We Are Called To Rise

I don't know about you, but I love reading books about places and cultures and ideas that I have a frame of reference for.  I recently loaned a friend a book for a trip.  She is a doctor and a few of the books I picked had a medical theme.  She flat out refused anything even a little medical.  This shocked me because surely everyone has the same reading tastes as me.  Apparently not.  

We are Called to Rise by Laura McBride appealed to me because it is about Las Vegas and McBride is from Vegas.  My husband lived in Vegas for most of his youth and his parents still live there.  We go to Vegas once or twice a year, so over the course of our 14 year marriage I have spent a bit of time there.  

My husband read The Goldfinch this year but didn't recommend it.  He felt the portrayal of Las Vegas was something you might see in a movie, not nuanced, and certainly not something a local could relate to.  He hasn't read this yet, but I feel confident that he will love the way the city is portrayed.

Las Vegas is complex, with many different parts and a diverse population.  The landscape is unique and can be both beautiful and problematic.  It's a city driven by tourism, but it's also where people live and raise their families a few miles from the buzzing strip.  This book captures the real lives of Las Vegas residents well.  

The plot is complicated and I don't want to give away too much, but basically, four different lives come together randomly.  They become intertwined in very real and meaningful ways because of a series of events that pulls them together. The way they are all pulled together accentuates the small town nature of Las Vegas and the initial differences in the characters and the places they come from highlight the town's big city feel and varied people groups.  

The theme of the random nature of life, of little choices culminating in earthquakes, is repeated often in the novel.  Some characters even outright identify it.  One character in particular, Avis, laments it so frequently it gets a bit annoying.  She even thinks through lists of sudden tragedies ("the harried mother who forgets her baby in a hot car, the exuberant teenager who leaps into a too-shallow lake, the young driver who doesn't see the child chasing a ball.") a few times in the book and it loses some of it's meaning after her first list.  The author didn't need to point to it so directly.  But it is true, "that so little matters so much, and so much matters so little."  

Also, there were some awkward sentence structures..."And it still all mattered."  It seems nitpicky but this was the last sentence of the chapter and I had to read it twice to be sure I got it.  There were a few times when I caught myself rereading and reworking the sentences.  

Aside from the minor problems I had with it, I really loved the characterization (I was weeping at the end because I loved the characters so much) and the way McBride really drew on the setting to add a deeper dimension and make her story really come alive.  The way she describes emotional things is empathetic and resonated with experience.  It was a sad book, but not depressing.  It made me think and gave me a greater appreciation for the things in my life.  I would say it was a successful book, worth the read.  

I'm currently reading The Other Typist and The House We Grew Up In.  Both are eerie.  I'm not sure I love either one, but I'll let you know soon!

Kitchens of the Great Midwest

I picked this book for book club.  Barnes and Noble had a table of new releases to check out.  I liked the cover, and, after reading the dust jacket, figured this would be a light, fun read.

Lars has a passion for food that he passes onto his daughter, Eva.  Through various difficult circumstances, Eva grows into a chef extraordinaire.  Along the way, she meets a cast of characters who help shape her experience.  The story is told in a series of vignettes about Eva and the people she meets, even peripherally.  The culmination of the book is a meaningful dinner hosted by Eva for some of the people who have impacted her.

I wouldn't call this light or fun looking back, but it was a solid novel that made me think.  The beginning was tricky to get into.  I felt like the dialogue was off and even the experience of new parenthood seemed like it was written for a movie or sitcom, not really true to life.  The author finds his rhythm later, though, so it wasn't a deal breaker.

The author weaves a complicated web of people.  In one chapter, a character is mentioned as a roommate's sister and later that character resurfaces again in another capacity.  It had the small town feel that is very mid-west.  This technique kept me engaged and paying attention to all of the characters, not just the most prominent.

I wasn't a fan of the ending.  It felt inauthentic and unfinished.  I didn't need a pretty bow to tie it up but there were many loose threads that were just left hanging.

Throughout  Kitchens of the Great Midwest  Stradal pokes fun at the foodie culture.  I was really struck by the idea that everyone has their own idea of what elevated cuisine looks like.  For one character, buying corn that was only hours old made dinner miraculous, and for another character mixing a cheap margarita was divine.  It had me thinking about what foods I love and how food shapes us and brings us together or separates.

There are a few recipes in the book, some more complex than others.  For our book club I made Pat's bars and they were a big hit (I even used fancy butter).  It's such a cool feeling when something from a book becomes tangible.

Definitely worth checking out, though I wouldn't rush to read it.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Wowowowowowow!  

This book was phenomenal--nuanced and graceful, understated and economical and yet full of meaning.  

My husband was reading this and suggested I give it a go since we both like Hemingway's style.  

For Whom the Bell Tolls is about an American fighting in Spain's civil war.  I was a little hesitant to pick it up because it is a war novel and usually those are not my favorite.  They certainly aren't light fare and I wasn't sure after a year reading Shogun and David Copperfield that I wanted more depth.  But I'm so glad I read it now.

reading in a comfy chair at the library is my fave.  

I was recently thinking about how reading books at different points in your life make you focus on different characters and situations.  In this book there are two main couples:  Pablo and Pilar and Robert and Maria.  While Robert is the main character and voice of the novel, Pablo and Pilar caught my attention.  They had been together for years and they spoke to each other in ways that reminded me of me and my husband.  There was so much subtle humor and feeling and intelligence from Pablo and Pilar that I think I would have missed if I read it in college.  

These thoughts made me consider how different I would view so many books that I loved as a younger reader.  And it definitely points me in the direction of rereading some of those books and rethinking some of my prior conclusions...

In this book the idea of language is central.  At times, it seems that Hemingway translated the dialogue from Spanish to English.  He uses the formal thee or thou to show respect (or mock respect). 

There were some moments of great insight into unusual things for a war novel like hospitality and ugliness and beauty.  There were some parts that made me laugh out loud.  Of course, because it is Hemingway, there were many references to drinking and of course absinthe made a few appearances as well.  

I've heard Austen novels compared to the movements in a waltz.  For Whom the Bell Tolls also felt like a dance with repetitive motions and a well designed plot.  The end came fully around to the beginning.  

To be honest, at the beginning I wasn't sure I would relate much to this book about a young solider falling in love for the first time and trying to blow up a bridge.  But, there were many moments that resonated with me.  One beautiful moment, when Robert is getting ready to begin the attack, there is this reflection that perfectly captures the pressure that I often feel as a mom of four kids:

"This was the greatest gift that he had, the talent that fitted him for war; that ability not to ignore but to despise whatever bad ending there could be.  This quality was destroyed by too much responsibility for others or the necessity of undertaking something ill planned or badly conceived.  For in such things the bad ending, failure, could not be ignored.  It was not simply a possibility of harm to one's self, which could be ignored."

When I didn't have the responsibility of kids I could live a bit more recklessly and I didn't worry about failure.  With kids, I feel the gravity of their futures and I don't want to mess that up.  And it's stressful.  But worth it.  

If you're looking for a great book to end the year with, this is it.  

And Then There Were None

do judge this book by it's cover, completely eerie.  

My daughter was reading this for school so I decided to pick it up again.  I remember loving the mystery in high school.  And, frankly, I had forgotten most of the story so I wasn't too worried about being bored.  

Of course, because my 11 year old read it first and she knew I had read it before (and of course assumed my mind is a steel trap that never lets anything go) she spilled the beans on the mystery.  

At first I was bummed but then it turned out to be a gift.  Knowing who did it highlighted the ways Ms. Christie used misdirection and foreshadowing.  I could see little details as pointing arrows instead of just rushing past them.  

This is surely a quick read because you just can't put it down.  Even knowing what happened, I ignored my family for an entire Sunday afternoon to finish it.  

The idea of being stranded on an island where everyone is being systematically killed off led some of the characters to fight it and some of them to lean into the idea of dying.  This certainly makes for some interesting dinner conversations over what you would chose to do in that situation.  Is there hope, or no?  

Another idea that has stuck with me since my reading of And Then There Were None was the concept of luck.  A few times characters are talking about the murder they are accused of having committed and they say it was such bad luck.  Another character will chime in with, "For who?  You or the dead person?"  Luck is such a complicated idea and often what is good luck for one person is bad luck for another.  

Though the characterization is sparse because of the shortness of the book and the amount of characters, when Christie does deign to characterize someone you get a good idea of who they are.  I'm currently reading Hemingway and though these two authors are worlds apart, there is a sparseness of language, at times, with both of them.  Despite economical use of language, both give a compelling picture of the story and characters they are sharing with their readers.  

And also, am I the only one who likes to read something a little spooky at this time of year???  I tend to want to read seasonal books during the appropriate season.  Is that weird?  

We watched the movie adaptation that's available on Amazon.  It was pretty good, even if there are some dramatic changes.  I also found out that the movie rights to the book were purchased this fall and so now I'm excited to see how it gets remade again!  

The Struggle is Real

I am a mom who loves reading.  This sentence could describe millions of moms, I know.

As a mom I have very limited free time.  The laundry is always singing a siren song.  There is a steady stream of dishes on the counter that I can't seem to conquer.  And homework, so much homework.

With four kids in my house I feel compelled to put myself at the bottom of every list.  #1 needs to go here.  #4 needs a snack.  #2 wants to have a heart to heart.  #3 is too quiet--I better go find her.  I could spend 24 hours being responsive to their needs and requests.

reading in the car while waiting to pick up #4.  nbd.

I have to make a choice.  Every day.  It is not easy.  I often feel guilt about choosing to read.  Did I just permanently damage him because I told him to go do something else while I'm reading?  I'm being so selfish!  Mom guilt is the worst.

However, when I don't take the time for something I love, I find myself resenting my family for being too demanding.  It's a catch-22.

I am learning to feel less guilt about reading.  It refreshes me and I am a much better mom when I'm reading regularly.  I learn from moms in books.  I learn about life and new ways to handle situations, and I gain a better perspective.  I appreciate the beauty of a well written sentence or laugh at a great joke or revel at a new thought.  These things nourish my soul.  

My kids need to see that reading is important to me or it will never be important to them.  They need to see me taking care of myself and feeding my mind so someday, they will do the same thing.

And, my kids could use the gift of being patient.  They don't need a mom who responds immediately to their every whim and desire.  In order for them to be good adults, they need to know that the world does not revolve around them.  Surely they will survive if I don't stop my life every time they ask me to watch them bounce a ball across the house or reward their begging and pleading for a tea party involving chocolate milk and marshmallows.

I say yes when I can.  I say way more yeses than nos.  But, I need to protect an hour each day to let my mind play.  To grow my imagination.  I need to make that tough choice to read so they can have a better mom.  

What gets in the way of your reading time?

The Other Wes Moore

This book was picked for the book club I'm in by a lovely friend.  She heard about it from one of her friends, and the premise sounds so interesting she thought it would make for a lively discussion. 

To her credit, I think the subject merits much conversation, but I'm not sure about the book format.  

Fall reading requires cozy blankets

This a memoir written by Wes Moore.  He was surprised to find another Wes Moore living nearby, in jail for murder.  With his interest piqued he set out to interview the other Wes and his family about the trajectory of his life.  Author Wes Moore had a shaky beginning but through a series of choices, opportunities, serendipitous moments, and help from others he was able to right his course.  The other Wes Moore was not so lucky, nor did he have as many people invested in him, and the choices he made were often questionable.  

The story is interesting but some of the descriptions are grating.  At times I found myself hoping Moore would provide more insight or deeper thoughts about choices or situations but it was primarily a plot driven memoir with much time spent on describing people and places.  This would have been an excellent article but I don't think it needed to be a book.  

As I was reading this I also heard an NPR story on the uprising of the memoir genre.  I found the discussion very thought provoking, especially since I was reading a memoir at that time.  The radio hosts were saying that with much of the fiction published today is distoypian or uber-literary there is a need for more "normal" or "real" stories.  

Part of the discussion that stuck with me was about how accurate a memoir could really be.  I thought about that often while reading The Other Wes Moore.  The author shares crisp memories of himself as a four year old.  How much does a four year old really remember, and crisply?  Through the years we turn our own lives into tales based on the way events are recounted to us, photographs we've seen hundreds of times, and our own personal opinions and beliefs.  I guess when we read memoirs we need to prepare for the author's interpretation of themselves and not always a factual rendition of their history.  

Something that bothered me about the book is also the author's age and experience level.  While Wes Moore the author has certainly accomplished much, he seemed to be reflecting back like an old man.  He was 33 when the book was published.  I don't know, it's kind of a petty criticism, but I just think memoirs are for older people to write.  However, this didn't particularly bother me with Tina Fey's memoir or Amy Poehler's.  Maybe I was just bored by the end...

The deeper issues the book presents are so important.  However, they are only examined on a surface level.  We could do so much more for the youth of America at ages when they are seeking guidance and strong role models.  There is an extensive resource guide at the end that offers some places to start.  This list would be beneficial to those looking to volunteer and also those who need help.  

I'm looking forward to an interesting book club.  Not so much because the book was a literary masterpiece, but because the subject matter forces us to reflect on society and the way we do things.  

Shogun, or My Everest

I finished Shogun last night and I am so happy with myself. 

The cover fell off my ancient copy, I'm not easy on my books.  

There have been many long books in my reading history.  Most of them I really enjoyed.  This one was only slightly enjoyable for me and because of that, finishing it was very sweet.  

I'm not wondering what happens next or longing for more (after 1,152 pages few questions were left unanswered).  At times I wanted to abandon this book and move on but I didn't, I kept reading.  And, now I'm done with this book.  Hallelujah!  

I've talked to a few people who really enjoyed Shogun.  It has many elements that should be appealing to me (historical fiction, fish out of water story, etc) but for some reason I never really connected with it.  There were moments that I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to see what happened next, however, there are many other books I would recommend before this one.  

While reading I kept searching for things to share.  Surprisingly much of the text is either plot driven or detailed descriptions that wouldn't be particularly interesting out of context.  Finally, in the last chapter I found something to share:

"He squinted into the sky once more and watched the falcon, no longer his falcon.  She was a creature of immense beauty up there, free, beyond all the tears, soaring effortlessly.  Then some force beyond his ken took her and whirled her northward and she vanished." 

It is well written but there just weren't enough characters that I really loved.  In some ways, it was very stressful which could be the author successfully giving the reader a taste of what Blackthorne (the Englishman stranded in Japan) was feeling.  

I got used to the names that were tripping me up so much at the beginning.  I liked learning about historical Japanese culture and I respect Clavell for the amount of research he did to bring this era alive.  And, it is kind of awesome to sit in the children's section of the library while your son is playing and read this massive tome, while everyone else looks at you like you must be a genius.  Or maybe they were just annoyed with my pretentiousness?  Either way, I'm done with Shogun and moving on to greener pastures!  

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust

As I just typed the title of this book into the space for the blog title, I was struck by 

how unusual Alan Bradley's titles sound (A Red Herring without Mustard, The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, etc.).  Bradley includes excerpts from great literature before each story and part of this excerpt winds up being the title.  However, these strange names also seem to set his books apart from the crowd and give them an eerie, old timey feeling.  They are weird and they work for him.

Another vacation read, As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust is Bradley's seventh Flavia DeLuce novel.  I have read all 7.  

I started with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie a couple of years ago after reading that Jen Hatmaker loved the books.  I was completely hooked.  I devoured the ones that had already been published and then waited excitedly for the new books to release.  

The series follows 12 year old Flavia DeLuce as she solves various mysteries in the 1950's.  She is a chemistry genius and her home is an English manor complete with a lab she uses exclusively.  Bradley does a great job developing many of the recurring characters.  And Buckshaw (her home) feels so familiar.  

I seriously dislike series.  I avoid them like the plague (which is funny because when I was a kid I read almost all of the babysitter's club series).  However, my adoration of this series should speak to Bradley's ability with words--the books have not gotten stale or boring, they are only predictable in the ways they should be, and Bradley seems to have maintained his ability to eloquently craft a tight mystery.  

When I got the new book in January I didn't want to read it right away.  I wanted to hold off until summer so the wait for a new book wouldn't be so long (he seems to publish a new one each January).  So it sat on my shelf for a while and the anticipation was almost as fun as finding out what Flavia was up to again.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't my fave.  It was actually my least fave.  Flavia leaves her home and our usual cast of characters and enters a finishing school for girls where a mystery literally falls into her room on her first night there.  Flavia hates having to leave her home and she is constantly lamenting her banishment.  Constantly.  Perhaps this was the 12 year old girl voice in Bradley's head, but it got a little tedious for the reader.  Also, there were many page breaks and abrupt stops, "almost as if--" 

See it's not super fun.  Unfinished thoughts were often blamed on being out of sorts.  

While I understand, after six books, it may be time for a change of scenery, I missed the old characters and kept waiting for Dogger, Flavia's faithful butler, to pop out of a closet or something.  And while Flavia usually relies on facts and scientific evidence (though it's not mind numbing...I barely passed high school chemistry and still am completely smitten with Flavia) in this book she has more "feelings" that prompt her sleuthing.  Even she repeatedly tells herself that she needs to find facts and not just go on feelings.  

I'm not sure if this is the new direction for the series or not.  I will still read the next book (if there is another) and hope for the best.  I'm not terribly worried that I wasn't in love with this book--I mean, you have to have a least favorite and now I do, but I truly enjoyed and loved the others.  And with lines like this:

"Curse this life! I thought.

And then I remembered the dead body upstairs and I cheered up at once."

How can you not love Flavia?  Let's face it, we all went through a bit of an identity crisis at 12, right?

If you have never read this series, you should give it a shot.  It is fun and funny and mysterious and wonderful.  At least I think so.  

What's So Amazing About Grace

When you travel with your family I highly suggest reading something that will challenge you spiritually.  This is the third time I've done it and the results were fantastic.

Just when you start to think, "Ok, now I get to be selfish and demand my own way," you remember your book and stop yourself (most of the time).  

The book I read on our recent trip to Hawaii was What's So Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancey.  It was challenging and thought provoking and has changed my view of grace.

  

Yancey writes about the modern Christian experience with thoughtfulness and depth.  He does not leave any stone un-turned.  It was great to be reading along and have a question pop up and then have it answered in the next chapter.  He pulls from years of life experience and Bible study as he teaches about the grace of God and the grace we should have for each other.  I felt smarter reading this because every time I picked it up I learned something new about history, politics, or God.  

Grace tends to be something that seems too huge for me to distill into my daily life.  Grace is a big thing, not really necessary for the mundane.  Yancey encourages the opposite.  Every interaction can be processed through "grace-healed eyes" and even the way we perceive the things we read in the news can lead us toward a life of grace.  In our world committed to competition, "grace is not about finishing last or first; it is about not counting."  This is like a breath of fresh air.  

My two criticisms of the book were that the copy I read was slightly dated--I'm not sure if there is a more updated verison--and Yancey takes a little while to get started.  Most of the references to politicians and speakers were from the 90's.  This wasn't a huge problem, though, because so many of his examples could be easily reapplied to current events.  The first chapter of the book didn't grab my attention like I had hoped.  If I had been slightly less committed to finishing it or had other books lying around I think I would have been inclined to push this book to the side.  Fortunately, the deprivation of books while on vacation kept me focused and I pushed past the first chapter.  

 Philip Yancey must be an incredibly well read gentleman.  Throughout the book he talks about other philosophers and uses quotes from a variety of sources.  This helped to validate his claims about grace (and ungrace) and gave his writing a deeper dimension.  We are so used to reading blogs and books that just assert the author's opinion and it was kind of wonderful to read something that had been well researched.  Though it did take my brain a little time to adjust to the change.  Where were the catchy titles?  Why isn't he giving me a list of 10 things I can do to incorporate grace into my life today?  How can I possibly pin any of this???  Even searching for simple quotes to share was a little problematic because so many of his thoughts on grace are built up with the use of a few sentences.  

I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone curious about grace.  If you are a Christian you should know what sets your faith apart from so many other religious belief systems and grace is the heart of Christianity.  As I read this I became more aware of my need to forgive those around me and the role grace plays (or should play) in every day of my life--timely lessons for vacation with family...  

Vacation Reading

I love vacation reading.  Especially when the vacation involves the beach.  Coming home with books filled with sand and pages slightly damaged from being thrown in a beach bag with wet towels is my favorite.  

On my very first trip to Kauai with my husband's family I took Life of Pi.  I remember coming home and missing the tranquility of beach days and just flipping through the pages of that book, the texture taking me back.  

Over the course of the last 11 years we had four kids.  They changed our beach trips dramatically.  Gone were the days of actually reading on the beach or even having enough energy to stay up and read in bed.  I still lugged multiple books across the country but I barely cracked even one while we were away.

This year, all of my kids can swim.  They all play pretty well together and with their cousins.  We won't be telling anyone to stop eating sand (I hope) and there will be no rushing to the car to take care of a messy diaper.  This year, I will read on the beach.  

I'm still not done with Shogun yet.  But I'm getting closer.  In the next week I will make a big push to finish it up but if I'm not finished before we leave I may leave it at home.  I like the idea of starting and finishing at least one book while I'm away.  

On my packing list are:
The Boys in the Boat
Paper Towns (for my other blog, because I have seen so many tweens reading it)
As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust

What are you taking on vacation?  What should I add to my list?

The Interestings

I took a break from Shogun to read The Interestings.  It was this month's book club pick.  I was excited because I had seen the recognizable cover at bookstores and libraries over the last two years.  

It has a rainbow cover, it has to be good!

I was not a fan.  Well, I wasn't, and then I was, and then I wasn't again.  

The Interestings follows a group of teenagers who connect at a summer camp.  It tracks their lives, success and failures, loves and hates, until they are in their fifties.  While some are able to make their fortune in their creative pursuits, others give up their dreams and find a more economically feasible way to make a living.  

At first, I wasn't a fan because it reminded me of The Secret History but sloppier.  A group of kids unites and forms a bond that transcends time.  But these kids were so self absorbed.  The dialogue wasn't particularly well done--they either seemed vapid or would say things that were wise beyond their years.  

The shining part of this novel is the discussion on art.  It looks at the way kids are raised to believe they are talented and creative.  And the truth is, not everyone is, and very few can build a career around the arts.  I enjoyed thinking through the idea of the force of culture and age on one's art.  Is art only about our passion or is it also dependent on what other people need?  How does money change art and one's relationship to art?  

As the characters age, the dialogue continues to feel forced.  I often looked up from the book feeling disconnected from the characters but understanding a message Wolitzer was trying to send me.  It was as though many personal essays were twisted and forced into the novel format.  

Here's an example:

"'When you have a child,' she'd recently said to Jules, "it's like right away there's this grandiose fantasy about who he'll become.  And then time goes on and a funnel appears.  And the child gets pushed through that funnel, and shaped by it, and narrowed a little bit.  So now you know he's not going to be an athlete.  And now you know he's not going to be a painter.  Now you know he's not going to be a linguist.  All these different possibilities fall away.  But with Mo, I've seen a lot of things fall away, really fast.  Maybe they'll be replaced by other things I can't even imagine now; I really don't know.  But I met this mother recently who said that she'd become so grateful that her child is high functioning.  She said she'd become proud of the term high functioning, as if it was the same as National Merit Scholar.'"

I can see what Wolitzer is saying about parenting and I don't disagree with it.  But, it doesn't feel like part of a conversation.  It feels like a monologue and a little more insightful than most chats with friends.  

Wolitzer jumps around between subjects and characters and at times it felt disjointed and hard to follow.  The plot was thin and it was more of a character study in characters who weren't really likable.  And, the ending seemed abrupt.  I don't need neat and tidy endings but the trajectory of these people's lives included so little joy it was depressing.  The main character never seemed satisfied in her marriage or career and even compared her daughter to her friends' daughter. 

Wolitzer's descriptions are good and I may try another one of her novels at some point in the future to give her another chance.   But now, I'm heading back into Shogun.

Shogun #2

I'm still not close to finishing this book.  I just passed the 400 page mark and got a bit discouraged.  As with any novel this long, there are parts that feel like a desert.  I remember reading Anna Karenina and thinking all that writing about Levin mowing was just put in there to test your mettle and see if you're worthy enough to finish such a long book.  I'm in a stretch like that right now and I'm waiting to see if I'm worthy.

For me, the boat information in Shogun is my challenge.  I have no idea what a "fore poop" is and I don't intend to learn.  I don't know my aft from my fore and it is making this part dry and boring.

Some people may see this as a chance to expand one's knowledge of boats and sailing.  Not me.  I just want to get through these parts to get back to the Japanese history (which I recently learned is mostly true, just with a few name changes) and the tension of foreigner in an unwelcoming land.

While I'm sure Shogun is an important read, I wouldn't say the writing is lovely.  It is well written but not beautifully written.  I don't find myself underlining passages or trying to work any passages into a facebook status update because of their deep meaning.

I read The Thornbirds earlier this year and I can see similarities between these two books (other than that Richard Chamberlain played the main character in the mini series).  Both authors tell a story well.  The characters are carefully crafted and dynamic and you learn something about the land in which the novel is set.  But neither book is a classic.  Maybe Shogun will change my mind sometime in the next 670 pages but I doubt it.

Shogun #1

Shogun is going to take me a while.  It's over a thousand pages and more than a little daunting.  I decided I need to break it up into a series of smaller posts.  Otherwise, you may never hear from me again until August.

My husband read this, years ago, and he suggested I read it too.  This is the copy he read.  I love that about saving books--when you read the exact same copy that someone else read you feel the history in it.  

This book appears to be a sweeping epic (that sounds a little phony but I think it applies here) about an Englishman who winds up in Japan during the early 1600s.

I am in the first two hundred pages and I've just started to really get into it.

The names are super complicated and there are lots of them.  I'm having a struggle figuring out who is who.  The first 50 pages are hard to get into...but that's not unusual.  And all the old Japanese customs and rules are a little daunting.  But, slowly, I'm adjusting.

Blackthorne is an English ship pilot working on a boat full of Dutch men.  He convinces them to sail past the Straits of Magellan and make an attempt at reaching Japan.  The guys who are left in his crew, after a very long trip, grudgingly go along.  Unfortunately, they get caught in a storm and don't land on Japan in the best circumstances.  

The Dutch crew serves as a chorus.  They emphasize themes and actions that are important for the reader to pay attention to.  Their names are also somewhat difficult.  

This certainly isn't high literature.  It is good story telling, though, and has it's value.  The historical aspects of this book make it worth taking a stab at...I have a feeling I will be well educated on the Samurai code by the time I'm through.  

Now, back to reading...

Summer Reading

This week at the library I picked up the kids's summer reading game boards.  They read some books, tear off a coupon, and are able to pick from such fabulous prizes as vials of slime or rubber ducks in rain coats.  They are thrilled and motivated to keep reading.  

While I was standing at the desk I noticed coupons for adults to turn in for each book that they read.  I grabbed a few to fill out and maybe fill out for my husband (who is on a reading roll).  Each coupon is entered in a drawing for various prizes.  I am usually incredible skeptical of drawings but recently a friend told me her son won an iPad in a drawing at his school.  Our luck has to hit sometime, right?  

I want to set a few reading goals for the summer to keep me motivated.  The more coupons, the better chance I have of winning a mountain bike or vitamix.  

The first thing I've done is pull a bunch of my friends from various circles into a book club.  Summer is usually a bad time for book clubs, but I figured, if we start now, at least I will have the pressure to finish whatever books are picked, even if I can't go to the meetings.  Brilliant.

Ambitious to say the least...

Next, I've gathered a bunch of books (grown up books and tween books for my other blog) that I want to read so I can just plow through them, without having to wait for new materials to come.  I mean, amazon prime shipping is such a nuisance ;).  I'm going to try not buying any books in July or August and just reading through the ones I've stacked up to get through this summer.  

Aside from book club, and Shogun (which my husband recommended to me), I will not be taking suggestions on what to read for the next two and a half months.  I get tangled up with books I'm not really that interested in because a friend passes me the novel they've just finished or insists I check out this life changing book they loved.  I enjoy reading what others suggest but usually the books I pick for me to read compel me to finish much quicker.  That being said, I am using this guideline to work through my books this year and it is kind of fun to try to find a way to fit a book into this list.   

Finally, I am being practical and making a flexible daily schedule for summer since I will have four kids at home.  Part of this schedule will include DAILY reading time.  And I will force myself to read then too.  I try to read at the pool sometimes, we spend so much time there, but I usually wind up running into someone I know and then my book goes untouched.  

I'm excited about summer and hopeful that I will finish some great books and some books I've been meaning to read for a while.  How do you manage reading time during the summer months?  What books are on your 'to-read' list?  

Some Luck

June 10, 2015

I am 63% done with Some Luck (thank you good reads).  A friend gave it to me and said she had enjoyed it and so had her mom.  She explained that it gives a very accurate depiction of life in the midwest and is the first in a series of three.

I had been excited to read Jane Smiley.  She won a pulitzer for one of her works and wrote a book on one of my all time favorite authors.  I had never actually read any of her work but, I figured, this book was in front of me, it was a good place to start.

This is meant to be a family saga.  Clearly Smiley is prepared to go the distance with her characters.  Taking them from the early days of the twentieth century into modern history is a tall order and you must have a plan.

But I can't see her plan.  

It is frustrating to read characters who you don't particularly like and can't relate to.  But when the plot is quite dull it makes reading the book almost impossible.  

Lately I have been toying with the idea that perhaps Smiley is making a statement on the mundane nature of family life.  Or maybe life in the midwest is really that dull and the flat characters are a parallel to the flat landscape and the flat story line.  I think I may be giving Smiley too much credit though.

I will push on.  I will finish this.

Today I did read my favorite line, though.  And I believe it will prove to be my favorite line in the entire book.  "On a farm, you knew that you could die from anything, or you could survive anything.  'Why?' was a question that his relatives never asked--they just told the stories, clucked, shook their heads."  (page232)

It just perfectly captures farm life and how farmers cope with life and death.

June 15, 2015
I did it.  I finished Some Luck.  I certainly wouldn't recommend this book.  Well, unless you like long stretches of boring prose.  Or, if you really wanted to read about the mid west in the early to mid 1900's.  If you fell into one of those two groups, perhaps you should read this.  

The conclusion wasn't particularly different from the rest of the book, though I did find myself not as miserable as I had been in the first part of Some Luck.  Because I knew the characters after 300 pages, I was curious about how they would turn out.  Don't get me wrong, I wasn't rooting for anyone to be happy and well adjusted.  

One aspect of the last fourth of this book that I found somewhat interesting was the use of memories.  Occasionally, a character would reminisce about an episode that had happened earlier in the novel.  It rang very true of a family get-together and it's not something you read every day in a book.  I do believe it could have been done in a better way, maybe to reveal something (one character's fond memories are really torturing another character), but it did make me stop and think about the nature of holidays with big families.  

I doubt I will be reading the next book in the series that was recently released.  But, I am curious to see if others had the same experience as me with this book or if it just wasn't meant for me but is widely loved and adored.  

Everything I Never Told You

Do you ever have an experience where you keep seeing a book...on blogs, in your instagram feed, with random people at the park?

Well, this was my experience with Everything I Never Told You.  I checked it out of the library once and didn't even crack it open.  Then, a few weeks later, I kept seeing it all over the place.  I requested it from the library again and got to reading.  

Another experience that is all too common in my life is that I like to check out library books and return them unread or unfinished.  I have a few, rare exceptions (The Flavia DeLuce Series) but I always over-borrow from the library.  Surely, I'm not alone in this.  

However, this time I was resolved to complete this book.  

I did it.

I can see why this book is so popular.  The story is captivating and combines mystery with family drama.  The prose is well written but not in your face.  Anyone who likes a good mystery could enjoy this read, and those looking a little deeper at the text will find some interesting techniques.  For example, in multiple places, Ng used a word in close proximity with two different meanings..."digit" as a finger and a number.  

The family drama was like watching a train wreck.  It seems many books are like that lately (The Girl on the Train).  There were times I just couldn't put it down and stayed up late reading so I could find out what would happen next, but it was also a little dark and pretty sad.  

I'm not sure if I would recommend it.  I mean, I enjoyed it.  And I wouldn't discourage someone from reading it.  Lately, I've been getting so many recommendations from friends and family that I've become a little more cautious in what I would tell you to read.  I think this would make for an excellent book club discussion (the lives people keep secret from their loved ones, how things get found out, etc...) but it likely won't be something I'm telling all my friends to go buy immediately.  

On my nightstand now:  Some Luck, Tatoos on the Heart, Shogun