Don't You Forget About Me by Jancee Dunn and Two Belated Wahoos

Don't You Forget About Me by Jancee Dunn
Copyright 2008
Villard (Random House) Fiction
276 pages
Author's blog

On weekends, the bustling quotidian activities that move the day forward would slow and catch. I was steeped in lonesomeness. My pride wouldn't allow me to tell Ginny that I was foolishly, absurdly glad to go to sleep knowing that there were other people breathing quietly in a room down the hall.

What led you to pick up this book? I was in the mood for something light (but not painfully fluffy).

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending. Lillian Curtis has a great job as the producer of a talk show and a quiet stable marriage -- or so she thinks. Then, her husband drops a bombshell: he is bored and unhappy; the marriage is over. Shocked and suddenly lonely, her boss advises her to take time off and 38-year-old Lily moves into her parents' house when the lease on her apartment expires. Her high school reunion is coming up, so she immerses herself in memories and imagines herself hooking up with the popular boyfriend who disappeared from her life shortly after college began. But, as she closes herself up within her memories, Lily is also shutting out the truth of her past.

Will her high school reunion bring back happy days or simply force her to face up to adult life? Is it possible to heal old wounds and find a newer, better way to live life? And, what on earth happened to Christian, the handsome boyfriend who has been spotted in Paris and London?

What did you like most about the book? I loved the fact that the book was a fairly quick, light read without being completely meaningless. Sometimes the dialogue was a little lame and some of the reflections on the 80s were uncomfortable (it was just not my favorite decade), but I never felt bogged down. There was an underlying theme of facing the fact that life moves on, that growth and change are inevitable.

What did you think of the characters? I liked Lily a lot, primarily because she was a simple person who preferred to spend her time off in her pajamas or watching old movies with a friend (as opposed to partying). Her simple habits didn't make her uninteresting or unlikable. They just made her unique.

Why did every other person feel compelled to mention how busy and overbooked they were? And what could I possibly write? I keep idle with a full roster of daytime television, Internet surfing, and lingering visits to big-box stores to buy nothing in particular. Suddenly I turn around and it's dinnertime!

Share a favorite scene from the book: The Los Angeles Times review describes my favorite scene as just one "occasionally gimmicky contrivance". Oh, well, hmm. Actually, I thought it was rather delightful and funny when Lily called a catalog phone number to order a pair of green sweatpants (because she thought her parents wouldn't appreciate her habit of relaxing in her pajamas) and the sales representative ended up giving her useful advice. I did think it was odd when Lily called the same catalog in order to speak to Trish, once again, and managed to get in touch with the her immediately, without having to ask for her by name. But, the first of those advice scenes was such fun that I read it aloud to my husband. He liked it, too.

Recommended for those who are looking for a light, nostalgic (80s nostalgia, that is) read that is not totally fluffy, but is in some ways highly improbable. There were a few points at which I had a little difficulty with suspension of disbelief, but when I pick up a lighter book I'm usually willing to work at shutting off skepticism because I want a little vapid fun. I really enjoyed this read.

In general, I'd call the book "average to slightly above average compared to similar books". Definitely not a book to pick up when you're in the mood for deep thinking and beautiful word pictures, but great for a brain break.

I would have loved it if the author had elaborated on some of the characters' weird traits. For example, Lily's boss Vi mentioned Lily's special ability to sniff out minor scents and note that someone had, for example, bathed in lavender soap, eaten in a Chinese restaurant and then arranged some carnations (or, whatever). It would have been really fun if Dunn had expanded on that and had Lily noting that a friend had obviously changed a diaper before jumping on a plane and throwing on perfume at the last minute or sniffed out the lemon pledge and fabric softener scent clinging to her mother as she passed.

This is another good example of another character's oddities that I would have loved to hear more about:

Drew had a boundless trove of life rules, simple stratagems that he deemed necessary for happiness and that he was not shy in announcing. No "inspirational coach" movies, except on airplane flights longer than four hours. Never wait in line for breakfast; no exceptions. Baseball caps are for males under six years of age or over sixty-five. Do not date a woman who uses journal or dialogue as a verb. And no sandwiches at dinner ("There's a pathos to sandwiches at dinner. Lunch only").

Read another review, here (let me know if you've read this book and I'll add a link to your review):
Los Angeles Times

Squeeee! and Wahooooo! High school swim season has started and the kids were finally able to get to the pool, after a week of storms. I'm so glad to be back to watching the kiddo do this:

Also, wahoo! for my lovely book-gobbling friends, who got me through yet another really awful day of the sister's lunacy. You're my real sisters.

Just finished:

Get Smart: How e-mail can make or break your career And Your Organization by Mary Lynn Pulley and Jane Hilberry (it's a very quick read -- review forthcoming).

Happy Thursday!

When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason

When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason
Copyright 2008
Signet Eclipse Paranormal Romance
354 pages

[Max] must have understood her desire, for he glanced at Kritanu. "Would you care to surrender the blade to Victoria? I do believe she wishes to stab me." His smile was nothing more than a flash of teeth.

Kritanu relinquished his weapon and stepped back as Victoria hefted it in her hand. She was used to the shorter khadara knives, or a long slender epee. But this was a much more serious blade. Heavier, and it would move differently.

"Perhaps you'd best don some protection," she returned, slicing the blade experimentally in front of her, from shoulder to floor. She adjusted the angle of her wrist and felt the weapon balance more comfortably.

Max snorted. He riposted back at her with a deep swipe that stirred the air. "I look forward to fighting unfettered--for I have no reason to hold myself in check matched against you." He moved neatly to the side when she brought her blade up again, and the metal weapons smashed together.

All right! That's the kind of scene I gobble up. I can't help it; I'm a total fan of Colleen Gleason's writing. When Twilight Burns contains absolutely everything I love about The Gardella Vampire Chronicles -- the action, adventure, romance, swordplay, two hunky heroes and the feisty heroine. Regardless of how many times I say, "Vampires are not my thing," there doesn't seem to be anything Colleen can do to turn me off. There's violence, yes. And, there are a couple of graphic sex scenes. But, I adore the characters. I admire Victoria's strength and appreciate the way she shows her human side, worrying about whether she's made the right choices but willing to sacrifice her innermost desires to aid humanity. My heart thumps wildly over the dangerously moody Max and I drool at the thought of the always-slick Sebastian.

In the fourth installment of the series, the romantic aspect takes a turn that I'd hoped it would eventually take. Colleen has opened a separate site for discussion (apart from her regular blog entries) and I don't want to give anything away, but the danger from Victoria's experience at the end of The Bleeding Dusk has not passed completely and there is a new threat: vampires with access to a formula that allows them to stalk people in the full light of day. Enough said. You must read the series to appreciate it.

Thumbs, fingers and toes up. I cannot wait for the 5th book.

Other reviews (If you've written a review, let me know and I'll provide a link):

Carl's mini review and interview at Stainless Steel Droppings

Stuff as Dreams Are Made On

Why Women Shouldn't Marry by Cynthia S. and Hillary B. Smith

Why Women Shouldn't Marry: Being Single by Choice by Cynthia S. Smith & Hillary B. Smith
Copyright 2008 (updated from the 1988 edition)
Barricade Books/Nonfiction
214 pages

This particular book is obviously an odd choice for me, a woman who has been married for 26 years. I read it out of curiosity, more than for any other reason. The title implies that women should never marry, that staying single is the best option. But, the authors explain the title away:

When the first version of this book came out and was discussed on TV and radio shows, the inevitable interviewer-to-author question was: "Don't you believe in marriage? Your book tells women not to marry!"

The answer was: "This book does not tell women not to marry--but not to marry for the wrong reasons." [p. 22]

Occasionally, they do toss in a comment that supports that statement. But, in general, I found that the book discourages women from marriage, instead encouraging single women to give in to their paranoia about the little piece of paper that ties a man and a woman together legally. Some of the anecdotes are more than a little bit odd:

Vera was drawn to having affairs with married men because in doing so, she was only confirming her lack of respect for all men. In her view, their willingness to break nuptial vows only proved how untrustworthy, weak, and immoral they were.

She pointed out that she had never seen any happy marriages in her own family. Her aunt had married twice, both marriages ending badly. Her sister married a man twenty-five years her senior and was still together with him although Vera could not understand why. [p. 57]

Wait a minute! Just because Vera doesn't understand her sister's relationship doesn't mean it's automatically an unhappy relationship, does it? There are no actual supporting statements to that effect -- no quotes of angst from the sister. And, Vera has no respect for men or herself if she's the kind of person who chooses only to get involved with married men -- men who are both willing to break a vow and unavailable for permanent commitment. Immorality, in this case, is a two-way street. Are the authors saying it's better to have a series of flings than to marry a stable partner? If so, why? Is Vera happy or is she just an extremely confused woman? And, how about this woman:

She had a father who was never "there for us" and a mother who accepted the deprivation as women historically have done. She saw the marital male hierarchy of the dominant father and the subordinate wife, and the injustices imposed, and she feared that being married would make her view herself as one of those pathetic subservient wretches and would destroy her love for Paul and his for her.

"I meet women who think marriage gives them stability and reliability. I see it as doing just the opposite to me. It would make me shaky because I would lose confidence in myself and my own ability to make decisions." [p. 68]

That's interesting, but I think the quote reflects a particular woman's fears. I don't have a daughter, but if I did, I would advise her not to allow her fears to guide her. Confidence, self-assurance, ability to make decisions after weighing differing opinions . . . these things come from inside a person. Strength of character is always a positive. Marriage has not eroded my ability to make a decision, not one bit. I'm perfectly capable of making decisions and expressing myself. This comment, however, makes sense to me:

According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the definition of loneliness is "Dejected by the awareness of being alone." Thus it is a condition that is not a fact, but merely a personal reaction to the situation of singleness. It's not the presence of people that prevents loneliness; it's the presence of a sense of self-adequacy. [p. 75]

It's certainly true that you can be lonely in a crowd. Marriage does not guarantee the absence of loneliness in any woman's life.

If the objective of the book is to encourage women to make certain they enter into marriage vows for the right reasons or to teach women how to enjoy their decision to remain single, I believe the authors have fallen far short of the goal. Instead, they perpetuate the myth that a married woman must be, in some sense, subserviant or lacking in character.

Here, we get back into the bitter category:

After you've cooled down, had your drink and dinner, and feel like talking, that's when you get on the phone and chat with friends to your heart's content, without annoying interruptions demanding how much longer you intend to blab and snide allusions to the motormouth propensities of women. [p. 77]

I read the above quote to my husband, who has never made a snide remark about my talkative nature. If anything, he seems to find me entertaining. Hubby reminded me of one of his co-workers. She is an incredibly effervescent, chatty woman with a magnetic personality. And, her husband likes her that way.

"When we eat dinner together, he sits quietly. He's relaxed and happy. I can't imagine that he's ever said anything snide about the way she talks. He married her because he loves her personality."

Chapter 14 consists of a series of letters thanking the authors for helping them to understand and justify their life choices, so obviously this book has helped some women to feel better about their choice to remain single. I think one of the joys of our current time period is that women do have options. It's no longer consided unacceptable for a woman to remain single or, if married, childless. But, there are far too many angry, sad, neurotic women described in Why Women Shouldn't Marry. I was personally disappointed that the book was less objective than I'd hoped. Women of all ages do still struggle with lifetime decisions, and I believe that all women must support each other in positive ways rather than focusing on the negatives. Both marriage and the choice to remain single have their ups and downs.

Now, just ask some of my buddies about how I babble on about my husband's flaws. Okay, yes, I'm probably not the right one to speak. Here's an excellent statement from the book:

If you meet the man you see yourself spending your life with--go for it. It is up to you and you alone. It may or may not end up a mistake--there are no guarantees in life--but it will be your mistake. Remember, what we are saying is women should never marry for the wrong reasons, and therefore you should examine your motivations before you leap! [p. 83]

Absolutely. While I wouldn't highly recommend this book because I think there are far too many negative stories -- and the pitfalls of living without the legal benefits of marriage are not mentioned at all -- I wouldn't recommend against reading it, either. If it helps any woman feel better about her choice to remain single, I'm all for it. But, I didn't find it very objective, myself.

Coming up next: A review of When Twilight Burns. Had to toss this one in first, as I'd forgotten to put it on the "to be reviewed" pile and wanted to stick with the order in which I finished reading.

The Best of Robert Service (poetry) by Robert Service

The Best of Robert Service
Copyright 1940
Perigee Books/Poetry
212 pages

I'm going to keep this book review short because we've had storms and I've fallen far behind on basically everything except reading -- reviewing, life in general, possibly breathing in and out. Can't seem to get things right, this week. So, first and foremost . . . take a gander at Bob Service. Wow. Good-looking guy, eh?

And, the book? Way beyond my descriptive abilities, but I absolutely love Robert Service's poetry. He was, at turns, humorous and serious. His admiration for the raw beauty of the Canadian Yukon is reflected in his lovely wording. And, yet he also plainly had a respect for the dangerous forces of nature. He had strong morals and he found war distressing. At Wikipedia's entry on Robert Service, you can read that he was a conscientious objector during WWI, yet he did his part, driving an ambulance for the Canadian Red Cross.

Quite a bit of Service's poetry can be viewed online, so I'm going to save time and skip posting quotes, but here's a great site where you can view a number of his poems. My husband memorized and recited "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and "The Cremation of Sam McGee" during his school years and immensely enjoyed those particular school assignments. He can still recite most of both poems, and it was the husband who purchased our copy of The Best of Robert Service because of fond memories. I've never bothered to read the entire book, till now. Thanks to John, once again. The 2nd Canadian Book Challenge may turn out to be my best challenge, ever.

This was my 2nd book completed for the 2nd Canadian book Challenge.

Also finished:

When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason -- Loved it, of course! Review forthcoming.

I'll hold on the review of High Altitude Leadership, since I've discovered it's an October release. Hubby and I were both so eager to read it that we had two bookmarks in the book, at one point. One of the authors was quoted in an article about the recent K2 disaster, much to our relief (glad to know he wasn't among those involved because, among other reasons, it would have been a total bummer).

Hope everyone is having a fabulous reading week!

Belated Wahoos, July in Review, Pat's News and The UFO

Welcome to the Wahoo! for Things That Aren't Dead Issue! Because we've had a drought, this year, almost nothing in the garden survived and the critters are not as easy to spot. But, a few things are alive and I think they're worth celebrating.

#1 Wahoo! for my little moss rose (note that she's surrounded by some yucky brown stuff, yet still perseveres):

We interrupt this wahooful post for an exciting bit of information about Patricia Wood that should have been announced last week:

Lottery has been declared a semifinalist for the 2007 Cabell First Novelist Award! Wahoo for Pat!!! Note that she is in good company. The Ocean in the Closet was another of my my 2007 favorites and I'm sure most of you recognize at least a few more great titles.

#2 - Wahoo! for undead tomatoes. No, silly, they're not vampire tomatoes -- although they've got an odd, fang-like protrusion at the bottom. We won't theorize about that, right now.

The Emergency Wahoo Broadcast System sirens are going off, again. What now? Oh, another important announcement! The August issue of Estella's Revenge is available for your reading pleasure! Well, that is definitely important. We now return to our regularly scheduled wahoos.

#3 - Wahoo! for these hardy little ladies (impatiens)! They're sickly (note the spots on the leaves), but alive. Alive is good.

#4 - Wahoo! for the hydrangea that I had already mentally buried! It's back! There's not much there, and it probably won't bloom for a while, but . . . again . . . alive is good.


And, finally -- July Reading in Review:

1. In the Clearing - Robert Frost - Some annoying rhyme and rhythm, a few bits that made me laugh out loud, a little spiritual epiphany and one truly funny, opinionated free verse. Worth reading.

2. At Home in Mitford - Jan Karon - A fun romp around the village of Mitford with Father Tim, friends, neighbors and one hilarious, irreverent little sort-of-adopted boy.

3. The Questory of Root Karbunkulus - Kamilla Reid - Fun fantasy; a few too many creatures and some lame dialogue mixed in with some excellent weirdness and plucky adventure.

4. Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery - Can't believe I waited so long. Excellent! Canadian! Must read more!

5. Life as We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer - World ends, people die, winter is miserable. The writing was duller than expected but the storyline fascinated me. I love this kind of "what if?"

6. The Rabbit and the Snowman - Sally O. Lee - Pretty picture book with a story that I thought was sort of silly. But, Debi's kids loved the story and hated the illustrations. So there, grownups!

7. Legerdemain - James J. Heaphey - Real-life spy adventures set in 1950's Morocco. Loved it!

8. Will Storr vs. the Supernatural - Will Storr - Things that go bump in the night and breathe loudly nearby convince Will of their existence. Loads of fun daylight reading.

9. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - Amnesia's never been so fun.

10. What if . . . ? - Steven N. Lee - Taut action and suspense that didn't quite pull together but still made for thought-provoking reading.

11. Washington's Lady - Nancy Moser - Fictionalized account of Martha Washington's life. Loved it!

12. Queen of Babble - Meg Cabot - Fun character's jaunt to England and France to find romance, lose it, and find it again. But, she should have mentioned Zingerman's, since Lizzie was "from Ann Arbor". It's just not right not to mention Zingerman's.

13. Unnamed YA galley - Ouch. It's hard not to tell.

14. Down to a Sunless Sea - Mathias B. Freese - Thought-provoking, difficult reading (and kind of depressing) but worth the time. Should have gone on medication, first.

That's it! 14 books - 3803 pages worth. As of the end of July, I'd read 76 books - 18,702 pages. Not bad for a poky reader who had a couple of really awful months.

And, now, the answer to the UFO question . . . what was that weird black and white and red thing? Several of you are going to say, "I knew it!" The UFO was a red-headed woodpecker. Here he is, before he took flight:

Once you realize how vivid they are in flight, they're quite easy to spot in their natural habitat. Very wahooey. I love watching these guys. They're so pretty they almost don't look real.

One final wahoo: Wahoo! for surviving another year with Huzzybuns (and vice versa . . . not getting kicked out, or anything to that effect). Yesterday was our anniversary. 26 years without any serious spouse-inflicted injuries on either side! Would you believe I married at the age of 3? Pretending to be 29 gets harder every year.

Wishing you many wahoos!

Bookfool, 29 and then some

Matrimony by Joshua Henkin

Matrimony by Joshua Henkin

Copyright 2007
Pantheon Books/Fiction

291 pages

Author's website

Careful visiting Joshua Henkins' website. I got so caught up reading the author's bio and interview that I lost track of time and forgot I'm supposed to be writing a book review. Oopsy.

I read seemingly a zillion reviews of Matrimony before my own copy arrived; bloggers everywhere appear to enjoy it. Ask me if I agree with them. Go ahead, ask.

Yes. I truly enjoyed this book. And, I'm going to tell you why, you lucky devil. But, first the brief synopsis, which I've borrowed from Nat at In Spring it is the Dawn:

It is 1987, and Julian Wainwright, aspiring writer and Waspy son of New York City old money, meets beautiful, Jewish Mia Mendelsohn in the laundry room at Graymont College. So begins a love affair that, spurred on by family tragedy, will take Julian and Mia across the country and back, through several college towns, spanning twenty years.

Starting at the height of the Reagan era and ending in the new millennium, Matrimony is about love and friendship, about money and ambition, desire and tensions of faith. It asks what happens to a marriage when it is confronted by betrayal and the specter of mortality. What happens when people marry younger than they’d expected? Can love endure the passing of time?

Now, a confession. I am having a terrible time writing this review and I have no idea why. So, I'm going to ask myself some questions.

Me: What is it about the book that makes you say you "truly enjoyed" it?

Myself: I found the book difficult to put down. It's not gripping in a "things happen fast" way but in the opposite way. Matrimony is a relationship story, about Julian and Mia, their friend Carter, their families, and the challenges they face. I found it gripping because, in spite of the fact that Julian and Mia are really nothing at all like me, I could relate to many of their experiences and struggles -- early marriage, self-doubt and grief, in particular. Parts of the book take place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where my husband and I lived for a year. I enjoyed revisiting Ann Arbor as written by a man who really knew the city. And, Mia loses her mother to cancer, which I've just recently experienced.

Me: In what ways could you not relate to the characters?

Myself: Julian was spectacularly wealthy by birth. I assumed he was a trust fund baby and just had a pile his parents stuck in the bank because he always had access to money. That's foreign to me. I was reared by two of the biggest tightwads on the planet and money was something I earned or did without. When I was around 7, I grew pumpkins and dragged them around my neighborhood in a wagon, selling them for fifty cents a piece. I just couldn't relate to his financial freedom.

Julian decided to be a writer and his raison d'etre was all about writing the novel. I have never been able to imagine myself just going for the goal when it comes to writing. I'm still visualizing the "day job" I never got around to because I'm one of those weird 50's-mentality traditionalists who couldn't fathom leaving her children in someone else's care.

Mia -- not sure I ever fully understood her motives but her emotions in regard to her mother were all too familiar. This is exactly how I feel, right now, about my mother's house:

"You know what I think? They should make a law that after a person dies their house has to remain empty for a while. Let it lie fallow."

Me: What else did you like about the book?

Myself: There were some wonderful, realistic bits and pieces. The book is a nice mix of everyday life, quiet conversation, real-life conflict and upheaval, confusion and resolve. Life in the real world often doesn't contain a lot of action, but it does have plenty of ups and downs and it's realistic conflict that you read about in this book. As in real life, humorous moments are blended in. When Julian was teaching himself to cook, I was surprised to find that he took recipes as literally as I still do (always a problem):

Sometimes the recipe said "twelve baby carrots or two carrots peeled," but twelve baby carrots never equaled two carrots peeled, and he'd be lining up the carrots next to one another, trying to guess the right amount. Or "eight ounces of apple." Was that before you peeled and cored the apples or afterward? He bought a large spice rack, but he didn't know much about spices, so without regard for what they were, he moved alphabetically through the supermarket spice section, sweeping jars into his cart like a looter.

Me: You peeked at the reviews at Amazon, you naughty thing. What surprised you about the comments in the Amazon reviews?

Myself: I was surprised at the broad spectrum of ratings -- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I wasn't surprised that some people considered it dull because the cover makes it appear "light", in my opinion, and false expectation can lead to disappointment. Matrimony isn't fluffy. It's really what I'd term "literary". Literature often requires patience. You have to be willing to adjust to the pace. Also, one person thought the characters were "full of themselves". But, really, aren't we all? It's Julian's story and if you're telling your own story it's all about "Me, Myself, and I". The characters interested me; they pulled me in and held on. I cared about what happened to them.

Me: Poor editing drives you nuts and grammatical errors cause you to see red. What did you think of the writing?

Myself: Almost flawless. I'm not perfect, but I didn't spot a single technical error. There was only one annoyance: the use of the word "for", repeatedly. Occasionally, a semicolon in lieu of the same old preposition would have provided a nice break.

Me: Who else has reviewed it in the Blog World?

Myself: I'm going to cheat, here. Nat has a terrific set of links at the bottom of her review.

Me: Rating?

Myself: Recommended, especially when you're in the mood for a quiet, realistic relationship book. Not for times when you're yearning for action.

Me to Readers: Thanks. You're incredibly patient and tolerant if you made it this far. For the fun of it, here is my favorite sandwich from Zingerman's Delicatessen in Ann Arbor (the "Leo's Friendly Lion"), with gushy gratitude to Josh Henkin for getting Ann Arbor right:

On this day in Bookfool's reading history, 1998: I finished The Third Twin by Ken Follett and began reading The Promise of Light by Paul Watkins.

Coming up: Belated wahoos and July in review.

Happy Wahoo Wednesday!

Things I Forgot To Remember (it happens quite a bit)

Item #1 of Things I Forgot to Remember: I am so slow at getting around to mentioning blog awards that I must apologize and say "thanks" at the same time. Thank you, Suey and Teddy Rose for the taggings. Both Suey and Teddy Rose tagged me for the Brilliante Weblog Award and Suey also tagged me for the E for Excellent Blog Award.

Of course, since it took me forever to get around to posting, everyone else seems to have gotten one or the other, if not both. If I'm wrong and you're reading this, you've just been tagged. Because, you know, I love my all blog buddies.

I've been blogging for so long that my sidebar appeared offensively heavy in awards by the end of 2007, so don't be flummoxed if you don't see these little dudes permanently displayed.

#2: Janefan asked a belated Geeking #12 question about At Home in Mitford:

Would a nonreligous person enjoy At Home in Mitford? I really love the real-life town that the series is based on, and am intrigued by it, but not sure if Christianity is such a big part of it that I'd be put off.

Janefan, the protagonist in the Mitford series is a priest (I think "priest" is the right word) at the local Episcopal church, so you're talking about life in a small village from the perspective of a guy called "Father Tim". Christianity does play a pretty major role because he ministers to people -- there's discussion of Biblical scripture in plenty of his interaction with villagers. Personally, I expected to dislike the series, even though I'm a Christian; but, there were 7 Mitford books on my mother's shelf. I wasn't about to let my sister just sweep them out the door without giving the first a try. The characters, their relationships, the descriptions of the village and the happenings within that little village made the book enjoyable, for me. If dialogue and musings about the Bible bug you, maybe you're best off skipping. I'd advise flipping through a copy or seeing if one of the web-based bookstores has a "see inside" feature if you're really curious, though.

#3: I've just figured out the reason I am personally going to hate year-round schooling. When do we get a break from guiding our kids through the whole homework mess? That's what I want to know. Near as I can tell, it will also be very, very difficult to plan vacation as each child's grades at the end of the 9-week session dictate whether or not an individual gets an "intercession" break. At least, that's what it looks like but (cover your eyes if you hate swearing) I'm damned if I can figure out how the schedule works. And, so far, I'm not seeing or hearing any decent translations in the school handbook, at the website, in the newspaper or from teachers. Not that I'm hovering at their door on Day 2 to ask, but I'd really like to know what to expect. If anyone knows how year-round schooling works, please feel free to share.

#4: Just for fun (because who can stand a whiny Bookfool?) . . . Can anyone identify the unusual object in this photograph?

I'll post a second photograph that makes the answer obvious, in a few days.

Next up: A review of Matrimony by Joshua Henkin

Happy Tuesday!

Sticky Post! A Colleen Gleason Drawing!!!

The winner of the Colleen Gleason book drawing is . . . (drum roll):

#7 - aka_nik of Keep This on the DL

Congratulations, Nikki! I'll get in touch with you to ask which book you'd like to own. You're going to love it, I promise.

I never did post about my chat with Colleen, but suffice it to say she's a very busy chick. You can keep up with Colleen's schedule via her blog or website (which includes a place to sign up for her email list, her schedule of appearances and info about ordering "Powered by Vis Bulla" t-shirts, as well as info about the books). Note info about tomorrow's live webcast.

The release date of When Twilight Burns is tomorrow! And, it's great. I'm reading it. I still can't decide between Sebastian and Max. What a rough decision that must be for poor Victoria. Sebastian? Max? Sebastian? Max? Oh, the agony. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you really should just rush right out and buy the books.

Links to my reviews of Colleen's first three:
The Rest Falls Away
Rises the Night
The Bleeding Dusk

Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese

Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese
Copyright 2007
WheatMark Fiction/short stories
134 pages
Author's blog

From the cover:

Down to a Sunless Sea plunges the reader into uncomfortable situations and into the minds of troubled characters. Each selection is a different reading experience -- poetic, journalistic, nostalgic, wryly humorous , and even macabre. An award-winning essayist and historical novelist, Mathias B. Freese brings the weight of his twenty-five years as a clinical social worker and psychotherapist into play as he demonstrates a vivid understanding of -- and compassion toward -- the deviant and damaged.

That's one of the most accurate cover blurbs I think I've ever read. Down to a Sunless Sea is a collection of short stories about people who are not whole, either in body, mind or spirit. In "I'll Make It, I think," a young man with cerebral palsy talks about his various deformities. In spite of his sense of humor -- he's named his annoying body parts -- his desire to be just a normal person, accepted and loved, makes for painful reading. I don't see how anyone can read, "I'll Make It, I think" without carrying away an understanding of just how horrible it must be to have the ability to reason and love, but to be trapped in a body that simply doesn't work, stared at and mistreated, unable to express thoughts because a mouth doesn't move right or to simply walk down a street unnoticed.

*Warning: The next few paragraphs may contain spoilers, so please skip them if you intend to read the book, right away.*

The first story that really resonated for me was "The Chatham Bear". "The Chatham Bear" describes the commotion stirred up in Chatham, New York, when a black bear is spotted several times, briefly, by residents. Worried that the bear may be deadly, one man shoots into the woods when he spots the bear. Another hides in his truck, honking madly. Nearby, in neighboring Canaan, a pit bull kills a small terrier in the terrier's own yard and nothing is left of the smaller dog but bones. Yet, the pit bull is returned to its owner. A couple fight in a parking lot, the man openly burning the woman and then tossing her into his truck. But, the protagonist, observing, believes that to interfere would be to invite harm. The author concludes that a bear, terrifying to the people who see it when it briefly emerges from the woods, is harmless by comparison with humans and even their pets, both of which are uncontrolled but whose dangers are overlooked.

Another very powerful story is "Alabaster", the story of a young boy who observes a mother and daughter conversing on a bench. Their regular conversations make little sense to him, till one day the elderly mother asks the boy to sit with her. She tells her story, about how when she was not much older than the 9-year-old boy, she was taken away from her life and broken. On her wrist is a number, tattooed permanently into her now-sagging skin. The reader realizes that the woman's childhood was stolen, her hope shattered during her time in a concentration camp. The most telling sentence, in my view: "It must be wonderful just to grow up."

Another story, "Unanswerable," describes the cruelty of a single German man and ends with this amazing line: "The core puzzle, for all of us, is what ignites a human being to hate feverishly, kill wantonly in huge numbers, revel in genocide and final solutions -- that is unanswerable."

My absolute favorite story is "Little Errands", the story of an obsessive-compulsive who is unsure letters placed in a mailbox have really been mailed and feels obligated to open and close the door of the mailbox repeatedly . . . then is compelled to return to open it a few more times. What if the letter has become stuck in the side of the box? What will happen if the protagonist has simply convinced himself that the letter has been mailed but it really hasn't? This is not his only compulsion. Each little action is so overinflated in its importance that the protagonist's time is spent obsessively repeating movements, then backtracking and doing them all over, again. And, yet, he's convinced that he's saving time because if, perchance, the letter really wasn't mailed because he didn't make absolutely sure that it fell into the box just so, or if the radio wasn't, in fact, turned off all the way and the car's battery was drained, then he'd have to spend a lot more time fixing the problems that could have been avoided.

In a way, "Little Errands" is humorous, at least from the point of view of a person who can't imagine feeling compelled to repeat the same actions, much less to think of such actions as "time-saving". Of course he's not saving time. He's wasting time being compulsive, but to that individual it's impossible to fathom simply sliding a letter into a mailbox and walking away without a second thought. In the end, the reader realizes that the anxiety is real and it's not only troublesome in that repetitive actions consume time, but that his actions are also socially detrimental. Just knowing a bill has arrived is such a relief that when a neighbor asks the protagonist to drop something in the mail, he refuses and is unable to express why.

*End of spoilers*

And, therein lies the heart of Down to a Sunless Sea: the realization that each of us is flawed or broken in our own way. But, it's not necessarily possible for others to understand, even if we're fully able to express our pain. I'd be lying if I said I even understood all of the stories. At least two of them baffled me; I couldn't quite unravel what was happening. And, yet, the vast majority made sense. They're harsh, painful, difficult to read. It's the reality inherent in each of the stories that makes this collection meaningful.

I don't know that I can rate this book with numbers and, in fact, I'm once again considering the idea of ditching the numerical rating system permanently. Instead, I'll just say that I recommend it, but be forewarned: the reading is rough. You may be enlightened, but it's going to hurt. Just don't read this book if you're already blue or you're in the mood for sweetness and light. Read it to try to understand your fellow humans. Because the second story has a lot of sexual references/scenes, I'm going to label this one family-unfriendly; I would not hand it to my teenager.

In other news:

The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. Okay, there haven't been any rumors. You probably just assumed I had a busy week, right? School began, today, so . . . yes. Busy week, a couple of whopper storms and late nights that made me groggy during the daylight hours. It's still too hot to think straight, so I'm hibernating. But, I've been enjoying my reading.

Finished:

Matrimony by Joshua Henkin - review forthcoming but in case you're interested, it's going to be a very positive review.

Almost Finished Reading:

High Altitude Leadership -- haven't even managed to add it to the sidebar, but it's a quick read about applying mountaineering principles to leadership in business.

Still reading:

The Words of War by Donagh Bracken - really enjoying this one, although I was having trouble straightening out who fought for which side and decided to look for an atlas of Civil War battles. Then, the storms hit and we huddled for a couple of days. That was fun, actually. At the height of the big storm on Saturday, kiddo was flopped across our bed, reading with a flashlight. Hubby and I were curled up by the headboard, chatting and listening to the storm. The cat was rolled into a ball on the floor, near the foot of the bed.

Sunday, we attempted to go to the park to look for the atlas but had to turn back and take a different route because a huge, fallen tree blocked the road. The tree was so big, we couldn't see the workers on the far side, although I spotted them from the highway. I found and bought my atlas, yesterday, and hope to make some serious progress on The Words of War, this week. It's really quite a fascinating book and the atlas has already helped me to discover that I understood more than I realized.

The Best of Robert Service - Canadian poetry, eh? Also reading this one slooooowly. I'm finding that Robert Service was, in his way, much like John Muir with a sense of rhythm. Sometimes his poetry actually is laugh-out-loud funny. Some of his poems were obviously written in frustration; he had strong moral standards and loose morals bugged him. Apparently, he was lured to the Yukon with the dream of becoming a cowboy, but was inspired and captivated by its beauty.

Set aside, temporarily:

Travels in Alaska by John Muir - because I want to focus on some other reads, but Muir is still by the bed and I'm not quitting. I absolutely adore his descriptions of the scenery and hope to get back to that book, soon.

In the midst of reading:

When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason. Oh, yes, and I'll be doing that drawing in a few hours. I am loving When Twilight Burns every bit as much as the first three books.

News flash about Colleen:

She's having a live webcast Tuesday, August 5 at 8:30 pm, Eastern time, to celebrate the release of When Twilight Burns. All you need is an internet connection and speakers. There will be door prizes, including an ARC of As Shadows Fade. Tune in here and log on early because space is limited!

And, finally . . . a photo! Of course! A lizard! What else would it be? Note that he's brown because, till this weekend's storms, we had quite a lengthy drought going and there wasn't a whole lot of green. So, the lizards have been cloaking their little bodies in lovely, matching speckled browns. Here's my lizard buddy:


I also made my first anole hatchling sighting, last week. He was so tiny! Just an inch long in the body, probably no more than 1/8" wide. Unfortunately, I had my hand on a garbage can and no camera nearby. But, trust me, he was adorable.

Hope everyone had a great week!

Bookfool, still melting but now back to chauffeuring (at least till kiddo gets his athletic pass)

#12 Geeking, Part 2

Time for the answers to Weekly Geek post #12 -- questions about the books I haven't reviewed. There were two books (out of thirteen) that generated some interest. I'm going to hit both books, separately, but in the same post.

Questions about Facts the Historians Leave Out: A Confederate Primer by John S. Tilley:

bkclubcare's questions: I don't know a thing about it so, do tell. Did you learn a LOT? was the tone condescending? What prompted you to read this?

Bookfool's answers: Facts the Historians Leave Out is what I'd call a "factoid book" as it's very, very short (76 pages) and doesn't go into any great detail about its claims -- such as the fact that the Southern states were well within their rights to secede from the Union. But my Civil War knowledge is even skimpier; so, I can say I learned quite a bit -- certainly enough to whet my appetite for more. The tone isn't so much condescending as self-assured and extremely pro-Confederate. In case you're interested in reading about Tilley and his books, there are several paragraphs about him, here (skip down to about the 14th or 15th paragraph to begin).

What prompted me to read Facts the Historians Leave Out? I recently read The Disagreement by Nick Taylor, a novel that takes place during the Civil War. The protagonist in The Disagreement is a doctor but it almost seems like he lives in a bubble -- even as he's treating people who have been wounded in battle, the reader gets no real sense of the war that's raging around him. I closed the book hungry for information about the Civil War -- enough to ensure that I was ridiculously excited when I found Facts the Historians Leave Out on my mother's shelf. I sat right down and read it on her sofa.

Carrie K asked: Do the facts left out change the political outlook? What was the most interesting fact you learned from the book? Did you know any of the facts he included before reading the book?

Bookfool's sort-of answer: Carrie, I'm not sure I know enough to respond well to that first question, although I think the answer is probably "yes". Let me say this much: Tilley really made Abe Lincoln sound like a Bad Guy. He claimed Lincoln deliberately held back supplies from Fort Sumter and then sent war ships rather than regular supply ships with aid when Fort Sumter's inhabitants were on the verge of being starved out of their post . . . in order to provoke Confederates into making the first move -- which, of course, they did. Holding back supplies virtually ensured that Major Anderson and the rest of the Yankees at Fort Sumter would not be able to hold out for long, if attacked. I have a slightly altered opinion about the Confederate attack after reading the section on Fort Sumter in a different book, The Words of War (which I'm in the midst of reading, right now). I'll share my thoughts on that, when I finish the book.

Of all the bits and pieces brought up in Facts the Historians Leave Out, I found the entire story about Fort Sumter the most fascinating. It's amazing how little I knew! I didn't bring the book home, so I can't flip through it to see if there's anything I recall already knowing, but I'd say most of what's in the book was new information. The vast majority of the books I've read about the Civil War have been focused on the Siege of Vicksburg. In fact, I have to wonder if I even would have gotten around to reading about the Civil War at all, had we not moved to Mississippi. As an example of my ignorance, all I knew about Vicksburg when my husband came down here for a meeting, while we were still living in Oklahoma, was that it was a significant location during the Civil War . . . like Gettysburg. The name rang a bell, but it was a distant one. We still laugh about the fact that I kept asking my husband to remind me where Vicksburg was located. I repeatedly asked him, "Which state did you say you're in?" I probably shouldn't admit that. Here's a photo of the interior of Fort Sumter (under the Confederate flag):



Questions about Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

bkclubcare, Chris and Les all asked similar questions (I'm choosing bkclubcare's wording): Which side did you end up on? (love it or not) Did you have any expectations about loving it or not? Which section did you like best and would you read more from Ms. Gilbert?

Bookfool's answers: I ended up on the loving side, for the most part, although there were sections about which I had mixed feelings. Since Eat, Pray, Love has received such polarized reviews, I went into the reading leaning toward the thought that I'd probably hate it. Quite a few people have described it as "selfish" or "self-indulgent". In fact, I think it is pretty self-indulgent. Gilbert begins the book by describing her utter despair as her marriage was falling apart -- and then goes on to say that she had an affair. I thought that was pathetic, but I didn't let my personal notions of marriage and fidelity interfere with what I really wanted to take from the reading. Nor did I let envy intervene, although I honestly think timing is everything with this particular book. I'm almost certain there have been times I couldn't have gotten through it. It just happened that I was more interested in the sense of place, the unique characters she met and her spiritual journey than I was put off by her stunning good fortune, her emotions and personal life. She was one messed-up chick; but, her experiences were pretty amazing.

My favorite section was the first, the part about her stay in Italy. I think part of the reason I liked it best is that Italy appeals to me -- the food, the relaxed lifestyle, the beautiful language and history. India and Indonesia . . . not so much. The change of environment when she left Italy and began her stay in India was actually quite jarring, in my opinion. I had a terrible time getting into the second section. But, I set it aside for a few days and let Italy roll around in my head. Then, I picked it up, again, and enjoyed the rest.

Would I read more by Gilbert? Definitely. But, I really, really hope her sex life isn't mentioned in her other books. That was one of the few aspects of Eat, Pray, Love that I found utterly repellent. I don't know why so many authors think readers give a flying petunia about who they've slept with. Not my business; I don't care. Actually, that may be one of the reasons I liked the section on Italy so much. She chose to become celibate during her journey and, at first, she succeeded. In Italy she was chaste (although still tempted). It's apparently a self-control issue with Gilbert; she's a bit of a sex addict and eventually abandoned her enforced celibacy. But, at least we were spared the details of her sexual romps while she was in Italy (since there were none). And, India. India made me feel hungry and fat, though, and the idea of sitting around meditating for hours on the hard ground almost made my bones ache. So, Italy won. On the positive side, I really liked her chatty, accessible writing style.

My husband traveled to Italy without me, last year. So unfair. Just look at what he got to see:

In other book news:

I finished Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese, last night. Review will appear in a few days.

On this day in Bookfool's reading history, in 1997:

I finished reading Wild Horses by Dick Francis (just after finishing Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl) and began to read Time and Again by Jack Finney.

Right now in my reading travels:

I'm immersed in the Civil War in The Words of War by Donagh Bracken and hiking around Alaska in a three-piece suit in Travels in Alaska by John Muir. Coolness. Where are your reading travels taking you, today?

Thinking, Reading and Ranting (not necessarily in that order)

July 27, 2008 in Vicksburg

4:11 pm

Temp: 102

Heat Index: 107

It's supposed to be hotter, tomorrow. School begins in 8 days. The youngsters involved in athletics and many other activities will be obligated to practice outdoors, mostly in the afternoon (the hottest part of the day). The local school-district officials are have mentioned the possibility of going to a 4-day school week to conserve bus fuel. Nobody has apparently proposed returning to the old school calendar -- in which the hottest month of the year was a part of summer vacation. In fact, this year we are going to year-round schooling, which gives rise to alternate concerns (at least for the parents of older children) about earning money for college via summer jobs or attendance at university educational camps -- both of which will become impossible. No mention is ever made of heat stroke, at least until the kids drop (and I don't recall ever hearing a word about skin cancer). Last year they had to call two of these in one day, for a single band practice:

Shortly after, parents received a letter threatening those who skipped practice or wore too much clothing with an unexcused absence.

Is it just me, or are there some folks in charge of our school system who are seriously lacking common sense?

Bookishly speaking:

It's been a slow reading week, but not because of the quality of reading material. I'm reading three excellent books:

Travels in Alaska - John Muir

Down to a Sunless Sea - Mathias B. Freese

The Words of War - Donagh Bracken

and I've begun to read:

The Best of Robert Service (he was Canadian, eh?!)

I'm unable to update my sidebar, even using Explorer, unless I do so remotely. Weird. But, I'll try to get it updated, soon.

I thought this was an interesting article. Thank you to Bookish Kitty Wendy for pointing that out. It's relevant, given past debates about whether bloggers are costing paid reviewers their jobs and given the quantity of time involved in blogging, especially if good blogging etiquette is in play (e.g., responding to comments and visiting other bloggers). Not long ago, one of my favorite bloggers decided blogging was just a giant time suck; she wanted her life back. She posted a final message and hasn't turned back. Would pay for reviews prevent burnout by making bloggers feel as if their time is valued? Worth thinking about.

You can tell the heat is still getting me down. I'm going to go read. I need to find my happy place.

Belated Weekly Geeking (#12)

I'm quite far behind the rest of the blog world on this because I had misled myself into thinking I was totally caught up on blog reviews. And, then I finished a book. And, I realized that . . . oh, yeah . . . I skipped over quite a few because of limited internet access during the time I was working on cleaning out my mother's house.

You've heard them before. Here are the rules:

1. In your blog, list any books you've read but haven't reviewed yet. If you're all caught up on reviews, maybe you could try this with whatever books you finish this week.
2. Ask your readers to ask you questions about any of the books in your comments. Most likely, people who will ask questions will be people who have read one of the books or know something about it because they want to read it.
3. Later, take whichever questions you want from these comments and use them in a post about each book. (Dewey suggested an "interview-review"). Link to each blogger whose question you used.
4. Visit other Weekly Geeks and ask them questions.

Here is my list of un-reviewed books. Ask away!

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

Eat, Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

Overcoming Hurts & Anger - Dwight L. Carson, M.D.

Facts the Historians Leave Out: A Confederate Primer - John S. Tilley

In the Land of Dreamy Dreams - Ellen Gilchrist

Return from Tomorrow - George Ritchie

The Queen of Sleepy Eye - Patti Hill

The Book of Dahlia - Elisa Albert

Human Voices - Penelope Fitzgerald

Sermons & Soda Water III: We're Friends Again - John O'Hara

In the Clearing - Robert Frost

At Home in Mitford - Jan Karon

Queen of Babble - Meg Cabot

Apropos of nothing . . . really, just because I love adding a photo to each post . . . I give you my grandmother's art class at Weslyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska. Wild guess which one is my grandma?

Grandma is the teacher, on the far right, standing, with her head ducked slightly.

Isn't that a cool photo?

Off to read . . . happy weekend!

What are they up to, now? A chat with Patricia Wood

Photo borrowed from this article, in which Pat is referred to as "the next Mark Haddon". Personally, I prefer to avoid comparisons and think Patricia Wood's writing is too original to be held up to anyone else's. But, that's me.

I was going to toss together all three authors I mentioned chatting with, earlier this week, but then my brain went splat . . . the neurons all lined up in a row and someone knocked the end-domino neuron over, causing a tragic chain reaction.

So, one at a time. My longest chat was with Patricia Wood, aka "Pat", so let's go with Pat, first. Pat wrote the book Lottery, which I read last year and reviewed for Estella's Revenge. It was one of my top reads for 2007 (I laughed, I cried, I could not put that sucker down), so I was all goofy-excited when Pat dropped by to leave a comment about my review. And, I was thrilled for Pat when Lottery was short-listed for the Orange Broadband Prize. I've also become totally addicted to Pat's blog because she's hilarious.

When I wrote to ask her what she's up to and when we can expect a second book from her, Pat replied promptly. What's she up to? Well, writing, of course. Originally, she expected to finish her next manuscript in the spring, but the whole uber-cool Orange shortlisting business threw a kink in her plans and led to a lovely trip to London for the awards ceremony. And, of course, I gave her an excuse for distraction (although, she was also considering an ice cream because it's been just as miserable in Hawaii . . . but I'm betting she won't get a whole lot of sympathy on that score -- you know, dream life on a fabulous boat docked in Oahu?).

Pat doesn't like to talk in detail about her works-in-progress and I loved her reasoning:

I have made the mistake of letting beta readers take a quick peek at the first few chapters and then I get into this big discussion about where the plot is going and that's not helpful. Everything has to come from inside me- with passion - it can't be analyzed . . .

I think part of it is that before you are published you can get to that quiet place- that place that is you the artist -- much more easily -- afterwards I think that a new author has to learn to ignore the readers and media and publishing gurus and just be solitary. Then the story can come. I'm fortunate I have several other manuscripts in various stages of completion otherwise I might feel more pressure.

She had so many interesting things to say that I'm quoting directly from Pat's emails. I didn't ask for permission before I started cobbling this post together; if it disappears for a short time to be reworked, that's why. Just a warning for those of you who subscribe to a feed and might want to comment. More about life between releases:

I think the other thing that happens 'between books' is a lot of reading. I tend to read more after I've finished a first draft rather than during as I'm so engrossed in my own story.

I would like to say one thing. With several high profile writers it seems that putting out a book (or 2 or 4!) a year is the norm. New writers & authors may make the assumption that being able to create a book only months apart is an expectation--I have not found this is so in my case. Both my editors and agent are patient. I have several other manuscripts that 'could' be next but to me are not 'right' yet. My work has to sit and I have to see it with new eyes.

I also am aware of the 'elephant in the room' -- the reader-- It wasn't there before. I have to kick him out and sneak back to my computer so I can write without someone looking over my shoulder.

Pat mentioned that it's difficult not to take negative reviews personally, since they're written in such a personal way, and that her friend and mentor, Paul Theroux, doesn't read his reviews at all. I didn't tell her I think I'd totally lose my voice (and possibly the strength in my knees) in the presence of Paul Theroux. But, it's true. Chances are pretty good that the same thing will happen if I ever manage to get back to Hawaii and meet up with her.

On that note, Pat also reminded me that I was within walking distance when my husband and I visited Oahu in December:

I have wireless on my boat and you could have WALKED from the [very nice hotel] and posted from my cockpit...so there! That will teach you to not let me know you are in Hawaii lol!!

This is a bruise that keeps getting itself poked, every time I speak to Pat or read her blog. I could have met her! Walking distance, people! And, you know, I was out there snapping pictures of every flying, walking, blooming, breathing thing and it would have been nothing to walk a bit further . . . but, I digress . . .

On Pat's agenda:

The Maui Writers Retreat and Conference (this year in Oahu) in August

Some events in Seattle, mid-September

A visit to Books & Books in Miami, Saturday, October 11

What kind of miserable scenery does Pat have to look at, nearby?

Goodness. The real question should be, "How do you get any writing accomplished at all, living in a boat docked at an island paradise?" I'll ask her that, next time.

I Lied, Therefore I Wahoo

I lied! It's below 90! Wahooooooo!

As long as they're not Katrina-strength and they don't hit you directly, hurricanes can be kind of nice. I'd forgotten about that. We are feeling the far, far outer bands of Hurricane Dolly (see a terrific satellite loop of Dolly, here) and when I walked out to the mailbox it felt cold!!! Okay, yeah, it's still 86 degrees, but after the last few weeks . . . and with a breeze . . . well, it's just very wahooey.

So . . . I can wahoo, again! Wahoo! for cooler weather!!! And, squeeeee!!!!! The breeze won't last long, but we'll take anything.

It's been a long, long time (weeks -- horrors!) since I've taken any new photographs. But, I haven't forgotten that I promised to show you the history books I snatched off my mother's shelves. Well, most of them. The wooden antelopes (I found them, Debi!!!) belonged to my father. And, the quilt has a typewritten tag that says it was given to my grandmother in the 1930s by Great Aunt Something-or-other. I confess; I forgot to look. It's pretty though, isn't it?

Titles, top to bottom :

Upstairs at the White House - J. B. West
Journey into Christmas - Bess Streeter Aldrich
Nebraska Moments - Donald R. Hickey
Nebraska Folklore - Louise Pound
The Pioneers - various authors (publ. by Reader's Digest)
175 Battles - Shaw & Vestal
The Old West: The Pioneers (don't see an author -- a Time-Life book)
At War in Korea - George Forty
Historical Atlas of Oklahoma - Morris & McReynolds
The Colosseum & The Tower of London - both appear to be Newsweek releases

Wahoo for inherited books!! I had to save them from my (possibly insane) sister, you know. She wanted to "get rid of" all the books. But, not the toaster.

I did get a replacement for my favorite lens, the one that broke, several weeks ago, and when it arrived I took one photograph to make sure it worked. This is the photo, a bit of detail from the mirror in our front entryway:

Silly photo, but isn't that a wahooey design?

Last wahoo before I have to get off the fat fanny . . . and it's a good one . . .

I've been thinking about doing a "What are they up to, now?" post about some favorite authors I've talked with or interviewed in the past. With that idea in mind, I emailed Colleen Gleason, Simon Van Booy and Patricia (Pat) Wood. All three responded, so yesterday was spent batting emails back and forth with three authors that I truly adore. Wahoo for a day of chatting with super cool authors! Look for a post about what they're up to, within a day or two.

Wait!!! Latest wahooey book arrivals (or, Why the Postman and UPS Guy Know My House Well):

The Words of War - Donagh Bracken
Matrimony - Joshua Henkin
Walking Through Walls: A Memoir - Philip Smith

Wahoo wishes to all!

A much more cheerful Bookfool, thank goodness

Three things: A contest Two contests, the heat, the links

First things first: The Story Siren is having a contest in honor of reaching 20,000 hits at her blog. Read the post and email answers to her questions in order to enter the contest. Okay, uck, I've edited three times and I can't get that link to the contest to work, so if you're getting http:// and blogger.com in front of the second http://, please just delete everything in front of that second http and it should work. Blogger is really starting to tick me off.

And, another one! Dar at Peeking Between the Pages is giving away a copy of The Host, here! All right! I am so dying to read that book.

Second, it's 99 degrees out. I am melting. I can't accomplish a thing. Someone send me a breeze, please? Just a little bitty bit of that nice, cool Canadian air or, you know, a UPS box full of glacial ice (I know, it'll melt, but it's the thought that counts) or maybe . . . penguin thoughts. Anything cool will do.

Third, I am sitting on my butt far too much and realizing that I need to tidy up the link list in order to stop myself from wasting time visiting folks who don't visit me or haven't linked to my blog or (ick) those who have ditched me. However, I really don't want to offend anyone. So, if you've meant to link up to my blog or you're just a fly on the wall and you want me to leave you as is, put you back up, add you, etc., just let me know. I love my fellow bloggers. I just don't want to turn into a giant toad because I sit too much. Plus, I have a few friends I have to add because I love them.

Obviously, I adore you if you're reading this post. Doesn't it feel good to be loved? Here's another cold photo, just because . . .

Bookfool, all gushy with bloggy love and still dreaming of mountains and ice and breezes

Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser

Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser
Copyright 2008 (released in June)
Bethany House/Historical Fiction
289 pages, including "Fact or Fiction" notes and discussion questions
Author's website

What led you to pick up this book? Brittanie very kindly sent it to me because she thought I'd enjoy it. Thank you, Brittanie! You were right!

Describe the book without giving anything away. Washington's Lady is a fictionalized account of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington's life, from the time of her first husband's death until the loss of her second husband, the first United States President, George Washington. The book is written from Martha's point of view, except for the epilogue.

What did you think of the characters? I found Martha absolutely fascinating. I don't know that I'd ever given her, as an individual, much thought. I certainly had no idea that she endured so much grief in her life (she outlived all 4 of her surviving children), that she was wealthy when she married George, that she gathered women to sew for soldiers during the Revolutionary War and that she followed her husband to lodge near battlefields yearly, while he was away from home (for over 6 years). She was truly an amazing woman and one can see how her influence must have strengthened George Washington and helped him become the leader chosen to rule a new nation.

Share a favorite scene from the book: I can't think of a particular favorite, but there were none I disliked. The book is what I'd call a "quiet" book, paced slowly and evenly, with lovely description and believable dialogue. The writing is almost flawless, fact and fiction are interwoven nicely and Martha Washington's emotions, her faith and her devotion are portrayed in a way that is so perfect that I feel as if I've met her and peeked into her life. In fact, when Martha's son Jacky reminded her of Patrick Henry's famous quote, "I know not what course others may take; but, as for me, give me liberty or give me death," I was so caught up in the emotion of the moment that it brought tears to my eyes. The further I got into the book, the more swept up I became in Martha's world and felt her pain or joy. The author's notes on what is truly fact and what she fictionalized rounded out the book.

4.5/5 - Quite nearly perfect, although a bit slow. I enjoyed this book so much that I looked the author up while I was in the library. They carry her books! Wahoo! I will definitely read more by Nancy Moser.

Side note: Because Martha and George Washington were people of strong faith, God is mentioned frequently. Excerpts of genuine letters indicate the fact that there simply was no separating this famous couple from their beliefs. When the beginning of the U.S. Constitution is quoted, the reader understands the inclusion of "one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all," and it's a heart-pounding, awe-inspiring moment. I am absolutely thrilled to find that there is solid, clean historical fiction of such quality and will seek out more books published by Bethany House. I've known about this Christian publishing company for years, but was under the impression that Christian lit still wasn't quite up to par. I'm really glad to find that I'm wrong.

Other reviews, here:

A Book Lover
Devourer of Books
5 Minutes for Mom (this one includes a giveaway copy of Washington's Lady!)

Highly recommended. I noticed Nancy Moser has written a book about Jane Austen, while perusing her website. Ah. I know which of her books I will be looking for, next.