Great House

Hey all! It's been a while, but I'm back, and here with a review.

This book is officially the first from the new Powell's list, and it's Great House by Nicole Krauss. Incidentally, we also read it for book club, so it was win-win.

Now, I would love to give a clear definition of what the book was about, but there's no good way to explain it. Essentially, the book was about lives with common themes, including Judaism, family relationships, and possessions. These lives intersect, and... don't.

So, the good things. The writing is absolutely wonderful. Krauss transitions between perspectives cleanly and is engaging and real. I found many of the characters to be extremely relatable, and touching.

Now for the bad news. It was quite... confusing. One thing we discussed was the existential trend in literature right now, and that so many books seem to begin halfway through and end without really ending. This book was a great example- it seemed to meander through several stories, with no real plot or ending.

So, if that doesn't bother you or if you like books that are more of a social commentary than a story, then go for it. I actually enjoyed it, though I know it doesn't sound like it.

Happy Reading!

My Wish List...

My amazing husband got me a beautiful blue wingback chair that is PERFECT for snuggling up with a book in, and I am beyond ecstatic. Yes, be jealous.

But here's the thing... I need something else now.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64545695/no-102-key-to-the-secrets-leather-mini

It's a book necklace! And my fav one has a key- a KEY! Do you know how much I love keys?

So, there you go. Enjoy. Thanks Elena for the link!

Confession # 4!

Forgive me, forgive me- I have digressed. I intended for this to be a blog with hilarious/true/deep/fascinating confessions, with random book reviews and commentary. In turn, it's become less about the confessions, which I intend to remedy. So here goes, confession 4...

I HATE The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

I loathe it, with every fiber of my being. I don't even think it's necessary to explain why. I mean, who WASN'T traumatized by this book? IT. IS. MEAN.

Now, don't get me wrong- I don't think kid's books need to be sugary or fake or anything like that. I'm a huge advocate for subversive children's literature- like The Gashleycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey. I mean it- I'm a little strange. The point being that I don't care that this book isn't a typical children's book- normally, I would applaud good ol' Shel for that. But this book was like a punishment to children everywhere- a big old punch in the face for being, you know, KIDS. Guess what, Shel? KIDS ARE NEEDY! They should NOT be punished for taking from their parents or asking for things. Instead, he makes you feel like a heel for needing a provider, like parents. Urg.

Before everyone jumps down my throat, I recognize that the book is about the consistent taking from people who love you too much to say no. I also know that this is a person (the boy) that continues to take long into adulthood, and he begins to only come around when he need things, and all that jazz. I understand this, and I still think it's stupid.

Here's the irony. I was at Borders waiting for my PF Changs order to be ready, and I decided that my next confession would be this one. Literally minutes after, I was walking by the humor section and saw The Taking Tree: A Selfish Parody (http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Tree-Selfish-Parody/dp/1442407638/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297742535&sr=1-1) by Shrill Travesty (?). IT IS HILARIOUS! It's basically the awesome version of Silverstein's torturous "classic", but the tree's angry and sarcastic and eventually falls down and crushes the (now old) boy. HA!

So here's what I want to ask- am I the only one? Do you think I'm crazy? Also, what other kid's "classics" do you think are awful?

Anyways, Happy Reading!

The Weight of Books

Sorry it's been a while, but we've been moving. GAHHH!

Thank you to everyone for well wishes, prayers, and HELP. It was a huge blessing. It was wonderful to see everyone join us in our new home and now we're in the "fun" process of unpacking, which brings me to my topic...

Do you Kindle? (Or Nook? Or whatever?)

I'm firmly encamped in the REAL books trenches- I contend that nothing will ever, ever replace the smell, feel, or perfection of a paper bound book. You can't have a first edition signed KINDLE copy of a book. You can't smell the pages of a Nook. You can't even use a fancy bookmark! So what the heck is the deal? I get that books can be cumbersome at times, but it's a delightful weight because it's a commitment, it's solid, and it's so indisputably there. A paper book won't run out of batteries or shut off. You can read them while the airplane is taking off, or fold the cover back. These simple joys of book reading are stolen when you use a Kindle!

So, now, let the comments begin. Please, someone, explain this to me! I would love to hear what you love about your Kindle or Nook or whatever so you can try to persuade me. I really and truly want to understand. If you agree with me, lemme know that too! Is anyone out there playing both sides and willing to open up a few points on either side?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts- Happy Reading!

BEST. VIDEO. EVER.

Okay, so maybe it's not the greatest thing ever, but in regards to this blog it is! Thanks to David for the recommendation- this is literally the theme song to my LIFE. I've been told I'm less scary than this guy, but only by a little.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuRuwR2JSXI

I read because...

If you're anything like me, you've had to defend your love of reading to a *scoff* nonreader. One of my favorite quotes (that I'm sure I've shared before) is, "For those that understand, no explanation is needed. For those that don't, none will do." It's often like that for me-I don't quite know how to explain why I love to read, but I do. It seems, too, that I can never convince some people- it will always be "boring" or something like that. I always wish I had something prepared for these people, so here it is.

I love to read because...

---I get to be someone else for a time. I can be a princess, a warrior, a vampire (a la Anne Rice, thank you very much), a woman in London, a woman at the beginning of time, a young child, an animal- ANYTHING.

---I get to be somewhere else. I don't care if you believe it or not- a good author can take you to a dungeon, to a forest, to an ocean, or to space. I've been to Ancient Greece, Egypt, the future- it's as close as I'll get to time travelling.

--- I learn. I learn constantly- whether it's fact or fiction, I'm learning something, even if it's useless anywhere other than Jeopardy.

---I can relate to people I've never met. Now, I know it's true that this can be said of anything- loving the same music, following the same blog, whatever- but I maintain that books are different. I have a bond with people that have read and loved the same books that I can rarely duplicate with other common interests. I doubt that I'd feel an instant kinship with anyone over loving Con Air (though I suppose it's possible, and yes, I do love it), but give me someone else that loves Agatha Christie and BAM! We're friends. Done and done.

--- I'm given a chance to see into someone else's soul. Not the characters- oh no. The author. I have been trying to write for years and if I've learned one thing it's that an author can't hide in their writing. you're revealing the depths of your very being and I am so honored to see people's passions come out in their writing. Now, this isn't pleasant with everyone, which is probably why I hate F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. (Yeah, I said it- wanna fight about it?!?)

--- It soothes away my day. I know that sounds like an awful sign they sell at the counter at a Hallmark, but hey, it's true. I can come home from being spit on, sneezed on, and pooped on, with glitter and snot in my hair and... what, you don't want me to go on? Okay then, you get the picture, I work at a preschool. So I can come home from a day like that and still feel better with a good book. It's perfect for forgetting your day.

--- They comfort me. Like everyone in this world, I've had issues. I've still got them, and I will continue to have them until the day I die, I suspect. And while friends are absolutely wonderful, we always feel like they don't get it, or it's not something we can share or... Anyways, sometimes, a character just goes through something that we share with them, or, at the least, we can imagine that they do- and it is comforting. Am I right?

----I get to be a kid again. Need I say more? If I do... read the last blog post. It's magical.

Now, to be honest, I'm sure there's more. I know I'm missing things but for now, this is it. Please, please, please- SHARE WITH ME! I want to know your thoughts, your opinions, your feelings- whatever!

Happy Reading!

Calling all Young Adults!

Hey friendlies!

So in the last few years, I've noticed that I love YA books- or for everyone that's NOT a nerd, Young Adult.

So here's what I think is funny- I never actually read YA books as a, you know, YA. I completely skipped over the genre all together. I went from reading Goosebumps to reading Great Expectations. I can thank my mom for this a little bit- when I was a 5th-grader-going-on-6th-grader, I read as much as humanly possible. The library would let a person pick up 10 books at a time, and my mom's rule was that I could pick out 9- mostly R.L.Stine or Christopher Pike or Richie Tankersley Cusick, and she would pick out one classic for me. We would return the next Friday if, and only if, I had finished the books- including the one she picked. It was AWESOME and helped to shape my reading- my preferences, my speed, my random choices in books- it was perfect.

Somewhere in this time, though, I realized that I read like an adult. My new favorite book was soon Jane Eyre, and I could converse with adults about classic literature. So... I kept reading that way. I skipped YA altogether and began reading things that were, occasionally, totally inappropriate. But regardless, I read as an adult at 12-or-so, and it shaped me.

The only thing is, I'm almost reading as a tween now- YA at every turn. I didn't mean for this to happen- there were a few things like Harry Potter that slipped in, but they were far and away the minority. Now, still they're the minority- but I find myself looking forward to YA books on my list and picking them out specifically.

So why the blog? Well, I need some advice. Recently I read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and laughed my pants off, wishing fourteen-year-old me had been able to read it. I've been cyber-stalking the Tigard librarians, wondering why the heck they haven't gotten Another Whole Nother Story in (until finally I went and bought it because I was too friggin' impatient) and I can not WAIT for my copy of Heck: Where Bad Kids Go to come in. So now I need your help- have you read any YA books that you loved? It doesn't have to be new- I'm just throroughly enjoying this phase!

So that's it. Sing praises or call me names, but leave me suggestions too. Thanks!

Happy Reading!

Confession #3...

This may not be a shocker, but here it is:

I love books about books.

*gasp*- Right? So, let's discuss for a moment. I chose to make this a confession rather than a random post because it goes beyond a normal liking. I am absolutely, unequivocally, irrevocably passionate about books and literacy. What's more is that I am an absolute sucker for anyone that feels the same way. Some books paint such a powerful picture of the strength and wisdom that words, literacy, and books can bring, that it just makes me melt. And then there are other books that are simply a love story to books, and well, there I go- head over heels.

Examples that come to mind are The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, about a girl that lives in Germany during WWII, or These is My Words by Nancy Turner, about a girl that settles in the Arizona Territories. I even loved A Novel Bookstore, by Laurence Cosse, about some people that open a bookstore that sells only good books (I wish!).

It even goes beyond that- I fell in love with Jane Eyre when I was 13 because she would hide in the window seat, asking to be left alone to read. My favorite Disney princess is Belle because of her ginormous library and singing songs about books. (Well, okay, that's not true. My favorite is Sleeping Beauty, but for other reasons. If I were being objective, it would be Belle who is, easily, a close second.) Basically, I love characters who love books as much as I do.

I think the crux of it is this- with books about the power of books, I feel normal. I feel like someone really gets it- someone (even if they're fictional, though I suspect the author is not) agrees with me about the essence of literacy. I've always heard this quote, though credited to a few different people, and I think it explains what I'm feeling quite eloquently. "For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who don't, none will do." You see? Instead of the thousand upon thousands of people who LOATHE reading (coughcoughmyveryownhusbandcoughcough), there is someone out there that I don't have to explain it to. I enjoy a kinship with these books, these characters, these authors, and these readers.

Alright, that's my two cents on the subject. So now, as always, I have some questions- What books about books am I missing? Am I alone in feeling like the authors of these books are my brethren? What are your thoughts on the subject in general?

Til next time, Happy Reading!