Because the Packers are on tv (Go Pack Go) and I’m cold and I’m feeling (as usual) a bit silly, I’m reposting this picture of me:

That was a very cold day. Maybe not by Wisconsin standards, but for a native Californian? I’ve never been so cold in my life.

So, silliness aside, how is everyone on this blustery fall day? I’m slowly poking through my Google Reader and watching the Packers-Buccaneers game. I have to say I like the orange sherbet colored throwback uniforms that the Bucs are sporting. I will like them less, however, if they beat my Packers.

I’ve had a wonderful reading week. I finished three books, The Woman in White, Kristin Lavransdatter and Say Everything. And I also read The Other and Emotional Geology.

Uh-oh, the Bucs just scored. And I just realized they’re 0-7, so while I still want my team to win, I won’t be devastated if the poor Bucs manage to win a game. Oh, and the quarterback is playing his first ever NFL game.

Sorry. Back to the books.

The Woman in White was so much better than I thought an old book can be (yes, I’m a little biased against the classics, although I may have to change my stance). However, my copy had this cover, and I still think it looks like either her head or her dress is backwards.

Kristin Lavransdatter was interesting, and while I don’t regret reading it, I am glad it’s over. The Other was a bit odd, and not at all what I was expecting. It sounds like horror and is marketed as travel writing, but it reads more like a summary of one philosophical belief. Emotional Geology, whose main character is bi-polar, was almost as good as Star Gazing, which I loved. And Say Everything is definitely worth reading if you are at all interested in the history of blogging.

Today I’m reading Howards End is on the Landing. Although I have a bunch of other books calling my name. For now though, I’m going to see if my team can manage not to self-destruct.

What are reading today?

The London Scene
Virginia Woolf
First published 1931-32
44 pages

I almost feel guilty counting this as a book. At 44 pages it’s more like a bookette.

Earlier this year I read Mrs. Dalloway. To say I was underwhelmed is an understatement. I didn’t care for the style. At all. But I also felt a bit guilty, because I really wanted to like Virginia Woolf. And normally I don’t feel guilty about my likes or dislikes, but this time, for whatever reason, I did.

However, I love London. It is, hands down, my favorite city of all the cities I’ve been to/lived in. I love its history, its buildings, the people, the Tube. Even the weather. As heretical as this may sound, I love it heaps more than Paris, which I consider to be just a little too pretty for its own good.

So a few months ago when Eva mentioned The London Scene I figured it was time to give Woolf another chance. Besides, since it’s only 44 pages, if I hated it, it would soon be over.

But see, I didn’t hate it. Because Woolf skipped the stream of consciousness writing with this one, and instead focused on London. The book is actually 5 essays, each one building on the city itself. She starts with “The Docks of London,” describing the ships sailing up the Thames and arriving in London. From there, she moves to “Oxford Street Tide” to discuss the shops on the famous shopping street. Next, it’s a visit “Great Men’s Houses” and “Abbeys and Cathedrals.” My copy ended with “This is the House of Commons.” Had I done a little research beforehand, I would have realized I should have gotten the copy with the final essay, “Portrait of a Londoner.”

Overall, this book is a glimpse into a few of London’s traits…the river, the big city shopping, its buildings and people. Despite the fact that it was written in the 1930s, the book is still applicable in its depiction of London. My favorite part was the description of the Carlysle’s house…Woolf treats the house almost as a person, and it’s delightful to read. And at no time did I feel like I was wading through language in an attempt to figure out what the author was getting at (like I did with Mrs. Dalloway).

I am now considering reading other non-fiction by Woolf, if anyone has any recommendations.

Last week I took a few days off work and my mom and I headed up to San Francisco to see the King Tut exhibit at the de Young Museum. I know some of you were looking forward to pictures, but I have none, since they are not allowed. I did find a few on Google to give you an idea of what I saw, and I also have a few of San Francisco. The view from the top of the tower of the de Young is amazing…

Also, there is a reconstructed Dutch windmill in one corner of Golden Gate Park. Who knew?

Anyways, back to the exhibit. It was marvelous. If you go, my advice is to get the earliest tickets possible (9am for us), as the exhibit is soon overrun by school kids. It starts with a brief (90 seconds) video, and then you are let into the first of 10 galleries. The first few galleries focus on Tutankhamun’s genealogy, and information about his possible ancestors. As you move through the galleries the artifacts from Tut’s tomb become more prevalent. There are beautifully carved chests and chairs, ankhs, scepters and flails, the stunning gold coffin of one of his female ancestors, lots of shabtis, urns to hold mummified organs, games and all sorts of other wonderful things. One of the most impressive was this small coffinette which held Tut’s mummified liver:

This pendant was also gorgeous. Check out all the details:

The final gallery is all about Tut. There is a holographic representation of his coffin. The first image shows the coffin. Then it opens to show the mummy. Superimposed on the mummy are images of some of the gold artifacts found on his body which are on display in the gallery, such as his gold diadem.

The final image is of the mummy unwrapped. It’s very moving, although a bit sad to think of everything that has been done to the tomb and his body over the years since the tomb was discovered.

Besides the exhibit, my mom and I spent time wandering through the rest of the de Young, the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, Sausalito and Fisherman’s Wharf. We did a lot of walking and ate some delicious food and drank some wine.

It was a good trip.

I thought it would be interesting for you all to see the list of books discussed in A Bookshelf of Our Own. The goal of the book is to offer an overview of women’s history via literature. As the author states: “I have chosen the authors and works featured in this volume because I think they offer valuable insights into the cultural and historical experience of women as they have been, as the epigraph to this book suggests, ‘obliged to struggle with the world’.” Unfortunately, I’m not prepared to offer you links to the books…you’ll have to do that yourself.

The Tale of Genji, Murasaki Shikibu

The Book of the City of Ladies, Christine de Pisan

The Princess of Cleves, Madame de la Fayette

A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Mary Wollstonecraft

Emma, Jane Austen

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne

Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert

Little Women, Louisa May Alcott

Middlemarch, George Eliot

Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy

A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen

Tess of the D’Urberwilles, Thomas Hardy

The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The Awakening, Kate Chopin

The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton

My Antonia, Willa Cather

Cheri, Colette

A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf

Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell

Gaudy Night, Dorothy L. Sayers

Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Thurston

The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank

The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir

Century of Struggle: The Women’s Rights Movement in the United States, Eleanor Flexner

The Little Disturbances of Man, Grace Paley

The Golden Notebook, Grace Paley

The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan

The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath

Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys

Sexual Politics, Kate Millett

Sisterhood is Powerful: An Anthology of Writings from the Women’s Liberation Movement, compiled and edited by Robin Morgan

The Female Eunuch, Germaine Greer

Black Women in White America: A Documentary History, compiled and edited by Gerda Lerner

From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies, Molly Haskell

Fear of Flying, Erica Jong

Against Our Will, Susan Brownmiller

Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Judith Rossner

The Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston

Of Women Born, Adrienne Rich

The Women’s Room, Marilyn French

Silences, Tillie Olsen

Women, Race and Class, Angela Davis

The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende

Beloved, Toni Morrison

The Shawl, Cynthia Ozick

Backlash, Susan Faludi

The Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf

Bridget Jones’s Diary, Helen Fielding

The Bitch in the House, compiled and edited by Cathi Harnauer

I’m sure a few of these will work their way onto my reading list. How about you? See anything interesting?

We’ve come to the end of our Dueling Monsters Read-a-long and I’m shedding a little tear (NOT of blood). Heather and I have had a great time getting to know Dracula and Frank a little better (but not too much better)…we hope you’ve had fun, too! Below is a list of bloggers who read (or are reading) Dracula for the read-a-long. Heather has a wrap-up of Frank over at Age 30+…A Lifetime of Books. Be sure to stop by and ask if anyone’s seen Ernest.

*Jackie wasn’t too fond of Dracula. But her copy of the book wins creepiest cover, hands down.

(I had to make it nice and big so you can fully appreciate the bloodshot eyes. And the wart on his cheek. Who said vampires were sexy?)

*Books of Mee was less than enamored, too. She summed up her feelings with this line: BRING ME BACK TO THE CASTLE.

*Rebecca listened to the audio version, and decided she’s just not a fan of vampires (or dripping blood) at all.

*Last I heard, Dreamybee was still reading it, but she was a bit irked by the characters: “I just hit the part where Mina goes from independent intelligent woman to must-be-protected-from-all-the-ugliness-in-life flower, and it’s killing me. Is it just me, or does everyone turn into a raving idiot at this point?” Hmmm, yes, she does bring up an excellent point. Update: she has finished. And she liked. Woo-hoo!

*E.L. Fay read it awhile ago, but wrote a fascinating essay on vampires that I wanted to include. She also made a vampire playlist for Halloween. Dracula would approve.

*Brittanie is still working on it.

*And me? I thought it was great fun. Much more fun than Frank (I just had to add that final dig, since Heather says I can’t write anything about Dracula without bashing Frank in the process).

So, it seems the jury is still out on Dracula. What do you think? Kim asked me “Do you feel like one of the books aged better than the other one?” If you’ve read both, what do you think?

And if I missed your read-a-long thoughts on Dracula, please post a link in the comments and I’ll add it to the above list.

I’m currently reading Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid Undset, for a read-a-long. At over 1000 pages, this puppy is a chunkster. Luckily, it is comprised of three books (The Wreath, The Wife, and The Cross), and we’re reading a book a month. So what follows is my ramblings on The Wreath (and some of The Wife, since I’m about halfway through the entire thing at this point). And be warned…my ramblings include some pretty important plot points and other significant shit (and yes, that’s a literary term).

Sigrid Undset won the Nobel Prize back in the 1920’s, primarily for this book and another Norwegian saga. She is known for her sweeping tales of Norway in the Middle Ages. Kristin Lavransdatter is set during the 14^th century. It is the story of Kristin (duh), the beloved daughter of Lavrans, a prosperous landowner and farmer. Kristin’s mother, Ragnfrid, is a bit distant. I’d say she suffers from depression, but in the book she just runs hot and cold. I actually feel bad for Ragnfrid…I think she got a bit of a raw deal from both her husband and her daughter, and the author. The Wreath sets up some tension between mother and daughter, yet by the time she dies (oh please, no squawking…at 1000+ pages you can’t tell me you didn’t see that coming) nothing had really come of it. I think Ragnfrid needed more air time, so to speak. I would’ve liked to have read more about her.

Anyhoosie, back to the story. Kristin is betrothed to Simon, a nice young man. However, after a near rape and the death of a close friend, she is sent to a nunnery for a year (to let gossip die down). There, she meets Erlend. While Erlend can do no wrong in Kristin’s eyes, he has been ex-communicated from the church for having two children with a married woman. Kristin is able to convince Simon to break the betrothal (no easy thing that, in 14^th century Norway). But when news gets out about who she truly loves, Kristin’s father is appalled and refuses to let them marry. After many months spent moping around the family farm, her father finally relents. And when faced with such conversations as “Jesus Christus, little Kristin, are you so unhappy” - “I think I’m going to die from it, Father,” (p. 238) you can’t blame the man. And the fact that this book predates Twilight by almost 90 years is a good thing; otherwise I’d be crying that it was a Twilight knockoff. Okay, not really. The writing is much, much, much better. But the teenage angst? That is most definitely present.

And since that is essentially the end of Book 1 (well, there’s a marriage and whoopsie, Kristin realizes she’s preggers before the wedding), it’s now time to end the synopsis and dish.

I’m having mixed thoughts. On the one hand, I love the writing and the setting…the smoky halls…the fearsome wolves in the forest…the icy winters. And lowing cows. I just adore lowing cows…they’re so much more eloquent than when they moo, don’t you think? I know my synopsis sounds kind of soap opera-ey, but the book certainly doesn’t read that way. Undset is good at sneaking in historical stuff in a subtle way, so it’s like you’re right there with Kristin and the lice and the mite-ridden fish and the brewing ale.

However, the politics of 14^th century can be a bit confusing (as I know squat about Norwegian history…and I’m too lazy to go read the endnotes, especially as they interrupt the flow of the story). At first, I wasn’t too concerned about not understanding, but as I get further into Book 2 I realize that the politics are going to impact the story. So…uh-oh. Also, Kristin needs to get over herself. She has quite the talent for self-recrimination, and for other-recrimination, too. If she doesn’t shape up, I’m going to loathe her by Book 3. As we know from Frankenstein, I have little patience for “oh woe is me” characters. And while Kristin isn’t really “oh woe” she is a bit “what have I done.” She also has a disturbing tendency to cry as soon as a conversation starts not going her way. I’m this close to tossing her a hair shirt and telling her to get over herself.

However, what makes me want to bop the characters over the head is part of what makes this book timeless. Undset wrote flawed characters. They doubt themselves (and we’re talking some serious, serious doubting). They screw up. They’re jealous. They’re accusatory. They’re, well, you get the idea.

Another reason for the genius of this book is that it deals with themes that are still applicable today. Kristin is a disobedient daughter. She refuses to listen to what others have to say about her boyfriend. She has premarital sex. She loves her boyfriend so much she could die. See, it’s just like Twilight! Okay, kidding, but still.

There is also some heavy religious stuff that I’m struggling with. These people go to mass all the freakin’ time! And the emphasis on chastity and being born within wedlock and recrimination and repenting is almost too much. But then, this is the Middle Ages. I’m torn between wondering if Undset was serious (she converted to Catholicism later in life) or if I’m supposed to want to bop everyone on the head. The one thing I do know is that I am forever grateful I wasn’t a woman (or a man) during this time. I love refrigeration and indoor plumbing way too much.

So there you go. Yes, I like the book and I’m glad I’m reading it. No, I’m not loving the characters, but the immersion into history is totally worth it.

I have officially completed a challenge, and for once in my life, I over-achieved! When I signed up for Carl’s R.I.P. Challenge, I was thinking I’d read two books, but I ended up reading 5.

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• The Night Villa
• Dracula
• Her Fearful Symmetry (someday I’ll get around to writing a review for this one)
• The Little Stranger
• Frankenstein

Hooray for finishing! And hooray for Carl for hosting!!

Just as there is no Igor in Frankenstein, there is no saying of “I vant to suck your blood” in Dracula.

Oh well. It’s still a great read.

I have been wanting to read Dracula for quite some time. It’s pretty much the grand-daddy of vampire fiction, and I was curious as to what the real story was (so to speak). It’s easy to think you know the story, what with all of the books and movies and tv shows and pop culture about vampires.

What surprised me the most about Dracula was how easy it was to read. It’s told in an epistolary format, through letters and journals of most of the major characters. So I never felt like I was wading through dense text and flowery language, like I usually do when I read older novels. Sure, there are moments when you want to bop the characters on the head for their sheer stupidity (case in point: vowing not to leave Lucy alone, and then, well, leaving Lucy alone). But overall, this is an entertaining read and pretty much a primary source for the industry that seems to have popped up around the cult of the vampire.

Unlike Frankenstein, I won’t subject you to a blow by blow account of the story. But I am going to compare the novels a bit.

For some reason, I think it was easier to not take Dracula seriously. And I don’t mean seriously in terms of do vampires exist, but rather as a serious work of fiction. Frankenstein seemed like it wanted to be more literary, whereas Dracula wanted to be more entertaining. Consequently, I was entertained by Dracula and annoyed by Frankenstein.

However, both books offer interesting glimpses into what concerned society at the time. Frankenstein, written at the beginning of the 19th century, is concerned with science and ethics. And it’s still applicable today…in fact, it would be easy to compare the novel to Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake, with its focus on genetic modification. I’m not going to go there, though. Dracula, on the other hand, is more about the supernatural, and how modern methods and rational thinking can defeat supernatural evil. Although almost 100 years separate the two books, it’s almost as if Dracula is the older of the two.

Another interesting focus of both books is the role of women. In Dracula, Mina is represented as the New Woman, yet as the novel goes on, she seems to slip into a subservient role as the men vow to protect her. In Frankenstein, the women are almost all portrayed as the perfect mother, or the perfect daughter. They are all loving and nurturing, but they are also all minor characters. At least Lucy and Mina get equal time! Still, considering when these books were written, it’s not surprising. However, given that Frankenstein was written by a woman (although initially published anonymously) one would think that novel would have had stronger female characters. Although I guess their strength could be measured by their attentiveness to the ass that was Frankenstein.

Oh, did I just bash a main character? Why yes, I did. Ultimately, the reason why I much prefer Dracula is because the character of Frankenstein (the scientist, not the monster, although the scientist was a monster in his own way) was a whiny, pathetic loser who refused to own up to his mistake and stop a horrible progression of events. He also seemed to expect that everyone feel sorry for him, and help him, and let him wallow in his misery (but still help him). Also, can anyone tell me what happened to Ernest Frankenstein?!? If The Creature vowed to kill off the family, why was Ernest spared? And why did he just disappear from the book? And okay, laugh at the fact that I can go along with all the ridiculousness that is Dracula, but then nit-pick about Ernest.

I might have felt differently about Frankenstein had I read it first, although I kind of doubt it. For both entertainment and imagery, I found Stoker to be the superior teller of tales. Therefore, in the duel between Dracula and Frank, I have to declare Dracula as the resounding winner.

On Saturday I’ll be doing a recap post of everyone’s thoughts on Dracula. So check back then to see how he fared elsewhere! And don’t forget to check in with Heather to see what others thought about Frank.

There hasn’t been much reading happening around here the last few days, mostly because I was cheering my socks off during the read-a-thon. But I did get some reviews posted this past week:

• Frankenstein
• Star Gazing
• 1776
• Gang Leader for a Day
• The Little Stranger

Tomorrow, I’ll be giving you my thoughts on Dracula, and then next Saturday will be the wrap-up for the Dueling Monsters Read-a-long. And that takes us to the end of October, if you can believe it. I can’t. Next Sunday will be November 1st, which means it’s time to start thinking about the holidays. Yikes!

Last week I mostly read Kristen Lavransdatter, as I’m participating in a read-a-long for that as well. At 1000+ pages, it’s a chunkster. Luckily, we’re breaking it down into 3 months. I’ve finished with the October section, and have put a serious dent in November. The book offers a fascinating glimpse into life in 14th century Norway. I also snuck in a quick Virginia Woolf (The London Scene). While Mrs. Dalloway left me cold, this short (44 pages) book of five essays was a treat. I may have to rethink my aversion to Woolf.

This week I will continue to read Kristen Lav, but I’ll be out of town for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, so there might not be all that much reading going on. My mom and I are off to San Francisco to check out the King Tut exhibit, a trip we’ve been looking forward to for months. There will also be some shopping going on. I’ve lost 28 pounds since July, and my clothes are falling off. Well, my pants are. It’s kind of hard for a shirt to fall off.

Right now, reading is out of the question. Hamburger is a little fired up (and quite vocal) about the Steelers-Vikings game. I think I’ll just continue to write posts until the game ends.

How’s your Sunday? Are you in recovery from the read-a-thon? Or are you already planning your book list for the next one?

ETA: I deleted my blog today, but the nice guy at Bluehost recovered it…minus two posts and comments from yesterday and today. So if you left a comment, I’m sorry, but it disappeared.

The winner of the Musical Mini-Challenge is Lexi, from The Amazing Adulthood of Alexis.  Woo-hoo!! (Shoot me an email Lexi, and we’ll discuss your choice of gift card.) Lexi’s choice was “On My Own” from Les Mis. I haven’t watched all the videos yet, but I will over the few days. Fun stuff! Thanks to everyone for playing along!

Since I’m about to sign off from my cheerleading duties, I’ll leave you with a final song (which some of you have seen already…sorry). Since the Time Warp is a classic (well, for some of us), here it is revised for the read-a-thon:

It’s astounding, time is fleeting
Reading takes its toll
But listen closely, not for very much longer
You’ve almost met the goal

I remember doing the Read-a-thon
During those moments when
The blackness would hit me and sleep would be calling
Let’s do the readathon again…
Let’s do the readathon again!

It’s just a book in your hand
And then a flip of the page
With your eyes on the words
You let your mind engage
But it’s the cheerleaders that really drive you insane,
Let’s do the readathon again!

Your book is dreamy, or hot and steamy
It stars a banshee, or no one at all
It’s in another dimension, there’s no comprehension
Oh no, there’s none at all
With a bit of a page flip
You’re suddenly on a space ship
And nothing can ever be the same
You’re strung out on cookies, you sound like a Wookie
Let’s do the readathon again!

Well I was strolling through the bookstore just havin’ a look
When what should I espy but my next book
It shook me up, it took me by surprise
It had a sale tag and Care gave it 5 pies.
It lured me in and I felt a change
Time meant nothing, never would again
Let’s do the readathon again!

Catchy, no?  :-D