Posted in Books, Opinion, tagged gillian flynn, gone girl, psychothriller, twisted on September 30, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I feel like it would be wrong to say I “really liked” this book. I did, however, read it in three days, which says something, at least.
I don’t know a strong enough word to describe how twisted it was. Smartly twisted.
But I have to agree with a few others who said that the first two hundred pages dragged. Not to mention the complete lack of resolution. A little bit of a cop out, Ms. Flynn.
Posted in Blogging, Books, Garden, General, tagged Garden, herb garden, how to dry oregano, mojitos, oregano, pregnant energy, productive, tomato vines, tomatoes on June 9, 2012 | 5 Comments »
After weeks of terrible night time sleep and the most fabulous naps of my life on our blue Lazy Boy, at eleven o’clock last night I broke the news to John that I would be sleeping on the couch.
The result? We’re considering investing in twin beds. (Grandma and Grandpa Paulus, I totally get it now.)
I have just had the most productive day in fourteen weeks. And so, I’m celebrating by eating a cinnamon roll and brogging about it. (I just made that up. Brogging. You know, bragging on my blog.)
Posted in Books, Goals, tagged books, chronicles of narnia, in one person, jeffrey eugenics, john irving, library, the marriage plot on May 29, 2012 | 3 Comments »
Books.
I swear. It does not matter when I put a book on hold, nor how many end up in my queue at the public library. Inevitably, they will all arrive in the same week.
I thought about reading Jeffrey Eugenides’ new novel, The Marriage Plot, at the beginning of January. I think my request for one of five books in circulation went in at number sixty-something.
More recently, I added John Irving’s In One Person, and magically was very close to the top of the list. Finally, I had a whim to tackle the entire Chronicles of Narnia this summer, and thought it would be easier to just get the edition that has all seven books bound in one. (They looked so innocent in that cute little paper-back boxed set I got from a book order as a kid. This looks as intimidating as Gone With the Wind. Geesh.)
Posted in Before Bed, Books, Eliott, Things We Do, tagged daddy can't read, reading before bed, the hunger games on March 11, 2012 | 1 Comment »
“Mommy, can you come upstairs and talk about my day?”
This is Eliott’s new favorite thing to do. John does the bed and bath routine every single night now, because by five o’clock, I really need to punch out of mommy duty for the day. But just before she’s settled in and the lights are out, she comes to the top of the stairs and asks this question. Every single night, as if I have a choice. We’ve been doing it for several months now, and though I’m wise to the fact that it is a five-year old plot to stay up a little bit later at night, at the same time, I will keep it going as long as I possibly can. Obviously. When she doesn’t want to go to bed, the girl divulges secrets like I’m the diary she doesn’t know how to write in yet.
The other night, after two days of sickness (thus, no pre-bed snuggle time with mommy) I finally had to cut her off and tell her it was time for me to go downstairs.
Posted in 30 Day Book Challenge, Books, tagged 30 day book challenge, book review on March 3, 2012 | 2 Comments »
I’m not going to apologize. I’m really tired of this 30 Day Book Challenge thing. Perhaps this is why the word “challenge” is in the title. Anyway, I’m finishing it today, by simply putting a book in the following categories without explanation. I’m also omitting redundant or ridiculous categories. I’d be happy to field questions in the comments section, however.
Day 15: Favorite “chapter book” you can remember reading as a child
Day 21: Favorite picture book from childhood
Day 23: Book you tell people you’ve read, but haven’t actually finished
Day 24: Book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 25: A book everyone hated but you liked (this goes for John too, which is what made me decide to teach it)
Day 26: Favorite book turned into a movie
Alright. That’s all I’ve got.
Posted in 30 Day Book Challenge, Books, tagged 30 day book challenge, anne lamott, author review on February 27, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Anne Lamott
I fell in love with her in college when I first read Traveling Mercies, and even today, I think if I picked up that book, I’d still laugh. But I’m not sure I would find it as inspiring now, as I thought I did then. I started to lose interest with the second of this inspirational series, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith. When the final book came out (Grace Eventually) I didn’t even finish it. I’m not sure what it was. She annoyed me.
I also remember laughing through Operating Instructions, and thought at the time how I would love to be Sam’s high school teacher, just so I could have a non-stalkeresque reason to meet the woman. Now that I’m a mother, I wonder what my current reaction would be. Strangely, of all the books I’ve ever read, Anne Lamott is my most read author. I even tried some of her fiction. (It also failed me.)
John and I were discussing this weekend, the way certain books hit you at just the right time in life, and they have an effect which is deeply personal but directly connected to circumstances. There are other books that we feel certain we would love no matter when we read them (or how often). Anne Lamott is obviously the former.
I should probably stop recommending her as a favorite to people.
Posted in 30 Day Book Challenge, Books, tagged 30 day book challenge, a prayer for owen meany, book review, john irving, surprise ending on February 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Given my more recent propensity for reading the end of books to see if they are even worth my time, it was hard for me to come up with a book that surprised me. Hah.
From what I remember of this book (which I read several years ago, and only remember that I loved it, and then made John read it, and he loved it too), there is a huge buildup to the climax. What is made clear throughout the novel is that Owen Meany practices a basketball shot over and over and over again with Johnny Wheelwright because he believes this is necessary for his destiny in life. It is also very strongly suggested that the fulfillment of this destiny will result in Owen’s death.
Other than that, the actual moment of “The Shot’s” heroic appearance is bizzarre and completely unexpected. I won’t spoil it. Truth be told, I don’t remember enough detail to do a spoiler any justice anyway. Just know that this was one book I did not read ahead and ruin in advance, and I was surprised.
Posted in 30 Day Book Challenge, Books, tagged 30 day book challenge, book review, i was told there'd be cake, sloane crosley on February 24, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley
No offense, me, but if we ever resort to reading books that are a lot like our life, let’s just take a full bottle Vicodin and fall asleep forever.
Sloane Crosley does not write fiction, and for the record (in case she catches wind of me one day), I’m in no way saying the two of us are alike. Though we’re about the same age, she’s a Jewish girl from New England, for one, and well, she’s a published author, for another.
This book of non-fiction essays doesn’t remind me of my life. But her voice reminds me of my voice, and her attitude reminds me of my attitude, and probably if we met in real life, we’d secretly hate each other.
She’s one of the few authors who managed to publish something in her 20′s that isn’t completely idiotic. Though Dave Eggars could also be put into this category, I even got annoyed/bored half way through his manifesto. Sloane did not bore me, and managed to keep me laughing until the end. My two favorite essays in this collection are of course the one about her experience at an all girls Christian summer camp, and her take on being a maid of honor.
It was refreshing to know that I haven’t been alone in my utter inability to connect to any and all things wedding. And I’m married, for crying out loud.
She’s funny. I like her. Her writing reeks of the same innocent and humorous take on everyday circumstances that I wish I could summon within myself with more regularity.
Posted in 30 Day Book Challenge, Books, tagged 30 day book challenge, book review, jeffrey eugenides, middlesex on February 17, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
This was a tough category, because it is difficult for me to say I have a favorite author. Ironically, Eugenides has only published three novels, and of them, I’ve only read this one. I loved this book so much though, that I’m feeling confident that when I get around to reading The Virgin Suicides and The Marriage Plot, I’m going to enjoy them.
As a pretty big reader and an English teacher, it is weirdly difficult for me to find books, outside of classics or things I read in college, that strike me, on their own, as good literature. Middlesex was the first novel that did this since The Brothers K (read about seven years earlier). Aside from the obvious controversial plot, this is a book that I would love to teach to the right class one day, if I thought I could get away with it. Essentially, it is about a hermaphrodite named Cal, who is raised as a girl, but comes to realize at about fifteen that he’s probably a boy. Cal’s story is interwoven with the complete stories of his parents and grandparents. This book contains a complex plot that mixes (some ancient) Greek culture and humor with a modern-day medical phenomenon as well as the resulting cultural and identity issues. It was the first book in a long time that I could not stop talking about while reading it and for weeks afterward. (Thank goodness I was teaching public school at the time. I cannot imagine how the administrative sit-down would have gone if this book was my main topic of interest the year I taught in a private Christian school. Actually. I can imagine it. Let me just say thank goodness, again.)
Posted in 30 Day Book Challenge, Books, tagged 30 day book challenge, book review, les miserables, victor hugo on February 15, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
I first read this version of the book in 7th grade, which could easily be categorized as a year that changed my life, as far as reading goes. I had one of my best English teachers of all time that year. Not only did this man change the way I looked at literature, but eleven years later, he would change the way I approached teaching literature.
I was chastised by my first principal in every single teacher evaluation for my first year of teaching about reading books aloud to my class (while they followed along). Half-way through my second year I think his comment was something like, “You know how I feel about the reading to your students thing, but something seems to be working in your classroom so I’ll just leave you alone.”
Probably, this version of this novel was way too hard for an average 7th grader. I actually ended up teaching it to one class of honors sophomores, and many of them had difficulty giving it a fair chance due to the language (so many French names) and length. But I don’t remember having a difficult time with it. I don’t remember disliking anything we did that year, because this teacher was so phenomenal. (Or because I was such a dork.) Les Mis still makes me cry every time I read it. I saw the musical on Broadway and bawled through the entire thing.
I actually think an evangelist might have an easier time using this book over the Bible to explain unconditional love to an atheist..
I think I decided to become a teacher in 2nd grade, and of course, at the time, assumed I’d teach elementary school. One summer during college, I re-read Les Mis. I changed my entire idea (though not my elementary-ed major) and decided I would teach high school English. This book, and the teacher who originally introduced me to it, had almost everything to do with my decision.
