I guess that was a good chunk of hiatus right there... completely unintentional, I assure you. But, life being what it is, my reading dipped a bit and my blogging dipped a lot. Oh well... time to catch up I guess.
Planet Dog; A Doglopedia - Sandra and Harry Choron
Not a whole lot about one thing but little bits of everything, Planet Dog covers just about any dog topic you can think of. Information on different breeds, differences in breed groups, dog sports, all about the conformation world, tidbits of training, books to read, and lists lists lists! Top 20 breeds for apartment living, outdoor life, barkers, biters, ones who like kids, ones who hate kids, names of Presidential dogs, movies about dogs, dogs who have won awards for acting or civil service... you name it. The real winner in this book for me was the information about obtaining a dog. Not only do they tell you what to look for in a breeder, but what not to look for, why not to buy at a pet store, reasons to consider adopting an older dog, and reasons why people who love dogs don't always get them. All good stuff to consider! They also cover important things like why you shouldn't breed your dog, and they pick apart all the stupid reasons people give for not neutering them.
This is a book that everyone from the interested dog owner to the seasoned dog professional can enjoy. It's very readable and nicely designed with lots of images and quotes scattered around. My only big problem was two improper breed identifications. A picture of a Long Haired Chihuahua was labeled a Papillion and a drawing that was supposed to be a Bearded Collie looked much more like an Otterhound. But I find that often happens in dog books that aren't specifically breed books. So no biggie. Still a good library addition for dog owners!
The Bridges of Madison County - Robert James Waller
Everyone knows some stupid hardcore Twilight loving dorkface. Maybe you are that dorkface. And that's fine, I guess, everyone has their guilty pleasures. But, I don't want to hear a single thing, ever again, about how "romantic" Twilight/Edward/whatever is. Because if you want a true, heartbreaking, soul destroying love story to make you feel like every relationship you'll ever have is less than amazing, this is the book. Because it is just so beautiful.
It starts simply enough. Lone-wolf photographer, Robert Kincaid, stops at a farmhouse in dusty Iowa to ask for directions to a local covered bridge as he's doing a piece on covered bridges in the area for National Geographic. He is met by under-appreciated housewife Francesca Johnson who is alone for the week while her family is at the Illinois State Fair. What comes of their meeting is... well... you really need to read the book. It's not a great american novel by any means, and I can see why some people have said in reviews that the dialogue is unrealistic ("No real people talk that way"). But what it boiled down to, for me, is that it's a wonderful little story, and if you don't like it, the book is really short and you didn't waste weeks on it if you didn't like it.
The Egyptian - Mika Waltari
This book is a hefty read, I'll start by saying that. It follows the life of Sinuhe the Egyptian, and wow, what a life he leads. In this book you are completely transported to the ancient world. Sinuhe travels from Egypt, to Babylon, to Crete and everywhere in between.One of the things I really liked was that, as I read, I remembered lots of stuff from my 10th grade Ancient History classes.. I felt very in the know! But, you certainly don't need any particular knowledge of ancient history to appreciate Mika Waltari's writing. It probably helps to be interested in the origins of mankind, but all that really matters is that you're interested in mankind, period. The atrocities that take place because of religion are terrifying, and the love lost for the favour of gods is crushing. It is not a lighthearted read, in the least, but absolutely worth giving some time to. I'll be looking for more of his books in the future.
****
Book Count: 12/50
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Because Patrick is a whiney slut... Book 9
The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien
This book took me forever to read. Or, it did if you consider I technically started it 2 years ago and put it aside and just left it. But man, you have to be in the mood for The Lord of the Rings. These are no before bed books. One paragraph about trees and the sky and the landscape and I'm out.
I get that Tolkien was going for something with all his description, he was trying to recreate Middle Earth so we (the readers) could be completely immersed in the world he created. And I'm sure it worked for a lot of people. I know Mordor was scary and Hobbiton was quaint and lovely but I can only read about the landscape for so long. Once we've hit a few lines of this, I'm done. The trees, the sky, the water, the clouds, the stars, the lack thereof... oi.
So I'm going to start looking for an abridged version of these books. Because they're great. The story is really wonderful and the characters are amazing and I, of course, found myself crying at the end of The Return of the King because it made me just that happy and sad all at once. But I can't enjoy them when entire chapters are dedicated to traveling and telling me how bleak everything was.
This book took me forever to read. Or, it did if you consider I technically started it 2 years ago and put it aside and just left it. But man, you have to be in the mood for The Lord of the Rings. These are no before bed books. One paragraph about trees and the sky and the landscape and I'm out.
I get that Tolkien was going for something with all his description, he was trying to recreate Middle Earth so we (the readers) could be completely immersed in the world he created. And I'm sure it worked for a lot of people. I know Mordor was scary and Hobbiton was quaint and lovely but I can only read about the landscape for so long. Once we've hit a few lines of this, I'm done. The trees, the sky, the water, the clouds, the stars, the lack thereof... oi.
So I'm going to start looking for an abridged version of these books. Because they're great. The story is really wonderful and the characters are amazing and I, of course, found myself crying at the end of The Return of the King because it made me just that happy and sad all at once. But I can't enjoy them when entire chapters are dedicated to traveling and telling me how bleak everything was.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Book 9... is going slow.
Book number 9 is going pretty slowly, for a few reasons:
1) It's a real BRICK of a book. Not that it's big but word-heavy. I have trouble getting back into it sometimes, and it's not something I can read when I'm tired or not thinking clearly.
2) I have been really tired.
3) I have a new phone that's absorbing a lot of my attention! I just can't seem to stop tapping away at it, even when there's nothing to be done on it. "Emails checked, no texts, no calls, nothing new on facebook... I better check again just in case!"
I'll get there, but I'm not keeping my usual pace and that's disheartening.
1) It's a real BRICK of a book. Not that it's big but word-heavy. I have trouble getting back into it sometimes, and it's not something I can read when I'm tired or not thinking clearly.
2) I have been really tired.
3) I have a new phone that's absorbing a lot of my attention! I just can't seem to stop tapping away at it, even when there's nothing to be done on it. "Emails checked, no texts, no calls, nothing new on facebook... I better check again just in case!"
I'll get there, but I'm not keeping my usual pace and that's disheartening.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Off topic: Bitching about Blogger
Once upon a time I was an Open Diary fan. I wrote regularly, made wonderful relationships, and generally wasted a lot of time there. They had a fun little feature where you could click "random diary" and you'd get something that was recently updated. I met some great people through randomizing, and I never knew what I would find.
I thought the "Next Blog" feature would be something like that... an entirely random blog would come up and I could decide whether or not to read said blog. Well, it seems to me that it's not so random. I keep getting "family" blogs, mostly moms sharing pictures of their kids..... or missionary blogs, spreading "the word".
It would be one thing if I only got these blogs occasionally in a mix of everything else, but.... WTF? I don't need to read "my problems with fertility" for 15 blogs in a row before getting thrown into the midst of LDS missionaries in Japan complaining that the new person that they met is an unbeliever and needs converting for another 10.
So what's going on here? Is this a sign that I need to procreate and go back to church? If so, I'll just quit the internet entirely. Are the blogs in "strings", where when you click "next" it has something to do with previous blogs? Did my posting "The Nanny" and "The Lost Symbol" doom me to being strung in next to soccer moms and bible thumpers? Or is there just THAT many blogs devoted to children and Jesus that I am doomed to hit "Next Blog" and surely get one?
I thought the "Next Blog" feature would be something like that... an entirely random blog would come up and I could decide whether or not to read said blog. Well, it seems to me that it's not so random. I keep getting "family" blogs, mostly moms sharing pictures of their kids..... or missionary blogs, spreading "the word".
It would be one thing if I only got these blogs occasionally in a mix of everything else, but.... WTF? I don't need to read "my problems with fertility" for 15 blogs in a row before getting thrown into the midst of LDS missionaries in Japan complaining that the new person that they met is an unbeliever and needs converting for another 10.
So what's going on here? Is this a sign that I need to procreate and go back to church? If so, I'll just quit the internet entirely. Are the blogs in "strings", where when you click "next" it has something to do with previous blogs? Did my posting "The Nanny" and "The Lost Symbol" doom me to being strung in next to soccer moms and bible thumpers? Or is there just THAT many blogs devoted to children and Jesus that I am doomed to hit "Next Blog" and surely get one?
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Book 7 and 8
Stevenson Under the Palm Trees - Alberto Manguel
SUTPT is a novella about Robert Louis Stevenson's final days in Samoa. Best known for writing The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson moved his family to Samoa due to his ill health. This little piece of fiction is called a psychological thriller. Psychological, yes. Thriller? Naah. It could have reached that point with a little more action and probably another 100 pages (the book is only about 100 pages in all) but for me it ended up just being a little book about nothing. Maybe I missed some subtle nuances to the writing, but over all it just wasn't that exciting.
What Manguel did VERY well was paint the picture of Stevenson's Samoa. I could almost taste the tropical humidity.
The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
Our good friend Robert Langdon is back and apparently can't keep himself out of trouble. Isn't he getting too old for these shenanigans? Langdon's good friend in Washington asks him to fly out to give a speech at an event he's hosting, but it's a bit rushed - Langdon has to hop on a jet to arrive that evening as the arranged speaker had to back out last minute. Langdon is such a good guy he agrees and hilarity ensues. Oh, that's not right, of course there's no hilarity! There's mystery, codes to solve, murder, and a race around Washington. So, typical stuff for Dan Brown.
If you liked The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, you'll probably like the Lost Symbol. Although the read went quickly for me, it isn't as easy to immerse yourself in, and I found it a little difficult at first. There are some parts that drag and I've heard some people even call it "bloated" but I don't know if I'd go that far.
The "BIG HUGE SHOCK" at the end is no big huge shock and I actually had it picked out right at the beginning. And the end of the book really is longer than it needs to be.
My big complaint is this: How many times do you need to say "esoteric" in a book, Dan? In one part he used it twice in the same sentence! Get a thesaurus, man.
I did enjoy the Lost Symbol, but not nearly as much as Angels and Demons, by far his best book of tree. I'm glad I own Angels and Demons, and I'm glad I borrowed The Lost Symbol.
SUTPT is a novella about Robert Louis Stevenson's final days in Samoa. Best known for writing The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson moved his family to Samoa due to his ill health. This little piece of fiction is called a psychological thriller. Psychological, yes. Thriller? Naah. It could have reached that point with a little more action and probably another 100 pages (the book is only about 100 pages in all) but for me it ended up just being a little book about nothing. Maybe I missed some subtle nuances to the writing, but over all it just wasn't that exciting.
What Manguel did VERY well was paint the picture of Stevenson's Samoa. I could almost taste the tropical humidity.
The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
Our good friend Robert Langdon is back and apparently can't keep himself out of trouble. Isn't he getting too old for these shenanigans? Langdon's good friend in Washington asks him to fly out to give a speech at an event he's hosting, but it's a bit rushed - Langdon has to hop on a jet to arrive that evening as the arranged speaker had to back out last minute. Langdon is such a good guy he agrees and hilarity ensues. Oh, that's not right, of course there's no hilarity! There's mystery, codes to solve, murder, and a race around Washington. So, typical stuff for Dan Brown.
If you liked The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, you'll probably like the Lost Symbol. Although the read went quickly for me, it isn't as easy to immerse yourself in, and I found it a little difficult at first. There are some parts that drag and I've heard some people even call it "bloated" but I don't know if I'd go that far.
The "BIG HUGE SHOCK" at the end is no big huge shock and I actually had it picked out right at the beginning. And the end of the book really is longer than it needs to be.
My big complaint is this: How many times do you need to say "esoteric" in a book, Dan? In one part he used it twice in the same sentence! Get a thesaurus, man.
I did enjoy the Lost Symbol, but not nearly as much as Angels and Demons, by far his best book of tree. I'm glad I own Angels and Demons, and I'm glad I borrowed The Lost Symbol.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Book 5 and 6
My wonderful Samwise reminded me a book I missed in July, so that's one more for the count.
Still Alice - Lisa Genova
Ever wondered what descending into Alzheimer's Disease would be like? It's something I try not to think about, personally. But Lisa Genova paints the most amazing picture of just that. The worrying, the confusion, and the eventual realization that you're losing yourself completely. The challenges it presents to family members. Terrifying, but really wonderfully written.
Though this was a pretty fast read and it's not a long book, don't confuse it for a light read in the least. If nothing else, it helped cement my decision that if I were to be diagnosed with something like Alzheimer's I'd go be lawfully euthanized in the Netherlands.
Lisa Genova self published Still Alice and through social media turned it into a NY Times best seller.
http://www.stillalice.blogspot.com/
The Nanny - Melissa Nathan
So, this is total chick lit. You like a light, cute, girly novel, then you'll probably like it. If you don't, then you wont. Pretty simple.
Jo Green is a nanny in the quiet Niblet-Upon-Avon who comes across a job listing for a cosmopolitan family in London. She's 20-something (a younger 20-something than myself, ugh), pretty and a little tired of her quiet life. She becomes indispensable to her new charges and, who would have thought, the dad has a son from a previous marriage who is handsome and also 20-something. Yeah, the formula holds true in this one. Of course, things go awry and Jo and elder son (Josh) hate-love-hate-love-hate-love until it alllll works out perfectly in the end. How nice.
But here's what important about this book: There are truly some laugh out loud moments, pockets of hilarity that don't always have anything to do with the story line that completely caught me off guard. Those little moments are completely wonderful, a real treat. The other important thing about this book was I managed to not hate the children. Kids in media generally have the same effect on me as they do in life. They're annoying and generally cause more work than necessary (When Lily puts Carrie's cell phone in her little purse in the SATC movie? Ugggh), but not in The Nanny. The kids are cutely written, and their parts in the story (along with the other characters) are written from their point of view. Cassie's social troubles at school with the manipulative Arabella, Zak's new found obsession with his wiener, Tallulah's instant affections for Jo.
In summary? Chick lit with some pleasant surprises, but it's still chick lit. Don't read it if you're expecting anything different.
****
Book count: 6/50
Still Alice - Lisa Genova
Ever wondered what descending into Alzheimer's Disease would be like? It's something I try not to think about, personally. But Lisa Genova paints the most amazing picture of just that. The worrying, the confusion, and the eventual realization that you're losing yourself completely. The challenges it presents to family members. Terrifying, but really wonderfully written.
Though this was a pretty fast read and it's not a long book, don't confuse it for a light read in the least. If nothing else, it helped cement my decision that if I were to be diagnosed with something like Alzheimer's I'd go be lawfully euthanized in the Netherlands.
Lisa Genova self published Still Alice and through social media turned it into a NY Times best seller.
http://www.stillalice.blogspot.com/
The Nanny - Melissa Nathan
So, this is total chick lit. You like a light, cute, girly novel, then you'll probably like it. If you don't, then you wont. Pretty simple.
Jo Green is a nanny in the quiet Niblet-Upon-Avon who comes across a job listing for a cosmopolitan family in London. She's 20-something (a younger 20-something than myself, ugh), pretty and a little tired of her quiet life. She becomes indispensable to her new charges and, who would have thought, the dad has a son from a previous marriage who is handsome and also 20-something. Yeah, the formula holds true in this one. Of course, things go awry and Jo and elder son (Josh) hate-love-hate-love-hate-love until it alllll works out perfectly in the end. How nice.
But here's what important about this book: There are truly some laugh out loud moments, pockets of hilarity that don't always have anything to do with the story line that completely caught me off guard. Those little moments are completely wonderful, a real treat. The other important thing about this book was I managed to not hate the children. Kids in media generally have the same effect on me as they do in life. They're annoying and generally cause more work than necessary (When Lily puts Carrie's cell phone in her little purse in the SATC movie? Ugggh), but not in The Nanny. The kids are cutely written, and their parts in the story (along with the other characters) are written from their point of view. Cassie's social troubles at school with the manipulative Arabella, Zak's new found obsession with his wiener, Tallulah's instant affections for Jo.
In summary? Chick lit with some pleasant surprises, but it's still chick lit. Don't read it if you're expecting anything different.
****
Book count: 6/50
Thursday, August 5, 2010
July 2010 - The books I read (at least, the ones I remember reading)
Practical Demon Keeping - Christopher Moore
Christopher Moore is a fairly new favourite of mine. One of the girls at work turned me on to him with A Dirty Job and I'm always happy when she lends me another one of his. Gotta love a friend with books! Mr. Moore is funny in the wackiest way possible. You have a problem with penis jokes, swearing or the occult? Don't read his books. You like the quirky, the weird, the completely ubsurd? Don't walk, RUN to your nearest book store.
Essentially, the unwitting keeper of an ancient demon ends up in a quiet California tourist town, looking for the only way to get the nasty thing off his back. Hilarity ensues.
Okay, maybe not hilarity. This one did not make me laugh out loud all that much, but it was still amusing and well worth the read.
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove - Christopher Moore
What a lucky lass I am, getting to read two Moore books in a row. I unfortunately read them in the wrong order, and didn't realize that TLLoMC came after Demon Keeping. Set in the same sleepy coastal town, but about 10 years after the whole demon debacle. Only a couple of characters carry through and not in any major way, so reading them in the wrong order didn't really ruin anything for me.
TLLoMC is pretty hilarious. A prehistoric shape shifting lizard makes sweet love to a gas truck. Need I say more? Probably not. Go read Christopher Moore.
The Washingtonienne - Jessica Cutler
Ok so, if you don't read this book, you wont be missing anything. If you do read it, you wont feel like you wasted many hours of your life. I read The Washintonienne in one afternoon at the cottage. It was a light, fast read, and certainly the perfect thing if you're a chick who a) likes chick lit and b) are in the mood for something nasty. The short of it is, slutty beast runs around Washington boning everyone and blogs about it to keep her friends in the loop. She's found out, and her non-existent career is destroyed. I guess that's what happens when you're a slutbeast (and one on drugs to boot).
Serve with cheap flavoured wine and a lawn chair. And feel better that you left your slutbeast ways behind you like I did in high school.
The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova
Get ready for a long read with this one... over 800 pages in the paper back version that was lent to me. And let me say, I DID enjoy it, even if my little review doesn't seem that way.
This book is long, not just in pages but in terms of readability. The timeline in the book really hops around. Start in the 70's, move to the 50's, then to the 30's and back and forth and up and down and... you get the idea. Half the story is back story, and there's a lot of flowery and overly descriptive prose. Sometimes I had to put the book down just to absorb what I'd read.
You also bop around the world, Europe in particular. This is one area where the book is truly enjoyable, as you are immersed in the country where the characters are. The architecture, the food, the landscape is all wonderfully described, although often it's a little too much. I found myself comfortably skimming many longer paragraphs and I didn't feel like I missed anything in the process.
It took 300 pages for the story to really GO anywhere. It was easy to forget that this was supposed to be a book about vampires.
In short, I'm glad I'm the sort of person who insists on finishing the books they start, as there was much to enjoy in The Historian. But, you really do have to be dedicated to it.
****
Book count: 4/50
Christopher Moore is a fairly new favourite of mine. One of the girls at work turned me on to him with A Dirty Job and I'm always happy when she lends me another one of his. Gotta love a friend with books! Mr. Moore is funny in the wackiest way possible. You have a problem with penis jokes, swearing or the occult? Don't read his books. You like the quirky, the weird, the completely ubsurd? Don't walk, RUN to your nearest book store.
Essentially, the unwitting keeper of an ancient demon ends up in a quiet California tourist town, looking for the only way to get the nasty thing off his back. Hilarity ensues.
Okay, maybe not hilarity. This one did not make me laugh out loud all that much, but it was still amusing and well worth the read.
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove - Christopher Moore
What a lucky lass I am, getting to read two Moore books in a row. I unfortunately read them in the wrong order, and didn't realize that TLLoMC came after Demon Keeping. Set in the same sleepy coastal town, but about 10 years after the whole demon debacle. Only a couple of characters carry through and not in any major way, so reading them in the wrong order didn't really ruin anything for me.
TLLoMC is pretty hilarious. A prehistoric shape shifting lizard makes sweet love to a gas truck. Need I say more? Probably not. Go read Christopher Moore.
The Washingtonienne - Jessica Cutler
Ok so, if you don't read this book, you wont be missing anything. If you do read it, you wont feel like you wasted many hours of your life. I read The Washintonienne in one afternoon at the cottage. It was a light, fast read, and certainly the perfect thing if you're a chick who a) likes chick lit and b) are in the mood for something nasty. The short of it is, slutty beast runs around Washington boning everyone and blogs about it to keep her friends in the loop. She's found out, and her non-existent career is destroyed. I guess that's what happens when you're a slutbeast (and one on drugs to boot).
Serve with cheap flavoured wine and a lawn chair. And feel better that you left your slutbeast ways behind you like I did in high school.
The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova
Get ready for a long read with this one... over 800 pages in the paper back version that was lent to me. And let me say, I DID enjoy it, even if my little review doesn't seem that way.
This book is long, not just in pages but in terms of readability. The timeline in the book really hops around. Start in the 70's, move to the 50's, then to the 30's and back and forth and up and down and... you get the idea. Half the story is back story, and there's a lot of flowery and overly descriptive prose. Sometimes I had to put the book down just to absorb what I'd read.
You also bop around the world, Europe in particular. This is one area where the book is truly enjoyable, as you are immersed in the country where the characters are. The architecture, the food, the landscape is all wonderfully described, although often it's a little too much. I found myself comfortably skimming many longer paragraphs and I didn't feel like I missed anything in the process.
It took 300 pages for the story to really GO anywhere. It was easy to forget that this was supposed to be a book about vampires.
In short, I'm glad I'm the sort of person who insists on finishing the books they start, as there was much to enjoy in The Historian. But, you really do have to be dedicated to it.
****
Book count: 4/50
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