worducopia

Nothing is Quite Forgotten in Brooklyn--book review

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Thu, 05 May 2011 07:06:00 +0000

I finished a book! Now what?

This isn't the first book I've finished since I last blogged, though it's true that I've been doing a lot more writing (not here, clearly) than reading. Also more knitting (and yet, hardly any knitting), singing, attending various meetings, hiking, being with my kids, cooking and folding laundry (hardly any of that, either).

I have no idea what it was about Nothing is Quite Forgotten in Brooklyn that called me to pick it up again and again, without letting it fall abandoned with the others behind the beside table, until it was finished. It's kind of a quiet book, maybe that was what I needed. Very little tension to distract me from the rest of my thoughts. A little bit of a mystery, and yet easy to fall asleep to.

The book takes place on two competing time lines 14 years apart, back and forth, back and forth--which drove me a little nuts. It wasn't confusing, but it did get tedious at times, what with all the, Back in 1989 in her mother's apartment-s and, But in 2003 she wasn't thinking about that day 14 years ago-s. I think alternating chapters would have had the same effect without requiring the author to constantly step in to reassert the setting.

So, there's a woman, Con, visiting her mother's Brooklyn apartment, reading old letters between her mother and her mother's oldest friend during World War 2, and worrying about her teenaged daughter, and deciding to separate from her husband. And then there's the same woman 14 years later, awaiting overlapping visits from her mother's oldest friend, and her now-grown artist daughter, and her now-ex husband.

I never liked any of the people in Con's life much, but maybe that was the point. It didn't seem like she liked them all that much, either. She mostly wanted them to like her.

There's nothing like a secret stash of old letters to keep me reading, and then the mystery behind the letters was interesting, and I wanted to know how it was all going to unfold. So, I enjoyed the read. But when the mysterious things were all brought into the open it was kind of anticlimactic.

Con's daughter: Big accusation!
Con's mother's friend: Don't be silly.
Con: Oh yeah, I forgot all about that big stack of letters...
Con's Daughter: Circumstantial evidence! Of big accusation!
Con's Mother's friend: Uh....
Con: Hmmm, might be true. But it was 14 years ago, so I guess it doesn't really matter.

And that's the note the book ends on. In fact, during the day after I finished it, I kept thinking I wanted to finish that book I was reading, and then remembering that I had finished it, and then wondering for a second how it ended.

But I did finish it, and then I blogged about it. And seeing how long it's been since that particular combination happened, I guess that's saying something.

Hawaii!

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:07:00 +0000

Coming up on two years ago, I reviewed a travel book about Hawaii and concluded,

"I think we definitely need a homeschool field trip to Hawaii before the next edition comes out, don't you? We could call it a unit study. Read some more Graham Salisbury books...study Pearl Harbor and volcanoes..."

Guess what? We're doing it.

Gosh, I sound so serious.

Insert happy Hawaii hula dance here ------> whee! <------

Well, we're in the middle of that stressful trip-planning time where, having bought the plane tickets, unless we want to spend 9 days at the airport, we now need a place to stay and a car. Travel tip: allow plenty of lead time when planning travel to a popular tourist destination during the high season. We've made some of the arrangements, some we've made twice and still have to cancel the outrageously expensive one, and then there's all these exciting things we really want to do but holy moly, that's a lot of hula moolah! And some of them are not only spendy but meeting with mixed reactions from certain members of the family. ("A 1-hour submarine trip 100 feet under water? Did you not see what happened in The Abyss??? And snorkeling--doesn't that require getting wet? And what about the sharks? And no, we're not going to Hilo, that's where the tsunami was in Night of the Howling Dogs!")

The kid is totally excited to go, he just doesn't want to actually do anything once we get there.

So, what I need is a book to read. Inspired by Care's review of Honolulu, it occurred to me that a good novel or memoir set in Hawaii is just the thing.

I thought of Michener's Hawaii, but it's a) lonnnnnng and b) written in 1959. If you want to try to convince me to read Michener, you have my permission, but I'm hoping for some other ideas as well. Any recommendations?

Also the kids and I need a book to read together once we finish The Scorch Trials. Preferably something set in Hawaii that doesn't involve death or destruction.

And if you haven't got a single idea, a simple "Yay, you're going to Hawaii!" would be helpful.

Green Books Campaign: Food Security for the Faint of Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:00:00 +0000

This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 200 bloggers take a stand to support books printed in an eco-friendly manner by simultaneously publishing reviews of 200 books printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper. By turning a spotlight on books printed using eco- friendly paper, we hope to raise the awareness of book buyers and encourage everyone to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books.

The campaign is organized for the second time by Eco-Libris, a green company working to make reading more sustainable. We invite you to join the discussion on "green" books and support books printed in an eco-friendly manner! A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have one book along with you, what would you pick? I always thought it was a toss-up between the complete collection of Calvin and Hobbes, the complete works of Shakespeare, and a blank book I could write in.

But maybe I should pick Food Security for the Faint of Heart--a book that might help me survive long enough to return to the stacks of books I left teetering on my bedside table. Between the advice about using plants as medicine, growing, finding, and storing food, and collecting safe water to drink, this book is a great resource packed into a portable 175-page paperback.

But what if a person doesn't expect to be stranded on an island anytime soon, you ask. What if they're not interested in stockpiling food for the apocalypse?

Most of us have had the electricity go out, or the water shut off, for longer than we'd like, and Robin Wheeler has tips for those situations, too. Knowing how to preserve food safely can be a real money-saver if the fridge or freezer stop working. And her tips on edible landscaping are inspiring (I've all but given up on growing a garden, but maybe I could manage not to kill native plants that provide berries or edible flowers?), reflecting her expertise as owner of a permaculture nursery in Canada.

Even if you don't live in an area where winter storms, earthquakes or hurricanes are likely events, FEMA lists any number of other disasters citizens should be prepared for, from flood to wildfire or worse. Really, a book like this is just one step beyond preparing the emergency supply kit we should all have at the ready. I'd stick it in my own (half-ready) kit, but I'm hoping to use the instructions for making homemade bouillon sometime before the next disaster strikes, so onto the cookbook shelf it goes.

All this and an eco-friendly format, too! This book was printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper using vegetable-based ink and an FSC-approved cover.

Getting organized

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:42:00 +0000

Fall has always had more of a "New Year" feel to me than January. The combination of my birthday in September, that back-to-school mentality, and something about the crisp fall air never fails to bring back that desire to start fresh.

This fall I vowed to get organized, and stay that way. To that end, I went to the library and brought home a stack of organization books to add to the teetering piles of books I don't have time to read.

Hmmm, what's wrong with that picture?

At the top of the pile was The Messies Manual, written by Sandra Felton of Messies Anonymous. I'll tell you, this book made me feel like I had it all together! My life and house may feel disorganized to me, but boy could it ever be worse.

That's not to say that Felton didn't have suggestions that were useful to me. The main thing I took away from this book was the understanding that procrastination is not the same as laziness. It is simply a habit, and habits can be broken.

So, I need to break the procrastination habit and replace it with new, healthier habits such as hanging up my sweater instead of laying it on the back of the couch, keeping my keys in my purse or on the hook by the door, and putting the toilet paper on its holder instead of setting it on the back of the toilet to deal with "later." Got it. But before getting started, I thought I'd probably better read a few more of these books I'd piled up. (What? What's funny?)

So, I turned to Hannah's Art of Home. The fact that Hannah Keeley is a homeschooling mom appealed to me right away, and I loved her concept of different styles of cleaning to match different personalities. The first part of the book is a personality quiz. I love personality quizzes! I not only took the quiz, but also gave it to my husband, my two children, and the cats.

The cats refused to participate and my ten-year-old gave up on question 8:

If I were an outfit, I would be

a. a tailored jacket with clean-cut pants
b. snazzy overalls with a banana yellow t-shirt
c. an oxford shirt and khakis
d. soft blouse and bohemian skirt

If there had been an (e) oversized skateboard logo t-shirt and ripped jeans, he might have stuck with it for a few more questions.

For the record, personality quizzes intended for mothers do not produce valid results when given to 13-year-old boys. Basically, a 13-year-old boy would make a really wacky mommy. (This could be the basis for a great novel!) My own quiz was more accurate, and Hannah's take on how my personality would impact my efforts to organize my home was entertaining. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I felt another book was just what I needed.

Some of what I'd read in the previous books had led me to realize that even though I've never thought of myself as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), I have certain, shall we say, ADD-friendly tendencies. Like, getting out food to fix dinner at 5:30 but then remembering that I'd planned to pay the bills before dinner so I start to write a check which reminds me that I need to order new checks so I get on the website to order checks and I'm in the middle of choosing which checks to order (and checking Facebook and looking for a recipe for pasta with chicken and no tomatoes because we're out of tomatoes) when my husband rides up on his bike which means it's 6:45. Doesn't this happen to everyone?

So, ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life seemed like a good book for me. I started reading it, and it really is helpful. The only problem is that when my friend and I were at the sauna talking about this whole organizational thing and whether there's such a thing as adult-onset ADD, we got distracted and started talking about food. My friend offered to lend me her copy of Nina Planck's Real Food: What to Eat and Why, and so I started reading that and it's fascinating (more on this another day). Alas, now ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life is due back at the library, so I'm going to return it. Just as soon as I find my son's copy of The Zombie Survival Guide, which was due last week. And then? Why, then I'll get organized, of course!

The Boy who Harnessed the Wind--Give away

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:20:00 +0000

It must be about a year ago now, that I saw a link to this book trailer on Twitter:

I can't believe it's been a year since then, people, where has the time gone?

William Kamkwamba's story touched me so deeply, I knew I needed to read his story. I got a copy of the book, and then lent it to a friend, who read it and returned it to me. I have read pieces of it since then. Only pieces.

So, why did I agree to participate in a TLC tour for the book? Well, because I think it's an important book and so I was going to finish it, of course. In fact, I was so going to finish it that I now have two copies of the book. Now they can make babies.

I am making this book part of our homeschool curriculum for this year, so I'll be finishing it with my kids this fall--

Wait a sec. Babies??? Good Lord! If my two books can make babies I'm in serious trouble, I don't have any extra bookshelf space! I obviously need to split up this happy couple before a population explosion occurs, so who wants a copy? How could you not want a copy, after watching that trailer?

If you'd like my gently-used advance reader copy, leave me a comment with your contact info and why you'd like to read it and I'll send it out to somebody. If they get it read and reviewed before I finish it, I'll eat the other copy.

Want to read an actual review of the book? Try Books By Their Cover, Chick With Books, Book Club Classics!, Find Your Next Book Here, The Zen Leaf, Eclectic/Eccentric or Reviews from the Heart

Look Great, Live Green (Deborah Burnes)--book review

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:53:00 +0000

I'm a little leery of the term "all-natural." What does it really mean? I mean, Botox is made from nature's own botulinum poison; chocolate chip cookies are man-made. I wouldn't take a bath in either of those, but I know which one I'd take to a potluck.

But I checked out Look Great, Live Green from the library because I figured if I'm going to be selling skin-care products, I should be prepared to answer questions from the die-hard natural skin care contingent (which includes quite a few of my friends). No single product is right for everyone, and if people have specific concerns about ingredients, I want to be able to address them, accurately and honestly.

There's a lot of useful information in here. Did you know many natural care companies have been bought out in the past decade? Burt's Bees (Clorox), Tom's of Maine (Colgate-Palmolive), Aveda (Estee Lauder), and The Body Shop (L'Oreal) are all now lines of larger companies. Also, Burnes gives clear information about the benefits of different types of products--the different types of masks, for example, or why toner is important--and how those benefits can be achieved most naturally. The "skin care makeover" section in the back of the book was also interesting, even though the author mostly replaced a variety of brands with one brand: hers.

That's right, Look Great, Live Green was written by a woman with her own line of all-natural skin care products. Hardly the objective source I was looking for. (This is not to say that it's three hundred pages of advertising--in fact quite a few other companies are included in her lists of recommended products.)

The author's bias is clear, though. She advises steering clear of certain ingredients even though the research is inconclusive or not specifically relevant to skin care; in fact, some of them are specifically recommended by dermatologists. For every type of cosmetic, she lists the ingredients of a particular product that illustrates things to avoid--but doesn't indicate the reasons. As you might expect, many ingredients appear in both the Ingredients to Avoid and Ingredients to Look For products. In fact, a person skimming the lists could come to the conclusion that water is to be avoided at all costs--after all, it's listed in nearly every product Burnes avoids!

In short, I finished the book feeling somewhat more conflicted, but no less confused than I'd started out.

Thawing a rotten life: Un-book review times two

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:58:00 +0000

Might be time to post a blog entry when posts on my most recent entry are on to-be-moderated status. Instead of book reviews, I'm leaning toward writing book-in-progress reports as the spirit moves me. So, here are the books with bookmarks in them right now.

I just got back from a camping trip, in which I read most of this:

My Rotten Life: Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie.

My kids and I haven't read a book together in a couple of months--we just haven't been in the mood. So, we picked something on the short side for the car ride to the campground, and at first we were dubious but we've ended up all four of us laughing out loud at Nathan's mishaps with the zombie-inducing chemistry experiment gone wrong.

Our initial dubiousness stemmed from two things: (a) I don't like zombies, and (b) my kids don't buy into the whole school-cliques/bullies set-up. Maybe kids who go to school relate to it? But to my homeschooled kids it's a total cliche, mostly found in cartoons, and they're sick of it. Once we got to the action, though, they got really hooked in and my 13-year-old kept picking up the book to read ahead every time I set it down. This did not add to the brotherly love, but I think it says a lot for a book aimed at 9-12 year olds.

Here's what I didn't read on the camping trip:

I'm in the middle of Monica Roe's Thaw, the fictional account of a teen boy recovering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes temporary paralysis. The thing about Dane is, he's a real jerk. Pretty sure there's a transformation happening, but in the meantime, he's just not that much fun to hang out with. So, I brought him along camping, but I made him sit in my backpack the whole time. Now that I'm home, I'm looking forward to picking it up again, in hopes that Dane will redeem himself.

Sunday Salon: Infrequently Asked Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Sun, 30 May 2010 19:26:00 +0000

Q: Didn't there used to be a blog around here somewhere?"

A: Why yes! Here it is, welcome to Worducopia.

Q: What happened? Are you okay?

A: Yup. Doing fine!

Q: And...?

A: Well, I'm trying to finish revisions on my novel, and it's slow going. I'm spending time with my kids, and I just started selling Mary Kay cosmetics (if you've met me in real life, I'm okay with the fact that you just cracked up). Also, I'm hooked on computer solitaire, so you know: that takes up a big chunk of my time.

Q: Read any good books lately?

A: Actually, yes! Thank you for asking. Right now I'm reading Siobhan Dowd's Bog Child. I love Irish fiction, especially with a focus on Northern Ireland, so this is right up my alley. I probably have about ten pages to go and I haven't picked it up all weekend. Not sure if I'm too busy, ambivalent about where the story is going, or just don't want it to end.

I also recently read The Magician's Assistant, by Ann Patchett, which I really enjoyed until the end. I kind of hated the end. This was a duplicate of my experience with Patchett's Bel Canto, so I think she and I just come from different perspectives when it comes to endings.

Q: So why didn't you review it?

A: I guess I just didn't feel like it?

Q: How do you expect to make it as a book blogger if you don't actually review any books?

A: *snort!* Ha ha ha! Thanks for the laugh.

Q: Okay, but if a blog sits in the blogosphere and nobody posts on it, is it still a blog?

A: Um... good point. I'm not really sure.

I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel yet, though. Still holding out hope that I'll figure out a way to stay immersed in real life, keep up my other writing, and keep Worducopia active. In the meantime, thanks for stopping by. Delighted to have you here!

Sunday Salon: Blogging from the final frontier

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Mon, 03 May 2010 05:45:00 +0000

I'm sitting here watching the 2009 Star Trek dvd with my husband and the whole time travel thing is making my head spin, so I thought to myself: I know! I'll blog! That should help.

Here's what I'm reading this week:

Inspired by my recent reading of The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet, I decided to pick up another retelling of Hamlet from my shelf of library books, Something Rotten by Alan Grantz. Though it takes place in contemporary times, this is actually a much closer reading of Hamlet's story than The Lunatic is. I've even pulled our big old volume of Shakespeare's work off the shelf--the one my husband accidentally borrowed permanently from his first college roommate (thanks, Michael, wherever you are)--to cross check some of the dialogue. Such fun!

The Red Thread currently lives in the bag that comes along in the car when I'm playing taxi driver and tour guide through life for my boys. It's a novel centered around a group of potential parents in the process of adopting from China.

I expected this to be a memoir for some reason, and I've had a hard time readjusting my expectations. It all just seems so . . . fictional. Which is normally a good thing, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to settle in to the book as it is (I'm about halfway through) in time to enjoy the ride.

Now, if you'll excuse me, young Kirk and Spock seem to be about to save the world and become lifelong friends. I think I'd better pay attention.

Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show--Frank Delaney (book review)

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:36:00 +0000

Venetia Kelly is a young ventriloquist with charm that draws everyone in. When Ben MacCarthy's father, a stalwart Irish farmer, leaves his home and family to follow her traveling show across Ireland, Ben's mother sends him to find his father and bring him home. Each time he falters or fails, the stakes get higher, and he presses on.

Delaney tells two coming-of-age stories: that of young Ben MacCarthy, and that of Ireland in the 1930s. The text interweaves the threads through a series of fascinating "digressions," as the narrator calls them.

There's so much to like about this book. But, I found myself holding back, disconnected from both the characters and the plot. I blame foreshadowing.

When done well, foreshadowing gives just enough of a taste of what's to come to pull the reader further into the story. Judging from other reviews, Delaney's style had this exact effect on many readers. But it seems I'm a strange bird. I won't read thrillers because of their deliberate disaster-just-around-the-corner.... wait for it! Wait for it! taunting. I would much rather traipse through the protagonist's world alongside him, and later be devastated by a betrayal, than to stay emotionally distant from certain characters or situations because I've been told it will all go wrong soon. Kind of like the author inserting his own little spoilers right into the text.

I did appreciate many things about the book though: Ben's storyteller friend's periodic reinterpretations of the narrative to make it into the stuff of which legends are made; the colorful characters Ben meets on his quest through Ireland; the use of a ventriloquist's dummy as both a character and a political commentator; the narrator's self-deprecating sense of humor. It all adds up to an enjoyable tale with a bit of Irish history thrown in for good measure.

This book was provided for review by TLC Book Tours. The opinions expressed in this post are solely my own and have not been approved or influenced by TLC book tours, the publisher, or the author.

The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet--Myrlin Hermes (book review)

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:24:00 +0000

Behind every work of fiction lies some form of truth. So, what might be the truth behind Shakespeare's tragic play, Hamlet? That's the question that drives The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet.

Imagine that Horatio is a regular old sixteenth century bisexual guy who meets a Danish prince and falls in love. Eventually he writes a play inspired by bits and pieces of Hamlet's life, but first, there must be love triangles, misunderstandings, and people disguised as other people--because Shakespeare is all about the love triangles and disguises, after all, and Horatio is Shakespeare. That is, he is the playwright who, at the end of the novel, writes the famous tragic play.

It gets complicated. Myrlin Hermes' novel has been described as a prequel to Hamlet, but it's not quite that simple, because the plot of Hamlet (the play) is not the truth of what happens to Hamlet (the character in the novel). Behind the scenes of Hamlet's story, though, the themes remain the same. The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet offers a new twist on those themes, without all that messy blood and poison at the end, and offers readers a chance to reread the play with a new perspective on both the characters, and the author behind them.

This book was provided for review by TLC Book Tours. The opinions expressed in this post are solely my own and have not been approved or influenced by TLC book tours, the publisher, or the author.

Savor, Mindful Eating, Mindful Life--Thich Nhat Hanh and Lillian Cheung

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:46:00 +0000

So, a Buddhist monk and a nutritionist decide to write a book together. . .

Doesn't that sound like the first line of a great joke? Unfortunately, (a) It's not (b) I can't come up with the punch line if it was, and (c) I'm supposed to be writing a review of the book they wrote, rather than creating punch lines for nonexistent jokes.

But if it were a joke, the Buddhist monk would lead the reader in mindfulness, with the reader dutifully slowing down while drinking, say, her nice tall glass of lemonade. She'd focus on the cool trickle of liquid down her throat, savoring the contrasting tartness and sweetness. Inside the flavor, she'd taste the fluffy white clouds that made the rain that produced the lemonade, and the earth in which the lemon tree grew, and the farmer who picked the lemon . . .

And the nutritionist would say, "Lemonade? Really? Because you know, there's an awful lot of sugar in that. Consumption of fruit juice contributes to diabetes, and, by the way, you could stand to lose a few pounds. You really shouldn't be drinking juice this late in the day at all. And what's that you were planning to savor with that lemonade--a sugar cookie?!"

And the Buddhist monk would say . . . [Insert punch line here]

But seriously, folks. There's a lot to be said for merging good nutrition with putting thought into what and how we eat. I'm just not sure the two perspectives were exactly in harmony, in this case.

There is a lot to love about this book as an introduction to the Buddhist perspective to life, though. The breathing meditations for everything from reading email, to watching T.V., for example:

Breathing in, the remote control is in my hand
Breathing out, why am I watching television?

That cracks me up for some reason, but it's certainly a worthwhile question, and an honest answer could lead to some much-needed soul searching. My favorite is the traffic jam meditation:

Breathing in, I follow my in-breath
Breathing out, I follow my out-breath
Breathing in, I know everyone is trying to get somewhere
Breathing out, I wish everyone a peaceful, safe journey
Breathing in, I go back to the island of calm within myself
Breathing out, I feel refreshed.

I actually love this idea, and I'm going to try it next time I'm stuck in traffic. Unless my kids are in the car. I wouldn't want them to worry.

Savor is on tour for the TLC Book Tours. The opinions expressed on Worducopia are my own and have not been approved or influenced by TLC Book Tours, the publisher, or the authors.

Sunday Salon: Struck Blogless

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:12:00 +0000

Ten days ago, my laptop forgot how to connect to the internet. I've been informed that the only hope for recovery is to perform radical surgery--wipe it clean and start again. I've done the prep (saved all my files) and am just waiting for . . . I'm not sure what I'm waiting for, actually. The stars to line up correctly? A miracle? Courage?

In any case, blogging without the internet is difficult. Yes, I can write posts on my computer, transfer them to another computer, and post them. That's what I'm doing now. But that extra step kind of takes the fun out of it. Also, I can't remember my Bloglines password, so the only way for me to read blogs is to type in each address one by one. And that's so twentieth century! What's the fun in that?

I have been reading, though, and the book I finished this morning was almost perfect. Heh heh, I crack myself up. The book was Almost Perfect, by Brian Katcher, which I found at the library after reading a review on Life in the Thumb.

Logan is a senior in a small-town Missouri high school, recovering from the break-up with his girlfriend of three years, when he meets a new student. Sage is uniquely attractive, funny, and gets along with Logan's friends in a way his ex-girlfriend never did. Logan is sure Sage is the right girl for him, until he learns that, while Sage identifies herself as a girl, her anatomy is male.

Katcher presents readers with very "real" and likeable characters, without glossing over the difficulties and complications Sage faces, as well as the confusion Logan wrestles with. I have no doubt that getting to know Sage from Logan's point of view will be an eye-opening experience for many teens. Just as most things in life aren't black-and-white, people can't always be neatly divided into males vs. females. I'll be passing this one on to my son in a year or two, and highly recommend it for high school aged teens.

I want to say this was the best book about a transgendered teen that I've ever read, but I can't think of any to compare it to. Are there others?

Sunday Salon: Reading in recovery

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:26:00 +0000

It's a gorgeous Sunday afternoon here in Oregon, the crocuses are in full bloom, the trees are budding, and part of me yearns to frolic in the fresh air. Unfortunately, that part of me is unequivocally connected to the rest of me, which is recovering from a flu-ish thing that rendered me immobile Thursday and much of Friday. I feel okay now, as long as I don't eat too much or too fast, or think too hard about vigorous things such as mopping the floor.

While I was sick, I got caught up on blogs for the first time since summer! And, by caught up, I mean I only have 1500 unread messages in my feed reader. (Don't worry: it makes sense to me).

I also finished reading Adele Barker's memoir, Not Quite Paradise: An American Sojourn in Sri Lanka. I was really excited to read this because I've had a couple of friends who were raised in Sri Lanka, and I was eager to learn more about their homeland. I did learn a lot, and enjoyed reading about Barker and her son's adjustment to life on the island. The book dragged for me in the middle, though. And, Barker had a habit of randomly switching tenses that mystified me, causing me to have to reread sections to try to figure out whether it was me missing some subtle purpose behind the tense change, or the author missing the not-so-subtle purpose behind generally sticking to either past tense or present when writing a memoir. So, this turned out to be one of those, "Glad I read it; glad I'm done with it" reads. (LibraryThing sent me this book and the next one as part of their Early Reviewers program).

With that finished, I turned to something lighter (I thought): a YA book that's coming out this June called The Secret to Lying, by Todd Mitchell. I'm going to review this one more fully when I have more time to put into it, but suffice it to say: Todd Mitchell has earned himself a new fan.

It took me a while to warm up to The Secret to Lying. It's John Green's fault--the set-up was too reminiscent of the set-up to the delightful Looking for Alaska. This is a completely different book, though, especially after the first few chapters, and by the end, I loved it (dare I say it?) more than either of the John Green books I've read. I'd better stop before I end up writing the whole review right here and now. Can not wait to share my thoughts on this one. Todd Mitchell, come visit Portland. I want to shake your hand.

And now, I'm reading Generation Text, written by psychologist Michael Osit, about raising kids in this digital era. The potential impact of current technology and expectations on our children is well-researched by Dr. Osit, and eye-opening. Though this book came out in 2008, this is the perfect time for me to be reading it as my oldest just got his first cell phone last month. I'm glad to have Dr. Osit's insights for guidance as we tread this new territory as a family. (I think I found this one on the new books shelf of the library).

Whether you're reading in sunshine, snow, or rain, I hope you're having a relaxing Sunday!

Books to Drool Over: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:05:00 +0000

The recipes in the The Pioneer Woman Cooks look pretty good, but to me they're secondary to the rest of the book. The magic is in the photos (all taken by the author) and the stories behind them.

Ree Drummond was a city girl who fell in love with a cowboy and moved to his family ranch, where she now homeschools their four children and takes gorgeous photos of her family and friends. Her cookbook includes photo essays on the horses, the men who work the cattle, and the women who keep each other company out on the lonely plains. I like to think of Ree as living my alternate universe life--you know, the one I'd be living had my dear one been the type to major in Ag Sci in college instead of Art History? The cookbook, and her blog The Pioneer Woman, allow me to visit that alternate universe for a few minutes at a time, without having to get all muddy.

But, what about the recipes? They strike a balance in style, between Drummond's meat-and-potatoes husband and her oh-how-I-miss-sushi-takeout self, and they look delicious. She also generally cooks with a lot of butter and cream. As in, she probably uses more in one day than I use in a week. A week in which I baked a batch of cookies, even.

So, I'll have to adapt her recipes to my family's lifestyle, which doesn't involve roping cattle or building fences, much. I haven't gotten around to doing that yet (adapting the recipes, that is. Although the same could be said for building fences) but I loved the book regardless, for its personal touch and its straightforward portrayal of modern ranching life.

Find more Weekend Cooking posts at Beth Fish Reads

Four books I wish I'd loved (mini-reviews)

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:17:00 +0000

I was looking forward to reading Where the God of Love Hangs Out because Amy Bloom writes beautifully, but her Away didn't appeal to me. Unfortunately, she's now 0 for 2 with me. Again, the writing is lovely. And again, the storyline (or lines, in this case, as this is a sort of half collection of short stories, half novella) pushed me away when characters took off in directions I just didn't get. Several connected stories trace the path of an ongoing affair between two married friends; another group of stories follow the relationship with a woman and her stepson that inexplicably veers into inappropriate territory and never finds its way back. I think I know where she was going with these, but she left me behind. (LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program sent me this)

Start off with a self-centered character with a chip on her shoulder. Have the character announce her big plan to her family over Christmas--a plan that is about as mature and well-thought out as a 6-year-old's plan to run away from home, and that involves disrupting the life of her 16-year-old niece/daughter. The family is shocked and angry, the issue is discussed between every possible pairing of family members with the exception of the neice/daughter. Though she's supposed to be the key to the plot, the teen floats through the book cheerfully saying hi to everyone and pointing out cute jeans in magazines. She doesn't seem to have much of a relationship with anyone in the book, least of all her aunt/mother who wants to take her home with her. Toss in a quick semi-romance for the heck of it, and there you have it. (Another book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program)

The Ice Chorus follows Liselle as she retreats from her marriage (destroyed while she cheated on her husband with a painter named Charlie) and her son (equally destroyed, and refusing to speak to her) to a cottage in an Irish fishing village. I enjoyed the village and the stories of the people she met and interviewed there. I only wish the aspects of the story that moved beyond the romance-from-afar --and there were many-- had developed into the main focus of the story, because the flashbacks to the romance with Charlie did nothing to convince me that the man was worth waiting for. I didn't like him, and I didn't like Liselle when she was with him. I had a hard time empathizing with her pain over her son not talking to her, given how she'd handled the end of her marriage. As she waited in the cute fishing village for Charlie to show up, my greatest hope for her was that he wouldn't show, and that she would grow enough through her experiences there to decide she didn't need him after all. (Author Sarah Stonich sent me this book).

This is a classic case of a book coming too highly recommended. The blogger-types, they adore Beth Kephart. And after so much gushing, I expected Nothing But Ghosts to blow me away. And, it was . . . fine.

Fine was not the reaction I was hoping for.

I put off reviewing it for a couple of months, in hopes that its brilliance would reach me through osmosis if it sat next to my bedside table long enough. The result was that I forgot what it was about and had to read all the reviews I could handle (oh, the gushing!) to remind myself. I now remember the plot, but I can't remember why Katie didn't especially grab me, why her grief over her dead mom didn't tear me up even a little, why Kephart's words didn't leap off the page straight into my heart. Just that they didn't, and I wish they had (I bought this book at A Children's Place bookstore).

Diversity Roll Call: Magazines & Lit Journals

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:26:00 +0000

I was at the salon the other day without a book (what was I thinking?). I ended up perusing a few magazines while waiting for my hairdresser to work her magic on me, and--

By the way, is it my imagination, or has Cosmo changed a lot since the eighties? Because I could swear there used to be an occasional issue that didn't read like the Kama Sutra.

--Wait, that's not where I was going with this. Focus, Ali.

In these days of controversy over "whitewashing" in the publishing industry, I looked at the magazines at the salon from a different perspective. I know some magazines target people of certain ethnicities or hues, but is there such a thing as a truly diverse magazine? Or one that at least aims in that direction? What about The New Yorker, does it aim for diversity? (I'll admit, I wouldn't know. I still haven't gotten past my childhood resentment at all those New Yorkers in waiting rooms and on airplanes, full of cartoons that weren't remotely funny. The nerve!).

So, your assignment is to do one of the following sometime in the next couple of weeks or so:

1) Take a look at the magazines or literary journals you read. If you don't read them, pick one up from the library just for the heck of it. Look at the ads, the photo spreads, the authors and subjects of the articles. Do people of color exist in the world this publication presents to its readers? How about gays, lesbians, or people with physical differences?

2) Do you know of a magazine or journal that does embrace diversity? Be it high brow or low brow, tell us about it. If you don't know of any, do a little digging. They've got to be out there.

To participate in this Diversity Roll Call, co-hosted by Susan of Color Online and myself, please add a link directly to your post.

Last Night I Sang to the Monster--Benjamin Alire Saenz (book review)

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:08:00 +0000

The second I read Doret's review of this 2009 YA novel about a troubled 18-year-old young man in alcohol rehab, I knew I had to get my hands on it. My library was, as usual, happy to oblige. Thanks, library!

It wasn't quite what I expected, in some ways it was better. It took me a few chapters to adjust to the voice, there's a lot of repetition of particular phrases ("that tears me up," "I'm wigging out" and lots of talk about God writing words on people's hearts) and it drove me a little nuts in the beginning, seeming like an attempt to mimic/update Holden Caulfield's voice from The Catcher in the Rye. It's not. Saenz makes his purpose clear as Zach begins working on owning his feelings instead of using catch phrases to distance himself from them.

I also didn't expect Zach to be the only teen character. His high school friends are all in the past and only mentioned briefly. His cohorts at the rehab center are all older. These characters are so richly drawn, providing a deep background for Zach's journey from numb denial to a young man ready to remember his past so he can move forward into his future. Even the tree has personality. I'll let that tree, and Zach's 53-year-old roommate, Rafael, have the last word:

"See that tree?" It was a stubby cypress tree, all bent and twisted.

"Yeah, I see it."

"It's my favorite tree."

"It's not that great a tree," I said.

"That's it. That's exactly it. It's like me. The wind beat the holy crap out of it when it was just a sapling. Never could straighten itself out again." He sort of smiled at me. "But, Zach, it didn't die." He looked like maybe he wanted to cry. But he didn't. "It's alive."

"Maybe it should have just given up."

"That tree didn't know how to do that. It only knew how to live. Crooked. Bent. Taller trees dwarfing it even more. It just wanted to live. I named it, you know?"

He was waiting for me to ask what he'd named it--but I decided I didn't want to ask.

"Zach," he whispered. "The tree's name is Zach."[p. 135]

Diversity Roll Call: Paradigm Shift

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:59:00 +0000

It's time for another Diversity Roll Call, this time hosted at Color Online.

Have you ever read a book and the character's perspective opened you to ideas, beliefs or realities that you had never considered? Tell us a about a work or an author whose body of work changed how you looked at the world, others or yourself. Have you ever read a book and had a paradigm shift because of it?

The first book that came to mind was Roots. Slavery was an abstract concept to me before I read it, as a teen. Despite controversies about Haley's genealogical methodology, he did put a face on the victims of and participants in slavery for me. But I wouldn't call that a paradigm shift, exactly. I ended up in the same place I'd started, just with a deeper understanding.

Black Like Me was another thing entirely.

In 1959, in an attempt to overcome his inability to understand the black experience, John Howard Griffin underwent a medical procedure to darken his skin pigment so that strangers perceived him as a black man. Black Like Me is the memoir describing his experiences in different parts of the U.S., when transformed into a dark-skinned man.

When I think about it now, the impact of this book disturbs me. People experienced blatant racism every day in 1959. Why would it take a white man with dark skin to convince anyone (Griffin included) of the extent to which racism existed? Does he somehow have more authority on the matter, after a brief experiment, than any black person would have after a lifetime? And if not, why was this book considered so groundbreaking?

But at the age that I read it (probably 18 or 19), the concept of race as a human construct was new to me. I had so many assumptions that I wasn't aware of, including the idea that people were inherently different from each other based on race. Not in any specific way I could have pinpointed, certainly not inferior or deserving of disdain. But the fact that the same person could have such entirely different experiences of life due to others' perceptions of them? Blew my mind.

That's when I first questioned my own conceptions of people. Sure, I was nice to everyone. I did have fairly diverse friends, for a middle class girl who spent most of her childhood in a 95% white city. But were there subtle differences in how I connected to people, based on my assumptions about their racial or ethnic background?

The answer is such an obvious yes to me, two decades later, that it's hard to convey the impact of asking the question for the first time. It's a question I hope I never stop asking myself.

Would you like to participate in Diversity Roll Call this week? I hope you'll head on over to Color Online and add your link. Got a question or topic related to diversity you'd like to see here? Suggestions are welcomed with open arms, you can send them to Susan or to me at Worducopia-at-gmail-dot-com.

Short Story Mondays: A Choice of Accommodations

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:54:00 +0000

Source: Unaccustomed Earth (Jhumpa Lahiri,2006)
Date read: 1/10 (#7)
Briefly: A young married couple tries to rekindle their relationship at the wedding of his former crush.

Afterthoughts: I listened to the audio version of this, which means I turned it on in my car when I was driving without my kids. At this rate it takes several weeks to finish a story--not the ideal listening scenario. Despite this, and despite the fact that Lahiri bounces through a series of flashbacks and summaries of previous events, Amit and Megan's story drew me back in every single time, and stuck with me long after it was done.

Lahiri is well known for bringing the East Indian-American experience to readers. A Choice of Accommodations is written from the point of view of an Indian-American character, but the character's ethnicity is secondary. This is a day-in-the-life-of-a-marriage story that transcends cultural differences.

Amit and Megan's young daughters never make an appearance in the story, and yet they are extremely present. In one section, Amit makes the social blunder of mentioning to another wedding guest that his marriage "disappeared" when their second daughter was born. He recalls how time alone became so precious to each of them during that overwhelming time, that it was coveted and nurtured far more than time as a couple. This has led this couple to where they are today--a weekend getaway, hoping to rediscover themselves individually and as a couple. Minor disasters ensue. Can this marriage be saved?

Sunday Salon: What I'm reading

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:05:00 +0000

I love juxtaposing two seemingly unlikely books against each other as I read them at the same time by chance.

This week we have:

East of Eden, by John Steinbeck vs. One Week in December, by Holly Chamberlin

Steinbeck starts off with long descriptions of the setting that leave readers breathless with the essence of time and place. Chamberlin describes the furniture in every room and each item of clothing the characters wear.

Steinbeck gives us broad, sweeping strokes that take a character through decades with a few key moments. So does Chamberlin, but she breaks into her scenes in order to do so.

But both books deal with complicated family relationships, jealousy between siblings, and errors in judgement made by well-meaning parents. And both are getting on my nerves just a little bit. One because it keeps switching points of view between a multitude of self-centered characters wallowing in their personal emotional muck. The other, because it's taking forever to get going (partly because I'm also reading another book, perhaps?) and it's too fat to sling around town in my knitting bag. Bonus points to the first reader to correctly guess which is which.

In which I share a few of my Best Kept Secrets

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:08:00 +0000

Kelly from YAnnabe emailed asking me to post my favorite YA books that aren't well known. I'm calling this the Best Kept Secrets list.

At the same time, I've been working on my best 2009 reads by people of color for the Diversity Roll Call. Astoundingly, but not surprisingly, all but one of my favorites for this list are also on my Best Kept Secrets list. (I've starred the books written by authors of color). The only one that didn't qualify as a Best Kept Secret was Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead*, which isn't a YA book and is more well-known.

I compiled my list, with Kelly's help, by looking at my Library Thing collection to see how many other members claimed my favorite YA reads in their collections. The list below links to my review and includes the number of members claiming the book, and the average rating out of 5 stars.

The Brothers Torres by Cooert Voorhees*. I called this The Outsiders with cajones, and it was one of my favorite 2009 books. 77 members, 4.11 stars.

When the Black Girl Sings, by Bil Wright*. I loved the backdrop of transracial adoption and music in this one. 48 members, 3.55 stars.

The Secret Keeper, by Mitali Perkins*. Two Indian sisters adjust to life with relatives in Bengali. 48 members, 4.27 stars.

Flygirl, by Sherrie Smith*. Amazing historical fiction about a black girl in the 1940s who's always yearned to be a pilot. She has her opportunity with the Women Airforce Service Pilots . . . as long as she's willing to pass for white. 132 members, 4.32 stars.

Incognegro, by Mat Johnson*. Speaking of historical fiction and blacks passing as white, this graphic novel is a gut-wrenching treatment of two black men who pose as whites in order to report on lynchings that took place in the deep south. This isn't YA but older teens would get a lot out of it. 91 members, 3.81 stars.

Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury. My boys and I enjoyed this virtual trip to Hawaii as we followed a troop of boy scouts who get caught in a natural disaster. 107 members, 3.99 stars.

Tallulah Falls, by Christine Fletcher. Tallulah is an unforgettable character who stumbles into a new life when she rescues a lost dog. 48 members, 3.46 stars.

The Speed of Light by Ron Carlson. I wrote that this beautiful coming-of-age book should have been marketed to adults as well as teens--I was sad that so many would overlook it. 29 members, 4.43 stars.

Ordinary Ghosts, byEireann Corrigan. I read this and the next two books pre-Worducopia, so my reviews are only on Library Thing. I said YA novels didn't get much better than this story of a boy grieving for his mom who recently died of cancer. 60 members, 4 stars.

10th Grade, by Joe Weisberg. I said, "This was my favorite book from the summer of 2006. I took it to a cabin in the San Juan Islands we were staying at with friends, and I laughed so much that every time I set the book down one of my friends had picked it up to read it." 101 members, 3.41 stars.

Trigger, by Susan Vaught. I wrote, "This book is intense. The author has worked with brain-injured teens and her character's story of recovery from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head is realistic and heartbreaking. Well, that doesn't make you really want to read it, does it?
Read it because the writing is brilliant. (Ever wondered what it would be like to think with a brain injury?) Read it because you'll connect with this character in a way that you might not have thought possible. Read it because you'll likely never forget this kid. One day you'll see someone acting a little odd, and you'll think of Jersey Hatch, and you'll see the person behind the odd behavior. Read it if you're a parent, and if there's a teenaged boy in your life, give it to him to read, too. 120 members, 4.35 stars.

Want to make your own list of Best Kept Secrets or check out some other bloggers' lists? Head over to YAnnabe for instructions and links.

*starred authors are those that I'm aware of being people of color.

Denise Austin's Daily Dozen

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:13:00 +0000

Reason # 39,675 why I love my kids: when this book came in the mail for me from Hachette Books, my younger son read the cover carefully and quietly said to my husband: "I don't think Mom really needs this book, do you?"

Definitely a keeper, that one.

And he's right that my goals have more to do with fostering healthier eating habits and getting more exercise, than losing weight. Denise Austin is the perfect cheerleader in both these arenas.

The concept behind the book is that you do twelve minutes of exercise each day--a different routine for each day of the week, with a few extras thrown in for variety--and eat the low-calorie meals Denise lays out for you. The most helpful thing about the meal plan, for me, was her shopping lists for each week. When I saw that Denise buys more fruits and vegetables for one person than I buy for my whole family, I stepped up my produce purchases big time.

The exercise routines are doable and varied enough to keep me interested. Did I do them daily? No. Did I walk the 12 miles per week Denise suggests? No, but I got closer every week. Did I lose any weight? Nope. But this book will be a useful resource for me as I continue with my personal goals.

Diversity Roll Call: Best of 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:47:00 +0000

The Diversity Roll Call is co-hosted by myself and Susan of Color Online. If you haven't seen Susan's post about the lack of diversity in the finalists for the Cybil awards, and Colleen's related post, it's worth taking a minute to read them, and the many thoughtful comments.

I've enjoyed reading the many "best of" lists and reading summaries that have been posted lately, especially the Top 10 Lists that Doret's been posting all week at the Happy Nappy Bookseller. So, for this Roll Call, over the next two weeks or so I invite you to select your favorite read of the year by a non-white author. (Doesn't have to be a 2009 book, as long as you read it in 2009).

Can't pick just one? No problem. Do a top 10, or do one from each genre that you read--whatever works. If you've already written a Best Of 2009 post and authors of color are featured on it, feel free to link to that post.

This could also be a good opportunity to post recommendations by authors of color for one or more of the many Reading Challenges for which people are creating their reading lists right now.

Maybe you haven't read any books by authors of color--or maybe none that you loved--we don't want to leave you out. Your special assignment is to visit the other posts and select one book that you plan to read in 2010. Then, go get it. :-)

Please link directly to your post below.

Shouting the name of this challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Ali) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:15:00 +0000

This post is both my announcement that I'll be joining the challenge to read books by and about gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered people (and how convenient that I failed so miserably in 2009--I can recycle my old reading list! Though I'm hoping to add enough to reach 12 books) and my answer to the January mini-challenge question.

The Question: Why is this particular challenge important to you?

Answer #1: Why must this be the challenge that dare not speak its name?

Yes, I just answered a question with a question. But, truly, I can't think of a better way to put it. I don't understand the shame in naming the challenge and I want to do my part to put it out there that sexual orientation shouldn't have to be a hush-hush secret. So I'm here to shout out the name of the challenge.

The gay! And lesbian! And bisexual! And transgendered! And others who don't fit themselves into any of those categories! challenge.

Answer #2: Because of teens like Robby, whose post about why this challenge is important to him just about broke my heart. For kids who are in the process of figuring themselves out and/or coming out, books with positive gay characters (and the occasional ornery one) are crucial. In some cases, life-or-death crucial.

Answer #3: Because of my many friends who have found love with people who are the same gender as they are.

Answer #4: And because of my friends who haven't.

Answer #5: Because I'm raising two delightful boys and I want them to know I don't give a rat's hiney whether they or their friends are gay or straight, as long as they'll keep bringing their friends to dinner. Having these books strewn around the house along with all the other books I read sends a message to them about who we are as a family. We're fairly mainstream in a lot of ways, but we're standing on the side of love, and we're not embarrassed to say so.