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June 2008
June in Review: 06/30/08
I wrote 57 reviews this month. Here they all are in alphabetical order.
- The ABCs of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond by Steven Charney and David Goldbeck
- At Her Majesty's Request by Walter Dean Myers
- Bleach Volume 14 by Tite Kubo
- Blind Side by Penny Warner
- Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
- Castrato by Michael Collins
- Character Flu by Robert Reed
- Chronicle of the City of Havana by Eduardo Galeano
- Color for Thought by the 5th grade class of Coast Episcopal School
- Crescent Moon Volume 1 by Haruko Iida
- The Cuba Journal by Sophia Peabody Hawthorne
- Cuba Revisited by Martha Gellhorn
- Cuban Childhood by Fidel Castro and Frei Betto
- Diary of the Boy King Tutankhamen by June Reig
- The Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer
- Dora's Backpack by Sarah Willson
- Dreaming in Cuban (excerpt) by Christina Garcia
- Dreamland by Clarence Budington Kelland
- Fables from the Mud by Erik Quisling
- Fergus by Mary Patterson Thornburg
- The Ghost of Lizard Light by Elvira Woodruff
- The Girl Genius Omnibus by Kaja and Phil Foglio
- Go Green by Nancy H. Taylor
- Image of Josephine by Booth Tarkington
- Jewel in the Skull by Michael Moorcock
- The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
- Litany by Rand B Lee
- Local Rites by Paul Daffey
- Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann
- Monkey See... by P. E. Cunningham
- Nature's Children: Ostriches by Merebeth Switzer
- Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda
- No More Monsters for Me by Peggy Parish
- OPEN Brand by Kelly Mooney and Nita Rollins
- Operation Ghost by Jacques Duquennoy
- Ophie Out of Oz by Kathleen O'Dell
- Our Man in Havana (Excerpt) by Graham Greene
- Peacocks by Ruth Berman
- Picture Purrfect Kittens by Erika Tatihara and Masaru Mizobuti
- The Pigeon Loves Things That Go by Mo Willems
- The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl
- The Salting and Canning of Benevolence D. by Al Michaud
- The Sea Shack by Mark McNulty
- She Who Hears the Sun by Pamela Jekel
- Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter
- Shoes by Debbie Bailey and Susan Huszar
- Show Me Your Smile by Christine Ricci
- Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
- State Birds by Arthur and Alan Singer
- Still Hot by Sue Mittenthal and Linda Reing
- A Superior Death by Nevada Barr
- Tundra Swans by Bianca Lavies
- The War with Spain (excerpt) by Henry Cabot Lodge
- Where's the Big Red Doggie? by Norman Bridwell
- What to Wear by Consuelo Hermer and Marjorie May
- Wheels, Wheels and More Wheels by Ed and Ruth Radlauer
- Wild Turkeys by Julian May
The Poe Shadow: 06/30/08
My final review for June is The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl, a book I bought last year because I liked the cover and the title. It's the same superficial reason I used for Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann and for the most part, my intuition paid off for both.
Edgar Allen Poe showed up unexpected and in a confused state to the Washington College Hospital in Baltimore. He died there on October 3, 1849. Before his death he called out for a person named Reynolds and a letter was sent to a Dr. Snodgrass on Poe's behalf asking for help. Poe was given a simple burial and only managed to achieve recognition as a great American writer after his death. Those are the facts and the starting point of The Poe Shadow.
Matthew Pearl creates a fictional überfan, Quentin Hobson Clark, who happens on Poe's burial and feels compelled to solve the mystery behind the writer's death. He puts his own life on hold to track down all of the leads no matter how tenuous. He even goes to France with the idea of finding the man behind Poe's fictional detective, Dupin.
For the most part I enjoyed Pearl's odd mixture of fiction and historical fact but things go awry in the last third of the book. The book starts off so focused on the facts of Poe's life and death that as the plot snowball rolls towards near pure fiction the book seems to lose direction and credibility. The book falls into many of the same traps as The Seven-per-cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer.
I went from enjoying a historical fiction mystery to wishing the darn thing would end. I stopped counting possible reasons behind Poe's death at after the third rehashing of the last days of his life because it was too late in the game for an homage to Roshomon.
My over all impression of the book is still one of enjoyment but it needed tighter editing in the last 100 pages.
To learn more about the author, please see his website.
Read the reviews at: Lori Anderson Designs, Thomas Wingington, Odds and Ends.
books | historical fiction | edgar allen poe | 2006 | matthew pearl
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The War with Spain: 06/30/08
The next piece in Havana is a short excerpt from Henry Cabot Lodge's book The War with Spain (1899). You can read the entire book online at Google Books.
The excerpt covers pages 23 through 30 of the 277 page book. It covers the Cleveland administration's first dealings with Spain regarding Cuba up through the explosion of the Maine.
These events are rushed through but as an introductory chapter to a longer book, they would serve to set the stage for further discussion and analysis. The excerpt does include some interesting details regarding the trip that General Stewart L. Woodford made to Spain and the assassination of Spain's Prime Minister before Woodford's ship arrived.
As the excerpt was interesting enough in its disembodied fashion, I am adding the full text to my Google Books library to read when I have more time.
books | havana | 1899 | 1996 | henry cabot lodge
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Show Me Your Smile: 06/29/08
Another of Harriet's Dora books is Show Me Your Smile! A Visit to the Dentist. It breaks with the usual Dora format but Harriet and Sean both seem to like it but I find it a bit of a chore to read. How many times in a row can one read with enthusiasm about Dora's trip to the dentist where she has a cavity filled?
The early episodes and books of Dora were very formulaic. Dora and Boots had to go from point A to point B an had to follow the route plotted for them by the Map. Along the way they'd pass two or three check points and have a couple of obstacles to navigate through. Near the end of the series run, Dora became such a superstar that her stories started to focus more on her and less on her exploring. Show Me Your Smile! falls into this latter category.
Ignoring the fact that a trip to the dentist has nothing to do with exploring, especially when Dora's parents obviously brought her there, the book does teach young children what their first trip to the dentist might be like. I just don't think that Dora is the character to do this. But don't tell my kids, because they still like the book and I'll probably be reading it to them for months to come.
books | childrens | dora | christine ricci | 2005
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Dora's Backpack: 06/29/08
One of Harriet's current passions is Dora the Explorer. The director of Sean's current school (soon to be Harriet's) has given Harriet her daughter's old stash of Dora books and Harriet has been in book heaven.
From Harriet's collection, her favorite by far is Dora's Backpack so I'll begin my series of Dora reviews with it. As the title implies, Backpack is the star of the story.
Dora and Boots need Backpack's help to return eight books to the library before it closes. As they are running late they need the Map to find the quickest way there. Along the way they have their usual adventures and Boots needs rescuing once.
Harriet's favorite bits are the library itself (make sense living in a book crazy family like ours), the part where Boots needs rescuing and of course Map. She's about as nuts for the Map as she is for Dora with Backpack coming in a close third.
books | childrens | dora | sarah willson | 2002
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Chronicle of the City of Havana: 06/28/08
The next piece in Havana is a three page scene from The Book of Embraces by Eduardo Galeano. It recounts a humorous ride on the guagua 68 bus.
The story whether fiction or not illustrates perfectly the way people can shrug things off and take charge of a situation when things break with routine.
In the case of the guagua 68, the bus driver gets distracted by an ice cream eating beauty. At first his unscheduled stop is a source of amusement and then a source of frustration for the passengers. Finally though, one person decides to get things back on schedule with or without the driver.
Coming in at the shortest story so far, it is also the funniest.
books | havana | 1989 | 1996 | eduardo galeano
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Image of Josephine: 06/28/08
Let me start by saying I loved Image of Josephine by Booth Tarkington and that I'm surprised not to see more written about it online.
It's one of the last two novels by a Pulitzer Prize winning author (The Magnificent Ambersons, 1918 and Alice Adams, 1921).
Who is Josephine? The most intimate portrait we get of her comes in the four chapters (34 pages) when she's an a typical American teenage girl, though one of means who is probably oblivious of the Great Depression. We learn that she will be taking over as director of her grandfather's fledgling art museum and for reasons never given she is the best choice for the job.
The remainder of the book we never get as close to her again. She's now in her late twenties and the director of the museum. She is revered, feared and loathed by her staff and yet she's fiercely loyal to her grandfather's original vision and continues to live in his home which shares a hallway with the museum.
Instead of seeing the museum through Josephine's eyes, we see it and her through a soldier and distant cousin, Bailey Fount. He has been sent to work in the museum on medical leave after a horrific event on the front line where Bailey was the only survivor. Through his shell shocked eyes we rediscover Josephine Oaklin.
Josephine may be the title character but Bailey is the driving force of the book. I've read a number of novels written during WWII but Bailey is the first character I've come across who comes across as a realistic and broken individual. He's not just a prop for Uncle Sam.
If you can find a copy of this book, read it. It's one of the best I've read this year.
Read it online Google Books
Learn more about Booth Tarkington at his website.
books | literature | booth tarkington | 1945
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What An Animal Challenge: 06/27/08
Kristi at Passion for the Page is hosting her first reading challenge called "What an Animal!" The goal is to read six animal books between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009. Easy-peasy!
Here are the specifics of what counts: copied from her post:
- Read at least 6 books that have any of these requirements:
a. an animal in the title of the book
b. an animal on the cover of the book
c. an animal that plays a major role in the book
d. a main character that is or turns into an animal (define that however you'd like) - The animal can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)--dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark...dragons, mermaids, centaurs, fairies, vampires...you get the idea...
- Books can be fiction or nonfiction.
There is a Mr. Linky to sign up with on her post too.
Here is my list of books:
As you can see, I'm tossing in a few extras.
books | challenge | animal
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No More Monsters for Me: 06/27/08
I've probably read No More Monsters for Me! more times than I can remember. When it was first published, 1981, I was the target audience for this book and I know my school had many of the "I Can Read Books" as text books.
Thematically the book is similar to The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer by Jimmy and Amy Carter except funnier and a bit more on point. It's a story about consequences and responsibility.
Minneapolis Simpkin learns first hand why her mother warns her about staying away from the forest where the monsters live. She thinks her mother is joking (and perhaps she is) until she finds a baby monster in the rain. Clearly the creature needs help but her mother has told her not to mess with monsters. Minneapolis decides to break the rule because it was only a baby.
Here's where the book plays up the consequences of rule breaking (and more important secret keeping) to hilarious results. Monsters, and hungry ones especially, grow fast and it gets harder and harder to hide he once baby monster.
Ultimately Minneapolis has to confess to her mother and face the consequences of breaking two rules. The final lesson comes with the mother's reaction: frustration and understanding. The monster gets to go home and Minneapolis learns that she was right in helping the baby monster but wrong in keeping it a secret from her mother.
books | childrens | peggy parish | 1981
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Ship of Fools: 06/27/08
Katherine Anne Porter's long novel Ship of Fools modernizes the old Christian allegory to trace the roots of Nazism. It doesn't take more than 100 pages to understand the point of the book, it continues on for 400 pages as the ship slowly makes its way from Argentina to Europe.
Porter took her inspiration for the novel from her first sea voyage from Mexico to Germany. She took the trip in 1931 and wrote a long letter describing her fellow passengers with the hope of turning it into a short story.
Except for Ship of Fools, Porter was a writer of short stories and it shows in the novel. The book is made up of a series of very short scenes and they often read more like a series of connected short stories than as a single novel. All of that starting and stopping made it difficult to read at my usual speed an worked against my enjoyment of it.
The book was adapted into a film in 1965 which is in my queue.
books | fiction | katherine anne porter | 1962
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Our Man in Havana (excerpt): 06/26/08
The six piece in Havana is a short excerpt from Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene. I just wish there was more to it.
I'm scratching my head here at the editor's choice for stopping the excerpt. It's just a tiny hint of the book and if I didn't already love the Carol Reed film, I'd be hard pressed to figure out what's going on from the ten pages or so included in this book.
I'll save a proper review of the novel for when I've actually read the whole thing.
books | havana | 1958 | 1996 | graham greene
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Jewel in the Skull: 06/26/08
By all accounts I should have loved The Jewel in the Skull
by Michael Moorcock. I normally enjoy his twisted take on things. This one has plot elements I normally enjoy; it's a post apocalyptic fantasy with a mixture of science and magic but the book just left me cold. I put it down after the first sixty pages.
This first volume in the four volume History of the Runestaff series is deceptively short (160 pages or so) but dense. At the same time it's incredibly stupid. It's somewhere between Heart of Darkness for the complex plot being crammed into so few pages and Red Sonja (except that I like Red Sonja).
I was willing to put up with not getting the plot or even when the story was supposed to be taking place but when I hit the gratuitous nudity I had to stop. The book went from being an odd example of early Moorcock to Moorcock "writing with one hand" as my husband would call it.
Get a better overview at the wiki.
books | fantasy | michael moorcock | 1967
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Operation Ghost: 06/25/08
My son likes ghost books but I have to admit that I got Operation Ghost as much for myself as I did for him. The cover reminded me of a typical O.R. scene in M*A*S*H but with ghosts so I snapped it up. It's a strange reason to get a book but fairly typical for me!
Operation Ghost by Jacques Duquennoy is basically a shaggy dog story but aimed at beginning readers. The book follows a ghost into the hospital when his ticker goes bad.
Here's where Sean and I part ways. He's still learning about puns so he doesn't get why I laugh every time we get to page where Dr. Ouch pulls out a busted alarm clock from the ghost's chest. I've tried explaining to him that a heart can be called a ticker but so far we haven't gotten past the "why" or "how come" phase.
Nonetheless, we both enjoy the book and love reading it together even if we laugh at the jokes for completely different reasons.
Read the review at Books and Magazines.
books | childrens | jacques duquennoy | 1999
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Ophie Out of Oz: 06/25/08
I chose Ophie out of Oz by Kathleen O'Dell from the library for two reasons: the title and the cover. With that in mind, I went into reading it half expecting not to like it.
Oz is this case is California and Ophie sees herself as a Dorothy and loves to sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Oregon, though, is no where as magical as California and Ophie will have to adapt or be miserable. Ophie out of Oz is a coming of age story written in a style similar to the Junie B. Jones books but for an older audience.
Ophie though takes most of the book to become a likeable character. She suffers from the same anger management issues as Andy in the Sea Shack or Venola in Catty-Cornered and any number of other 'tween protagonists but Ophie's growth as a character is nearly glacial; coming in at just slightly faster than Harry Potter in the 5th book.
Despite Ophie's problems as a lead character, I did still enjoy the book because of the supporting cast of characters. Brittany Borg who is set up as the school bully ends up being the most interesting and sympathetic character in the book. She and her sister made the book worth reading.
Read the reviews at Just a Middle School Guy, Bookworm Readers, Childrens Literature Book Club, Pixiepalace.
books | fiction | kathleen odell | 2004
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#64: Historical Fiction: 06/25/08
This week I'm recommending some historical fiction books I've enjoyed.
1. The Diary of the Boy King Tutankhamen by June Reig |
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2. Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann |
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3. WLT: A Radio Romance by Garrison Keillor
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4. The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter |
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5. City of Light by Lauren Belfer |
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6. A Traveller in Time by Alison Uttley |
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7. She Who Hears the Sun by Pamela Jekel |
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8. Arizona by Clarence Budington Kelland |
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9. The Rocky Mountain Moving Picture Association by Loren D. Esleman |
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10. Immortal by Traci L. Slatton |
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11. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl |
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12. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry |
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13. Murder in the Place of Anubis by Lynda S. Robinson |
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thursday thirteen | books
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The Cuba Journal: 06/24/08
The fifth piece in Havana is a letter from Sophia Peabody (soon to be Hawthorne) to her parents while she was in Cuba for her health. Her letter is among my favorites so far because of my fondness for her husband's books. Sophia by the way was the inspiration for House of the Seven Gables; (1851) I highly recommend it if you haven't read it.
In her letter (the third written during her trip), Sophia describes the voyage and the fun she had borrowing the captain's glass to watch the "distant ships and land when ever they were in sight." She goes on to describe where she is staying including the unusual architecture of the home and the day to day sounds she can hear from her window. As she was racing to beat the last call for mail, her long letter is peppered with odd word choices and other mistakes but that is nature of letter writing. Her words convey her enthusiasm and sense of adventure all these many years later.
books | havana | 1834 | 1996 | sophia peabody hawthorne
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At Her Majesty's Request: 06/24/08
Walter Dean Myers in the introduction explains beautifully why I love old books and ephemera. I don't have the time or budget for the dedication that Myers. Therefore I am grateful that he was able to buy Sarah Forbes Bonetta's letters and bring her to life again in this short but fascinating biography, At Her Majesty's Request: An African Princess in Victorian England.
Sarah Forbes Bonetta was the daughter of the slain Egbabo leader as far as accounts go though there is no mention of Sarah's recollection of the first few years of her life. She was slated for ritual execution by her Dahomian raiders but saved as a "gift" for Queen Victoria by some quick thinking on Frederick Forbes's part. He was there attempting to stop the slave trade driven raids.
Frederick Forbes renamed the girl he had rescued to Sarah Forbes (his last name) Bonetta (his ship). The letters and other ephemera that track Sarah's life from her rescue show that she became friends with Queen Victoria. Her friendship though ended up being a major controlling factor in the events of her life.
Myers interjects his own thoughts and feelings on the events of Sarah's life as he understands them. Given how spotty her timeline is, Myers's text helps to segue between the facts. He also includes many of the photographs in the collection that he bought. The photographs though didn't print all that clearly on the paperback I have. They often times aren't much clearer than a black and white photocopy. I would have liked to see more detail on them.
I read this book for the In Their Shoes Challenge.
books | biography | walter dean myers | sarah forbes bonetta | 1999
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Picture Purrfect Kittens: 06/23/08
Picture Purrfect Kittens
is on Sean and Harriet's short list of favorite stories. It was originally published in Japan as Boku no sagashimono in 1991 and translated into English in 1993.
In the English translation, an artist leaves an illustration of a kitten unfinished overnight. The drawing is so realistic that he comes to life on his paper and has a series of adventures in a large metropolitan area that could be almost any city in the world. In the morning, the artist finds his drawing altered by the kitten's overnight adventures.
The story depends on the realism of the illustrations. Masaru Mizobuti's drawings are amazing. Sometimes we just enjoy the drawings instead of reading the story.
Sean likes the magic of the story while Harriet loves the realistically drawn kittens.
books | childrens | erika tatihara | masaru mizobuti | 1991
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Fables from the Mud: 06/23/08
A couple of years ago a BookCrosser found a copy of The Angry Clam, by Erik Quisling. A couple pages were shared in the forum and we decided to do a bookring with the book. Book karma being a fickle thing, the book got lost somewhere down the line before it got to me. So, I put the book on my wishlist for future reading.
This year I was sent a copy of Fables from the Mud for review. It contains three oddly entertaining fables by Erik Quisling. The three tales are: "The Angry Clam", "The Adventures of Glen in my Stone Garden", and "Grant's Tomb." The heroes are a clam, an ant and a worm. Each one looks beyond its own insignificant existence for a bigger piece of the universe.
Fables from the Mud is not your average book. I've seen it compared to Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry or any of Richard Bach's books. Having read those books and Quisling's book, I can see why those books were chosen for comparison but I disagree. Exupéry and Bach's books are incredibly upbeat and Quisling's book is jaded and antisocial and that's part of its charm.
If you'd like a chance to read my copy, I'm giving it away. The contest ends at 11PM Pacific time on June 26th. Please read the rules before leaving a comment.
To learn more, visit Erik Quisling's website.
books | graphic novel | contest | erik quisling | 2007
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Cuban Childhood: 06/22/08
The fourth selection in Havana is an interview from Frei Betto's collaboration with Fidel Castro, Fidel and Religion (1987).
Although both men have an ongoing respect for each other, it's hard to tell from this interview. It's an absolutely bristling interaction between Brei and Castro.
In between the bickering and interrupting, Castro outlines a brief history of his childhood, his parents' background and his religious up bringing. Castro describes how very rural much of Cuba was and Spanish traditions influenced life even in these out of the way places.
It's hard for me to imagine an entire book of this confrontational writing style.
books | havana | 1987 | 1996 | fidel castro | frei betto
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Dreamland: 06/22/08
Film buffs will recognize Ethel Merman on this pseudo cover art I bodged together. She played Joyce Lennox (Adriadne Joyce in the book, Dreamland) in the 1936 film adaptation Strike Me Pink.
Dreamland is fairly typical of Kelland's novels: a protagonist with a heavy chip on his shoulder and an unrequited love. To prove himself worthy to his dream girl, he must take on a herculean task. He'll always end up with a girl (though not always the one he thinks he wants) and he'll usually end up being the best man for the job (whatever it may be).
In this case, the hero is Hadrian Pink (renamed to Eddie Pink in the film). He's an academic who has been taking tutoring jobs to stay in academia without the added responsibility of lecturing. To get over his shyness he starts following the "Character Builders" method of self assertion in hopes of winning the attention of Adriadne Joyce, a senator's daughter he's only ever seen in newspaper clippings.
Hadrian, though, can't settle for using his new-found voice to be a better tutor or even a lecturer. No, in true 1930s screwball comedy fashion, he talks himself into being the president of Dreamland, a new (and yet to be opened) amusement park. Hadrian though can't keep his mouth shut and ends up taking on the mob in the process of getting Dreamland opened and profitable.
From the small selection of Kelland books I've read so far I found Dreamland to be rather average. Hadrian didn't strike me a very believable academic even if he was a humorous executive later on. Hadrian's dialogue throughout the novel tends towards overly wordy as an attempt to make him sound educated and perhaps out of step with the general public. The dialogue comes off as forced and painful to read at times.
As a screwball comedy, though, it was still entertaining. I kept on reading to see if Hadrian Pink would get himself out of the trouble he had created and if Dreamland would open. What Kelland does with Adriadne Joyce at the end took me by pleasant surprise.
I read this book for the Decades Challenge.
My other Kelland reviews to date include:
books | mystery | 1935 | clarence budington kelland
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Where's the Big Red Doggie? 06/21/08
Besides cats, Harriet has three passions: Dora, Caillou and Clifford. So at our recent trip to the library, She picked out Where is the Big Red Doggie? by Norman Bridwell.
This book carries on with the PBS cartoon where Clifford and his family are living on Birdwell Island. In this short board book, Clifford plays hide and seek with the reader. As he's a big red dog, he's pretty easy to find but my daughter found the game loads of fun.
Harriet recommends this book.
books | childrens | 1998 | norman bridwell
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Wild Turkeys: 06/21/08
The last of the birds books (really this time!) that Sean checked out was Wild Turkeys by Julian May which has a number of interesting facts about wild turkeys: their habitat, life cycle, and how they differ from domestic turkeys. Most interesting to both of us: wild turkeys can fly unlike the domesticated variety.
One oddity Sean and I noticed was the fact that no wild turkeys exist in California. While I haven't been able to find any concrete facts on the native status of the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in California, they do certainly exist in the state both in southern and northern California. What all the sites seem to agree on is that the birds were brought to California in 1877 but whether it was to repopulate or create a new source of hunting stock is unclear.
In the Bay Area, there are wild turkey populations in Marin, Berkeley and down here in the Hayward hills (Fairview, Hayward and Castro Valley). In fact, they are one of the road hazards I have to look out for when picking up my kids from school (the other one being our local deer population).
Here is the list of bird books Sean and I have read and I have reviewed:
books | nonfiction | childrens | 1973 | julian may
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What to Wear: 06/20/08
The third item in Havana is an excerpt from Consuelo Hermer and Marjorie May's book Havana Mañana called "What to Wear.'
Hermer and May warn against the tell tale signs of being a "tourista" when visiting Havana. They offer wardrobe advice for men and women for all seasons. The basic advice is "dress as you would for work at home but in lighter weight fabrics."
Although the specific advice is probably now dated the foundation is still sound for wherever one may travel. Dress for the weather but keep in mind the type of place being visited. If visiting a large well established city, dress formally but in weather appropriate fabrics. Wear more conservative colors in the winter months than the summer months.
Of course, the other option is to do what you darn well please but be willing to be branded a tourist!
books | havana | 1941 | 1996 | consuelo hermer | marjorie may
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Measuring the World: 06/20/08
How does one measure the world? Daniel Kehlamnn's novel, Measuring the World offers diametrically opposed answers: one theoretical and one empirical. Representing the theory is mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss and representing the experimental is explorer Alexander von Humboldt.
Kehlmann alternates his narrative between Gauss's life and Humboldt's exploration of South America and into New Spain (modern day Mexico). Both men wish to describe the world as elegantly as possible. For Gauss that means mathematics at the cost of basic social skills. For Humboldt it means jumping in head first to make every measurement even at the risk of personal injury.
Humboldt and Gauss seem like an unlikely pair of protagonists for a historical novel but Kehlmann's dry wit makes it work. By focusing on these two eccentric men he paints a portrait of the Enlightenment. Other "celebrities" from the era that make cameo appearances include Immanuel Kant, Louis Daguerre and Thomas Jefferson.
I read this book for the Spring Reading Thing. I didn't get Zen of Fish done in time. Here is my entire list with links to the reviews:
books | historical fiction | 2005 | daniel kehlmann
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The Light in the Forest: 06/19/08
The Light in the Forest reminds me of James Fenimore Cooper's books in the way it glorifies Native American life during the early days of the United States.
In all fairness, Richter's novel does try to examine the differences (good and bad) of the two cultures and the ways in which both misunderstand each other. It does this through True Son's forced re-assimilation into Pennsylvania society. He had been born John Cameron Butler but had been kidnapped and raised by a nearby tribe.
The reasons behind the initial kidnapping are never made clear. The book concentrates mostly on the aftermath of his return and how he loathes being "home" and forced to live with people he now considers savages.
Although True Son is the focus of the book, he is so full of teenage angst and wankery that he's an uninteresting character. I found myself more intrigued by Del Hardy, the man who brings True Son back to his parents because he can speak both English and Delaware and is the only character who seems to see both sides of situation with any clarity or empathy.
To learn more check out Markings: Days of Her Life, Book Talk 7.
books | historical fiction | 1953 | conrad richter
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The ABCs of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond: 06/19/08
Back in May when I reviewed Eating the Alphabet
I was asked to review The ABCs of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond.
The ABCs... starts off as another alphabet book. This list serves as an introduction to the "Beyond" half of the book but by itself is a rather lackluster list. Although Eating the Alphabet an The ABCs of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond have nearly identical lists, their presentations skew the affect. Ehlert's book groups some letters together so that every page is crowded with numerous colorful fruits and vegetables. In The ABCs... each letter gets its own page giving some pages an unfinished feeling.
Were this book only an alphabetical list I wouldn't rate it very highly. It isn't until the "Beyond" section that the book excels. "Beyond" includes facts, recipes and other miscellany about fruits, vegetables and farming. The pages are illustrated with collages that draw the eye in.
If you are interested in reading my copy, I'm giving it away on June 22nd.
books | nonfiction | contest | steve charney | david goldbeck | 2007
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Dreaming in Cuban: 06/18/08
The second item in Havana is an excerpt from Christina Garcia's novel Dreaming in Cuban.
Celia as a grandmother to twin girls looks back on her life, comparing her current situation to the unhappiness of her early marriage and the lover who left her. She also shares a brief memory of the early days of the revolution and the way it served as well needed distraction from her life.
The melancholy tone of the excerpt with the pastiche of magical realism reminds me Cereus Blooms at Night by Shani Mootoo.
I liked the twenty pages I read and hope to some day read the entire novel.
books | havana | 1992 | 1996 | christina garcia
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She Who Hears the Sun: 06/18/08
Yesterday I shared my ongoing fascination with Tutankhamen and the 18th Dynasty. Today I'm reviewing a historical fiction about another interest of mine, Navajo (Diné) history and culture. I think it started with all the family vacations to Arizona as a kid but it wasn't until college that I started doing actual research for fun.
She Who Hears the Sun is a historical fiction that covers the war with the United States as settlers pushed west and the eventual demarcation of the modern day Navajo Nation (Diné Bikéyah) which extends through much of Arizona, New Mexico and into Utah.
Although Pamela Jekel mostly keeps the narrative centered around a single family of Navajos, she does try to give the perspective of the other groups involved: the Utes, the Mexicans and the American soldiers. She further sets the state by following a number of wild creatures who also give a somewhat spiritual gloss to another wise straightforward historical fiction.
The main characters though are Ayoi and her daughter, Pahe, later renamed At'ééd Johonaa'éí Yidiits'a'í (She Who Hears the Sun) and the other members of their immediate family. Like many cultures, there is the private name that only the closest family members will use and the public name that everyone else will use. Jekel uses these two identities for her characters to bring an extra intimacy and poignancy to certain scenes.
The book comes in at about 400 pages with another ten or so of bibliography. Although the book is fiction, it is full of so many interesting details that I was constantly putting the book down to take notes, something I very rarely do when reading for fun. I even bought a book listed in her bibliography (one that I had used as a reference back in college).
To learn more about the Navajo, check out their website!
books | navajo | historical fiction | 1999 | pamela jekel
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#63: Bag of Books: 06/18/08
This week I'm focusing on bags on book covers. Two of my featured books were written by BookCrossers.
1. The Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer |
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2. Puss in Boots by Rochelle Larkin The cat has a bag over his shoulder. |
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3. Dark Summit by Nick Heil The climber has a backpack. |
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4. The Crew by Bali Rai. The bag full of money plays a big role in this book. |
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5. Park by Pierre Pratt They have a picnic basket. |
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6. The Berenstain Bears Learn about Strangers by Jan and Stan Berenstain. Two purses. |
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7. A Little Twist of Texas by Linda Moore. Beastie has saddle bags. |
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8. The Boy Who Wanted to be a Fish by Le Grand. A grocery bag. |
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9. Woo! The Not-So-Scary Ghost by Ana Martin Larranga The ghost has a hobo pack. |
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10. Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurier The old women have purses. |
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11. Mr. Pingle and Mr. Buttonhouse by Paul Galdone. Another suitcase. |
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12. Dirt in the Well by Linda Lyon. A briefcase. |
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13. The Cook Camp by Gary Paulsen. The boy has a suitcase, a satchell and a bag. |
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thursday thirteen | books
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Diary of the Boy King Tutankhamen: 06/17/08
I've been interested in Tutankhamen and more broadly the 18th dynasty since my senior year of high school. So when I saw this 1978 historical novel, Diary of the Boy King Tutankhamen by June Reig, I had to read it.
Diary of the Boy King... covers roughly a year, starting just before the coronation and through the first few months of Tutankhamen's reign. Reig's entries include common every day events along with historically significant moments. Some of the entries have little drawings to illustrate some of the items found in Tutankhamen's tomb. The diary helps to put these pieces of treasure into a more human context.
From the dozen or so historical fictions I've read where Tutankhamen is a character, Reig's depiction is the most genuine. She manages to walk the line between little boy and powerful monarch.
The book ends as it must with a brief note from Ankhenesamen mourning her husband's early death and wondering about her future and the kingdom's future. I knew the ending was coming but it still left me feeling a little sad.
books | childrens | historical fiction | 1978 | june reig
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Peacocks: 06/17/08
Remember when I said I was done reviewing all the bird books Sean and I borrowed from the library? I was wrong. I found a few more while going through my reading notes. I can't believe I forgot our favorite book from the the set: Peacocks
by Ruth Berman.
In 48 pages Peacocks covers the habitat, breeding cycle, life cycle, diet and history of this beautiful bird. It teaches all the different terms for the species (collectively called peafowl). Peacocks are obviously the males; peahens are the females; peachicks are the offspring. Peacocks are members of the pheasant family and spend most of their time in trees.
Sean and I enjoyed this book so much because peafowl are such a feature at most zoos and gardens the birds are never really explained. They just are. This book helped fill in the blanks.
books | childrens | nonfiction | 1996 | ruth berman
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Weekly Geeks 8: Scavenger Hunt: 06/17/08
This week's theme is a scavenger hunt. I've managed to find all but a couple and I know how to find the remainders; I just haven't found them yet.
I know that other participants in the challenge will be asked to include new tags but frankly I'm so burned out from finding the current set that I doubt I'll keep looking!
The List:
- (THE PRIZE. Did you find it?): A subscription to Bookmarks.
- youtube (Tip of the Iceberg)
- war (Bibliolatry)
- Sunday Salon (Blue Archipelago)
- Buy a Friend a Book (book-a-rama)
- BTT (or Booking Through Thursday): (Mog)
- omnibus (Saving My Sanity)
- Speculative fiction (Facing Abuse)
- Short stories (Reading, Writing and Retirement)
- Ani Difranco (or just Ani) (Care's Online Book Club)
- Printz (Tiny Little Reading Room)
- Man Booker Prize (or just Booker) (Katrina's Reads)
- Newbery (Chain-Reading)
- Mother Talk (The Hidden Side of the Leaf)
- interview (Writing in Chaos that is Me)
- history (The Biblio Brat)
- glbt (or any other arrangement of those letters, or with a q in there) (Curvature)
- fantasy (Stuff as Dreams)
- film (Bride of the Book God)
- giraffe (The 3 Rs)
- biography (Bell Literary Reflections)
- Geraldine Brooks (Mysteries in Paradise)
- graphic novels (Karin's Book Nook)
- classics (A Girl Walks into a Bookstore)
- faerie (Book Nut)
- Amelie (In Spring it is the Dawn)
- doo doo doo (Nothing of Importance)
- 24 Hour Read-a-thon (Journey to the End of the TBR Pile)
- etsy (Kylee's Book Blog)
- poetry (Literary Escapism)
- Bookmooch (Adventures in Reading)
- del.icio.us (The Hidden Side of the Leaf)
- R.E.M.
- Bookworms Carnival (Out of the Blue)
- library (Naked Without Books)
- Lost (must refer to the TV series) (A Year of Books)
- Six Feet Under (The 3 Rs)
- ReadingAnimals (ReadingAnimals)
- hedgehog (Tripping Towards Lucidity)
- pregnant (Literary Escapism)
- nosebleed (or nose bleed) (Tripping Towards Lucidity)
- 42 (No, that’s not a mistake; number 42 is to find the digit 42.) (Tip of the Iceberg)
- herding cats (Thinking About)
- Django Reinhardt
- A.S. Byatt (Things Mean a Lot)
- Homer (Words, Words)
- ROFL
- cheezburger (must be spelled with Z!) (The Tip of the Iceberg)
- d20 (Bookworm)
- Little Critter (Bloody Hell, It's a Book Barrage)
- translated (Stuff As Dreams Are Made Of)
- Orson Scott Card (Stephane's Confessions of a Book-a-holic)
- tite kubo (Puss Reboots: A Book Review a Day)
- Pavement (My Own Little Reading Room)
- Magic Realism (So Many Precious Books, So Little Time)
- search (You Can Never Have Too Many Books)
- Dumpster(s) (Caribou's Mom)
- Nerdfighter(s) (The Ax for the Frozen See)
- Summer (This Book is for You)
- Amish (Trish's Reading Nook)
pussreboots | scavenger hunt | blog | weekly geeks
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Cuba Revisited: 06/16/08
Havana: Tales of the City is a collection of essays and short stories about Havana, Cuba. The book starts off with "Cuba Revisited" by Martha Gellhorn, an essay originally published in The View from the Ground (1988).
Martha Gellhorn was Ernest Hemingway's third wife (1940-6) and spent her marriage living in Havana. She returned in 1987 and that trip forms the basis of this essay.
As to be expected, Gellhorn's essay compares Havana before and after Castro. At first she is sad to see the changes but as she travels around the city and visits with the people she comes to see some of the positives. She never endorses Castro's regime. Her positive take on things is more a celebration of the human spirit than an approval.
My favorite part of the essay is her visit to a local school. She sits in on an English class, a history class and a biology class. This section reminded me of my own time as an exchange student to Mexico City, so I bonded with her own hunt for nostalgia in Havana.
books | havana | 1988 | 1996 | martha gellhorn
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Girl Genius Omnibus 1: 06/16/08
My husband started reading the Girl Genius web comic last summer and I've read much (but not all) of the series with him. Since we've been enjoying the online version, we bought the first (currently only) omnibus (although volumes 4 and 5 are available in print form too). I'm hoping that once volume 6 is in print, a second omnibus will be published. This first omnibus contains volumes 1, 2 and 3 of the comic.
The title character is Agatha. In these first three volumes she comes to terms with her importance and her hidden talents. She has always enjoyed building things but hasn't had much luck until her amulet is stolen. Turns out she might be a powerful spark after all. If that's the case, she'll be very interesting to Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, the most powerful spark (and man) in Europe.
Agatha lives in Europe but as realized in the Foglio's own special version of steampunk that they call "gaslamp fantasy". It's a world of clockwork robots (clanks), giant airships and other oddities.
The omnibus version is printed in grayscale (the first volume actually was never colored). The individual "collections" are printed in color and the online version is in color too. The lack of color makes some of the pages a little difficult to read but the story is still so much fun that it is worth the effort!
If you have the omnibus and want to read more, the story continues with "crashing the airship", the first page of volume 4. The web comic is up Volume 8 so I have some catching up to do.
This book is my first review for the "Herding Cats" challenge. It was suggested by mekosuchinae.
books | comic | 2000 | kaja foglio | phil foglio | herdthosecats
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Local Rites: 06/15/08
During my brief time in Australia as an AFS exchanged student I watched a lot of Australian rules football. I'm not normally a football (either soccer or grid iron) fan but there's something about the wild nature of Australian rules that appeals to me.
Fast forward about fifteen years. Through BookCrossing I got a copy Local Rites: A Year in Grass Roots Football in Victoria and Beyond by Paul Daffey. From what I understand, this book is a collection of sports essays Daffey wrote for one of the local papers. Fans of the different clubs and the long time rivalries will enjoy these essays. Because of this, the book is really aimed at a readership already familiar with the teams and players.
For readers (like me) who know the rules but aren't necessarily familiar with the players or the teams will get an appreciation for the history and the fans. Beyond that, one will have to do research on the different teams to get up to speed.
If you'd like to sample a chapter, the Fitzroy Football Club has their chapter (the first in the book) online.
books | nonfiction | 2001 | paul daffey
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The Ghost of Lizard Light: 06/15/08
As I mentioned in my review of The Magnificent Mummy Maker, Elvira Woodruff is good at getting into the heads of both her child an adult characters. In
The Ghost of Lizard Light she takes the typical plot of a child trying to prove himself in the eyes of his overly strict parent and turns it into a chilling look at how a parent's good intentions can go wrong.
The story covers two generations of fathers and sons: the modern day Jack Carlton and his father and Nathaniel Witherspoon and his father from 150 years ago. Nathaniel is also the book's supernatural element and he takes a more active roles than the mummy's ka does in The Magnificent Mummy Maker. Nathaniel is seeking proof that his father died a brave man.
While Jack is trying to help Nathaniel he must contend with his father's strict rules while his kid sister gets away with all sorts of things. Jack spends much of the early part of the book angry at his parents (and father especially) but through Nathaniel's help and some studying on his own, he comes to understand the reasons behind his father and gain the self confidence needed to help his father see when he might be wrong.
As this is also a ghost story, there are some wonderfully eerie scenes and some sad ones too. At the end of the book when we learn how Nathaniel died, he is such an important part of the story that his death is a poignant break in Jack's adventures.
books | childrens | 2001 | elvira woodruff
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Crescent Moon Volume 1: 06/15/08
My first break from Bleach is volume 1 of Crescent Moon by Haruko Iido.
As with any series with a large ensemble cast of characters, Crescent Moon takes a good chunk to introduce everyone and set the state. The prologue and first chapter go about introducing all the characters in a melodramatic and sometimes confusing fashion.
The heroine of the story is Mahiru Shiraishi who is a good luck charm for everyone except herself. She is also plagued by nightmares and visions of demons from an old song about an ill fated romance between a human princess and a demon.
Of course, this being a fantasy, the demons or as they call themselves Lunar Race are real and the desperately need Mahiru's help. She has to decide whether or not to help them and they have to prove to her that they aren't the evil creatures of the stories.
Misunderstandings abound and both sides have to learn to set aside deep seated prejudices if they are going work together.
I'm still on the fence with the series but I have volumes 2 and 3 on my to be read shelf. I will be reviewing both volumes later this year.
Read the reviews at Tiamat's Manga Reviews, Triforce.
books | manga | haruko iida | 2000 | 2004
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Castrato: 06/15/08
I normally enjoy thriller mysteries and this one should have been a good one with its location: Santa Barbara but it just didn't do it for me. There is a certain amount of machismo built into the detective story and it can work with the story or it can hinder it. Castrato is all macho and not much of anything else.
Dan Fortune the private investigator in this tale is working on a missing persons case gone horribly wrong. While he skirts around the darkest alleys of Santa Barbara he laments how forefoot State street has become by 1989 He wishes for the dangerous days of the 1980s.
I know Santa Barbara of the 1980s and the 1990s. The biggest change to State Street came when the 101 freeway was turned from a five stop light road to a proper highway, raised above the city rather than running right through it. That process finished in 1991 with the opening of the State Street overpass.
A more realistic (though still flawed) depiction of Santa Barbara in this time comes in Sue Grafton's alphabet series, first published in 1982. Even though Kinsey is now living in the past, in her first book, her cases were contemporary.
My favorite depiction of Santa Barbara, though, is in the much sillier Christopher Moore book Coyote Blue.
books | mystery | michael collins | 1989
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The Pigeon Loves Things That Go: 06/14/08
Harriet loves to do what her big brother does. Since Sean was getting bird books from the library, she chose The Pigeon Loves Things That Go! a board book by Mo Willems. Sean actually has a number of the longer Pigeon books but Harriet saw a character she recognized and had to take it home to read.
The Pigeon Loves Things That Go! features each of the Pigeon's favorite things. There's the infamous bus of course, and a train and best of all, the hot dog.
As with all of the Pigeon books, the drawings are quick and bold and happy. Even a ten page board book is enough to bring smiles to Harriet, Sean and me.
Check out Mo Willems's blogs: Doodles and Stuff.
Check out my other Pigeon reviews:
Read another at Katie's Book Blog.
books | childrens | mo willems | 2005
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State Birds: 06/14/08
State Birds by Arthur and Alan Singer is the last of the bird books Sean checked out from the library.
Each state bird is beautifully illustrated in its typical habitat. The artwork is the best part of the book.
Sean and I found the presentation of the information illogical and sometimes confusing. At first glance the book appears to be listed alphabetically by state. As some states have the same bird, the listing of birds by state breaks down by Florida (as it and Arkansas have picked the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos). It probably would have made more sense to list the birds alphabetically by common name and then provide brief information about which states use that bird and why or when the chose it.
For the full list of state birds, please see the Audubon Society website.
books | nonfiction | childrens | alan singer | arthur singer | 1990
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Still Hot: 06/13/08
I don't feel qualified to review Still Hot. Except that I am a woman who has been married (and still am) I otherwise have nothing in common with the intended audience of this book. I am not a recently divorced Baby Boomer. My mother did go through a divorce back when I was an infant but not for any of the reasons listed in this book.
The book was inspired by authors' own divorces and their own husband's actions. From there they went on to interview around one hundred women and their collective experiences are the basis for this book. Again, having never been through any of this, I can't really comment on what they found or on the humorous way they told it. I personally didn't laugh much through this book.
Still Hot is divided into ten phases from: "Your Marriage is Toast..." through to "Happily Ever After..." with stops through the divorce process to the learning how to live on my own and to finally finding a new man.
If you've been through a divorce or think your husband is teetering on the brink of a midlife crisis, then you should enter to win this book. Remember; comments left on this review will not count as entries.
To learn more, check out the Still Hot blog.
books | nonfiction | contest | sue mittenthal | linda reing | 2008
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