April Books

I was able to complete 8 books in March. For the missing reviews from this particular post, see here and here.

First up, well, after American Gods, was the 2008 Printz Award winner, The White Darkness. I remember getting this book last year at the library and passing it up because it didn't seem too interesting, and I admit only picking it up recently because it won the award. The book details a girl named Sym's life and her obsession with Antarctica. She has always been sort of slow (she lost her hearing at a young age) and shy and fancies the long dead Antarctic explorer, Titus Oates. When her Antarctic dream becomes a reality, she discovers that her obsession has been fueled over the years by the madness of her Uncle Victor. Her uncle's agenda obviously makes the "vacation" to Antarctica a bit dangerous, especially when he blows up an airplane and takes Sym and two others on one crazy ride to find a portal to another world. I liked all of the action and adventure along with the beautiful and harsh descriptions of Antarctica (a place I would like to see someday) but thought that even a naive person could figure out that her uncle was a little on the crazy side from the beginning.

I began Dachshunds for Dummies back in February and finished it on a plane ride to Colorado. First, I never thought I would read a "For Dummies" book. Second, I never thought I would read one straight through. Jon and I have wanted a dachshund for quite a while now, especially since we met Rosie, the miniature brown and tan smooth beauty in Colorado, and the (hopefully) mother of our future puppy. It's always good to do research on a breed to make sure the dog is right for you, and thanks to Ashley's recommendation, this appears to be the best reference out there. I obviously can't quite judge this book yet, as I do not own a dachshund, but I did learn a ton about training, different dachshund personalities, and back problems because of their long bodies. More than anything, the book has made me really excited about getting a dachshund and starting my family. For now though, I am content to live vicariously through Ashley, who owns three of them (God Bless her.)

While my dad was stuck at the hospital in Colorado, I had to make to emergency runs to the book store to have enough to read during my prolonged stay. I had to pick up the new Philip Pullman book because I adored the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. This little novella details the beginnings of the friendship between Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison. After winning a hot air balloon in a poker game, the 24 year old Lee travels with his dæmon, the awesome Hester, to the Arctic island of Novy Odense. Here, Lee gets entangled with a crazy scheme that forces him to face his past nemesis and puts his life and others at risk, especially after he befriends the loathed bears (Iorek) on the island. Like Lyra's Oxford, the story was great and I loved the illustrations and the game, but I can't help but think that Pullman could be working on The Book of Dust or a Sally Lockhart novel instead. Regardless, I'll take anything at this point, as I enjoyed learning more about the characters from the trilogy.

I also picked up A Tree Grows in Brooklyn while in Colorado. I've been meaning to read this for a while now and felt this was a good opportunity. Plus, I haven't read enough American literature so far this year. I also am a sucker for novels set in New York. I'm not the biggest fan of cities, but New York has a special charm. The book details the lives of a poor Brooklyn family, particularly focusing on the daughter, Francie. It doesn't necessarily go in chronological order, but you follow the family from the parents, Katie and Johnny's first meeting up through Francie's teenage years. Obviously, living poor is rough and it has a strong influence on the tone of the book. The story made me cry, not because it was necessarily sad, which many parts were, but the writing is absolutely beautiful. I find myself wanting to be Francie's friend when she feels alone, and enduring her heartache both when she loses her father (this isn't a spoiler because it's laid out from the beginning) and experiences her first love and heartbreak. I think even reluctant readers would enjoy this book.

Back to my normal TBR pile, I moved on to Three Little Words. I generally like memoirs, and unlike some people, don't really care if they are fictionalized. This one is aimed at a young adult audience and describes Ashley Rhodes-Courter's life in foster care and eventual adoption. I've always been interested in adoption, not because I have any experience, but because I have a hard time understanding couples with awesome parental potential, but with infertility problems, who will go to great lengths to have a flesh and blood baby, when they could adopt a willing child. The processes are equally difficult, but to each his own. Anyways, Ashley's experience had MANY ups and downs, because of the state system's neglect of her and her brother's case, and case workers who looked the other way when she was put in awful foster homes. When she was adopted by a great family, she eventually became an advocate, and now currently speaks all over the country on adoption and foster care issues. It was a good and enlightening read (especially realizing that the only people who actually helped her were volunteers,) and I would love to hear her speak someday.

I had to break up Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell up a bit because it is super long with tiny print, and I mentally can't handle that. Laika was a good book to split up volumes one and two and also marks my first graphic novel of the year. I added it to the library's collection because it was on YALSA's list for Best Graphic Novels, 2008. I initially liked it because it has three things I love on the cover: a dog, space, and cool illustration technique. The story details the extremely unfortunate decision made by the Russians to send a dog up into space with no return plan (and to celebrate the 50th year of the revolution.) In fact, the public didn't know until 2002 that the dog died after only hours in space (instead of the poisoned food that would peacefully put Laika to sleep after days in space and before the satellite broke up) of stress and overheating. There are many compassionate, but blind characters in the novel, including the head of the Sputnik (I and II) project, Korolev, who once spent time at a Gulag, and who eventually jumps at the chance to sacrifice a dog for the sake of science. After all, and as many characters in the program also felt, "it's just a dog." The story is also interspersed with more humane characters like Mistress Yelena, who takes care of the dogs living at the space program's quarters, etc. She becomes particularly close to Curly, who becomes Laika. This book is not sappy or too anthropomorphic. It is very well done and a beautiful memorial to a beautiful dog.

There won't be many books in May. I'm still plugging through Jonathan Strange and will also begin a re-read of The Mists of Avalon. Both will be split up with other books, but it's going to be a slow reading month overall.

Book Review: The Helmet of Horror

Author: Victor Pelevin
Date Originally Published: 2006
Start Date: April 7th
Completion Date: April 8th

The Helmet of Horror is part of Canongate's series "The Myths." Each book published is authored by a famous current author, who creates a new spin on a classic myth. Victor Pelevin, a celebrated Russian author, rewrote the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. I've always liked reading about labyrinths in literature (my first experience being James Joyce in high school) so that's why I picked this one over others in the series.

The story Pelevin weaves is very interesting. A group of people wake suddenly in separate rooms, not knowing how they got there. They don't know whether they are dead or alive, simply dreaming, or experiencing reality. Each room has a door that is initially locked and a computer. The group connects via a chat session where each individual has a user name created for him and his messages are automatically corrected for spelling and are edited with an "XXX" when too much personal information is given. The screen name "Ariadne" (another connection to the original myth) begins the thread with the quote “I shall construct a labyrinth in which I can lose myself together with anyone who tries to find me - who said this and about what?"

When the characters discover that they can open their doors after demanding that they be unlocked, each discovers a different room or surreal landscape, much like a labyrinth. One couple falls in love and tries to meet each other, one man has a room filled with editing equipment and tapes with candidates for the part of Theseus, and Ariadne meets the Minotaur in her dreams (behind her door is a room with a great bed for sleeping,) who wears the helmet of horror, which resembles a virtual reality helmet. Will Theseus come to save these people from the Minotaur?

I really liked the concept of this book and the way Pelevin constructed things. It was a quick read and I loved the labyrinth connection, but I definitely didn't really understand all of the post-modern/philosophical stuff. The whole ending was sort of lost on me to be honest. I guess I don't possess those higher level thinking skills, or maybe I just prefer for things to be more concrete and less philosophical. I don't know. I recommend the book if you are reading the series, but not necessarily as a stand alone, unless you like Pelevin or Thomas Pynchon-esque works. I might read another one of these eventually... maybe Margaret Atwood's Penelopiad?

Tempest of BLAH

It's been a crazy month. We're still missing CJ a lot. We've grown accustomed to not hearing his feet pattering around on the wood floors, but it doesn't make things any easier. Last week, I received my first Colorado job rejection, which was kind of difficult at first, but not so bad in the long run, especially considering that there are likely more to come (and hopefully a job offer too.)

My parents came out with me to Colorado on the 5th to visit Jon to help out with the new house. On the second night of the visit, my dad had to be rushed to the hospital with type I diabetes complications. It was looking much worse than that initially and it was absolutely heartbreaking, especially for my mom. It's one thing to have to think about losing a parent, but something else to potentially lose a spouse. Luckily Fort Collins has an excellent top 100 hospital and my mom's insurance really stepped up, so after six days spent there examining one complication after another from broken bones caused by a seizure to artery blockages, he was released. He was still too fragile to fly so we spent a couple of days at our house to have him recuperate a bit before the flight back to Atlanta. It's going to be a while before he's 100%, but we're THRILLED that he is doing alright now after everything that happened.

It definitely hasn't been the best of winters/springs so far, but I am more than content to be spending these last few months in Georgia hanging out with my parents. I'm also very lucky to have Jon in my life because he totally stepped up this trip and made things better for my parents and I. When did I get so smart in choosing men? Thanks also go to the people who I have told about all of this (work and friends.) I'm convinced that the prayers and/or thoughts have helped us all though this.

Some good things that have happened this month?

-I turned 26.
-Jon and I have been engaged for six months (with six months to go until the wedding)

-The dog that we're looking at to mother our puppy has gone into heat (crosses fingers that she will get pregnant.) We can't stop talking about getting a dog.

Anyways, I'm behind on my Once Upon a Time reviews for obvious reasons. Expect more bookish posts over the next few weeks.

Book Review: American Gods

Author: Neil Gaiman
Date Originally Published: 2001
Start Date: March 28th
Completion Date: April 4th

I'm aware that, like The Book of Lost Things, I am one of the last people in the book blogging world to read this book. I finished this morning and knew I had to write something about it right away. It's one of those books that I have to immediately discuss, probably because it's one of the most unique novels I have ever read.

I'm not too sure if I can give a good synopsis of the story because there is a lot going on and a lot of references to Gods and Goddesses that I have not previously studied. I've been told that he puts a twist on some of these deities, so maybe that's a good thing. American Gods tells the story of a convict named Shadow, who is serving a jail sentence at the beginning of the story for a robbery. He is released a day before his sentence is up because his wife, Laura, was killed in a car accident. On the plane ride home, he sits next to a man who knows his name and offers him a job, as he no longer has one in his home town. Shadow wants nothing to do with the man, yet he is persistently pursued and offered the job. After Shadow seals the deal by drinking three glasses of mead, he finds himself working for the man, named Wednesday, and basically chauffeurs him around the country and completes odd jobs and meets even more odd people, alive, dead, and ethereal. Shadow's role in Wednesday's plan is much more important than Shadow initially realizes.

I honestly can't say much more about the book without giving the entire plot away, nor can I adequately describe it. I didn't know what to think at first, because I found the mood dark and gloomy, at times creepy, and I just wasn't in the right state of mind for that. But as I kept reading, I became enthralled. I have always liked mythology, but the addition of the Americana was definitely cool for me. I kind of like our cheesy road side attractions, many of which Shadow and Wednesday visit. They make me think of days long before I was born, and remind me of road trips both from when I was young and even from now (drive anywhere near South Dakota and you'll start to see the signs for Wall Drug.) I have always preferred car travel and the cheesy attractions and the millions of road signs leading to them give me a weird sense of patriotism, even if I never visit these places. In the novel, the struggles for the heart of America take place at these locales.

At the end of most chapters, was a small section detailing different "coming to America" stories at different times in history or pre-history. These stories basically illustrate how the Gods came to America with their followers and how most of them vanished after a period of time. Some chapters describe the lives of Gods living today and the clash between the Gods of old who were brought with immigration, and the Gods of new, which basically represent our media-driven culture. It took me a while to see where all of these mini stories fit in with the rest of the book, but they all did in the end.

By the middle of the book, I was hooked. The story has so many twists and so many characters that are good at one moment and bad at the next. The final third of the story is definitely the best part, as Shadow's real role in his job and the fate of America takes place. This story is difficult to describe because there are so many twists and turns. Good characters turn bad and vice versa. The reader is left in the dark until the ending, much like a good mystery. I'm really impressed with Gaiman's writing. I knew he was a good author with a lot of imagination when I read Coraline, but I felt much more a connection with American Gods because he was writing about places that I have seen and the story in general interested me more. Overall, I thought it was a beautiful book and will definitely be picking up more of his stuff in the future.

March Books

I completed seven books during the month of march. To see the seventh book review, see below. Not one author was American! It's sometimes sad how obvious my preferences are.

First up for the month was Jane Austen's Emma in my quest to read any and all of Austen. Emma Woodhouse fancies herself quite the matchmaker, although her success rate is fairly low. She encounters many misunderstandings and embarrassing situations before she realizes that she's basically being a brat and needs to think before meddling into other peoples' lives. This was not my favorite Austen novel. I found Emma kind of annoying (yes, even more than Fanny.) I did like Mr. Knightley and found this book more comical than others and enjoyed the happy ending, but I just didn't enjoy the overall story as much as her other works. This obviously has nothing to do with her writing style and is based solely on personal preference for the other novels, as I know a lot of people who enjoy this one. It is definitely my least favorite Austen novel, but in all honesty, really none of her novels can be classified as "bad."

Continuing with another favorite author, Philip Pullman, I read the third book in the Sally Lockhart series, The Tiger in the Well. Sally is a single mother and also independent (she's a financial advisor) in Victorian England, which was almost unheard of at the time. Her life is great until one day she receives divorce papers from a man she's never heard of and has all the proof to show they were married. This not only places her in jeopardy, but her child as well. With her best friends in South America, she's left to fight her own battle. This is my favorite book in the series. Sally is chased all over London and forced to disguise herself and really use her wits to make things work. The ending is fantastic and suspenseful and I can't wait to see how they adapt this book to the small screen. This is the last book in the series to focus mainly on Sally. This was also the longest book in the series, but for me, the quickest read.

My last full novel by Jane Austen was Persuasion. Anne Elliot is a 27 year old single girl well on her way to becoming a spinster. In her youth, she fell in love with a navy officer, Frederick Wentworth, but was persuaded to not marry him by her father and a family friend. Years later the well decorated Captain Wentworth returns when his sister and brother lease Anne's house (her father was a spend-thrift after her mother died and the family, sans Anne who joins them later, moves to Bath.) Anne finds herself again in the same company as the captain. I loved Anne. She's reserved and thoughtful, yet refuses to make the same mistakes twice. This, along with Pride and Prejudice rank as my favorite Austen novels. Persuasion seems to evoke more serious and quieter moods than her earlier works. I'm not a very romantic person, but this novel takes the cake for the best love letter ever written. I highly recommend this novel to any reluctant Austen readers.

Rounding out the Sally Lockhart series is The Tin Princess. This book features characters from the first three books, and we finally get to find out what happened to the little girl who disappeared in The Ruby in the Smoke. Adelaide is forced to move to a strange land when her husband's brother dies. She is transported, along with a native translator and her old friend and detective Jim, to a small fictional country located somewhere near Germany and Austria. After the death of her father-in-law, her husband becomes the king and Adelaide becomes the "cockney queen." When her husband is assassinated during the crowning ceremony, Adelaide is left to perform a ritual flag bearing walk up a hill by herself in order to become the ruler of the country. As the new queen, she is constantly in danger not only from Austria and Germany, but from citizens as well who have their own plans for the country. This book was action packed and I enjoyed it, although not as much as the first three books.

Sadly, I moved on to my last Austen reads. Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sanditon are three unfinished works. The first two were written early and in the middle of her writing career and Sanditon was written right before she died of Addison's disease. While I found Lady Susan quite annoying, I really liked Sanditon until it abruptly ended. It's sad that she got so sick at the end and wasn't able to finish it or other novels, but perhaps less is more, and we should appreciate what she did complete.

My last read for the month of March was my first ever Agatha Christie! I've been waiting to read a mystery authored by her for a while now, and I thought it appropriate to begin with her first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The narrator, Hastings, is just back from the war when he meets his friend John Cavendish who invites him to come and stay at his mother Emily Cavendish's home, Styles. After running into his Belgian detective friend, Hercule Poirot, Emily dies during the middle of the night, apparently poisoned. Hastings immediately enlists Poirot to solve the mystery. There are many shady characters from Emily's gold digger of a husband to John's wife Mary, which keeps the reader guessing until the last minute. I like Agatha Christie and will slowly over time, continue to read the books.

On the plate for April is a bunch of Once Upon a Time books and various YA reads. I'm excited.

Book Review: The Book of Lost Things

Author: John Connolly
Date Originally Published: 2006
Start Date: March 22nd
Finish Date: March 25th

I've heard wonderful things about this book and I was not in the least disappointed. The Book of Lost Things is essentially a coming of age novel about a boy who is dealing with many personal hardships during the onset of war in England. As he retreats to books for comfort, the books begin to talk back, luring him into a world very much like that of fairy tales.

Trouble begins for the main character David when his beloved mother becomes sick. He gains Obsessive-Compulsive tendencies as a result, in his own effort to save her. His daily routines sadly aren't enough to revive his mother. David finds himself dealing with the grief by reading, while his father meets another woman. David becomes resentful of his stepmother, Rose, and his new half-brother, Georgie, to the point where he lapses into fits. He also begins to hear books talk, yet keeps this secret to himself as he sees a psychologist and doesn't want to be institutionalized.

With the onset of war, the new family transports to a house in the country that belongs to the family of Rose. David's bedroom is lined with bookshelves filled with old books belonging to a boy named Jonathan Tulvey, who mysteriously disappeared from the house along with an adopted sister years ago. His room has ivy growing through the cracks and has a great view of a sunken garden in which Jonathan is fearful.

One day while out in the yard, David spots a man lurking in his bedroom. The man disappears once he realizes he's spotted, but not before David notes his odd crooked appearance and his attentiveness to Georgie's cry. Nobody is able to find this man in the house despite David's claim that he was lurking in David's room. One night after a row with Rose, Jonathan enters the formerly frightening sunken garden because he hears his mother's voice beckoning him. When a war plane crashes in the garden at the same time, David finds himself in another world where there is never full sunlight, few can be trusted (werewolves galore,) where there is no way out, and lurking in the shadows is the same crooked man David spotted in his bedroom. Could Jonathan Tulvey have disappeared to this world?

The world Connolly creates is very reminiscent of Grimm's Fairy Tales. There are heroes, villains, and tons of gore (well, a ton for me because I'm not a big fan.) David meets a few trustworthy characters along the way who feel that finding the king, with his book of lost things is his best hope for getting back home. He encounters a handy and brave woodsman, a grotesque Snow White and 7 communist dwarves, a creepy huntress, a brave soldier in search of avenging his love (another soldier) in a floating castle, a werewolf named Leroi (his name is "the king" in French, how appropriate) who dreams of ruling the kingdom, and many more. He learns to appreciate not only the good people he meets, but also the people he misses in England. He also learns to accept the death of his mother. David grows as a person from each encounter both physically, mentally, and emotionally. But is this enough to get him back home, when a sinister plan has been laid for him?

I really enjoyed this book. I love the cover art, as I am definitely guilt of judging books by their covers. It was also a quick read. The book is fairly thick, but about a fourth of it contains different appendices. Many of his characters native to the kingdom tell fairy tales to David. Each one is familiar, yet twisted so that the endings are different, or the gender of the main characters are opposite of our familiar stories. The book was fast paced, scary, but not too scary, and imaginative. What a great start to the Once Upon a Time II Challenge!

Tagged

I've been tagged by Texas Dawg and various others (and oddly enough I met these people in middle school as well) to do the "ten random things about yourself" blog. I won't tag anybody else, because I think I've pulled this scheme before with people and it's not fair for me to constantly tag the same people. Regardless, I need to do the survey myself, even though the same survey is likely somewhere else in the archives.

1. I secretly (well, it's not such a secret anymore) enjoy planning my wedding. I really do get annoyed with all of the fuss for one damn day, but I really look forward to married life starting in October. However, I refuse to get stressed over stupid things, and do a bunch of unnecessary traditions just because everybody else does them at their weddings. So what if we don't want a first dance!

2. Ever since I was a kid, I have gone through phases where I am unable to fall asleep because I am worrying about various reasons. The only times I don't remember doing this were in high school and college, and to an extant, graduate school. I did worry in graduate school, but it was usually about more mundane things like a boy or school. I usually tend to worry about things that I can't control too, which makes the worry practically superfluous.

3. I tend to have a hobby that sort of takes over my life. Right now, it's reading (well that has been consistent practically all of my life excluding my teens.) In high school and college it was color guard. The bad thing about devoting yourself to these hobbies is that you begin to rely on them for your happiness. Luckily, books rarely fail me.

4. I get more and more shy as I grow older. I am also getting oddly more confident with age, so I'm not exactly seeing the correlation between the two.

5. I compulsively shop online. I put things in a store's cart or basket, look at the price, and then usually delete everything. Basically what I am trying to say is that I'm a saver unless it's something I (or Jon and I) need. Books seem to be the only exceptions anymore. And Chick-fil-A for breakfast once a week when I have to open the library or work on a weekend day.

6. I'm a planner. I plan a trip or our future dog or anything to the point where I get sick of it and have to put it away for a while until my interest is renewed and I can effectively plan more. Many things are left half-planned for quite a while, but everything works out in the end.

7. I hate driving at night.

8. I really really REALLY love the British. I fell in love with England three years ago when I visited with my aunt and cousin. Now I'm into all of the pop culture and definitely prefer the literature to American novels. The tea isn't bad either. Earl Grey is my hero.

9. The only thing I have ever picked up quickly is language acquisition. I love learning a foreign language and the pursuit of sounding like a native (which likely never happens but it's nice to get compliments from natives.) After 3 years of speaking only English, I find myself terribly missing French and Italian classes because I've lost so much knowledge in such a short amount of time.

10. I usually complete my household chores in 10 minute increments. I do 10 minutes of work and alternate it with 10 minutes of reading or watching a movie. I'm not ADD but I can't sit and read a book or watch a movie for hours without breaking the monotony. I feel like I'm more attentive to all activities when I do this, and each chore is done more thoroughly.

Feel free to do this if you want. Nobody is forcing you, but I'd like to see people's answers.

Reading Challenge: Once Upon a Time

With the recent loss of one of my best friends, my dog C.J., I'm really in need of some great reading right now to deal with my grief and escape from real life and this empty house (it's not really empty, it just seems that way.) I completed Carl's R.I.P. II challenge this fall and loved it. He has brought back another popular challenge and I once again find myself a participant and slightly pushing myself into the book blog world yet again. I'm very excited about this challenge entitled "Once Upon a Time" because the reading parameters are fantasy, folklore, mythology, and fairy tales. I enjoy all of these genres, but particularly in the spring and summer, as my book choices seem to be heavily influenced by the seasons. After all, what a better escape from all this rainy weather (yes, we're getting it in parched for any moisture Georgia) than a good story.

I'm still working on other reads, so I won't likely get to the challenge until around the beginning of April. It lasts from March 21st - June 20th, so I have some time. I am choosing the "Quest the First" option and will read 5 books that fit into the above genres. I plan on reading two books in April and May and one in June to allow for other reading (Agatha Christie and Wuthering Heights are calling my name) and to spread books out. I will post the reviews individually, rather than including them in my monthly book wrap-ups. Anyways, here are my picks.

1. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly- I've actually had this book sitting on my to-be-read pile for months now and this challenge seems like the perfect time to pick it up. My friend Amanda just finished it and loved it.

2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman- I read Coraline years ago and really liked it. I haven't gotten around to any of his other novels yet, and here is another great opportunity to read some more Gaiman.

3. The Helmet of Horror: The Myth of Theseus and the Minotaur by Victor Pelevin- I've always been fascinated by labyrinths and the myth of the minotaur. This is supposed to be a new twist on the myth and I'm looking forward to reading it.

4. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke- This is another book that has sat on my tbr pile for months. It looks long, but I've heard so much about and I can't wait to read it.

5. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley- This is another long book and a re-read for me, but I like to come back to it every few years and this challenge gives me the excuse to do just that.

I will also be reading my copy of Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales in between each book. I have been doing this for about a year now, and am maybe 1/4 of the way through the book. Needless to say, it won't be finished by the time the challenge is over.

I look forward to reading all of the reviews!

R.I.P.

The house is entirely too lonely without you CJ. I miss you and will always love you! It was a great 15 years.

Days go by...

I'm back from 9 days in Colorado and attempting to adjust to the daily grind again. Yesterday I went to work at my normal time and ended up closing, because I didn't want Robin to close by herself (trust me, that place is creepy at night) and I had a ton of work to do. In 13 hours, I was able to open and process (well, process for an acquisitions librarian) around 150 books, and about 60 print journals. My office and desk area are considerably neater now and today I'm going to try to settle my email and some miscellaneous orders. I've done the 13 hour thing three times now and this was by far the easiest one for me because I had so much work. Today I got to sleep in and only have to work 7 hours, which will be nice.

I was able to finish two fairly thick books in Colorado. I should be able to finish my Jane Austen and Sally Lockhart kicks this month and move on to some more varied reading come next month. I'm sad to leave them both, but I'm really looking forward to the rest of my reading pile. Jon took me snowshoeing for the first time last Saturday. We found snow boots on super sale so it was kind of destined to be. Actually I looked like a poster child for these guys because Jon found me a great jacket and shell of the same brand on a previous day (an early birthday present) and I was also wearing an advertisement beanie as well. Anyways, I had a lot of fun snowshoeing. The altitude in Rocky Mountain National Park always kicks my ass. I can't seem to do any incline at all and get tired really easily. We went on Loch Vale trail and didn't quite make it to the lake itself, but we ended up at a great point after hiking over a frozen creek (complete with an uphill climb that was much better sliding on our butts downhill) to take pictures for our save the date cards, etc. I can't wait to see the place in summer. I really enjoyed snowshoeing and it felt natural once I realized that I needed to accommodate for my much larger feet. The trail was compacted, which made things much easier, and I would totally do it again in a heartbeat.

Jon and I have sort of revamped our New Zealand plans for next year. Instead of catching the tail end of summer in the beginning of '09, we're likely going to go at the beginning of summer later that year in November or December. This decision gives us more time to save money and allows us to hopefully get ourselves a doggy right after the wedding. We've both fallen in love with a dam/sire combination in Colorado, thanks to our super dachshund connection Ashley and are hoping to get one of their puppies.

Anyways, that's about it for now.

February Books

February proved fairly productive in the book area. I was able to complete 7 books, including 3 classics... not too bad for the shortest month of the year!

My first completed book was Marcus Zusak's I am the Messenger. I completed a book review on Zusak's The Book Thief which was published this month in The Georgia Library Quarterly. This book was published earlier than The Book Thief and I figured I should try it out since I thought the latter so unique and amazing. This book didn't fail me in the least. It's set in Australia (the author's home) and is about an underage taxi driver, Ed Kennedy, who's not doing much with his life other than hanging out with his group of friends and playing cards. His life changes after he sticks up to a criminal during a bank robbery and starts receiving cards (like playing cards) in the mail with directions to locales of people in need of something, whether it be help or violence. With these cards and the duties attached to them, he is forced to make something of his life. The story is heartfelt, but has really humorous and sad points in it that don't make the book sappy. I hate sap. Zusak is one of my favorite modern writers and I highly recommend both I am the Messenger and The Book Thief to anybody.

My second February read was Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm. Gibbons wrote the novel in response to all of the romantic "farm" novels of the time (Thomas Hardy, etc.) with each rural character representing some doom-laden problem with these novels. Flora Poste comes to stay with her cousins, the Starkadders, when her parents die. With the help of her book, The Higher Common Sense, she is able to solve each family member's problems, including the dreaded Aunt Ada Doom, and bring them all into the 20th century. I thought this book was great, although I imagined all of the rural characters with accents from the American south rather than some rural form of British. Oops! While I do enjoy the rural doom in the Thomas Hardy's books, this was a good novel to sort of set things in perspective for me. It's easier for me to move on to another genre than it was in the 1930s when this was published. I can see how as a writer, Gibbons got sick of seeing the same stuff over and over again.

The lightest read this February for me was Jerry Spinelli's sequel to Stargirl, called Love, Stargirl. This book is in diary form and is written by Stargirl, a sort of modern hippy girl who is living in Pennsylvania after her first attempt at attending public school in Arizona (she is home schooled.) The diary doubles as separate letters to her ex-boyfriend in Arizona, Leo, who had some issues accepting Stargirl for who she was and readily encouraged her to be normal Susan (her birth name.) I read the sequel because Spinelli creates such vivid and engaging characters with phobias and issues that one sees in real life. Stargirl is a little too "good" for me, and perhaps that's why this wasn't my favorite read of the month or why teens don't flock to these books as much like they do Twilight, etc. but I enjoyed the sequel and will likely read any more that come out. Spinelli is one of those classic Children's/YA authors that still writes just as relevant books today as he did with Maniac Magee from my childhood.

My first re-read of the year is none other than the classic Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I first read it in high school as a requirement for AP English and hated it. The only part I remember even enjoying was the showdown between Elizabeth and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I remember doing horribly on the exam and failed to see the pleasure when my teacher crowned me Miss Elizabeth Bennet at the Pride and Prejudice ball. A few years ago, I decided to give Austen another chance after watching the movies and finally started reading other Austen novels. I fell in love with them and subsequently fell in love with Pride and Prejudice after a rocky start. So far (I still have Emma and Persuasion to go) this is my favorite novel. Who doesn't love Elizabeth Bennet, who is so witty and stubborn? Or who hasn't fallen in love with Mr. Darcy? Now, you won't catch me reading any spin off novels, mainly because I don't believe in messing with the original. I have come to appreciate the movie adaptations though, and will always picture Colin Firth as Darcy in my head.

I dove from Regency England straight into Victorian England with the first of the Sally Lockhart quartet by Philip Pullman. Anybody who reads this blog knows I loved "His Dark Materials." This series is less fantasy and a lot more mystery. In The Ruby in the Smoke, Sally Lockhart is a 16 year old orphan who is remarkably beautiful and not classically educated (she can shoot a gun and knows all about finance though.) After her father's mysterious death, she receives an interesting message written in a childlike hand. The message is a warning, but she has to investigate further to really understand it. Sally comes to find out that she is entangled in a mess of deceit and trickery because of a ruby in which she is connected. I loved this book. It's full of Victorian goodness complete with opium, the beginnings of photography, sensation novels, evil women, and stolen goods. These novels aren't anything like "His Dark Materials" but they definitely hold their own. My parents actually introduced me to this series. I'm glad that we can find a few things in common to read.

As you can likely tell by now, I'm staggering this Pullman series with Jane Austen. After Pride and Prejudice I moved onto Mansfield Park. This is arguably one of the least favorites amongst her readers. People still like the novel, but it doesn't seem to have the magic of say Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I enjoyed the story a lot in this novel. I mean, by today's standards, it's weird to have a protagonist, or anybody for that matter, marry their cousin, but things were different in the early 1800s. I also believe that Edmund and Mary as well as Fanny and Henry would have done well as couples, but for the follies of the Crawfords. I can deal with Fanny more than some people, but she does seem to cry a bit too much. I would rank Mansfield in the same position as Northanger Abbey as my two least Austen favorites, although I still like them both. It's like saying I like cake less than pie, but hey, it's still dessert! Again, I still have two novels and the incomplete stuff to read and will be able to give a better overall evaluation of Jane Austen in next month's reviews.

Just today I was able to finish the second of the "Sally Lockhart" series, The Shadow in the North. Sally is 22 in this novel and has even gone into business herself as a financial consultant. She has a big Irish Wolfhound, Chaka, and continues relationships with characters from The Ruby in the Smoke. When a woman client loses all of her investments in a certain company, Sally and her friends begin to investigate and are again, entangled in quite a mess. This book was a bit more heart wrenching than the first mainly because it's so easy to get attached to Philip Pullman's characters. Sally is fierce and independent, which was fairly unheard of at the time, but there had to be some women out there in real life attempting to do the same thing to make it better for the next generation. Sadly, I suspect these real-life women didn't have as great of a support base as Sally does (although he does paint the picture of a general prejudice against women in Sally's position.) Regardless, I'm excited to read the third book The Tiger in the Well next month.

March books should prove exciting. I have more Austen and Pullman to complete and if I get around to it, some Agatha Christie. Sadly, March is going to be free of American authors, but I seem to prefer the Brits anyways, so it's no loss to me!

Taxi!

This past weekend marked our annual girls trip to Chicago. I go once a year with some girls/women from the family (there are plenty of us) mainly to eat good food and to watch my aunts shop. This year marks both my mom and I's possibly last time as Jon and I will be in New Zealand next February and my mom finds the trip more of a hassle than it's worth, which is true in some senses.

I don't think I can ever recall a time that I have wanted to live in the city. I've always found beauty in the grass and trees, and valued peace and quiet, which is lacking these days even in suburbia. This trip, more so than the past visits, has definitely solidified this feeling of mine. I love visiting cities because they are so full of culture, but I don't ever see myself living in one. Two angry run-ins with cab drivers, and might I add they were completely out of our control, only amplified this urge to get back home this Sunday. Luckily my mom and I got on an early flight and were home by early Sunday afternoon.

There were some positives about the weekend. The weather was much nicer to us this year. We were actually able to walk around in 30 something degree weather. The Chicago area and the Midwest in general is somewhat depressing in the winter and the only word I can use to describe it is "gray." It was still gray, but the warmer than expected weather sure helped our visit. The best part was being with family and hearing about why Hillary Clinton is supposedly the best candidate for president (I somehow wasn't persuaded, but it's interesting to see how people's political beliefs change from region to region) and how my aunt wants to Martha-ize homeless shelters to inspire beauty in people's lives. It was a weekend of ranting for my mom and I as we were able to get some things off our chests and blab to neutral parties. The hotel also served loose tea which proved to be our savior the entire weekend.

Right now I'm attempting to get through the work week and basking in the glory of being able to do the main portion of my job again, acquisitions. I'm going to miss this place when I leave because the overwhelming amount of sarcasm among the employees is both comforting and makes everyday a little bit easier. I can only hope for half as cool colleagues in Colorado.

I should write my February book round-up on Friday. I'm waiting to see if I can get through the second book in Philip Pullmans Sally Lockhart series.

Get Excited!

Countdown 'till March and leaving behind another February:

9 Days

I'm off to Chicago tomorrow morning until Sunday. I'm going to try to post my February books wrap-up next week sometime because I'm going to Colorado next weekend for 9 days (and Jon doesn't have internet for me to post anything.)

I'm excited about my blog not being pink anymore, some hopefully warmer weather, the possibility of feeling up to par again, and for it to be one month closer to moving!

Random Fever

I'm hanging in there. I called in sick today for the first time since I've worked at Brenau (I've left work early, but have never called in.) I got a sore throat Monday while I was still in Colorado, which resulted in a feverish yucky night (I will spare you all details) that tested my husband-to-be on his nurturing skills. Luckily he scored well. Somehow I managed to get on a plane on Tuesday, which I guess a lot of people do as the plane is likely where I acquired the sickness, and did not have to sit next to anybody. I haven't had a fever since Monday, but I've been dealing with knives in my throat and stomach aches ever since. I rarely get sick like this, so it's almost amusing to watch how much of a baby I am when dealing with everything.

Today was spent watching the Colin Firth Pride and Prejudice which was nice considering that I also finished the book today. I loved it this time much more than my first reading 9 years ago. I also made Jon watch the 2005 Hollywood version this weekend (yes, I am one of the only ones who actually likes that version.) I was supposed to start The Kite Runner today, but I just couldn't bring myself to read beyond the first page, and moved on to Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart series. I am really excited for the trilogy because Billie Piper plays the lead in the movie/tv (I can't remember) adaptations that have been completed so far. I think I'll return to Hosseini over the summer when it's warm outside and I can be less depressed. Plus, there are too many good classics and YA books to read right now.

In other news, Jon and I discovered via his/our friends Josh and Gretchen a yummy martini* bar right across from what is my current favorite restaurant in Fort Collins. The restaurant serves the best sushi I've tasted thus far and you can't even taste the alcohol in the martinis across the street. We tried a key lime pie and a cream sickle (I am strangely reminded of another cream sickle now that I think about it) that tasted just like their namesakes. These two places are located minutes from an awesome bath shop loaded with many different kinds of fancy bubble bath (one of my weaknesses) in downtown Fort Collins. These places are going to suck my wallet dry if I'm not careful. Can I express how much I can't wait to live in a college town again?

*by martini I mean some flavored liqueur with cream and other bad-for-you, but oh-so-great tasting additives

January Books

I've decided to give a monthly wrap-up on all of the books I complete. I'm hoping to keep this up, so I will be able to write a decent end of the year review on my favorites of 2008.

I was able to complete 6 books in the month of January. I enjoyed reading them all.

My first completion was the final chapter in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy, The Sweet Far Thing. Each book in the trilogy is full of the supernatural and each has managed to give me the creeps (I still come back crawling for more though.) If you like Victorian English boarding school novels, then you should definitely give this trilogy a try. The author Libba Bray is American, but she completed extensive research before writing the books. The books are also full of things that teens love, like forbidden love, religious fanaticism, good vs. evil, self-realization, fantasy, and even some LGBT examples. This book in particular is her longest and does NOT disappoint, with the horrors that are the Realms and the Winterlands. This trilogy is one of my favorite current YA reads and has been since she first published A Great and Terrible Beauty.

I'm not too sure how I escaped my girlhood without reading Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. I remember watching the Winona Rider movie version in my early teens and loved it (Angela of My So Called Life dies! What???) Event though I enjoyed the movie, I never picked up the book on my own, and it was never incorporated into my elementary or middle grades educations. Now, about 12 or so years later, I've remedied this rite of passage. A lot of people aren't too fond of the book, but I really enjoyed reading it. I think all girls find they can identify with one of the March sisters. I feel like a combination between Meg, Jo, and Amy myself. Like most people, I cried when Beth died, and was really happy when Laurie realized he loved Amy and vice versa. Overall it is a great girl book and I'm happy that I've finally read it.

My third January completion was the recent National Book Award winner, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I was first introduced to Sherman Alexie in college when I had to watch the movie Smoke Signals in a surprisingly interesting multi-cultural comparative literature class (the only non-French literature class I took in college.) Alexie is an extremely engaging writer (on screen and on paper) and he's really done a superb job on his debut YA novel/memoir. The story is about a nerdy 14 year old reservation Indian Arnold Spirit who decides to go to a white high school in a nearby town. It documents all of the new people he meets (popular and nerdy,) while he experiences prejudices on the reservation. I was completely moved by the story and all of the pain (physical and emotional) he endures, while simultaneously laughing because he adds so much humor to the pages. Any book that mentions (from a nerdy character of course) getting metaphorical boners from good books is worth a try! Sherman Alexie is very deserving of the National Book Award for this book in 2007.

I was very excited to read my first E. M. Forster novel, A Room With a View. Out of all of the cities in Italy, Florence has always been least desirable (well, in my mind, as I have yet to visit) to me until now. My favorite scenes were definitely when the women catch the three men at the pond, and of course the first kiss scene between George and Lucy in Italy. The elopement is terribly romantic and I know I'm not the only one who is thankful when Cecil is out of the picture. Edwardian England was an interesting era, as there were many different viewpoints, particularly from women, emerging and Forster does a great job conveying this. I've heard good things about the movie as well, so I'll have to give it a try. It won something like 3 Oscars and Helena Bonham Carter plays Lucy (a far cry from Bellatrix!) so it should be an interesting viewing.

If I begin the month with the supernatural, then I must end the month with the supernatural...

Jane-Emily is a classic ghost story published circa 30 years ago and written by Patricia Clapp. A young woman and her orphaned niece, Jane, are invited to Jane's paternal grandmother's house for the summer. The more Jane and her aunt learn about Emily, another of Jane's aunts, who was insufferable to the point of being evil and who died at a young age, the more the two begin to think that the house and people of the house are being haunted. The story is a quick, but powerful read--enough to freak me out about reflection balls, doll houses, and children who are way too spoiled. I made my mom read this book and she loved it as well. I think I'm a big fan of ghost stories, but feel that they should only be read during fall and winter to get the most out of them. There's something about the cold weather and shorter days that makes scary books even more frightening.

My last completed book of January was The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. This is another, and more frightening, ghost story written in 1983. The main character, Arthur Kipps, is a solicitor who is sent to a small town on the eastern coast of England to settle the affairs of the recluse and now deceased Alice Drablow, who lived in Eel March House on, you guessed it, the marshes. Kipps decides to stay at Eel March House despite a series of conversations with locals who seem to avoid the subject of Drablow and the house with a shudder, and a couple of viewings of of a mysterious woman dressed in black with a decayed, wasted face. What occurs while he stays at the house is very frightening. There is something very creepy about quicksand (thinking back to Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone.) What a horribly scary situation it would be to get stuck and slowly or quickly sink to your death. The book is sad, but a very good read, mainly because of the fright factor. My mom also read this (I've been feeding her the supernatural lately for some reason) and enjoyed it as well. I've seen mixed reviews of this story, so I'm glad I ended up liking it.

February promises some good reads as well. I've already finished another fantastic Marcus Zusak book, I'm reading the humorous Cold Comfort Farm right now, and will soon get into the rest of the Austen novels. I'm very excited about being able to critique the Masterpiece Theatre versions that were debuted in January.

Good Things

Traci's List of "good things" thanks to Martha Stewart:

1. French Almond Macaroon Recipe: Mine likely taste as good as Martha's, but they're definitely not as pretty. This was my first time using a pastry bag, so the shapes were somewhat off, not to mention that I didn't grind the almonds finely enough, so they look a bit bumpy. I think I'll be able to do much better next time. I'll consider this go-round a moderate success. Actually, I've rarely failed at one of her baking recipes. I just need more practice.

2. Wedding Planner: Martha's wedding planner book is beautiful and has helped educate me, the reluctant bride (not that I'm reluctant to be a bride, but I was scared to plan a wedding) on all aspects of the big day. I chose her wedding planner over others because after years of reading her magazines and baking and cooking with her recipes, it felt like finding a familiar face in a crowd of people I didn't know. It has helped me pick flowers, a cake, a dress, and has revealed all of the little things that need to be done before October 18th.

3. Lowe's Paint Samples: Martha has a line of colors at that blue and white home improvement store, that are simply beautiful. Jon and I have exclusively used her colors so far in painting our house in Colorado, and intend to use more when we paint the master suite in April.

I can't help but admire Martha (and her staff who likely come up with a good portion "her" ideas these days.) She came back from her jail sentence even more successful than any of us could have hoped for. She can laugh at herself (she even had Ana Gasteyer--anybody remember the topless Christmas special???-- on her show a few years ago.) My aunts are obsessed with her. They even went to New York in 2006 for some big Martha fan weekend. My Aunt Gink (it's a nickname) couldn't even speak when she shook Martha's hand, and my Aunt Jean told Martha that she loved her. My mom isn't her biggest fan (my aunts suspect that she resents Martha) but it still doesn't stop her from subscribing to her main magazine. I'm likely somewhere in between. Not obsessed, but thankful to her for making my baking and home life a bit brighter. Every time I watch her make something, it is indeed a "good thing."

Il neige

Snow and the south do not mix.

Okay, so I can understand the excitement when it snows in Georgia because we just don't see the fluffy white stuff often enough. It is really pretty and such, so don't think I'm a sour puss for letting people experience some joy in their life.

One minor thing I get annoyed with is the frantic rush to the grocery stores to get milk and bread. I realize that it rarely snows in Georgia, but you're likely not going to be stuck at home for days and days without food. Plus, you have to drive to the store, which brings me to my next point.

DON'T DRIVE UNLESS THERE IS A DIRE NEED TO GET FROM POINT A TO B! I closed last night in Gainesville, which actually got a few inches of the white stuff. The drive home on I-985 was scary at some points for the following reasons:

1. We don't have snow plows. In Colorado, all of the main streets and interstates are well maintained (I noticed this in Indiana.) We're not prepared in Georgia, so there's virtually no plowing, which means visibility is much less, and the roads are slicker.

2. People drive as if the roads are dry. Do you drive differently for a rain storm? YES! It's even worse in the snow. Granted, I had to learn a few lessons driving on the back roads in Indiana that luckily didn't end up in injury, but they were still scary. Drive SLOWLY, especially on bridges. I saw 5 different cars pulled over on the side of the road. There was even a flipped truck.

I understand that there are always freak accidents, and some people can't help running off the road, especially when their tires are worn. But some people drive too fast and the next thing they know, they are riding in the forest.

The point of my rant is that it is much less safe to drive on Georgia snowy roads because we aren't prepared to deal with snow. If you live in the south, stay home if you can because we can't handle snow or ice. I know people laugh when Georgia closes schools for a bit of snow, but imagine trying to drive to work without that snow plow working the main roads 24-7?

Did you Know?

I am a penguin classics WHORE! I can't resist the paintings on the covers with their black background. The look so beautiful on my shelves. Which leads me to my to be read pile...

Here's my reading list for the year so far (note that I alternate a classic and/or adult book with a YA book:)

1. Little Women (in progress) by Louisa May Alcott
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
3. A Room With A View by E. M. Forester
4. Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp
5. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
6. I am the Messenger my Marcus Zusak
7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (reread)
8. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
9. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
10. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
11. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (I'm trying to get through them all this year)
12. The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
13. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
14. The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman
15. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
16. The Tiger in the Well by Philip Pullman

I anticipate these to keep me company through March or April.

Starving for Updates

This blog is in dire need of an update. I have not been throwing any bones lately, so I'll do my best and update with lists. Maybe if I do a few list-y posts, (I can always muster up some initiation to complete a list) I'll be able to form a normal update again by say, February.

So here goes a list of current thoughts:

-I'm getting the baking bug again, but my work schedule is getting in the way. My mother and I both ordered this fancy cake decorating contraption though so I might have to force my way into the kitchen sooner rather than later. Anybody need a cake?

-Wow, the '08 election is going to be very interesting. Since I'm not impressed with certain candidates on either side of the political spectrum, my hope is that one person I like and one person I despise will be on the final ballot so I can actually choose a candidate.

-January is hard core wedding planning month. I tried on a wedding dress for the first time earlier this week (it was a size 2, so I naturally couldn't fit into it) and Jon, my parents and I are headed to Illinois MLK weekend to meet with the vendors we picked to hash out details, and pick out a cake (the most important part.)

-My heart goes out to Meredith Emerson and her family. It really pisses me off that women can't feel safe anywhere anymore. We should be worrying about bears and mountain lions (well maybe not in Georgia) in nature (and even they rarely pose a threat) not shady men. As a dog lover, I feel really awful for all of the things that the poor lab witnessed.

-Taking pre-cana classes has given me a good opportunity to research Catholicism. I'm learning more about my religion now than I did in the years of CDD I took. I'm also learning that you are much happier with things when you take what you want from them (and let go the stuff in which you don't agree.)

That's it for now... more to come, maybe even some themed lists!

2008

Hello New Year. So sweet of you to arrive. I'm all about a fresh start. Your predecessor was better than many, but that doesn't mean that I'm clinging to the past or not willing to welcome you with open arms.

Here's to a wonderful, safe, and happy 2008!