morsie reads

Friday, August 01, 2008

Beowulf

Beowulf, translated and read by Seamus Heaney

Composed toward the end of the first millennium of our era, Beowulf is the elegiac narrative of the adventures of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who saves the Danes from the seemingly invincible monster Grendel and, later, from Grendel's mother. He then returns to his own country and lives to old age before dying in a vivid fight against a dragon.
The poem is about encountering the monstrous, defeating it, and then having to live on in the exhausted aftermath. In the contours of this story, at once remote and uncannily familiar at the end of the twentieth century, Seamus Heaney finds a resonance that summons power to the poetry from deep beneath its surface.

Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) the library at work doesn't have many audio books. Since I've had a good deal of coding to do lately, I've been working through my personal stash of audio books (and those loaned from friends) as well as the library's selection of fiction on CD. On the Road is currently checked-out, but I've listened to Eragon (kind of a strange choice for an academic library) and now Beowulf.

Actually, I was quite excited when I realized that the library owned an audio version of Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf. I'd been wanting to read it ever since it first came out and I knew that listening to Heaney read it himself would be a much more authentic way to experience the poem.

While Beowulf probably isn't the best choice for listening while doing mindless work (I prefer something lighter), it is nonetheless a good "read". Heaney reads wonderfully and his translation makes the work accessible to the modern reader.

Labels: audio, informal reviews, literature-in-translation

Thursday, July 17, 2008

travel reads

Summer reading is often synonymous with travel or vacation reading. I haven't been posting much lately because I've been busy (why is it that summer ends up being the busiest time of year?). I had a bit of a trip last week so I thought I'd post about the books I decided to bring with me.

Tomb of the Golden Bird by Elizabeth Peters
~ Audiobook read by Barbara Rosenblat

Banned forever from the eastern end of the Valley of the Kings, eminent Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson's desperate attempt to regain digging rights backfires— and his dream of unearthing the tomb of the little-known king Tutankhamon is dashed. Now Emerson, his archaeologist wife, Amelia Peabody, and their family must watch from the sidelines as Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter discover the greatest Egyptian treasure of all time.
But the Emersons' own less impressive excavations are interrupted when father and son Ramses are lured into a trap by a strange group of villains ominously demanding answers to a question neither man comprehends. And it will fall to the ever-intrepid Amelia to protect her endangered family— and perhaps her nemesis as well— from a devastating truth hidden uncomfortably close to home... and from a nefarious plot that threatens the peace of the entire region.

I needed an audiobook since I knew I'd be doing a good deal of driving. Browsing the discount bookstore, I came up with Tomb of the Golden Bird, Elizabeth Peters' 18th Amelia Peabody Mystery. it was sufficiently long (14 hours) and unabridged. I knew that it was a recent installment in a series, but had no idea how many books were in the series. Luckily for me, the book does stand on its own and readers can follow the action without needing to know the backstories of all the various characters.

I didn't find the novel particularly suspenseful, but the story (and how it relates to the actual discovery of King Tut's tomb) was interesting. The story gets bogged down in the details, I think. Amelia Peabody is an interesting character as are many of the individuals in her sphere. It is Peters' gift for characterization that makes the novel engaging. Additionally, the reader, Barbara Rosenblat, does a wonderful job rendering the individual characters with very distinctive voices for many of the main characters.

Carnevale by M R Lovric

1782: the 13-year old daughter of a Venetian merchant family is lured naked from her bath by a stray cat and finds herself in the arms of Casanova. Twenty-five years later, her renown as a painter is eclipsed only by her reputation as his last lover. Then a young poet named Byron enters her life.

I'd previously read Lovric's The Floating Book, which I really enjoyed. I love historical fiction and I love Venice. I also love art historical ficiton, but for some reason I just could not get into Carnevale. I gave the book until page 100 and then I decided that I should let it go and try again at some other point.

Casanova is undoubtedly interesting, but there's only so much that I want to hear about him in a story about someone else. Cecilia is an interesting character, but her story definitely gets bogged down in the narration of Casanova's personal history. I might have stuck with it, but the glimpse we get of Byron at the very beginning of the novel did nothing to whet my appetite for the rest of the novel.

Labels: audio, historical fiction, informal reviews

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Picture Perfect

Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

To the outside world, they seem to have it all. Cassie Barrett, a renowned anthropologist, and Alex Rivers, one of Hollywood's hottest actors, met on the set of a motion picture in Africa. They shared childhood tales, toasted the future, and declared their love in a fairy-tale wedding. But when they return to California, something alters the picture of their perfect marriage. A frightening pattern is taking shape-a cycle of hurt, denial, and promises, thinly veiled by glamor. Torn between fear and something that resembles love, Cassie wrestles with questions she never dreamed she would face: How can she leave? Then again, how can she stay?

I don't know what it is about Jodi Picoult. Her writing is compelling. After discovering her you always want to read more. Even if you come across one of her books that you really don't like, you still want to read her others. BUT it seems like the books you read subsequently never measure up to the first one (for me that was Plain Truth). At this point I have read the majority of her novels, but my first exposure to Picoult remains my favorite of her books.

As I'm sure I've mentioned before, Picoult writes what I call "issue fiction". Her books can sometimes be unbearably depressing. Despite the issue of this book being one that I find particularly difficult to handle (and the death of the childhood best friend hitting a bit too close to home), Picture Perfect isn't one of her more depressing books. The characters are all pretty well-drawn and believable (even Ophelia is realistic in her self-absorption). For most of the main characters there is redemption. The ending is more realistic than those of some of Picoult's other books (and more hard-won). Picoult incorporates other cultures into the narrative (as she does with some of the other novels) with success, I think.

Labels: general fiction, informal reviews

Friday, June 27, 2008

Disobedience

Disobedience by Naomi Alderman

Winner of the Orange Award for New Writers, Disobedience is the story of Ronit Krushka, a 32-year-old financial analyst living in New York City. A strong, independent woman, Ronit has been blazing her own path since her teens. When her father, a leader of Orthodox Jewish community in London, dies, Ronit feels a strong urge to return home. Reentering the stifling environment of her youth, Ronit is forced to confront her past.

The story is narrated in turn by Ronit (with a fantastic interior monologue that refers frequently to her psychiatrist back in NY) and a third-person omniscient narrator and each chapter begins with a quote from the Torah or other Talmudic text. Highlighting both the similarities and differences between the religious community of Hendon and the secular world in which most of us live, Disobedience is indeed about the tendency to disobedience that is inherent in each of us.

My favorite chapter in seven. I loved how the chapter begins with "Our sages warn us often against the perils of gossip: lashon hara, which means, literally, an evil tongue" (109) and an explanation of why gossip is so bad and then continues to follow all the orthodox women in the neighborhood self-consciously gossiping about Ronit and Esti. Alderman handles this masterfully:

Mrs. Berditcher drew breath. She might know something. Just a little piece of news. The bread slicer clattered, its comb-blades flickering up and down as the women drew closer. Wat? What did Mrs. Berditcher know? Mrs. Berditcher shook her head. It would not be right to speak of such things. She and Mr. Berditcher thought they might have seen something on their walk home after Shabbat the previous evening. But they could not be sure. It had been dark. They had been very far away. Their eyes may have deceived them. Although, seeing Ronit so different, her hair so short, her demeanor so assertive and still unmarried at thirty-two, well, there seemed a kind of sense to it. But what? What had been seen? The break slicer roared to life again, a limp-haired assistant by its side feeding it four large, square white loaves. Mrs. Berditcher demurred. It would certainly be lashon hara to speak the words, and lashon hara is a thing of evil, as they had learned many years before. Mrs. Stone and Mrs. Abramson heard, as through from far away, a faint and calming voice telling them to desist. Move on, it said, go on with your shopping. Buy bages and kichels and rugelach. But nearer at hand they felt a quickening pulse at their temples. Go on, they pressed, go one. Mrs. Berditcher hesitate and, in a low voice, went on. (114-115)

And it just gets better.

Labels: informal reviews, literary fiction

Monday, June 23, 2008

Eat, Pray, Love

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Subtitled "One Woman's Search for Everything across Italy, India and Indonesia", Eat, Pray, Love is a candid memoir that focuses particularly on one year in the life of the author. After finalizing a bitter, seemingly never-ending divorce, Gilbert takes a year off to indulge her wanderlust and discover who is she outside of the confines of her life in the states.

She first goes to Italy, where she soaks up the Italian language like a sponge all the while savoring each meal that comes her way. Next to rural India, where she cloisters herself in her guru's ashram. And, finally, to Bali where she seems to find balance and, in the end, love.

I'll be the first to admit that I had a hard time getting into this book. The Italy section, particularly at the beginning, is so focused on the problems Gilbert had before embarking on the journey that it wasn't an easy read. Then once I'm finally feeling comfortable, she's off to India and there's a completely different (and in some ways less-relatable) focus to the narrative. The Balinese part seemed to me the shortest. It's the most balanced, probably because Gilbert at this point is finally feeling things come together in terms of her overarching self-discovery journey.

While I didn't think that Eat, Pray, Love was as fantastic as I'd heard it'd be (it seemed at times much too detailed and at others not detailed enough), I'm definitely be interested in reading Gilbert's follow-up memoir (Weddings and Evictions) just to find out more about how things turned out with "Felipe".

Labels: informal reviews, memoir

Friday, June 20, 2008

Ceremony

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko

Set on a Laguna Pueblo reservation in New Mexico, Ceremony follows Tayo, a World War II veteran struggling to pull together the pieces of his life. Frighteningly real ancient Laguna stories are interwoven with Tayo’s, illuminating his life and our own.

Short, but complex, Ceremony is more than the story of one man’s alienation. In subtle ways the author illuminates paradoxes inherent in the relationship between native peoples and the United States, explores identity, and challenges assumptions.

Of particular interest is the novel’s explanation of the origins of the European settlers.

More on the Student Services blog...

Labels: general fiction, informal reviews

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Tamora Pierce

Over the weekend was was home-bound with a bad cold and though I've generally had a hard time concentrating on anything for any length of time, I did have some luck with the Tamora Pierce books on Mt. TBR.

Terrier: The Legend of Beka Cooper

Beka Cooper is a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard, and she's been assigned to the Lower City. It's a tough beat that's about to get tougher, as Beka's limited ability to communicate with the dead clues her in to an underworld conspiracy. Someone close to Beka is using dark magic to profit from the Lower City's criminal enterprises — and the result is a crime wave the likes of which the Provost's Guard has never seen before.

I believe this is the first Pierce book I've read. I'd heard good things about her, and when I saw this book and it looked like it might be a good entry into her world, I couldn't resist.

I enjoyed the book. The story was interesting and compelling, the characters were well-written and sympathetic (those that were supposed to be). Most importantly of all, Terrier did keep my attention and I was sorry to turn its last page.

The Will Of The Empress

For years the Empress of Namorn has pressed her young cousin, Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, to visit her vast lands within the Empire's borders. Sandry has avoided the invitation for as long as it was possible. Now Sandry has agreed to pay that overdue visit. Sandry's uncle promises guards to accompany her. But they're hardly a group of warriors! They're her old friends from Winding Circle: Daja, Tris, and Briar. Sandry hardly knows them now. They've grown up and grown apart. Sandry isn't sure they'll ever find their old connection again — or if she even wants them to.

After reading Terrier, I was at a loss until I remembered that I had this book on Mt. TBR. I double-checked that the book wasn't a 2nd or 3rd book in a series and then dug it out.

While I did not find The Will Of The Empress as compelling as Terrier (despite the fact that the book does stand alone, my attention-limited self found that there were a few too many main characters to handle not knowing their backstories), it did meet my needs and provide a distraction from my icky-feelingness yesterday.

I'll definitely be reading more of Pierce in the future - particularly the Circle books so I can meet Sandry, Tris, Daja, and Briar properly.

Labels: fantasy, informal reviews, series, YA fiction

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Speak

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth.

Needing a book to read this evening, I plucked Speak off my BookCrossing bookcase (yes, I have a bookcase dedicated to BookCrossing books) almost at random. But, oh am I glad I did. What a wonderful, compelling book. After reading it, I can assure you that Speak deserves any award that it has received.

In it, Anderson deals with a tough issue, but does so sympathetically and honestly without over-dramatizing it. Protagonist Melinda is relatable and her first-person narration (and sarcastic humor) is what makes the book as successful as it is. Anderson's depiction of high school is authentic. Despite being a quick read, Speak is a book that will stay with you long after you turn its final page.

Labels: informal reviews, YA fiction

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Extras

Extras by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies Trilogy)

It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. "Tech-heads" flaunt their latest gadgets, "kickers" spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of American Idol. Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules.

As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. But Aya doesn't care; she just wants to lie low with her drone, Moggle. And maybe kick a good story for herself. Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for.

Extras is the fourth book in the Uglies Trilogy (yes, that's right, the 4th book in the trilogy).

It's been a while since I read the first three Uglies books (which I thought were fantastic) and in this case I think that that's a good thing. Because Tally wasn't so fresh in my mind it was easier to cope with the fact that she's not the protagonist of this installment (that and having been given a heads-up before I started the book).

It seems like Westerfeld was planning to end with book three, but was pressured to continue the series because of its success. Extras is much different than the first three. It does continue in the same vein and Tally and the cutters do figure into the story, but it is set on a different continent, years later. Extras also brings the storyline to a satisfactory conclusion so it'll be interesting to see whether he comes out with another book.

Anyway, I did like Aya - at times she was a bit too insistent on the importance of her "kicking", but I'm sure that's because she's a product of her city. I also really liked the character of Frizz. So I guess what I'm saying is that I would not be adverse to another book that continues their story.

Labels: informal reviews, series, YA fiction

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Truth & Beauty

Truth and Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett

I picked up Truth and Beauty and Lucy Grealy's Autobiography of a Face around the same time after hearing that they were both fantastic books and should be read together. I read Autobiography of a Face in February (see this post), but only just got around to reading Truth and Beauty this month.

I've read Patchett before and enjoyed her writing. Truth and Beauty is compelling and Patchett seems to write honestly about Grealy and their relationship, but there is a strange edge to the book, most likely because it was written in response to Grealy's death. It's hard to take pleasure in a book when you know that it will end with the untimely demise of one of the main characters especially when that character is both sympathetic and a real person. That isn't to say that the book didn't make me laugh (the CDs on page 187, for example) and that it wasn't heartwarming in its way, it's just that the loss of Grealy tends to overwhelm everything else for me.

Also, I'm not sure that I liked the way that Patchett used Grealy's letters throughout the book. I almost wish that Patchett had omitted them and relied purely on her own words. It almost seemed that Patchett was using excerpts of Grealy's letters to prove things that didn't really need to be proven or in some way trying to create a memoir co-written by Grealy. While Patchett may have used the letters to increase the authenticity of the story, I found that their inclusion made me more likely to doubt her as a narrator (and to wonder about what Patchett chose not to include). Of course, my reading of Truth and Beauty has been clouded by my reading of Autobiography of a Face and the knowledge that Grealy's older sister was against the publication of Truth and Beauty. That may be one of the reasons why I feel the way I do about the use of Grealy's letters, with no prior knowledge I might not have even given the use of the letters much thought.

In any case, I'll be posting a little teaser review of Truth and Beauty on the student services blog on Friday.

Labels: informal reviews, memoir

Sunday, May 11, 2008

The Illustrated Jane Eyre

The Illustrated Jane Eyre

Charlotte Brontë’s sweeping Victorian romance is reborn through the striking illustrations of the inimitable Dame Darcy.

This month my book club will be discussing Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair. What a perfect excuse to read The Illustrated Jane Eyre, which I've had on Mt. TBR since September 2006, and that's exactly what I did this weekend.

First of all, I should say that I'm pretty sure I'd never read Jane Eyre before. I thought I had, way back in high school, but now I think I'd only read Wuthering Heights (by younger sister Emily).

Suffice it to say that I really enjoyed getting to know this classic properly. Dame Darcy's illustrations are a wonderful addition to this addition. Black and white illustrations are peppered throughout the book (encroaching from the margins, forcing the text to wend its way around them) with the less frequent inclusion of full-page illustrations (you can see images of some of the full-page plates in the book on Dame Darcy's color prints and black and white prints pages). Her style seems like a perfect match for Jane Eyre and as I read the novel I found myself eagerly awaiting Darcy's next addition to the text.

Labels: classics, informal reviews

Friday, May 09, 2008

Twilight Saga

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga seems to be getting a good deal of press lately. I was introduced to the books by a friend before I'd heard any of the hype.

I read New Moon and Eclipse just this week, though I'd read Twilight in September.

Twilight has a very different feeling than the other books in the series so far. Maybe that's because Meyer didn't set out to write a series. In any case, when I read Twilight I liked the relationship between Bella and Edward, its slow build-up and all the difficulties inherent in it, but wasn't crazy about the violent, action-packed ending of the book. I had no strong feelings about the series, but I knew I'd read the other books when my friend got around to loaning them to me.

I became much more invested in the series with the second book, New Moon. Part of it is because I knew - to some extent - what to expect. Of course, I was blindsided by the big thing that happens early on in that story, but I liked how things proceeded from there and I became much more interested in Bella herself.

The books are compelling despite the fact that it is sometimes hard to relate to Bella. The cast of characters (mortal and immortal alike) is interesting, as is Meyer's take on vampires.*

Though some fans might consider this sacrilege, I am not a member of the Edward fan club. Personally, I prefer Bella's other option. I find Edward too domineering (though, I'll admit that he is beginning to mellow) and think that if this was a chick lit storyline we'd have a very different sense of Edward and would be convinced that Bella was in a horribly unhealthy relationship and rooting for her to kick him to the curb. I think the memory of the romance of the Twilight tends to blind readers to the implications of some of his actions later in the books.

* This isn't really a spoiler because it's alluded to in the first book, but I've put it down here just in case: actually Meyer's take on werewolves and her incorporation of them into Native American mythology is much more interesting.

Labels: fantasy, informal reviews, series, YA fiction

Monday, May 05, 2008

The Secrets of a Fire King

The Secrets of a Fire King by Kim Edwards

I've had The Secrets of a Fire King on my wishlist pretty much ever since I read The Memory Keeper's Daughter (read my post). Now that I've read it, I'm wondering why I didn't try to get my hands on a copy sooner. I loved the varied settings of the stories, Edwards' vivid descriptions, and her sympathetic characters. In this collection, Edwards is subtle and strong. Her words are mesmerizing. And, while there were some stories that I cared less for than others, there were none that I wanted to write off (which is rare in a collection, I think).

I think my favorite stories were "Thirst" (about a mermaid who gave up the sea for love), "A Gleaming in the Darkness" (the story of Marie Curie's cleaning woman), and "Aristotle's Lantern" (how to describe that one?). I loved the irony of "The Invitation" and optimism evidenced in "The Great Chain of Being" and "The Story of My Life" (and how those two stories frame the collection).

While The Secrets of a Fire King has a number of recurring themes, I was particularly struck by Edwards' meditation on Marie Curie and her legacy. When radium appeared unexpectedly in a second story, I felt a surge of joy (and a greater anticipation about where that story would lead).

Labels: general fiction, informal reviews, short stories

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Year of Wonders

Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks

Geraldine Brooks' debut novel (she has since written March and People of the Book) follows two years in the life of a small English village (Eyam, Derbyshire). When an infected bolt of cloth carries the "seeds" of plague to Eyam in 1665, a visionary young minister convinces the villagers to quarantine themselves. In an effort to stop the spread of the contagion, the villagers sacrifice themselves and as the death toll begins to mount mistrust rears its ugly head.

The novel's narrator is a young widow named Anna Frith, one of the plague survivors. Anna is sympathetic and relatable despite the 300+ year time difference between readers and herself. Year of Wonders is the story of her village and its trials, but it is also the tale of her own self-awakening.

Year of Wonders is one of those rare books that is consistently strong throughout. My interest never waned and I probably would have finished it all in one sitting if I didn't make myself go to bed around midnight. I particularly liked the epilogue and how Brooks ties up things with our protagonist (it's unexpected and somewhat unrealistic, but perfect nonetheless). I also loved the afterword. Too often I start afterwords and never finish them because they aren't compelling and can be extremely anticlimatic after the end of a good novel. Brooks' afterword, however, was interesting and relevant and it added to my enjoyment and understanding of the novel.

Labels: historical fiction, informal reviews

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Series

Sally Lockhart Trilogy by Philip Pullman

I recently read Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart trilogy: The Ruby in the Smoke, The Shadow in the North, and The Tiger in the Well. The Tin Princess is a related title; I have it on Mt. TBR. Set in Victorian England, the books tell the story of Sally and her various adventures as an independent woman. Chock full of mystery, they offer murder, kidnapping, and an occasionally happy interlude.

The Sally Lockhart books aren't nearly as good as the His Dark Materials books. I'd been told as much and came prepared. I did, however, think The Ruby in the Smoke was a promising start to a series. When I started The Shadow in the North I was disappointed. I didn't like the huge gap between the stories. I wish that Pullman had given his readers a look at Sally's life in those intervening years. While following Sally set up her business and grown into her own woman might not lead to page-turning suspense, it would have been a welcome respite from the gloom and doom of the mysteries as written. The same goes for the gap between books two and three.

Study books by Maria V. Snyder

On another note, while I was away on my mini-vacation I read the first two Study books: Poison Study and Magic Study. They came to be highly recommended and I was not disappointed.

Poison Study is Maria V. Snyder's debut novel and it is fantastic. Set in a fantastical world, it follows Yelena, a young woman who becomes the food taster for a military dictator after being sentenced to death for a murder she did in fact commit. A journey of discovery, Poison Study offers magic, mystery, and suspense (with a side of romance). Best of all, we continue to learn about both the Snyder's fantastical world and Yelena herself in Magic Study.

While the books are on the violent side, one can't help but become completely invested in Yelena and her personal struggles. The third book in the series, Fire Study, is out now and I hope to pick up a copy soon.

Labels: fantasy, informal reviews, series

Friday, April 11, 2008

The Shadow of the Wind

Fiction this month for the student services blog...

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
(translated from the Spanish by Lucia Graves)

Set in post-Spanish Civil War Barcelona, The Shadow of the Wind is the story of Daniel Sempere, the son of a bookseller. On his first trip to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Daniel discovers a little-known novel the obscure author Julián Carax. The novel (entitled The Shadow of the Wind) speaks to Daniel in a way that no other book has. He longs to read more by Carax, but it seems that a mysterious man has been collecting all extant copies of Carax's works and burning them.

The more Daniel learns of Carax, the more questions remain unanswered. As parallels begin to emerge between Carax's life and his own, Daniel becomes all the more invested in discovering the secrets of Carax and the mysterious book-burner.

A spellbinding page-turner rife with well-drawn characters, The Shadow of the Wind is part mystery, part tragedy, part romance. It is a book about books and a book about life.

Labels: historical fiction, informal reviews, literature-in-translation

Thursday, April 03, 2008

More Big Girl Knits

More Big Girl Knits by Jilliam Moreno and Amy Singer (authors of, surprise, surprise, Big Girl Knits) arrived yesterday (preordered by Russell as part of my Christmas present).

It's subtitled "25 designs full of color and texture for curvy women" - I love color, I love texture, and I loved Big Girl Knits so I knew this one would be well received.

I really enjoyed flipping through the patterns. I have to admit that I completely skipped all the frontmatter, so I can’t comment on that.

I think the patterns overall are very good (yes, there were a couple of duds - one in particular that I couldn’t imagine many larger women would even consider wearing); better than the first book, I think. And, there are more than a couple that I’d definitely consider knitting:
- Hot Cocoa Jacket (a textured blazer)
- Goddess Shawl (a gorgeous cabled shawl completely beyond my skill level)
- Cable Love Jacket (a low-cut, tunic-length cardigan with a bit of cable and lace)
- Twisted Pullover (pictured on the front cover; it looks like something I'd buy in the store)
- Pastille (a pullover with lots of pattern, using colors that aren't too different to make it subtle)
- Perfection Wrap (a light, lacey wrap made with Handmaiden Sea Silk)

I’m intrigued by the Modular Spiral Jacket, but I’m not sure that it’d actually look good on me - I almost wish it was pullover instead of a jacket since the edging seems a bit bulky. I also like the halter top with the special bra-hider flap... though I never wear halter tops. And, I can totally picture my sister in the Orange Smoothie Tank (hers would have to be a deep magenta, though).

Personally I don’t mind the inclusion of socks at all. I particularly thought the Twisty-stitch Socks were relevant as they are perfect for those of us with huge calves - though I’m not so crazy about the idea of knitting socks with Cascade 220. (I also kinda like the Indian Summer Socks, but mostly because the pumpkin-colored Fleece Artist yarn is oh-so lovely).

I was less crazy about the bags (do larger women need special handbags?) and the bulky scarf (yes, it proves a point, but a scarf is a scarf).

Labels: informal reviews, knitting books

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Stravaganza

The Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman

I recently read the first three books in this superb series: City of Masks, City of Stars, and City of Flowers.

The series opener, City of Masks, is the story of fifteen-year-old Lucien Mulholland whose father gives him a beautiful journal to help him survive his chemotherapy treatments. When Lucien falls asleep holding the book, he travels to Bellezza, a Venice-like city located in a fantastical version 16th Century Italy. In Bellezza he becomes Luciano and learns that he is part of the brotherhood of the stravagante, wanderers between two worlds dedicated to protecting the separation of and balance between the worlds.

As Luciano explores Bellezza by night, Lucien's body becomes stronger. That physical change, however, is not why he was called to Bellezza. It is only when a plot to assassinate the Duchessa, Bellezza's beloved ruler, is uncovered, that Luciano begins to see what his true role will be.

City of Masks has it all - romance, intrigue, historical detail, subtle but strong magic, and a singular concept. Despite the fact that City of Masks stands alone and comes to a satisfying conclusion, you can't help but want to read more about Hoffman's fantastic world.

The Stravaganza books are written for teens, but they will also captivate adult readers (especially those who tend to like fantasy). The books are relatively quick reads, but they are meaty enough that you don't want to rush through them and that you feel satiated upon finishing them. Hoffman's Talia is an Italy like our own 16th Century Italy in many ways though there are unique differences, some obvious and others subtle.

The books will hold up to (and in many ways invite) multiple readings. I'm eagerly awaiting the fourth book in the series, City of Secrets, which will be published sometime this year.

Labels: fantasy, informal reviews, YA fiction

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Guns, Germs, and Steel

The second of my Book of the Month posts for our student services blog went up yesterday. Fiction next month, Nonfiction again in May (both TBD at this point). I need to have an every-other rule so that I don't focus too much on fiction.

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

Subtitled "The Fates of Human Societies", Guns, Germs, and Steel won the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction in 1998. Diamond, a professor of geography at UCLA, sums up the 480-page book with the following sentence: "History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among the peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves" (25).

The book is divided into four parts. The first part, "From Eden to Cajamarca," discusses the rise of civilization, how geography molded Polynesian society (as a model for understanding the radiation of societies on the continents), and how and why Spanish conquistadors were able to capture the last independent Inca emperor despite being outnumbered 500-to-one. Parts two and three focus on the rise and spread of food production and how that led to the development of writing and technology as well as the evolution of germs. The final part, "Around the World in Five Chapters," explores the implications of these developments on each of the continents.

Though Guns, Germs, and Steel has its critics, it is a fascinating read. And, by the time you finish, you'll have enough cocktail hour discussion fodder for the next five years.

More on GG&S after our book club meeting on the 26th.
Yes, I'll admit it. I killed two birds with one stone by picking our March book club selection to be the March book of the month.

Labels: informal reviews, nonfiction

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Sophie and the Rising Sun

Sophie and the Rising Sun by Augusta Trobaugh

Salty Creek is a sleepy Georgia town where everyone knows everyone else's business. Strangers rarely enter their midst. When the mysterious Mr. Oto arrives in the spring of 1939, he immediately becomes the talk of the town.

A quiet, unassuming Japanese man with a secret history of his own, Mr. Oto meets Sophie soon after arriving in Salty Creek and immediately falls in love with her. Sophie, having lost her true love during World War I, spent her youth caring for her mother and maiden aunts. Now that they are gone, she has resigned herself to a lonely, passionless existence. That all begins to change as she finds herself drawn to Mr. Oto.

When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Mr. Oto's newfound life comes under siege and Sophie must decide how much she is willing to risk for a future with the man who has brought such joy into her life.

This was a quick read, but a very good one. There was the potential for the story to get quite dark and menacing and I'm very glad that it did not. I appreciated that is was a simple (and simply beautiful) story of a complex situation in a very complex time.

I liked Trobaugh's writing (I should have expected to with such a wonderfully constructed title) and particularly the dual perspectives of the narrators and what that added to the story.

As much as I liked Sophie and Mr. Oto, I think my favorite characters were Sally and Miss Anne. Sally because of her gumption and her ability both to forgive and to hold others accountable for what they'd done. Miss Anne because the parts not narrated by her revealed the imperfections that made her a full-bodied character (particularly her slight revisions of the story to make herself look better). I think the fact that I didn't completely hate the "bad" character by the book's ending says a good deal about Trobaugh's ability to both create believable characters and to convey nuance.

Labels: general fiction, historical fiction, informal reviews, southern fiction

: Name: karen!; Location: Buffalo, New York, United States

Books have been a lifelong passion for me. I studied comparative literature as an undergraduate and worked as an apprentice to a rare book conservator while I was in graduate school. You can see my reviews in Library Journal and on a number of review sites here on the web.

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Note: my library is a work in progress--what's in there now is just a drop in the bucket...