of Mr. Rochester.

Jane and Rochester fall in love and plan to marry. But at the alter the wedding is stopped. Turns out Mr. Rochester already has a Mrs. Rochester. And she's locked up in the attic.

"Jane Eyre" is the story of a woman who keeps the faith. It's equal parts romance and suspense. It's a thoroughly delightful book.

Hawaii

2008-05-27T18:57:00.002-05:00

Hawaii by James Michener

"Hawaii" is about Hawaii. From the volcanic birth through the mid 1950's. It's written in sections with each section covering a different period in history.

The first is the story of the Bora Borans and the forces that drove then to leave their homes and take off across the ocean not knowing where they were going. The next section covers the missionaries arrival. While some try to convert the primitive people, others decide to begin buisinesses. As time passess and success reigns, more workers are needed. So other sections tell of the arrival of the Chinese and the Japanese.

Hawaii is an ambitious book. It covers an entire history in just 900+ pages. But it's a fascination history. I have to admit the names got confusing after awhile. For generations the names of the original missionary famillies were wsed over and over. You've got Bromley Hale, Hoxworth Hale, Bromley Hoxworth, Whipple Hoxworth, Whipple Janders, Janders Hoxworth, etc. Thank goodness there's a geneology chart in the back of the book. It's invaluable in keeping all the characters straight over the generations.

Beloved

2008-05-25T11:10:00.004-05:00

Beloved by Toni Morrison
1988 Pulitzer Prize

Sethe is a former slave who escaped with her children to her mother-in-law's home in Ohio. Shortly after arriving, slave hunters track them down. Sethe performs a desperate act to protect her children from slavery.

Years later, Sethe's sons have run away, her mother-in-law has died and the town has ostracized Sethe and her remaining daughter Denver. And there's a ghost in the house. A former fellow slave shows up. Sethe hasn't seen Paul D. since she left the plantation but the two decide to try to build a life together. But coming home from a carnival one day, they find the mysterious Beloved sleeping in their yard. And Beloved slowly begins to control the household.

"Beloved" is a story about ghosts. Ghosts in the house, ghosts in the soul and ghosts of the past.

Booking Through Thursday-Mayday!

2008-05-01T18:57:00.003-05:00

Booking Through Thursday

Quick! It’s an emergency! You just got an urgent call about a family emergency and had to rush to the airport with barely time to grab your wallet and your passport. But now, you’re stuck at the airport with nothing to read. What do you do??

And, no, you did NOT have time to grab your bookbag, or the book next to your bed. You were . . . grocery shopping when you got the call and have nothing with you but your wallet and your passport (which you fortuitously brought with you in case they asked for ID in the ethnic food aisle). This is hypothetical, remember….

Would it be cheating to get one out of my car? I've usually got a couple in the truck in case of emergency (no pun intended). If someone else took me to the airport, I'd either pick up a paperback in an airport shop or play Yahtzee on my phone. Unless Dean took me to the airport. He's always got books in his car so I'd take one of his.

Cold Mountain

2008-04-30T19:05:00.004-05:00

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

1997 National Book Award

Set during the Civil War, Cold Mountain tells the story of Inman, Ada and Ruby. Inman is a soldier. After being severly wounded in battle, he practically has to heal himself. No one thinks he'll live so they din't waste their time on him. While at the hospital, he decides he's had enough and packs up and walks home. Meanwhile Ada has lost her father and is trying to live on the farm, but she has no clue about how to survive on her own. She's been raised and educated to be a city lady and cannot fend for herself. So along comes Ruby, a backwoods girl whose father left her to raise herself mostly.

The book tells the story of the journeys the three make, either physically or emotional. It's a calm, slow story about people and survival.

Angle of Repose

2008-04-23T18:46:00.005-05:00

Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

1972 Pulitzer Prize

Lyman Ward is suffering from a bone disease. He has recently separated from his wife and has moved into his grandparents old house. Lyman acquires old letters his grandmother, Susan, had written to her friend. These letters lead him to write a biography about his grandmother.

Susan Ward had been a writer and artist but marriage to Oliver had led her to the old west. Oliver was an engineer. But problems on jobs usually forced them to move on to other jobs. Sometimes Susan had to return east while Oliver took particularly difficult jobs.

Angle of Repose simultaneously tells the story of Susan and Lyman. Susan has difficulty adapting to the west where her desire for culture is in short supply. And Lyman is trying to come to terms with the drastic changes in his life that have come on so suddenly.