tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88051468057846243442024-03-14T14:34:24.525-04:00So Not A RunnerA Blog about reading and living, and definitely not about running.Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.comBlogger311125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-8375260696194964412015-01-28T21:33:00.000-05:002015-08-05T23:05:15.557-04:002015 Card Catalogue☆☆☆☆☆ READ THESE ASAP!!<br />
<em></em><br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1155543998">Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail</a></em> by Cheryl Strayed 1/18/15 (Paper -Library)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1190108819">All the Light We Cannot See</a></em> by Anthony Doerr 2/24/15 (Audio DL)<br />
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<br />
☆☆☆☆ I Liked These, and Recommend Them to You<br />
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<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1173177160">Bread and Butter</a></em> by Michelle Wildgen 2/6/15 (Paper - Library)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1203881460?book_show_action=false">Edge of Eternity</a></em> by Ken Follett 3/28/15 (Paper - Library)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1236347317?book_show_action=false">The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb</a></em> by Melanie Benjamin 4/8/15 (Paper - Mine)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/320281554">Luncheon of the Boating Party</a></em> by Susan Vreeland 4/18/15 (CD)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1262649216?book_show_action=false">The Immortal a Life of Henrietta Lacks</a></em> by Rebecca Skloot 5/6/15 (CD)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1274098117?book_show_action=false">The Bone Clocks</a> </em>by David Mitchell 6/5/15 (CD)<br />
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☆☆☆These Books Were Good, But They're Not My Favorites<br />
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<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1135335074">Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children</a></em> by Ransom Riggs 1/4/15 (CD)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1183647842">Fahrenheit 451</a></em> by Ray Bradbury 2/3/2015 (CD)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1193652404">The Handmaid's Tale</a> </em>by Margaret Atwood 2/17/15 (Paper - mine)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1210669205?book_show_action=false">Age of Miracles</a></em> by Karen Thompson Walker 3/8/15 (Audio DL)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1222715838?book_show_action=false">To Rise Again at a Decent Hour</a></em> by Joshua Ferris - 3/17/15 (CD)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1236347317?book_show_action=false"><em>The Boston Girl</em> </a>by Anita Diamant - 4/7/15 (CD)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1249928146?book_show_action=false">Shotgun Lovesongs</a></em> by Nikolas Butler 4/19/15 (Paper - Library)<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1291064337?book_show_action=false"><em>Infinite Jest</em></a> by David Foster Wallace 8/5//15 (Paper - mine and Audio DL)<br />
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☆☆ Eh. Whatever.<br />
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<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1155536103">Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his Years of Pligrimage</a> </em>by Haruki Murikami 1/17/15 (Audio DL)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1171272331">Old School</a> </em>by Tobias Wolff 1/26/15 (CD)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1258522489?book_show_action=false">Lost for Words</a></em> by Edward St. Aubyn 4/23/15 (Audio DL)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1259220937?book_show_action=false">Blood, Bones and Butter</a></em> by Gabrielle Hamilton 5/9/15 (Paper - mine)<br />
<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1275992335?book_show_action=false">Wonderland</a></em> by Stacy D'Erasamo 5/27/15 (Paper - Library)<br />
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☆ Hated it.<br />
<br />Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-73040166716574747062015-01-04T15:31:00.001-05:002015-08-05T23:03:36.958-04:002015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
In 2014, I didn't read nearly as many books as I expected, mostly because I read a TON of Big Fat Books. <em>The Goldfinch, 1Q84, . . . And Ladies of the Club, </em>the list goes on and on. My favorite book of the year was <em>The Goldfinch </em>by Donna Tartt, which should surprise no one.<br />
<br />
Here's what I plan to read in 2015:<br />
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<strike><em>The Handmaid's Tale</em> by Margaret Atwood </strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1193652404">GoodReads Review</a><br />
<strike><em>The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb</em> by Melanie Benjamin</strike> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1238063005?book_show_action=false">GoodReads Review</a><br />
<em>The Aviator's Wife</em> by Melanie Benjamin<br />
<em>Kitchen Confidential</em> by Anthony Bourdain<br />
<em>We Need New Names</em> by NoViolet Bulawayo<br />
<em>Sunflowers</em> by Sheramy Bundrick<br />
<em>The Miniaturist</em> by Jessie Burton<br />
<em>Telegraph Avenue</em> by Michael Chabon<br />
<em>The House on Mango Street</em> by Sandra Cisneros<br />
<em>Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell</em> by Susanna Clarke<br />
<em>Empty Mansions</em> by Bill Dedman<br />
<em>Middlemarch</em> by George Eliot<br />
<em>Bossypants</em> by Tina Fey<br />
<em>Faithful Place</em> by Tana French<br />
<em>Happy Families</em> by Carlos Fuentes<br />
<em>Mary Called Magdalene</em> by Margaret George<br />
<em>Sycamore Row</em> by John Grisham<br />
<em>Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All </em>by Allan Gurganus<br />
<strike><em>Blood, Bones & Butter</em> by Gabrielle Hamilton</strike> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1259220937?book_show_action=false">GoodReads Review</a><br />
<em>The Art of Fielding</em> by Chad Harbach<br />
<em>The Nick Adams Stories</em> by Ernest Hemingway<br />
<em>The Warriors</em> by John Jakes<br />
<em>Devil in the Grove</em> by Gilbert King<br />
<em>When Evil Came to Good Hart</em> by Mardi Link<br />
<em>My Life in Middlemarch</em> by Rebecca Mead<br />
<em>The Son</em> by Philipp Meyer<br />
<em>The Tiger's Wife</em> by Tea Obreht<br />
<em>Buddha in the Attic</em> by Julie Otsuka<br />
<em>The Magician's Assistant</em> by Ann Patchett<br />
<em>The Dante Club</em> by Matthew Pearl<br />
<em>Secret Ingredients </em>edited by David Remnick<br />
<em>The Casual Vacancy </em>by J. K. Rowling<br />
<em>New York </em>by Edward Rutherfurd<br />
<em>The Electrical Field </em>by Kerri Sakamoto<br />
<em>Super Sad True Love Story</em> by Gary Shteyngart<br />
<strike><em>The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks</em> by Rebecca Skloot</strike> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1262649216?book_show_action=false">GoodReads Review</a><br />
<em>Far From the Tree</em> by Andrew Solomon<br />
<em>The Light Between Oceans</em> by M.L. Stedman<br />
<strike><em>Luncheon of the Boating Party</em> by Susan Vreeland</strike> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/320281554">GoodReads Review</a><br />
<strike><em>Infinite Jest</em> by David Foster Wallace</strike> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1291064337?book_show_action=false">GoodReads Review</a><br />
<strike><em>Age of Miracles</em> by Karen Thompson Walker</strike> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1210669205?book_show_action=false">GoodReads Review</a><br />
<strike><em>Old School</em> by Tobias Wolff</strike> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1171272331">GoodReads Review</a><br />
<br />
Wow! That's a lot. If I make it through half of them, I'll be happy!<br />
<br />
Have a great 2015.Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-67793996852409936902014-11-30T10:03:00.001-05:002014-11-30T10:29:49.758-05:00What Happened in November, 2014<h3>
Review</h3>
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This month, I have been reading and listening to some long books. In fact, as the end of November approached, and I realized that I hadn't even done one review, I put down <em>. . .And Ladies of the Club</em> by Helen Hooven Santmyer (not for the first time!), and picked up <em>1Q84</em> by Haruki Murikami, so that I could read it on paper when I wasn't listening to the audio version, and have at least one book to write about. <br />
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<em>IQ84</em> is set in Japan in 1984. Apparently, in Japanese, 1Q84 is pronounced the same as 1984. There are two main characters, Aomame and Tengo. Aomame steps out of a taxi in a traffic jam, goes down a stairway, and finds herself in a parallel universe. At first Aomame can't tell that she is in the wrong dimension, but then she begins to notice subtle clues, like news stories that everyone knows about but that she can't remember, and the appearance of a strange second moon in the sky. <br />
<br />
Tengo was a bit of a child prodigy, who as an adult is making ends meet by working in a "cram school" (tutoring center?), while he struggles with writing a novel. A colleague who is judging a writing contest brings Tengo a strange offer. If Tengo will re-write a promising piece that a teenage girl submitted, the colleague is certain that it would win a prize, and possibly become a best seller. Tengo has already read the entry, and was oddly interested in it. Despite his ethical reservations, he can't resist.<br />
<br />
Aomame and Tengo were friends when they were 10 years old. "Friends" may be overstating it, but they attended the same school, and sympathized with each other because of their unusual family situations. Every Sunday, Tengo's father who worked for a broadcast network, would go from house to house collecting fees. Sort of like if the cable guy came to your house every month instead of Comcast sending a bill. Aomame's parents were members of a strict religious group, and they took Aomame around with them every Sunday when they proselytized. The two children would see each other being dragged along by their parents, and feel a kinship. One day they held hands. Apparently that was enough for them each to live the rest of their lives thinking about each other.<br />
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All of the usual Murakami topics are here - cats, menstruation, classical music, etc. While thinking about this, I stumbled upon <a href="http://nbilenko.com/projects/murakami.html">this great page</a>, which graphs how often Murikami mentions 10 different motifs in each of his novels. I would add a few more to her diagram. In fact, if you took all of the sentences out of this book where Tengo was contemplating his erection or Aomame was complaining about the size of her breasts or the texture of her pubic hair, I think the book would be 50 pages shorter.<br />
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One thing that surprised me and that I haven't noticed in Murikami's other books was that the translation was really horrible. Murikami has lived in the US from time to time, and was even an associate professor at Princeton, so, I would expect his English to be excellent, and that he would be concerned about the translation. There were some times when I would have used a different word, like when Aomame asked if she was annoying Tomaro, and she really meant to ask if she was disturbing him. No big deal. But it bugged me when they kept saying that Tengo's dad was in a sanatorium when he was clearly in a nursing home and when Tengo couldn't stop talking about his "older girlfriend". There must be one word in Japanese that means "older girlfriend" and another that means "girlfriend". In the translation it was just awkward as Tengo was always thinking about his "older girlfriend" or going to visit his "older girlfriend", especially when the fact that she was older than him was basically irrelevant to the story.<br />
<br />
At first, the story seemed overly simple. At one point, Aomame basically said "Oh, I think I am in an alternate universe now" which was strange. But the story wound around like a cinnamon bun, getting tighter as it went, until everything came together well in the end. In terms of Murikami books, it is still not my favorite, as that position belongs to <em>Kafka on the Shore. </em>It may come in third for me, behind <em>Kafka</em> and <em>The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle</em>. <br />
<br />
<em>1Q84 </em>was a NYT Notable Book for 2011. It was the longest audio book that I have ever listened to, with 38 discs. In paper form, it is 925 pages, and definitely a Big Fat Book.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Tags: <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Big%20Fat%20Books">Big Fat Books</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Sci-Fi-ish">Sci-Fi-ish</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/NYT%20Notables">NYT Notable</a></h4>
<a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-preview.html">Challenges</a>: Rewind, Audiobook, I Love Library Books<br />
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<h3>
Book Group Reports</h3>
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The Neighborhood Book Group took November off, but The Typical Book Group got together this month to discuss <em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/09/from-beginning-of-major-pettigrews-last.html">Major Pettigrew's Last Stand</a> </em>by Helen Simonson. I was glad that we picked this book to read, because it is one that I read a couple of years ago, and still think back to from time to time. In short, <em>MPLS</em> is about an old retired army officer living in the English countryside, with no intention of challenging the status quo. Then the Major meets Mrs. Ali, who is a local shopkeeper, and everything changes. The things that were once important to him seem stodgy and trivial, and he recognizes the unspoken prejudices among his friends and relatives. Mrs. Ali is of Pakistani descent, but has always lived in England. Still, to the Major's acquaintances, she will always be foreign.<br />
<br />
The Typical Book Groupers all loved the Major. He reminded us of Harold Fry from <em>The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry </em>by Rachel Joyce. Both the Major and Harold opened their minds when they were old enough to be set in their ways. We also talked about what event was the Major's "last stand". There were so many possible choices, and we each seemed to come in thinking that the last stand was something different from what the others thought.<br />
<br />
Next month we'll discuss <em>The Husband's Secret </em>by Liane Moriarty<br />
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<h4>
Tags: <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Book%20Group%20Reports">Book Group Reports</a></h4>
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<h3>
In Other News</h3>
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SCORE!</h4>
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My expectations were low. There was nothing that I wanted. I didn't even go on the premier members only night. And still, I found some great books at my library's semi-annual used book sale. The only book that was even on my radar as something that I sort of wanted was <em>Middlemarch</em>, since I got <em>My Life in Middlemarch</em> by Rebecca Mead at the last sale, and knew that I wanted to read the original first. That one was easy to find. <br />
<br />
Then, I stumbled upon <em>Blood, Bones & Butter</em> by Gabrielle Hamilton, which The Neighborhood Book Group is thinking about reading as part of our "foodie" genre. Next, I found <em>The Miniaturist </em>by Jessie Burton. Two of my friends, Kim and Ann, have read this one recently, and they both loved it. Usually, I like what Kim likes, but Ann and I can be polar opposites in what we think makes a good book. Still, I'm looking forward to reading this one, and I got a great hard cover copy.<br />
<br />
My coolest find was an obviously never before read copy of <em>Everything is Illuminated</em> by Jonathan Safran Foer, in French. One of my neighbors who went with me to meet JSF a few years ago was in college working on her French minor at the time. I think she'll be happy to get this one.<br />
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I also picked up <em>Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All </em>by Allan Gurganus which I have had in my hot little hands at earlier sales and put back down. However, this book, like . . . <em>And Ladies of the Club</em> covers the Civil War and a long period thereafter. Also like . . . <em>And Ladies, Oldest Living </em> was published in the 1980s. This book is also almost as long as <em>. . . And Ladies </em>too, weighing in at 718 pages. I may not rush into this one.</div>
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My nightstand now includes <em>Mary Called Magdalene</em> by Margaret George, <em>The Handmaid's Tale </em>by Margaret Atwood, <em>The Buddha in the Attic</em> by Julie Otsuka, <em>Bossypants</em> by Tina Fey, and <em>Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink. </em></div>
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All of these, plus 2 for my husband for a total of $17.00. Not bad at all!</div>
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December Preview</h3>
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NYT Notables - It is November 30 today and the NYT Notable Books list for 2014 is no where that I can find! It will surely be included in my December newsletter.</div>
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I plan to read these books in paper form:</div>
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<em>The Husband's Secret</em> by Liane Moriarty</div>
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<em>Edge of Eternity </em>by Ken Follett, if I can get it, or <em>Bread and Butter</em> by Michelle Wildgen, if I can't.</div>
<em>Devil in the Grove</em> by Gilbert King<br />
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(Sounds a lot like last month's preview - doesn't it!)</div>
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I plan to listen to these books in audio form:</div>
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<em>Fangirl </em>by Rainbow Rowell</div>
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<em>Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children </em>by Ransom Riggs</div>
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<em>Edge of Eternity</em> by Ken Follett, if it's easier to get on audio</div>
Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-9826588003612633282014-11-01T21:31:00.001-04:002014-11-05T10:45:47.744-05:00What Happened in October, 2014<h3 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Reviews</h3>
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The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRJwEIjTcV9zecy-EYcadC_STJAhoUQOjfs0UrTPI8IRQfTIZ50liY5mIyATNS_H4NhEyFPuVpf_L6pBWk0Ej7X9sy9EI4TyV0j6g5JZqSKMFhNgI6GpERrcSJFyRKkkZBDXHj2FJXT8/s1600/The+Goldfinch.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRJwEIjTcV9zecy-EYcadC_STJAhoUQOjfs0UrTPI8IRQfTIZ50liY5mIyATNS_H4NhEyFPuVpf_L6pBWk0Ej7X9sy9EI4TyV0j6g5JZqSKMFhNgI6GpERrcSJFyRKkkZBDXHj2FJXT8/s1600/The+Goldfinch.png" /></a>Ever since Donna Tartt won the Pulitzer, there has been an awful lot of <em>Goldfinch</em> bashing going on. The prime complaints seem to fall into one of two categories, the first being that Tartt needed a more cutting editor, and the second being that Tartt's characters spent too much time talking about drugs. I, on the other hand, am in the camp of <em>The Goldfinch</em> defenders, which I sort of didn't expect. </div>
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<em>The Goldfinch</em> is a long book, at 771 pages, but that alone does not mean that Tartt needed a better editor. I can't say that not a single word could be cut, but neither I could cite many examples of areas where I was bored. For the most part, the parts where one could think that an editor was needed were times were Tartt was deliberately prolonging the story to show how time was dragging on for the main character, such as at the engagement cocktail party, or while he was alone in Amsterdam. I loved every page, and wish for another hundred or two. As for the drugs, if this was too much for you, please don't read Edward St. Aubyn. <br />
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Lest you think that I entered into this book with rose colored glasses, I have never been Donna Tartt's biggest fan. Time and time again, I tell people that if they liked Tartt's <em>Secret History</em>, they will love <em>Special Topics in Calamity Physics </em>by Marissa Pessl, which is similar, but in my opinion, better. I rarely even talk about Tartt's <em>The Little Friend, </em>as it was really not that great of a book, but for some reason, it is one of those books that sticks in my mind with images reappearing constantly. In <em>The Goldfinch</em>, Tartt hits the mark, and earns her reputation.<br />
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<em>The Goldfinch</em> starts with Theo and his mother visiting a NYC museum exhibit of Dutch artists, where a girl with red hair catches Theo's eye. Theo is drawn to the girl, who is at the museum with a man who appears to be her grandfather. He follows them, when suddenly a bomb explodes, and Theo's life is forever changed. Theo becomes an unwitting art thief, and spends the next 20 years hiding his treasure. Theo's mom is killed in the explosion, and as a result, he moves in with his wealthy friend, Andy, and his family. As might be expected, Theo's deadbeat father reappears, and whisks him off to Las Vegas. In Vegas, Theo meets a new friend, Boris, whose life is at least as dysfunctional as his own.<br />
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Theo is charmed in that he has amazing people in his life. Boris, flawed as he may be, is just what Theo needs, right when he needs him, time and time again. Hobie, who Theo meets while trying to figure out what certain things that happened at the museum meant, shapes Theo's life, and gives him all of the stability that he was missing. Andy and his family, the Barbours, give Theo the illusion of normalcy, while also giving him a place to belong, if he wants it.<br />
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I listened to <em>The Goldfinch </em>on audiobook. It was read by David Pittu, who won two Audies for his performance. He should have won even more - as many as were available. There had to have been at least 30 characters, all of whom had distinctive voices and accents. The voices for Hobie and Boris were my favorite. Pittu made Hobie seem old, dignified, and somehow more affluent than the customers who shopped in his store. He made Boris sound impulsive, risky, shady, and yet still trustworthy and loyal, all with a Russian/Austrailian/Ukranian accent. <br />
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I loved <em>The Goldfinch</em>, and will happily read it again, hopefully in the near future. I am adding it to my list of Favorites. The Goldfinch was a NYT Notable book for 2013.<br />
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Challenges: <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-preview.html">Audiobook Challenge</a><br />
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Tags: <a href="http://www.sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Big%20Fat%20Books">Big Fat Books</a>, <a href="http://www.sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Favorites">Favorites</a>, <a href="http://www.sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Pulitzer%20Winner">Pulitzer Winner</a>, <a href="http://www.sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/NYT%20Notables">NYT Notables</a>, <a href="http://www.sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Awesome%20Audio">Awesome Audio</a>, <br />
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<h4>
The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey</h4>
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<em>The White Woman on the Green Bicycle</em> by Monique Roffey is the story of an ex-pat experience, as told by a husband who felt that it was a complete success, and a wife who felt miserably out of place. George and Sabine Harwood moved to Trinidad in 1956, just as the colonial rulers are losing power. The new Prime Minister, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Williams">Eric Williams</a>, promised to change the country and free its true citizens from the control of outsiders. George loves Trinidad, and loves the ex pat lifestyle, so much that he never wants to leave. Sabine sees Trinidad with more weary eyes, and is hopeful that the people will find the leader who they are hoping for in Williams, even if he scares her with his anti-establishment promises.<br />
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There are a couple of stories that are going on in <em>White Woman. </em>The first is that of a revolution, as seen through the eyes of an outsider. Sabine, the only white person at the rallies supporting Williams, is hopeful for him and his followers, and would be more than happy to leave Trinidad to them. When he gains power, and fails to make the changes that were promised, she sees him falling into the ways of the former rulers, and is disappointed that he is letting his people down, even if she was never an intended beneficiary. While reading this, I couldn't help thinking about Kwame Kilpatrick. As a person who lives near but not in Detroit, I was excited for Kilpatrick to be elected. He was young and Detroit and whole metro area was ready for someone fresh to make a change. Instead, the Detroiters who elected him were rewarded with scandal, corruption, and outright theft. Like Sabine, I was on the outside, looking in, but hoping that the new leader would make a difference, even if the changes wouldn't directly help me. Also like Sabine, I was disappointed and disillusioned with the results, even if a part of me knew that I was foolish to hope for more.<br />
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Another story that unfolds through out <em>White Woman</em> is that of people who catch each other's eye in a crowd, and never quite let go. One day, while she is riding her bike, Sabine and Eric Williams lock eyes. While they don't know each other, they feel a connection. Over the next several years, they run into each other from time to time, and fall into conversations as if they have been speaking daily, saying things to each other that no one else would say. While it could never happen in America, Roffey makes it seem completely reasonable that the Prime Minister of Trinidad would speak freely with a woman who he has only briefly met, but who looked really cute while riding her bike.<br />
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Challenges: <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-preview.html">Rewind</a><br />
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Tags: <a href="http://www.sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/British%20Stories">British Stories</a> <br />
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<h4>
Yankee Broadcast Network by John F. Buckley and Martin Ott</h4>
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Although I haven't done any Industry Requested Reviews in a couple of months, I still get requests every day. One request that caught my attention was that of John Buckley and Martin Ott, who wanted me to review their book of poetry about television. While they were really straight forward about what their book was, I guess that I was a little surprised that literally every poem related to television. My fault - not theirs. What disappointed me though was that while they think about television enough to want to write a book of poetry inspired by it, they seem to really hate it.<br />
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For most of us, television is a guilty pleasure, but for Buckley and Ott, the pleasure is all gone, leaving nothing but guilt, and a dash of disgust. One of the things that caught my attention when deciding to accept the review request was their poem called "The Real Housewives of Wayne County." Wayne County, in case you don't know, is the county where Detroit is located. However, it's also the county where Grosse Pointe (remember "Grosse Pointe Blank" starring John Cusack?) is, which makes Wayne County an area where extreme wealth abuts complete poverty. The poem that Buckley and Ott wrote relied only on the Detroit brand names and stereotypes, and missed the opportunity for a study in contrasts. In fact, they could have renamed it with the name of any county, and inserted the names of products made in that county, instead of "Better Made" and paczki.<br />
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My favorite poem was "Burn'ded" which was obviously a satire of Ashton Kucher's show, "Punk'd". In the Buckley and Ott version, there are many people playing ever escalating "pranks" ending with a home grown terrorist who eventually sees the episode in which he stars with his fellow inmates.<br />
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Yes, <em>Yankee Broadcast Network</em> was exactly what it promised it would be. I just didn't like it as much as I hoped I would.<br />
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Tags: <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Industry%20Requested%20Reviews">Industry Requested Reviews</a><br />
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<h3>
Book Group Reports</h3>
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The Neighborhood Book Group met to discuss <em>The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie </em>by Alan Bradley. There were 8 of us who met, and only 4 had finished the book. 2 more were not quite finished, and the other two of us (I was in this group) never picked the book up. At the beginning of the meeting, I would have said that of the people who read it, half liked it, and half didn't. Unfortunately, after discussing various unlikely twists and coincidences, the people who had started off saying that they liked it changed sides. I think I won't bother trying to pick this one up. <br />
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We chose to discuss <em>Sweetness</em> because we are trying to read something from various genres, and this one was chosen as a mystery. In December we will meet again to discuss <em>The Time Traveler's Wife </em>by Audrey Niffenegger, which we have classified as science fiction.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/06/typical-book-group-report-21.html">The Typical Book Group</a> met this month to discuss . . . <em>And Ladies of the Club </em>by Helen Hooven Santmyer. We picked this book as our summer Big Fat Book (BFB) in June, and delayed meeting until October to discuss it. Even with this delay, of the 9 people at book group, only 2 had finished the book. There were 3 more of us who had started it and were in various stages of progress, but the rest didn't even give it a try.</div>
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I talked about . . .<em>And Ladies</em> in my <a href="http://www.sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/08/what-happened-in-august-2014.html">August</a> and <a href="http://www.sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/10/what-happened-in-september-2014.html">September</a> wrap ups. Basically it is an 1100+ page book about a book group that formed in the late 1800s, and the course of the lives of the original members. As I've mentioned, I frequently fall asleep after reading only a few pages. The two groupers who finished the book said that somewhere around page 500, the story picked up so that they could easily read 50 pages at a time, and that they thought about the book all of the time when they weren't reading it. I'm somewhere around page 700 now, and I am not experiencing that at all, but then again, I've been putting it down for 2 or 3 weeks at a time and coming back to it, instead of immersing myself in the story. Maybe this month I'll stick with it until I'm done.<br />
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All told, the people who finished the book liked it, and thought that it was worth reading. I did notice though that one of them only gave the book 3 GoodReads stars. So, while I'm now expecting something worth finishing, maybe I won't expect it to be life changing.<br />
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Next month we'll read <em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/09/from-beginning-of-major-pettigrews-last.html">Major Pettigrew's Last Stand</a> </em>by Helen Simonson.<br />
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<h3>
In Other News</h3>
The Man Booker Prize was announced on October 14. This year's winner was <em>The Narrow Road to the Deep North</em> by Richard Flannigan. Based on the Amazon reviews, this sounds like a really good book. The main character is an Australian surgeon in a Japanese POW camp during World War II. I'll be keeping my eyes open for more on this one.<br />
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<h3>
November Preview</h3>
People, I am burnt out on blogging, and almost even dreading it. So, I'm not making any promises about even doing a monthly summary for November. But in case you are interested in what I am planning to read and listen to, here you go:<br />
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In Paper Form:<br />
. . . <em>And Ladies of the Club</em> by Helen Hooven Santmyer. Yes, I promise to finish this book in November.<br />
<em>Edge of Eternity </em>by Ken Follett, if I can get it, or <em>Bread and Butter</em> by Michelle Wildgen, if I can't.<br />
<em>Devil in the Grove</em> by Gilbert King<br />
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On Audio Book:<br />
<em>1Q84</em> by Haruki Murikami<br />
<em>Fangirl</em> by Rainbow RowellDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-75695639435813990682014-10-01T22:03:00.001-04:002014-10-08T23:03:04.833-04:00What Happened in September, 2014<h1>
Reviews</h1>
<h3>
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_BhnqNmcazkTcTXVV-tomQvn1BWztGtTAyQLQWWFOKW4a0haEz5pXQKN76JvD2fXyOYo4MfLcyTqjfrxeceCdWJDpVoVa28IZ2gsdcXsVgnGRFJNxUcbqJxuA2djkiDU03_zhnmhWug/s1600/Safe+Haven.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_BhnqNmcazkTcTXVV-tomQvn1BWztGtTAyQLQWWFOKW4a0haEz5pXQKN76JvD2fXyOYo4MfLcyTqjfrxeceCdWJDpVoVa28IZ2gsdcXsVgnGRFJNxUcbqJxuA2djkiDU03_zhnmhWug/s1600/Safe+Haven.png" /></a>Two Christmases ago, my daughter gave me <em>Safe Haven</em> by Nicholas Sparks. The movie was coming out, and the plan may have been to trick me into taking her to see it by giving me the book first. The plan didn't work, and <em>Safe Haven</em> sat in my nightstand unread for a year and a half. In August, my family rented a house in North Carolina, and I decided that it was the perfect time to give <em>Safe Haven</em> a try. I expected it to be a good beach book, with the added benefit that my daughter would see me reading it and appreciating her gift.</div>
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I have to say that <em>Safe Haven</em> was pretty much exactly what one might expect from a Nicholas Sparks book. The main character, Katie, has left her abusive husband and fled to a small North Carolina town. There she meets the recently widowed Alex, and falls in love with him and his two children. All is going well until, yep, you guessed it. <br />
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While the story was predictable, it was a page turner, and I found myself oddly unable to put it down. Sparks played some hokey name games, and threw in an unexpected but equally unbelievable twist at the end. Still, if you are renting beach house and looking for something to bring along, you might as well bring this one!<br />
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<h4>
Challenges: Rewind</h4>
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Tags: Light and Fluffy</h4>
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<h3>
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson</h3>
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I'm a pretty persistent reader. Most of the time, if I can make it through the first hundred pages, I'll finish the book. Last month, I put down . . . <em>And Ladies of the Club</em> by Helen Hooven Santmyer after over 400 pages. This month, I'm quitting <em>The Finkler Question</em>, despite being 2/3 through.<br />
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<em>The Finkler Question </em>is the story of three men living in London, Julian Treslove, Sam Finkler and Libor Sevcik. Julian and Sam are about the same age as each other - mid 40s, and Libor is in his 80s. Libor and Sam are recently widowed. They are also Jewish. So what, you ask? Jewishness is all that they talk about.<br />
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Julian is mugged, and believes that he was the victim of an anti-Semitic attack. Although he is not Jewish, he then experiences a huge case of Jewish envy, and tries to become Jewish by changing his manner of speaking and actions, without actually converting. Libor is seemingly happily Jewish, although he spends a great deal of time thinking about whether attacks on Jewish people and places are understandable, if not justified. Sam Finkler, on the other hand, joins a group who identify themselves as ASHamed Jews and are opposed to the Israeli state.<br />
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Much of the dialogue in <em>The Finkler Question</em> is focused on what it means to be Jewish, whether one can be Jewish and be ashamed of other Jewish people, and whether Jewish people who disagree with what other Jewish people are doing, especially in Israel, are anti-Semitic.<br />
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If you are Jewish, and are questioning your beliefs, this might be a great book for you. I was actually not aware that some Jewish people don't support Israel, which I probably should have known. So much of the book is about Jewish people as a group, and then the opinions of particular Jewish people. All of this is great, but it just got old. I was looking for another dimension to the characters. Being Jewish, or being jealous of people who are Jewish, shouldn't be all that they are.<br />
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<em>The Finkler Question</em> won the Man Booker Prize for 2010. <br />
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<strong>Challenges: Rewind, Audiobook, and I Love Library Books</strong><br />
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Tags: British Stories, Man Booker Listed, Questioning Religions</h4>
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<h3>
. . . And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TSmzRbDq33UDvbQP1tiBb9DkTcMuVp8Iwh17nEYTIoSh9GlNSeeYKmxx4_6BKiC8ZyPVW3ejPr9oSZXNWugRfW5Wmq__Tn-LhyphenhyphenqfdTO4cC3qo2wJcwlYmo_58uC1nRH-07TU4FA1H2g/s1600/AndLadies.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TSmzRbDq33UDvbQP1tiBb9DkTcMuVp8Iwh17nEYTIoSh9GlNSeeYKmxx4_6BKiC8ZyPVW3ejPr9oSZXNWugRfW5Wmq__Tn-LhyphenhyphenqfdTO4cC3qo2wJcwlYmo_58uC1nRH-07TU4FA1H2g/s1600/AndLadies.png" /></a>Well, I picked it up again. This time I read from where I left off, at page 413 in 1880, until page 613 in 1887. Some more club members have died, others have married, and the kids are mostly grown. There are some hints that someone might be a lesbian, but I'm not sure if that was a topic discussed in popular fiction in 1982 when the book was first published, so I'm not expecting anything explosive.</div>
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The other members of The Typical Book Group are also struggling with this one. We usually discuss our summer Big Fat Book in August, or possibly in September if everyone is out of town at the end of the summer. This year, we have decided to move the meeting back until October.<br />
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Although this book is taking me forever, I am liking it. It has a nice, soothing rhythm. There's not a ton of action, but there is something about it that I like. I'm taking a break again, but after I finish <em>The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress</em> by Ariel Lawhon, I'll try and knock out another 200 pages.<br />
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<h3>
The Wife, the Maid and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon</h3>
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In 1930, a judge in New York named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Force_Crater">Joseph Crater</a> suddenly disappeared and became the "The Missingest Man in New York". His wife, Stella was at their vacation home in Maine, while Crater went to Atlantic City with his mistress, Sally Lou Ritz. He came back to the City, had dinner with Ritz and his lawyer, William Klein, then got in a cab, and was never seen again. In her book, <i>The Wife, the Maid and the Mistress</i>, Ariel Lawhon offers a theory of what may have happened.</div>
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Lawhon's story focuses on the tangled connections between Stella and Crater and a cast of characters including a mob boss, Owney Madden, his unexpectedly friendly thug, Shorty, and the Craters' maid, Maria. No one seems to actually have liked Crater, so there were lots people who might have preferred for him to disappear. In fact, in real life as in the book it took 10 days for anyone to start wondering where he was.</div>
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During Crater's lifetime, there were rumors about how he secured his appointment to court. Lawhon speculates that Owney Madden was involved, and became worried when a grand jury was convened to investigate alleged corruption. She then also guesses that the police investigating the crime may be indebted to Madden themselves.</div>
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Sometimes in a historical fiction book, there is something that happens that is so unbelievable that you know it must be true. In this story, when it turned out that the Craters' maid was married to one of the policemen investigating the case, I knew that it must have been true, because there's no way that a police officer would be charged with investigating his wife's boss' mysterious disappearance, so no author would make that up. However, when I got to Lawhon's end notes, it turned out that was a fictional twist. The Craters did have a maid, but there's no indication that she was married to an investigator. </div>
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All told, this was an interesting story, made all the more so with its morsels of truth.</div>
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Challenges: I Love Library Books Challenge</h4>
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Tags: Historical Fiction </h4>
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In Other News</h1>
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Pass it On</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaI5ipyKubltO8HJBB0CYjjdXYQ_P29HMTK2NTwRBvlfrRFWrG2bfRLbeiAiRdfse2yMg5Q1zFUa5ZtEzJF3I46Pw1spBsKXMYpSS3JibF_lDaQAIoF0HULIIvoDqMlnh29vLyisOtGg/s1600/LittleFreeLibrary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaI5ipyKubltO8HJBB0CYjjdXYQ_P29HMTK2NTwRBvlfrRFWrG2bfRLbeiAiRdfse2yMg5Q1zFUa5ZtEzJF3I46Pw1spBsKXMYpSS3JibF_lDaQAIoF0HULIIvoDqMlnh29vLyisOtGg/s1600/LittleFreeLibrary.jpg" /></a>You might remember that I got my copy of <em>Life After Life </em>by Kate Atkinson from a Little Free Library. I finished that book while I was staying that the beach house that I talked about in my review of <em>Safe Haven, </em>and so I left it there. The shelves were crowded with more beach reads than literary fiction, but I found it a nice spot next to <em>The Elegance of the Hedgehog</em> by Muriel Barbery. While <em>Safe Haven</em> would have fit right in, I wasn't done with it yet. So, I'll return <em>Safe Haven</em> to my Little Free Library instead. Pass it on!</div>
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Man Booker Short List</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwmDA-IPCAFZurzlUpx24sAzvfpJO7boXmEWGQpZj7fPyGjgih7Mz6a3WyuK-CVAICrcxhj-dfrvecKRuqD3sJ9Uaf5h0sevTJYrsaTm2nZt31MRHt3kXLZz9DfUGgKkdb-13Bj_rdxw/s1600/Man+Booker.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwmDA-IPCAFZurzlUpx24sAzvfpJO7boXmEWGQpZj7fPyGjgih7Mz6a3WyuK-CVAICrcxhj-dfrvecKRuqD3sJ9Uaf5h0sevTJYrsaTm2nZt31MRHt3kXLZz9DfUGgKkdb-13Bj_rdxw/s1600/Man+Booker.png" /></a>The <a href="http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/man-booker-prize-fiction-2014-shortlist-revealed">Man Booker Prize Shortlist</a> was announced on September 9. To my surprise, David Mitchell's new book, <em>The Bone Clocks, </em>did not make the cut. Instead, Joshua Ferris' book, <em>To Rise Again at a Decent Hour</em> made the list, along with books by Howard Jacobson, Karen Joy Fowler, Richard Flanagan, Neel Mukherjee and Ali Smith. Despite an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/books/review/to-rise-again-at-a-decent-hour-by-joshua-ferris.html?_r=0">earlier so-so review</a>, the Times published <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/books/joshua-ferriss-to-rise-again-at-a-decent-hour.html">this almost glowing review</a> of <em>To Rise Again</em> on September 15. What brought on the reconsideration? I just might suspect that they didn't want to be left on the wrong side of the hype if Ferris wins this one. More power to him.</div>
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Blogging for Rivera</h4>
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This month, I had dinner in the <a href="http://www.dia.org/art/rivera-court.aspx">Rivera Court </a>at the Detroit Institute of Arts. No biggie really, I've been there before, and anyone in my tri-county area can go for free. But it is pretty spectacular. If you need a reason to visit Detroit, this could be it.</div>
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But anyway, sitting there, sipping wine, I was thinking about Rivera and his wife, Frida Kahlo, and I couldn't help but think about <i>The Lacuna</i> by Barbara Kingsolver. The thing about <i>The Lacuna</i> is that although I know that it was a good book, and it was about Rivera and Kahlo, I can't tell you much about it. Unfortunately, I read it during the period when I had officially started my blog, but before my <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2010/07/parent-rant.html">Parent Rant</a> that got me really writing about what I read. And this is why I'm still blogging. I'm convinced that if I stop, I won't remember the details about the books that I read. So, here I go, blogging toward another month.</div>
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October Preview</h1>
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In October, I plan to read and review the following books:</div>
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On Paper or Electronic Format:</div>
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<em>. . . And Ladies of the Club </em>by Helen Hooven Santmyer</div>
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<em>White Woman on a Green </em>Bicycle by Monique Roffey</div>
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<em>Bread and Butter</em> by Michelle Widgen</div>
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On Audio</div>
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<em>The Goldfinch </em>by Donna Tartt</div>
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<em>1Q84</em> by Haruki Murakami</div>
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Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-79221275652075436812014-08-31T09:11:00.002-04:002014-08-31T09:12:27.154-04:00What Happened in August, 2014<h2 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpQvSPLUE3dtDlCeoipLrVnk9rUF-4K7wr2vq3dnXbxVMnSnVV35MHvAhLNs-wrJ1fvkzjOKGxreq7aCg-u-o0wtpHrKvJb8EimPl48KAdvaYU7DIEgOImy13YpnyC85B8bxQljPghbw/s1600/PicMonkeyAugust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpQvSPLUE3dtDlCeoipLrVnk9rUF-4K7wr2vq3dnXbxVMnSnVV35MHvAhLNs-wrJ1fvkzjOKGxreq7aCg-u-o0wtpHrKvJb8EimPl48KAdvaYU7DIEgOImy13YpnyC85B8bxQljPghbw/s1600/PicMonkeyAugust.jpg" height="211" width="640" /></a></div>
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And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFPHwcqqcSuHxCvyut2a1JYDWgr0Nk9M7NzFFTA68JHviwCIAPumGn2UFqUmzk8Sr3ypqk3zcle57Q5ubsHheg5beoATnWqloBCYfODqyjyXNr_UPHHlGghrSppvl8Uye_iBHs_I5MVY/s1600/AndLadies.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFPHwcqqcSuHxCvyut2a1JYDWgr0Nk9M7NzFFTA68JHviwCIAPumGn2UFqUmzk8Sr3ypqk3zcle57Q5ubsHheg5beoATnWqloBCYfODqyjyXNr_UPHHlGghrSppvl8Uye_iBHs_I5MVY/s1600/AndLadies.png" /></a>I tried. Seriously, people, I tried. For a full month I have been reading <em>. . . And Ladies of the Club</em> and I am still only 1/3 of the way through. </div>
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<em>. . . And Ladies of the Club</em> was a popular book in the 1980s, and <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/06/typical-book-group-report-21.html">The Typical Book Group</a> picked it as our summer <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Big%20Fat%20Books">BFB (Big Fat Book)</a>. The story starts just after the Civil War, when two of the main characters, Sally and Anne, graduate from college and enter the real world of Waynesboro, OH. They are asked by one of their teachers if they are interested in becoming part of a yet to be formed literary women's club, and they quickly agree. From there, we meet 10 other women who become club members, their families, and their husbands. <br />
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400 pages in, I am still in the late 1800s, three of the club members have died, and several others have been admitted. The members have confronted social and political issues, like calls for prohibition, presidential elections, and the challenges of reuniting a divided country. <br />
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The story reads like a classic, with not a lot of action, and lots of social dilemmas. While I don't find it boring, it is so soothing that it frequently lulls me to sleep after 5 or fewer pages. So, I'm taking a break. I would hate to waste two months reading a book only to say "meh" at the end. We'll see. If I read a couple more books and keep thinking about this one, I'll come back.<br />
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Tags: <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Historical%20Fiction">Historical Fiction</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Big%20Fat%20Books">Big Fat Books</a></h4>
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The Circle by Dave Eggers</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNcQ1HBIrjNN3tG7ev0nkRpWZIdNHk5uVp8grUhY8FYfvJeJxcbIGPmHd7zKeo3DwSXvoMP7-aoJaL3oi7Xu_RHKfiG61asBpw0_wgDJTOXUONNh5r0BbTgNmc3xMFhafTA5USUgRrrw/s1600/TheCircle.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKNcQ1HBIrjNN3tG7ev0nkRpWZIdNHk5uVp8grUhY8FYfvJeJxcbIGPmHd7zKeo3DwSXvoMP7-aoJaL3oi7Xu_RHKfiG61asBpw0_wgDJTOXUONNh5r0BbTgNmc3xMFhafTA5USUgRrrw/s1600/TheCircle.png" /></a>The Circle is a company, likely based on Google or Facebook, where everyone who is smart and young wants to work. They have a campus, which they would prefer that you not leave, where bands clamour to perform, where food and health care is provided and where innovation is constant. The Circle wants to find out everything that is knowable in the modern world. Do 27 year olds prefer Cancun or Hawaii? How many grains of sand are there in the desert? What happens when you transfer sea animals that have never before been seen into a Circle designed habitat? The Circle is all about transparency. If a person visits a park and doesn't post pictures to Facebook to tell their friends about it, why didn't they? Were they ashamed? Are they trying to hide their activities? Or are they being anti-social? It is quickly determined that all people are entitled to all experiences. If you go to an art show in California, and I am stuck in Michigan, I can be there with you if you post about it. But if you don't post about the experience, you are stealing that opportunity from me. </div>
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Mae, a floundering Carlton College graduate, begins to work for The Circle when her friend, Annie, invites her to apply. Mae quickly finds herself overwhelmed with gratitude to Annie, but also surprised by how much of her life The Circle wants to consume, and how much she is willing to give it. Mae's dad is suffering from MS, and she is able to get better insurance coverage for him through The Circle. In exchange, The Circle will monitor all of his care, which will obviously require live video supervision from 10 different cameras in his house. Soon her parents begin to feel that this is too much, but Mae is insistent that The Circle knows best. <br />
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The Circle is a commentary about how much of our privacy we are willing to give up while getting little in return. As a customer experience worker, Mae finds herself devoting valuable time to people who she has never met but who have asked her to like them, instead of spending time with her family members and real life friends. The instant gratification of having another "friend" and getting a favorable rating outweighs anything that Mae believes her parents could provide to her.<br />
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</em>Part<em> 1984,</em> part "War Games", and part <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/07/what-happened-in-july-2014.html"><em>MaddAddam</em></a><em>, The Circle</em> predicts a not so distant future where online participation is mandatory. Individuals control crime by mounting inexpensive video cameras which anyone can log into and see through. This sounds good enough, but in a world where secrets are considered lies the superficial takes the place of the real. Margaret Atwood calls much of her work "speculative fiction" instead of "science fiction", which is very apt in this case. We can't be too many years away from a time when much of The Circle's technology is possible. It is as though The Circle is a predecessor to the corporations that control the world in Atwood's <em>MaddAddam</em> trilogy. In <em>MaddAddam,</em> each corporation has a campus and controls the lives of its employees, but there secrets are essential, and the corps will do anything to keep their secrets from getting out. In the timeline of speculative fiction,<em> The Circle</em> would be placed between <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/10/penumbras-conundrum.html"><em>Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore</em></a><em> </em>and<em> </em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/11/speculative-snowman.html"><em>Oryx and Crake</em></a><em>. The Circle </em>was a <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/11/its-here.html">NYT Notable for 2013</a>.<br />
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</em>Eggers did an incredible job of imagining the world that could be. Some of the technology that he explains, especially the "See Change" video cameras which can be mounted anywhere and are so inexpensive that they are readily available to everyone, seems possible. My guess is that this is something that Eggers has mulled over, and that he hasn't gotten too many hours of sleep, for fear of the future.<br />
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The Circle</em> was read by Dion Graham, who also read several of Egger's earlier books including <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/12/chicago-memoirs.html"><em>A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/04/finding-what.html"><em>What is the What</em></a><em>.</em> To me, he is the voice of Dave Eggers. It is a testament to Graham's ability that he is able to read these stories with such a range of topics and characters.<br />
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<a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/11/its-here.html">Challenges</a>: Audiobook Challenge, I Love Library Books Challenge</h4>
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Tags: <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/NYT%20Notables">NYT Notables</a>; <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Sci-Fi-ish">Sci-Fi-ish</a></h4>
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Life After Life by Kate Atkinson</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8xQXQSjBX1USkFXsSd8t4uDBjqiaPbRiywIhskkkfpyEWa73kO9SSqdGwzve3HS9IS9Bg2Dfv3ylJvuRRoB15otPu2rh1F8fpqfTcl0wq7Zxu4jACOtfOUMwwqK8C5T8WeN5RxKEtQk/s1600/LifeAfterLife.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8xQXQSjBX1USkFXsSd8t4uDBjqiaPbRiywIhskkkfpyEWa73kO9SSqdGwzve3HS9IS9Bg2Dfv3ylJvuRRoB15otPu2rh1F8fpqfTcl0wq7Zxu4jACOtfOUMwwqK8C5T8WeN5RxKEtQk/s1600/LifeAfterLife.png" /></a>Have you ever had that feeling that if you just had something to do over again, you would do it differently? So has Ursula Todd. In <em>Life After Life</em> by Kate Atkinson, the novel consists of a series of episodes in Ursula's life. There are three primary story lines, being the stories of Ursula's birth, that of her 16th birthday, and that of her World War II experience. In each of these, the first time the story is told, it ends horribly for her, and she dies. Each story is then retold, with Ursula making slightly different choices, as though she knows that she is trying to keep something from happening, but doesn't quite remember what. Again, something horrible happens, and she dies. The stories are retold again and again until Ursula has carefully navigated around all of the hidden hazards of her life, and can move on to the next episode.</div>
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Ursula feels a strong sense of deja vu, and eventually realizes that she has the ability to change the course of history, one tiny interception at a time. If her maid falls down the stairs and can't go to a celebration in London, she won't bring the flu back to Ursula's household. If she befriends Eva Braun, could she prevent World War II?<br />
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Atkinson's novel twists and turns while moving two steps forward and one step back. It is almost as though she took Ursula's life, couldn't decide which way to go, and told the story every way that she could imagine. However, the result is so carefully constructed that the novel presents Ursula's choices almost as a form of Darwinian evolution rather than simple drafts that didn't work out.<br />
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<em>Life After Life</em> was a <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/11/its-here.html">NYT Notable Book for 2013</a>, and the 2013 GoodReads Choice winner for Historical Fiction.<br />
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<h4>
Tags: <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Historical%20Fiction">Historical Fiction</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/NYT%20Notables">NYT Notables</a>,<a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/WWII%20Civilian%20Stories"> WWII Civilian Stories</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/British%20Stories">British Stories</a></h4>
<h1>
<br />
September Preview:</h1>
In September, I plan to read and review the following in paper or electronic form:<br />
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<em>Safe Haven </em>by Nicholas Sparks<br />
<em>. . . And Ladies of the Club</em> by Helen Hoover Santmyer (Try, Try again!)<br />
<em>The Wife, the Maid and the Mistress</em> by Ariel Lawhon<br />
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I also plan to finish listening to <em>The Finkler Question</em> by Howard Jacobson, and will post about that, and will start listening to <em>The Goldfinch</em> by Donna Tartt. However, at 32 hours, I am unlikely to post a review of this one before October.<br />
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</em>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-78051846046885536382014-07-31T16:39:00.000-04:002014-08-31T09:15:27.086-04:00What Happened in July 2014<h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRomSANDSygcI5EtCw5ODzcvIbDfCwFMuHaUosCxjLd_gdtABI51rTnWLkAwZd31YmprsOa_NX3NZPiMvH-IAaSlaAfhW4_XAQsGEDWGoN39tPm55a7JD8L3V9vv9kUAi5w5CrA62n-p0/s1600/PicMonkey+July2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRomSANDSygcI5EtCw5ODzcvIbDfCwFMuHaUosCxjLd_gdtABI51rTnWLkAwZd31YmprsOa_NX3NZPiMvH-IAaSlaAfhW4_XAQsGEDWGoN39tPm55a7JD8L3V9vv9kUAi5w5CrA62n-p0/s1600/PicMonkey+July2014.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h1>
Reviews:</h1>
<h3>
The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund De Waal</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9_ofo4qE6MpgQn0f3m7clGNJuWHkI5Rcu-mgyl18YY3xW4JQKs1V3-yPE96zJ4DoloM4egJk4lJwamDPJ-G3ZR_C5ab68SMVpj7SKYmgGdo3K5Xk1pbM0DqXhlBUdfsn_4RcZ2GXJsQ/s1600/Harewithambereyes.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw9_ofo4qE6MpgQn0f3m7clGNJuWHkI5Rcu-mgyl18YY3xW4JQKs1V3-yPE96zJ4DoloM4egJk4lJwamDPJ-G3ZR_C5ab68SMVpj7SKYmgGdo3K5Xk1pbM0DqXhlBUdfsn_4RcZ2GXJsQ/s1600/Harewithambereyes.png" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
Edmund De Waal is a famous twenty-first century potter (did you know that there was one?) who I first read about in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/01/arts/design/edmund-de-waal-prepares-for-an-exhibition.html?pagewanted=all&module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%5B%22RI%3A9%22%2C%22RI%3A17%22%5D&gwt=pay">this NYT article</a>. Although the article was intended to be about De Waal's new exhibit, the reporter talked enough about De Waal's family memoir, <em>The Hare With Amber Eyes</em> that I had to add it to my TBR list. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdivbH3nrqys9sx8GSmG6gbQx65q6BPYqLp4FDhnfkm7TuArW7hsjfHSxVx6NoKAJTVu6MW6l_Ty0Q46f16Jo-Tqv1stGC_0Whtt0eXkfc5ABWTmWzbsFI0JvJJjvsnjUeEoICr2Uo1Q/s1600/LuncheonoftheBoatingParty.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdivbH3nrqys9sx8GSmG6gbQx65q6BPYqLp4FDhnfkm7TuArW7hsjfHSxVx6NoKAJTVu6MW6l_Ty0Q46f16Jo-Tqv1stGC_0Whtt0eXkfc5ABWTmWzbsFI0JvJJjvsnjUeEoICr2Uo1Q/s1600/LuncheonoftheBoatingParty.png" /></a></div>
What is amazing about <em>Hare</em> is that while it could have been the epitome of vanity publishing, instead it is a really great book, without bragging or pouting. De Waal's family first made its fortune in Odessa through grain trading. His great-great grandfather pushed the family into Europe, where they established banks in Paris and Vienna. De Waal's great uncle was Charles Ephrussi, whose name was familiar to me, but for a while I didn't know why. Charles was the third son, and was able to avoid the family business and do things that were more interesting, like collect art. He lived in Paris in the time of the Impressionists, and his collection included works by Pissaro, Monet, Renior, Cassatt, and Degas, all in one room of his home. When De Waal discussed his uncle's relationship with Renoir, I knew why I knew Charles. Charles Ephrussi is the man in the top hat in Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party. Susan Vreeland's <em>Luncheon of the Boating Party</em> is a book that I loved reading, and is on my list of books that I would like to re-read this year. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I lent my copy to my friend, Kim, so I couldn't take a detour into fiction while reading <em>Hare</em>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9v3hO4zkOTjigUmGEHCLBZ4ur8bfkxU5ImGBaHVqqWxXpzj6Qtm4NtVvvyQ1JTvwaJVSaFp_-HxMcErW85qPPARuqt_E7QwTg0mt5FUoJEazkntj0wUW6zbcqUEwXR1w6riydnIkb4-c/s1600/netsuke.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9v3hO4zkOTjigUmGEHCLBZ4ur8bfkxU5ImGBaHVqqWxXpzj6Qtm4NtVvvyQ1JTvwaJVSaFp_-HxMcErW85qPPARuqt_E7QwTg0mt5FUoJEazkntj0wUW6zbcqUEwXR1w6riydnIkb4-c/s1600/netsuke.png" height="135" width="320" /></a></div>
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That's OK, because in <em>Hare</em>, the truth is better than the fiction could have been. When Paris became obsessed with Japanese art in the 1800s, Charles jumped in, and amassed a collection of netsuke. Netsuke are small, intricately carved objects, made sometimes from stone, ivory, or even wood. Time passed, and the netsuke went out of style. Charles sent his valuable collection to a nephew, De Waal's grandfather, as a wedding gift. De Waal's grandfather went on to live in Vienna, where he ran the family owned bank. According to De Waal, his grandfather's pre-World War II wealth, in today's dollars, was $400 million. Unfortunately for the De Waal family, they were Jewish, and living in a Nazi state. By the end of the war, most of the wealth was gone, but amazingly, the netsuke survived and passed through another generation, before landing in De Waal's capable hands.<br />
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While billed as the story of the netsuke, this is really a story of a family living in an incredible time. It somehow doesn't read as a memoir, so much as a telling of historical events in a new and interesting light. Definitely worth the read. <br />
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<strong>Challenges:</strong> I love library books<br />
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<strong>Tags:</strong> <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Memoir">Memoir</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Non%20Fiction">Non-Fiction</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/WWII%20Civilian%20Stories">WWII Civilian Stories</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Paris">Paris</a><br />
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<h3>
McSweeney's 44</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkx7Mifd_wq-fu0Q4Hg9CYIa6fHXAbF4E7lq9ddUiBMSmIaWpVoA_hDPwwRkRjEpgLlCkrzXWA17oZRu0JnUxSl0yxQxCXENgPhqqvADJgDcWeX-IVynA0h4dysMyTW_ByLhqBm51bPc4/s1600/McSweeneys44.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkx7Mifd_wq-fu0Q4Hg9CYIa6fHXAbF4E7lq9ddUiBMSmIaWpVoA_hDPwwRkRjEpgLlCkrzXWA17oZRu0JnUxSl0yxQxCXENgPhqqvADJgDcWeX-IVynA0h4dysMyTW_ByLhqBm51bPc4/s1600/McSweeneys44.png" /></a></div>
McSweeney's is a quarterly something that generally includes short stories and articles, and was created by Dave Eggers. I say that it is a quarterly "something" rather than magazine or journal or book, because it is really none of these. Sometimes it comes with the <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/04/open-your-head.html">stories loose in a box</a>, sometimes it looks more like a magazine. Usually, it looks a lot like novel, which is the case with <em>44</em>. The main contributors to <em>44</em> were Joe Meno, Rebecca Curtis, Tom Barbash, Jim Shepard, Stuart Dybek, and Wells Tower. There was also a 82 page tribute to Lawrence (Ren) Weschler, to which many others contributed.<br />
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One of my favorite parts of <em>44</em> were the letters to the editor, which were all witty and quirky, and generally what one would expect from McSweeney's readers who are hoping to get published themselves. <br />
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Jim Shepard wrote a particularly un-McSweeny-ish story that I liked called "The Ocean of Air", about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_air_balloon">Montgolfier brothers</a> who were the first to invent a hot air balloon safe for human travel. I also liked Stuart Dybek's piece, "Happy Ending" which tells the story of a man, Gil, attending a party thrown by a mogul who claimed to be unhappy. Gil shows the mogul how happy he is by inventing a scenario which would make his life much worse. Another interesting story was "Birthday Girl" by Tom Barbash, where a driver who is possibly (almost surely) drunk hits a young girl, and then tries to make things right.<br />
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The story by Wells Tower, "The Dance Contest" is well written and interesting, but also strange. It is about a man named Osmund Tower, the fictional father to Wells, who finds himself imprisoned in the luxury wing of the Theb Moob Mens' Prison in Thailand, due primarily to his naivete. While he may be in the best possible part of the prison, it is a prison none the less. The Captain in charge comes up with the idea of rewarding the prisoners with prizes, based on their performance in a dance contest, as judged by Internet viewers. Cruel and unusual? You decide. What I didn't get about this piece is why Tower wanted to make it seem like his character was his father. Why not just name him Tom Sutherland or Osmund Miller?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlAx0WviQzrJABRpgct3h73c0slQLQ2aFreIitdDw1PBSiWqj-DY5hO1ayq-O0IrHQZHX8h_3lqwvEOFr-1QSmiowbnkVnEuYFu2DINw6pQ-QNy_WALMtWl4YjRnOTYFk1_bW4ZLBASU/s1600/LawrenceWeschler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlAx0WviQzrJABRpgct3h73c0slQLQ2aFreIitdDw1PBSiWqj-DY5hO1ayq-O0IrHQZHX8h_3lqwvEOFr-1QSmiowbnkVnEuYFu2DINw6pQ-QNy_WALMtWl4YjRnOTYFk1_bW4ZLBASU/s1600/LawrenceWeschler.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
Although I, personally, didn't need such a long, funereal, tribute to Ren Weschler, he seems to be a person I should know more about. I would recommend starting with the Errol Morris conversation with Weschler, and then skipping ahead to Jonathan Lethem's tribute. If they leave you wanting more, <em>44</em> is well stocked. As always, I finished McSweeney's feeling a little smarter (and maybe a little more smug) than when I started.<br />
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<strong>Challenges</strong>: Rewind<br />
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<strong>Tags: </strong><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Keepin%27%20It%20Short">Keeping it Short</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Historical%20Fiction">Historical Fiction</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Non%20Fiction">Non Fiction</a><br />
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<h3>
MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooltwKB3CuyWsuPQ2Wr33Ca_SzGCjpQ6IhAgQB-UJLP3_nGaYcBo09_vE13x6723OO_SsL7VIjak1RJx5-rITOtcp8sKL2WesyZHNiBl30w-l8kpSdJkQE8iELEGJh5_w8N8lSeDnyKA/s1600/Maddaddam.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooltwKB3CuyWsuPQ2Wr33Ca_SzGCjpQ6IhAgQB-UJLP3_nGaYcBo09_vE13x6723OO_SsL7VIjak1RJx5-rITOtcp8sKL2WesyZHNiBl30w-l8kpSdJkQE8iELEGJh5_w8N8lSeDnyKA/s1600/Maddaddam.png" height="200" width="149" /></a><em>MaddAddam</em> is the third book in Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake trilogy. The first book, <em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/11/speculative-snowman.html">Oryx and Crake</a>, </em>focused on Jimmy, a guy in his early 20s who survived some sort of a plague, and wonders if he is the only human who made it. He lives among people he calls "Crakers" because they were developed in a lab by his friend, Crake. Much of that book was told through flashbacks about Crake and their shared love, Oryx. The second book, <em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/03/flood-insurance.html">The Year of the Flood</a>, </em>was told mostly by Toby and Ren. They are members of a group, The God's Gardeners, who try to live in a more simple way among the corporations and criminals of the modern world. <em>MaddAddam</em> again focuses on Toby, but this time the story is more about two other God's Gardeners, Zeb and Adam. </div>
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<em>MaddAddam </em>takes place after the waterless flood of the plague, and begins right where <em>The Year of the Flood</em> ended. Toby, Ren, Amanda and Jimmy are all in a confrontation with dangerous painballers, who are criminals who have fought to the death and survived. Toby is happy to be reunited with her old crush, Zeb, and much of the book is Zeb telling about his life as a boy with his brother, Adam. Adam and Zeb had to flee from their abusive but powerful father, the Rev. Zeb found adventure slaying bears and impersonating big foot, while Adam went on to recruit like-minded people to become MaddAddams and God's Gardeners.<br />
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While <em>MaddAddam</em> brought resolution to the series, I found it a little lacking compared to the earlier two books. Ren and Jimmy were marginalized and treated like children here, when they had much stronger roles in the earlier books. At the end of the trilogy, I still don't know what the point of the MaddAddams was. Was it just to be a group of people gathering information about the bad things the corporations were doing? The MaddAddamers don't seem to <em>do</em> anything, although they investigate a lot, and know a lot. Also I'm totally lost about Adam. Was he really into his Adam 1 God's Gardeners persona, or did he establish the God's Gardeners just as a front to hide corporate escapees and further the MaddAddam cause? Much of the plot was also redundant, with Zeb telling his story to Toby, and then Toby telling the same story to the Crakers. <br />
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My favorite part of <em>MaddAddam</em> was the Crakers. When Crake invented them, he intended them to be post-religion, and had no idea that they would come to worship him and Oryx as deities. He also didn't anticipate Toby teaching one of them, Blackbeard, to read, or the creation of a Craker bible, the Book of Toby. Atwell was also incredibly timely in describing how the religion of corporations can lead to the destruction of mankind. In light of the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision, the world as she predicts it is all the more likely. In <em>MaddAddam</em>, Adam and Zeb's dad was the leader of the Church of PetrOleum. As he preaches, the "Petr" is from the apostle, Peter, and the "oleum" is because of all the references to oil in the Bible. Clearly, God created oil for our use, and any government attempt to regulate the drilling or sale of oil is a violation of the religious beliefs of the Church. Maybe, just maybe, we could learn from the mistakes that Atwood's characters make in the name of a self serving religious belief.<br />
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<em>MaddAddam</em> was a <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/11/its-here.html">NYT Notable Book for 2013.</a><br />
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<strong>Challenges:</strong> I Love Library Books and AudioBook<br />
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<strong>Tags</strong>: <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/NYT%20Notables">NYT Notables</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Sci-Fi-ish">Sci-Fi-Ish</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Questioning%20Religions">Questioning Religions</a><br />
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<h3>
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YPIsndSeUep0ih4qy7Sjr3UA6EA92VX7QN94v5BadN3BSlJyQPuGE5p-6-m1cAL3z4k0byOt14fn-2DEaPn4UKwOHyzyPCfpA2R1sFlrO-QE5TMb6mfCPH14d6CsfgAHBSbCFbC4Isc/s1600/cellistofsarajevo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YPIsndSeUep0ih4qy7Sjr3UA6EA92VX7QN94v5BadN3BSlJyQPuGE5p-6-m1cAL3z4k0byOt14fn-2DEaPn4UKwOHyzyPCfpA2R1sFlrO-QE5TMb6mfCPH14d6CsfgAHBSbCFbC4Isc/s1600/cellistofsarajevo.jpg" /></a>During the early days of the siege of Sarajevo, in 1992, a cellist with the Sarajevo Opera named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedran_Smailovi%C4%87">Vedran Smailovic</a>, played his cello in ruined buildings and at funerals which were frequently targeted by snipers. In <i>The Cellist of Sarajevo</i>, Steven Galloway takes Smailovic's story, and sets it to fiction. In Galloway's Sarajevo, a young woman who calls herself Arrow is working as a sniper defending the city. A man with a young family, Kenan, walks from one side of the city to the other in order to fill water bottles for himself and his neighbor. An older man, Dragan, tries to get to the bakery where he works and where he knows bread is waiting for him. Each of these characters faces the possibility at every intersection that he or she may be shot by a sniper or hit by a shell. All of them are eventually drawn to the cellist.</div>
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Sarajevo fell from being the host of the Olympics in 1984, to being a place where a person could expect to get shot while walking down the street just eight years later. Galloway's characters face their new reality while not quite believing that it could be true. Each of them refuses to be <i>that </i>person, living in <i>that </i>city. They believe that if they can hold on to their integrity and standards, Sarajevo has hope of being restored. Unfortunately the siege and the war waged on for years after this story ends, and after Smailovic left the city.</div>
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<i>The Cellist of Sarajevo</i> is the story of life in a war zone, where no one is coming to help. It tries to be a story of hope, but the reader is left with the feeling that if Arrow, Kenan and Dragan aren't killed on one day, they may be the next.</div>
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There was some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Galloway">controversy</a> about Galloway's use of Smailovic's actions in this book. Galloway defends his story as being fictional but inspired by Smailovic's public acts. Smailovic apparently was not told about the book before it was published and felt exploited by it. However the story came to be told, it is worth knowing. </div>
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Challenges: Rewind, I Love Library Books, Audiobook</div>
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<h1>
Book Group Reports</h1>
<h3>
The Neighborhood Book Group</h3>
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<a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/04/neighborhood-book-group-report-1.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/04/neighborhood-book-group-report-1.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBduK8JlmNGsXmwxJbysZ6hXm3RaN84ZzbcZjRPHo_edPTfMhu1EFlWtfQxsASPGJexnRGgEhAXzp7Ed4urLHVOjLS5Zy81r-LzWgR8FbZ5SuY3CL4W0peJ_4GU0G2NEOmp583Q4QrXc/s1600/NeighborhoodBookGroup.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/04/neighborhood-book-group-report-1.html">The Neighborhood Book Group</a> met in June to discuss <em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/03/development-on-paper.html">This is Where I Leave You</a> </em>by Jonathan Tropper. I was a lame book-grouper, and had to leave after only half an hour to go play bunco instead. Life in suburbia! Luckily, this book group is all business, so I actually got to do some book discussing before I left. With the movie coming out this fall, we talked a lot about the characters and the stars who will play them. Although I love Tina Fey, I just can't see her as Judd's sister, Wendy. Like 90% of the characters in this book (Am I underestimating? Is it 100%?), Wendy is having an affair, and her life is just basically sad. Maybe Tina will make her situation seem less pathetic. We also talked about who was the most dysfunctional. This discussion could last hours. Most of the group sided with the mom, Hillary, or the younger brother, Phillip. And, this is where I left them, so I'm not sure where the conversation went from there. </div>
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Next month they (we?) will discuss <em>The Vacationers</em> by Emma Straub. I'm so bogged down in The Typical Book Group's summer BFB, that I don't think I'll have time to get to this one.<br />
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The Typical Book Group</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcN0BtqinDleA2SHJZyBybGFtJb_KAfy5acvw3W7QLl1ZuM0xxs8j3_jAO3KBhTDNqO250jtuyZSQyffR1-PDjdSdjkNFdSo0Rxw7XfwVxEBmR54gQGPeVzfQc7wbUqRRE8EGvofvpoM/s1600/TypicalBookGroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcN0BtqinDleA2SHJZyBybGFtJb_KAfy5acvw3W7QLl1ZuM0xxs8j3_jAO3KBhTDNqO250jtuyZSQyffR1-PDjdSdjkNFdSo0Rxw7XfwVxEBmR54gQGPeVzfQc7wbUqRRE8EGvofvpoM/s1600/TypicalBookGroup.jpg" height="170" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/06/typical-book-group-report-21.html">The Typical Book Group</a> never meets in July, but in June we pick a Big Fat Book (BFB) to read all summer long. This year we picked <em>. . . And Ladies of the Club </em>by Helen Hooven Santmyer. Talk about a BFB. My copy is 1184 pages, and it's actually a little uncomfortable to hold. After two weeks of reading, I am only 200 pages in. I'll have to pick up my pace if I'm ever going to make it through this!<br />
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Tags: <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Book%20Group%20Reports">Book Group Reports</a>, <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Big%20Fat%20Books">Big Fat Books</a><br />
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In Other News:</h1>
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Local Libraries</h3>
Are these cute neighborhood libraries popping up near you? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW62F3Pq4XHanRJGKsU6S4r49q_trgZCeiv8406tPLNZmab3QbKMJspobEvCKUHwKIU5FA6rG7LnTMJawVPNpu9LZowEZ8lAi_8UawW1y2zEFrimYaTW-DdJnF-q1gI7boiiV-gdwmqDM/s1600/LittleFreeLibrary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW62F3Pq4XHanRJGKsU6S4r49q_trgZCeiv8406tPLNZmab3QbKMJspobEvCKUHwKIU5FA6rG7LnTMJawVPNpu9LZowEZ8lAi_8UawW1y2zEFrimYaTW-DdJnF-q1gI7boiiV-gdwmqDM/s1600/LittleFreeLibrary.jpg" /></a></div>
My friend, Debby's father-in-law installed one in his front yard. There's another one in the park at the end of my street. They are the cutest things. The idea is, you can pick a book to take, and leave a book for someone else to read. No sign out slips, no late fees. It's the honor system at its best. Debby's F-I-L lives in a bit of a hoity-toity neighborhood, but in an area where lots of people walk, so I think his library will get lots of action. Doing my best to convert young future Republicans to a more reasonable party, I deposited a copy of <em>The Believer</em>, which is a book review magazine by the McSweeney's people, as well as a cookbook, and my copy of <em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/06/reason-27-not-to-play-with-dead-rats.html">Year of Wonders</a></em> by Geraldine Brooks. In exchange, I took a copy of <em>Life After Life </em>by Kate Atkinson, which has been on my TBR list since it became a <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/11/its-here.html">NYT Notable</a>. Score!<br />
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Winner, Winner, Goldfinch Dinner</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_Q4m313oTkXAumypfMGNGFCMcPvi-pSrIsTeKKCy62Cngs_VkxS8ZVOpVlnmV4VOdkFMCwuEHBBNR_SWOYT1Pi9Y7gKmIPVvh4g7qBlFfwU8IkFXy2NZiWaV1u8Nrm817fj6x9Utar8/s1600/GoldFinchAudiobook.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_Q4m313oTkXAumypfMGNGFCMcPvi-pSrIsTeKKCy62Cngs_VkxS8ZVOpVlnmV4VOdkFMCwuEHBBNR_SWOYT1Pi9Y7gKmIPVvh4g7qBlFfwU8IkFXy2NZiWaV1u8Nrm817fj6x9Utar8/s1600/GoldFinchAudiobook.png" height="200" width="181" /></a></div>
Guess what? I won a copy of <em>The Goldfinch</em> audiobook by Donna Tartt. Remember way back when <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/05/audiobook-giveaway.html">when I was giving away a copy</a>? No, I didn't enter and win my own contest. Because <em>The Goldfinch</em> won two Audies, there were two copies to give away, and I entered the giveaway on <a href="http://www.wholly-books.com/">Wholly Books</a>. And I won! I can't wait to get it and start listening!<br />
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Loss of a Legend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CfMpHd3byTpP0Oj2LVOzOkp83pDQH9ucTWDVlkJX9EDXY8nRqhJd58Sj5_7wSXu3TfpHMOPOgq6O1h1wcP7dkgJ9EbXcZbgyRVhH2Nsh5EMwjN1wh2PbzFQ8RFaxU8Joo4iDktvCaXo/s1600/LouisZamperini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CfMpHd3byTpP0Oj2LVOzOkp83pDQH9ucTWDVlkJX9EDXY8nRqhJd58Sj5_7wSXu3TfpHMOPOgq6O1h1wcP7dkgJ9EbXcZbgyRVhH2Nsh5EMwjN1wh2PbzFQ8RFaxU8Joo4iDktvCaXo/s1600/LouisZamperini.jpg" height="197" width="200" /></a></div>
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On July 3, we lost Louis Zamperini. The real story here is not that a 97 year old man died, because really, what more could we expect? What is remarkable is that Zamperini was still alive. Zamperini was a former Olympic athlete who was shot down over the Pacific during World War II, and then taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese. His story is told in <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/03/unbelieveably-true.html">Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand</a>, which Angelina Jolie has turned into a soon to be released movie. Here is a link to the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/04/arts/louis-zamperini-olympian-war-survivor-unbroken-dies.html?hpw&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpHedThumbWell&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0">NYT Obituary</a>.<br />
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Man Bookered</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqjZ67meX77LX1ZhyrvgSq2VGCavz-XQ2puTXFvHSzXag4mU98fGltEnSjN_SDBUFmWe-lrCfV6o1xVXH0pj7t0Qw06aahxTTQ8eGRnXDjLTnt-mkUl2dTZN_3z0iELmw9D_JkFoZHes/s1600/Man+Booker.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqjZ67meX77LX1ZhyrvgSq2VGCavz-XQ2puTXFvHSzXag4mU98fGltEnSjN_SDBUFmWe-lrCfV6o1xVXH0pj7t0Qw06aahxTTQ8eGRnXDjLTnt-mkUl2dTZN_3z0iELmw9D_JkFoZHes/s1600/Man+Booker.png" /></a>On July 23, the <a href="http://www.themanbookerprize.com/man-booker-prize-2014">Man Booker Prize Longlist</a> was announced. This was the first year that authors from everywhere around the world were eligible, rather than just authors from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth. So, with Americans now eligible, 5 made the list. The only author who made it this year who I have read is <a href="http://www.themanbookerprize.com/man-booker-prize-2014">Joshua Ferris</a>, and the reviews of his recent book<em>, To Rise Again at a Decent Hour</em> have been pretty mixed. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/books/man-booker-prize-2014-longlist-announced.html?_r=0">Some might have expected</a> <em>The Goldfinch, </em>which already won the Pulitzer, to edge out a few of the lesser known picks. However, it was no surprise that <em>Lost for Words</em> by Edward St. Aubyn didn't make the cut. <em><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/books/review/lost-for-words-by-edward-st-aubyn.html">Lost for Words</a></em> is a thinly veiled satire of the Man Booker Prize, and it would have been a shock if the Man Booker judges were thick skinned enough to select it. The Shortlist will be announced on September 9. My money is on David Mitchell's new book, <em>The Bone Clocks</em>, even though it hasn't been released or reviewed on this side of the pond yet.</div>
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Tags: <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Man%20Booker%20Listed">Man Booker Listed</a></div>
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August Preview:</h1>
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In August, I hope to review the following books:</div>
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<u>Audios</u></div>
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<i>The Circle </i>by Dave Eggers</div>
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<i>The Finkler Question </i>by Howard Jacobson</div>
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<i>The Goldfinch</i> by Donna Tartt - I'll only get started on this one - it's 32 hours!</div>
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<u>Traditional or EBooks</u></div>
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<i>. . . And Ladies of the Club</i> by Helen Hooven Santmyer</div>
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<i>Safe Haven</i> by Nicholas Sparks (IF I make it through <i>Ladies)</i></div>
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<i>Life After Life</i> by Kate Atkinson (OK - this will be a stretch!)</div>
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Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-81382262958321952872014-06-27T20:58:00.000-04:002014-06-27T20:58:49.995-04:00Reason #27 Not to Play with Dead Rats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4NQeTxIb2despJv3tQ2e-Q7Jy0NTsFi9a6aKR0qWP7wsL-k1Won1wft0e6PpgCKAnKzuV53DWZ28ChZcCg-a_4KHLil9riXsMUWwgzLxExtG4APAxSPdQEDY30-otE_UqBxyt0uQhXE/s1600/Year+of+Wonders.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4NQeTxIb2despJv3tQ2e-Q7Jy0NTsFi9a6aKR0qWP7wsL-k1Won1wft0e6PpgCKAnKzuV53DWZ28ChZcCg-a_4KHLil9riXsMUWwgzLxExtG4APAxSPdQEDY30-otE_UqBxyt0uQhXE/s1600/Year+of+Wonders.png" /></a>In 1665, England had a problem. People were dying of a mysterious disease that no one knew how to stop. It started in London, so of course anyone with the means left the city. By leaving, however, the Londoners took the plague with them to the neighboring villages and towns. One village, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyam">Eyam</a>, found the plague to be within its borders, and took the drastic step of quarantining itself. It is in this village that Geraldine Brooks sets her story, <em>Year of Wonders</em>.</div>
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In <em>Year of Wonders</em>, Anna is a young widow and mother who takes in a boarder to help her make ends meet. The boarder is a tailor who travels outside of the village on a regular basis. Soon he falls ill and dies, directing Anna to burn all of his unfinished work, for fear that it has been contaminated. After other villagers begin to die, they realize that they have been overtaken by a plague. They make arrangements with a neighboring town to keep them supplied with goods, provided that they do not leave the village and risk infecting others. This quarantine is the idea of the rector, Michael Mompellion. Time passes and more and more villagers die, causing them to question their decision and their leader.<br />
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While I was listening to <em>Year of Wonders, </em>I kept wanting to yell to the characters "Now go wash your hands! Right now! With soap!" They didn't listen to me, but in reality, it may not have mattered if they had. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plague_of_London">The thinking now</a> is that the plague was spread through flea bites.<br />
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Although this sounds like a terrible book, in the first chapter Brooks introduces us to characters who lived through the disease, and mentions some who died. It is definitely more a story of survival than a story of tragedy. I have read all of Brooks' novels, and <em>Year of Wonders</em> is probably my second favorite, behind <em>People of the Book</em>. Other Brooks novels that I have reviewed on this blog are <em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2012/04/starting-at-end.html">March</a></em> and <em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/02/true-and-false.html">Caleb's Crossing</a>. </em><br />
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<em>Year of </em>Wonders was a NYT Notable Book for 2001. For the <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-preview.html">Challenges</a>, this one is a triple countsie - Rewind, Audiobook, and I Love Library Books.<br />
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Next Up on CD: <em>Maddaddam</em> by Margaret Atwood<br />
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Still Reading (and Loving!): <em>The Hare with Amber Eyes </em>by Edmund de Waal<br />
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<em></em>Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-23286771796053090492014-06-22T10:17:00.000-04:002014-06-22T21:56:00.868-04:00Water Under the Bridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUQnelABHKkQOk7TY32BQT92cIaHNIYcAZf84YCXNnnfEL1mqO9iVZA9mUJhz4NUOmhSHFhvaLJgBoGfMYLRPJNIXKOlckRsC00ZWvUPCEvUU24qPy3onTnJr2OmlaFlzgQs8hboNZv8/s1600/WeAreWater.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUQnelABHKkQOk7TY32BQT92cIaHNIYcAZf84YCXNnnfEL1mqO9iVZA9mUJhz4NUOmhSHFhvaLJgBoGfMYLRPJNIXKOlckRsC00ZWvUPCEvUU24qPy3onTnJr2OmlaFlzgQs8hboNZv8/s1600/WeAreWater.png" /></a><em>We are Water</em> by Wally Lamb is a story showcasing the cycle of violence that results from abuse. Damaged people damage other people again and again. The primary storyline involves Annie, who is a mother of three grown children, and who has recently determined that she is a lesbian. As an artist, Annie plans to marry the gallery owner who promotes her work. Annie is one of the above referenced damaged people who perpetuates the cycle within her family. Annie's ex-husband, Orion is oblivious to the trauma that his wife faced as a child, and equally clueless as to what has happened in his own home, even though he is a psychologist. </div>
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The most interesting part of the book is the story of Josephus Jones, a black artist who lived on Orion and Annie's Connecticut property years before they did, and died by "falling" into a well. Josephus was based on <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/21/nyregion/the-long-lost-art-of-ellis-ruley.html">Ellis Ruley</a>, a black artist who was married to a white woman, and who also died mysteriously in the 1950s. Unfortunately, Josephus is only a small part of <em>Water</em>. <br />
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Another part of <em>Water</em> that Lamb took from real life is the story of how Norwich, CT flooded in 1963. That night forever changed Annie's life. From <a href="http://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20130303/News/303039925">this article</a>, it is clear that Lamb took the details of his story from accounts of what happened that night. Lamb, himself, was there and lived through the flood as a 12 year old. After reading the article, however, I have to wonder how Lamb's neighbor who is interviewed for the article feels about being turned into a fictional pedophile by Lamb.<br />
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In <em>Water,</em> Lamb is very explicit in describing the sexual abuse of children. So vivid, in fact, that I have to wonder if he has crossed over the line that separates literature from the realm of something that might stimulate a person who is aroused by children. Am I saying that <em>Water</em> is kiddie porn? Not quite. But whatever it is, I could do without.<br />
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<a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/06/typical-book-group-report-21.html">The Typical Book Group</a> is right. The characters are not likable, and the pedophile story line was over the top. If Lamb had stuck to the real stories of Ellis and the flood, and maybe spent some more time on the art theft plot instead of the stories of abuse, I would have liked it better.<br />
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One more down for the I Love Library Books and the Audiobook <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-preview.html">Challenges.</a><br />
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If you are interested in winning some free books, there is a Literary Fiction blog hop going on right now. I'm not participating, but I did enter a few of the giveaways. To get to it, visit <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/06/water-under-bridge.html">River City Reading</a>, and click through the list of participants. You can enter to win on every blog. Good luck!<br />
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Next up: <em>The Hare with Amber Eyes</em> by Edmund De WaalDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-88080223835787668512014-06-18T22:39:00.000-04:002014-06-18T22:43:13.162-04:00Typical Book Group Report - 21<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPNK1csqRdBoUnIk_KmJm-6R7ptzffVTsUnGeFLxspgaAMYzLy3AjVc7N3H7enq2jqXY5pmZwoLP3teV95j4ZpQRyPlrXr8hm1vSZTw0yPEXCP900RFcZIoWF9Cl8th2P402DnnVOYqs/s1600/TypicalBookGroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPNK1csqRdBoUnIk_KmJm-6R7ptzffVTsUnGeFLxspgaAMYzLy3AjVc7N3H7enq2jqXY5pmZwoLP3teV95j4ZpQRyPlrXr8hm1vSZTw0yPEXCP900RFcZIoWF9Cl8th2P402DnnVOYqs/s1600/TypicalBookGroup.jpg" /></a>It was sort of a strange book group meeting last night. There were 7 of us there, and only three people had finished reading the book, <em>We are Water</em> by Wally Lamb. I was about 1/3 of the way through, and a couple of others had read the first chapter or two. Our host, Barb, apologized for the selection. But, the three of them who had actually read the whole book couldn't stop talking about it. They were very courteous about not spoiling it for the rest of us, but they clearly had a lot to say, even if they didn't love the book. </div>
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The chief complaint was about the chapters told in the voice of Kent. They felt that the pedophilia was much too graphic, and from the amount that I've read, I agree. They also felt that there wasn't a character in the whole book that they liked as a person, and that most of the stories ended sadly. <br />
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Well, they can't all be winners. I have to say that I am liking the book more than I expected to. I'll post more about it once I finish.<br />
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We won't meet again until the end of the summer. Each year, we pick a Big Fat Book (BFB) to read all summer long. Quite a few long books have come out since last summer, but we wound up picking one that was first published in 1982. It is . . . <em>And Ladies of the Club </em>by Helen Hooven Santmyer. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/04/books/books-of-the-times-236244.html">The Times HATED it</a>, but apparently the American public of the 1980s loved it. I'll keep you posted!<br />
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For now, I'm still reading and listening to <em>We are Water </em>by Wally LambDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-78015218832460972322014-06-15T23:27:00.000-04:002014-06-16T10:01:22.082-04:00An Imperfect Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BnXUzyLWMBO0GpPwQi8Ic-40t6rNpp45YiURU4BiZlj1bRb-LPzBkU4_wUsu-tQAjXIGJbfzI5ALJ0rmC-J0KK3KqGYePjiDLnr4_1fdPtFDqU2Yzg_pIAeX1k_2hbBu6A5gd-VmLC4/s1600/Rise&FallofGreatPowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BnXUzyLWMBO0GpPwQi8Ic-40t6rNpp45YiURU4BiZlj1bRb-LPzBkU4_wUsu-tQAjXIGJbfzI5ALJ0rmC-J0KK3KqGYePjiDLnr4_1fdPtFDqU2Yzg_pIAeX1k_2hbBu6A5gd-VmLC4/s1600/Rise&FallofGreatPowers.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a>Tom Rachman knows how to create a character. His first book, <em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-back-story.html">The Imperfectionists</a></em>, was a novel told through short stories of various people who work for or are devoted to a newspaper, The Paper. Each character was related to the others in some way, but each was a fully developed person, with an interesting life away from The Paper.</div>
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His second book, <em>The Rise & Fall of Great Powers</em> is a character study of a woman named Matilda, including her childhood and the odd collection of people who raised her. The action is set in 1988, when Matilda, who is also called Tooly, is 10 and living with Paul, in 1999 when she is 21 and living with Duncan and Humphrey, and in 2011, when she is an adult woman running a small book store in Wales. Tooly has lived throughout the world with Paul, Sarah, Venn, Humphrey, and Duncan, but her relationships with all of these people are tangled, and never quite what they seem. <br />
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Tooly sees Sarah as a glamorous if flighty woman, who is unreliable, but is also constantly popping up. Venn is a worldly charmer who Tooly seeks to emulate and impress. Humphrey is an old immigrant who Tooly feels she needs to take care of. Ultimately, Tooly comes to understand who it is who can be counted on, and who will disappear when she needs them most. <br />
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This is a book of bad decisions and painful regret. It's a book of exploitation and opportunism. But throughout it all, Tooly doesn't dwell on what she should have done or what others should have done for her, and instead is persistently moving forward in the best way that she can figure out.<br />
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<em>The Rise & Fall of Great Powers</em> is constantly shifting between the time periods, with chapters confusingly called things like "1988: The End", which is the 4th chapter of the book, even though there are 7 more chapters that come later that are set in 1988, and another chapter called "1988: The End." If you can surrender to the confusion and just roll with it, a great story with memorable characters will unfold. Based on <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/12/books/the-rise-and-fall-of-great-powers-by-tom-rachman.html?_r=0">the recent NYT review</a>, my guess is that this one will make the list of Notables for 2014!<br />
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I requested and received a free electronic copy of this book from NetGalley. Thanks to Jess Bonet of Random House for making it available to me. Other than the book, no promises were made and no payments were received.<br />
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Next Up: Next I am tackling <em>We Are Water</em> in paper form, in addition to audio. My book group is meeting to discuss this one in just 2 days, and I'm only half way done! Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-76443940336261356132014-06-05T22:39:00.000-04:002014-06-05T22:39:01.518-04:00Gatsby Continued<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlQn3fl8nbyJ0uAgFTgEkjKhBbBnEufIlx4FYssn4QqZQQaY1h2Hsw36ky9C7sQCvUcbIV_CbUb_SjSFbOy7yQ_EdrpjHAddlWVsp4kLkJTzQmfg_HmKH95iJZ5t5ojLXU23-piG032U/s1600/DoubleBind.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlQn3fl8nbyJ0uAgFTgEkjKhBbBnEufIlx4FYssn4QqZQQaY1h2Hsw36ky9C7sQCvUcbIV_CbUb_SjSFbOy7yQ_EdrpjHAddlWVsp4kLkJTzQmfg_HmKH95iJZ5t5ojLXU23-piG032U/s1600/DoubleBind.png" /></a>So, when I was helping my son study for his test on <em>The Great Gatsby</em> by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I somehow came across a summary of <em>The Double Bind</em> by Chris Bohjalian. The blurb said that in <em>The Double Bind</em>, Tom and Daisy have a son after Fitzgerald's novel ends. The son grows up and falls on hard times, finally dying as a homeless man with a collection of pictures of famous people, including Gatsby himself. Now they had my interest. <em>Gatsby</em> is one of my all time favorites, and I'd love to know what Tom and Daisy did after the last page was turned.</div>
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<em>The Double Bind</em> begins with Laurel talking about a time that she was attacked by two men in the woods and almost raped seven years earlier. In the present day, Laurel is working at a homeless shelter in Vermont. A man who she knows from the shelter, Bobbie Crocker, dies leaving a cache of old photos. The pictures include some of Laurel's swim club from her hometown of West Egg, and one that might be of Laurel herself. The director of the homeless shelter thinks that the photos may be good enough to put together a show as a fundraiser. She assigns Laurel to print more photos from the negatives and get the pictures ready to display. Laurel takes on the project with more enthusiasm that anyone expected.<br />
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Early on in the project, Laurel begins to think that Bobbie might be Tom and Daisy's son. She travels to East Egg to meet with the woman who she thinks must be Bobbie's older sister, Pamela Buchanan, only to be told that Pamela's brother had died decades earlier, and could not possibly be Bobbie. While trying to prove the connection and figure out why Pamela would deny it, Laurel meets with people who knew Bobbie, and learns more about his story. <br />
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It was a little disconcerting at first to have Laurel taking about going home to visit West Egg. It was like saying that she was going to Neverland. But of course, since Gatsby is fiction to begin with, why couldn't a later story be set in the same towns? I was also a little annoyed that so much of the story was about Laurel and her attack. I really wanted to hear more about the West Egg of Gatsby's era than about Laurel in the modern day. At the end the plot took a major twist that was satisfying, but disappointing at the same time. It was satisfying in the sense that the ends were tied up, and I finally understood why there was so much focus on Laurel, but disappointing in that what I wanted to happen didn't. <br />
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<em>The Double Bind</em> has a basis in real life, in that the novel was inspired by a man, <a href="http://www.chrisbohjalian.com/the-double-bind">Bob Campbell</a>, who was homeless in Vermont, and died leaving great pictures of famous people behind. I'm counting this book for both the Audiobook and the I Love Library Books <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-preview.html">Challenges</a>.<br />
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Next up on CD: <em>We Are Water</em> by Wally Lamb<br />
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Still Reading: <em>The Rise & Fall of Great Powers </em>by Tom RachmanDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-27163565349684248612014-06-03T15:58:00.000-04:002014-06-03T15:58:38.230-04:00Great House Redux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FTYTCnqVug05aonESRvL7F86ZCdYmCTdlr5tQZ0rdDaIdxopeKtanwmsn9-vQqCDdzT4Huanq5L0F9gon-SES4vd-6c9pCPAStEFoNyPYtWlqOVS8n90XiGTG7UR9p6jWM1RaUwtwnE/s1600/GreatHouse.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FTYTCnqVug05aonESRvL7F86ZCdYmCTdlr5tQZ0rdDaIdxopeKtanwmsn9-vQqCDdzT4Huanq5L0F9gon-SES4vd-6c9pCPAStEFoNyPYtWlqOVS8n90XiGTG7UR9p6jWM1RaUwtwnE/s1600/GreatHouse.png" /></a>In February of 2011, when I first read <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/02/more-please.html"><em>Great House</em> by Nicole Krauss</a>, I tore through it in 6 days, and as soon as I finished, I wanted to read it again. Finally, this year, I did. </div>
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<em>Great House</em> is the story of an enormous desk, and the people who owned it through the years. Sort of. It is told through four different stories, and each story has two parts. I described the stories in <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/02/jinx.html">2011</a>, and I hate to repeat myself, but the shortest synopsis of the stories is this. "All Rise" is told by Nadia. She is a writer who received the desk from a person named Daniel who later disappears under ominous circumstances. She turns the desk over to Leah. "True Kindness" is a great father-son story showing the distance that can grow between two people. The son, Dov, wanted to be a writer, but his father so discouraged him that he became a judge instead. The third story is "Swimming Holes". This is the story of Lotte, who is a writer, and her husband, Arthur. Lotte escaped the Holocaust as part of the Kindertransport, and she doesn't like to talk about that part of her life. When Lotte gets Alzheimer's late in her life, she inadvertently lets Arthur in on some important secrets that she has kept for years. Where Lotte got the desk is a mystery, but she gives it to Daniel. The final story, "Lies Told by Children" is of Izzy, and her strange relationship with Yoav and his sister, Leah. Their father, who is called by their surname, Weisz, escaped the Holocaust, but his family's home was ransacked, and his father's desk was stolen. It is his life's purpose to reclaim all of the items stolen by the Nazis and the family's opportunistic neighbors.<br />
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When I first read the book, I was left with lots of questions. I wanted to find the connections between the characters that I knew that I had missed. This time, I did everything differently. I read the book quickly in 2011. Instead of going even faster on the second reading, I took more than twice as long, and read with a pencil in hand. I underlined every name, eye color, and year. I made parallel time lines for each story inside the front cover of the book, and kept checking them. And after the first story, I was embarrassed.<br />
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It was so obvious! How could I have missed it? Clearly, Daniel was Leah and Yoav's father, who just used a different name with Lotte and Nadia. It was plain as day that Lotte was his mother. Until I read further, and it was clear that she was not, and he was not.<br />
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After my second reading, with attention to detail, notes and time lines, I still feel like I have missed the connections. Don't get me wrong. The novel is great, and it isn't confusing. I just feel like there are clues and I am still not seeing them. My best guess after the second time around is that Lotte and Weisz were siblings or cousins who lost each other in the war. Daniel is related to both of them. Maybe he was a descendant of another sibling. It's possible that he was a nephew to them both, or a descendant of a cousin. I don't have a good connection to the "True Kindness" characters, other than to speculate that the father could have been involved in the theft of the desk somehow or he could have sold the house in Israel to Weisz. But maybe that's not the point. Maybe the whole point of the book is that if we look hard enough for connections between people, we can find them, whether they are real or imagined. It's the Keven Bacon game, times ten thousand. Maybe the characters are all just people who happened to live near each other or are unrelated owners of a desk. Maybe Lotte put an ad in the newspaper that she had a desk for sale and Daniel saw it. Nothing more.<br />
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This is the first book that I read for the <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-preview.html">Year of Re-Reading Challenge</a>. <em>Great House</em> was a NYT Notable Book for 2010.<br />
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If you are reading this before June 13, 2014, don't forget to <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/05/audiobook-giveaway.html">click here</a> to enter to win the audiobook of <em>The Goldfinch</em> by Donna Tartt.<br />
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Next Up: <em>The Rise & Fall of Great Powers</em> by Tom Rachman<br />
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Still Listening to: <em>The Double Bind </em>by Chris BohjalianDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-15339795872789339652014-05-31T23:19:00.000-04:002014-06-01T18:10:23.625-04:00AUDIOBOOK GIVEAWAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC60Kf3FnrVWm5D-Vt-Nq5o53X3O6bIVbj5KUQdSj9a3vo6zY3tTeye3eazWaqiTvDmqinjSGcVvK1gs9Vqv9Qn_zASdkMMZET0wPFrBw9MIF2lqK89xr4LtldzLfY5KRbNiEyYJ-VUzU/s1600/Audie-Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC60Kf3FnrVWm5D-Vt-Nq5o53X3O6bIVbj5KUQdSj9a3vo6zY3tTeye3eazWaqiTvDmqinjSGcVvK1gs9Vqv9Qn_zASdkMMZET0wPFrBw9MIF2lqK89xr4LtldzLfY5KRbNiEyYJ-VUzU/s1600/Audie-Logo.jpg" /></a></div>
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I have big news! June is Audiobook Month. You know that book that everyone is talking about this year? The one that won the Pulitzer for fiction? And that also won Audies for the best Literary Fiction Audiobook and Best Solo Narration? YES! The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which has been on my TBR list for months. I get to give it away! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUAUhKxNkqTMKek8R2oQqrPgfXKZVtgEWy9fwIwY737zJUlGrDYcF7E7PJ3EQRH_Mcuf6_19CrvNufc1RstRWTa0AvLvtNn-xZh9p3cNfvnItucMVxIThDKuDXu8RjWOxG6XqPdLdRro/s1600/GoldFinchAudiobook.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUAUhKxNkqTMKek8R2oQqrPgfXKZVtgEWy9fwIwY737zJUlGrDYcF7E7PJ3EQRH_Mcuf6_19CrvNufc1RstRWTa0AvLvtNn-xZh9p3cNfvnItucMVxIThDKuDXu8RjWOxG6XqPdLdRro/s1600/GoldFinchAudiobook.png" /></a></div>
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The Audio Publisher's Association, the voice of the audiobook industry, has picked my campy little blog to give away <em>The Goldfinch</em>, as read by David Pittu. I recently enjoyed listening to Pittu read <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/04/happily-ever-after.html"><em>The Marriage Plot</em> by Jeffrey Eudenides</a>, and I am certain that you will love hearing him read this one.<br />
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A blogger was chosen to give away an Audie winner every day in June. You can follow the giveaways on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/audiobookcommunity">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Audiobook_Comm">Twitter</a>, #audiomonth or #Audies2014. Some blogs that my readers might want to check out are <a href="http://www.geekybloggersbookblog.com/">Geeky Blogger's Blog Book</a>, which is giving away <em>Dr. Sleep </em>by Stephen King on June 9, <a href="http://theoddiophile.com/">Oddiophile</a>, which is giving away the Audio Book of the Year, <em>Still Foolin' Em</em> by Billy Crystal on June 11, <a href="http://www.wholly-books.com/">Wholly Books</a>, which is giving away another copy of <em>The Goldfinch </em>on June 15, and <a href="http://bookgoonie.com/">Bookgooine</a>, which is giving away another Pulitzer winner, <em>Devil in the Grove</em> by Gilbert King on June 17.<br />
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So, here are the rules: One entry per person per day, between now and June 12 at 6:00 p.m.. A winner will be randomly chosen by Rafflecopter on June 12, and will be posted here. I will also try to contact the winner via the email you give with your Rafflecopter entry. If the winner does not respond within 5 days, another winner will be chosen. The winner must have a US shipping address. Have fun, and check out the other giveaways! I'd also love to know what audiobooks you have loved, so please leave a comment, and tell me what books make for great listening.<br />
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Thanks to Hachette Audio for making this audiobook available to us! <br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0079d11/" id="rc-0079d11" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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Still Listening to: <em>The Double Bind </em>by Chris Bohjalian<br />
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Still Reading: <em>Great House</em> by Nicole Krauss<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>
Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-8139178198323372014-05-21T22:04:00.000-04:002014-05-21T22:07:56.371-04:00The Typical Book Group Report - 20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-typical-book-group-report-19.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-typical-book-group-report-19.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1tyYdJm1paUCLsGbJStbzXw4s1AuhXOr0x4S9CKnIZhyrmdckIvqDy0oqmbrDsNkDENdU1PNNdygCZar27J3PSEuC-269im0avFay-klxPPujvhtXSWgbD6XebfRUn-oCf75p_4uKL8/s1600/TypicalBookGroup.jpg" /></a>The Typical Book Group met last night to discuss <em>The <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/05/who-done-it.html">Cuckoo's Calling</a></em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/05/who-done-it.html"> by Robert Galbraith</a>. There were 7 of us there, and 6 of us had read the book. Some of the members are big fans of J. K. Rowling, who is the actual author behind the Galbraith pseudonym, but none of us usually read detective stories. </div>
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We all found that we liked <em>The Cuckoo's Calling</em>, and that we might read the next book in the series, which will be coming out shortly. What we talked a lot about were all of the different story lines and red herrings. Galbraith/Rowling did a great job of tying everything together at conclusion, and there weren't any questions left unanswered. But some of the characters and plot twists were completely unnecessary, and only served to keep the reader guessing. That may be exactly what appeals to detective story readers, but it was a little much for us.<br />
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We did not talk much about Robin, even though the story is hers as much as it is Strike's. Strike is the detective and Robin is the temporary assistant, but she enmeshes herself in the plot completely. Rowling, a woman, was trying to write as a man, and we talked about some of the hints that the writer might actually be female. Apparently some critics said that a man would never include a fashion storyline in a novel, while others were saying that the author was obviously a man because a woman author would never let a "normal" man like Strike sleep with a supermodel. The way that Robin became essential to the story might also have been a hint that the writer was female. But then, if I hadn't already known that the author was a woman, the choice of the name of the trusty sidekick might have made me think it was a man writing. After all, if she's Robin, does that make Strike a certain comic superhero?<br />
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Next month we'll discuss <em>We are Water</em> by Wally Lamb. <br />
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Still Reading: <em>Great House</em> by Nicole Krauss<br />
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Still Listening to: <em>The Double Bind</em> by Chris BohjalianDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-47438679922466049202014-05-18T22:57:00.001-04:002014-05-18T23:12:59.363-04:00On to the War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi74dGGCtGsIkrQJL6mUYwv5C9jIUmI8lN-cgZ0-4HisnPYebYEDc-jLknpG57beOLp4P7noVGXom52Bi_jJemVcp6fSHn6lp2P1_89v3a8ob_HwAt4IdcN6mw18L24GwDWQq7vGh-zUc/s1600/TheTitans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi74dGGCtGsIkrQJL6mUYwv5C9jIUmI8lN-cgZ0-4HisnPYebYEDc-jLknpG57beOLp4P7noVGXom52Bi_jJemVcp6fSHn6lp2P1_89v3a8ob_HwAt4IdcN6mw18L24GwDWQq7vGh-zUc/s1600/TheTitans.jpg" /></a>When I finished reading <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/06/back-to-70s.html"><em>The Furies</em> by John Jakes</a> I was pretty sure that the next book in the series, <em>The Titans</em>, would take place during the Civil War. But I had no idea that it would take me almost 3 years to get around to reading it! <em>The Titans</em> is the fifth book in the <em>Kent Family Chronicles</em>, a wildly popular eight book series that my parents read in the 70s. <em>The Kent Family Chronicles</em> tell the story of the Kent Family (obviously!) and its journey from Europe in the mid 1700s, through 1877. <em>The Titans</em> focused exclusively on the months leading up to the Civil War, and the first year of battles, 1860 through 1862.</div>
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There are three intermingled stories in <em>The Titans</em>. The first is that of Michael Boyle, a trusted advisor and friend to Amanda Kent, and the person who became the guardian of her son, Louis, when Amanda died. Louis' role in <em>The Titans</em> is fairly minor, but he is set up to be a bad guy in book 6, <em>The Warriors.</em> Louis plans to profit from the war by selling goods to both sides through shell corporations. Michael finally gives up trying to help Louis and joins the Union Army to make the separation complete.<br />
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The second story is that of Jephtha Kent, Amanda Kent's cousin. Jephtha was a preacher working against slavery in <em>The Furies.</em> In <em>The Titans</em>, Jephtha has quit the church, and is working as a news paper reporter for a pro-Union paper. Jephtha has three sons, but his former wife, Fan, won't let him see the boys. Fan is on the side of the Confederacy, and she and the boys live in the South. Fan and Jephtha cross paths again when her new husband brings Fan and one of the boys to Jephtha's home city of Washington D.C. in order to try to stir up anti-Union sentiment.<br />
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Jephtha's oldest son, Gideon, is the protagonist in the third story. Gideon is a headstrong Confederate soldier, who is confident that the South will be able to force the North to back down and allow them to secede in a matter of days. <br />
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An interesting piece of Civil War history that I had never considered was how vulnerable Washington D.C. was in the early days of the war. The South was sure that if they could seize the capital, the North would surrender. D.C. was so close to the Confederacy, that it is easy to see why they would be confident that it would fall.<br />
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A nice thing about <em>The Titans</em>, especially for me, a person who waited 3 years between book four and book five, was that the characters frequently reminded the reader of what had happened in earlier books by telling about the family history and legends. <em>The Titans</em> also wasn't as Forest Gump-ish as <em>The Furies</em>. Because all of the action took place over two years and within a specific region, there was less opportunity for the characters to meet the famous people of the day. There was also less talk of the inventions and trivia.<br />
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If you have made it this far in <em>The Kent Family Chronicles</em>, yes, push on and tackle <em>The Titans</em>. If this would be your first introduction to the Kent Family, you should probably start at the beginning, with <em>The Bastard</em>, which I think was my favorite book in the series so far. <em>The Titans</em> was better written than <em>The Furies, </em>and would be interesting to anyone who loves reading about the Civil War. I have added <em>The Warriors</em> to the collection of books in my nightstand waiting for me to read them, but it may be another three years before I get there.<br />
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This is one more book down for the <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-preview.html">Rewind Challenge</a>!<br />
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Next Up: <em>Great House</em> by Nicole Krauss. This is one for the Year of Re-Reading Challenge.<br />
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Still Listening to: <em>The Double Bind </em>by Chris BohjalianDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-62914546958200700582014-05-17T15:42:00.000-04:002014-05-17T21:45:55.555-04:00Life in the Snow Globe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCj6qfexHaWjE40-4dNgDExgvL9voFesn5rCbgzxRgrcNj0tZFx1n1jzpnY5QtEpPazKJC5hhk3hNO-gn6JAtriK8rcJRR3h3lU9ezEDA6IqHCqrDFPp7BG2nG7ivtjK_cffo7EC6THK4/s1600/SnowQueen.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCj6qfexHaWjE40-4dNgDExgvL9voFesn5rCbgzxRgrcNj0tZFx1n1jzpnY5QtEpPazKJC5hhk3hNO-gn6JAtriK8rcJRR3h3lU9ezEDA6IqHCqrDFPp7BG2nG7ivtjK_cffo7EC6THK4/s1600/SnowQueen.png" /></a>The blurb on the back of <em>The Snow Queen</em> by Michael Cunningham says that it is the story of Barrett, who sees a light which causes him to turn to religion, and of his brother Tyler, who uses drugs to try to enhance his creativity while he writes a song for his dying fiance. While that it is accurate, it is such an oversimplification of <em>The Snow Queen</em> that it almost does the book a disservice. </div>
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Barrett does in fact see a light, and attach significance to it. He feels like the light is trying to tell him something, and he hopes that it is saying what he wants to hear. Barrett lives with his brother, Tyler, and Tyler's fiance, Beth, in New York City in the early twenty-first century. Beth owns a clothing/resale/hipster store in Brooklyn with her friend, Liz. Barrett also works at the store. Tyler is a bartender who is trying to break through as a music artist. <em>The Snow Queen </em>is the story of these four characters and their relationships, told primarily from the perspectives of Tyler and Barrett. Beth is seriously ill, but the story somehow avoids being sentimental about her condition. Through the course of the novel, Tyler and Barrett accidentally find their best selves, while looking for something else.<br />
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There is a lot about <em>The Snow Queen</em> that reminded me of Cunningham's earlier novel, <em>The Hours. </em>Both have New York as a setting, and feature a gay man and the women who love him. In both stories the gay men cannot seem to part with their mother's upholstered furniture, and a character is drawn to high windows, from which he may or may not jump. I listened to <em>The Snow Queen</em> on audiobook, and at the end of the story there was an interview with Michael Cunningham, in which the interviewer suggested that all of the characters from Cunningham's books seem like they could be friends with each other. I found that observation to be dead on, and could easily see the characters from <em>The Snow Queen</em> popping over to visit with the characters from <em>The Hours.</em><br />
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In a way, <em>The Snow Queen</em> is also a twenty-first century version of the musical, "Rent". If the characters from "Rent" aged gracefully, they could have become Barrett, Tyler, and their friends. Rent was also set in New York, and was the story of two boys in their early 20s and their friends trying to find their place. Like Tyler, Roger from "Rent" believed that if he could just write one great song, everything would change. Both Tyler and Roger also turn to drugs, and the woman that each loves faces death. The stories also include meaningful gay relationships, and in both, New Year's Eve is a turning point.<br />
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The writing in <em>The Snow Queen</em> was incredible. I think that if I was reading the book in paper form rather than listening to it, I would have underlined tons of passages. One thing that I really appreciated about this book is that it is the first that I can recall that was focused on the first decade of the twenty first century and set in New York, which did not mention 9/11. It seems like 9/11 references have become compulsory and it was nice that while this story included lots of George W. bashing, Cunningham was able to resist the need to address the day itself.<br />
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The audiobook was narrated by Claire Danes, which I couldn't understand at first. I couldn't figure out whose voice she was supposed to be. I found myself wishing for <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-good-guys.html">Jeff Woodman</a> or <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2012/08/listen-up.html">Wil Wheaton</a>, as they seemed like obvious voices for hipsters like Tyler and Barrett. I knew that they didn't choose Danes just because she was the most famous voice they could find, but then why? I liked Danes best when she was talking for Liz, but Liz accounted for less than 10% of the speaking in the story, so they couldn't have chosen Danes for that reason. Twice, characters referenced God as being a woman. Could Danes have been intended to be the voice of God, or of Barrett's light, or of the Snow Queen? By the end I knew that Danes was the right person for this role. If Woodman or Wheaton had been reading, I wouldn't have ever been able to tell if Barrett or Tyler was speaking, since they said so much in a similar way. Danes was simply the voice of the story.<br />
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I listened to this book at the request of Esther Bochner of Macmillan Audio. I received a free copy of the audiobook, but other than that, no promises were made and no payments were received. <br />
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This is another book down for the <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-preview.html">Audiobook Challenge</a>.<br />
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Next Up on CD: <em>The Double Bind </em>by Chris Bohjalian<br />
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Still Reading: <em>The Titans</em> by John JakesDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-11852108621089417552014-05-11T23:18:00.001-04:002014-05-12T10:09:01.094-04:00Who Done It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZa6F87FAOEBSfap0C0WCJ2yFep5pPR2tpWYJfPs3LqZb5765Vzim0gtjIY5dy8Us_ElP9JhjabgHKK6RrSkswLJeVTYMhqIVIgApjrXTUKRHZHvSOA80eHsAQaQwM64vhQlcGS3gkjP8/s1600/Cuckoo'sCalling.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZa6F87FAOEBSfap0C0WCJ2yFep5pPR2tpWYJfPs3LqZb5765Vzim0gtjIY5dy8Us_ElP9JhjabgHKK6RrSkswLJeVTYMhqIVIgApjrXTUKRHZHvSOA80eHsAQaQwM64vhQlcGS3gkjP8/s1600/Cuckoo'sCalling.png" /></a><em>The Cuckoo's Calling, </em>by Robert Galbraith, is the story of Cormoran Strike, a private investigator who is down on his luck. At the beginning of the novel, Strike has serious money troubles, and has just been dumped by his girlfriend. He also can't keep a secretary, and has hired a temp, Robin, to help him out. Unknown to Strike, Robin has always wanted to be a detective. On her first day at the office, the older brother of one of Strike's childhood friends hires Strike to investigate the murder of his sister, a famous supermodel named Lula Landry, who is thought to have committed suicide. </div>
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Galbraith works overtime to make Strike a multi-dimensional character. He is said to be over six feet tall, stocky, and very hairy. He is also the illegitimate son of a famous rock star. Did I mention that he lost a leg while he was serving in the military in Afghanistan? The reader learns all of this very early on, and at first it felt like it was just too much. As the story continues, his size is frequently mentioned, and his parentage opens doors, making celebrity witnesses more willing to talk with him. The interesting question is why Galbraith makes him an amputee. Having served in the military gives Strike credibility with the police, but he didn't have to lose a limb to be credible. While the missing leg is mentioned a lot in the story, it is never an excuse, and is never something Strike uses for sympathy. Galbraith seems to be celebrating the abilities of injured veterans more than anything else.<br />
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Lula was almost as multi-dimensional as Strike, being a mixed race celebrity who was adopted by a wealthy white family, and who struggled with mental illness and drug use while trying to find her birth family. This gives Strike a lot of leads to follow, and the reader lots of conclusions to jump to. There is one reason why I don't read many mysteries or detective novels: the ending. If I can figure out who did it, I'm disappointed that the author wasn't smart enough to surprise me. If I can't figure it out, I'm irritated that the author left out an important clue or grasped for unreasonable conclusions. Such was the case with <em>Cuckoo</em>, but I have to say that even with the last minute twists, I enjoyed the ride.<br />
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As you likely know, Robert Galbraith is<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cuckoo%27s_Calling"> J.K. Rowling</a>. She published <em>The Cuckoo's Calling</em> under a pseudonym, but the secret didn't keep. Although the novel hadn't sold so well as Galbraith's, once it was known to have been written by Rowling, it became a best seller. Rowling mixed in a <a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/harry-potter-author-j-k-rowling-targeted-by-illegal-u-k-phone-hacking-scandal">twist from her own life </a>with Lula being concerned about the press tapping her phone. This added to the contemporary and real feel of the story, and helped Rowling to add a few red herrings. By the end of the book, the professional relationship between Strike and Robin is developing, with each of them being impressed by the other's abilities. The novel ends leaving the reader wanting to know what will happen next between them. I think we'll find out in the second Cormoran Strike novel, <em>The Silkworm</em> which will be available next month. <br />
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I read this book for <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-typical-book-group-report-19.html">The Typical Book Group</a>, and we will be getting together to discuss it soon. In terms of <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-preview.html">Challenges</a>, this is one more down for the Audiobook Challenge and the I Love Library Books Challenge. <em>The Cuckoo's Calling</em> was read by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322563/">Robert Glenister</a>, who is a British actor. Glenister was a great reader, and I can't imagine Strike's voice any other way.<br />
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Next up on CD: <em>The Snow Queen</em> by Michael Cunningham<br />
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Still Reading: <em>The Titans</em> by John Jakes<br />
<br />Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-42964381538724538762014-05-02T22:34:00.001-04:002014-05-02T22:34:21.910-04:00Score!Once again, I tackled my library's semi-annual used book sale, and came out a winner. This year, there was nothing that I went in wanting, but I found a few things that I couldn't leave without.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7zewNysAMzhMPRnR1Qfw4gEtax5UElmqb1MmFa6v-Q9O0A4uMtfzJ7pw_NgWrQtnaS3C6LOcN2bFVwlyIRtLYxpFbskQIz-V7jyg0__24tMkQ2DcYDf2Dc7MpGxlZJ8xh5vsyZLwl74/s1600/TheArtofFielding.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7zewNysAMzhMPRnR1Qfw4gEtax5UElmqb1MmFa6v-Q9O0A4uMtfzJ7pw_NgWrQtnaS3C6LOcN2bFVwlyIRtLYxpFbskQIz-V7jyg0__24tMkQ2DcYDf2Dc7MpGxlZJ8xh5vsyZLwl74/s1600/TheArtofFielding.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7zewNysAMzhMPRnR1Qfw4gEtax5UElmqb1MmFa6v-Q9O0A4uMtfzJ7pw_NgWrQtnaS3C6LOcN2bFVwlyIRtLYxpFbskQIz-V7jyg0__24tMkQ2DcYDf2Dc7MpGxlZJ8xh5vsyZLwl74/s1600/TheArtofFielding.png" height="200" width="129" /></a><br />
To start with, I picked up a few popular books that my friends and fellow bloggers have recommended, including <em>The Art of Fielding</em> by Carl Harbach, <em>The Son</em> by Philipp Meyer, and <em>The Light Between Oceans</em> by M. L. Stedman.<br />
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My prize find is an Advance Reader's Copy of <em>My Life in Middlemarch</em> by Rebecca Mead, which I've read reviews of, and toyed with reading. I didn't add it to my TBR list because it seemed stupid for me to try to read a book based on <em>Middlemarch</em>, when I had never read the original. So, when I found <em>My Life in Middlemarch</em>, I went straight to the classics section to try to find a copy of <em>Middlemarch </em>by George Eliot to buy too. The irony is, I actually donated a copy of <em>Middlemarch</em> to this sale just last week, after deciding that I was never going to read it, and I couldn't even find my own copy to buy back! Oh well - it shouldn't be that hard to find a copy elsewhere.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpE_P9lV-xvjRg1CxgOktni6X6lQhv3yC9rnkITWyneq5GsFX31sfmXfZa6AJa-cM3CauhC15XRG-ryOVbVwpWoz5V6we6yMcDc_amDf2KQ0as4MiymrpKHsGndAOTTOFv0jHDbyF2PQ0/s1600/TelegraphAvenue.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpE_P9lV-xvjRg1CxgOktni6X6lQhv3yC9rnkITWyneq5GsFX31sfmXfZa6AJa-cM3CauhC15XRG-ryOVbVwpWoz5V6we6yMcDc_amDf2KQ0as4MiymrpKHsGndAOTTOFv0jHDbyF2PQ0/s1600/TelegraphAvenue.png" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
I also made a few questionable choices. Given that a have an enormous nightstand full of books that I haven't read yet, do I really need to pick up a book that I've never heard of? Apparently, I do. I couldn't pass up <em>Sunflowers: A Novel of Vincent Van Gogh</em> by Sheramy Bundrick. I'm such a sucker for books about the stories behind old paintings. Then, when I saw <em>Telegraph Avenue</em> by Michael Chabon, I had to grab it. Even though it's a large print edition. I know I should have left that one for someone who actually needs large print versions of books, but there weren't any other copies. I promise to donate it back after I'm done...I promise to donate it back after I'm done...I promise to donate it back after I'm done.<br />
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All in all, a pretty good sale! Stay tuned for the reviews.<br />
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Still Reading: <em>The Titans </em>by John Jakes<br />
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Still Listening to: <em>The Cuckoo's Calling</em> by Robert GalbraithDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-35287719851308889772014-04-29T21:30:00.000-04:002014-05-10T08:48:42.859-04:00The Forgotten Terrorist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2ihAfQ0lhjK4UqkX2LIDqdwkkWnKcsuivgCmxq9p6aOnDNi3sML8gqzk5oEFzFCMAugaFUuvim03xnNSYd6WZqytkoepoy_bOjsFo2z9wYEsLvTllu5gYjND_smQRNUFIQnoMWQQz6M/s1600/AmericanWoman.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2ihAfQ0lhjK4UqkX2LIDqdwkkWnKcsuivgCmxq9p6aOnDNi3sML8gqzk5oEFzFCMAugaFUuvim03xnNSYd6WZqytkoepoy_bOjsFo2z9wYEsLvTllu5gYjND_smQRNUFIQnoMWQQz6M/s1600/AmericanWoman.png" /></a>In 2004, the following books were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction: <em>Evidence of Things Unseen </em>by Marianne Wiggins; <em>The Known World</em> by Edward P. Jones; and <em>American Woman</em> by Susan Choi. Pop quiz: Which book won? Answer: <em>The Known World</em> by Edward P. Jones. But have you ever heard of it? 2004 must have been a strange year in fiction. I have read the winners from 1999 through 2003, and then again for five of the years after 2004, but I don't recall anyone I know even talking about any of the 2004 finalists. I had never heard of any of them myself, until I read <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/07/reader-i-grew-up.html"><em>My Education </em>by Susan Choi</a> last year, and was impressed to read that she had been nominated for the prize for her earlier novel.</div>
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<em>American Woman</em> is a fictionalized version of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patty_Hearst">Patty Hearst's</a> time in hiding with the members of the Symbionese Liberation Army. In case you were born after 1974, Hearst was kidnapped by the SLA. The group made certain strange demands from Hearst's very wealthy family, but was never satisfied with their responses. After some time, the group robbed a bank, and Patty appeared to be an active participant in he heist, rather than a hostage. A shootout with the SLA followed, with only two members and Hearst surviving. This is where the story in <em>American Woman </em>begins.<br />
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While the name "Patty Hearst" was familiar to me, I was young enough when the true story unfolded that I didn't remember all of the details. Choi stayed very close to the truth in her telling, but changed the names and invented dialogue. Patty, who wanted to be called "Tania" in real life is called "Pauline" in the book. A fact that I never knew was one of the people in hiding with Patty was a Japanese American woman named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Yoshimura">Wendy Yoshimura</a>. In the book, Wendy is named Jenny Shimada, and the story is told from her perspective. If you don't already know about Wendy, and if you even might read <em>American Woman</em>, don't click on the link above until after reading the book, so the ending won't be spoiled for you.<br />
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Wendy/Jenny was completely overlooked by the press at the time. She was born during World War II, while her Japanese parents were living in an internment camp within the US. Growing up, Jenny's father faced hard times, not feeling like he had a place in either the US or Japan. As a teenager, Jenny lived in California, and found friends who were discontent with the government and wanted to make a statement. Jenny joined their protests, and soon found herself in over her head. As Jenny's time with Pauline came to a close, Asian Americans came to her aid in a way that Jenny neither expected nor felt that she deserved. Those Asian Americans, and not just Japanese Americans, did everything within their power to help Wendy in real life. Choi, who Wikipedia says is half Korean, is another Asian American keeping us from forgetting Wendy Yoshimura's name.<br />
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The story in <em>American Woman</em> is a little slow. This only makes sense, as Jenny and Pauline are supposed to be in hiding and keeping a low profile. Choi explores the question that the American public struggled with during the Patty Hearst trial: Was Patty/Pauline a hostage or a willing participant? If she was a willing participant, why was that, and does she deserve to be punished for her role? Choi doesn't pick sides in Patty's story, but she is clearly a strong supporter of Wendy.<br />
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<em>American Woman</em> was a NYT Notable in 2003. It is also another book toward the <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-preview.html">I Love Library Books Challenge</a>. In case I got you thinking about the Pulitzer Prize, this year's winner in fiction was announced earlier this month. It is <em>The Goldfinch</em> by Donna Tartt, which I can't wait to read.<br />
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Next Up: <em>The Titans</em> by John Jakes<br />
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Still Listening To: <em>The Cuckoo's Calling</em> by "Robert Galbraith"<br />
<br />Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-89483167778071344072014-04-21T22:51:00.000-04:002014-04-22T09:04:53.939-04:00Happily Ever After<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekC33YWsiNlwbOvqhC9cYWrqVqpN5nwpVM3GGGii88DQ62CD2xzka_9UE9v-w0RBs2pJRCueRyep5E5N69oNs6Klok_qx_j_LQrQbpeFo9xyulG3NsnwmoAzYPsJRmDnriqyNswKM0Ko/s1600/MarriagePlot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekC33YWsiNlwbOvqhC9cYWrqVqpN5nwpVM3GGGii88DQ62CD2xzka_9UE9v-w0RBs2pJRCueRyep5E5N69oNs6Klok_qx_j_LQrQbpeFo9xyulG3NsnwmoAzYPsJRmDnriqyNswKM0Ko/s1600/MarriagePlot.png" /></a>According to Jeffrey Eugenides' character, Madeleine Hanna, "the marriage plot" began with Jane Austen, and is a story involving courting rituals, proposals and misunderstandings, and ultimately ending in marriage. The plot then progressed through Henry James and Leo Tolstoy, to the point where the marriage is not a happy ending, but only the beginning of a relationship where the woman is hopelessly trapped. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the marriage plot had died out. In 2011, Eugenides brought it back, with a modern twist.</div>
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<em>The Marriage Plot, </em>as written by Eugenides, is set in the early 1980s on a college campus, and involving three key characters who are about to graduate. The first is Madeleine, who is writing her thesis on the marriage plot, and hopes to become "a Victorianist." Madeleine romantically uses fictional characters as her role models, starting first with Ludwig Bemelmans' character with whom she shares a name. Madeleine is in awe of Leonard, who grew up in Oregon, but now attends Brown with Maddy, and is very popular with the ladies. Mitchell is another Brown student, who happens to be in love with Maddy, and wants to pursue a study of divinity. Like Eugenides, Mitchell comes from Grosse Pointe, MI. Eugenides' brings the marriage plot into the semi-modern day by playing the love triangle out in an era where women had opportunities to establish careers, live as successful single women, and when need be, divorce without social stigma.<br />
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Another twentieth century aspect of <em>The Marriage Plot</em> is that Leonard has been diagnosed with manic depression. Maddy fell in love with him during a manic period, but he didn't realize his love for her until the depression took hold. While all of Maddy's friends and family members warn her against trying to save Leonard, Maddy just can't help trying to rescue him from his illness. Eugenides does a great job of showing the manic depression through its highs and lows, and the reader can sympathize with both Maddy and Leonard, and understand the challenges that their relationship will face.<br />
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It was a bit of a cop out for Eudenides to set his book about love after the women's movement in the eighties, even though it was published in 2011. In the intervening years between the eighties and now, I would like to think that relationships and opportunities for women have changed. On the other hand, maybe he is deliberately leaving the door open for him or another author to write the twenty-first century marriage plot. <br />
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<em>The Marriage Plot</em> was a NYT Notable for 2011. I'm counting this book for the Rewind, Audiobook, and I Love Library Books <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-preview.html">challenges</a>.<br />
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Next up on CD: <em>The Cuckoo's Calling</em> by Robert Galbraith<br />
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Still Reading: <em>American Woman</em> by Susan ChoiDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-51842730938421783592014-04-19T20:37:00.000-04:002014-04-19T21:16:21.695-04:00It's Literally a Cookbook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvaIdlxrEQYHf__YAXq1TVoffpNJHjzcWyT5vCfVC3y5Zjmni0PVZEc-ieQ8VZBZ4-77vGpJ1vjyJXSmXyIVe1LgPHZLwVtrPH6wPXltM6WA5WIbI-aLFsb5x2qilPLiA2ivryeFZJdo/s1600/BookClubCookBook.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvaIdlxrEQYHf__YAXq1TVoffpNJHjzcWyT5vCfVC3y5Zjmni0PVZEc-ieQ8VZBZ4-77vGpJ1vjyJXSmXyIVe1LgPHZLwVtrPH6wPXltM6WA5WIbI-aLFsb5x2qilPLiA2ivryeFZJdo/s1600/BookClubCookBook.png" /></a>One day, not too long ago, I found myself in the unusual position of being in my library, and not having anywhere that I had to hurry off to go. I had time to browse the aisles, instead of just picking up my books from the hold shelf - something that I hadn't done in a long time. And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but <em>The Book Club Cookbook</em> by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp. I checked it out, thinking that it couldn't possibly be what I hoped it was. </div>
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Gelman and Krupp have compiled a book of recipes from best selling books. Some of the recipes are for foods referenced in the books, some are recipes that Gelman and Krupp think the characters would make, and some are recipes given by the author or his or her family members. Additionally, with each recipe, there is a summary of the book, and an interview with a book group that discussed the book. The book groups usually mention what they served when the book was discussed, and how their meetings work. <br />
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I had no idea that there were so many types of book groups! Most of them have great ideas. Some host formal dinners. Some choose appropriate restaurants. Some only read books set in other countries. Some only read Pulitzer winners. Some pick a book once a year that they think their husbands and partners would also want to read, and invite them. Some (gasp!) actually have men in the groups, and are either couple groups, or just book groups where men are there too.<br />
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Before the night was through, I was online trying to order <em>The Book Club Cookbook </em>from Amazon. Yes, it was a little old, but still, I wanted it. Then it got even better! The book that I checked out from my library was the first edition, from 2004. Amazon had a new edition, from 2012, which included books that were released after the first edition was printed. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Club-Cookbook-Revised-Edition/product-reviews/1585429244/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending">Amazon review dated March 13, 2012</a> includes a complete list of all the recipes added to the new version, and all the recipes that were in the first edition, but were not included in the 2012 book. <br />
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Here are the recipes that are included in the 2012 cookbook, for books that <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-typical-book-group-report-19.html">The Typical Book Group</a> has read:<br />
<ul>
<li>Wild Mushrooms on Toast from <em>Anna Karenina </em>by Tolstoy</li>
<li>Almaz's Ethiopian Doro Wot and Sister Mary Joseph's Praise Cari De Dal from <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/05/cutting-through-pages.html"><em>Cutting for Stone </em>by Abraham Verghese</a></li>
<li>Dorothy's Famous Christmas Toffee from <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2010/10/free-at-last.html"><em>Freedom </em>by Jonathan Franzen</a></li>
<li>Swedish Meatballs and Glogg from <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2010/12/book-group-report-5.html"><em>The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo</em> by Stieg Larsson</a></li>
<li>Annie Barrow's Potato Peel Pie and Non-Occupied Potato Peel Pie from <em>The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society</em> by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows</li>
<li>Demetrie's Chocolate Pie and Caramel Cake from <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/08/typical-field-trip.html"><em>The Help</em> by Kathryn Stockett</a></li>
<li>Britta's Sabzi Challow with Lamb from <em>The Kite Runner</em> by Khaled Hosseini</li>
<li>Post-Colonial Pie from <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/09/float-like-butterfly.html"><em>Little Bee </em>by Chris Cleve</a></li>
<li>Pumpkin Soup from <em>The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency</em> by Alexander McCall Smith</li>
<li>Indian Fry Bread from <em>One Thousand White Women</em> by Jim Fergus</li>
<li>Jack's Sixth-Birthday Cake<em> </em>from <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/12/typical-book-exchange.html"><em>Room </em>by Emma Donoghue</a></li>
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There are a couple of books that I can think of where food was essential to the story. For instance, I HATED the ending of <em>The Dive From Clausen's Pier</em> by Ann Packer so much that I toyed with the idea of writing a book consisting only of alternate endings that would have been better. But, despite my strong feelings, I still remember Carrie baking cherry pie, and how much all of her friends clamoured for it. Now I have the recipe for the pie, if not for a better ending. In <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2012/01/falling-empires.html"><em>Empire Falls </em>by Richard Russo</a>, the brother, David, moves back to town, and has ideas about how to attract a more upscale clientele by offering "good, cheap, ethnic food" in the honest feeling diner. Gelman and Krupp provide a recipe for shrimp flautas, which David created as a special. <br />
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There are lots of other recipes tying in with books that I have reviewed here, including Cocoa-Cinnamon Babka from <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/09/just-amazing.html"><em>The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay</em></a> by Michael Chabon, Mojitos and Mango, Jicama and Corn Salad from <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/03/love.html"><em>Love in the Time of Cholera</em> by Gabriel Garcia Marquez</a><em>, </em>and Jennifer Egan's Oatmeal Fudge Refrigerator Cookies from Jennifer Egan, the author of <em><a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/07/dont-avoid-goon-squad.html">A Visit from the Goon Squad</a></em>. All told, there are recipes from 100 books, in this 486 page collection. And now, what's your excuse? <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-good-guys.html">Go Get It And Read</a>.<br />
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Still Reading: <em>American Woman</em> by Susan Choi<br />
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Still Listening to: <em>The Marriage Plot</em> by Jeffrey EugenidesDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-60847295162712327632014-04-16T16:25:00.000-04:002014-04-16T16:25:15.404-04:00The Typical Book Group Report - 19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiw0Phw1U6udJJGTkBr68Hfw_eQMcnETqoGzifi0D0gMQJZ88CavMchsBjci19qiE2W7Fu1SsZwBfgGZiFK3ofQ3aPXqJk8lcBPdCnvAvluNH4G8ma8reAe3RZN6Zd3wmrji5sFDWnpIA/s1600/TypicalBookGroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiw0Phw1U6udJJGTkBr68Hfw_eQMcnETqoGzifi0D0gMQJZ88CavMchsBjci19qiE2W7Fu1SsZwBfgGZiFK3ofQ3aPXqJk8lcBPdCnvAvluNH4G8ma8reAe3RZN6Zd3wmrji5sFDWnpIA/s1600/TypicalBookGroup.jpg" /></a>Last night <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-typical-book-group-report-18.html">The Typical Book Group</a> discussed <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2014/04/handful-of-history.html"><em>The Invention of Wings</em> by Sue Monk Kidd</a>. There were 8 of us there, and all of us really liked the book. We talked a lot about how it compared with other slavery stories, like "Twelve Years a Slave" and <em>Charleston</em> by Alexandra Ripley. A couple people mentioned how the character of Charlotte reminded them of Oprah Winfrey's character in "The Color Purple". </div>
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All of us were surprised that Sarah and Nina Grimke were real people. This is a book where it might make sense to read the Afterward first, so that you can know who the characters are when they appear. <br />
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It was hard for us to criticize the choices that the characters made, knowing that the story was based on fact. For instance, we didn't understand why Sarah gave Handful back to Sarah's mother, but apparently, she did. We also wondered if there was any significance to the number 1884, such as it being a year of historical significance for blacks, but we decided it must just have been the lottery number that Denmark Vesey actually chose. <br />
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Next month we'll discuss <em>Cukoo's Calling </em>by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling).<br />
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Still Reading: <em>American Woman</em> by Susan Choi<br />
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Still Listening to: <em>The Marriage Plot</em> by Jeffrey EugenidesDianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-3518365293796416032014-04-15T16:36:00.000-04:002014-04-19T21:16:52.229-04:00Slowly Learning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmaM7KAKKlyOGq56tmKqAhEL0RXH-XmZQ0zVgG9KhhAP0wokxb6ilp97F611e1hyphenhyphenduFNkZdx8CVqbLFCWuOuC4lhRqn0pljmELrczh22_YhwZj0ugQAwAZpvnpz0EbIQ3KC979DpkOEw/s1600/Who%2527stheSlowLearner.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmaM7KAKKlyOGq56tmKqAhEL0RXH-XmZQ0zVgG9KhhAP0wokxb6ilp97F611e1hyphenhyphenduFNkZdx8CVqbLFCWuOuC4lhRqn0pljmELrczh22_YhwZj0ugQAwAZpvnpz0EbIQ3KC979DpkOEw/s1600/Who%2527stheSlowLearner.png" /></a><em>Who's the Slow Learner: A Chronicle of Inclusion and Exclusion</em> is Sandra Assimotos McElwee's story of her son, Sean's progress from pre-k through twelfth grade. Sean has Down Syndrome, and it was important to McElwee that his opportunities for an educational experience not be limited by a diagnosis. As McElwee explains, <em>Who's the Slow Learner</em> is not a "how to" book, but a book about how she and her family did it.</div>
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McElwee lives in California, and her district's practice was to put all children with Down Syndrome into special classrooms. McElwee wanted Sean to be fully included with his age appropriate classmates, and was very successful through 6th grade. Once Sean hit 7th grade, his experience changed, not because of the fabled mean middle school kids, but because of adult bullies who were slow to learn just what Sean was capable of achieving. My district is struggling with the issue of inclusion now as well, with some parents wanting their children to be fully included, and others preferring a more segregated setting. Every child is different, and every district is different, but the lessons that McElwee learned could be meaningful anywhere.<br />
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Each chapter covers a grade for Sean, and begins with his IEP (Individualized Education Plan) goals for that year. Because the goals are supposed to tailored for each child, Sean's goals may provide some ideas for parents and districts, but are not something that can be cut and pasted into another child's IEP. McElwee also provides verbatim copies of letters to and from district staff members, which were very fact specific, but provide good examples of how to effectively communicate your point, even if you are furious. The rest of each chapter talks about Sean's experiences during that year. <br />
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McElwee is Sean's biggest advocate, and she works hard to be sure that Sean is included in extracurricular activities as well as the classroom. Sean is in plays, participates in choir, takes dance lessons, attends school dances, runs for student office, and manages the baseball team, all during his high school years. When he can't participate in school activities for one reason or another, McElwee finds a group outside of school where he can be involved. He even finds time to date a tv star, Becky from Glee. This is California, remember.<br />
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The parent support group that I am involved with (<a href="http://www.friendsofdifferentlearners.org/">www.FriendsofDifferentLearners.org</a>) does a lot of the things that McElwee recommends, like having a buddy program, showing our teachers our appreciation, and working together with other parents of different learners. I agree with McElwee that it is important for parents of different learners to be sure that the district knows them, and that they be involved with activities that parents of typical students are, such as the PTA. One idea that I liked that McElwee suggested was a "Cool Club" for teenage different learners and those in their early 20s. McElwee got 15 families together, and divided up the calendar. Each family was in charge of coordinating an activity for the kids, for one weekend night, three times a year. This could be mini golf, movies, a picnic, or whatever. That way the kids always had something to do each weekend, like their typical peers. <br />
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Although I don't have a child with Down Syndrome, I could still relate to McElwee's story. <em>Who's the Slow Learner</em> is a must read for parents of children with Down Syndrome who are struggling with inclusion, and a should read for parents of children with autism or cognitive impairments who are facing the same challenges. <br />
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Another idea for parents of different learners is to tackle this summer's reading list in audio form. SYNC is a <strong>FREE</strong> summer program that <strong>gives away 2 audiobook downloads each week</strong> for the summer starting May 15 and ending August 14. SYNC audiobook titles are given away in pairs--a Young Adult title is paired with a related Classic or required Summer Reading title. <a href="http://esp.dirigodev.com/tl.php?p=12t/13v/rs/ru/v4/rs//http%3A%2F%2Fwww.audiobooksync.com%2Ffree-sync-downloads%2Fsync-schedule-13%2F" target="_blank">Check out</a> the complete title list, including James Patterson's CONFESSIONS OF A MURDER SUSPECT and its pair partner, Agatha Christie's THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE. Visit <a href="http://www.audiobooksync.com/">www.audiobooksync.com</a> to sign up for title alerts by email.<br />
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I received a free copy of <em>Who's the Slow Learner</em> from McElwee, and agreed to review it. Other than that, no promises were made, and no payments were received.<br />
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Next Up: <em>American Woman </em>by Susan Choi<br />
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Still Listening To: <em>The Marriage Plot</em> by Jeffrey Eugenides<br />
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<br />Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805146805784624344.post-15501092536439951062014-04-09T01:37:00.001-04:002014-04-09T02:04:21.950-04:00Handful of History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsO8X1F0UsZ2IMuOwC1hOrNsTK6LgJ2GPChHgDUWouKdBXohs51Eppcl19K3RiiTvcN8HIfQrC8Fa1q0gZOJc58uQ6AyAcPVo0BzLa9lTAIXMrKxE3aZhyphenhyphensZk5pqayjeoX3fuvlNYLfJY/s1600/InventionofWings.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsO8X1F0UsZ2IMuOwC1hOrNsTK6LgJ2GPChHgDUWouKdBXohs51Eppcl19K3RiiTvcN8HIfQrC8Fa1q0gZOJc58uQ6AyAcPVo0BzLa9lTAIXMrKxE3aZhyphenhyphensZk5pqayjeoX3fuvlNYLfJY/s1600/InventionofWings.png" /></a>Charleston, in the early 1800s, was not a great place to live if you were a slave, or a slave owner's daughter with a conscience. The story of <em>The Invention of Wings</em> by Sue Monk Kidd, begins with said slave owner's daughter, Sarah, being given the gift of her very own slave, Hetty, for her 11th birthday. Sarah immediately objects, but a slave is not the type of item that is easy to return. Hetty was born to Sarah's family's household, and was named "Handful" by her mother, Charlotte, who is also a slave working for the family.</div>
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Sarah and Handful have a relationship that is different from Sarah's parents' relationships with their slaves. While not treating Handful as an equal, Sarah is able to see her as a person. In an instant that she knows she will come to regret, Sarah promises Charlotte that she will do whatever she can to help Handful become free.<br />
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In the beginning, the conditions for slaves in Sarah's family were not the worst imaginable, although the occasional misbehaving slave was whipped, and Handful was never allowed to meet her father because Charlotte was separated from him. Sarah's father is a respected judge, and he seems sympathetic to Sarah's misgivings about slave ownership. However, as the story continues, Sarah's family's fortunes take a turn for the worse, and life for the slaves becomes more brutal.<br />
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In protest of slavery, Sarah moves north and becomes a Quaker. The Quakers were opposed to slavery. At first this protest seems a little lame, as Sarah is not actually doing anything to end slavery or improve Handful's situation. Soon, Sarah's sister, Nina, moves to Philadelphia to be with her, and together the two find their voices and fight for their cause.<br />
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While my summary might sound heavy, <em>The Invention of Wings</em> is a page turner. Normally I read before I go to bed to relax myself, but this book got my adrenaline pumping and made it hard to sleep. Anyone who liked <a href="http://sonotarunner.blogspot.com/2011/08/typical-field-trip.html"><em>The Help</em> by Kathryn Stockett</a> will like this book too. However, where <em>The Help</em> was famously said to be purely fiction (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/books/18help.html?_r=0">Stockett was sued</a> by her brother's maid who claimed she was the basis of the book), <em>Wings</em> is based on fact. <br />
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Only because I have been helping my son study for this U.S. History exams this year, some of the characters' names were recognizable to me. Charlotte has a child with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark_Vessy">Denmark Vesey</a>, a man who was accused of trying to start a slave revolt. Sarah lives for a time with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucretia_Mott">Lucretia Mott</a>, a famous abolitionist. Sarah and Nina work with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Weld">Theodore Weld</a>, who also fought against slavery. And I haven't told you Sarah and Nina's last name. It's Grimke. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Grimk%C3%A9">Sarah and Angelina Grimke</a> were said to be the most famous and infamous women of the 1830s, fighting for equality for slaves and for women. <br />
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<em>The Invention of Wings</em> is sure to be one of the best sellers of 2014. It is an Oprah Book Club book, and I am reading it for my book group as well. I was asked to review it in December, but foolishly, I passed. Nevertheless, Annie Harris from Viking Penguin would never let me down, and she sent me <a href="http://images.penguingroup.com/Viking/TheInventionOfWings_BCK_SCRN.pdf">this link</a> to a book group kit that includes discussion points, and even a few recipes. She also wanted me to remind you that Sue Monk Kidd will be discussing <em>Wings</em> with Oprah on April 13 at 11:00 am, on OWN.<br />
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Next Up: <em>Who's the Slow Learner: A Chronicle of Inclusion and Exclusion </em>by Sandra Assimotos McElwee<br />
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Still Listening to: <em>The Marriage Plot</em> by Jeffrey Eugenides<br />
<em></em><br />Dianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13345931688558693909noreply@blogger.com0