Book Review: North of Hope

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I recently read North of Hope by Jon Hassler for a book discussion with faculty and staff at work. It was the first time I got a chance to participate in anything like that at work, so I was looking forward to it. Plus, I don't get out of my office much...

Anyway, the book is about a Catholic priest, Father Frank Healy, living and ministering in Northern Minnesota on an Ojibway reservation. He's in the middle of a vocational crisis and trying desperately to fix it when he runs into his old high school girlfriend, Libby. Libby has some major issues of her own to deal with- a mentally ill daughter, a drug-dealing alcoholic husband, and her own loss of hope.

I loved the book. I thought the characters were imperfect and believable. I loved the regional dialect and topics of conversation (the weather), the cultural tension, and each character's own struggle with hope, faith, morals, and love. Since the book takes place in Northern Minnesota, the weather is a major factor in the book...so much so that it's like another character. I'll be honest, I started reading this back in January and had to put it away for awhile because Hassler does such a wonderful job describing the dreary, bleak, bone-crushingly cold winter that I couldn't handle reading it at that point!

In our discussion, we talked about the themes of hope and love and how those changed for each character throughout the story. Some people thought the book was bleak and sad; I thought it was hopeful, yet real. I mean, there are definitely some heavy issues and tough struggles in the book (I won't spoil anything), but hope is always there. There was humor too, especially in the gossipy old women and the pleasantly confused older priest.

One of the weirdest and most interesting parts of our book discussion was the comments this guy kept making. I swear he had at least three comments about Catholic priests not being able to marry. He also kept commenting about how "the tension could've easily been resolved" if Frank could've just married Libby or this or that could've happened. Well, no kidding. It was like he wanted everything to be nicely wrapped up and problems solved...hmm, I wonder if he is hoping for that in his own life? Sorry buddy, but life isn't always like that and neither is good writing.

Overall, the story has more to it than you might think at first glance. If you're looking for something to read, give North of Hope a try...especially if you're looking for your next book club selection-- the discussion can be really interesting!

What do you think? Would you prefer a book to have all its loose ends tied up nicely with a bow or would you prefer a little realism and tension? Do tell...

Was Henry VIII Nuts?

Image courtesy of amazon.com

I just finished Philippa Gregory's book, The Boleyn Inheritance, another in a series about the Tudors (others include The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Virgin's Lover, The Queen's Fool, and The Other Queen).

From the back of the book:

Three women who share one fate: the Boleyn Inheritance.

Anne of Cleves: She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck in a court ruled by a deadly game of politics and the terror of an unpredictable and vengeful king. Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.

Katherine Howard: She catches the king's eye within moments of arriving at court, setting in motion the dreadful machine of politics, intrigue, and treason that she does not understand. She only knows that she is beautiful, that men desire her, that she is young and in love -- but not with the diseased old man who made her queen, beds her night after night, and killed her cousin Anne. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe.

Jane Rochford: She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. She is the trusted friend of two threatened queens, the perfectly loyal spy for her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and a canny survivor in the murderous court of a most dangerous king. Throughout Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul.

Gregory initially started the series with The Other Boleyn Girl, The Virgin's Love, and The Queen's Fool, then wrote the other books, out of chronological order. I had read the "first" three (above) and loved each book (though I refuse to see the movie version of The Other Boleyn Girl). The first three books were easy to get into and I read them quickly; similarly, The Boleyn Inheritance kept me interested for all 514 pages. The story was told by three women, which was different from the other books, but I think it made this book more interesting. Gregory wrote in three distinct styles, so while each character had her own unique point of view and story to tell, it was clear who was narrating.

I also appreciate Gregory's committment to researching the history of her subjects- I've read a couple of interviews with the author in which she has talked about her research and where the line between fiction and fact has blurred. Each time I read one of Gregory's books, I've wanted to read more of her writing AND I've wanted to learn more about the history behind the stories. (Honestly, after reading the first three books, I read The Six Wives of Henry VIII and The Life of Elizabeth I, both (nonfiction) by Alison Weir and I've had a documentary on my Netflix list for a while). And now, I'm thirsty for more!
So tell me, have you read any of these books? Have you ever read historical fiction that has left you wanting to know more about the time period, people, etc.?

Hmm. To Finish, or Not Finish?

Update 12/20/09: I returned the book to the library. I just couldn't finish it. Thanks for weighing in!!

Happy Tuesday! The sun is out and even though it's "quite brisk" (as a coworker said), I'm glad for the break in the cloudy, snowy weather.

I need some help here... I've been trying to get into Toni Morrison's book Beloved, but I'm having a really tough time with it. To me, it seems as though the story is all over the place, there are flashbacks that seem to pop up out of nowhere and I find myself backtracking to see if I missed soemthing, and the language is, for lack of a better word, weird. The reviews I've read, in a variety of places, seem mixed. The people who hate the book, apparently hate it with a passion; those who love the book, apparently love it so much that they have few words to describe it.

So, the reviews aren't really helping me decide whether I should finish it or not.

It's won awards, including the Pulitzer...

I still think the book sounds interesting and meaningful...here's a description, from goodreads.com :

Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding novel transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. Filled with bitter poetry and suspense as taut as a rope, Beloved is a towering achievement.

And yet, I have little desire to pick up the book and finish it. I rarely leave a book unfinished. Grrr. It doesn't help that this book is also on a couple of my "lists." Ugh.

Have any of you read it? Thoughts? Anyone want to try to read it with me and push me along?

Help!

PS- I'm basically sucking at my Bookwarm Challenge list. At this point, it's probably NOT going to happen before 12/31/09. I've been reading a LOT lately...just not much on one of my "lists."

Thrifty Finds!

Today was all about shopping for some great deals... and running a few errands, like picking up my dry cleaning. Side note: why is dry cleaning so dang expensive? Grr.

Anyway, I finally made it to ReStore, which I've been dying to check out. I didn't find anything today, but they have so much stuff there! Paint too! I need to keep that in mind for future projects. I also stopped at a hardware store and got something for another project, but that is for another post.

The absolute highlight of my shopping was my awesome find at Goodwill. I was trying to find some holiday stuff, but as usual, I checked out the books and frames, and then strolled through the dishes and glassware. And then, there she was, on the bottom shelf... a Fiesta pitcher! (I apologize for picture quality- I only had the camera on my phone).

I think I gasped. My hand shot out to snatch her off the shelf. Price? $19.99. The cost of a brand new pitcher is about $46. I quickly consulted my friend and Fiesta aficionado, Nacole, and she looked it up online. We realized it was a retired color (periwinkle)! Woohoo! I've wanted a pitcher like this for a while. I clutched the pitcher to my chest as I finished looking around the store. What a find! Woohoo!

At the Salvation Army store I found a frame and 2 brand new books (Marie Antoinette: The Journey & The Boleyn Inheritance) for a grand total of $2.87! Yay!

I also saw a cute turquoise typewriter. It was a compact model...with a cover that turned into a carrying case. How cute. I wish I needed a typewriter! Liz, at Mabel's House, would probably love this typewriter!! It would match her cool vintage turquoise phone... and lots of other turquoise stuff...girl loves her some turquoise!

Have you found any great deals lately?

Bookworm Review: The Bonfire of the Vanities

I finished reading The Bonfire of the Vanities (Tom Wolfe) a couple of weeks ago and haven't had a chance to sit down and write about it. It's on my Influential Books List and my Busy Bookworm Challenge List, so woohoo for me!

The story is set in New York in the 1980s and is centered around the main character, Sherman McCoy. McCoy is a Wall Street investment banker who basically thinks he's hot stuff. He makes a million dollars a year, has an apartment featured in an architectural magazine, and sends his daughter to a posh private school. Yet McCoy is barely making ends meet, though his high-society wife doesn't know how much they're struggling financially. McCoy's life turns upside down when he and his mistress are involved in a hit-and-run accident, which he tries to hide from everyone...though that strategy doesn't work for very long. A young, black boy was the victim of the accident and when leaders of the black community demand action, the racial tension heightens.

Initially I had a difficult time really getting into the plot of this story. The point of view shifts often, from McCoy, to the district attorney, to a tabloid newspaper writer, to the Reverend (leader of the black community), and to another lawyer. The characters, especially McCoy, are arrogant and pompous, though each has his or her own "special" way of being completely awful. Wolfe was trying to create an atmosphere of "excess" and he does that through his descriptions... and the sheer number of words he uses! Seriously, Wolfe was definitely wordy and the book could've been shortened considerably. Some of the side stories could have been omitted altogether, especially because Wolfe never finished many of the minor plot lines, yet they took up a good deal of space.

In spite of myself, after a certain point in the story, I found myself actually hoping that Sherman McCoy was going to be OK. It seemed to me that McCoy had grown a little during the story and he became slightly less arrogant and somewhat more human. McCoy's foil in the story, the district attorney, became more full of himself, more dramatic, and less ethical as the story progressed and I found myself, rightfully so, disliking him even more. By the end of the story I was sick of his character, scenes involving him, and generally happy when he was put in his place.

Wolfe also presents many issues surrounding race and fairness, which add another level to the story- everyone has his or her own perspectives and stereotypes and has to figure out some way to deal with others who are different. I found myself sometimes more interested in the cultural identities than the plot and wished something more would've happened with that aspect...if that makes sense.

Overall, I'm not sure I'd recommend this book, unless you really like long, wordy books with a lot of characters and an ending that isn't prettily tied up (with a bow). I'm also not sure why this book made that darn list of influential books... Anyway, I am a little curious to see how the book was adapted for the movie.

On second thought, I'm not that curious. The book was quite enough.

2009 Busy Bookworm Challenge

So, Themis0307 at Girl v. The World decided to throw down the gauntlet and challenge us to watch less TV, embrace our inner nerds, and read those books that have been sitting on our "To Read" lists. Since I don't have cable (or functional TV channels), I'm definitely nerdy, and I'm already working on a "To Read" list, I thought I would join the challenge! Besides, who doesn't love a good challenge? Here's how she's set things up... be sure to check out her original post here:

"Enter the 2009 Busy Bookworm Challenge! It goes like this: make a list of all the books you want to read before the end of the year. Go ahead. Make the list. I'll wait...

You back? Okay, so there is your goal. You are to read those books by the end of the year. Once you've finished one of the books on your list, write a blog post about it telling everyone that you've (a) read it, (b) how you liked it (or didn't as the case may be), and (c) if you'd recommend it. As you read others' blog posts/discussions about the books they've read and you want to read their book just add it to your ongoing list of books that you will use for the 2010 Busy Bookworm Challenge. After the new year, we'll start the new challenge."

Easy enough, right? Come on, visit her blog and join up!!

My Bookworm Challenge list will include a handful of books from my Influential Books list that I'm already working on, but will also include a couple of others that I've been wanting to read. Without further ado, I present my 2009 Busy Bookworm Challenge reading list (in no particular order):

The Bonfire of the Vanities- Tom Wolfe
Beloved- Toni Morrison
The Satanic Verses- Salman Rushdie
Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone- Jenni Ferrari-Adler (Ed.)
The Art of Racing in the Rain- Garth Stein
The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini

That's it. Gosh, when I look at it, that list doesn't seem very long, but I know that the first 3 are hefty tomes. Game on!

Happy Reading!

XOXO,
heidi

Truly Inspiring

So y'all know I'm trying to plow through that List of Influential Books and that my first try, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, was a giant disappointment and my second book, Freakonomics, while interesting, wasn't really earth-shattering. I felt like the next book I picked needed to be really good, or it was going to be more difficult to motivate myself to keep plugging away at the list. Last week I went to the library and checked out 3 books: The Bonfire of the Vanities, Beloved, and What is the What. Eventually, I chose to start with What is the What after reading this:

"What is the What is the epic novel based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng who, along with thousands of other children- the so-called Lost Boys- was forced to leave his village in Sudan at the age of seven and trek hundreds of miles by foot, pursued by militias, government bombers, and wild animals,crossing the deserts of three countries to find freedom."

I was intrigued, even though I knew very little nothing about Sudan's struggles or the Lost Boys, though honestly I wasn't sure what to expect.

The story is Valentino's, but the author of the story is Dave Eggers. In the book's preface, Valentino, who goes by many names throughout the book, but most often Achak, states that the book is considered a novel because the story began when he was so young and not every word, person, or place could be recalled exactly (thank goodness, who wants another James Frey incident?); however, the major events "are true and the book is historically accurate."

The book is a hefty 535 pages and I was hooked from page 1. I read it in less than a week! It was touching, horrifying, funny, and unbelievable all at once. How did this little boy have the strength to keep going through such completely awful things?

"I dropped my bag, everything I owned, and jumped in. I paddled with my hands cupped like paws, only my head above water... As I moved through the water, I could feel the current carrying me downstream. I watched the crocodiles, keeping my eyes fixed upon them. There was no movement from them. I kept paddling. There was a great blast behind me. I turned around and could see the soldiers, kneeling in the grass of the riverbank, shooting at us as we crossed...I paddled and kicked. I looked again for the spot on the riverbank where I had last seen the crocodiles. They were gone... A scream came from very close. I turned to see a boy in the jaws of a crocodile. The river bloomed red and the boy's face disappeared. 'Keep going. Now he's too busy to eat you.'"

Reading this book made me cringe, made me feel sick. I felt angry. I felt ignorant. I felt tired. Seriously, sometimes I would be reading for a while, so engrossed in what was happening, so tense, that I had to finally put the book down and walk away. Over the weekend I took a few naps while reading the book- it is emotionally draining, to say the very least. And yet I also felt hopeful. I felt hopeful that there is a man out there that has been knocked around (literally and proverbially) so many times and has continued to get up and has continued to try to do good for the world, for his village in Sudan, and for himself. There are days, very recently even, that I have felt as though I have bad luck, that weird things happen to me, blah blah, but I really have nothing to complain about. Nothing. I am ashamed. And humbled. And once again, truly amazed at the tenacity of human beings.

I can see why this book was put on Mental Floss's list of most influential books. This one belongs on the list. It touched me, it opened my eyes to something new, it made me want to learn more. (Oddly enough, one of the documentaries I put on my Netflix queue months ago is about the Lost Boys. What a coincidence!) This is the first book I've read that has made me want to write and say, "Thank you for sharing your story. I can't believe what you've been through." Hmm... maybe I will do just that.

I leave you with one more quote from the book:

"I speak to these people, and I speak to you because I cannot help it. It gives me strength, almost unbelievable strength, to know that you are there. I covet your eyes, your ears, the collapsible space between us. How blessed are we to have each other? I am alive and you are alive so we must fill the air with our words."

***By the way, if you want to learn more, check out cool video clips and pictures, or get involved, visit The Valentino Achak Deng Foundation. *** Also, check out President Obama's reaction to the book here.

List Update

I just finished the final book of The Chronicles of Narnia! Which means I get to cross something else off my list! Hooray! After reading all the books, I must say that my favorite is still The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe since it's so original and can stand alone.

I didn't know all of the Christian symbolism that goes along with the books, so I did do a little online searching to learn more. It was interesting, though not everything was meant to be a symbol when Lewis wrote the books. In some of the stories, the parallels to scripture were obvious (almost painfully so), while in other parts of the stories I think that it was more of a stretch. But that's just my opinion. I do think that the end (of the final book) was a little weird, which is why I really didn't enjoy it very much.

I did enjoy learning more about the debate surrounding the order of the books. Lewis wrote them in a different order than organized and sold by the publisher today. I agree with some people debating about it- The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe should really be listed as the first book, just because it does set things up and has a line at the end of the story that the adventures in Narnia were just beginning. Anyway, I'm glad I read the books and may continue to read more about the Christian symbolism. I will also probably read more of Lewis' books- I've wanted to for a while and just haven't gotten to them!

Also, I did watch my July documentary, but didn't have a chance to write about it until now. I watched one of the discs in the Planet Earth series. If you haven't seen the series, or even part of it, do check it out. The lengths these camera-people and crew went to for the video are amazing. The images are awesome. I sometimes can't believe all the diversity out there and how these plants and animals survive in some truly harsh climates!

Not So Required Reading

I finished (finally) The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (Murakami), which was the first book I selected from Mental Floss's 25 Influential Books list.

So I'll start off by saying this is a Japanese book, translated into English (obviously). From what I understand, the translation is supposed to be very good. It's about a guy, Toru, who has a number of things go wrong- cat runs away, quits his job, marital issues, etc. He meets a bunch of... shall we say quirky?...characters who do and say some really strange things.

At first, I liked the style of writing and the storyline- simple, a little eccentric and unexpected. Toru is kind of an everyday guy, doing everyday things...I mean, he's cooking spaghetti and shopping for groceries and looking for the runaway cat. Pretty straightforward, right? No. Not really. The story quickly got weirder and weirder, but I liked a few of the characters and wanted to see where the story was going, so I hung in there. The female characters were more dynamic than the male characters, but they could also be quite weak and often sexually-motivated... I'm not sure that's exactly the way I want to describe them, but it'll have to do for now. The men were basically devoid of emotion, except for one guy, Cinnamon, and he was mute!

By the end of the book... all 604 pages of it... I was thinking, "What the %$*&!!! Who picked this book?! Why is it 'influential'?!" The best way I can describe it is like a surrealist painting, but in book format. At first glance, or in this case read, you think you know what's going on... then upon closer inspection, you realize you really don't.

I kept thinking that the book was loaded with dream sequences, because the plot made about as much sense as one of those crazy dreams, the kind where you're walking along talking to someone one minute and it's someone else the next minute and instead of carrying a loaf of bread you're carrying a cat. But as far as I can tell, these aren't dream sequences.

Seriously. Who picked this book and why is it "influential"?

And does anyone really know what's going on? I've read a number of reviews and comments and "analyses" of this book online... everyone seems to have more questions than answers. I also know that Murakami has some die-hard fans out there that say this work is brilliant, that all of his stuff is brilliant and that if you don't "get it", you're basically an idiot. I beg to differ! I don't think I'm an idiot!

Ahem. After more thought, I've further revised MY version of this list (i.e., I nixed more books). I'd like to read books that make me think, or impact me in some way, but "had an innovative and unique marketing strategy," in my humble opinion, isn't really a good enough reason for me to consider them worthy of a "most influential books of the past 25 years" list. But then again, maybe I'm just an idiot.

Freaky Friday

This is going to be very quick... it seems as though today is going to be one of those "interesting" days.

I finally finished one of the books I've been reading forever, Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, which was on my list. I will write more about that in an upcoming post, as well as unveil my further revised "Influential Books" list.

I've had a bit of housing drama this week. I'm hoping everything works out, but it looks like my closing date will most likely be pushed back a few days. It's not the end of the world, I know, but I really didn't want to push anything back. I mean, come on already! I want to live in my own house!! The most frustrating part is that this is out of my control and there isn't anything I can do to speed up the process. I just have to wait for the pieces to fall into place...and in the meantime, obsessively monitor those pieces so I at least know what's going on! Ugh!

The List

My List of 30 should be renamed my List of 20. Apparently I am having a tougher time than expected thinking of things for this list. Why such a hard time? I mean, I know I've done a lot of things that I would include if I'd started this list when I was younger- like living alone, traveling abroad, getting a Master's degree, getting my PhD. Someone suggested that I still include those things, and cross them off right away, but I think that's kind of cheating. Don't you?

I've been asked, "Why have a list, Heidi? What's the point of writing it down anyway?" Good question! I've kept lists for a long time- educational goals, personal goals, shopping lists, favorite things lists, to-do lists, research ideas lists, and on and on. They serve a purpose and in some small way, make things a little more tangible. Lists help me organize my thoughts, hold me accountable and this list is pretty public, so I feel like I'm even more accountable.

But why now? Well, I've just moved to a new place, a new job, and finally finished up graduate school, which is the perfect time to start trying some of those things that I didn't get to do (or didn't have money to do) while in grad school. Also, sometimes I feel like the rigors of grad school (e.g., reading research articles, talking about research, writing your own research) have left me a little bit socially and emotionally retarded. I have often felt a bit cut off from current events, like my head has been stuck in the sand. Before I entered grad school I had lots of interests, could talk about a lot of different things with a lot of different people, and although I can still talk and relate to people... I don't feel like I've been able to foster those interests as much as I'd like. So that is why now is a good time!

Thus, I have decided upon another item for my List of 30! Gina and Jason read this magazine, Mental Floss, and were discussing a recent feature: The 25 Most Influential Books of the Past 25 Years. I checked out the list and decided to tackle these books... or most of these books. Here's the list, and a few of my thoughts about the books:

1. And the Band Played On - Randy Shilts
2. Maus- Art Spiegelman This is a graphic novel (cartoon) and I really have no desire to read it... so I'm taking it off the list!
3. Listening to Prozac- Peter D. Kramer
4. Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism- Temple Grandin I've wanted to read this book for a while. Dr. Grandin is actually a faculty member at CSU and I never got to meet her or hear her speak!
5. Nickel and Dimed- Barbara Ehrenreich
6. Into Thin Air- Jon Krakauer
7. The Satanic Verses- Salman Rushdie Not sure about this book... I'll have to look into it a little more before I decide if it stays on the list.
8. Middlesex- Jeffrey Eugenides Read it. Loved it. Recommend it!! Yay! One book complete!
9. The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho Tried to read it, couldn't get into it, not sure I want to try again.
10. The Easy Way to Stop Smoking- Allen Carr Not sure about this book either, though it might be a great resource for clients and health promotion.
11. A Perfect Spy- John le Carre
12. What is the What- Dave Eggers
13. On Writing- Stephen King
14. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle- Haruki Murakami
15. The Known World- Edward P. Jones
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone- J.K. Rowling Read it twice! Yay! Another book complete!
17. How Proust Can Change Your Life- Alain de Botton
18. The Bonfire of the Vanities- Tom Wolfe
19. Infinite Jest- David Foster Wallace
20. The Unbearable Lightness of Being- Milan Kundera
21. Beloved- Toni Morrison
22. The Handmaid’s Tale- Margaret Atwood
23. Freakonomics- Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
24. Eats, Shoots & Leaves- Lynne Truss Hmm, a book about grammar and punctuation? I'm not sure about this. More research needed.
25. The Tipping Point- Malcolm Gladwell I read his other book, Blink, isn't that good enough? Didn't really get much from it that I didn't already know, except maybe a few interesting conversational tidbits. Do I have to??

I guess that really leaves me with 24 of the most influential books of the past 25 years to read. Maybe a few less after I check those others out. Any suggestions about where to start (after I finish my current book, of course)???