The Indextrious Reader

Green Books Campaign: In Bed with the Word

2009-11-10T13:00:00.023-05:00

*logo by Susan Newman

This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 100 bloggers are reviewing 100 great books printed in an environmentally friendly way. Our goal is to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books. This campaign is organized by Eco-Libris, a a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.

In Bed with the Word : reading, spirituality, and cultural politics / Daniel Coleman

University of Alberta Press, c2009.

142 p.

First things first: since I received this book as part of the Eco-Libris Green Books Challenge, I would like to mention why this book qualified. The University of Alberta Press states that it is committed to protecting our natural environment, and thus this book is printed on Enviro Paper, which contains 100% post-consumer recycled fibres, and is acid and chlorine free.

And not Green, but really nice, is the fact that in addition to the Green printing information on the back of the title page, the copy editor and the indexer are credited by name! I appreciated seeing that.

Besides the good start it gave me to read the Green cred and the nice acknowledgement of the other publishing professionals involved in creating this book, the actual size and feel and cover of the book were enticing. I chose this specific book from the selection at the Green Books campaign because I have been doing a lot of research into the meanings and purposes of reading in the last few months; as a librarian I have a strong interest in figuring out both how and why we read. This book is a fabulous addition to my collection in this area, and it is one I will continue referring back to.

Coleman's view of spirituality and reading is that spiritual longing is primarily a reaching outward for the Other; reading enables us to place ourselves into the mind of that Other we are searching for, that ever present absence that is not-us. He divides the book into five chapters, each of which discusses the same kind of idea from different perspectives. The first and third chapters were most intriguing to me: Reading & Longing, and Posture. What posture will we take when reading? What state of mind, to receive the full benefits of a reading experience? What, in our approach to reading, makes it a spiritual exercise? This book is full of fascinating, illuminating answers to these questions, and it raises others that I want to explore further. The author gave a series of classes based on this book, he tells us in the introduction, and by halfway through I was wishing I could have been there during that time -- there is so much to this book that lends itself to discussion and deep thought! Here are a couple of quotes from the book, where Coleman is talking about what makes reading 'spiritual' in the way he means it:

Reading is spiritual because it simultaneously emphasizes and spans this divide between the self and other, between the reader and the author, between the reader and the world, between the reader and God. We develop right posture when as readers we recognize the structure of absence or distance across which we long to pass, when we recognize our limitation and isolation, and when we discern the suppressed or hidden possibility of connection and belonging to the Other who seemed so far removed.

Reading can give us practice in important spiritual disciplines; it can help us develop our capacity for attention, it can increase our ability to listen, and it can help us develop mental organization and alertness. Reading can draw us out of ourselves and can give us practice in listening to the less obvious that's always going on around us. It can give us daily experience in reaching across the structure of absence so that we learn to read the present signs of the Other even in the Other's absence and, by that means, put ourselves in contact with communities that would not be available in our own time and place.

It is hard to pull ideas out of this book to share with you, as it is all one long interconnected thesis -- you are really best off to pick up a copy if this is a topic you are interested in. Coleman writes in a flowing style that, while academic, is also engaging and includes moments of quite lovely storytelling in its own right. His discussion of the topic, while dependent on concepts of spirituality coming from St. Augustine and on the purpose of words as signposts, from Derrida, is easily comprehended by a reader who is fascinated by the deeper meanings of the actual practice of reading itself, not just spirituality as evidenced by content of a text. I've really enjoyed this one and have flagged at least 20 passages to reread and ruminate on.

But the third part of this book's subtitle is "cultural politics". There is a place for this among the discussion of reading and spirituality; they all tie in together. I think it is best expressed by this excerpt on the front flap of the book:

Reading is not solely an exercise to feed one's inner life. Rather, eating the book -- not just nibbling at it, or having a little taste here or there, but eating it wholesale -- produces a changed person, an empowered person, a different kind of person, and changed people means social and political change, too, not just personal change.

So, in conclusion (otherwise I'll just keep excerpting the book until I've copied it all out!), this is a wonderful exposition of the links between reading and a spiritual way of approaching the world. It was a great read, a text to be savoured and not rushed through; if that kind of work appeals, please do find a copy of this excellent Canadian book and then share your impressions of it as well.

Highly recommended.

Your Personal Renaissance by Diane Dreher

2009-11-07T14:25:00.006-05:00

Your Personal Renaissance: 12 Steps to finding your life's true calling / Diane Dreher
Cambridge: Da Capo Press, c2008.
x, 276 p.

During this week of entertaining light reading, I also tried something a little different. I've had this book for a while now (I received it via Dreher's publicist) and have been feeling a bit guilty that I haven't said anything about it yet. I actually quite enjoyed it!

I don't read a lot of self-help but this one seemed unusual, and intriguing. It bases its ideas on elements of a Renaissance life. And I mean, really Renaissance -- Dreher, who has a PhD in Renaissance literature, takes elements from the lives of Da Vinci, Michelangelo and their crowd to illustrate how to improve our modern and more banal existences. As a fan of both Renaissance literature and history, I found that the comparisons to Renaissance life were useful for me. Dreher uses the 12 step template, giving us four steps with which to discern our true calling, and then eight more to put our calling into practice. Each chapter has exercises and quizzes to increase our knowledge of ourselves, and include many examples taken from Renaissance lives.

In brief, these are the Renaissance habits Dreher feels we could all benefit from in our search for our true calling, our desire to create a meaningful life and legacy:

Discernment:

Discovery: Realizing your joys and talents
Detachment: Clearing the path within
Discernment: Embracing your values, living with heart
Direction: Turn your ideals into action

Making it work:

Faith: Trusting your life and world
Daily Examen: Staying on course
Renaissance community: Gaining support from mentors and friends
Contemplation: Finding your inner oasis of peace
Creativity: Making your life a work of art
Reading and Reflection: Exploring new worlds within and without
Physical Exercise: Building strength and wisdom
Discipline and Dedication: Bringing your dreams to life

The organization of the book enhances its usability -- each chapter builds on the previous one to encourage the reader to continue the initial forward movement creating by discerning one's joys and talents. There are also tons of endnotes for each of the chapters, enabling much further research into the articles and websites she references. The index is also well done and very helpful, which isn't always the case with books in this area.

One of the parts I really enjoyed was the chapter on Reading and Reflection. Whew, I thought, at least I am getting one part of this right already! I like what she says about the power of reading to create momentum in life, to open our eyes to opportunity, to assist in our growth both personally and as a society. She says:

Reading can liberate your spirit and support your own personal Renaissance today. It can introduce you to other lives, like the people you're meeting in this book, and help you develop new skills and pathways for moving forward in your calling. Reading can also lead to reflection, revealing new insights about yourself and the patterns of your life.
I was also intrigued by the way Dreher includes physical exercise as part of this program. So often in books about digging out your real desires and longings for a life purpose, the focus is on a person's mental and emotional, and sometimes spiritual, aspects. But the physical is a part of the whole person, and to my chagrin I know that when I am not moving and feeling connected to my physical body, every area suffers. I appreciated her focus on all parts of a person's life, and on our interconnection with everyone around us, our responsibility to look outward as well as to our interior landscape. It was a balanced read, free of the easy solutions and clichés of some books in this field. The only difficulty I had was that quite a few of the questions in the early chapters focused on recalling the hopes and dreams you had in childhood, seemingly a common approach in books such as this. My problem is that I really don't remember much about childhood at all, no matter how much I think about it, so I never find these exercises very helpful. But that's just me; or does anyone else have only vague recollections of this era of their lives?

This book caught my attention more than I had anticipated, and I am going to reread it and try a few of the exercises. I think it would be useful for anyone interested in exploring what it is they really want to do, or those at the beginning of their work lives who might need a little inspiration about which direction to take. I enjoyed her approach and her obvious knowledge of the subjects of this book, both the Renaissance and positive psychology.

You can read an excerpt at her website if you'd like to get a taste of her writing style.

Botswana on Screen: Filming Alexander McCall Smith

2009-11-04T16:10:00.005-05:00

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Prepared for the screen by Anthony Minghella and Richard Curtis

As I am all about Alexander McCall Smith this week, I also decided to watch episodes of the first season of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, as represented onscreen. (it's now available on DVD) I've found that it is quite different from the books in many ways: new characters added who didn't appear in the stories, a slightly different tone to the storytelling, settings changed around a bit, and of course characters look and act in a way that strangely enough does not mirror what I had imagined! I'm not too fond of a couple of character 'types' that have been added in, and it does have a few flaws. Still, I have been enjoying it. This week especially, a week in which every day has been cold and grey, I have enjoyed watching a beautiful setting full of sunshine and cheer.

Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are well cast, and Rra Matekoni is perfect. The episodes have been written using various cases from the books, not necessarily in the same order or with the same concurrent actions -- for example, by halfway through Season 1, Mma Ramotswe and Rra Matekoni are not engaged as yet, not even likely to be at this point. And there is no mention of any adopted children; I suppose for dramatic action in a film there need to be fewer complications than in a novel which has much more time to introduce you to the characters. I have seen some reviews which call this production twee or shallow, but I don't agree with that assessment. I think anyone who has enjoyed the books will probably enjoy these as well, even with the differences I've mentioned. There are enough similarities to make it all seem familiar, and seeing the landscape of Botswana and some of its people is very engaging. It's beautiful to watch and listen to, and I still have half of the first season to watch!

Here are a couple of clips to intrigue you, the first a short trailer which I hope will intrigue you:

And here is Alexander McCall Smith himself talking about filming his books:

Lost Art of Gratitude

2009-11-03T08:55:00.002-05:00

The Lost Art of Gratitude / Alexander McCall Smith

Toronto: Knopf, c2009.
362 p.

I did say I've been having a bit of a McCall Smith fest this week; he has so many books out at the same time that it is next to impossible NOT to have a new one to dig in to! This one is the latest in the Isabel Dalhousie series, set in Edinburgh. I love this series because I like Isabel quite a lot. She is a philosopher and edits a philosophy journal, so there is a lot of scope for moral asides and ethical ponderings, an aspect of McCall Smith's writing which I appreciate very much. In these later books she has a baby, which is not my favourite bit of this series by a long stretch, but at least it seems to make Isabel happy! And I like to read him writing about Edinburgh - the love of the city comes through strongly and makes me want to hop on the next plane and visit, to see all the landmarks and to soak in the atmosphere that he describes so evocatively.

This installment of the series brings Isabel a few more conundrums to deal with; her arch nemesis Professor Christopher Dove accuses her of publishing an article which is full of plagiarism. Isabel is more than equal to this charge however, and neatly performs an end run on his scheming. She experiences the enmity of her niece Cat when she and her partner announce their plans to marry (this could be a result of the fact that Isabel's partner and father of her child is her niece's previous boyfriend) -- but Cat comes up with her own fiancé in response, a tightrope walker named Bruno, which you just know won't end well. Isabel also re-encounters Minty Auchterlonie, a wicked woman to whom Isabel gives a second chance, hoping that she is not as awful as she seems. And Brother Fox, a wild fox who has been spotted in Isabel's garden since book 1, comes to require Isabel's help. It is all in very much the same style as the previous books in the series, but does not feel repetitious in any dull way. It reveals shades of all the characters which add to their fullness, and feels like a visit to old friends.

Like always, reading the latest by McCall Smith adds quotes to my collection, and encourages a slow read, or a reread of favourite passages. There is something quaint about his writing, a habit of writing passages that can stand alone. I find this quality in a lot of the Victorian fiction I read; there is always more to copy out in older books somehow -- but it is a quality I greatly enjoy.

Next up is a new Mma Ramotswe story, to be published in early 2010 -- hurrah! But before then I'll be talking about a different take on Mma Ramotswe...that of HBO. I've been watching the series on DVD this week and will chat about those a little later.

Corduroy Mansions

2009-11-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while will know of my love for Alexander McCall Smith. I've talked about his work before; I have read it all and have few critical faculties when it comes to his books - I love them all. This week I have been having a bit of a McCall Smith fest; I received Corduroy Mansions recently, the first volume of his newest serial novel, set in the Pimlico area in London. The second set in this series, entitled The Dog who Came in from the Cold, is now running serially in The Telegraph - you can follow along reading or listening to the podcasts as read by Andrew Sachs. It follows a varied cast of people loosely connected with the apartment block known as Corduroy Mansions, dealing with their ins and outs, moral dilemmas and love affairs.

I have read all the 44 Scotland Street novels, newspaper serials set in Edinburgh, and especially love some of the characters in those books, like Bertie the eternal 6 yr old, or the cameos made by Ian Rankin. But in this series, the setting is London, and that does make a difference. When I read La's Orchestra Saves the World, a stand-alone novel with another English setting, I noted the fact that England doesn't seem to be as powerful in his writings as does Scotland or Botswana. That remains the same in this serial novel, and although the setting is not as much of a character as in his other work, the foibles of the human characters are still amusing and engaging. In this series, some of the themes connected to the characters' occupations are art, wine, and dogs -- the same things that appear in the Edinburgh stories, but here they appear quite differently. It is fascinating to see how these preoccupations take on different lives in this setting. Anyhow, it was an enjoyable read, with, reliably, some ponderings about the wider meaning of life itself. Here is Alexander McCall Smith himself, talking about the citizens of the Corduroy Mansions world in a Telegraph interview. At the Telegraph you can suggest what you think should happen to the characters next, or you may even want to follow the wonderful canine Freddie de la Hay on Twitter. Yes, the dog tweets.

If you enjoy McCall Smith, or want a handy slice of daily reading that is an entertaining 'soap opera' of sorts, try picking up Corduroy Mansions, or catching up online and reading along to The Dog Who Came in from the Cold. Great fun.

Jackson's Haunted Hill House

2009-10-31T10:08:00.002-04:00

The Haunting of Hill House / Shirley Jackson

New York; Toronto: Penguin, 2006, c1959.

182 p.

So, for my last choice for the RIP Challenge this year I finished the classic Haunting of Hill House, just in time. I am glad I finished it before the sun went down; it is the expectation, the waiting for something horrific to occur that I found to be the scariest part of this reading experience.

For anyone who doesn't know the premise of this novel, it is as follows:

Dr. John Montague desperately wants to find a real haunted house to study, and comes across Hill House. He writes to many people who have had some supernatural experience in their lives hoping that some of them will take him up on his offer to spend time in Hill House as his assistants. Only two do: Eleanor, a 32 yr old single woman who has spent her life caring for her mother, now deceased; and Theodora, a free spirited woman who is taking a break from her partner after nasty words were exchanged. Along with these two, a member of the family who owns Hill House, Luke Sanderson, joins in and they all spend a week together waiting for something to happen. The house itself is "not sane" -- built so that all angles and surfaces are not quite even, the architecture itself unsettles the group. The house seems to know who the weakest link is, and aims right for her. The housekeeper is creepy but refuses to stay in Hill House after dark, and as things begin to heat up, the nights get quite terrifying.

Jackson is very adept at writing in a polished and calm manner which belies what is really going on. Each character thinks they are handling the pressure well; only through various exchanges do we see their private fears revealed. Psychological terror is key -- each of them is waiting for something to happen, and even when something does occur, not all of them experience it. Is it real? It is a mental projection? The uncertainty adds to the fear, and there are some bloodcurdling scenes, as when Eleanor grips Theodora's hand in the night trying to stay calm in the face of noises at the door - except when she screams and the light goes on she sees that Theodora is just waking up, in her own bed.

This classic is written in the tradition of literary ghost stories, and as such does not have overt scenes of horror or gore. That's what I like about it -- the horror is all psychological, and though I read it and didn't think it had affected me, when I was thinking about it later, at night, in the dark, it began to really creep me out. I could admire the excellent writing while I was reading it, but the atmosphere of the book is truly frightening. Hill House is quite a creation, and it is most definitely the main character, determined to get its way. Well worth reading after all this time, this was the perfect novel with which to celebrate Halloween and the end of this year's RIP Challenge.

Bookish Bits this week

2009-10-25T10:29:00.001-04:00

I just have a few interesting bookish tidbits to share this weekend. I was planning on writing up another review, but have been busy with work, plus jumping around to catch up with all you Read-a-thoners! Also, my brain is fatigued due to a 4 hour train ride Friday that stretched into 10 hours thanks to delays. Argh. The worst part was, I ran out of books to read! Nooooo!!! >:0

Anyhow - at least I have a few interesting links to share:

Books & Authors - this Gale database was highlighted at the workshop I went to, and it seems really handy to discover connections between books. If your library subscribes to it you'll get more functionality but it's fun to explore as it is.

Ok, this one is really neat, especially for someone my age who was a HUGE Duran Duran fan back in their heyday (remember, I was only in junior high at the time)! On their website, Simon LeBon has a feature called Simon's Reader, in which he talks about books and the experience of reading and of writing reviews. It's quite fantastic! And there's an archive of entries all the way back to 2002, though there are only a few books a year. You have to take a look at this. Actually, the whole website has a lot of fun content on it. (to get to Simon's Reader, click on "writing" on the menu for that option)

Here's an Australian site called My Favourite Book - it is a set of booklists, celebrity recommendations and personal book-related stories sent in by readers. There's even a section specifically for Young Readers.

If you want to listen to some authors reading from their own works, Vanity Fair has a feature called "Writers Reading". They are mostly popular books, like the recent book by Paul Schaeffer, or Tracey Morgan's "I am the new Black", although there are a few memoirs of more serious tone like that by a woman whose parents were arrested as enemies of the Soviet Hungarian state. Fascinating to hear ten minutes or so of each author. And while you're over at Vanity Fair, try out the Proust Questionnaire, a survey Proust himself filled out twice during his life -- there's a new book filled with celebrity answers to this survey, and your answers are compared to theirs; it's kind of fun to try!

And for some random bookish love, try these British sites:
Reading for Life

The Reader Organisation

And for any other librarians out there, check out Opening the Book - I love their approach!

Mitchell's Under this Unbroken Sky

2009-10-17T12:15:00.000-04:00

Under this Unbroken Sky / Shandi Mitchell

Toronto: Penguin, c2009.

354 p.

This is the second Canadian Book Challenge choice I finished last weekend. It's about Ukrainian immigrants in Canada, set in the 1930's - both elements which appeal to me. Also, this is possibly The Book that spurred Victoria Glendinning's recent sniffy complaint about the boring tendency of Canadian fiction to focus on the past and forebears such as "Granny who spent her youth in Ukraine".

I loved the fact that this story was completely about a Ukrainian family in Alberta and their trials in the promised freedom of a new country. Teodor Mykolayenko, his wife Maria and their five children come to Canada, alongside Theo's sister Anna, her two children, and her nasty husband Stefan, a former army officer who is not adjusting well to becoming a nobody, a Bohunk on a hardscrabble homestead. Taking Theo, a character who had already suffered greatly in WWI and under Stalin, then drawing a portrait of the not much improved life of the family in the so-called land of plenty was illuminating. Their problems arise from climate (this is the Dirty Thirties), from miscommunication, from racism among Canadians of English backgrounds, and from the horrors they bring within themselves. The role of Ukrainians in agricultural settlement of the Canadian West was huge; even today the present day Ukrainian population of Canada is the third largest in the world, after Ukraine and Russia. This novel delineates the true difficulties that these homesteaders faced, and the relentless hard physical work it was to clear land and produce enough to feed and keep one's family. It also reveals the isolation that could result when a family left their homeland knowing they would never return, forced to rely on one another even when those relationships were not always friendly. Theo ends up caring for his own family and for Anna's, Stefan only reappearing when all the hard work is done and he wants to claim the spoils.

Unfortunately, I found this novel to be a bit narratively unsettling. I don't like the historical present tense very much in any case, but here especially I felt it didn't sit quite right with the story. Also, it is clear that the author is a filmmaker: she describes the action of the story in a series of images -- beautifully evoked, but the timeline was a little hard to follow as imagistic set pieces trumped straightforward narrative progression. It's not that I expect "this happened, then this, then this"; but a little causality and character development would have helped me to really believe the shocking conclusion. I was confused by the dates given in the preface and through the story, not being quite able to place all the events in sequence.

Also, it was really bleak. I know that the lives of settlers were very hard; poverty, drought, isolation, hunger all abounded, but surely there were a few good times as well. Every single awful thing that happened to Ukrainian settlers didn't have to be experienced by this hard luck family! The grimness of the book doesn't really lighten up; all the children are fairly miserable, obsessing over the few things they do possess -- a heart shaped stone, a chicken, a ball of dough representing Christ. Even when they are playing they are somehow subdued and afraid. The adults are necessarily stoic in the face of all this misery, Theo and Maria especially, while Anna goes a bit mad and her husband Stefan is a caricature of a drunken, self important bully. His final disappearance is questionably set up - would he really behave in such a manner? And I felt the same at the climax of the story - I was taken aback by the action; Theo's character throughout didn't seem to suggest that he would finally act as he did.

However, this is a B&N book club choice in the States, and seems to have been received very well. Many people with a lot more literary cred than I have love this book. It may feel very new and unexpected to people with no knowledge of Ukrainian settlement of Western Canada, in particular, and if it does enlighten people as to the presence of Ukrainians whose hard work settlement depended upon then I am very glad.

It was a thought provoking read about characters that overall I was quite interested in. Mitchell included a few interesting non-narrative additions such as a couple of recipes, and a description of period photos (not the photos themselves). There were some nicely drawn elements even if as a whole I found it just okay. But I really would have appreciated a few more sunbeams breaking through the lowering clouds of this unbroken sky.

Here is Shandi Mitchell talking about her book:

A few other opinions:

Rhapsodyinbooks wholeheartedly recommends it

nfmgirl from Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World gives it 9.5 out of 10 stars

Aritha van Herk weighs its pros and cons at the Globe and Mail

Sidura Ludwig: Holding my Breath

2009-10-16T10:43:00.002-04:00

Holding My Breath / Sidura Ludwig

Toronto: Key Porter, c2007.

266 p.

I also got through two of my choices for the Canadian Book Challenge over the Thanksgiving weekend (there's a lot to be said for days off!)

Here's the first one I read -- it's set in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the 50's & 60's, among the Jewish community. Beth Levy is a young girl when her grandmother dies and she and her parents move into the family house, taking responsibility for Beth's two aunts, Carrie and Sarah. Carrie is a grown woman but Sarah is a teenager, much younger and less interested in tradition than her elder sisters.

The story moves through the years from Beth's childhood until she is ready to spread her wings and head away for college. Each chapter is from Beth's point of view but focuses on different moments in her upbringing; her mother's rise into the highest ranks of the Jewish women's organizations and her concern for tradition and keeping her family close by; her aunt Carrie's fixation on her long deceased brother Phil and on a secret that she keeps for many years; and her aunt Sarah's dissatisfaction with life in Winnipeg and her longing to escape - which she does in later years.

The telling is quite measured and subdued: there seemed to be a little too much telling at the expense of showing, at least to my taste. However, I did find the story interesting because it was about a situation that I knew little about, that of the Jewish community in Winnipeg, and I also enjoyed getting to know some of the characters. A few of the minor characters especially were quite intriguing; some of Beth's friends were people I would have liked to get to know. I also liked Beth's interests in life -- even though it is the 60's she is fascinated with science, especially astronomy. This interest is formed partly from her aunt Carrie sharing Phil's love of the stars with Beth since childhood, but the result is that Beth studies astronomy and physics in college. This leads to the crisis point of the novel: Beth is offered a graduate student position in Chicago and with her aunt Carrie's help overcomes the sense of duty drilled into her in order to achieve her dreams. She discovers throughout the novel that she is not her mother, nor her aunts, but is made up of a mixture of family traits -- and that she has to choose which parts of her character are most important for her to develop.

Overall, it was a good first novel but a little slow moving. It didn't grab me, but it did illuminate aspects of Canadian life that I was unfamiliar with in a way that kept me reading. I think that the difficulty I had with it was that I preferred Aunt Carrie to Beth so would have been more intrigued by the story Carrie might have told; but that is my own bias, not a fault of the book. It is still an eminently readable story which just might be a favourite of another reader - don't pass it over on my opinion alone.

Other readers:

Boston Bibliophile gives it a "to borrow" rating

The Literary Word rates it a favourite

Dovegreyreader calls it a pleasure to read

It's my Birthday, and I can throw myself a party if I want to...

2009-10-15T13:42:00.016-04:00

Ok, so it is my birthday today, and what am I doing? My last children's program of the fall session, actually! Since they fell on the same day I decided to make an occasion of it and throw myself a party -- me and fifteen 3 yr olds! ;) It was hilarious fun; all the moms and grandmas also got into it and we had a wonderful morning. Here's the treats I made (vegan chocolate cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World) but I adapted them to child-size servings.

And if anyone is interested, here are the books I ended up reading in between all the singing and dancing.

1. Happy Birthday, moon / Frank Asch.

I find this series of books by Asch, featuring Bear and often his friend Bird, always work with this age group. And they are highly adaptable to many themes. Plus I really like them!

2. The Surprise / George Shannon; illus. by Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey.

This one tells us about Squirrel who wraps himself up in a series of nesting boxes as a birthday present for his mother. It is really cute and all the boxes are different shapes and colours which is useful for interactive questions with the kids.

3. The Surprise Party / Pat Hutchins

Another old book, but one I enjoy reading. Rabbit is going to have a surprise party, but as the message gets passed along it gets increasingly garbled. It is a fun take on the game of Telephone, but all the animals get the invitation by the end and they have their party.

4. The Party / Barbara Reid

This one is a rhyming story about a big family party for Grandma's 90th birthday. It has the amazing illustrations of Barbara Reid; made with plasticine and really, really colourful.

5. Happy Birthday to you, Blue Kangaroo / Emma Chichester Clark

And the final story, from one of my absolute favourite series, about Lily and her Blue Kangaroo. Here Lily is having a birthday party that is ALL about pink (and funnily enough every single little girl present today was wearing pink). Poor Blue Kangaroo feels neglected and wanders off to wrap himself up in a sock and feel sad. Lily ends up by saying that she loves both pink AND blue. It's adorable.

Read for your Life: Gold's prescription

2009-10-14T22:48:00.001-04:00

Well, it's been a long and unintentional blog break! I've been so busy with life and with reading that I didn't realize how long it had been since I last added something here. Whoops. Oh well, I've spent so much time reading that now I have lots of goodies to share with you. I've been especially busy reading a lot of non-fiction, some of it for fun and some of it work related. Here's one that is kind of both -- it's about reading, but more than that, it's about the importance of reading fiction and literature to find our way through this life. It was fantastic.

Read for your life: literature as a life support system / Joseph Gold
Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2001.
380 p.

This book is a classic in the field of bibliotherapy. It is also a wonderful read in itself. Dr. Gold is a therapist who was first an English professor, so his expertise both in counselling and in literature is inspiringly thorough. Here he discusses what reading fiction can do for individuals, both in a general, developmental way, and in the context of specific wellness issues such as depression or issues stemming from childhood trauma.

But the joy of reading this one, for me, was just in its love for the power of literature. Gold reaffirms all the things that constant readers like us believe about the value of reading and of reading fiction in particular. For librarians who are interested in Reader's Advisory, it is essential reading -- and there is a wonderful (though long) readers' questionnaire at the end which could assist in developing similar tools; it discusses preferences according to mood, thematic interest, setting, etc. But besides the useful elements, there is also great enjoyment in his thoughtful statements about literary life.

Here's a quote about habitual reading:

Reading fiction is good for you, and important and necessary to you. Go ahead and do it. It is not a fringe activity or "merely" entertaining; it is profoundly useful as part of normal development in a civilized, literate community. ... Reading is not necessary for our survival, if by survival we mean eating and staying warm. It is necessary to our larger survival, however, to an enriched, aware life in which we exercise some measure of control over our well-being, our creativity and our connection to everything around us.

And then there are a few statements that I loved, as they reflect the experience of blogging about books, in my opinion:

The act of reading is essentially private, but the consequence of reading is a shared experience, first with the writer, often with some other reader of the same book. ... Reading can be like calling someone to the window to share a scene that is important to the viewer. Through the window of story we can look out together on a world of experience that would otherwise be invisible to the other, retained in a private past.

There's not a lot I can say about this book without quoting it in its entirety. I loved it -- the principles he bases his practice on, his literary suggestions, his absolute belief in the primacy of fiction in creating a civilized, self-aware world, his obvious love for literature, and many more elements of the book all appealed to me. In fact, this is a book I am going to have to buy for my own use; I've already renewed it to the limit from my library! I've read it twice and have made notes, and have also searched out his second book, written much more recently, called The Story Species. That one seems to be more about the historical significance of storytelling in human history - still intriguing.

So, if you have any interest at all in how literature can improve and comfort and expand our lives, this comes highly recommended. Full of ideas on the uses of literature, this is a great resource for both people in the fields of librarianship or bibliotherapy, but is also a wonderful read for anyone with a passion for the primacy of reading (and specifically, of fiction) in our everyday lives.

October begins...

2009-10-02T10:33:00.007-04:00

It's already October, I can hardly believe how time has been flying! Time to review my various challenges and see how I'm doing (among other things). October is one of my favourite months: fall weather, pumpkin scones, cocoa, chrysanthemums and opals as the month's symbols, oh, and my birthday :)

To begin:

The Canadian Book Challenge 3. Well, somehow in September I didn't finish a single Canadian novel for this challenge. I did read a few Canadian YA novels that I've yet to review, but in October I am planning on finishing and reviewing the 3 Canadian novels set on the Prairies which I've already begun reading. These three are:

Holding my breath / Sidura Ludwig

- set in Winnipeg amongst the Jewish community in the 50's & 60's; narrator is first person, a young woman named Beth Levy (it is pretty interesting already, two chapters in)

Under this Unbroken Sky / Shandi Mitchell

- set on the Prairies in general, this is a historical novel, a tale of a Ukrainian family of settlers who seem to go through unremittingly gloomy days. We will see.

The Niceman Cometh / David Carpenter

- set in Saskatoon, this novel by the fiction editor of Grain magazine promises to be somewhat humorous and hopeful even though it is about a young boy's experiences of the losers his single mother gravitates toward. Promises to end well.

And now, for the 4th Annual RIP Challenge -- luckily I was able to finish and review two great books for this challenge in September, leaving me only two which I must finish this month (although there are many more which I want to finish!) I've begun Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca and just want to keep reading it; wow, it's good!

And speaking of the RIP Challenge, now that it is October there is another site to explore that is rather ghastly and ghoulish - the Halloween Studio Trick or Treat online tour. This is set up by the artist at Scratching at the Window and features a whole group of artists & crafters to explore. There is also a link to our favourite challenge: try to find it!

And in other October news, if you'd like to find something Magical, Mysterious or Musical to read this month, pop over to Chumley & Pepys Books where we are having an October MAGIC, MYSTERY & MUSIC SALE. New items added every week so check back!

Wordless on a Wednesday

2009-09-30T18:47:00.009-04:00

I have two very intriguing books to discuss today -- both from Porcupine's Quill Press, in their new series of wordless novels. Both of these are books which use images to tell a story; as the publisher states:

The aim of this project is to publish wordless books created using the relief printmaking techniques of linocut, woodcut or wood engravings. Each book will feature original work created by contemporary printmakers. The reason for choosing relief printmaking to illustrate these stories is not only to pay homage to the artists who started the tradition of the wordless novel but to help revive interest and appreciation of the rich qualities of line and texture indicative of relief printmaking.

I had no familiarity with this tradition before receiving these books. However, being the kind of reader who must follow a new thread of interest, after reading these I did a little research into their history. Both artists mention the influence of Frans Maserell, a Belgian artist who is considered the master woodcut artist of the 20th century. He created the wordless novel, a story told in a series of single page woodcuts. There is a lot more to learn, and coincidentally there is a recent book on this very topic, entitled Wordless Books: the original graphic novels, by David A. Berona.

Anyway -- on to the books!

Let That Bad Air Out: Buddy Bolden's last parade / Stefan Berg
Erin, ON: Porcupine's Quill, c2007.
140 p.

This first novel in the series tells us the story of Buddy Bolden, jazz artist of New Orleans (b.1877-d.1931). Bolden is credited with being one of the first jazz musicians, but he died young and in disgrace: he collapsed during the parade which is the subject of this book and was sent to an asylum, where he later died. (Buddy Bolden is also the subject of Michael Ondaatje's Coming Through Slaughter, the only one of Ondaatje's books I've ever managed to finish.)

The way this is laid out is as follows: beginning with a short 2 page introductory essay about the topic, and a one page explanatory essay by the author, the remainder is single sided linocuts, sharp black and white images taking us through the day of the parade. The images are intriguing, and the storyline is fascinating, but personally I would have liked more detail in the images to provide more narrative complexity. Still, it is a good start to this series and has a lively topic to explore.

Back & Forth / Marta Chudolinska
Erin, ON: Porcupine's Quill Press, c2009.
187 p.

This one, brand new, really caught my fancy. The artist is creating a novel in a genre sparsely populated by women, and yet the structure works so very well for this story. The story moves "back and forth" between Vancouver and Toronto, as the main character flashes back to her previous life in TO -- this is shown by switching the colour of the prints; Vancouver is an orangey colour while Toronto is in black and white. We see our main character alone at the beginning, and then begin to understand what is going on when we see the progression of a relationship in flashbacks. The smallest details tip us off; a glance, a puff of breath in cold air, a look of expectation on a face.

I found the narrative line of this wordless novel very easy to follow, and very evocative. The use of varied perspectives in the linocuts gives a sense of spaciousness, of an observing, outside eye. For example, in the first image we are looking down at a bedroom from above; in another, we are looking up a staircase leading out of the subway; in yet another we have the character barely appearing as she stares out the bus window and there is a real of movement in the print. I enjoyed this book, and as I haven't had a lot of experience with this type of story, I was relieved to find it engaging and quite complex. I would like to see more from Chudolinska, who is also a bookbinder and painter in addition to printmaking.

Thanks go, once again, to Porcupine's Quill Press for letting me experience these fascinating books which are outside of my regular reading routine. Nobody else makes me explore so many new things so often!

Reckless Appetites by Jacqueline Deval

2009-09-28T10:07:00.002-04:00

Reckless Appetites: a culinary romance / Jacqueline Deval

Hopewell, NJ: Ecco Press, c1993.
196 p.

Another foodie book...but I enjoyed this one more than the Barbery I recently read. I was surprised that I enjoyed it more, however, as it is not really a traditional novel. Reckless Appetites tells us the tale of Pomme Bouquin, whose father is a chef; she is following in his steps. She is also hugely influenced by food writers, especially Colette. The storyline, as much as it can be followed, is that Pomme is trying to seduce her English lover Jeremy through a sumptuous meal: she reads through Colette as well as other writers and shares it all with us. Then Jeremy rejects her, and spurs her toward revenge. Mixed in with this narrative are some letters back and forth between her father and a French chef, sharing ideas for a literary themed dinner extravaganza (and through which we discover Pomme's inherited tendency toward betrayal and self centredness). There are also a couple of chapters written as food essays by Pomme as if published in a magazine, a chapter by Jeremy, another chapter by Pomme's American lover who is languishing in a Singapore jail, and throughout, always recipes. It's a bit of a mash-up but somehow I was utterly fascinated by it. All the literary language, the positive wallowing in food writing, and the multiple recipes were great. Pomme's character drives the tale: she is absolutely convinced of her own centrality to the world and her seductive, irresistible nature.

That said, if you're looking for a plot driven novel this is not it. If you like an essayistic tone and a lot of differing perspectives on the idea of food and its relation to comfort, civilization, and literary inspiration, then you may enjoy it. Also, much of the book is recipes - actual historical recipes from Dickens, Colette, Hannah Grasse and more. So, if you like reading recipes -- and I mean reading them, picturing the process of making them and imagining the results -- you will find much more depth to the book. If you tend to skip over recipes in books then this one will probably annoy somewhat, as at least a quarter of the book is in recipe format. I personally love reading recipes like novels (which could explain my 80+ cookbook collection) so I found this part of it vastly entertaining even though I have no intention to ever make any of them. There are also many tidbits about literary figures thrown in; one I found intriguing was a mention of Zola - in 1862 he found a job working in the shipping department of Hachette publishers! ;)

There is one chapter written by Pomme's American lover who is now stuck in a jail in Singapore; many reviewers have commented that it is out of place. It doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the storyline; however, it does give Deval some space to bring up some fascinating ideas about hunger and its significance culturally and morally. As opposed to the luxurious celebration of foodstuffs in the rest of the book, this chapter is a little more austere, and I think interesting for that reason.

I enjoyed her writing style and the collage effect of all the different techniques employed in telling this tale. Deval herself provides some insight into her approach in a couple of quotes from various places in the book; together they give us some indication that this structure is something she worked at quite deliberately:

A writer cannot create great works by writing to formula. Likewise, the best cooks are the ones who put something of themselves into the endeavor, not merely follow a set of instructions. Cooking and writing -- for Pomme believes that of all the arts, these are the closest allies -- when done with intent to achieve perfection, are demanding and very personal forms of work...

What Pomme wants her students to understand is that whether one's choice of artistic expression lies in literature or cookery, there's no point in doing either unless the creation is the best possible, the most deeply satisfying experience first for the artist and then for others, the thrill of creation born as much from the process as from the result. The pleasure a cook takes in composing a soufflé that holds its delicate, airy form is akin to what a writer feels when he has written the perfect story, or novel, or poem, knowing that it's good, very good, and couldn't be made better. ...

Room exists in the world for all sorts of bouillabaisse. Serious cooks must not close their minds to other ways of seeing and sensing and tasting. Acknowledge the artistry of another cook. You may become better for your willingness to learn.

I think if this book would have been published today it would have garnered much more attention, as the reading public is possibly more attuned to this kind of genre-less cut and paste style of fiction than it was in the early 90s. Web reading has perhaps accustomed us to following something through even without a strong narrative thread. In any case, I found this to be a very enjoyable, intelligent read. Definitely for anyone with an interest in food writing, or in literary feasts, or in a creative use of fictional style. I'll be rereading this at some point, I know.

Physics Novels that make a Big Bang

2009-09-24T21:05:00.000-04:00

To celebrate the return of my new favourite tv show, The Big Bang Theory, I've created a new book list. Here are a few suggested novels which use physicists as characters or physics itself as a large part of the storyline (and no, I haven't read all of them, yet):

1. Changing Light / Nora Gallagher
I read this one in 2007, and thought it was very, very good. It features Eleanor Garrigue, a painter living in New Mexico in the 1940's, and her encounter with a Los Alamos physicist on the run, Leo Kavan. Those two main characters, plus Eleanor's friend Father Bill, represent Art, Science and Religion -- and there is much to discuss in 1945 Los Alamos. Really intriguing story, and enjoyably well written.

2. Oh Pure and Radiant Heart / Lydia Millett
A strange novel, this features Ann (a librarian) and her husband Ben (a gardener) and the time travelling figures of Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard and Enrico Fermi. The last thing these three physicists remember before appearing in modern Sante Fe, New Mexico, is the blast of the Trinity test, the first explosion of a fission bomb in the 1940's. It is a wild ride from thereon in, and I think the theme is summed up nicely by Jeff at Bearcastle Blog: Their story read to me like an allegory of how scientists who love science and who have strong ethical centers (except maybe Szilard!) could have nevertheless ended up creating the nuclear bomb. They overlooked so much for working on the sweet problem.

3. Anna's Shadow / David Manicom
A new release from Vehicule Press, this novel is set in Moscow, early 1990's, and 2007 North America. Adrian Wells is a young diplomat who is assigned to watch Anna Mikataev, a particle physicist whose work has political repercssions. As the publisher puts it:
Scientific romance, or post-Cold-War thriller colliding with the new war on terrorism? If only Adrian Wells could be sure what kind of story he was caught up in. ... In the small basement room where Anna Mikataev lives, the force fields of sub-atomic particles, individual lives, and the politics of terror all meet.

4. The Eleven Million Mile High Dancer / Carol Hill
A cult novel from its publication, this is the story of Amanda Jaworski, physicist, astronaut, and roller skater extraordinaire. She is training to become the first person to travel to Mars, and when she does get to space she ends up battling with an mysterious being made of light, the Eleven Million Mile High Dancer, who embodies feminine power. The publisher states that "this ambitious novel is a rich and comic blend of physics, feminism, and political farce". And, Amanda has a marvellous cat named Schrodinger. Gotta love that!

5. Eifelheim / Michael Flynn
A science fiction novel nominated for a Hugo award in 2007, this is a story of first contact. But, the year is 1348, and a medieval churchman is the first to meet the Krenken, a race of giant grasshoppers. Yay, giant alien bugs. Just the book for me ;) All reviews I've seen praise his excellent depiction of the medieval mindset, and that alone makes me want to read it. There are also portions of the book set in contemporary times; a theoretical physicist and a cliometric [math] historian are both trying to figure out why the medieval village of Eifelheim disappeared suddenly during the years of the Black Plague and was never resettled like most other places.

6. Einstein's Dreams / Alan Lightman
This is the first novel by former working physicist Alan Lightman, who has gone on to write a few more novels and well as popular science books. This one is a brief set of meditations on time, framed by the idea that Einstein is mulling over all kinds of possible worlds. A beautiful little novel, it began Lightman's fiction career on a definite high note.

7. Night Thoughts of a Classical Physicist / Russell McCormmach
Set in 1918, at a time when physics was changing irrevocably, this book details the thoughts of elderly physicist Victor Jakob, at the end of his career. His musings give us the history of physics and scientific life in the 19th century: the upheavals in science were enormous and right at this time classical physics was being overtaken by a much wilder modern approach -- it was the beginning of quantum physics and the ideas of relativity, and this poetic novel reveals the significance of those changes.

8. Properties of Light / Rebecca Goldstein
A novel full of crisp, intelligent writing and many academic conundrums, this features three physicists: Samuel Mallach (old, forgotten genius), his daughter Dana, and wunderkind Justin Childs. Justin rediscovers an old formula created by Mallach and wants to resolve it: it would be a way to reconcile quantum mechanics and relativity. When the Mallachs hear his intention, they manipulate him into marrying Dana; but professional jealousy, hubris, and the single minded pursuit of scientific truths unravel their relationships and they spiral down into a gothic morass of hatred, betrayal, suicide and more.

9. The Wave Theory of Angels / Alison MacLeod
Two sisters, a physicist for a father, an experiment with wave theory at the lab; and suddenly the elder sister is displaced in time, existing in two places at once -- today and feudal France. The two families are essentially identical: Giles, stone carver in France of 1248, has two daughters. The elder, Christina, is in a coma for no obvious reason. Skip to 2001: Giles Carver, physicist, is trying to figure out why his daughter Christina has fallen into a coma. Younger daughter Marguerite has a big part to play in deciphering the story's events. There are also many other parallels drawn between the two worlds. Fascinating stuff.

10. Particles and Luck / Louis B. Jones
Reasons to be grateful for a back fence: you're a whiz kid physicist and your neighbour is a divorced, bankrupt pizza restaurant owner. Or, in this case, both of these characters band together against a faceless corporation to build their own fence in the middle of one Halloween night. Mark Perdue, rich and established theoretical physicist, is drawn into the scheme by his hapless and yet somehow convincing neighbor Roger Hoberman. This sets the stage for a novel of ruminations on life, luck, coincidence and subatomic particles. It's been described as "hilarious", "quirky", "gracefully written", "an engaging novelistic equivalent of a unified field theory".

11. The Book of God and Physics / Enrique Joven
A thriller featuring a Jesuit teacher who joins a group fascinated by the secrets encoded into the famously undecipherable Voynich Manuscript. From the publisher: Written in an unknown language and illustrated with enigmatic drawings that no one has been able to interpret, the work first surfaced in the court of Rudolf II of Bohemia. This same Bohemian court also gave refuge to two of the greatest, and most controversial, scientific minds of all time: famed Dane Tycho Brahe and German Johannes Kepler. Is there a connection between Voynich and the brilliant scientists who frequented the court? Could the manuscript perhaps be the codified findings of either Brahe or Kepler, written in a special language to conceal their scientific discoveries from the Church and its brutal Inquisition?

12. The Beautiful Miscellaneous / Dominic Smith

Nathan's father is a middling successful particle physicist. He and Nathan's mother wanted -- expected -- a genius child. Alas, Nathan is eminently, conclusively normal. Until he is 17, that is, when he has an accident and wakes up with a brain injury that has left him with genius-like propensities. He is sent off to a school for prodigies where he makes friends, of necessity, with the consort of differently gifted oddballs. There, together, they must come to terms with their varied mental abilities as well as heavy parental expectations, learning to be true to themselves and their need for a social as well as a mental life. This sounds a bit YA after-schoolish in this brief summary, but isn't at all. It's actually quite moving; funny and sad and thoughtful all in one.

And to finish off our scientific study, lolcats, of course!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Crafty RIP Tour

2009-09-23T09:07:00.006-04:00

Just a quick note for all you crafty Halloween lovers out there --

Explore this Halloween blog tour of crafters' studios, put together by a friend of mine, a soft sculpture artist of Scratching at the Window.

It's a great October event to support artists as well as raise money for Bat Conservation International (where you can even adopt a bat!)

There's a neat little interactive map to explore which goes live October 1st; give it a go. There's even a link to our favourite spooky Reading Challenge...will you be able to find it?

Barbery's Gourmet Rhapsody

2009-09-22T19:18:00.001-04:00

Gourmet Rhapsody / Muriel Barbery; translated from the French by Alison Anderson.
New York: Europa, c2009.
156 p.

After reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog earlier this year and really adoring it, I was looking forward to this one. I'll be honest right up front: this book was nowhere near as appealing for me. The structure didn't really work, and the main character's quest did not engage my interest.

Here's the main idea: Monsieur Pierre Arthens, the self-proclaimed World's Best food critic, is lying in bed after being informed he has 48 hours to live. He spends his remaining time trying to recapture a lost flavour from his past, convinced that if he does so he will redeem his life somehow. Each chapter takes us into a sense memory of a meal he experienced at various times in his life, leading him closer and closer to an epiphany. It feels a bit forced, as each chapter ends with some variation on "no, that's not it", leading the reader onward. Interspersed with his chapters are short versions of Arthens as seen by the people (and cats and inanimate objects) surrounding him. They are nearly universal in judging him a horrible man, one who hates his children, ignores his wife (who inexplicably remains devoted to him), and is an arrogant, self serving individual. In short, Monsieur Arthens is, as some characters put it, "a real bastard". And I agreed; I didn't care if he found his elusive flavour before he died. As a matter of fact, if I had my druthers I would have had more fun helping him along than reading about his lingering on this side of mortality.

There is some discussion of philosophical themes as in Hedgehog, but the focus is really on food as Arthens' only true love. Foodies will enjoy the luxurious descriptions of all the food Arthens recalls. While some readers disliked the philosophical elements of Hedgehog, labeling them with such terms as 'pretentious', I enjoyed them, feeling that they were kind of the point of that book. Here there are a few but they feel slapdash, tacked on, not fully fleshed out. Also, it is difficult to believe that Arthens would take any time to wonder about philosophical ideas not directly connected to food; he has to be one of the least self aware or self examined characters I've met. In brief, here are the points I want to share:

Good things:
The language is elaborate, baroque, especially in M. Arthens' chapters when he waxes rhapsodic over food. However, as I continued reading and began tiring of his story, the language became slightly more annoying. Still, the adoration of food was quite pronounced and anyone who considers themself even slightly a foodie will likely be entertained. There were some lovely bits about the French countryside, and as Arthens' memories take him back to a time when he could have gone in a more authentic direction, the story warms up.

Best thing:
Reneé from Hedgehog has a cameo; one brief chapter, but it was very nice to see her again. ;)

Worst thing:
M. Arthens' cat Rick also has a chapter. It is the lamest part of the book; Rick even goes so far as to say "purrfect". Urgh.

So - I'd say the biggest problem in this book, in my reading, was that M. Arthens' dilemma had no resonance. I didn't really care if he succeeded in remembering that vague taste that tickled his mind. And then, when in the last chapter he does succeed, and has an epiphany that places his life and his professional success in a new light (not a flattering one) I found that epiphany rather banal. Sadly, the story seemed rather pointless, like a stylistic exercise which was quite impressive in itself but not great as a novel. If I hadn't read Hedgehog first, and been interested in finding out more about the residents of Arthens' apartment building from this point of view, I am not sure I would have enjoyed it much at all. But, I don't want to sound like there was nothing at all good about it -- it was clever, and the food descriptions so over the top as to be delightful, for the most part. The evocation of rural France was really beautiful, and there were some nice barbed statements about grandmothers' cooking far surpassing any fancy chef or critic's opinion. Getting glancing views of some of the characters in Hedgehog was enjoyable as well. I felt that this was obviously the first novel about these characters, and the apotheosis of creation came in Hedgehog, which I much preferred. Reneé and Paloma had some humanity to them with which to sympathize, while Arthens, sadly, was truly a contemptible character. This is not to say that there is no place for disagreeable main characters in fiction, or that one must be able to 'identify' with a character at all times; but I just didn't feel any sense of connection between Arthens and any of the other characters. It was as if he existed in grand solitude on a higher plane and his family, his peers, his protegés, all circled around him, with only his cat breaking through that barrier of misanthropy.

In conclusion, this insubstantial novel left me with a longing to recall the satisfying flavour of Barbery's much more filling second novel, The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Read this one only if 1. you are a huge Barbery fan anyhow or 2. if you love baroque, wordy food writing.

White is for Witching

2009-09-21T23:25:00.000-04:00

White is for Witching / Helen Oyeyemi
Toronto: Penguin, 2009.
227 p.

I read this because I met Helen Oyeyemi once at a Canadian Book Expo and was very impressed by her quiet self-possession; also because I have her first two books in the TBR pile; but also because I saw this new & shiny one come across my desk and I thought, wow, what a great RIP challenge read!

And it was certainly perfectly suited to RIP reading. Its creepy, gothic, dark and confused tone is unsettling. Set at Silver House, which becomes a character in the book, the atmosphere is cloying and nightmarish in theme and language, the story breaking up into haunting dream segments. There is a clever use of sentence structure throughout the book; as the story moves forward, at times it jumps, disjointed, from one storyline to another via the placement of one word joining two sentences. For example:

Miranda went to see if Deme and Suryaz were alright.
"Who is it?" the girls said together, when she knocked on the attic
door.
"It's me," she said.
They wouldn't answer after

that

evening Emma and I broke up. Her parents were out and her house was full of music, music and every light in every room was on. She even had fairy lights twined around table legs. "Hello, Eliot..."

The story is centred on Miranda Silver, who suffers from an eating disorder, pica. Pica is an inherited difficulty; her mother and grandmother both apparently suffered from it as well. Her mother Lily, a journalist, died on assignment in Haiti, and Miranda has never quite recovered. She stays in her room, eating chalk and plastic utensils, not tempted by her chef father's wonderful cooking. Miranda, her brother Eliot and her father Luc have all moved back to the Silver family home, Luc having the idea to turn it into a B&B. But the house itself is not too keen on the idea; it prefers to keep only its own within its walls, and forever so -- the Silver women especially. We hear bits of the story from Eliot's viewpoint; from Ore's, a college friend who fancies Miranda; from Miranda's own perspective, and finally and most chillingly, a voice we come to realize belongs to the house.

The story begins with overtones of Snow White; apples, deathly sleep and being boxed up; but then it weaves its way through a house of mirrors until we finally come to some sort of conclusion, which is not certain or absolutely clear. What exactly has occurred? Who is responsible? It's a tale of madness and of obsession and is very spooky.

While the varied narrative voices were fascinating, unfortunately, I found it a little bit too confusing; no-one is really what they seem, but the text doesn't provide enough evidence for the reader to determine who is telling the truth, or even what the whole story really is. Unreliable narrators abound, but without a ground for comparison, it was hard to tell what it was about their narrative which was unreliable. I felt that the story really came together in the second half, once Ore becomes more involved in the tale telling. Ore's comparison of Miranda's phantasmagorical Goodlady with the soucouyant that she knows through legend make things more complex, more shaded. And she is a great narrator. I would have enjoyed a little more of her grounded position in the book. Also, the housekeeper Sade is sadly underused. What a wonderful, deeply centred and powerful woman she was! I was eager to learn more about her, what her power was and where it came from, to see her overcome all the gothic phantasms in the story. Sadly, it was not to be. I'd love a whole novel about that woman!

In any case, as confused as I may have been, I was also in awe of Oyeyemi's fresh voice, her ability to see things and to express them so individually. It's amazing to me to read a book so very stylistically impressive from such a young author (who, nevertheless has 3 books published!). While I had a few difficulties with this one, reading it makes me even more eager to go back and read the two Oyeyemi novels I have waiting. Both her technique and her energetic storytelling is engaging, making for quite a compulsive read.

A few extras:
Marvellous interview at The Guardian

Spooky Trailer:

White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi from Picador on Vimeo.

Other opinions:

Reviewed by Liviu at Fantasy Book Critic

Tamaranth talks about it

Poetry on a Friday Afternoon

2009-09-18T22:53:00.012-04:00

What better to end a week of bookish goodness than hearing an author speak? Today I was lucky enough to hear poet and novelist Steven Heighton read at my library. He was a great presenter; cool and energetic and clever/experienced enough to know that reading straight for 30 minutes is NOT INTERESTING when the audience is sitting on uncomfortable stacking chairs. He read in two "sets" with time for questions and discussion (and stretching) in between. And it was great. He read some of his older, published poetry as well as some works in progress (fascinating), and read excerpts from his two novels, Shadow Boxer and Afterlands. I read Afterlands quite some time ago, and really enjoyed it. (But to get a very enthusiastic opinion from somebody who's just read both novels, pop over to Bookpuddle to read Cipriano's take on them!)

Hearing an author speak about their writing life always inspires me to remember to really see things, to ensure that I make a place for creativity in my life. It was a wonderful talk, and gave me lots to think about on my walk home through the beautiful fall weather.

I bought one book, his collection entitled The Address Book, from which he'd read a touching poem about his daughter. How can you not love poetry that includes lines like:

Who is it loves you, his heart now a lantern

in the dark wood of halfway through? The one

you made solid when he felt himself shade,

who made his way back from the border, made good.

(from The Wood of Halfway Through)

or, from another short poem entitled "Desert Psalm":

As thermals at sunrise draw swallows in geysers out of the dead

mouths of abandoned mines, as if birds were the desert's

address to the sky and earth's inner anthem embodied

Let these words lift that same way

Anew

It was a great afternoon, and I highly recommend picking up some of Heighton's work. And remember to support the efforts of your own local libraries and arts organizations when you can, and make it out to one of the readings they work so hard to put on!

Final BBAW Day: State of the Blog report

2009-09-18T09:15:00.000-04:00

For the last day of BBAW, we are to:

Write in 50 words or less…what do you like best about your blog right now and where would you like your blog to be a year from now?

For me, this question is pretty easy:

1. I like my blogging routine. I'm happy that I finally changed the template even if I still have a few more tweaks to make. I'm happy with my traffic, though I always appreciate comments. I enjoy having a place where I can revel in my reading and other people understand, and care!

2. As for where I'd like to be by next BBAW, probably just caught up with so many new bloggers; update my blogroll and leave more comments. I'd also like to try to review more of the books I read -- I read so many that I don't even mention.

There - just about 50 words each! BBAW has been a great experience this year and lots of fun stuff uncovered. And to think I wasn't planning to participate very much. :)

BBAW: Bloggers' Book Recommendations

2009-09-17T08:54:00.000-04:00

Day four of BBAW brings us to a discussion of a book discovered through another blogger.

I have two bloggers who I read pretty much daily to thank for my recent obsession with Penelope Lively, two bloggers who mentioned two different Lively books which started me off on a reading binge.

First of all, Dorothy at Of Books and Bicycles reviewed Lively's Booker winning novel, Moon Tiger in October of 2007. Here's part of what she had to say about it:

[Lively] has a quiet, understated way of writing that can work magic on you and leave you moved and wanting more. ... She’s getting at the idea that how we choose to tell our story shapes the story itself. There are no meaningful facts outside a story told by a particular person in a particular way. This holds true for the narrative of history as well; to study history is to study the manifold ways people have told the story of humanity over time.

As a former history student this intrigued me. I had moved this book up on my mental TBR list, thinking I'd get to it soon. Then, in March of this year, I read a quote about libraries excerpted from Lively's book Consequences, on the Canadian blog Pickle Me This. It was so delightful that I thought I needed to read Consequences immediately, if only to find that quote to add to my commonplace book. And I loved it. That started my infatuation; I read Moon Tiger next, then a few more, and then I was just lucky enough that Lively had a book coming out this fall (Family Album, which I've just discussed). And I am lucky that she has quite a backlist as well, so I still have new books to explore.

Thanks to these two intrepid bloggers, I've had months of a wonderful reading streak, with many more chances to indulge my new addiction in future. :)

Family Album by Lively

2009-09-16T10:28:00.001-04:00

Family Album / Penelope Lively
Toronto: Key Porter, c2009.
261 p.

I can summarize this book very succinctly: Brilliant!

I've been reading a lot of Lively lately, but this new novel really impressed me. It has a contemporary feel to it, it's clever and deceptively simple, and I really think she is just getting better with every book she writes.

Family Album is the history of a house, and the family which inhabits it. Allersmead is a big house, well suited to the Harper family of two adults, six children and an au pair. The tale is told by an omniscient narrator, but with sections focused on each of the various characters. Lively provides glimpses into the family dynamics via succinct moments, from childhood to a time when all the children have left home. Her precise eye captures a scene, a statement, a personal habit which sums up a character, allowing you to extrapolate further in imagination. There are family secrets here, but nothing horrific, no "child called It" in this tale. With the cover intimating something awful, and dark hints thrown in all along about something not quite right, I expected the eventual revelation to be a little more shocking. Not that I wanted something awful to appear, it's just that it did seem to be suggested. But that is one small quibble in a fully enjoyable reading experience.

The story circles around Charles and Alison who marry quite young, a seemingly mismatched couple, but with their first child on the way there wasn't much choice for them. Alison is completely and utterly focused on home and children; Charles sometimes feels incidental to her life plan. Charles, meanwhile, is an independent academic, writing popular books about topics such as "Youth Culture around the World". He is independently wealthy thanks to a prescient ancestor who invented household products such as Vim and Dettol. Alison, though, is most proud of the fact that she has six children: "none of the other mothers have so many". Her sister-in-law Corinna has no children, by choice, and is eternally grateful for it, especially after spending time at Allersmead. I was impressed by how Lively creates two such different women with drastically opposite viewpoints on children and family life; yet neither is condescended to or presented as having made the "right" choice. All the characters are flawed in some way -- being human with no pretensions to perfection. Eldest son Paul turns out to be a bit unmotivated in life, Gina is brisk and investigative, Sandra is unusual (she loves fashion and matures early), Roger and Katie are a unit of two within the family, and youngest sister Clare is lithe, blond, and only interested in dancing.

In a story with such a large cast, a couple of the characters inevitably get short shrift, and in this book, the fourth and fifth children, Roger and Katie, are the least detailed. Still, they move to North America in adulthood, Roger to Toronto and Katie to the US and this allows for some discussion of Canadianness -- which of course I loved! Roger marries a Toronto girl who is of Chinese descent, and the first time she meets Roger's clueless parents Charles wants to know where she is from, to place her. He asks if she's from Hong Kong or Taiwan; Susan, being thoroughly Canadian, calmly replies, "Toronto."

The book is centred in Allersmead; Charles and Alison bought it when they were first married, and the story carries us through the family trials and tribulations until such time as, perhaps, with children all scattered around the world, it is time to move on. The chapters are brief but as usual with Lively, full of telling moments. Family dynamics are front and centre, and it is next to impossible not to have a favourite (for the reader as well as for the mother in the tale). I must admit Alison drove me a bit batty, but I found it very interesting to wonder why she irritated me. And why Gina was my favourite.

It's a fantastic presentation of family life in a large group of siblings, with eccentric parents, and an au pair who stays for thirty years. I really can't describe much more of a plot; that's about it. But it is in the telling that this story shines; Lively captures the essence of suburban middle class living, all the petty things you remember about childhood and sibling relationships. Some of her regular preoccupations show up here -- family, the vagaries of memory, the history of a house (with resultant past and present existing side by side), academic characters -- but somehow this book feels more open, fresher and very modern, with new fascinations arising. Gina is a journalist who travels the world; Sandra ends up in Italy; Clare travels the world with her dance troupe. The final chapters are emails between the siblings, which feel so realistic yet are not vague or wordy filler but a brilliantly obvious usage of modern communication. The last page of the book I loved so much I can't even express it. It reminded me of a favourite Canadian novel, David Helwig's Saltsea, in its use of a house to express passing time and the ever changing nature of time and circumstance.

Anyhow, I am going on a bit about this really quite brief book, but I loved it. A favourite out of all the Lively I have read so far, I am going to buy my own copy so I can read it again and savour all the nuances. It's her voice that captivates me, and I very much enjoyed the way she told this story.

BBAW Reading Meme

2009-09-16T08:28:00.002-04:00

It's BBAW, Day 3: today's project is a meme, in which brevity is of the essence -- so here are my very brief and to-the-point replies!

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?

No, not generally. I don't like to get stuff in or on my books! My only snack is a cup of tea.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

I guess my librarian side just can't do it; I do not mark up books. My favourite reading aid recently is a pack of post-it flags -- that way I can mark everything down in my reading journal after I've finished.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?Laying the book flat open?

Again, librarian! So I always use a bookmark, though that can be a receipt, an old slip of paper, or even (gasp) a real bookmark.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?

Fiction! No, non-fiction. No, both!

Hard copy or audiobooks?

Definitely hard copy. I've tried audiobooks but I just can't do it.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?

I much prefer reading to a chapter break. I'll only put it down in the middle if I have to.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?

Nope, if I can't puzzle it out from the context I'll flag it to look up later.

What are you currently reading?

Let's see, Muriel Barbery's Gourmet Rhapsody, Victor Lodato's Mathilda Savitch, Joan Clark's Road to Bliss, Joseph Gold's The Story Species. For starters.

What is the last book you bought?

Colette Rossant's foodie memoir, Return to Paris

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?

See above. No, seriously, I prefer having at least three on the go for different moods and times of day.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?

If I have the day off I love to read on my front porch in summer, or in a sunny window in winter. Otherwise, anywhere will do! And I can not fall asleep without reading something first.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?

Generally stand alone, though I have read a few series I enjoyed.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?

Right now I am going through a serious Penelope Lively craze. Read her!

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)

Um, bad librarian... I don't organize them at all. I get enough of that at work. ;) I just pile them on to the first available space in the bookshelf.

Interview with a Blogger

2009-09-15T09:22:00.008-04:00

As part of BBAW, today's celebration includes interviewing another blogger: today Kailana of The Written World and I are exchanging a quick set of questions. It's the Insta-Interview version, as we decided to interview each other since our original partners hadn't replied. We've asked each other the same questions: here are my answers; then pop on over to her blog for her replies.

1. As a Canadian blogger, do you make an effort to read Canadian or does the 'nationality' of a book matter to you? What is your favourite Canadian novel?

I do make an effort to keep up with Canadian fiction, as I feel it is important to know what is going on in my own milieu. (also, it’s important for my job!) I also love participating in the Canadian Book Challenge and finding out what everybody else is reading and enjoying. But I also like to read books from elsewhere, so that I’m not restricted to a view of only what is around me. I guess nationality would affect my reading in that I’d be more likely, not less, to pick something up if it was from somewhere else that interested me.

2. 'Do your real life friends/family know you blog/read your blog? Does this make any difference to how you write?

I never thought that my family read it until my dad started asking me things about it!  So now I know that they read it, but it doesn’t really change what I write. I’m close to my family and we talk a lot so they probably know everything I’m likely to say, anyway! I do tell everyone about my blog now, but when I started it I wasn’t saying anything. Now that I’m more comfortable with it even my coworkers know and look at it.

3. I was reading at work the other day & someone asked me what I was reading. Before I even had a chance to answer, he said 'a romance'? Do reading stereotypes bother you? Do you prefer/avoid any genres due to lurking stereotypes?

Well, I can’t imagine what I would have said to your co-worker! ;) I only had that happen to me once: one summer I was working in a mall selling raffle tickets and to keep myself sane I was reading a lot. This particular day I was reading a textbook for a course I would be taking in the fall, on Feminist Theory. An older man came up to buy a ticket and asked if I was enjoying my smut novel. Then I closed the book and he saw the title and backed away slowly…

But I read nearly every genre according to my mood. Except horror, I generally avoid. I like creepy and ghostly but gory I can’t take. I didn’t realize until now that I do make an effort to keep reading intellectually challenging work partly because I don’t want to be pigeonholed as reading only ‘women’s fiction’, with all the sexism that carries with it. Don't know if that is buying in to the whole stereotype, though!

4. How do you feel about covers of books? Do you judge books by their covers? Is there something that could appear on a cover that would make you not want to read the book or be seen in public with it?

I like good design that reflects the story. And if there’s a nice cover it might suck me into to checking out a book I might not have otherwise – at least to read the summary and a page or two. And an ugly cover can put me off even if I do want to read the book! As for appearing in public… well, when I was younger I would never have appeared in public with a romance novel, even though I do read them relatively often. Now, I don’t care, if I feel like reading a Regency romance I will. The only things I’d be hesitant to appear with in public these days would probably be erotica with sexy covers (just embarrassing to have strangers ask you about it!) or books about any specific health concern, for the same reason. Otherwise I don’t have any real concerns about what the books I read look like.

5. What's the biggest change in your reading habits since you started blogging, if any? Reading choices or ways of reading?

I’d say the biggest change I’ve noticed is that I read more carefully; I will take notes sometimes, and think about the story as I’m reading, trying to figure out what I want to say about it. And I find I can recall the books I’ve reviewed quite clearly also. It’s nice.

The other big change is in the range of my reading. Since I began blogging in 2006, I’ve found most of my reading through other blogs. I read the newspapers / online reviews also, but most of the titles that are new to me come from bloggers. And I feel like I know a lot more about the genres that I don’t read as regularly – graphic novels and science fiction in particular. It’s been enriching to my own reading life as well as my professional knowledge. Blogging has been a wonderful experience!

BBAW blog highlights

2009-09-14T17:39:00.002-04:00

It's the first day of Book Bloggers Appreciation Week! I'm going to be trying to write daily posts along with all the BBAWers: today's 'assignment' is to highlight some of the blogs you visit often that might not have shown up on the shortlists, so BBAWers can explore them. Then add your post to the list at BBAW -- there are already over 100 posts linked, and new blogs to me popping up everywhere. How exciting! Here are a few that I enjoy regularly -- there are so many of you that I read often: this is just a sampling.

The Guys

We all know that men are in the minority when it comes to book blogging. But it is nice to get their perspective as well, so I'll suggest a couple that I enjoy --

Bookpuddle

Cipriano is a regular blogger who posts nearly daily, sharing cartoons, quotes, his own poetry, and lots of very funny stories and reviews. I can count on him for a good laugh really often!

Book Mine Set

John hosts one of my favourite Challenges, the Canadian Book Challenge. He is located way up in Northern Canada, and reads lots of contemporary fiction, poetry, children's books and nearly anything else; and he also has many great features on his blog like Saturday quizzes and a biweekly 2-book showdown. Lots of interest to read here.

Bearcastle Blog

Jeff blogs about American politics, social issues, Science, music and books -- always something thought-provoking to find at Bearcastle. And, he hosts the marvellous Science Book Challenge. And, he runs a company promoting science literacy. And, his was one of the first blogs I found by chance way back when I began blogging. Lots of reasons to read him!

Chumley & Pepys on Books

Ok, I had better not leave out my own husband's blog! He is an infrequent poster, but always has very thoughtful opinions on books and bibliographic matters. Since he also blogs, he understands my compulsive need to read, write posts and follow hundreds of you, as well! In fact, we've finally broken down and got ourselves a laptop so we can both be blogging at the same time. :)

Then there's the female side of the equation ... so many favourites I will just mention a couple that are fairly new to me:

Booking it Bus StyleRosemary is from LA and writes about books, cooking, and LA life in general. As this is totally unknown to me, I love reading her thoughtful posts about living carless in LA and all that results from that choice.

Kiss a Cloud
Claire reads a wide variety of books and posts about them with lovely images and interesting notes about where she's read things! She is an ambitious reader, recently tackling Bolano's 2666 and Proust, and joins many reading challenges, which provides many opportunities to add to the TBR.

Fleur Fisher ReadsFleur reads things I haven't always heard of -- quite reasonably, seeing as she is in England! She reads, reviews, and knits (with pictures). And even though she's English, she's read one of my favourite bits of Canadian fiction, Ethel Wilson's Hetty Dorval. Yay!

Dreadlock GirlSomehow I had missed coming across Bethany's blog until recently...I am glad I found it because there are lots of great reviews, and great photos. Recently she posted photos of her trip to a rare book room which was absolutely drool-worthy. Plus she rates books by number of chickens, how can I not love that? :)

So these are just a few of the many blogs that enrich my reading life. I have many more in the sidebar, and am always adding to the total.

Now go on over to BBAW's roundup post and prepare to spend some time discovering new voices -- it is addictive!