Thursday, January
30, 2002
sadness, dismay, and more of the same...
So yes, I cast aside
Ex-Libris
and now am 7 chapters into Charles
Cross's new biography of Kurt Cobain. It's called Heavier
than heaven: a biography of Kurt Cobain. Well, I
really did like Nirvana. And He was kinda cute in that sad grungey-way.
But it's really his association with Courtney Love that makes me what
to know more about him. The author is totally sympathetic to Kurt
and really builds this case for this sad lonely poor misunderstood
little boy who was traumatized by his parent's divorce and remarriages.
Most interesting is that he talks about how Kurt was put on Ritalin
in the early 80s when that was quite experimental, and how later Kurt
& Courtney comiserated about how Ritalin drove them to substance
abuse. Hope to finish that up tonight and begin the new Carl
Hiaasen book, yippe. He's so completely fun and irreverant. No
doubt it will pick me up after I've crashed after such an immersion
in Kurt's psyche (it even includes excerts from his journals).
Wednesday, January
29, 2002
must unfortunately decline to read... at this time
I could not continue
with Ex-Libris.
I got past page 98 but then just could not read more. I really want
to read it, especially for the missing book plot, but it's difficult
for my mind to stay on any topic these days. But this
reviewer from the NYTimes agrees that the book is "... drowning
a talented writer." I've been so drowsy for the past few days
that my eyes swim when trying to read the words. And my eyes were
perfect at my last eye exam a few month ago, so failing eyesight is
NOT the problem. Hopefully I borrown Ex-Libris again
sometime and actually complete it. I sat at the public
library for just a few minutes after a meeting (which has to do
with a program identical to the one in Chicago where everyone reads
the same book at the same time...it's To kill a mockingbird,
btw) today and looked through a few books that were awaiting me.
I read a few pages of Steve
Martin's Shopgirl.
It seems okay just in the first few pages, it's not immediatedly and
obviously poorly written. I shall probably continue on with it, especially
since it appears to be under 200 pages. Sleepy i am. Oh, this is a
fine anecdote which illustrates the level of my book madness.
I've recently communicated with Marly
Youmans, whose books I enjoy immensly. I told her
that I had not read her newest book, Wolf
Pit because I found Civil War settings rather dreary.
Afterwards, I decided that I would read it afterall, so I planned
on getting it from the library.
While digging out my overdue library books (believe it or not, they
quite loudly Moaned when reminded that they must return to their home)
I found that I already own the book. I bought it sometime this autumn
and completely forgot all about it. I am so scattered.
Tuesday, January
29, 2002
problems posting
My disenchantment
with blogger.com has reached
a head. I will pop that pesky pimple soon by quitting this half-assed
service, and just type my entries straight onto my website, which
I'm sure is oodles easier. Are you somebody? was the
last book I read of the year 2001, but the first I read of 2002 was
Portrait
in sepia, by one of my favorite authors, Isabel
Allende. Although I really must say that I'm not pleased with
her departure from magic realism that used to completely infuse her
novels. Portrait is basically a continuation of her
previous book, one of those Oprah
picks, oh, what was it called? Daughter
of fortune, which I read quite some time before
it became an Oprah
pick, but why must I continually mention that my reading selections
precede those of Oprah's? I shall cease. And desist.
Oh, but then I really must say that her latest pick, Fall
on your knees is quite old, and in fact, I
read it in 1999 and gave it an A+ then.
Back to Allende, I must plug her Eva Luna stories and actually House
of the Spirits was quite excellent (the movie
was just disappointing), as was the Infinite
Plan. I just hope that she returns to her roots,
and soon. In fact, I adore her writing to such an extent that I've
often thought to name my first daughter (should she ever miraculously
appear) Isabel in her honor. Lovely name, regardless of who might
share it though. And, I was so thrilled to get a poster of the cover
of Portrait at Midwinter,
hurrah!
The second book of the new year that I read was Regions
of the heart: the triumph and tragedy of Alison Hargreaves.
I truly enjoy reading biography and memoir. I suppose that I'm searching
for tips on how best to accomplish my goals and live my life, blah
blah blah. I like looking at the choices women make and how they effect
their lives. But then there is fiction, which I am so passionate about,
but that's mostly because of my escapist tendencies. Books are my
form of substance abuse. Anyway, the womenclimbing
site has a bib;ioography for those who are interested in more
books about women who climb. I read the one about the Women's Himalayan
expedition to Annapurna
years ago and bought one of the shirts
(the baby blue was only available at the time) several years after
the fact. It is much loved and much worn, sporting all sorts of bleach
spots and paint, etc. Too bad I couldn't help with their fund-raising
efforts. I digress, back to books. I had never heard of Alison
Hargreaves prior to reading the book. It was okay, not the best
biography I've read, but interesting nonetheless.
Next I read Look
at me by Jennifer
Egan. It was really quite good, and I recommend it highly but
can't quite give a plot synopsis at the moment. I had emphathy for
the characters, especially Charlotte the younger. Egan's previous
book, Invisible
circus is on my shelf waiting to be read. I must
admit that I did see the movie
first though, especiallly since it starred Cameron
Diaz, yowza.
Oh, then I read Body
of a girl, which I thought would be really great,
and it was just okay. Story about a news reporter who arrives at a
crime scene finding that the victim bears a striking resemblance to
her. Also goes to Great Lenghts to solve the story. Needed more fleshing
out, but was an adequate start for a beginner...I think it's Leah
Stewart's first.
Oh, then there was Gathering
blue by Lois
Lowry. I do enjoy reading the ocassional YA book, and since I
read the Giver
some time ago I felt I should follow up with this one. Great one for
YA about a differently-abled girl who makes a difficult choice.
Then I finished Some
things that stay, which was really quite good, well
done I say! Sarah
Willis is also a poet, so maybe that makes all the differnece,
adds a special dimension to her writing, though sometimes I find that
characteristic really turns me off from a writer's works. Okay so
it was great, how many more times should I say that? I've actually
been rather impressed with the books I've been reading lately, they've
all left me with a fine feeling, that I didn't waste my time, that
I learned something about the "human condiiton", ultimately
leaving me with the desire to write each author and thank them for
their vision, talent, etc. and what the text meant to me. Authors
certainly need encouragement. Everybody does, you see. Ceertainly
as a librarian, I would love to get a note from some adoring fan who
felt that the way I cataloged that e-journal record was especially
brilliant. Not likely, but still, I hope....
So then, now I'm in the middle of reading 4 different books: French
Broad by Wilma Dykeman, Cherokee Women by Theda
Perdue, Ex-Libris by Ross King, and Invisible sign
of my own by Aimee Bender. I shall write more about each of
those as I finish them. And I apologize for any problems you may have
in reading this because of weird formatting. I'm learning dreamweaver
and willl soon be changing my blog to that instead of going through
blogger at all. Please just bear with me. Thanks. Read in Peace.
Ok, I guess a PS is in order. I also read Shutterbabe,
(another link
if you care and a 3rd
from photobetty) but I can't
quite place it in the queque. When did I read it? Hmmmm, will have
to go back and reconstruct that reading event. But, was great memoir
about a photojournalist, Deborah Copaken Kogan, now that's a mouthful.
Great story, lots of action and adventure and she was pretty candid
about her sex life, which is what I like in a memoir. I don't want
like all the gory details, but people are sexual beings and when that
aspect does not appear in biography or memoir, there is something
suspect with the endeavor.
Tuesday, January
8, 2002
a prayer for chicken legs
I wrote this
very many days ago, 29 December to be exact, but have experienced
redundant problems in posting to my ftp server.
I read two books based in Alabama recently, and I must say it was
not on purpose, merely coincidence. The first, Ava's
man by Rick
Bragg, was really good. I'm sure you will want to read all about
his "southern
grit". I enjoy reading about the "little people"
so to speak. The women and men who really are the backbone of our
country. One of my favorite lines though was from page 251, "I
would take it, because no matter how full you are, one more chicken
leg will not hurt you if it has already been prayed over."
The other book I read was written by Lois
Battle--who quite surprisingly does not have a website of her
own, the first I've read of hers, methinks. Really the only thing
I found that I was halfway interested in linking to my page was a
bibliography of her work, but it was on this nasty unicorn background,
simply quite putrid. The Florabama
Ladies' Auxiliary & Sewing Circle is one of
those feel-good bands of women stories, though not the best I've ever
read. It was quite good, but not meaty enough for me. It would be
a pleasant read for beach or airplane though. The best quote from
that book appears on page 178, "Cause my mama always told
me, 'men are like linoleum: You lay 'em right you can step on 'em
for years'." Not that I'm an advocate of stepping on men,
or laying them for that matter. It was just the cleverest line within
the book.
I did finish reading Cold Comfort Farm, just before
those two, and then it was shown on oxygen
the other evening. I taped it and then watched it through again. Such
a simple, fun tale. I've wanted to read Are
you somebody? (Here's an
excerpt from the New York Times)
for some time now but only got around to the book today (29th). Nuala
O'Faolain's memoir was sad and quite blunt. Though at times engrossing,
I can really say that it let me down just a bit. But, who is to say
that my memoir would not be just as tedious at times? There is also
a reading
group guide to the book, or at least I think that's what it is.
I'm not sure what I'll read next, but I did get 3 books for Christmas.
Allende's Portrait in sepia, the new Edna St. Vincent
Millay biography, and a huge tome of Washington County, Tennessee
history.