Category General Book Talk

40 Things (8)

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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Image Co...

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Playing along with Boof’s 40 Day Book Challenge, her next question is:

8) A book that blew me away

I’m not sure how to define “blew me away.”  I’ve read books where the ending was a total surprise and I’ve been a basket case (“My Sister’s Keeper,” “Beatrice & Virgil“), but although I feel “blown away” I never like that feeling.  I feel manipulated and left with a negative feeling towards the book.

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathon Safron Foer is a beautifully written book that “blows me away” without manipulating my emotions.  It could be because of Oskar’s personality guiding me through the book… it’s just such a good book.

#8 on my list was to “Have Dinner Parties” which I am pretty good at.  I love to entertain and sometimes use it as a way to “experiment with new recipes” (see #7) but often it is less about the food and more about the fellowship, in which case we order in.  I should plan another soon!

Off to read!

 

40 Things (7)

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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Following along with Boof’s 40 Day Challenge leading up to her 40th birthday, her next question is:

7) A favourite YA book

I had to go to goodreads to find a list of “best YA books” to see if I had read any – and of course I have read quite a few!  The Harry Potter series would rank up there as favorites, but also “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and Louise Rennison’s books about Georgia (“Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging” et al).  When I was a YA, I read and re-read “A Wrinkle in Time” and as a grown adult with a YA of my own, I tried to read it and found it slightly disturbing.  So interesting how your brain changes…

#7 on my list of things to do before 40 was to “experiment with recipes.”  Wow.  How vague is that?  Since my daughter went to college in ’06 and the flood of ’07, I have cooked less and less.  When I do I like to try something new.  I set it as a goal in 2011 to cook weekly and have mostly failed at that as well.

What I am learning from reviewing my list of 40 things is that I need to be better at setting measurable and specific goals!  Although, it still was fun to create a list of the way I wanted things to be.

Off to read!

40 Things (6)

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Following along with Boof’s 40 Day Challengeleading up to her 40th birthday, her next question is:

6) A book that changed my life

Hmmm.  Not an easy question!  I’m not sure I can point to a book and claim that it changed my life in any big way.  I know that the very presence of books has changed my life.  Books have brought me comfort in times when I needed it and have brought me joy in times when I needed that.  I have lots of vivid memories of the books that I read as a child and have always been known as a reader or a “book worm.”  So does the first book that hooked me in and made me a reader become the book that changed my life?

Being in book club has changed my life.  Connecting with great people over great books (or even not-so-great books) has been a great experience in the past ten or so years.

#6 on my list of Things to do before turning 40 was to “Say YES more – be ready!”  Yesterday I wrote about how “saying no” to an overbooked life was on my list.  This one is about being ready for adventures and the life I want.  It isn’t always easy for me to be spontaneous, as I do like to plan things.  I know that when my daughter went away to college that I adopted the philosophy that “I can do whatever I want,” which was pretty freeing (after the initial despair over bringing her to college).  It was nice to be open to adventures without feeling tied down to responsibilities.

Off to read!

40 Things (5)

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Non-Fiction Section

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Following along with Boof’s40 Day Challenge leading up to her 40th birthday…her 5th question is:

5)  A favourite non-fiction book?

Non-fiction isn’t something I read often.  Should I be ashamed? Because I’m not.  The few that I have read, I have enjoyed.  Probably non-fiction books that I don’t enjoy don’t even get finished, thereby they don’t make my “Read” list.  🙂

Here are a few good books:  “The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women and Friendship,” “No Journey is So Far: Two Women and their Historic Journey Across Antarctica,” “A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from my Kitchen Table,” and “Reading Lolita in Tehran.”  (When I look further at the non-fiction books that I have read, there is a common theme of a title with a colon (:) and a subtitle following.  Is that requisite in non-fiction?  Have to explain the title further to get people to read them?)

A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table

“The Girls from Ames…” inspired me to invite a group of women to commit to getting together monthly in order to nurture relationships, so that’s kind of a big deal.  I met Ann Bancroft and she signed my “No Horizon is So Far” book, so that’s kind of a big deal, too.  I refer to “My Homemade Life” often, and in fact, it is with my cookbooks rather than on my bookshelf.  It is full of recipes that are fun to dream about (and do-able if a person were inclined to cook).  And “Reading Lolita” is a wonderful glimpse into the lives of women in Iran.
Any #5 on my list of 40 Things was SAY “NO” MORE.  This was something that I was consciously doing before I made my list, but also something I needed to keep in the forefront of my mind.  There was a time when I said YES to everything and had many volunteer commitments and work commitments.  I was busy and getting a lot done but the joy was taken out of it so I needed to evaluate what was important to me and pare down the things that were sucking the life out of me.
Again, no great shakes, but the list made it a conscious choice.
Off to read!

40 Things (4)

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Cover of "Persepolis"

Cover of Persepolis

Following along with Boof’s 40 Day Challenge leading up to her 40th birthday… her fourth question is:

4) A favourite translated book

Hmmm..  Not sure how many translated books I have read, but there have been a few.

I own and LOVED reading “My Life as a Dog” by Reidar Jonsson.  A Norwegian book whose movie adaptation won best foreign film in 1987, I believe.  I loved the movie and the book even more.  I have memories of riding on public transportation in Madison and literally laughing out loud and also having my heart break.

I really enjoyed “Persepolis,” by Marjane Satrapi and translated by Mattias Ripa.  A story about growing up in Iran.

I read an abridged version (shameful, I know) of “War and Peace” by Tolstoy and didn’t really enjoy that much.  It was a long hot summer and there are so many names …

I’m sure there are others, but “My Life as a Dog’ wins.  🙂

And on my list… my #4 was “Learn some Ukranian / Russian” and I failed miserably. Again, I listened to Russian podcasts and downloaded vocabulary sheets.  Not much stuck.  We had a foreign exchange student from the Ukraine so that was the motivation to attempt it.

Off to read!

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40 Things (3)

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Playing along with Boof’s 40 Day Book Challenge for her 40th birthday, day 3 –

3) A book with a favourite character

I’m sure that there are others but last summer I read the book “Love Walked In” by Marisa de los Santos and I remember vividly that I wanted to be friends with Cornelia.  She was spunky and fun and kind and quirky and I wanted the best things for her.  There are a lot of other favorite characters, too.  Elizabeth Bennet (AND Mr. Darcy) in “Pride & Prejudice,” Lizbeth Salander in “The Girl…” books, Harry Potter, Oskar Schell in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” and I could go on and on.  But these are a few favorites.

Looking back on my list of 40 Things, my #3 was to “Learn some Italian.”  Not a very good goal – not specific or measurable – but again it’s more about the big picture than the minute steps.  I listened to a bunch of Italian podcasts and downloaded some vocabulary lists and that’s as far as it got.  I’d love to go to Italy someday and think that would be incentive to actually get the words to stick in my head.  I think my Italian Ferragosto holiday at the lake each August will also help inspire me to learn more Italian and get to Italy some day.

Off to read!

40 Things… (2)

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[St. Stephen's Green Park, Dublin. County Dubl...

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Following Boof at Book Whisperer, I’m participating in her 40 day book challenge leading up to her birthday.  Her second question is:

2) A book I wish I could live in

Well, bouncing off yesterday’s post of my favorite book of 2011, I’m going to say anything by Maeve Binchy.  Those quaint little Irish villages are so seductive (as are some of the villagers!).  I would love to live in Ireland for a bit…

And reviewing my list from my 40 things… My #2 was

2) Read “Persuasion” by Jane Austen
and I did!  In August of 07 (reflecting my belief that Austen is best read in the summer!).  Again, no great shakes, but a purposeful wish to do important things.

Off to read!

40 Things…

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My Year in Lists

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Boof at the Book Whisperer turns the big 4-0 this year and is counting down to her birthday in October (shortly after mine!) with a 40 Day Book Challenge!  I think I’ll play along (when I can) and also will write about my own list of “40 things to do before I turn 40” from a few years ago!

Her first question was:  1) A favourite book of 2011 (so far)
When I looked through my Goodreads “read” shelf, the books that had five stars include all the Harry Potter books, which I listened to on audio this year, two Maeve Binchy books, and “The Girl Who Fell From the Sky”.  So I’m going to say my favorite of the year is “Finding Frankie” by Binchy.  I’ve expounded on my love of all things Binchy before, so I’ll just leave it at that.

My friend Deadra and I were both looking at turning 40 in 2008 and wanting to commemorate it in some way.  We love lists so decided to each write our own list of 40 things to do before turning 40.  We wrote the lists in late 2006, giving us plenty of time to accomplish them.  Looking at my own list of 40 Things Before 40, my #1 started out simple –
1)  Re-read “Pride and Prejudice.”
And I did.  To me, Austen is a great book to laze away the summer with, absorbing each word, paragraph and page.  It’s relaxing and a lovely way to spend time.

My list of Things was a lot of fun to write and accomplish, even though they were pretty small feats, for the most part.  Some of them were more about a way of thinking than doing.  It’ll be fun to relive it a little here…

Off to read!

 

Book: The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee

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Cover of "The Piano Teacher: A Novel"

Cover of The Piano Teacher: A Novel

This book takes place in two different decades in Hong Kong, 1943 and 1953.  It describes the lives of the people from many countries who live in Hong Kong, the atrocities that happened during WWII, and how they survived.

I liked this book but didn’t love it.  It puts into words more horrific details from WWII – never easy to read.   I blame some of my indifference to this book on the fact that I was slow in reading it and didn’t get a good flow going, so maybe lost something in continuity.

Excerpt from B&N from goodreads:

Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers
Exotic Hong Kong takes center stage in this sumptuous novel, set in the 1940s and ’50s. It’s a city teeming with people, sights, sounds, and smells, and it’s home to a group of foreign nationals who enjoy the good life among the local moneyed set, in a tight-knit social enclave distanced from the culture at large. Comfortable, clever, and even a bit dazzling, they revel in their fancy dinners and fun parties. But their sheltered lives take an abrupt turn after the Japanese occupation, and though their reactions are varied — denial, resistance, submission — the toll it takes on all is soon laid bare.

Enter Claire Pendleton from London. Months after her husband is transferred to Hong Kong in 1951, she accepts a position as a piano teacher to the daughter of a wealthy couple, the Chens. Claire begins to see the appeal of the sweltering city and is soon taken in by the Chen’s driver, the curiously underutilized Will Truesdale. A handsome charmer with a mysterious limp, Will appears to be the perfect companion for Claire, who’s often left to her own devices. But a further examination leaves her with more questions than answers.

An intricately woven tale of lives changed by historical events, Lee’s debut brings this hothouse flower of a city alive with passion, and imagines characters both unforgettable and tragic.
(Spring 2009 Selection)

Books: Is Anybody Out There?

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Cover of "Anybody Out There?: A Novel"

Cover of Anybody Out There?: A Novel

“Anybody Out There? (Walsh Family #4)” by Marian Keyes

Eh. I listened to this book and think it would have been better as a quick read. The format is told with a lot of email messages, so consequently, there is a lot of: “to: so-and-so@such-and-such.ie.net from:someoneelse@somewhereelse.com re: another topic”. Would have been faster to skim those bits and the flow would have been better. Also, I noticed that this is book #4 in a series about this family. I think it works as a stand-alone (I didn’t notice the series title til 3/4 through the book) but probably you get more emotional investment if you know the rest of the family as well.

The book’s primary character is Anna, who is Irish but lives in NYC.  “Something” happens, you know it does, but you don’t find out what “it” is until about halfway through the book (or so).  And I could have guessed, but it was kinda weird.  And then the search for answers, closure…

I like Marian Keyes all right but this is not a great audiobook.