Next!

Last week I wrapped up Skinny Legs and All which was a nice book to re-read for the second or third time (can't recall exactly). It was interesting to see the relevant storyline of the issues in the Middle East as they are playing out now compared to the fictionalized issues that I am sure grew out of the conflicts in the late 80's early 90's when the book was first written. All I can think of is two overly used quotes which are still so poignant... "the more things change the more they stay the same" and "those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it." Sad but true.

Now I am on to A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. This book had an interesting set of preface writing which was witty and sharp. I am just getting into the first couple of chapters, which so far are a bit depressing. Friends who have read this book have loved it and I trust their opinions...I am not sure what to expect from the book other than it is going to be good.

The stack of books beside my night stand is surely going to keep me occupied for a while but I will admit that I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next (and final) Harry Potter book. I have seen all of the pre-order info on Amazon.com and in the larger bookstores. The time seems to be flying so I am sure it will be here before I realize it. (Mental note: don't forget to pre-order!)

Books in 2007

1. Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins (re-read)
2. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
3. Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire
4. Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ancestors of Avalon by Diana L. Paxson
5. Little Eathquakes by Jennifer Weiner
6. Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman
7. Daughter of Fortune by Isabelle Allende
8. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
9. Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi
10. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
11. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
12. Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino (paused)
13. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
14. Lost by Gregory Maguire
15. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
16. Reluctant Disciplinarian: Advice on Classroom Management From a Softy who Became (Eventually) a Successful Teacher by Gary Rubenstein
17. Teaching with Love and Logic by Jim Fay and David Funk

A new year and new books...yeah!

At the end of 2006 I ran out of new titles to read and made use of the holidays and my birthday to re-stock the reading pile. I have definitely increased my knitting book stash but that isn't necessarily the sort of reading I am referring to on this blog.

I did pick up Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins to re-read before I got any new books. I read this book around the time I first moved to NYC. It started my appreciation for Tom Robbins.
It is funny, witty, and especially poignant with all of the "issues" in the Middle East right now. The quote from Library Journal on Amazon.com sums it up quite nicely: "A painter's struggle with her art, a restaurant opened as an experiment in brotherhood, the journey of several inanimate objects to Jerusalem, a preacher's scheme to hasten Armageddon, and a performance of a legendary dance: these are the diverse elements around which Robbins has built this wild, controversial novel."

I have so many new books to read I am not sure I can remember them all to list!!! Here is a quick list of the titles I can remember...
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Little Earthquakes, Mirror Mirror, Einstein's Dreams, Invisible Cities, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and Ancestors of Avalon.

Happy reading!

Wrapping Up 2006..a little late!

The end of the year was a little nutty...finishing classes, the home stretch of student teaching, the holidays. Blah blah blah! I did manage to finish two books in to the end of the year. The first took me quite a while since reading seemed to be difficult with eyes that would not stay open at the end of the day!

First on the list is Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis. This book let me geek out just a bit...or a lot depending on how you look at it. It is a humorous and informative look at tournament Scrabble and the authors growing interest (perhaps obsession) with the game.

I must admit that reading the book made we want to play Scrabble (I can't say that I have played a proper game) thus prompting the hubby to get my both the deluxe game board and player's dictionary for my birthday. This could be dangerous.


Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris is a book from my shelf that I thought I had not yet read but actually realized I had after a few pages. It is a wonderful book by the author of Chocolat. Both books are charming and day-dreamy in that dramatic fiction sort of way. It was nice to re-read the book especially since I did not have anything new to read. (Ack!) I was transfixed by rural French countryside where the main character impulse buys a farmhouse for much the same reason I love Frances Mayes non-fictional descriptions of life in Tuscany.

Please tell me this will be an easier read...

I finished Bookseller of Kabul the night before last...and I picked up In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner. I enjoyed Good in Bed so I look forward to this book as well. After reading The Dew Breaker and Bookseller I am desperate for something a lot less socially conscious (not that it is a bad thing) and less intense. My two previous reading endeavors were emotionally difficult and mentally taxing. I enjoy those two qualities in books immensely, but I really should have spaced them out.

I have yet to see the film version of In Her Shoes so I have no comparison to make at this time. Undoubtedly the book is better...I shall need to take in both to make the appropriate judgment!

Thoroughly Wonderful Reads...

Since I last posted (it took awhile I know) I finished Color, sped through The Dew Breaker and just started The Book Seller of Kabul.

Color was better than I could have expected. I was constantly reading passages that left me saying "huh, so that is where that color comes from" or giggling. Finlay's stories are educational, funny, and travel inspiring. What a fantastic time she must have had doing the research and traveling. It is one of those books that made me think "Gosh, I wish I was her!" Considering my artistic side I imagine that this is a more interesting and humorous version of a science elective that was never offered during my under-grad days (it was something like "The Chemistry of Art").

The Dew Breaker was intensely emotional and curious. The book is set up like a series of short stories that are seemingly unrelated and revolving around Haiti and a "dew breaker." Speaking to my artistic side again, the first story is about a young artist delivering a statue to a patron with her father. Danticat was highly recommended and I actually picked up a different book than my friend recommended (it was Breath, Eyes, Memory) but I will definitely put that on my list!

I just started Bookseller and I can see this being a book that I will zoom through. I am only in the first or second chapter and I am anxious to read more. I tend to only read before bed now that knitting has become a new passion or addiction depending on who you ask. This book may need to travel with me for when knitting is not possible.

Either way having a reading and knitting addiction leads to good things...productivity, creativity and knowledgability. With both habits I am using my creativity, imagination and intellect. The only downside to either is the cost...but both can be done at a discount!

Reading for fun...what a concept!

The semester is over and I can spend a little time reading for amusement rather than homework (sigh of relief). I am not sure how much reading I will need to do over the summer for my classes but it will not be even close to what I had this past year.

Before I started my latest book I re-read a few essays from Up in the Old Hotel by Joseph Mitchell. This is another book that I "borrowed" from the woman I was subletting from when I first moved to NYC. This was one of the books that Abby & Ming, the couple who let my best friend and I rent their apartment while they went on tour with their dance company, had on the shelves. Animal Dreams and The Bean Trees were a few others. I always think of Abby & Ming fondly because their books and cd's gave me alot of comfort my first few turbulent weeks in this crazy city. Their possessions were cooler than I would ever have chosen for myself...I wanted to be them. In retrospect so many aspects of my life were modeled in that apartment. I am no dancer and I do not live in the East Village (close but not quite) but I still strive to create a cool life like they had!

But back to the book...the essays are charming and a fascinating look into old New York. Even after only a few weeks in New York City I already recognized names and neighborhoods mentioned on these pages. This connection made me feel like a real New Yorker. Plus it satisfied my desire for historical grounding in my new home. Re-reading these stories is like re-connecting to my home city all aver again.

I have picked up a few more books which I will post about as I begin reading them. The first is another non-fiction book which totally speaks to my art-loving self! Color : A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay is a wonderful look into the science and history of pigment and paint. So far what I have read is intriguing and thoroughly appeals to my geeky side! I am reading it with an eye on any possible applications in my teaching because inspiration comes from many places. Hey ya never know...there could be an awesome lesson idea for high school students.

As I mentioned the other two books I have on my nightstand will be mentioned later. I want to save my thoughts for after I have started reading them. In the mean time I shall finish these fine works of non-fiction.

That was quick!

I finished Animal Dreams...I forgot how much that book touched my heart. It was so nice to read it again. I hate to say it, but I really enjoy Barbara Kingsolver's earlier books more than her more recent ones. It is not that I do not like them, I just found Animal Dreams, The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven to be more to my liking than Prodigal Summer and Poisonwood Bible.

I also zipped through another book...not school related...yeah! Well, I can use it for school but that is not the original reason I got it! I finished The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. It is a interesting twist on the tale of Odysseus.

I am a fan of Margaret Atwood and I was excited to see that she was part of a myth project that involved the re-telling of well known tales. I will probably look into the others as well...but the semester is almost over so we will have to see how crazy life is.

I did like The Penelopiad. Then again I love the Odyssey so the tale from the point of view of Penelope was sure to appeal. I was hoping that there would be a bit more in depth view of the relationship with the twelve maids that were killed...but there wasn't. Oh well... I enjoyed it all the same. And it was a very quick read which helps with my crazy reading style right now!

Book List...

On my other blog page I added a list of books that I want to read...several I have been able to tick off the list, but there are quite a few classics that I need to get to. There are also so many more that I haven't even been able to note.

I guess this was a sampler...what I really need to do is keep a notebook with an ever evolving list since there are so many I read and want to read. This log is my chronicle for things read... I just need to get my self in gear and find new things I want to read!

A nice change...

While I am still bogged with school reading and working my way through The Feminine Mystique, I have had a couple of good reads...for school of course!

For my Feminist Perspectives in Literature class I read Lysistrata, a comic play by Aristophanes. This jist of this play is that the women of Greece decide to put an end to war by refusing to sleep with their husbands and lovers (as well as take over the treasury). It is a baudy, witty, and provacative play that toys with stereo-types, sex and the battle for peace. It was a quick read, but since I am in grad school for education I have to write a unit of lesson plans based on Lysistrata. Since I am not a lit major but and art major this could be interesting!

The second fun reading I am doing is a re-read of Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver. I read this ages ago but it fits a reading assignment I need to do for my Exploring Cultures class. I need to read a novel based on cultural struggle and/or social justice and write a response as it relates to the class. This book will do the trick nicely! It is nice to read an old favorite. It is like getting re-acquainted with a friend you haven't seen in many years.

Oh how the time flies...

Well, I haven't really been able to move on to a new book yet. I am jumping around from article to article and chapter to chapter of school reading with very little time to read Ms. Friedan!!! It is a little frusterating, but I know that homework comes first. The ironic thing is that often topics and themes in my course work is reflected in The Feminine Mystique. It surprises me that what would seem like a totally unrelated discussion pops off the pages.

What makes me really sad is that I was not able to do any fun reading over my Spring Break. No rest!!! It was all research projects and lesson planning. On that note I better get back to work.

In Honor of a Feminist Icon

This past week we lost one influential woman that was a historic figure in the Women's Rights movement. Betty Friedan, author and founder of NOW (National Organization for Women), is a woman I have always admired. Her birthday, also the day of her passing, was on Feb. 4th.

The phenomenon of being born and dying on the same date has always fascinated me. Another famous author who came and went on his birthday was Mark Twain. But that is not where I want to go with this entry.

I have just completed Under the Tuscan Sun and rather than move on to another novel, I am going to stop putting off reading Friedan's Feminine Mystique, which has been collecting dust and gone unread for far to long. As my memorial to this Feminist Icon, I will finally read this seminal piece of literature in the 2nd wave of the women's Movement. It is a classic and I have not excuse not to read it. Especially since I own it!!!

Next!

I know I am about to get swamped by course work so I am trying to get one more pleasant read in before the hardcore educational reading comences. I finished Manifesta which is actually school work (yet enjoyable) and needed something light. Not that Under the Tuscan Sun is what I would call "light," it is a book I have read before and adored.

Back when Ms. Mayes Tuscan lovin' books came out and before the movie, I too fell for her artful descriptions of Italy. I have yet to go to Tuscany but boy do I want to!!! If I could live like she does with a house, a garden, and the onderment of the region it would be a dream. I imagine a visit someday will have to do.

Until then I have my book and the visions of cyprus trees swaying in my head!

Books I've Read in 2006

1. The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson
2. Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism and the Future by Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards
3. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
4. Being Adolescent by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Reed Larson (for a class)
5. Lysistrata by Aristophanes
6. Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
7. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
8. Up in the Old Hotel by Joseph Mitchell
9. Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay
   
10. The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat
    
11. The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad
    
12. In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner
13. Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis
14. Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris (re-read)

Do you read books?

This has to have been one of the worst pick-up lines I ever witnessed. Unfortunately one of my best friends was the victim of this line...and yes indeed she does read books. In fact we both read alot of books! I'll admit it...I love books! I have a couple of bookshelves full, which I have a resoltion to purge in order to make room for more books.

I wanted to create a record of what I read in a year and maybe provide a platform for informal reviews so that others can find inspiration. I read a pretty wide variety of fiction and non-fiction titles...but I do tend to be a book snob. Rarely do I read cheesy romance novels or thrillers. The NY Times best-seller list is my guide, supplemented by the Oprah's Book Club and other literati-type lists. I guess you could say I am an urban-fem lit sort of girl with smidge of geeky non-fiction thrown in for good measure. Yes- I do indulge in a few creativity stimulating self-help type of books too.

So what am I reading right now? Well, since I am about to start my second semester of grad school I am trying to get a head start on a few books for a Feminist Literature course I am taking. I rang in the New Year with The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson and moved on to Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism and the Future by Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards. I have not been disappointed by either. I am really looking forward to taking this class since it is going to be a refreshing break from the educational theory and artistic development texts I will also be consuming. I have been lucky that all of the books I had to read for last semester were pretty interesting...no complaints about any of it!!!