Updates...

I'm ashamed to say that I didn't finish One Hundred Years of Solitude in time for my book club meeting. I do have, however, a VERY good excuse--there were entire sections of the book bound out of order! The funniest part was how long it took me to realize that. :) While not everyone loved the book, it did prompt some good discussion (in my opinion).

Since that book was defective, I brought it back to the book store, and with my in-store credit bought a cook book--Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. The premise of this cook book is to get your children eating vegetables by hiding them in foods. Each week the cook should prepare a number of vegetable purees and freeze them in half cup measurements. Then, as you cook throughout the week, you can easily add/hide vegetables in ordinary food. The idea is not profound, nor is it difficult to find ways to incorporate this into recipes you already use. But there are some recipes that I am looking forward to trying just because the vegetable components seem a bit outlandish.

I have also finished a few other books over the past few days (at the expense of not completing some fairly essential school work...sigh). The first is the next book for Book Club #1--Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. This novel is narrated by the grown daughter of a midwife looking back on the events of her early teen years. Her mother, the midwife, was charged with manslaughter after performing a c-section on a supposed dead woman after a home-birth went badly awry. I will admit that there were parts of this book that I simply avoided reading in detail, being 7 months pregnant, being under the care of a midwife, and being somewhat afraid that I might end up with a home-birth in the middle of a snowstorm! While the story was interesting and very readable, there were some elements of the book that irritated me...BUT I'll leave those until January to discuss. :)

Following the same theme, another book that I just finished reading is Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife by Peggy Vincent. This non-fiction book was very interesting to me, being 7 months pregnant, being under the care of a midwife, etc. etc... Peggy Vincent describes her career as a midwife in Berkeley, California region. She provides interesting insights about the view of childbirth in terms of obstetrics and midwifery, as she has had extensive experience in both realms. While the book is full of (graphic) birth stories, there is a sense of progression and unity that keeps the book from being simply an anecdotal account of her career.

Finally, I am just about to start a book by Suzanne Arms called Immaculate Deception II: Myth, Magic and Birth. This is another non-fiction book about childbirth and maternity care that I am quite interested to read. The only problem is that it is about USA rather than Canada.

I'll end with the same question I posed last time: What books should I put on my list for Christmas? Especially cookbooks--do you have any good ones to recommend?

Because People Are Still Checking...

...and I'm still doing a little bit of reading.

The days of thoughtful analysis are long past, and the hope of such writing resuming seems to be in the (very) distant future. BUT--I am actually getting a little bit more reading done--and it is reading of a certain level of quality.

In addition to One Hundred Years of Solitude, I am reading The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer.

One Hundred Years of Solitude is my current pick for Book Club #2. The meeting is next week, so *maybe* I will be motivated to write more then. For now, I'll just say that I love it the second time through as much as the first time, but I don't feel like I "understand" it any better. ( I have explained this to some of you already--this book challenges my intelligence because I feel like I just don't "get it.")

The Septembers of Shiraz is set in Iran in the aftermath of the revolution. It is about an Iranian Jew (a rare gem dealer), Isaac, who is arrested and wrongly accused of being a spy. The narration shifts between characters--Isaac, his wife, his young daughter, and his son, who is studying in New York. I'm about half way through the book, and so far it is very good.

Any suggestions for books I should put on my Christmas list this year?

Recent Reads and Books "on-the-go"

Recently finished:

The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, Vincent Lam

Currently reading:

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Water for Elephants, Sarah Gruen

Potato-Bacon Soup

(a recipe written--that is created/adapted--by me)

4 cups potatoes, diced
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2-1 cup sweet potatoes, diced
1/2 cup celery
7 slices of bacon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
at least 2 cups chicken broth
about 2 cups water
about 1 cup soy milk
grated cheddar cheese (optional)


Fry the bacon, and set aside.
I used the bacon grease to saute the onions in the bottom of a large soup pan. You could use a little bit of olive oil instead.

Saute onions, carrots, some sweet potatoes, and celery, until the onions are soft.

Add potatoes, remaining sweet potatoes, broth and water. Bring to a boil. Then cover, and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes (until the potatoes are soft).

Add cayenne pepper, garlic, salt, pepper and soy milk. Allow to sit for a few minutes (but don't let it boil any more).

Use a potato masher to mash soup to a thickish consistency.

Cut bacon into little pieces to garnish individual bowls. Also garnish with cheddar cheese (if using), and serve.

Increased Readership...

Apparently names are much more interesting than books. I think the comments on the last two posts double the entire total of comments since this blog started. :) As I still (only?!) have about 20 weeks to go, feel free to continue to offer your input. I love many of the suggestions given because they reassure me that not ALL the names on my list are out to lunch.

Now on to books...

Currently reading: Tamar by Mal Peet.

This book is labeled as a "Teen" selection. It is about a 15 year old girl whose grandfather has just committed suicide. The book travels between Holland in 1945, with her grandfather working in the Dutch Resistance, and England in 1995, with Tamar (the girl) trying to discover her grandfather's secret past.

I really like this book, even though it has some language and sex "issues." I think it is a book that will challenge a thoughtful teen (and adult) reader, and is a book that doesn't simplify, romanticize, or glorify the very difficult content that it addresses.

Books to read:

Water for Elephants, Sarah Gruen (I think...)

This is the next read for Book Club #1. I read this book a few months ago already and loved it. I can't wait to reread it and talk about it. This book is about a(n almost) vet who ends up working for a circus in the 1930s.

The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver

This is the next read for Book Club #2. Again, it is a book that I have read before, but also a book that I loved. This novel is about a Baptist style minister who, against all signs that indicate otherwise, decides to take his family to Africa (the Congo) for mission work in the 1950s, I think. Each chapter is narrated by one of his daughters, and so the book has a very individual style and structure. This should be a book that provokes some great discussion.


(As a total aside, I love that my little site-counter map has a little dot in Korea now!)

The Baby Name Bible, Part 2

Here are the girls' names. Again, I don't necessarily LIKE all these names, nor am I seriously considering each and every one on this list, but these names caught my eye out of 50 000+.
Let me know what you think--what names should be on this list but aren't? Which names do you love? Which names do you hate? Any favourite combinations for first and second names?

Adara
Ailsa
Aly
Amalia
Amalie
Amelia
Anastasia
Anya
Anthea
Ardith
Audrey
Avril

Beatrice
Brielle
Brenna
Bronwyn
Bryony

Cadence
Cali
Calista
Camilla
Camille
Carys
Celeste
Charis
Claire
Damaris
Danae
Danya
Dara
Daria
Delia
Dolores

Eleanor
Electra
Eliza
Esme
Ezri

Feya
Fiona
Flannery
Freya

Galya
Gemma
Ginevra
Gioia
Gwen
Gwyneth

Jaeda
Janna
Jemma
Judith

Leda
Letitia
Livia
Lucy

Mauve
Magdalen
Maisie
Mara
Maris
Maura
Meredith
Muriel
Moriah

Neila
Nessa
Neva
Neve
Nicola
Nira
Nissa
Niva
Nora
Nyssa

Orla

Penelope
Philippa
Phoebe

Ramona
Renata
Roxana

Sada
Samara
Saskia
Simone
Sophia
Stella
Susanna

Tabitha
Tala
Talia
Tamar
Tessa

Vanessa
Vashti
Vivian

Willa
Winona

Xenia

Zara

The Baby Name Bible

Here's the unedited list that is the result of reading over 50, 000 baby names. I realize that not all these names are realistic choices given cultural associations, combinations with names of existing family members, etc. etc... And, don't worry, I don't necessarily LIKE all these names, but they caught my eye for various reasons. So, tell me what you think--what do you like? what do you hate? which ones did I miss?

We'll start with the boys' names.

Adam
Alistair
Ambrose
Amias
Amos
Andreas
Anthony
Anton
Asher
Atticus
Auden
Avi

Benjamin
Blaise
Bram
Byron

Caleb
Callum
Carson
Carter
Cedric
Chaim
Christopher
Colin
Colm
Conan
Corbin
Corin
Crispin
Cullen

Darren
Daron
Declan
Dexter

Eamon
Eli
Elliot
Emmett
Evan
Ewan
Ezra

Felix
Frey

Gabriel
Gareth

Ivan
Ivar
Ivo

Jaron
Jasper
Jerome
Jonah
Jonas
Julian
Julius

Lachlan
Landon
Laughlin
Lennox
Linus
Lionel
Lyle
Luther

Maddox
Malcolm
Marcus
Mason
Matteo
Matthias
Mendel
Mikko
Milo
Miles
Milton
Moshe

Nathan
Nathaniel
Niall
Nico
Niels
Nigel
Nolan

Owen

Padraig
Pax
Peter
Piers

Quentin
Quillan

Rani
Remy
Reuben
Ronan
Rowan
Rufus

Sasha
Seamus
Simeon
Simon
Thaddeus
Thomas
Tomas
Tobias
Tobin

Vaughn

Willem
William

Xavier

Zander

laziness

I do plan to keep this blog and post things occasionally. Busyness has kept me from doing any serious reading and laziness has kept me from writing anything about the books I have been reading.

One author that I am planning to revisit is Philip Pullman. I have read several of his fantasy books, but recently found a few children's books that he has written. In the next few days (weeks?), I hope to write something here about his writing--don't give up on me yet!

A Good Mystery

A "new" mystery author that I have recently "discovered" is Denise Mina. I have only read one of her books but have read many recommendations. If The Field of Blood is any indication of what the rest of her books are like, I think I'm hooked.

Her setting is similar to Ian Rankin, modern-day Scotland. The Field of Blood is set in Glasgow during the early to mid eighties. Her lead character is an 18 year old girl of Irish descent, Paddy Meehan, who dreams of being a journalist. In this novel Paddy works for the local paper as a copyboy or gopher.

Although Mina's writing is gritty and dark, it is somewhat lighter than Rankin's and so is a bit easier on the reader. If you read any of her other work, let me know what you think!

Reading Update

Howards End--I didn't get finished on time, and I'm ashamed to admit, I read the Sparksnotes on the internet to cover the last twenty chapters or so. But I still feel like I could contribute to the discussion effectively; the discussion was fabulous.

The Assassin's Touch--What a disappointment! As the story progressed, the characters became less believable and the tone was all wrong.

Rockbound--I've found my copy back so I can start reading this. I really hope that people find things to talk about!

Currently Reading...

Howards End, E. M. Forster--I need to finish this by Wednesday for Book Club #2. I have read it before, so this might not be an impossible deadline.

The Assassin's Touch, Laura Joh Rowland--This is a mystery set in Japan in the late 1600s. Although not necessarily exceptional, it is a good solid read.

Rockbound, Frank Parker Day--This book is my book club choice. I hope people like it despite it's "old-fashioned" tone and style!

What books are you reading that I should add to my summer reading list (which is non-existent at this point)?

More Pictures

In Case Anybody Still Checks This Thing...

Book Club Readings To Date

Book Club I (The Original)--November 2004 to present

* * * * Clara Callan, Richard B. Wright (HT)
* * * * * Crow Lake, Mary Lawson
* * * * The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, Mark Haddon

* * * * The World According to Garp, John Irving (RJ)
* * * * Birds Without Wings, Louis de Bernieres
* * * * The Secret Book of Grazia dei Rossi, Jacqueline Park

* * 1/2 No Logo, Naomi Klein (JB)

* * * 1/2 Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi (SJ)
* * * * 1/2 Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden
* * * 1/2 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells

* * * * The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (SC)
* * * * * Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke

* * * * Boy's Life, Robert McCammon (JD)
* * * * 1/2 The Time Traveller's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger

* * * * * Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (JL)

* * * The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood (TV)
* * * * The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
* * * * 1/2 The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls

* * * * * The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck (JC)
* * * * 1/2 The Girls, Lori Lansens
* * * Riding the Bus With My Sister, Rachel Simon

* * * * 1/2 My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok (LV)

* * * * The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon (SS)

If I've missed any, please let me know!


Book Club II -- January 2007 to present

* * * * The Life of Pi, Yann Martel (KD)

* * * * 1/2 Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro (HT)

* * 1/2 Throwaway Daughter, Ting-Xing Ye (ML)

* * * * * The Russlander, Sandra Birdsell (PD)

* * * * * Howards End, E. M. Forster (KS)


(corrections made: June 5)

The Russlander, Sandra Birdsell

The Russlander is a novel that my mom recommended to me several years ago. I skimmed the back of the novel but never pursued reading it. A few weeks ago, one of my fellow book-clubbers presented this book as her selection for the next meeting.

The book is about a young Mennonite girl, Katya, in Russia in the wake of the First World War. The narration is descriptive yet bare, emotional yet restrained. The reader is quickly made aware that Katya is recalling the events of her youth from the perspective of her old age. There is a certain degree of tension between what the young Katya perceives in the moment and what the elderly Katya knows in hindsight. This emotional layering is managed skillfully and subtly. Ultimately the result is a story of hope and endurance.

I had a bit of a difficult time starting the novel. In the opening chapters, the social conflicts are not really between the Russians and the Mennonites (as I had led myself to expect), but rather between the Mennonites themselves. There is a distinctly hierarchical structure to the Mennonite society, a structure that has Mennonite working-class families serving the local "nobility" (also Mennonite). This situation results in overlapping spheres of relationships--church, family, employment, friendship, etc. Once the "placement" of characters inn relation to one another became clear, I could hardly put the book down. Birdsell has a style of writing that draws the reader's attention to incidents, characters and details that will recur throughout the book without being obvious or overbearing.

The Russlander is a fantastic book and will certainly provoke a thoughtful discussion! Our meeting is next Saturday, but as usual, don't expect an insightful analysis here after the fact. :)

rating: 5/5 (yes, it's that good!)

Wrong Number

I just had a strange conversation. Granted, I just woke up from a nap :) but I still think it was strange.

The telephone rang and I jumped up quickly to answer it before the sound woke G up from his nap. In my muddle, I didn't quite hear the whole comment made by the speaker, but because of the accent and the background noise I made the quick assumption that I had a telemarketer on the phone. Then the person asked to speak to the manager of the optical department. Being polite and half-asleep, I replied, "Sorry, you have the wrong number." The answer? "That's okay." ??? Am I the only one who thinks that response is a strange? If you dial a wrong number, don't you usually apologize for bothering the innocent recipient?

A Good Mystery...

I love a good mystery. There was a stretch of about 5 or 6 months, in fact, that I only read mysteries. When I "discover" a new mystery writer, I tend to read all the books the public library owns by that author. One of my recent (as in within the past year and a bit) finds is Lindsey Davis.

Anyone who has received my book lists or read my last post will recognize this name. Lindsey Davis' books are set in Ancient Rome. The main character is Marcus Didius Falco, a private investigator of sorts. Although he is a "citizen," he is certainly a the bottom of the social ladder. He is married to Helena, the daughter of a senator. Often Falco is hired by the Emperor or some other government official to investigate crimes that are better kept away from the general population's attention. There is a good mix of political intrigue, historical context, and engaging character development in each book. Even better, the writing is witty and intelligent.

Since the genre of mystery is so diverse, I tend to categorize mysteries into several different groupings: light, medium, and heavy. Don't laugh too hard at this complex system! :)

Light mysteries include books by authors such as Lillian Jackson Braun, Martha Grimes, and Laurie King.

Medium mysteries include books by authors such as Lindsey Davis, Margaret Yorke, Quentin Jardine, P. D. James, and Dorothy Sayers.

Heavy mysteries include books by authors such as Elizabeth George and Ian Rankin.

If you have read books from each category, you can probably sense what kind of criteria distinguishes one writer from another.

Do you like to read mysteries? What authors can you recommend?

2007 so far

By the end of April last year I had read 37 books. This year I have read 30 so far. I don't think I will read be able to read 7 books in the next few days unless I start counting kids' books. :) I'm not disappointed with the quantity since I actually thought I was reading significantly fewer books this year, but looking back at my list, I think I read a lot more "quality" books last year.

Here are a few of the ones that stand out from 2006 (January to April):

Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell--still one of my favourite books ever
Memoirs of a Geisha, who wrote this? Why didn't I write his name down? Alan somebody?
Ode to a Banker, A Dying Light in Corduba, A Body in the Bathhouse, Silver Pigs, Poseidon's Gold, Venus in Copper, Lindsey Davis--a solid mystery series set in ancient Rome
The Man in my Basement, Walter Moseley
Sylvanus Now, Donna Morissey
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell, Susanna Clarke
Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
The Bookseller of Kabul, Asne Seierstad
Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom
A Bed of Red Flowers: In Search of My Afghanistan, Nelofer Pazira

2007 (January-April)

In the Name of God, Yasmina, Khadra
The Petty Details of So-and-so's Life, Camilla Gibbs
The Life of Pi, Yann Martel (2nd reading)
Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro (2nd reading)
The Virgin Suicides, Jeffery Euginides
My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok (2nd reading)
The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Belle Falls, Sherri Vanderveen

There have been more good books this year than I realized, and if you take Lindsey Davis off of 2006, the lists might be close to even! The fact that three of my "good" books this year are rereads contributes to the feeling that I am reading a lot less. Also, last year I had quite a few books that almost made the "good" list--they were ranked 3 1/2 out of 5. This year I have many that were just a waste of time--1 or 2 stars if I was lucky. I have to learn to not finish books if they are pointless and badly written! What about you, my 5 blog-readers? Do you always finish books that you start?

Reading...Recipes

Recipes count as reading, right? You have to be able to read to follow a recipe; you have to be able to analyze what you are reading to decide if you want to try the recipe. I don't know what I'm trying to defend. This is my blog and if I want to write about something other than books, I can just go ahead and do so!

This week Chinook Salmon is on sale at my "F"avourite grocery store, so we decided we would get some for supper last night. Near the seafood section, there is a little rack with free recipe cards for different forms of seafood. I gathered up and few, glanced through them, and decided to buy the ingredients to try one. The result was one of the most amazing meals I have made in a while. (On the one hand, I'm bragging; on the other, I'm admitting how mediocre my cooking has been lately.)

Salmon with Tomatoes and Chives

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes

1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 lb fresh or thawed salmon fillet, about 1 inch thick

1. Lightly coat the grill rack with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium.

2. In a small sauce pan cook garlic in olive oil until tender. Carefully stir in wine. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until the wine is reduced by half. Stir in tomato, chives, and lemon juice. Set aside.

3. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut fish into 4 serving size pieces. Grill salmon fillets for 10-11 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork, turning once. Serve with warm tomato mixture.


We had asparagus, rice, and fresh bread as sides. It was delicious!

The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon

rating: 4 stars

I read this book because it was chosen for my book club. I don't think I would ever have come across it otherwise. If you do a quick search of the reviews that have been written about this book, you will find that critics can't agree on this book. It is called a mystery novel, a coming-age story, a gothic romance, and I would argue that it is, in fact, all of these and more.

The story starts when the narrator, Daniel, is ten years old. His father brings him to a place called "The Cemetery of Forgotten Books" as an initiation of sorts. Daniel is to pick one book that will become his responsibility to keep "alive." The book he chooses, The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax, becomes the trigger that sets all sorts of sinister events in motion.

In order to enjoy this book, you need to be willing to be caught up in the gothic nature of the story. The context is post-civil war Barcelona, and the scars of human suffering and tragedy shape the narrative. There is always a sense of dark magic at work, a sense that forces beyond human consciousness are present and active. Many of the stock "characters" of the classic gothic novel are also present--the villain, the madman/woman, ghosts in a variety of forms, and finally, the Devil himself. The romantic elements of idealized and all-consuming love and the elevated narrative complete the effect.

I really enjoyed this book, but I'm not going to discuss specifics until the meeting (and then I probably won't be motivated to write about it here!) :)

Just to tease you, here's a quote from the prologue that caught my attention and continues to intrigue me:

"...few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a palace in our memory to which, sooner or later--no matter how many books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget--we will return. For me those enchanted pages will always be the ones I found among the passageways of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books."

For me, I think that book is Lord of the Rings by Tolkien. What book would you give that elevated status for yourself?

Q and A, Vikas Swarup

Since I haven't been reading a lot lately, I thought I'd post about a few of the books I've read in the past year. I need to keep writing here regularly or this whole blog thing will disintegrate!

Q and A by Vikas Swarup
4 stars

I picked this book up off the shelf of new books at the library. I was a bit worried because the last book about India that I had read was A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. That was the most depressing book in the entire world! Even now when I think about that book, my heart hurts (and I'm not just being melodramatic). This book was a pleasant surprise.

The premise of the book is based on a game show similar to "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." The top prize has been won by an illiterate, uneducated labourer who now faces accusations of cheating. Each chapter gives the back-story that reveals how/why he was able to answer the questions at each level of the game. The book has some of the elements that made A Fine Balance so depressing, but this book is ultimately about hope, about the triumph of the human spirit.

This book is funny, sad, heart-warming, tragic, and (best of all) an easy read.

(as a final note, I found it amusing that the author of this book is an Indian politician--politicians aren't supposed to be able write good literature!!)

Puddles...

I think G was actually trying to drink out of the puddle.

Just Because...

If I don't have time to read, you would think I don't have time for things like this...It doesn't always work out that way. :)

100 Books

Bold the ones you've read.
Italicize the ones you want to read.
Leave Blank the ones you aren't interested in.

1. The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According to Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

I have no idea who compiled this list, but it seems to be a fairly good mix of popular and literary literature, as well as of classic and modern works. I like book lists because they remind me of gaps in my reading; they remind me of books that I should read or would like to read. If I counted correctly, I've read 60 out of 100. How about you?

Responsibility

Now that I actually have people checking this blog regularly, I feel like I have a responsibility to write regularly. Unfortunately since finishing Asher Lev, I have been to busy to read anything. Who would have thought that could happen to me?! I usually read before doing anything else... :)

Done

I'm done My Name is Asher Lev. Previously, I sympathized exclusively with Asher Lev's father. This time around, I had a bit of sympathy for the narrator. I still find the "artist" to be incredibly selfish and unreasonable in his treatment of his family throughout the novel. But there is a certain degree to which Asher Lev's parents created and fostered such an attitude--or at very least created an environment in which such an outlook could develop. An evaluation of the concept of the interaction between faith and culture could produce some provoking comments. It should be an interesting discussion tomorrow night!

Book Club and other things...

My readership fell by about 50% this week with my parents and my sister going on vacation. :) I'm aware that this isn't the most exciting blog around, but it is a bit sad to check my site meter and realize that no one has checked yet today. :)

I have been busy reading My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok for my book club tomorrow night. I have read this book at least twice before so I'm fairly optimistic that I will finish it on time even though I only started yesterday. Before I get too proud of myself, I need to be honest and admit that I am still reading Grapes of Wrath. Apparently that book is a long term project for me.

Another book that I have been reading on and off this week is Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. This is a children's fantasy book that is going to be come out as a movie some time soon. I think that I like this book. There is, however, a weird mix of classic fantasy tone/style and cell-phones, credit cards, alarm systems and other modern things. I find that hard to adjust to. Overall, I can see how this book would appeal to readers of all ages.

And finally, to finish off, G and I went to visit his cousins today. Since the last time we all got together pictures were posted elsewhere, I thought I'd put a picture or two here. Notice the kids are busy with the same activity--jumping from the headboard onto D's bed. D told me that he thought they "might be allowed" to jump on his bed when I asked if his mom said what they were doing was okay. :) He knows how to get around things!

The Custodian of Paradise, Wayne Johnston

Wayne Johnston wrote The Colony of Unrequited Dreams which was, in my opinion, a very good book, so I approached this book with great anticipation. Unfortunately it is designated a "rapid read" at the library and can only be borrowed for two weeks at a time with no opportunity to renew it. By the time I got around to reading The Custodian of Paradise the book was already a week overdue and accumulating more fines daily. So I rushed through it even more quickly than a "rapid read" deserves to be read. :)

The narrator is Sheilagh Fielding who appears in The Colony of Unrequited Dreams as Joey Smallwood's "nemesis." Sheilagh Fielding is a giant of a woman both physically and intellectually, but her life is twisted by bitterness, isolation and loneliness. Her mother left without explanation when she was six years old and her father, still obsessed with his former wife, continually questions his daughter's true parentage (not least because she is over six feet tall and he is a man of small stature). As a result, the narrator resorts to irreverent irony as her means of coping with the world.

The novel begins when Fielding is in her fifties and she is seeking out an uninhabited island. She is determined to retreat from society completely in order to confront her past. She ends up on the island of Loreburn, populated by wild horses and dogs having been long abandoned by its human residents. As Fielding dares to reread her journals, the reader is transported to Prohibition-era Newfoundland and the main body of the story.

As I said, I read this book far too quickly. The narration is gripping and the characters are larger-than-life. The ending, however, was a bit of a let-down. (I'm willing to attribute this entirely to my reading, not to the book itself.) I did enjoy the book and would recommend it. As a reviewer from the Globe and Mail puts it: "Wayne Johnston is prodigiously talented." Who can resist that recommendation?

facebook

...I don't get it...What are you supposed to do with it? Accumulate as many "friends" as possible?

The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey Eugenides

This is a fantastic book--I finished in two days because I could hardly put it down.

It is about a family of five daughters who all commit suicide within a year. As awful as that sounds, the book is really tender and poignant. The story is told long after the fact by one of a group of men who were obsessed with these sisters as boys and who have become self-appointed guardians of their memories. The narration is never the focus of the writing. Instead the close observation of the girls' inevitable demise and the careful reflection years later propel the story.

I don't know how to write more without sounding pretentious or phony. The book is just so raw, so tragic, so beautiful. It is about the search for meaning in life and all those big, "existential" issues, but it is also about five tormented girls in the middle of suburbia in the 1970s and their lasting impact on all those who knew them.

Apparently the novel has been made into a movie. I don't know if it is any good, but I'd be a bit hesitant to watch it because the book is so powerful. The movie is bound to be a let-down.

The Thirteenth Tale (and G's tongue)

I started writing about this book a few days ago and finished it just in time to include in my February count. It was good, but not great. Entertaining, but not entirely engaging. I'd say it's worth reading, but certainly not a "must-read." It's good beach or vacation read because it is well written but doesn't demand too much of its reader.

On another note, here's a picture of G's mouth. It's not the greatest picture, but it gives you some idea of what it looks like!

On the Go...

...another book. I'm not done Grapes of Wrath but I had to start another book.

I'd reserved The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield ages ago. I think I was about 73rd on the waiting list. I finally got the book a week ago, and now I decided that I'd better read it before I start accumulating library fines.

It's an interesting book so far (and a little "lighter" than Steinbeck). The main character is an amateur biographer, Margaret, who is asked to write a biography for an elderly writer, Vida Winter. The problem is that over her entire career Vida Winter has been fabricating stories about her life, and Margaret is reluctant to be her next "victim." Margaret soon realizes that Vida Winter is dying and so is serious about telling the "truth" this time around--though what constitutes "truth" is somewhat negotiable. The story that she tells is mesmerizing.

The quote at the start of the book (what is the word for that?) is "taken" from one of Vida Winter's books:

All children mythologize their birth. It is a universal trait.
You want to know someone? Heart, mind and soul? Ask
him to tell you about when he was born. What you get
won't be the truth; it will be a story. And nothing is more
telling than a story.
Tales of Change and Desperation, Vida Winter

An interesting thought that intrigues me more each time I think about it. So often we tell a "story" when we have the best intentions of telling the "truth."

Currently Reading...

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.

There are so many classics that I have never read. This book seemed like a good place to start. What should I read next?

Jane Austen

It used to be that if you were a Jane Austen fan you were a breed apart. There was something to set you above the average reader. Now, however, Austen enjoys a fairly high profile. With movie productions (both mainstream and otherwise) of her works and movies based on her works, Jane Austen is very much a current figure.

I take a bit of prideful pleasure is saying that my favourite Austen work is not one of the well-known pieces but is, instead, Persuasion. This short novel is one of two published posthumously (Northanger Abbey being the other). It is shorter and perhaps simpler than Emma or Pride and Prejudice, but I think Austen's ironic voice is most finely tuned in this story.

Emma and Pride and Prejudice remain my sentimental favourites (because my sister read them aloud to me so long ago), but Persuasion provides satisfaction for the critical reader in me.

Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro

rating: * * * * 1/2

This book was my choice for a recent book club reading. I came across this book rather randomly last year at the public library, and it very quickly became one of my favourites.

This book is a quick read. Even reading it a second time, I found it hard to put down and finished it in a matter of days. The narrative style is conversational, gentle, and deceptively simple. The story, however, is tragic and heartbreaking.

The ending seems like a let-down at first. The reader is left with a feeling of "Is that it?!" On further reflection, however, it becomes clear that no other conclusion is possible.

Instead of reflecting on the specifics of the novel right now, I think I'll wait to see what the book club has to say. Maybe I'll write about some things brought up afterwards.

One Book After Another

Well, here it is--my blog on books. Last year I made a resolution to record every book I read and give it a rating out of 5. I've kept that up quite consistently so now it's time to do something else.

I want to try to develop a more critical approach to my reading by way of occasionally formally reviewing the books. That might happen here. Check in sometimes and see what I'm reading.