I figured out the culprit for my missing emails problem: LAURA!
Just kidding. But it turns out that blogger only lets you send email alerts to one email address, so I formed a mailing list for us on google groups. Hopefully it will work. This post is partly to test that.
I just returned from the library and picked up: Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Corelli's Mandolin, The Corrections, Disgrace, The Bean Trees, The Poisonwood Bible, and The Old Man and the Sea. I might end up volunteering at the library's bookshop--they need help and I can't resist a place that has a little moneybox and a bookcart outside the door with the message, "If the bookstore is closed, place money here."
I was reading The Prisoner of Azkaban again today and the whole books-to-movie issue kept popping up, because I had the images and sounds from the movie stuck in my head and they would flash up in my mind when I was reading. It was a little distracting, actually. I mean, I love the movie, but I liked being able to use my own imagination to visualize the characters. And now that seems impossible.
Curses on Hollywood? Or does someone want to give the counterargument?
P.S. I haven't read LOTR either, Laura. Except for the appendix about Eowyn and Faramir, because I'm a sap and it wasn't in the movie.
P.P.S. Blogging about books at a bookstore is very appropriate, I think. I'm sure your bosses would agree that it's better than reading the tabloids. Not that I do that...much.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Squiffy, from the Mouth of a Brit
According to the boy, "'squiffy' was a term used in the early part of the century but I haven't heard it for a long time in modern idiom; it means drunk/pissed. The play 'the inspector calls' has it quite a lot but I'm sure there're tons of other literary references" (punctuation mine). So there we are. Maybe it's like punchy, as Bronwen said, and it means drunk in England because everything means drunk in England, and it means slanted or whatever it was here.
I like the questions you raise, Karen, and will respond to them later. The real question for me: is blogging about books allowed when there's nothing else to do at the bookstore?
By the way, "The Phantom Tollbooth": still soooo good. :)
I like the questions you raise, Karen, and will respond to them later. The real question for me: is blogging about books allowed when there's nothing else to do at the bookstore?
By the way, "The Phantom Tollbooth": still soooo good. :)
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Literary Prostitutes
I have to echo what Alyssa said: Wow. Good postings. For some reason the email function wasn't working, so I didn't get my email notices and didn't check the site (and didn't see Laura's dig about my hair grrrr).
I started reading the Alanna series again a few days ago. I read them as a child and they've been on my list of recycled books for years (the ones I read at least once a year). I hadn't picked them up, however, in a while and so when I was reading them again, I felt very conscious of what I was reading, rather than reading to relive old memories, which is what I usually do. It's happened to me a lot lately (maybe college is finally sinking in?), and it's somewhat disheartening, because a lot of my old favorites have lost a little of their gleam in the process. I'm sorry to say that this happened with Alanna. I have to agree with most of Bronwen's criticisms--the writing really is atrocious at times, and the plot predictable. It read as a "children's" book, somewhat dumbed down and overexplained (her later books definitely show an improvement). Pierce's strength, I feel, is in her characterization of Alanna. She makes you root for her characters, and that makes you keep reading to see that they succeed, even though you're pretty sure they will. The gender issue Bronwen discussed is key because Pierce tries(and succeeds on some level) to break the divide between what is considered male and female literature, and consequently male and female roles.
Alanna is a great "sheroe," because she combines the best of boys' and girls' books--as my lit professor would say, it's a combination of boys' school stories/adventure tales and girls' fairy tales/romances. My sister used to say that fantasy/sci-fi books were really just romance novels dressed up in armor for boys. Pierce's books are appealing because her characters battle in wars AND get the prince to fall in love with them. As Laura said, Alanna's problem throughout is that she tries to put on a false performance as a boy according to the stereotypes she's grown up with, and she doesn't think she can be both feminine and knightly (?) and be accepted. I think that is why she includes the part about Alanna wanting to dress like a female, because she's suppressed one side of her entirely, from her clothes to her emotions, and she has to learn that it isn't healthy. If you continue reading the series, you'll see that Pierce handles the problem in interesting ways, especially in dealing with sexuality and marriage. As you follow her character through the series (and other Pierce books she appears in) you see that Alanna sort of breaks the boundaries of the female domestic sphere and the male war/politics sphere and helps to push the idea that a maiden knight (oh sounds ridiculous) is a "proper" role for a woman (this comes to fruition in the Kel series).
I just realized how boring this must have been for people who haven't read the books. Apologies!
To sort of make up for that, some questions:
What does squiffy REALLY mean?
What do you think of the translation from book to film? This comes to mind because Anne Hathaway, who starred in the murder that was Ella Enchanted, is starring in The Devil Wears Prada, another book to movie I really want to see for some frivolous reason, though I haven't read the book. And The Da Vinci Code, of course.
And an answer:Why do we love those "not real" books so much? Because they're fast, cheap, and easy. Literary prostitutes. I can't stay up all night reading if I actually have to think about what I'm reading; it's too exhausting. And the metaphor gets disturbing...
Last words:I'm blown away by Alyssa's reading list FOR THIS WEEK--I can't read ONE "real" book in a week, let alone three. But I'm going librarying soon, so maybe I can try.
I started reading the Alanna series again a few days ago. I read them as a child and they've been on my list of recycled books for years (the ones I read at least once a year). I hadn't picked them up, however, in a while and so when I was reading them again, I felt very conscious of what I was reading, rather than reading to relive old memories, which is what I usually do. It's happened to me a lot lately (maybe college is finally sinking in?), and it's somewhat disheartening, because a lot of my old favorites have lost a little of their gleam in the process. I'm sorry to say that this happened with Alanna. I have to agree with most of Bronwen's criticisms--the writing really is atrocious at times, and the plot predictable. It read as a "children's" book, somewhat dumbed down and overexplained (her later books definitely show an improvement). Pierce's strength, I feel, is in her characterization of Alanna. She makes you root for her characters, and that makes you keep reading to see that they succeed, even though you're pretty sure they will. The gender issue Bronwen discussed is key because Pierce tries(and succeeds on some level) to break the divide between what is considered male and female literature, and consequently male and female roles.
Alanna is a great "sheroe," because she combines the best of boys' and girls' books--as my lit professor would say, it's a combination of boys' school stories/adventure tales and girls' fairy tales/romances. My sister used to say that fantasy/sci-fi books were really just romance novels dressed up in armor for boys. Pierce's books are appealing because her characters battle in wars AND get the prince to fall in love with them. As Laura said, Alanna's problem throughout is that she tries to put on a false performance as a boy according to the stereotypes she's grown up with, and she doesn't think she can be both feminine and knightly (?) and be accepted. I think that is why she includes the part about Alanna wanting to dress like a female, because she's suppressed one side of her entirely, from her clothes to her emotions, and she has to learn that it isn't healthy. If you continue reading the series, you'll see that Pierce handles the problem in interesting ways, especially in dealing with sexuality and marriage. As you follow her character through the series (and other Pierce books she appears in) you see that Alanna sort of breaks the boundaries of the female domestic sphere and the male war/politics sphere and helps to push the idea that a maiden knight (oh sounds ridiculous) is a "proper" role for a woman (this comes to fruition in the Kel series).
I just realized how boring this must have been for people who haven't read the books. Apologies!
To sort of make up for that, some questions:
What does squiffy REALLY mean?
What do you think of the translation from book to film? This comes to mind because Anne Hathaway, who starred in the murder that was Ella Enchanted, is starring in The Devil Wears Prada, another book to movie I really want to see for some frivolous reason, though I haven't read the book. And The Da Vinci Code, of course.
And an answer:Why do we love those "not real" books so much? Because they're fast, cheap, and easy. Literary prostitutes. I can't stay up all night reading if I actually have to think about what I'm reading; it's too exhausting. And the metaphor gets disturbing...
Last words:I'm blown away by Alyssa's reading list FOR THIS WEEK--I can't read ONE "real" book in a week, let alone three. But I'm going librarying soon, so maybe I can try.
Fictional Babies
Wow. I must admit I'm pretty intimidated by the quantity and quality of posts here. To avoid having quality in mine, I'll just write a review of the books I've read this last week. Quality will come later.
"The Last Girls"--Lee Smith. Karen asked that I review this because she likes books about the South. So do I. This one is about five women who took a trip down the Mississippi when they were at an all-girls college in the 1960s, and who take another trip thirty years later to scatter the ashes of one of the women who died under slightly mysterious circumstances. Smith is ambitious in her attempt to detail the lives of five women, and the story of them all as a group. The characters are precisely drawn, but none of them are really likeable, and so it's hard to care. It's also a much bigger story than Smith can accomplish in 400 pages or however long it was. I liked reading it, and I was drawn in, but I'm not sure I would read it again.
"The Da Vinci Code"--Dan Brown. You've all heard my ranting and raving about this book. I got drawn in, I admit it. But it was also terribly written and pretty predictable. And the ending sucked. I liked where the Grail ended up being, but I really wanted to see the Church get turned upside down. Cop out, is all I can say.
"The Bean Trees"--Barbara Kingsolver. Okay, I love Barbara Kingsolver, with a passion. This is her first novel, I think, and much less ambitious in size and scope than her later ones (ie, "The Poisonwood Bible", which is kinda the best book ever). It's obviously a first novel, and it's easy to see where Kingsolver will go later, because the themes she alludes to are so rich and could easily have filled novels of their own. Kingsolver is such a good writer though, and her characters are so real, that it doesn't even matter that there are flaws in the book's scope. One of the characters is a three-year-old girl whom I want to adopt. This three-year-old is probably the cutest kid in literary history. I would see this movie, if only for the kid. Anyway. Turtle is her name, and she has a fixation with vegetables. That never really gets explained, but it's pretty darn cute. Two thumbs up for this one.
On my list for this week: "The Phantom Tollbooth". Because it's time. "Snow". This got a lot of press maybe two years ago. It's Turkish and is supposed to be stunning, but I haven't been able to get past the first three pages. Cross your fingers for me, because it's one I own. "Crossing California". Jewish Chicago in the 1960s. Another one I may not make it through. And when all else fails, "The Moffats". Eleanor Estes wrote a series of books in the 1940s, I think, about four kids growing up in the South (this is what I remember from when I was six. I might be wrong.). The main character is Rufus, a name worthy of attention, I should say. I loved these books when I was young, and then they went out of print. Recently back in print, I bought the first one at a children's bookstore in New York (Books of Wonder. Go. It's amazing. And they have a cupcake cafe on site.). We'll see how it compares to my youthful expectations of it.
Happy reading, friends, and enjoy the cooler weather!
"The Last Girls"--Lee Smith. Karen asked that I review this because she likes books about the South. So do I. This one is about five women who took a trip down the Mississippi when they were at an all-girls college in the 1960s, and who take another trip thirty years later to scatter the ashes of one of the women who died under slightly mysterious circumstances. Smith is ambitious in her attempt to detail the lives of five women, and the story of them all as a group. The characters are precisely drawn, but none of them are really likeable, and so it's hard to care. It's also a much bigger story than Smith can accomplish in 400 pages or however long it was. I liked reading it, and I was drawn in, but I'm not sure I would read it again.
"The Da Vinci Code"--Dan Brown. You've all heard my ranting and raving about this book. I got drawn in, I admit it. But it was also terribly written and pretty predictable. And the ending sucked. I liked where the Grail ended up being, but I really wanted to see the Church get turned upside down. Cop out, is all I can say.
"The Bean Trees"--Barbara Kingsolver. Okay, I love Barbara Kingsolver, with a passion. This is her first novel, I think, and much less ambitious in size and scope than her later ones (ie, "The Poisonwood Bible", which is kinda the best book ever). It's obviously a first novel, and it's easy to see where Kingsolver will go later, because the themes she alludes to are so rich and could easily have filled novels of their own. Kingsolver is such a good writer though, and her characters are so real, that it doesn't even matter that there are flaws in the book's scope. One of the characters is a three-year-old girl whom I want to adopt. This three-year-old is probably the cutest kid in literary history. I would see this movie, if only for the kid. Anyway. Turtle is her name, and she has a fixation with vegetables. That never really gets explained, but it's pretty darn cute. Two thumbs up for this one.
On my list for this week: "The Phantom Tollbooth". Because it's time. "Snow". This got a lot of press maybe two years ago. It's Turkish and is supposed to be stunning, but I haven't been able to get past the first three pages. Cross your fingers for me, because it's one I own. "Crossing California". Jewish Chicago in the 1960s. Another one I may not make it through. And when all else fails, "The Moffats". Eleanor Estes wrote a series of books in the 1940s, I think, about four kids growing up in the South (this is what I remember from when I was six. I might be wrong.). The main character is Rufus, a name worthy of attention, I should say. I loved these books when I was young, and then they went out of print. Recently back in print, I bought the first one at a children's bookstore in New York (Books of Wonder. Go. It's amazing. And they have a cupcake cafe on site.). We'll see how it compares to my youthful expectations of it.
Happy reading, friends, and enjoy the cooler weather!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Mini-post
I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed by Bronwen's brilliantosity (spot-on about the whole not feeling as though it is really a retelling part), so I will respond with a mini-post of my own, though I haven't read another book yet so I won't have anything new to write about (though I am rereading the Alanna series by Tamora Pierce as my in-between because I haven't been able to get to the library because I've been too busy and too lazy to get out of my gauchos...).
I've heard of the word "squiff," I think, but only as "squiffy," as in, "She's a bit squiffy with me," meaning upset or peevish.
Oh, I just had one of those moments when you realize you may have remembered something that didn't actually happen.
Well, that's what I think I think it means. Unless I'm all mixed up in the head and am actually thinking of a different word and just made all that up.
I've heard of the word "squiff," I think, but only as "squiffy," as in, "She's a bit squiffy with me," meaning upset or peevish.
Oh, I just had one of those moments when you realize you may have remembered something that didn't actually happen.
Well, that's what I think I think it means. Unless I'm all mixed up in the head and am actually thinking of a different word and just made all that up.
Monday, June 19, 2006
One Down: The Phantom Tollbooth
I finished The Phantom Tollbooth!
Actually, I finished it on Saturday as we were driving down the 101 (which is really pretty, btw...lovely ocean). But I didn't post right away because I sort of got sucked into my Tivo (btw, The Cutting Edge 2 on ABC Family is a really entertaining movie).
Then I read Bronwen's post and felt guilty about the amount of alone tv-watching I'd done, so I'm back to blogging.
So, Phantom Tollbooth.
I have to begin by saying that I expected a lot when I started reading this book, because it had come so highly recommended by people I highly regard as good friends with excellent taste.
Which led to my strange experience in reading this book. There's something about reading books that our friends recommend...I can't quite put my finger on it. It's a wholly different experience from discovering a good book on your own (which is comparable to finding a dollar in your jacket pocket, meeting a really cute boy, happening upon that packet of Pocky you stashed in your drawer three months ago, or the semi-annual sale at Victoria's Secret). I know that they're waiting for my feedback, so I feel pressure to a) like it and b) be able to articulate why I like it in a way that pleases my friend.
So I felt kind of nervous and uncomfortable while I was reading because I dreaded the end because then I would have to pass judgment. But I read quickly because if I knew that if I stopped and thought too much I would stop reading.
Despite all the complications I imposed on it, however, The Phantom Tollbooth left an excellent impression on me because it is just that good of a book, I suppose. I see what you mean about it being difficult to describe, Bronwen, but I will try nonetheless.
It is just so clever, in a whimsical yet slightly sharp way that I associate with Britishness, for some strange reason. While I was reading I kept thinking of Roald Dahl, though I haven't read him in years and don't actually really remember his style clearly at all, but it is what I imagine his style is like. Juster uses words in such a playful manner and really makes you pay attention to every line he writes so that you can catch all his puns. The book is not very plot or character-centric; it is very much a lesson on how to think. Milo starts his journey without thinking, and through his adventures learns that what you think something means isn't always what it truly means--jumping to conclusions can be a turn of phrase or a physical act. To restore the kingdom of Wisdom, Milo had to look beyond the surface of Words or Numbers to the Rhyme and Reason that gave them meaning. Because he didn't think it was impossible, Milo accomplished the impossible.
Or at least that is what I think it is about.
Beyond that, it is also a really funny book. The part that made me laugh out loud was in "The Way to Infinity" chapter when Tock, Milo, and the Humbug are eating in Digitopolis:
"Splendid," cried the Dodecahedron. "And suppose you had something and added less than nothing to it. What would you have then?"
"FAMINE!" roared the anguished Humbug, who suddenly realized that that was exactly what he'd eaten twenty-three bowls of.
Hahahahahahaha. Oh, Humbug. I love thee.
Actually, I finished it on Saturday as we were driving down the 101 (which is really pretty, btw...lovely ocean). But I didn't post right away because I sort of got sucked into my Tivo (btw, The Cutting Edge 2 on ABC Family is a really entertaining movie).
Then I read Bronwen's post and felt guilty about the amount of alone tv-watching I'd done, so I'm back to blogging.
So, Phantom Tollbooth.
I have to begin by saying that I expected a lot when I started reading this book, because it had come so highly recommended by people I highly regard as good friends with excellent taste.
Which led to my strange experience in reading this book. There's something about reading books that our friends recommend...I can't quite put my finger on it. It's a wholly different experience from discovering a good book on your own (which is comparable to finding a dollar in your jacket pocket, meeting a really cute boy, happening upon that packet of Pocky you stashed in your drawer three months ago, or the semi-annual sale at Victoria's Secret). I know that they're waiting for my feedback, so I feel pressure to a) like it and b) be able to articulate why I like it in a way that pleases my friend.
So I felt kind of nervous and uncomfortable while I was reading because I dreaded the end because then I would have to pass judgment. But I read quickly because if I knew that if I stopped and thought too much I would stop reading.
Despite all the complications I imposed on it, however, The Phantom Tollbooth left an excellent impression on me because it is just that good of a book, I suppose. I see what you mean about it being difficult to describe, Bronwen, but I will try nonetheless.
It is just so clever, in a whimsical yet slightly sharp way that I associate with Britishness, for some strange reason. While I was reading I kept thinking of Roald Dahl, though I haven't read him in years and don't actually really remember his style clearly at all, but it is what I imagine his style is like. Juster uses words in such a playful manner and really makes you pay attention to every line he writes so that you can catch all his puns. The book is not very plot or character-centric; it is very much a lesson on how to think. Milo starts his journey without thinking, and through his adventures learns that what you think something means isn't always what it truly means--jumping to conclusions can be a turn of phrase or a physical act. To restore the kingdom of Wisdom, Milo had to look beyond the surface of Words or Numbers to the Rhyme and Reason that gave them meaning. Because he didn't think it was impossible, Milo accomplished the impossible.
Or at least that is what I think it is about.
Beyond that, it is also a really funny book. The part that made me laugh out loud was in "The Way to Infinity" chapter when Tock, Milo, and the Humbug are eating in Digitopolis:
"Splendid," cried the Dodecahedron. "And suppose you had something and added less than nothing to it. What would you have then?"
"FAMINE!" roared the anguished Humbug, who suddenly realized that that was exactly what he'd eaten twenty-three bowls of.
Hahahahahahaha. Oh, Humbug. I love thee.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Because I'm Trapped in an Apartment
It is kind of ridiculous how much I've posted already, but as my title indicates, I am stuck in my sister's apartment and have nothing to do.
First of all, welcome to the blog, Alyssa!
(I realized now I was sort of a tool and forgot to ask everyone if it was ok to invite Alyssa, but I figured everyone loves Alyssa anyway and if you have a problem, you can send me a flaming email.)
I just realized that much more time has passed than I thought, because my cell phone wasn't working and was stuck at 1:51, and for the past four hours I've thought that it was 1:51 and was quite excited that I hadn't actually slept for that long and I had much of the day left to do nothing.
Never mind that I didn't realize it was 1:51 every time I checked my clock. I didn't sleep very well last night (again) because my parents were staying with me and snore like none other. And the headache that I've had for the past two days is still a dull ache. I should really find some Advil.
Oh, if you want to get email notifications, go to Settings>Email>BlogSend Address and enter your email. You'll get an automatic notice whenever someone publishes. Also, I changed the name of our blog from Lethargians to Lethargarians (though the url is the same), because I started reading The Phantom Tollbooth and apparently we'd remembered it incorrectly. It's not a big deal, of course, but my obsessive compulsive mind wouldn't let go until I'd changed it. And about comments: the email notification won't tell you when someone posts comments, so you'll just have to look at those at the site, I believe.
So I wanted to post a reply to Alyssa's post, but it took me five paragraphs to get to it. I see a trend...
The Last Girls: I love the South! Will you post a review when you finish?
The Da Vinci Code: The book is weak on many points--the subplot romance is ridiculous and should just be eliminated, the villains are one-dimensional, and I kind of wanted to kick the main character, but it is a thriller, after all, so it might draw you in anyway, just to see how it all turns out. It's a fast read (I think I did it in one night), but that might have been because I was in the throes of Catholic guilt when I read it and was afraid to read for fear of being struck by lightning yet too engrossed in my rebellion to stop.
As for reading books you just aren't interested in (which is what usually happens if you receive one as a gift; hopefully that won't be the case with Princess Academy), I usually leave it around so that I'll get so desperate for something to read that I will. And sometimes it works. I remember I received The Witch of Blackbird Pond for my birthday one year from a friend and left it around because I wasn't that intrigued by the back cover, but during the summer I opened it as car reading material and now it's one of my favorites. And the Ann Rinaldi phase I went through in middle school was inspired by the same situation. And while I doubt that you'll become an avid Dan Brown fan, I feel that the general way to approach a book is with a somewhat open mind. Or at least an indifferent, starved for words mind.
Plus, the benefit of books that are unintellectual and faddish is that they tend to be easily and quickly read, because that's the only way they'll be able to appeal to a large number of people with little patience. Take the Meg Cabot Princess Diaries series. They're trash, but they're addictive. And though I might not really exercise my brain while reading them, I still get a laugh every now and then, and an appreciation for Cabot's style of writing, which is very distinctive and vivacious and good for blogging and silly things. In addition, I get a sense of accomplishment, because I can finish one in under two hours.
My problem is that rather than a gateway drug, these books sometimes get to be the only things I read, because I don't have the necessary attention span to read a longer and more complex novel. That tends to be the biggest problem I have with reading. When I read Life of Pi, I hit page 40 and couldn't go on for a year, until I was stuck on a 9 hour flight to London and the in-flight movie was In Good Company. How do you combat that mid-book slump? Or the quarter-book slump, which is even more dangerous because it's so easy to just stop?
Ciao bella!
First of all, welcome to the blog, Alyssa!
(I realized now I was sort of a tool and forgot to ask everyone if it was ok to invite Alyssa, but I figured everyone loves Alyssa anyway and if you have a problem, you can send me a flaming email.)
I just realized that much more time has passed than I thought, because my cell phone wasn't working and was stuck at 1:51, and for the past four hours I've thought that it was 1:51 and was quite excited that I hadn't actually slept for that long and I had much of the day left to do nothing.
Never mind that I didn't realize it was 1:51 every time I checked my clock. I didn't sleep very well last night (again) because my parents were staying with me and snore like none other. And the headache that I've had for the past two days is still a dull ache. I should really find some Advil.
Oh, if you want to get email notifications, go to Settings>Email>BlogSend Address and enter your email. You'll get an automatic notice whenever someone publishes. Also, I changed the name of our blog from Lethargians to Lethargarians (though the url is the same), because I started reading The Phantom Tollbooth and apparently we'd remembered it incorrectly. It's not a big deal, of course, but my obsessive compulsive mind wouldn't let go until I'd changed it. And about comments: the email notification won't tell you when someone posts comments, so you'll just have to look at those at the site, I believe.
So I wanted to post a reply to Alyssa's post, but it took me five paragraphs to get to it. I see a trend...
The Last Girls: I love the South! Will you post a review when you finish?
The Da Vinci Code: The book is weak on many points--the subplot romance is ridiculous and should just be eliminated, the villains are one-dimensional, and I kind of wanted to kick the main character, but it is a thriller, after all, so it might draw you in anyway, just to see how it all turns out. It's a fast read (I think I did it in one night), but that might have been because I was in the throes of Catholic guilt when I read it and was afraid to read for fear of being struck by lightning yet too engrossed in my rebellion to stop.
As for reading books you just aren't interested in (which is what usually happens if you receive one as a gift; hopefully that won't be the case with Princess Academy), I usually leave it around so that I'll get so desperate for something to read that I will. And sometimes it works. I remember I received The Witch of Blackbird Pond for my birthday one year from a friend and left it around because I wasn't that intrigued by the back cover, but during the summer I opened it as car reading material and now it's one of my favorites. And the Ann Rinaldi phase I went through in middle school was inspired by the same situation. And while I doubt that you'll become an avid Dan Brown fan, I feel that the general way to approach a book is with a somewhat open mind. Or at least an indifferent, starved for words mind.
Plus, the benefit of books that are unintellectual and faddish is that they tend to be easily and quickly read, because that's the only way they'll be able to appeal to a large number of people with little patience. Take the Meg Cabot Princess Diaries series. They're trash, but they're addictive. And though I might not really exercise my brain while reading them, I still get a laugh every now and then, and an appreciation for Cabot's style of writing, which is very distinctive and vivacious and good for blogging and silly things. In addition, I get a sense of accomplishment, because I can finish one in under two hours.
My problem is that rather than a gateway drug, these books sometimes get to be the only things I read, because I don't have the necessary attention span to read a longer and more complex novel. That tends to be the biggest problem I have with reading. When I read Life of Pi, I hit page 40 and couldn't go on for a year, until I was stuck on a 9 hour flight to London and the in-flight movie was In Good Company. How do you combat that mid-book slump? Or the quarter-book slump, which is even more dangerous because it's so easy to just stop?
Ciao bella!
Invasion
After getting very excited at the prospect of a book blog, Karen invited me to join yours. I will not post frequently (if at all), since it is yours, but just wanted to throw my thoughts in the mix. I, too, will read The Phantom Tollbooth and Princess Academy, since I have both of them. First, though, I will finish The Last Girls by Lee Smith. It is thus far a lovely novel about five women in the South in the 1960s and what it means to be a woman down there.
A thought, since that was my original intention: a 13-year-old friend, whom I see once a year, gave me The Da Vinci Code for my birthday last year. Having not seen her in a year, and thoroughly uninterested in the book, I haven't read it. I'm seeing her on Wednesday, though, and probably should read it. Any advice on how to crack open a book I just don't want to waste my time with? Or maybe it's actually great and I'll love it? How do you feel, in general, about books that are rather unintellectual and faddish? Is it better for people to read tripe than to not read at all? Can bad books be a gateway drug, if you will, to better books?
happy summer, girls!
A thought, since that was my original intention: a 13-year-old friend, whom I see once a year, gave me The Da Vinci Code for my birthday last year. Having not seen her in a year, and thoroughly uninterested in the book, I haven't read it. I'm seeing her on Wednesday, though, and probably should read it. Any advice on how to crack open a book I just don't want to waste my time with? Or maybe it's actually great and I'll love it? How do you feel, in general, about books that are rather unintellectual and faddish? Is it better for people to read tripe than to not read at all? Can bad books be a gateway drug, if you will, to better books?
happy summer, girls!
Of Phantoms, Princesses, and Mandolins
I've decided!
Here are the first three books I'm going to read this summer:
1. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Our blog's namesake! Read it with me for the first time, Lauren! Read and relive it, Laura and Bronwen!
2. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. I saw this at Stanford Bookstore and I admit, I was sucked in by the cover. It's lovely and arty and muted colors and matte, and it said "Princess" and "Academy" on it and how could I resist? And then I read the book jacket and it looked adorable. I'm a sucker for princess stories. I bought a copy for Alyssa, and now I want to read it myself. Here's the review from Amazon:
The thought of being a princess never occurred to the girls living on Mount Eskel. Most plan to work in the quarry like the generations before them. When it is announced that the prince will choose a bride from their village, 14-year-old Miri, who thinks she is being kept from working in the quarry because of her small stature, believes that this is her opportunity to prove her worth to her father. All eligible females are sent off to attend a special academy where they face many challenges and hardships as they are forced to adapt to the cultured life of a lowlander. First, strict Tutor Olana denies a visit home. Then, they are cut off from their village by heavy winter snowstorms. As their isolation increases, competition builds among them. The story is much like the mountains, with plenty of suspenseful moments that peak and fall, building into the next intense event. Miri discovers much about herself, including a special talent called quarry speak, a silent way to communicate. She uses this ability in many ways, most importantly to save herself and the other girls from harm. Each girl's story is brought to a satisfying conclusion, but this is not a fluffy, predictable fairy tale, even though it has wonderful moments of humor. Instead, Hale weaves an intricate, multilayered story about families, relationships, education, and the place we call home.
3. Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres. Your crazy review convinced me, Bronwen. I have to read something you think of as one of your favorites.
Now I have a really terrible case of the hiccups. And my dad is going on and on about some woman's daughter he knows who interned at some corporate law firm every summer and got paid 11,000 a month blah blah blah is this what my summer is going to be?
Thank goodness for books. And blogs.
OMG Hiccups ARE a big deal. My laptop keeps jumping off my lap from the ferocity of my hiccups. Hiccup!
p.s. I've made you all admin. You should sign up to get email updates under the settings tab. I'm trying to figure out how to get it to notify all of us by email when one person posts to the blog. Otherwise we'll just have to check it every day.
Here are the first three books I'm going to read this summer:
1. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Our blog's namesake! Read it with me for the first time, Lauren! Read and relive it, Laura and Bronwen!
2. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. I saw this at Stanford Bookstore and I admit, I was sucked in by the cover. It's lovely and arty and muted colors and matte, and it said "Princess" and "Academy" on it and how could I resist? And then I read the book jacket and it looked adorable. I'm a sucker for princess stories. I bought a copy for Alyssa, and now I want to read it myself. Here's the review from Amazon:
The thought of being a princess never occurred to the girls living on Mount Eskel. Most plan to work in the quarry like the generations before them. When it is announced that the prince will choose a bride from their village, 14-year-old Miri, who thinks she is being kept from working in the quarry because of her small stature, believes that this is her opportunity to prove her worth to her father. All eligible females are sent off to attend a special academy where they face many challenges and hardships as they are forced to adapt to the cultured life of a lowlander. First, strict Tutor Olana denies a visit home. Then, they are cut off from their village by heavy winter snowstorms. As their isolation increases, competition builds among them. The story is much like the mountains, with plenty of suspenseful moments that peak and fall, building into the next intense event. Miri discovers much about herself, including a special talent called quarry speak, a silent way to communicate. She uses this ability in many ways, most importantly to save herself and the other girls from harm. Each girl's story is brought to a satisfying conclusion, but this is not a fluffy, predictable fairy tale, even though it has wonderful moments of humor. Instead, Hale weaves an intricate, multilayered story about families, relationships, education, and the place we call home.
3. Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres. Your crazy review convinced me, Bronwen. I have to read something you think of as one of your favorites.
Now I have a really terrible case of the hiccups. And my dad is going on and on about some woman's daughter he knows who interned at some corporate law firm every summer and got paid 11,000 a month blah blah blah is this what my summer is going to be?
Thank goodness for books. And blogs.
OMG Hiccups ARE a big deal. My laptop keeps jumping off my lap from the ferocity of my hiccups. Hiccup!
p.s. I've made you all admin. You should sign up to get email updates under the settings tab. I'm trying to figure out how to get it to notify all of us by email when one person posts to the blog. Otherwise we'll just have to check it every day.
Fuzzy Television
I just left Stanford (sad) and am sprawled in front of the television at my sister's apartment, which only gets one very blurry channel that is showing "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and I'm not all that fond of it.
(Note: We can use this blog to post anything booky, or not booky once in a while)
So back to posting.
As I was packing, I thought about the books I brought with me to school. I didn't allow myself to bring many because I knew I'd be collecting a lot over the year. Here's what I brought?
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. Excellent reworking of the classic Cinderella story. It's my favorite "I'm a little sorrowful and I want to relive some happy memories" book. Ella is cursed with the gift of obedience. The book basically chronicles her efforts to find the fairy Lucinda to break the curse. Her evil stepsisters, Hattie and Olive, exploit her curse and make her their servant. Olive is hilarious; I almost died laughing during one scene when they're being chased by ogres. The prince, Charmont, is delicious, albeit slightly slow. I probably wouldn't love him in real life, but in a book he's wonderful (for some reason, Laura, he reminds me of Christos...maybe the noble suitor thing?).
Brown by Richard Rodriguez. I read this for Three Books on my drive up to Stanford freshman year. I remember that it gave me a headache. And that I didn't feel like I really "got" it. I told myself that I would read it each year and gauge my intellectual growth by how much better I understood it each time. I haven't read it yet this year, but I will find time this summer! Plus, it's orange. I can't DEAL with an orange book.
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I started this during the summer and thought I would be able to read it during the school year. But it was so depressing to read during the summer, and I was already so stressed during the school year that I didn't think I needed to read a kick-me-when-I'm-down kind of book. But since it is a Three Books choice this coming year, I guess I will give it another shot.
Emily Climbs and Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Two old favorites, about two orphans who like to write. L.M. Montgomery always makes me feel romantic and sentimental (probably the reason why I didn't really read them this year...who needs to feel romantic and sentimental at Stanford?), and the Emily books always inspire me to write in my journal, which is always a good thing. Easy, fluffy read if you have time. Start with Emily of New Moon, though, for the Emily series. The last Emily book is a bit much, but tolerable at 13. Anne of Green Gables used to make me want to cry, and I think I actually did cry a few times (I bawled during the movie).
What books did you all bring with you to our dear Stanford?
(Note: We can use this blog to post anything booky, or not booky once in a while)
So back to posting.
As I was packing, I thought about the books I brought with me to school. I didn't allow myself to bring many because I knew I'd be collecting a lot over the year. Here's what I brought?
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. Excellent reworking of the classic Cinderella story. It's my favorite "I'm a little sorrowful and I want to relive some happy memories" book. Ella is cursed with the gift of obedience. The book basically chronicles her efforts to find the fairy Lucinda to break the curse. Her evil stepsisters, Hattie and Olive, exploit her curse and make her their servant. Olive is hilarious; I almost died laughing during one scene when they're being chased by ogres. The prince, Charmont, is delicious, albeit slightly slow. I probably wouldn't love him in real life, but in a book he's wonderful (for some reason, Laura, he reminds me of Christos...maybe the noble suitor thing?).
Brown by Richard Rodriguez. I read this for Three Books on my drive up to Stanford freshman year. I remember that it gave me a headache. And that I didn't feel like I really "got" it. I told myself that I would read it each year and gauge my intellectual growth by how much better I understood it each time. I haven't read it yet this year, but I will find time this summer! Plus, it's orange. I can't DEAL with an orange book.
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I started this during the summer and thought I would be able to read it during the school year. But it was so depressing to read during the summer, and I was already so stressed during the school year that I didn't think I needed to read a kick-me-when-I'm-down kind of book. But since it is a Three Books choice this coming year, I guess I will give it another shot.
Emily Climbs and Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Two old favorites, about two orphans who like to write. L.M. Montgomery always makes me feel romantic and sentimental (probably the reason why I didn't really read them this year...who needs to feel romantic and sentimental at Stanford?), and the Emily books always inspire me to write in my journal, which is always a good thing. Easy, fluffy read if you have time. Start with Emily of New Moon, though, for the Emily series. The last Emily book is a bit much, but tolerable at 13. Anne of Green Gables used to make me want to cry, and I think I actually did cry a few times (I bawled during the movie).
What books did you all bring with you to our dear Stanford?
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
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