Joie de vivre

So there are only three ways Harry Potter can end this July. 


I really can't wait to find out.

Do you choose your books? Or do they choose you? Discuss. *

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* to be expanded upon in a later post in which I elaborate on the books that have chosen me, beginning with the one I am reading right now. Also, we will complete ignore the fact that books are inanimate objects which cannot, in any literal sense of the word, choose anything.

** Oh, and, the Pratchett list is taking slightly longer in coming as I am obsessed with making it Comprehensive (typical! Never do unnecessary things by half measures, that's me) and probably as long as possible. There's just so much goodness to cram in!

*** And thirdly ... he is a lying nave. Er. I mean, I just pulled Rosemary Sea Salt Focaccia out of the oven, and yes it's nearly eleven but I'm going to go eat some of it. It's been a weird day. I ate lunch at 10:00 am. 

**** Why do random snatches of the poems my grandmother used to quote keep popping into my head?

Four words for you: cold sangria, hot bath.

So I watched "The Devil Wears Prada" tonight. I liked it in the same way that I liked the book -- it fascinates me, but is horrifying and depressing at the same time. I read a book last month, Fame Junkies, that talked about why the personal assistants to celebrities do what they do, often giving up their life to be at the beck and call of their employer, doing the most menial, stupid, and often nigh impossible tasks while considering themselves fortunate because, oh my gosh, I get to be close to X famous person(s). 

I have a real problem with people who think that by virtue of their fame, wealth, or influence they are above the rules and allowed to treat people like dirt. And I have a problem with the people who let them get away with it.

I must have this book. Unfortunately it's not out until June. That's the one bad thing about advance library catalogs.

This morning can be summed up thus: It was Windy, and then the Power Went Out. I wish I had a kite! Do you know, I have never ever flown a kite in my life?  I think I would like it.  Anyway. After a while, thank goodness, it came back on, but not soon enough to provide me light or a curling iron before I left for work.

Everybody's talking about traveling and taking vacations ... I am experiencing wanderlust. I think I'll go to Portugal. 

I have never consciously avoided reading popular fiction, yet my booklist shows it turning up more and more infrequently.

Because honestly, very little of it is any good whatsoever. 

I always end up catching the newest Grisham, because while his writing is not the best his plots are often masterful. (Plus I've met him and he's a nice guy.) I always read the newest from Pratchett and Lawhead, but neither of those fit into what I consider the popular fiction category -- the books you find in any Wal-mart, airport bookstore, the light summer reading everybody takes on vacation. 

Yet I always hold out hope that there might be one to come along that is really something, really special. I thought that The Sunday Philosophy Club might be it, but it didn't do much for me, although it's much better than most of today's writing. Isn't it Romantic? had a shot but I still didn't like it.

I've eyed The First Wife since it came out two years ago. I was drawn to the cover: a woman paused half way up a graceful curved staircase, looking down pensively at something below. It's beautiful. It should be a painting.

The synopsis sounded interesting, too. I thought it sounded like it could have a chance at being a really good book. Yet I stayed away from it -- until Friday, when I happened upon a review that compared it very favorably to DuMaurier's Rebecca. Ah ha! said I. This has Potential. Perhaps it can be more than the average book and actually can achive something of Beauty and Magnificence.

So in the end I read 59 pages of it last night and realized that A) the writing was very bad, B) the plot was not just implausible but Stupidly Implausible, and C) I didn't actually care if I ever read another line in it.

So I stopped. But I feel gypped and deluded and angry at modern writers for being mediocre as the rule, not the exception. 

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In other news. Today was a good mail day which delivered my first Christmas card of the season, I take great satisfaction in filling bags with trash because it makes me feel productive, and I like flouting grammar rules on occasion.

And I love life. 

Praise Him from whom all blessings flow.

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PS: *giggle*

And it's shorter this month, what with most of my weekends having been taken up by other things. 

1. Thud!, Terry Pratchett
    I can't believe I bought it in Boise last December and only now got around to reading it. It was - good. I wish Pratchett would go back to writing some of the Witch series or even Unseen University series instead of Watch book after Watch book, but as always his writing delights, no matter the subject. Now I'm all the closer to completely this particular quest - only another four or so books to read, not counting what he may yet write in the future.

2.  Does God Have A Big Toe?, Marc Gellman
     I felt a little evil for laughing out loud at a book of Bible stories, but it's written by a Jewish rabbi and given to me by a Grandear, so I figured it was safe. Very well written, very interesting, very unique. Quirky. In a Jewish way. 

3. Salt: a world history, Mark Kurlansky  
    And this was a savetheolives gift! I've blogged about it before, so I'll just say that as far as books on history from a unique perspective (think A History of the World in Six Glasses), this one is tops. 

4. Chance, Amir D. Aczel  
    Another one along the lines of Freakonomics or The Tipping Point or Blink (all very good books - see last month's list). Not quite so interesting as the aforementioned, but nice reading. A mathematician would enjoy it more than I did. I get lost among all the numbers sometimes. 

5. Christ the Lord: out of Egypt, Ann Rice  A few months ago I read Interview with the Vampire because I knew this book was coming out and wanted to be able to compare her before/after conversion writing. I was wholly unimpressed with Interview ('soulless' best describes it), and though her writing is just as spare here there seems to be more passion behind it. That said, I still don't like the writing style. But that's personal preference, and the book is meticulously researched and very worthy in other areas. And I do admire Ms. Rice for turning her pen to projects such as this. Still, I find it hard to read a book written from Jesus' perspective - it just seems a little wrong.

There are only six books on the list this month because about a week ago I stopped reading all the books I was in the middle of to read ...  

6. North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell 
    Watched the movie twice in a week, decided it was time to reread the book.  It's high on the list of my favorite classics. Interesting social issues, interesting characters, and - oh - there is that Mr. Thornton...

But especially for ladyharriet, because when I read this today, it sounded exactly like something she might have written.

Being pregnant is fun because you needn't accomplish anything else today. No matter how many hours you frittered away with nothing concrete to show for them -- no novels written, fortunes earned, trees planted, drowning swimmers resuscitated, cathedrals designed, or even missing buttons replaced -- or even dishes washed -- you were pregnant all day long. You were adding extra cells, maybe frivolous refinements like ears and fingernails, to a human body. That's enough to keep anyone busy and justify the day.

--Endangered Pleasures: In defense of naps, bacon, martinis, profanity, and other indulgences, by Barbara Holland

In some ways I hesitate to post my booklists, because I fear they may make me look like 1) a woman of leisure, or 2) I have no life. (Neither are true, in case you were wondering.)

The fact is, I make reading a priority. Behind working, friends and family, and (sometimes) sleep, there comes reading. I place it this high because I've learned as much from my reading as I did in any type of schooling. It stretches my mind, and is almost imperative for being a good librarian. It makes me good at knowing where to look for information, able to have a shot at answering those questions like do you know this book, I read it in third grade and it had twins in it and a red cover, and have a chance at giving you something you'd like to read when you say Recommend a good book to me about Australian scientists who have adventures.

And, oh, it's also a whole lot of fun.

I do have a life, and I do have hobbies. But reading will always be the Thing. When I don't have time to read, I get cranky. It helps that I'm a very fast reader, but at least a half hour before bed is imperative to a good night's sleep. I let others drive so that I may read while we travel. I read while I eat, and I read while I exercise. If I have a paperback with me at stores, I read in the checkout lane. Back when I was seven and had time for leisurely bubble baths, I read there, too. (And my parents have pictures to prove it, which I know they will bring out the moment I have a serious love interest. I am dreading the day.)

So, er, here's the list for this month. *cringe*

1. The Devil Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger
As with The Nanny Diaries, it's much sadder on a second reading.

2. The Sound of Music: the making of America's favorite movie, Julia Antopol Hirsch
Ah, the delightful trivia I learned! I read this and then watched the movie again for the first time in years.

3. Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond
Now this was a book. Mr. Diamond was coming from an evolutionary standpoint (of course?), and I happen to believe in a literal six-day creation about 6,000 years ago, but people and civilisation and plant and animal domestication and writing (and so on) had to spread in some manner--perhaps while his time table was off, his theory is sound? It's food for though, at any rate. Fascinating, stuff.

4. In a Gilded Cage, Marian Fowler
Around the turn of the century American heiresses were flocking to Europe to marry British peers and other noblemen. This is the collective biography of four of them, the four who married Dukes. One of the four had a happy marriage. Ultimately a very sad book. (But oh, the dresses that were in fashion back then!)

5. Approval Addiction, Joyce Meyer
This was one of those I'm Reading This For My Job books. Ugh. I do not like self-help books in general, but I have a big problem when they are written by a female pastor. Also, the reading level was about fifth grade, if that.

6. Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York, Paul Gallico
This one was a little gem of a British book. I don't remember the copyright, but I'd guess in the 1940s or 50s. Lovely dialectal writing, charming story, sweet, quaint, etc. etc.

7. Life, the Universe, and Everything, Douglas Adams
The 700th book on my reading list! And now I only have a few of his left to read.

8. The Pleasure of My Company, Steve Martin
Yes, that Steve Martin. Believe it or not. He can write, although I did not find the book particularly amusing as the blurbs on the cover seemed to indicate. The main character was a man who made Monk look sane, but it was, in its way, profound at some points.
( What am I like when I'm myself?" An example of the kind of self-analysis I am prone to: )

9. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Knowing how much they like each other, I have been wanting to read Gaiman. In this book it is hard to distinguish a voice separate from Pratchett, but perhaps that means they do write alike. Warning: this book pokes fun at the apocalypse. If this offends you, stay away. It's wickedly funny, however.
( But here's some wise advice: )

10. Elizabeth Crowned Queen
Now this is a prize. It is the book published by the Crown Press in 1950-whenever to celebrate the coronation of Elizabeth II. I am in awe, pretty much. There was such glory to the monarchy, even then. Pomp, pageantry--I find it difficult to believe we will ever see this again. Not only was Elizabeth a remarkably beautiful young queen, but she had such a majesty and regalness in her every pose.
Included was the complete text of the coronation ceremony. Almost every part of it was Biblically inspired, from the ancient rituals to the many prayers. One wonders what the next coronation will be like...

11. Seize the Daylight: the curious and contentious story of Daylight Saving Time, David Prerau
I am not a fan of DST. But now I understand it better.

12. Tempus Fugit, Laurence Lee Rowe, Jr.
This had such promise (Franklin, Washington, and Jefferson are transported to modern day America) but was unfortunately ruined by the complete overuse of 18th c. slang, wooden writing, attempts to make the Founding Fathers human by making them into lustful old men, and the treatment of the book as an extended dialog-history lesson. If I gave out stars, this would get none at all.

13. The Little Lady Agency, Hester Browne
Still chick-lit, probably, but admirably good chick-lit, particularly for a first-time author. Very British, kinder and gentler than the satirical-chick-lit (see The Devil Wears Prada), and much less fashion oriented (no Jimmy Choos here). It was an original idea, mostly clean, and had characters that were funny, believable, and--importantly--likable.

14. Isn't It Romantic, Ron Hansen
Started out looking like it would be a sweeter and shorter version of Freddy and Fredricka, but ended up being boring. The cover art is nice, however.

15. Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt
Another one to add to the category of The Tipping Point, Blink and Chance. I loved it! Just the sort of random information I am addicted to. Adding economics to the mix gave it a new spin on things. I highly recommend this--no, it really is a fun read. If you haven't read Blink, though, that's still my favorite pick for this type of book. It's by Malcom Gladwell.

16. The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary, Peter Gilliver, et al.
(I want a copy of the OED soooo badly!) About half the book is a discussion of Tolkien's linguistic exploits, particularly as related to his work on the OED, and the rest is a list of words that he revived, coined, or borrowed for his writings, and where they came from and how he used them. I never knew that so many of the Middle-earthian words that I had always assumed he had invented himself were actually from various ancient sources, from Anglo-saxon to Icelandic. Mathoms and wights and wargs, oh my!