New on my shelf

I bought several books over Thanksgiving break and one arrived by mail. Here's what I got:

The Book of Marvels: An Explorer's Miscellany by Mervyn Peake came from Hastings Books & Music in Conway, Arkansas. I love that store. It's been one of our "stop and stretch" points on the trip home to Oklahoma for well over a decade and I was especially excited to visit the store because I'm spending almost zero time in bookstores since the demise of Borders.

When I picked up this beautifully illustrated volume, I was immediately captured. It's subtitled, "An Explorer's Miscellany" for good reason. The writings look to be quite a hodge-podge with excerpts dating as far back as the writings of Herodotus. I'm going to really enjoy digging into this book.

Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake is a book I've read about, but I don't know where or when. I just recall reading about it and thinking, "Hmm, maybe someday." So, when I found a copy on a table full of remainders, I flipped through it. The writing looks a little intense, but sometimes I like a good challenge. We'll see how that goes, when I get around to reading.

As always, I read a few random passages. The beginning looked particularly daunting, but the language is lovely. When I returned home, I discovered why the opening seems a little confusing. Gormenghast is the second book in a series. I'll need to find a copy of Titus Groan, the first book. Reading the first book will likely make sense of the foggy beginning. I read a trade publication description in which it's referred to as a "gothic masterpiece" and elsewhere I've seen the word "fantasy" bandied about. Gormenghast is a crumbling castle; Titus Groan its owner. I'm intrigued.

The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano has been on my mental wish list for a while -- not a physical wish list, but I have a couple trusted blogger friends who read and enjoyed the book, so the idea of finding a copy has been lurking in the aging neurons. Sounds like it's about two fish out of water who try to get together (romantically speaking) and find that loners don't necessarily work well in a relationship.

While searching for a cover image, I discovered that there is a movie version of The Solitude of Prime Numbers. I'll have to look into that. Has anyone seen it? Near as I can tell, it's an Italian film and possibly the artsy type that a lot of people don't like. I tend to really like foreign flicks because they're so much less predictable and far more interesting than the standard Hollywood fare but we don't get them, here. I don't actually know anyone who is partial to foreign films (except for my eldest son, who hasn't mentioned it) so I don't know whether it was well received by its intended audience.

Edward S. Curtis: Coming to Light by Anne Makepeace has been on my PaperbackSwap wish list since . . . um, 2006? Maybe 2007. I recently considered dropping it off my wish list to open up a slot because I was starting to think it was never going to be listed. But, just before we left for Tulsa, a copy became available and it arrived while we were away.

At any rate, I'm very excited to finally acquire a copy of Coming to Light. It's a National Geographic book, large but not coffee-table huge -- just big enough that some of the more detailed photographs, at about 8" x 10", are satisfying. There's plenty of text, as well. I've desired to read more about Curtis, the man who became obsessed with photographing Native Americans before their traditions completely disappeared, since I read a fictional account of his life. I didn't realize he'd altered some photos and reused certain costumes when photographing men from different tribes; I learned that much just in perusing the book after we arrived home, yesterday. I have a feeling I'm really going to enjoy this book!

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Paris Was Ours, ed. by Penelope Rowlands

Paris Was Ours: 32 Writers Reflect on the City of Light

Ed. by Penelope Rowlands

Copyright 2011
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill - Nonfiction

279 pages

Even if it wasn't misty or if the sycamores didn't quite line up perfectly, you'd imagine that they did. It's so synesthetic, that part of the world. That wet air carries everything with it. Those places are so humid and damp and all the antiquity lingers in the air.

--from "Montparnasse and Beyond" by Richard Armstrong, p. 180 of Paris Was Ours

I received a finished copy of Paris Was Ours in a surprise package from Algonquin Books and you should have heard the squeal. It just happens to be one of the books that most interested me from their catalogue, but I wasn't going to request anything from Algonquin simply because I've got enough advanced readers to carry me through till at least April. But, Paris! I've only been there briefly but the idea of Paris still entrances me and the memory of how it goes from dull and gray when overcast to sparkling and golden when the sun emerges has remained with me. I carried Paris Was Ours straight to my reading spot and started reading the essays the evening the book showed up.

Michael of Algonquin's marketing describes Paris Was Ours as "a delicious treat for the armchair traveler," and that's an apt description, in my humble opinion. Thirty-two essays cover the same ground from a wide variety of different perspectives but there are vast differences in experience along with some telling crossover. Many of the essayists mention the immaculate gardens upon which even adults are not allowed to set foot. No playing frisbee or lounging in the grass is allowed. Even a foot placed on the delicate turf will result in a fierce, "You should know better," whether one is a toddler or a 40-year-old.

Children do have their play areas, however. In Janine Di Giovanni's essay, she writes a friend's thoughts:

"Children in France are seen but not heard," says one American friend, Katherine, who is a mother of two. "Except on the playground, where the parents don't get involved and then it becomes Lord of the Flies."

--from "Parenting, French-Style" by Janine Di Giovanni, p. 94 of Paris Was Ours

Let me skip ahead to what I liked and disliked about the book before sharing a lengthy quote that I think is amazing but also gives slight evidence of one of the book's troublesome aspects.

What I loved about Paris Was Ours:

I absolutely adored the learning experience of reading about the French culture as written by a large number of people who have lived in Paris or still do. I can honestly say I never really understood the French. I found my own experience was 50-50 on the friendly scale. When I purchased a little silver Eiffel Tower charm from an elderly man in Montmartre, he spoke in careful English and even wrote the number of francs on one palm with the finger of his opposite hand. What a sweetheart!

But, we had one of those French waiters . . . the famously snobbish fellows who refuse to listen to garbled English-French, a man who actually slammed our plates onto the table. Their attitude -- both the kinder French and the snobs in restaurants -- are described in depth and their motivations explained from a variety of angles that truly make sense of the culture, the personalities, the differences in the way women look and men treat them, how their children are brought up. The word pictures painted by essayists in Paris Was Ours give readers a surprisingly three-dimensional view of a lifestyle and culture.

What I disliked about Paris Was Ours:

I had two problems with the book and I thought they were minor but worth mentioning. One is that the essays often lack context. For example, "Montparnasse and Beyond" by Richard Armstrong begins:

I had an instantaneous connection to Paris. --p. 78

My first thought when I read each of the essays was always, "Okay, I wonder when this person lived in Paris." Paris of the Sixties may have been very different from Paris of the Nineties, so I thought that was important information. Sometimes the time period is mentioned, sometimes it's not -- often you're well into an essay before the time period is revealed. There are brief bios of each of the authors in the back of the book. I would have liked to see those bios on a separate page preceding each essay, complete with dates to give each essay context.

The other problem I had was that most of the essays were peppered with French expressions but there is no glossary. For those who know French well, that's likely not a problem. But, I had junior high and high school French -- only enough to translate the easy words like "fromage" and "patisserie" that probably everyone knows. A glossary would have been very, very helpful. Eventually, I began marking words to look up, but there were so many of them that I should have just kept a laptop nearby, for translating purposes.

The lack of a glossary, however, was not enough to put off this reader. Note how much you can learn from this simple passage:

The French have such an attractive civilization, dedicated to calm pleasures and general tolerance, and their taste in every domain is so sharp, so sure, that the foreigner (especially someone from chaotic, confused America) is quickly seduced into believing that if he can only become a Parisian he will at last master the art of living. Paris intimidates its visitors when it doesn't infuriate them, but behind both sentiments dwells a sneaking suspicion that maybe the French have got it right, that they have located the just milieu and that their particular blend of artistic modishness and cultural conservatism, of welfare-statism and intense individualism, of clear-eyed realism and sappy romanticism -- that these proportions are wise, time-tested, and as indisputable as they are subtle.

If so, then why is the flâneur so lonely? So sad? Why is there such an elegiac feeling hanging over this city with the gilded cupola gleaming above the Emperor's tomb and the foaming, wild horses prancing out of a sea of verdigris on the roof of the Grand Palais?

--from "A Mild Hell" by Edmund White, p. 205 of Paris Was Ours

I looked up several words from that passage (apologies for the change of text size, which Blogger is not allowing me to fix, for some unknown reason):

just milieu - (definition from Wordnik)

–noun
1. The true mean; a just medium or balance between extremes; specifically, judicious moderation, as between extremes of opinion or conduct: defined as a political term by Montesquieu, but first brought into common use by Louis Philippe in 1831 in characterizing his own system of government.

Flâneur (from Wikipedia)

The term flâneur comes from the French masculine noun flâneur—which has the basic meanings of "stroller", "lounger", "saunterer", "loafer"—which itself comes from the French verb flâner, which means "to stroll". Charles Baudelaire developed a derived meaning of flâneur—that of "a person who walks the city in order to experience it".

elegiac (from my handy dandy American Heritage Dictionary) - (adj.)

1. Of or relating to an elegy (a mournful poem or song, especially one mourning a dead person).

2. Expressing sorrow, mournful.

I should have know that one. *headdesk*

The bottom line:

I loved Paris Was Ours. I felt transported to Paris, where a culture that's always perplexed me (as I have French roots, I really desire to understand the French) was explained with flair and erudition. A glossary of French terms and a little better context in the form of a lengthier bio placed just before each writing would have been helpful for the reading of most of the essays -- some authors did translate French expressions, but most did not.

Highly recommended for all readers but particularly for those who have a fascination with France in general or Paris in particular, or the armchair traveler who loves learning about other cultures. I'm going to loan this book to my son, who spent several weeks in France and will undoubtedly enjoy Paris Was Ours. I intend to reread it, eventually -- next time, with a French dictionary or a computer handy.

Some favorites:

I loved Jeremy Mercer's essay, "My Bookstore High", an excerpt from his book Time Was Soft There, about the time he spent living in Shakespeare and Company. Judith Warner's "Toward a Politics of Quality of Life," is a fascinating comparison of American feminism vs. the kittenish, pouty feminism of the French that I think would be of particular interest to those who are participating in challenges involving feminist issues.

There are several essays in which the acceptance of sexual orientation is mentioned but I didn't mark them. However, I was particularly interested by a comment that if a gay couple is invited to a party in New York, someone will seek them out to reassure them that they're very welcome, while in Paris the same couple will find themselves treated like everyone else, their orientation accepted to the point of being nothing of any interest.

I found Stacy Schiff's essay, "In Franklin's Footsteps" amusing and informative. And, I kept thinking to myself, "Stacy Schiff, Stacy Schiff. Where have I heard that name?" I looked her up and discovered that I have her biography of Antoine Saint-Exupery. It just happened to be sitting in a prominent place in the den because I pulled it off a shelf and set it aside, thinking, "I've got to read this one!" while cleaning some shelves, about two weeks ago.

Gushy thanks to Michael of Algonquin Books for the copy of Paris Was Ours.

Tomorrow I'll review Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox by Susan Blackaby, another surprise book, this time from Sterling Kids. It's a book that I love so much I fear my cats are going to get sick of it, sometime soon. Well, I have to read it to someone!

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Armchair BEA - Blast from the Past

Since I'm stuck at home during the week of Book Expo America, when Bookblogville becomes eerily quiet, I figured it would be fun to participate in the Armchair BEA adventure. Do not ask me why the above image is so large. I can't figure it out. Must be a Blogial Anomaly.

Blast from the Past, aka "Books I Fell in Love With, Way Back in the Time of Dinosaurs":

Jiggers by Joy Muchmore Lacey is the first book I remember falling in love with, the story of a cute little puppy who goes missing. I remember the puppy bounding happily through the snow and into the little girl's arms at the end. I thought that little girl looked a lot like me (substitute bright blonde hair for the reddish-blonde) at the time. 1963 is the date of publication. Wow, that was a long time ago. My original copy probably went into one of my mother's infamous bi-annual garage sales, but Huzzybuns bought me a copy off eBay, a few years ago. He got something on the order of 50,000 brownie points for buying that little gem. It's still in the plastic bag. It's so special I haven't yet touched it, apart from a single reading when it arrived.

In The Trouble with Jenny's Ear by Oliver Butterworth, young Jenny develops the ability to overhear the thoughts of people around her. I don't actually remember this book as well as I used to, but I happened across a copy of it in the library sale, a couple years ago, and snapped it up. I remember thinking it was funny and trying to will myself to hear the thoughts of the people around me (#fail). I'm almost positive I checked the book out from my library more than once, but other than that . . . . I really don't remember much. It seems like Jenny is due for a reread.

Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier

When I was in my early twenties, it occurred to me that it was about time I caught up on all the classics I'd missed out on reading because I chose to substitute other courses in high school and college for the typical lit courses (Journalism, Writing About Film and The Geography of Music . . . all were valid substitutes for English Lit, which I'm pretty sure I feared). To that end, I went shopping at a small local store and found this "classic tale of romantic suspense". I recall sitting on the porch outside our apartment, practically inhaling the book while my eldest son was in kindergarten. Could. Not. Put. Down. Is it a true "classic" of literature? I'm not certain. But, Rebecca was most definitely an excellent starting point for leaping into the classics.

Désirée by Anne-Marie Selinko is a book I snitched off my mother's shelves when I was in junior high. Désirée is the story of Désirée Eugenie Clary, Napoleon's first love. I'm not certain, but I think Désirée may have been my first foray into historical fiction and I loved it so much that I eventually walked off with my mother's copy, bought three more copies and gave two to friends. My mother eventually said she didn't mind that I'd kept her copy. I assume that's because I read it repeatedly (had it not been read regularly by someone, it likely would have gone into one of the infamous bi-annual garage sales). Désirée is one of the most re-read books I own.

A few other books that encouraged my early love of reading (in no particular order):

The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (père)

Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman

Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster, Where Are the Children? by Mary Higgins-Clark, and A Separate Peace by John Knowles (all borrowed from my sister's shelf during our school years)

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett - Also due for a reread. I'm careful with my books, but I've nearly read my childhood copy of A Little Princess to tattered shreds.

My thanks to Book-a-rama Chris (whom I mentally call "Chris-a-rama") for drawing my attention to the Armchair BEA posts with her hilarious fantasy panel post, "I See Dead People".

Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain - unabridged classic, illustrated by Robert Ingpen - Book #5 for Children's Day

I haven't managed to read Tom Sawyer, yet, but since this gorgeous new copy illustrated by Robert Ingpen is available and I adore Ingpen's illustrations, I think it's worth going ahead and mentioning it.

Sterling Publishing has a series of unabridged classics illustrated by Ingpen and they are just breathtaking. Ingpen's soft, gloriously detailed illustrations make the book inviting and the books are unabridged, so there's no skimping on the story.

You can find the book at Sterling's website (also a good excuse to peruse their catalog) and I'm sure it's available via Amazon and the other online biggies. I plan to read the book as soon as possible and, hopefully, I'll acquire some more images of the illustrations before I do. In the meantime, I can tell you I think this series is so beautifully illustrated that they're worth collecting.

This is Book #5 for Children's Day. I think I've had enough of sitting, for now, so I'll stop here. Happy Monday!

Tuesday Twaddle - in which the entire family becomes crazed and eats yarn

Okay, just one of us ate yarn but we were all pretty crazed, this weekend.

There hasn't been a great deal of posting going on around here because I was sidelined by an 8- or 9-day migraine (I lost count) that went through the weekend. Layered over that bit of joy was some teen angst as the Kiddo helped his father do yardwork and came down with a raging case of poison ivy. He overslept the Saturday clinic hours and even our insurance company, with a toll-free hotline and a book-sized list of preferred and non-preferred providers could not find a single clinic open on Sunday -- including within the Jackson metropolitan area (the Big City).

Call us the House of Whine. I slathered the Kiddo with some old prescription-strength cortisone that I happened across, doped him with benadryl and we all piled in the car to go to Jackson for a distraction because even the on-call doctor had told the messaging service not to accept anything but "serious emergency calls", meaning, "Have him meet me at the hospital"-type calls. Sheesh.

These books just came in the mail, which helped to assuage the misery of coming off the weekend -- seriously, we're still working on calming down. Especially the cat.

Top to bottom:

Keeper - Kathi Appelt

She's So Dead to Us - Kieran Scott

The Blue Orchard - Jackson Taylor

The Finishing Touches - Hester Browne

Shadow Princess - Indu Sundaresan (all 5 appear to be from Simon & Schuster, if the cat and I did a halfway decent job of reading -- and sniffing - the envelopes)

Jane's Fame - Claire Harman (from Henry Holt)

Argh, stupid blogger spacing. I didn't intend to skip lines, there. Grrr.

Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden (from Lisa at Books on the Brain) showed up shortly after that stack. And, I got a little pile from a wonderful blogging buddy whose enthusiasm makes me look like I've been dipped in blue funk. They included:

Benny and Shrimp - Katarina Mazetti

Green Grass, Running Water - Thomas King

Should I admit that as soon as the big pile of books arrived, I promptly spilled my drink and had to blow-dry my copy of Keeper? No, probably not. Hmm, the floor still feels a bit sticky, too. Better fix that.

Since that migraine lasted nearly all last week, I only managed to finish a single book (not including the children's books I reviewed -- all of which I've read at least twice) and that was The Lotus Eaters. Since I reviewed it, I'm only two book reviews behind.

Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School by Andrew Clements is one. In fact, let's just get this over with, shall we?

Subtitled, "We the Children", Benj. Pratt, etc. is the first in a series for middle readers. Ben is thrust into a mystery when the school janitor hands Ben a special coin whilst having a medical crisis and then the janitor is hauled off to the hospital, where he dies. A developer has his sights on the school's prime waterfront property and plans to tear it down, but there are secrets in the school and Ben is the new keeper. He and his best friend must unravel the mystery while he deals with trouble on the home front (parents who have separated; spending time in two different homes).

What I loved: The story is adventurous, gripping, clever and fun. Benjamin's best friend is a girl and she's really the brainy one.

What I disliked: It's one of those books that just ends abruptly, apparently as a lure to continue the series. I hate it when a book doesn't end. It's not necessary to torment people to get them to purchase a second book. Also, there's a good bit of throwing up -- it can be gross, at times. I just ignored that.

I'd rate it a 4.5/5 for the storyline (ignoring the yucky bits) and 2/5 for annoying non-ending, which probably averages out to about 3.5 and gives you an idea how messed up a week of migraine can make a girl. Let's call it a 4/5. It was fun, after all, and clever.

Just finished:

Flyaway by Suzie Gilbert - the memoir of a wildlife rehabber who specialized only in birds and nearly worked herself to pieces. That will be next because I must post tomorrow for a book tour (and it was fabulous, so I hope I'll do a good job of describing it), but then I'll backtrack and review . . .

Postcards from a Dead Girl by Kirk Farber - One of the most entertaining, touching, quirky, funny, delightful books I've read in 2010. The author has agreed to do a guest post for my blog because I told him how much I loved his book and he's a nice guy, so that will probably show up Friday. Maybe Saturday because I have some really good potential Fiona Friday pics.

I think that's all, for now. I really do have to work on the sticky spot that keeps grabbing my socks and then I have to hop on the treadmill because I've been bad and it shows. Happy Tuesday!

Ransome's Honor by Kaye Dacus (DNF)

Ransome's Honor by Kaye Dacus

Copyright 2009

Harvest House Publishers - Historical Fiction/Romance

Author's Website

DNF

I feel bad about setting this book aside because the plot sounds so intriguing but I managed only a handful of pages. At that point, I realized that Ransome's Honor is the victim of bad timing. I've recently read two Georgette Heyer novels and I'm simply not in the mood for swishing skirts, delicate Regency manners, lords and ladies and romance. The storyline sounds so good, though! I know I'll want to read it, eventually.

From the cover:

When Julia Witherington doesn't receive the proposal for marriage she expects from William Ransome, she determines to never forgive him. They go their separate ways--she returns to her family's Caribbean plantation and he returns to the Royal Navy.

Now, twelve years later, Julia is about to receive a substantial inheritance, including her beloved plantation. When unscrupulous relatives try to gain the inheritance by forcing her into a marriage, she turns to the only eligible man to whom her father, Admiral Sir Edward Witherington, will not object--his most trusted captain and the man who broke her heat, William Ransome. Julia offers William her thirty-thousand-pound dowry to feign marriage for one year, but then something she could never have imagined happens: she starts to fall in love with him again.

Can two people overcome their hurt, reconcile their conflicting desires and find a way to be happy together? Duty and honor, faith and love are intertwined in this intriguing tale from the Regency era.

Doesn't that sound great? Ransome's Honor is the first book in a trilogy.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

Copyright 2009

Hyperion Voice

Fiction/Historical with paranormal and romantic elements

371 pages

Author's website

I love reading anything and everything about the Salem witch trials, so when I read the blurb about The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and its unique central question, I knew I had to read the book. What if at least one of those accused of witchcraft during the panic in Salem really was a witch?

Connie has just finished her doctoral defense and needs to prepare to do the research for her dissertation when she is given a task by her mother. Her grandmother's centuries-old house near Salem has been empty for many years, the taxes have gone unpaid, and Connie is the only one who can take on the chore of cleaning it out to prepare it for sale. During the cleaning process, she comes across an ancient Bible with a key inside and the words "Deliverance Dane". The house itself contains many mysteries. Connie decides she must find out who Deliverance Dane was and, in the process discovers that a "physick book", a book of medicinal recipes (possibly magical) is missing.

In Connie's time, it is 1991. She slowly uncovers the mystery and hypothesizes that maybe at least one of the victims of the panic in Salem did, in fact, practice magic. However, she must locate the book in order to prove her theory. Along with her work in uncovering the mystery, she finds herself falling in love. But, sinister things begin to occur and in order to save the man she loves, Connie must solve the mystery and learn to summon the magic of her ancestors.

Meanwhile, in alternating chapters, the tale of Deliverance Dane and her descendants is told alongside Connie's modern tale, beginning with Deliverance's presence during the death of a child she treated in 1691. The historical scenes are not told in chronological order, so there's a bit of jumping around, but the author is an historian and the detail is authentic and believable, the historical order easy to follow in spite of that jumping around in time.

When I first began reading The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, I was particularly captured by the opening historical scene and felt a little jarred when the book shifted to a more modern time period. I wasn't sure I wanted to read about Connie's life in academia and I thought that was where it was headed. We've sort of been there, done that with my husband, who has a doctorate in geotechnical engineering; and, Connie didn't immediately appeal to me. I actually set the book aside for a week or two, but then I picked it up and flipped through -- I hadn't bothered to check for the quantity of historical scenes; I'd just made the irrational assumption that the tale was going to focus on Connie, for some reason.

I'm so glad I returned to the book because it thoroughly captured me on the second attempt. Once Connie and her perky friend head up to find her grandmother's house, the story takes an interesting turn. The house is ancient and just reading the description made me want to take a jaunt to Salem to peruse the village and view the architecture. There were strange herbs in the yard and jars in the kitchen. Connie is a little too deliberately clueless, at first, but the book becomes more and more mesmerizing, magical and romantic the farther you read. I loved the story and that blend of love and magic. Connie gradually grew on me, I adored her romantic interest, and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane turned out to be one of my favorite books of the month, if not the year.

4.5/5 - Highly recommended. A unique twist on a horrifying yet fascinating part of American history, rendered with immense care in its historical detail and brim full of exciting plot points. History, magic, romance -- a phenomenal blend that made the book nearly impossible to put down. Unlike many books that lose their magic around halfway through, Physick becomes more intriguing the farther you get into it.

I only took off a half-point for that opening bit about Connie's defense, which might truly have just been a personal thing. To be honest, I always wanted to get a doctorate and do research, so I'm rather envious of my husband's higher education.

I sent myself another zoo photo to tide me over till I can delete some files. The meerkats were thriving in the Memphis heat. Here's one in a casual pose:

Happy Independence Day to the Americans (a day early)!!

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer

Originally Published 1940

Copyright 2009

Sourcebooks - Regency Historical Romance

261 pages

"I don't wish to say rude things about your friends, Richard, but it seems to me very wrong of him--most improper.

"Most," he agreed.

"Even dastardly!"

"I think we might call it dastardly."

"Well, that is what it seems to me. I see now that there is a great deal in what Aunt Almeria says. She considers that there are terrible pitfalls in Society."

Sir Richard shook his head sadly. "Alas, too true!"

"And vice," said Pen awfully. "Profligacy, and extravagance, you know."

"I know."

She picked up her knife and fork again. "It must be very exciting," she said enviously.

Sir Richard Wyndham has known for many years that eventually he would be expected to offer his hand in marriage to Melissa Brandon if he found no other woman who suited his fancy. The Brandons, including father Lord Saar, are friends but the entire family is spiraling into ruin. Wyndham is expected to rescue them and provide a decent husband for Melissa. Sir Richard dutifully traipses to her home and finds her attitude appalling. Her brother even tells him to run while he can. So, Sir Richard goes to his club and gets drunk. He feels as if he has no choice in the matter; and, though he'd prefer to find someone he loves and who has a sense of humor, he's already in his thirties. Women all seem oddly alike and stupendously dull. He might as well do the proper thing. At this point, the reader wants to shout at him to run, run while he can. Emotionally involving? Oh, yes.

Whilst walking home, Sir Richard comes across an interesting scene. Someone is climbing down a rope made from sheets. It appears to be a young boy, but when Richard comes to "his" aid and catches the boy, as his rope is too short, the truth becomes obvious. He has rescued a young lady in disguise. Penelope, nicknamed "Pen", is determined to escape the certain proposal of her cousin, who looks like a fish. Pen, a wealthy orphan, has decided that her best hope is to run to Somerset, where she will locate her childhood friend and marry him. They haven't spoken for five years, but they made a blood commitment to marry, someday.

Sir Richard sees an opportunity to escape marriage to a practical but humorless woman. He's drunk but cognisant enough to realize that the young girl needs a companion to see her to her destination. Thus begins a journey, with Pen in disguise as a young boy and Sir Richard posing as either uncle or tutor, depending on the moment. A disastrous ride by post, the robbery of a diamond necklace, a murder, and a charming friendship make for a fast-paced, delightful read.

Of course, with Georgette Heyer, you know from the outset who will fall in love and you're rooting for them, but she takes you on quite a wild ride in order to arrive at the expected happy ending. The characters are a well-rounded batch -- charming, effervescent young Pen, reliable and kind-hearted Sir Richard, a thief with an aversion to violence, a young couple having a clandestine meeting, the dissipated would-be brothers-in-law and a violent rogue.

4.5/5 - Sometimes-predictable, yet surprising; rolicking fun in the form of a Regency-style road trip with romance and intrigue, terrific characters and witty dialogue.

When I read my first Georgette Heyer novel, a couple of years ago, I thought the Regency lingo was going to kill me. Heyer did have a tendency to go overboard on the vernacular, in my humble opinion. You're left with a choice of attempting to learn the language with some sort of dictionary, trying to translate via context or just ignoring half the words in the book. I've been unable to locate a print Regency dictionary, but there are some excellent online resources:

Good Ton - A resource for readers of Regency romance novels and

The World of Georgette Heyer are both very helpful.

The Corinthian is really quite tame when compared to the other Heyer novels I've read, although there were a few decision-making moments. Get up to look up the lingo online? Stay in the comfy reading spot and figure it out? This time around, the vernacular was minimal enough that I decided to duke it out and remain propped against the pillows. There are even some very humorous scenes in which the thief translates his own lingo for young Pen, who can't make heads or tails of his speech but is too friendly not to speak to him at all.

Coming up:

An updated sidebar, I hope. But, I have some reading to do, first.

Photo-wise:

I'm currently unable to load fresh photos to Picasa, but I hope to amend that soon. I'd love to share some of the photos I took at the Memphis Zoo. It was hotter than hell, but we had a terrific time; and, I'm particularly fond of the polar bear and meerkat shots. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some of them, soon. In the meantime, you get a flower from Costa Rica because I don't believe I can tolerate another post without a photo. There. Have a flower.

Happy Canada Day to the Canadians!!

Rubber Side Down: The Biker Poet Anthology, Ed. by Jose (JoeGo) Gouveia

Rubber Side Down: The Biker Poet Anthology

Ed. by Jose (JoeGo) Gouveia

Copyright 2008

Archer Books - Poetry

195 pages, incl. photos

Poetry is an iffy thing with me because I know absolutely zippo about it. I just know what I like and what I don't. Most collections are a little of both -- love some, like some, a little falls flat. Even my favorites, like Pablo Neruda, sometimes leave me thinking, "Nyeh," to one poem and, "Wow, wow, wow," to another. Pablo leans heavily toward the wow side.

Rubber Side Down is, in my humble opinion, better than average because it gives those of us who aren't a part of this unique culture a peek into the joy of their somewhat rebellious lifestyle. I can't even balance on a scooter, so motorized biking is certainly not my thing, but it didn't matter one whit. You should see the number of little Post-its sticking out of my copy. I really enjoyed this book. It's an anthology by a variety of authors, so there's a good mix of serious and funny, breezy and deep. I was particularly fond of some of the funnier poems and those that tell a story. Sometimes, the language alone made me smile.

I get in one last, quick ride

Before the hinting tumult of clouds coalesce

Into the thunder light show and falling

Bucket cat dog pianos of rain.

--from "Weather & Other Maps" by J. Barrett (Bear) Wolf

Another favorite: "The Ballad of California Slim and Nightstick Jim" by J. H. "Colorado T." Sky tells the story of a biker and a highway patrolman who are at odds until they decide to race in order to determine who gets his way -- a biker who wants to drive at his own speed or the patrolman who wants to give him a ticket. The highway patrolman, Nightstick Jim, wrecks his car and the biker, California Slim, must decide whether or not to save his nemesis before the car bursts into flames.

"Wondering Aloud: Several Haiku" by Wu Hai "Woo Wu" Tien contains this little gem that can't help but make you smile:

truth, punctuating

with comma fangs, will bite you

in the asterix

"Biker poetry is more . . . " by MarySusan Williams-Migneault beautifully puts the experience into words (excerpt only):

Biker Poetry is the engine firing up

blasting across the horizon

stretching out before you waiting.

It is the gravel in your pores

the bugs up your nose

the rain scraping your skin

as it whizzes across your face

the sun setting while the engine cools

and you sit staring out a diner window--

admiring your steel pony while breaking bread

with your Biker brothes and sisters

Biker Poetry is the break . . .

the soul . . . of a spirit

that chases after the wind

and calls the "Road" home.

Cool. So, the experience itself is poetry.

4/5 - Very good, a really terrific mix. Some of the poems didn't do much for me, but the vast majority are just wonderful -- like the gift of a translator, explaining the foreign language of another world.

Thanks to Lisa Roe, publicist extraordinaire, for the review copy!

And, while we're on the topic of poetry, I Did Not Finish a very slim poetry book that I attempted to read, earlier this year. Of Dreams and Realities by Dr. Frank L. Johnson is described as, "A collection of poems about real life situations, fantasies and inspirations." Only 39 pages long, but I found the poetry far too rhythmic and . . . I guess predictable in that you can read one line and automatically know the rhyming word the next will have as its ending. The cover is absolutely beautiful, but the image I saved is corrupt so you'll just have to trust me on that.

Just finished:

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer - and, unfortunately, it kept me up till the wee hours of the morning, so I'm in agony with a reading hangover. Ouch, ouch, ouchy ouch.

Note to Borders:

Those 40% off a single book coupons work. Another ouch -- a hit on the bank account. I bought only Young Adult novels, yesterday . . .

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The King's Fifth by Scott O'Dell and

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

City of Bones caught the kiddo's interest so he also, unfortunately, stayed up late reading. He's already halfway into the book. At least he managed to go to bed before I did. I wish I read as fast as my son.

Next reviews will be The Unit, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and The Corinthian -- in no particular order. I have only one tour book, this week, and I could not finish it because the writing was too good -- too painful to read a book that begins with grief during a week that contains Father's Day, which I never handle particularly well (the protagonist is widowed), but I'll post the sneak peek chapter.

Off the top of my head, the only photo I can recall with a two-wheeled motorized vehicle, from my files (taken in Costa Rica):

Love that hat. Off to stick my sore head on a pillow. Happy Monday!

Tuck by Stephen R. Lawhead

Tuck by Stephen R. Lawhead
Copyright 2009
Thomas Nelson - Historical Fiction
464 pages
DNF

Tuck was a Did Not Finish book for me, but -- this is a big "but" -- the writing is fabulous. The third book in a series about Robin Hood's little band begins with the group walking together on open road. Friar Tuck notices movement in the trees and guesses that an attack is imminent. What follows is a massively entertaining action scene. Check out the sneak peek post, below, if you'd like to dip in and judge the writing for yourself.

Unfortunately, I felt like I was thrown into the middle of the story without a decent context so in spite of the fact that I loved the atmosphere, the writing and the characters, I chose to abandon the book, for now. Sometimes starting in the middle of a series works for me and sometimes it doesn't. I've added the first two books in the series to my wish list and will read them when I acquire the two books, then I'll return to Tuck. In fact, I'm so fond of the writing that I'd like to read everything this author has written, even though I haven't finished the novel.

Wouldn't you know, my library doesn't carry a single one of his titles? It may take me some time to acquire them but based on the first 3-4 chapters, I would definitely encourage anyone who is interested in historical fiction, retellings of legend or the story of Robin Hood to read the free chapter and start from the beginning if your interest is piqued. The first book in the series is Hood and the second is Scarlet.

Note: I somehow messed up the HTML for the sneak peek post and the free chapter was not showing up, earlier. I've just fixed it, so check back if you looked for the chapter and found just a photo of two book covers.

2008 Reading Year in Review

If you'd like to read about past reading/blogging years, you can check them out, here:

2007
2006

I tend to overlook a book or two, when flipping through lists, so don't be surprised if there are red-highlighted additions, in a few days.

Number of books read in 2008: 142 (this beats my previous high of 128)

Total pages read: 36,564

Average book length: 257 pages

Longest book read in 2008 (a three-way tie, all at 530 pages):
A Fraction of the Whole - Steve Tolz
An Irish Country Doctor - Patrick Taylor
The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick

Shortest book read in 2008 (not counting books for children):

Facts the Historians Leave Out: A Confederate Primer - John S. Stilley at 76 pages

Fiction reads: 93

Favorite fiction: Argh! So hard! I loved the following:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie

An Abundance of Katherines & Looking for Alaska - John Green
The Bleeding Dusk & When Twilight Burns - Colleen Gleason

The Fabulous Saga of Alexandar Botts and the Earthworm Tractor - William Hazlett Upson

Human Voices - Penelope Fitzgerald

Talk of the Town - Lisa Wingate

The Darcys and the Bingleys - Marsha Altman

Baby Shark's High Plains Redemption - Robert Fate

The Invention of Hugo Cabret - David Selznick

Non-fiction reads: 49

Favorite non-fiction:

The Olive Season - Carol Drinkwater

Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior - Ori & Rom Brafman

Letters of a Woman Homesteader - Elinore Pruitt Stewart

Legerdemain - James J. Heaphey

Will Storr vs. the Supernatural - Will Storr

Album of the Damned - Paul Garson

Sailing Around the World alone - Joshua Slocum

A Hawaiian Reader, Vol. 1 - Stroven & Day

Number of authors new to me: 116

Biggest smile-inducers:
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie

Letters of a Woman Homesteader - Elinore Pruitt Stewart

Getting Stoned with Savages - J. Maarten Troost

The Fabulous Saga of Alexander Botts, etc. - Wm. H. Upson

Human Voices - Penelope Lively

Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery

Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella

Talk of the Town - Lisa Wingate

The Darcys and the Bingleys - Marsha Altman

An Abundance of Katherines - John Green

Perfect on Paper - Maria Murnane

What can I say? I needed smiles . . . I found them.

Tear-jerkers:
Early Widow - Mary Jane Worden

Eleanor Rigby - Douglas Coupland (but it also made me smile)

Looking for Alaska - John Green

Blue Sky July - Nia Wyn

Mrs. Lieutenant - Phyllis Zimbler Miller

Nightmare-inducing (literally):
I don't remember any books that triggered nightmares, this year, although there usually are a few. Everything gives me nightmares.

Most awesome writing:
An Abundance of Katherines & Looking for Alaska - John Green

A Hawaiian Reader, Vol. 1 (a collection of writings about the Hawaiian Islands, mostly by well-known writers and beginning with Captain Cook - Mark Twain's stories, in particular, are hilarious)

A Fraction of the Whole - Steve Toltz

Most educational:

The Words of War - Donagh Bracken, when combined with The West Point Atlas of War: The Civil War

Authors I wish would hurry up and write more:
John Green
Hugh Laurie (still waiting, Hugh - come on, hurry up)
Patricia Wood

Simon Van Booy . . . I am eagerly awaiting his spring release

That's all, for now! I skipped a few categories from my 2006-7 format because I'm tired. I need rest. Nighty-night!

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green: mini-review and quotes

Because I loved the book so much I want to own it (like I need more books -- but this one's worth a few rereads) I've decided to share a handful of quotes from An Abundance of Katherines. It's a library check-out, so I don't feel obligated to review this one but it's such a fantastic book that I hate to just skip it entirely. So, before I return the book to the library, a brief descriptive blurb with a few quotes.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green is the story of Colin, a child prodigy who desperately wants to turn his prodigious young self into a grown-up genius. Dumped 19 times, each time by yet another girl by the name of Katherine, Colin is fed up and depressed. To cheer him up, Colin's goofy friend Hassan suggests a road trip. During quiet moments, Colin decides to work on a formula that will predict how long a relationship will last by graphing all of his Katherine break-ups. But, in the process he discovers a few surprising realities about the world and both Colin and Hassan learn some life-changing lessons.

I don't feel like I'm describing it well enough, actually. An Abundance of Katherines is hilarious. Okay, so on to the quotes.

Crying adds something: crying is you, plus tears. But the feeling Colin had was some horrible opposite of crying. It was you, minus something. He kept thinking about one word--forever--and felt the burning ache just beneath his rib cage.

It hurt like the worst a**-kicking he'd ever gotten. And he'd gotten plenty.

The moment Colin sat down, Hollis asked Hassan, "Would you like to say grace?"

"Sure thing." Hassan cleared his throat. "Bismallah." Then he picked up his fork.

"That's it?" Hollis wondered.

"That's it. We are terse people. Terse, and also hungry."

Colin had only been in a nursing home once. He and his dad drove to Peoria, Illinois, one weekend when Colin was eleven to visit Colin's great-great-aunt Esther, who was in a coma at the time and therefore not very good company.

Hassan laughed silently, and he seemed so amused by the situation that Colin felt okay laughing, too. "This is some fugging snow globe of a day," Hassan said. And then he raced forward about ten paces, cupped his hands over his mouth, and screamed, "I AM BREAKING UP WITH YOU!" Still, though, a goofy grin was on his face.

I loved this book. The characters are unusually three-dimensional, flawed, sensitive, funny, human -- just wonderful. I can't recommend it enough. Again, not for the pre-teens, but the teenagers and grown-ups who enjoy Young Adult books will love it.

A Brief Update and a Smooch

First the smooch.

Isn't that a sweet photo? I went for a drive out to the local prairie dog village and there are tons of youngsters. I'll have to go visit them, again. I could sit all day watching the kids play. Sending virtual hugs to all my blog buddies. I'm missing you!

And, an update:

Not that we're unusual in this, but we've had loads of storms and even a trip to Burger King has been a little difficult to squeeze in. Last time I was here (Saturday), the signal was hinky and I couldn't post a thing. Since I'm getting good work done at my mother's house, I'll probably be here another week and then I hope to get back to blog-hopping when I return home. I miss visiting everyone and reading your posts!!

Bookwise, I've finished the following:

Simple Genius - David Baldacci (audio - listened to it on the drive up) - found this one way over the top, but the author's notes at the end made sense of some of the historical background.

Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert - Loved it! The portion set in India bored me, at first, but I loved the way that section ended and enjoyed the final third. It ended up a big thumbs up, at least for me. I've noticed reviews on this one are quite polarized.

Overcoming Hurts and Anger - Dwight L. Carson, M.D. - This one came from a stack of books that I'm referring to as my mother's "angst pile". I read it out of curiosity but it was really fascinating and more about discovering how the reader can determine how s/he handles anger and what to change in order to handle daily hurts more effectively than about overcoming past hurts. I really enjoyed reading it and learned quite a bit about myself and my family.

Facts the Historians Leave Out: A Confederate Primer - John S. Tilley - Originally copyrighted in 1951, this one is from my mother's collection of history books. At only 76 pages, it was a very quick read and engrossing. I don't agree with everything Tilley said, but then there's a lot I don't know. It's basically a book that defends Southerners and describes the basis for Confederate secession and I found it very informative.

In the Land of Dreamy Dreams - Ellen Gilchrist - for the Southern Reading Challenge. The verdict: that new cover shown in my previous post is probably stock art and absolutely does not fit the book at all. Most of the stories are set in the South, all have at least a few Southern characters and there's only brief mention of a kimono in someone's closet -- no other Asian references. New Orleans and Mississippi are heavily featured and the stories are amazing. I'll try to do a full review of this one when I return home. It's a great book.

Return from Tomorrow - George Ritchie with Elizabeth Sherrill - Another book in the same vein as 90 Minutes in Heaven (published in 1978 -- the fact that the author's experience occurred during WWII makes the background alone worth the read) but a little harder to believe as the man claimed his spirit tried to travel to Richmond, Virginia and he realized he had left his body when he reached (of all places) Vicksburg, Mississippi. So, he turned around and floated back to where his body lay covered by a sheet . . . and then met up with Christ. I got a kick out of the Vicksburg portion, but I found myself struggling not to laugh or at least roll my eyes. Sorry.

Early Widow - Mary Jane Worden - Another book I read purely out of curiosity. My mother was widowed at 56 and I was so wrapped up in my own grief that I guess I just wanted to know what her side of losing my father was like. It was a heart-rending, grab-the-tissues book. But, it also spoke of healing as it was the journal of a young widow and each month brought progress in her healing and that of her children.

About to finish: The Queen of Sleepy Eye by Patti Hill

Not sure what I'm going to read next. I'm having fun digging through my mother's books. It's been a beautiful day, although it's clouding up, now. Here's a photo from my mother's garden, taken during a sunny break:

Wishing everyone sunny days and happy thoughts!

Little Bookfool on the Prairie