Eleven Questions Meme part 1

The Queen decreed that I should participate in this meme and who am I to refuse?


Here are the rules:

1. Post the rules
2. Answer the eleven questions that were asked of you by the person who tagged you
3. Make up eleven new questions and tag eleven new people to do the meme
4. Let them know you tagged them

And here are the Queen's 11 Questions:


1. Have you ever liked a movie more than the book? If so, what movie(s)?
That doesn't happen very often, but I will say most recently it happened with Hugo.  Admittedly the book was for children, but even so, it was quite good.  However, the movie was spectacular.  It was my pick for the best picture Oscar (although I knew The Artist would win).


2.  Um opening for Oh I don't know.  I don't go to concerts.  Never went to many as a kid.  I did see New Order a lot, but I can't honestly say seeing them again would be my dream.  I guess I'd like to see the Beatles, but I would hate all that screaming.  Concerts tend to make me claustrophobic.  So really any good singer-songwriter like Amos Lee or Adele or the like in a very small venue with a very small audience  would be a dream concert. Fill in the blanks. (You can fill them in with performers dead or alive.)


3. If you're making dinner and don't need to take into account anyone else's tastes but your own, what do you find yourself having over and over again?  
Grilled cheese on sliced sourdough bread with apple slices on the side and a good book to read while I'm eating.


4. You get to interview the author of the book you are reading right now. What's the first question you'd ask?
I am currently reading After the Party by Lisa Jewell so I think I would ask Ms. Jewell where she came up with the idea for her previous book, The Making of Us.  (BTW, I just ready Ms. Musing's reply to this question and I bow to her literary supremacy.  My goodness that woman knows her stuff.  I'm just her fluffy-headed friend.)


5. If the world becomes one in which all new novels are only published in digital format, what will you miss most?
Browsing shelves of new books in bookstores.


6. If you had been gifted to play any musical instrument brilliantly, what would you choose to play? (Or maybe you are so-gifted. If so, what do you play?)
I am rather un-gifted in the musical arena, but if I were to be gifted, I would want to be a singer.  I was in the chorus all through school and I truly love to sing.  I just wish I had a good voice.  


7. The "war between the sexes" has been around since the beginning of time. What do you think is the biggest problem between the sexes today?
The biggest problem is any notion that equality has been achieved.  It has not.  Just because women are in the workplace and women are leaders in government and some men stay at home with their kids, does not for one second mean that we have achieved equality.  Women CEOs are still called that, same with Women Senators, and even Women Athletes.  As a woman working in the corporate world, it is something you think about all the time.  


8. If you could switch places with any celebrity for three months, with whom would you like to switch places?
Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine.  If I was going to be any kind of celebrity it would have to be a musician, preferably a rock star.  Rock stars can be fashionable, or not.  They can be political, or not.  They tour, they go on TV, they often make it into movies.  And if they f up, people cut them slack, because, hey, its rock and roll.


9. You can eat at any restaurant in the world. Where would you eat?
That's a tough one.  I'm not much of a foodie, but I do like a nice dining experience and atmostphere.  My favorite thing is to eat outside so, right now, I think I'd choose the outdoor shack on the beach at the hotel in Aruba where I spent my honeymoon.  


10. What book do you wish you hadn't wasted your time reading last year?
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.  Great concept, terrible execution.  A complete disappointment.


11. Would you like me to answer all these questions myself?
Obviously.


OK, don't tell the Queen, but I am going to break the rules.  I have already been tagged with another eleven questions which I am happy to do, but I can't come up with yet another eleven and there's no one left for me to tag.  So, I'm taking a chance and breaking the chain.  Please forgive me.

Book Review: Fathermucker

I received this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

Fathermucker is an interesting, sarcastic, humorous, and slightly depressing look at both modern fatherhood and modern parenting. Josh, our hero, is a stay-at-home Dad, or as he calls it a SAHD and the book tells the story of one tumultuous day in his life with two young children.

The story starts a little unevenly, but by halfway through it picks up steam and the tale that unfolds is one I think both modern mothers and fathers can relate to. I enjoyed the Dad's point of view as much as I enjoyed seeing a man struggle with raising young kids while keeping a marriage intact just as many women I know, myself included have.

Overall this is a thoughtful and enjoyable book that I think any parent can appreciate.

I Don't Know How She Does It

A couple of weeks ago I went to see the movie I Don’t Know How She Does It, the movie based on the book of the same name by Allison Pearson. It was cute, somewhat trite, yet entirely perfect for a girls’ night out. Despite it’s forgetability, something about it stuck with me, some voice in my head said something wasn’t quite right. I listened to the audiobook of this title when it first came out in the U.S. sometime in 2003 and I haven’t carried the best impression of the book with me. If you had asked I would have said it was just an OK book, but I couldn’t tell you why exactly. After seeing the movie, I was pretty sure the moviemakers had either missed something or not quite gotten the story right. No surprise in that happening in a movie adaptation, but I couldn’t remember the book well enough to recall the problem.


Luckily Audible saves your purchased library for all time so I was able to download the book and give it another listen and alas I was able to discover what was missing. In the book (SPOILER ALERT) Momo, Kate’s (the protagonist) protégé, is subjected to sexual harassment in a particular nasty way. The slimy Chris Bunce (played right on target by Seth Meyers in the movie) puts her head on pictures of naked women performing lewd acts. This spurs Kate into action setting up the evil Bunce to get fired and then resigning herself (this does not occur at all in the movie and Kate does not resign). Second, her husband actually leaves her, instead of just implying that he might.

Lastly, and most important, the overarching message of the book seems to be that working too hard and succeeding is not a good thing for a woman – or at least not for her family. Kate and all the other likeable women characters eventually end up either as stay-at-home Moms or working at much less demanding (high-paying) careers. Kate, smart, powerful, highly paid woman, gives up her job so her husband doesn’t leave her and so her kids don’t hate her. This is what brings happiness to husbands and children.

The movie, on the other hands, ends on a note that says women can do it all (except an affair, of course, even if it is Pierce Brosnan), it is just a careful balancing act. I guess I subscribe more with that version of reality for obvious reasons.

In reality I suppose both conclusions are true, depending on who you ask and when. In this current economic climate, I don’t think a story about a woman giving up a high-paying job to spend more time at home would go over well since most don’t even have an option. And while I know for a fact that most stay-at-home moms actually work much harder than I do, I don’t think that staying at home necessarily makes a better mother as the book seems to imply. That’s my gamble, anyway.

At least now I know why my recollection of the book was iffy and I have a new appreciation for the movie rendition.

The one good thing that the book and movie share is how annoying that statement really is, "I don't know how you do it."  I do know.  It's not magic, it's not really anything special.  It's just living.

The Corrections

I can't believe it, but  I actually finished all 576 pages of The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen.  It took me 21 days to get through it and there were many points where I felt like giving up.  And now I am just trying to make sense of what I read.

When I declared yesterday that I had  finished the book my mother asked me if I liked it and I couldn't really answer the question.  After a rather slow start it did become compelling reading.  There is no question that the writing is excellent and that Mr. Franzen is quite gifted.  There were sections that I could not put down.  One morning Zoe almost missed her bus because I was too engrossed in reading to notice the time.  From that it sounds like I really liked it, but the big problem I'm having is that I pretty much despised all of the characters and had only fleeting sympathy or empathy for them.

The novel is a story of an American family, but possibly the worst American family ever.  I mean, there's no incest or physical abuse, but the psychological dysfunction, the dishonesty, and the complete lack of warmth and compassion was just harrowing and disgusting.  We all do or have done some colossally stupid and self-destructive things in our lives, but typically (or hopefully) these moments are limited and we live through them. The characters in this book are all like the darkest story in your family history.  Am I so naive to think most people and most families are not really like this?  Yes, families struggle, but do family members really treat each other this way?  Yes, no one can hurt your feelings like your family can but do they feel the same hatred and loathing for each other?  I don't know, but I hope not.

I am left utterly confused by the point of this epic story.  In the end hasn't this family basically sacrificed one of its members and laid all the blame for everything that has gone wrong at his feet so that they can move on with their lives?  Mr. Franzen names the town they are from St. Jude and, of course, St. Jude is the patron saint of lost causes.  It seems to me they are all lost causes wether they pick themselves up and move on or not.  Partly I was left feeling afraid that some day Zoe would drop me off in a nursing home and be glad to be rid of me.  And partly I was left feeling grateful that my family is more honest and loving than this one.

I still can't tell you if I liked the book.  As an antidote I am now reading Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane which I stole from the shelves of Becky when there was nothing she could do about it.  [Cue evil laughter]

Anyone else out there read The Corrections who can help me out with some insight?

Book Review: Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain

Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain
by Portia De Rossi.

I don't know why I was drawn to reading this book.  Fortunately I don't have an eating disorder, I was never a big fan of Ally McBeal or Arrested Development or even Portia De Rossi, but even so something drew me to this book and I'm glad for it.

First of all, I am now a Portia De Rossi fan.  Her honest and compelling writing made this book impossible to put down.  It was good that I knew there was happiness in store for her or I think I would have been sobbing much of the time I was reading this book.  It is always amazing to learn the truth about something or someone that appears so different on the outside.  Her fight against herself even when it seemed like she should have been sitting on top of the world is an utterly heartbreaking account and it says a lot about the message sent to women and what it means to be successful.

I have been on a number of diets.  I have felt bad about eating something "bad" and I have exercised as a counteraction for that.   I always thought that anorexia was born out of some abuse either mental or physical or some other trauma, but now I see that is not the case.  I don't think I am in danger of becoming anorexic, but I can see now how it can happen and it does make me worry that much more for my own daughter who is on the verge of entering those tender years of body changes.

I can't recommend this book more highly to women as well as to men who love women who struggle with weight issues.

My (not so) Secret Love of (romance) Novels

Don't tell anyone this, but over the last several months I've come to gradually realize something about myself:  I really like romance novels.  OK, not the bodice-rippers with Fabio on the cover, but the ones I have been drawn to are grouped in the sub-genre of "contemporary romance."  Up until recently I think I had been fooling myself by calling them "chick lit" but it turns out they are largely the same thing.

In all honesty it is difficult to discern the difference between most books that would be called "chick lit" and others that are classified as "romance."  I think the only major difference I've noticed is that the "kissing scenes" (you know what I mean and how do you learn to write those well?) are better in the romance novels.  Otherwise the characters are all very similar:  nerdy girl who is really beautiful, but doesn't know it, beautiful girl who is really smart, but misunderstood, bad guy who is really good, good guy who is really bad.  You know the drill.

Isn't it funny that I was comfortable all this time calling them and liking them as "chick lit" but something about the name "romance" brought out the complete snob in me?   Maybe I'm not as smart as I like to think of myself or maybe, just maybe, there's nothing at all wrong with a good romance novel.  Probably both.

Now remember, don't tell.  Unless you want a few recommendations...

My Favorite Books & Movies of 2010

Books:

I read 61 books in 2010, but these were the standouts for me.

Sense and Sensibility

That Old Cape Magic

The Two Lives of Miss Charlotte Merryweather

The Book Thief

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Movies:

I'd watch any of these movies again.

Coco Before Chanel

Hot Tub Time Machine (fabulously ridiculous)

Toy Story 3

Away We Go

The Black Swan

The True Confessions Meme

A new one from the Queen! I am so excited! (Queen's original post here.)

The Rules:
Think of ten books it seems you should have read by now but never have. Post them. Feel free to say anything you want about why you haven't read them. Tag others when you're done.

1. The following Shakespeare plays: Richard II, Richard III, Timon of Athens
   I lump them all into one to leave more room for other confessions. Having studies theater in college and graduate school you might imagine I read a lot of Shakespeare, and it is true, I did. But these three I never read and I think after all that school I just can't bring myself to read another one. Ever.
2. A Tale of Two Cities. I was forced to read Great Expectations in 10th grade. Swore off Dickens at that point and cannot convince my adult brain to give it another go no matter how much I'd like to.
3. War and Peace. It is a title someone literary should read, right? But in my mind it has so many strikes against it, not the least of which is the fact that it is Russian.
4. Anna Karenina. See above.
5. Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. At this point given how much the story has been retold in various ways, I don't see how I wouldn't be disappointed.
6. The Time Machine (or anything else by H.G. Wells) I have no good or bad reason. I just don't want to.
7. The Poisonwood Bible. Too many people have told me how much I will like it.
8. Three Cups of Tea. I want to care, I do. But, in fact, it seems I don't.
9. Mrs. Dalloway. I don't know. I probably would like it.
10. In Cold Blood. Now that I've seen the great movie version I know I'll never read it.

I almost put Ulysses on this list, but then decided not to because I've never felt I should read that one.

I'd tag, but Emily probably already has. If she didn't, consider yourself tagged.

Open

Recently a book was thrust upon me by my father -- Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi. As a lot of you know, I am a very big tennis fan (as is my father -- where do you think I got it from?), but I am not a big reader of biographies, I was always more of a Sampras fan, and my TBR pile is already two stories tall so I didn't really need another book on the pile. Despite all of that fraternal pressure won and I decided to give it a go.

I was hooked almost instantly. I know Agassi had a ghost writer (J.R. Moehringer) who helped him with a lot of this, but it doesn't matter. It feels very authentic and is quite moving. As one reviewer wrote, "It's a completely unexpected trip to places you've never been." Of course I never knew most of what is in this book and I never would have guessed.

This was one of those books I could not put down. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about the next chance I would get to read it. I think it probably helps if you follow tennis just a little so you know most of the players, but other than that this book stands on it's own as an incredible journey of growing up.

I mean, this book was so good I was motivated to write a review despite the fact that I don't like to write reviews. So read it already.

TBR Challenge: Miss Match

I know it is surprising to see another TBR Challenge post so soon, but I had to do something I rarely ever do and that is abandon a book. Gasp!

The book in question is Miss Match by Erynn Mangum and was given to me as a gift. (To be fair, it was given to me by someone who doesn't know me at all.) I was quite surprised to discover that this book is so-called "Christian fiction." That was a new genre for me. I mean I am sure if I'd ever given it thought I would have realized that it had to exist, but I never have given it any thought.

In an attempt to be open-minded I read the first 50 something pages the other night, but I felt really uncomfortable about what I'd read. I wasn't sure why because I've read plenty of books about people of other religions. When I woke up the next morning I realized that what was making uncomfortable was that the "born again" aspects of the book (and there were quite a few for only 50 pages in) were a lot like preaching and not just part of the plot. I struggled with the decision, but ultimately decided the book must be abandoned because life is too short and there are too many other books out there.

TBR Challenge: Sense and Sensibilty

Back in December I agreed to participate in Emily's TBR Challenge. Several weeks ago I finished my first book for the challenge and that book was Sense and Sensibility. According to rule #6 I am supposed to write a blog post about each book I read for the challenge. Since I have a feeling I am going to have a hard time with a lot of the other rules that are part of this challenge (like not buying new books!) I am going to try to adhere to the blog post rule. So, even though I am not the most talented book reviewer, here goes.

This was my third reading of Sense and Sensibility, but my last reading was sometime in the 90s so it had been awhile. I had a pretty good memory of the overall plot, but had certainly forgot much of the details. It was excellent to have my memory refreshed to this wonderful book.

Despite the fact that I knew a happy ending was forthcoming, I was held in suspense much of the time while both Elinor and Marianne careened toward heartbreak and sunk into it. I found it interesting that both their views on love and the way to happiness turned out to be wrong and their heartbreak and disappointments give them both a better understanding of love and the way of the world.

This book also has some of my favorite secondary characters. Especially the girls' brother John and his wretched wife. They are quite funny caricatures, horrible in their behavior, but still amusing to observe. They and the others (Mrs. Ferrars, Lucy Steele, etc.) add to the color of the book and keep you from arriving at the happy ending too soon.

That all being said, I still think Colonel Brandon was too old for Marianne.

TBR Challenge

Somehow in a weak moment I agreed to this challenge from Emily. Here's how she presented it:

So, here is how this challenge works. It begins December 1, 2009 (because I always believe in challenges that give you more than one year to complete) and ends no later than December 31, 2010, but it really ends whenever you manage to complete it. Here are the rules:

1. Choose 20 books from your TBR list (or tome, if you are like me), and post them on December 1, 2009. If you'd like, you can tell us why you chose each book (I'm sure you can guess what I'd "like").

2. Read those 20 books.

3. Oh, did I mention? You are not allowed to buy any of them. If you don't already own them, you must beg, borrow, or steal them in order to read them.

4. Oh, I guess I forgot the other difficult part: you are not allowed to buy any new (or used. No, you can't get around it that way) books until you have read (or attempted to read at least 30+ pages) of all the books on your list.

5. There is one exception to the rules (because I am a fair kinda gal and belong to 2 book discussion groups): you may buy books you have to read for book discussion groups before you have read all 20 on your list, if you can't get them any other way (i.e. your library system doesn't have them and employs the Sloth Express to deliver all interlibrary loans). However, I highly recommend that you encourage your book discussion groups to read books from your list of 20.

6. And then that final thing: write a blog post about each book as you finish (or decide you can't finish) it.

As you can see I have already broken the first rule because I did not get my list up by December 1. Since one rule is broken, I think I'll break a few more, like rule number 3. If I have to have that kind of impediment, there's no way I'll get through this list. So, I've decided that I can buy books from this list, but no other books (besides books for bookclub). And the last rule broken is number 6. I am not a great book reviewer so I can't promise more than stating I read the book. I will keep a special list on the column of my blog to track my progress instead. If I feel I have anything worth saying about the book, I will post. I have I made this half-assed, or what? Hopefully, Emily won't be too disappointed in my version.

OK, here's my list:

1. Then We Came to the End -- Joshua Ferris
   This has been sitting on my shelf and I have wanted to read it, but I just never pick it up.
   
2. Independence Day -- Richard Ford
   I read the Sportswriter over a year ago for book club and I have been wanting to read the second book ever since.
   
3. Lay of the Land -- Richard Ford
   If I am going to read the second book, I might as well read the third.
   
4. Breakfast at Tiffany's -- Truman Capote
   I can't believe I haven't read this.
   
5. Sense and Sensibility -- Jane Austen
   This is a re-read, but one that I have been meaning to do for a few years.
6. Lady Susan -- Jane Austen
   Speaking of Jane Austen, I've never read this one.
   
7. Ten Days in the Hills -- Jane Smiley
   Another one that has been sitting on my shelf that I have been wanting to read and just never pick up.
   
8. The Player -- Michael Tolkin
   I loved this movie and I'm not sure I knew it was a book until I heard about the second book. I figured I couldn't read the second book until I read the first...
   
9. Return of the Player -- Michael Tolkin
   See above.
   
10. Brideshead Revisited -- Evelyn Waugh
    Another book I can't believe I haven't read yet.
    
11. The Glass Castle -- Jeannette Walls
12. Miss Match -- Erynn Mangum
    Both #11 and #12 were gifts from my LibraryThing Santa 2 years ago and I still haven't read them. I feel like I should read these books someone took the time to pick out for me.
    
13. The Believers -- Zoe Heller
    I bought the hardcover and still haven't read it. I want to get it read before the paperback comes out.
    
14. The Best American Short Stories 2009
    I get this book as a gift from my Mom every Christmas and I don't usually finish it so this year that is my goal.
    
15. Raymond Carver: A Writer's Life -- Carol Sklenicka
    I love Raymond Carver. I know this book just came out, but it immediately landed at the top of my TBR list.
    
16. Never Let Me Go -- Kazou Ishiguro
    Another one that's been sitting on my shelf.
    
17. The Poisonwood Bible -- Barbara Kingsolver
    So many people I know loved this book. I own it, but for some reason I've never read it. I am kind of afraid I won't like it, I think. We shall see...
    
18. Casino Royale -- Ian Fleming
    I feel like I should read this.
    
19. Mrs. Dalloway -- Virginia Woolf
    Just in case I'm feeling too happy.
    

Life According to Literature Meme

I've been tagged for this one by a few people in blogs and on Facebook. I am finally getting to it...

The rules: Using only books you have read this year (2009), cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title. It’s a lot harder than you think!

Describe yourself: Another Mother's Life (Rowan Coleman)

How do you feel: A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You (Amy Bloom)

Describe where you currently live: Netherland (Joseph O'Neill)

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Away (Amy Bloom)

Your favorite form of transportation: Unaccustomed Earth (Jhumpa Lahiri)

Your best friend is: Coraline (Neil Gaiman)

You and your friends are: Smart Girls Like Me (Diane Vadino)

What’s the weather like: Labor Day (Joyce Maynard)

You fear: Gods Behaving Badly (Marie Phillips)

What is the best advice you have to give: There's No Place Like Here (Cecelia Ahern)

Thought for the day: Breath (Tim Winton)

How I would like to die: Slumberland (Paul Beatty)

My soul’s present condition: Dog Years (Mark Doty)

Dog Years

I just finished reading "Dog Years" by Mark Doty. To be honest, I bought this book from the bargain table at Barnes & Noble a couple of months ago mainly because I liked the picture of the dogs on the cover and I may have recently watched the movie of "Marley & Me" so I was susceptible to dog stories. However, my expectations weren't high and I anticipated a light, perhaps somewhat maudlin read when I picked it off my shelf last week.

On the contrary, I was completely blown away by this book. Sadly, I am not a talented enough book reviewer to explain why, but I can say that the writing is truly gorgeous and while the subject is rather sentimental it is unbelievably well handled with both tenderness and honesty. Even though you know what happens in this story throughout, the telling is so wonderful that I wished it wouldn't end. Tears fell from my eyes on more than one occasion while reading. Tears for the story, tears for Rob and Spanky, and tears for Chief -- for the love I have for him now as well as the inevitable. It is actually a beautiful love story.

Mark Doty is a poet and that skill is evident throughout this book. Much of the prose is wonderfully poetic in its styling and phrasing. There are also lots of Emily Dickinson quotes as well as others (my favorite is from "The House Dog's Grave").

Even if you prefer cats, I suggest you give this book a read.

Friday's Lessons Learned: On Monday

I seem to be having trouble getting back into the swing of my Friday bullet points, but I still like them so rather than skip them for another week, I've decided to just post them on Monday instead. It is my blog after all so it looks like I can change the rules whenever I want. It is the only place in my life where that is true, so please don't complain much.

Anyway, bullets...

• I really love summer. Now that it finally feels like summer around these parts, I have been quite happy. I like not having to worry about jackets or even sweaters. I like the beach, I like the pool, I like cook-outs and ice cream trucks. Summer is good.
• I really love fall clothes. Despite my enjoyment of the summer weather (see above) I've equally been enjoying the catalogs arriving with fall clothes and the early fall collections that have hit the stores. Unlike buying sandals in March which is just a terrible tease, I don't mind buying fall clothes early. They are probably the only good part about the weather getting cooler. OK, the leaves are nice too.
• Zoe is slowly turning back into a girl. At least a little bit. She has been wearing more of her clothes from the girls department lately. This weekend she wore French braids in her hair. The other day she asked me to help her pick out an outfit that was "cute" and this morning she asked for sneakers that weren't boy's as her current pair are. Of course the current pair are only a few weeks old, but I said yes, she could have a second pair. They are shoes, after all.
  
• I heard on the news early last week that we had just hit the mid-way point of summer. Is that really true? I guess I always think of summer ending when school starts, but really it continues until September 20. In the spirit of extending summer to its true length I've decided we're keeping our pool open until at least the last day of summer and at least once we're going to crank the heater on a day when it really is too cold to swim.
• Chief has a new habit of sleeping on my clothes or shoes. I usually put my dirty clothes on the floor by the door of my bedroom to be brought to the hamper in the morning. Now those clothes are usually covered in dog hair every morning. If I don't leave any clothes he will sleep on my shoes and worst-case scenario he goes over to Rob's side of the bed where there's always some clothes on the floor (ahem!) and sleeps on those.
• Sometimes when I buy something for Zoe that I think she will really like, she doesn't and I am disappointed so it was with trepidation that I bought her a copy of one of my favorite books from my childhood, "Little House in the Big Woods." (BTW, I bought this book on the quest you can read about here and here.) Her initial reaction was to turn her nose up a bit, but when I offered to lie in her bed and read it to her at bed time, she figured it was worth a shot. I am so happy to report that she just loves it. I've decided to read the entire book to her so we've been having lots of fun bedtimes lately. It does my heart good to see her loving this book.
• On the flip side of that, sometime last year I bought Zoe a color book called "Scribbles" which is unique because it is not just a color in the lines book. The pages have parts of drawings with directions like "Its a beautiful day today: draw a bright sunny sky," or "this is a leopard...draw its spots." Great idea, right? Zoe wouldn't touch it. Just last week we had some house guests who brought Zoe a very similar book called "The Girls Doodle Book." It is the same idea, but this time she loves it. She takes this book with her everywhere. I am happy to see her enjoying it, but do feel like telling "I told you so!"

Harry Potter Hype

I bet most people reading this know that the new Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opened today. There is tons of media attention on this one so it would be hard to miss. A lot of my friends are quiet excited to see the movie and many have already bought tickets for showings this weekend.

I have to admit I am a little jealous over all the excitement.

I somehow missed the initial Harry Potter train and I've never really been able to catch it since. I saw the first movie, but I was kind of underwhelmed. I imagine that is because I never read the first book. I saw the second movie and had the same reaction. By that point Harry Potter had become like a religion and I was turned off so it was too late for me to turn back to book 1. I made the decision to let the train go by.

After all the hype over all these years, I am more put off than ever on reading the books or seeing any more of the movies, but there is something so delicious about a long-awaited film or book that I am envious of the anticipation that has been everywhere and gratification about to come.

So, for all the Harry Potter fans out there -- I hope the movie is great and worth the wait! Eat some popcorn for me.

The Easter Parade

I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of The Easter Parade by Richard Yates through LibaryThing Early Reviewers program. This is not a new book, but it is a good one. Here's my review:

It's all about the writing.

"The Easter Parade" is bleak to the point of almost being without any hope, but I couldn't put it down. I am sure that in the hand's of less-talented writer, this would have been a maudlin story, but in this case Richard Yates has created a beautifully crafted work of art. His characters linger in your heart and mind.

It is a compelling story of two sisters who lives are both stunted and destroyed by false hope, by alcohol and by simple circumstances. Reading it was a strange experience because despite the characters' sad, painful lives and experiences that made me want to turn away, the story was completely engrossing. The concise style moves this relatively short book along rapidly, yet you feel like you've understood every detail of the 40 plus years in these women's lives.

It seems that neither sister was capable of escaping their fate of unhappiness no matter what they tried. From the opening sentence "Neither of the Grimes sisters would have a happy life..." to the last painful moment, there is no relief, but if you look closely it does end with a spec of hope for the future generation. A hope for ending the family legacy of miser. It is a bit like applying a band-aid to a broken leg by the time it appears, but this quiet little upswing leaves you with a lot to think about.

25 Most Influential Authors

I was tagged by Emily for this one and was therefore compelled ...

Here are the instructions:

"Name 25 writers who have influenced you. These are not necessarily your favorite writers or those you most admire, but writers who have influenced you. Then you tag 25 people.”

I don't think I will tag 25 people because Emily tagged just about everyone I know already, but if you weren't tagged and you want to do this, consider yourself tagged.

Children's authors
1. Beverly Cleary -- The Mouse and the Motorcycle was one of the first books I really loved.
2. Laura Ingalls Wilder -- I think I read them all multiple times.
3. Judy Blume -- Loved her! Even read Forever and can't wait until Zoe is ready for some of her books.
4. Francine Pascal -- I admit it, I read a lot of the Sweet Valley High books.

The classics
5. Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird really moved me.
6. Jane Austen
7. Goethe -- That Faust guy shows up everywhere!
8. Fyodor Dostoevsky -- because I thought I kind of liked Russian authors -- or should like them -- until I read Crime and Punishment and then I realized I hate them.

The playwrights & poets
9. William Shakespeare (also a classic, of course)
10. Edward Albee
11. Sam Shepard -- yes he's an actor, but he is a much better playwright.
12. Walt Whitman
13. Henrik Ibsen

Short stories
14. Raymond Carver -- After reading Cathedral I understood just how incredible a short story could be.
15. Lorrie Moore -- if you haven't read her and like short stories, start with Birds of America.
16. Flannery O'Connor -- hated her the first time around in school, but I have grown to really appreciate her work.

Modern Fiction
17. Tom Robbins -- I think I've read all of his books except the latest. He's so weird and wonderful.
18. John Irving -- I read The Hotel New Hampshire at around age 11. I was kind of freaked out, but I never stopped going back for more.
19. Anne Tyler
20. Jay McInerney
21. John Krakauer
22. Milan Kundera

Other
23. Maureen Dowd
24. Steve Martin
25. Malcolm Gladwell

LibraryThing meets Twitter

I might be late coming to the party on this, but this is news to me: LibraryThing is now offering integration with Twitter. It lets you add titles with tags to your LibraryThing library. That is great for wishlist creation or purchases. And best of all the site reports that coming soon you'll be able to let your Twitter friends know when you add or review a book. Fun stuff!

Here's a link to all the details.

2008 Books Read

Here is the list of all 50 books I read in 2008. I'm quite proud of that number!

1. Mansfield Park
2. Love, Rosie
3. Lost and Found
4. Firefly Lane
5. Cotillion
6. Tom Jones
7. Bringing Home the Birkin
8. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
9. Venetia
10. On Chesil Beach
11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
12. Gossip Girl
13. Imagine Me and You
14. Bringing Down the House
15. Don't Make Me Think
16. The Wonder Spot
17. Interpreter of Maladies
18. The Big Sleep
19. The Unknown Ajax
20. Not Another Bad Date
21. The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
22. The City of Falling Angels
23. Love the One You're With
24. An Assembly Such as This
25. The River King
26. Second Chance
27. Dirty Girls On Top
28. Things Fall Apart
29. The Beach House
30. Digging to America
31. Pretty Little Mistakes
32. Replay
33. American Wife
34. The Sari Shop
35. Duty and Desire
36. These Three Remain
37. 24-Karat Kids
38. Vanity Fair
39. My Best Friend's Girl
40. When You are Engulfed in Flames
41. Born Standing Up
42. The Uncommon Reader
43. Rocket Man
44. Blink
45. Night Fall
46. The Outcast
47. The Last Summer (of You & Me)
48. Dog Handling

49. Bookends

50. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict