Love & Vampires

I recently read a book that I would never have thought of reading. First of all, it’s a young adult book. Second, it’s about vampires. Both aspects are unappealing to me. However, to the average teenage girl, these two combinations equal success. I was given the book as a gift by my student-teacher, Julie, and I decided to give the book a try and it was surprisingly entertaining. The book is called Twilight and it is written by Stephanie Meyer. Our freshmen students, specifically the girls, are head over heals about this book and the entire series, which includes a total of four books. They bring the books to class and cannot put it down. Even my teenage ESL students, who mostly read at a 6th grade English level and consider English to be a major difficulty, are engrossed in these books. At the very least, this series allows teenagers to be excited about reading.

So, what are these teenage girls so excited about? This fast and easy read is a love story- handsome teen falls for klutzy, average girl. In a nutshell, Bella and Edward, who in addition to being gorgeous happens to be a vampire, deeply love each other despite all the dangers involved in such a mismatched love. The love is mostly mismatched because vampires eat humans. In other words, Edward has two feelings towards Bella- one is the feeling of love and the other is the feeling of hunger because, according to Edward, Bella smells like really good vampire food. The writing itself is nothing to be excited about. I find it to be on the same level as a Nicholas Sparks’ novel, such as The Notebook. The Notebook is a novel that I read in one day when I was in college. Did I gain any deep insight? No, but it is a good love story for those days when you just want to feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Perhaps I relived my feelings of teenage unrequited love through this book.

One interesting fact I learned about the author is that Stephanie Meyer is Mormon. I found out about this information from a fellow high school teacher, Nina, who happens to be an English teacher and avid reader. After discovering this information, so much about the holes in the book make sense to me. In the novel, there is a lot of excitement over the two main characters’ love for each other. However, the love scenes do not go beyond a mere hug or kiss. There is not even an explicit thought about sex from the main characters…and we’re talking about teens here. On the other hand, there is a lot of drama, some pent up emotions, that may be allusions to sex. A columnist for Time Magazine, Lev Grossman, phrased Meyer’s work as the “the erotics of abstinence.” There is so much sexual tension without there ever being sex. (The article is actually very interesting. Click on the title to go to the article- Stephanie Meyer: A New J.K. Rowling?) The author at one point expresses that she was pressured into including sex scenes, but was totally against it. As a result, she toys with the idea of sex without ever unambiguously saying so. In addition to the lack of sex, all aggressive fighting- the images of vampires eating humans or the one major fight scene that occurs between rival vampires- are all briefly mentioned or just assumed. The author never explicitly writes about these battles. In fact, the reader never learns how the evil vampire that is disposed of by the good vampires.

Now that I've mentioned that this is a young adult vampire book with no sex or fighting, I'm sure you are interested in reading the book. Here's my suggestion: read the book after an especially depressing or difficult novel. Twilight will be fresh. There are three more books in the series beyond Twilight. Will I read them? Perhaps after I read The Road, which I feel I have to pump myself up for, I'll eventually come back to Bella and Edward. For now, I’m happy with moving on and maybe will drag a girlfriend to go see the film while on winter break.

After-post: Three weeks after originally reading Twilight and also watching the movie, I must say that my initial hesitation and indifference toward the series has totally changed. I am totally engrossed in Twilight and cannot wait to read the next book. I'm not sure how my feelings changed- I just kept thinking about the story, the love, the infatuation. However, I promised myself that I would read at least one novel, maybe two, in between each book so that I don't go overboard in Edward Cullen mania. As an acquaintance told my husband one night, "Once your wife reads Twilight, you're f**ked."

The Lost Boys of Sudan

Every year in Social Science class, I teach a large unit on Africa. The topics included in the curriculum are obvious- colonialism, religion, war, AIDS, poverty, etc. It's almost impossible to give justice to all the important topics to cover in this region of the world in the amount of time given. I try to make these topics relevant to the students. In the past, I've invited Gabriel Dut, a Lost Boy from Sudan and representative of the Lost Boys Chapter of Chicago, to come in and speak to the entire freshman class. Through Gabriel, I get an idea of his past and current struggles in life. He is a very nice and upbeat person despite the fact that he has bloodshot eyes from working long shifts as a taxi driver. Last I heard, he had to defer his enrollment to U of I's law school because he didn't have enough money to pay for the tuition. I also show my students clips of the Lost Boys of Sudan documentary that highlight a group of Lost Boys and their difficult transition to America. There's one scene in which the new arrivals are in their first apartment and they are being taught how to use the stove, oven, and disposal because they have never encountered these seemingly mundane appliances before. In the freshmen classes, we learn about these things and try to put idealism into action. A component of the unit is to learn about compassion. What little we are able to fundraise in class goes to the Chicago chapter to, hopefully, help those like Gabriel in need.

Despite all these experiences, I now realize that I haven't truly understood the plight of the Lost Boys. It is true that books bring a reader into a new world or a whole new level. The book, What is the What, gave me a greater understanding of Sudan's history and present.
The memoir is written by Dave Eggers, but is the life story of Valentino Achak Deng. This book is shocking, disturbing, and extremely sad. It is not an easy book to read. Nevertheless, it is a necessary book to read. It is necessary for the sake of understanding history, for celebrating the resilience of humans, for knowing the presence of evil, and for verifying that there is compassion in the world.

There are so many awful and shocking stories in the book that they are truly overbearing at times. It is unbelievable that Deng survived all the atrocities and hardships. There are airplane bombings, kidnappings, lion eatings, random shootings- how did he continue to live? All these stories show me that the person I invite every year to speak, Gabriel, is an incredibly fortunate man. He survived incredible odds and it is an honor to know him. These stories also confirm that what I do for a living, teaching youth, despite how idealistic as it sounds, is a worthy profession.

This post is a rather difficult one to write because I'm not a sensational writer. I'm unable to give the book literary justice. Just take my word for it- read the book when you're ready to read something heavy. Nick and Heidi gave this book to me as a birthday present. I kept putting off reading it because I knew the subject would be grave. Now, I am more than grateful that it was given to me and that I took time to read it.

Barack Obama: Dreams From My Father

Chicago is still feeling the rush of the Obama win. The other day, Obama went to Manny’s to get corned beef and a pie. It was all over the papers. Even nationally, the Obama family is on the cover of Us Magazine and people want to know Michelle Obama’s stylist. I have to admit that I’m in the Obama rush as well having just finished his memoir Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.
This is an incredible memoir- written superbly. I highly recommend it to anyone. Although written for political reasons (so that Americans can truly understand who Obama is and where he comes from), the book itself is not political at all. Obama recounts his childhood and early adulthood growing up as a biracial young man.

In Obama’s case, even though half of him is white and he was brought up in mostly a white family, his first image to other Americans is that he is a black man. This is complicated because no one in his immediate family that nurtured him is black: his grandparents and mother are white, his pseudo-adopted father is Indonesian, and his sister is half white and half Indonesian. Obama’s father, Barack Obama senior, divorced his mother and returned to Kenya only to visit his American son maybe twice. As a result, Obama not only struggled with his feelings for and about his father, but he had to navigate all the negative stereotypes and feelings of being a black man with African ancestry alone.

Through out the memoir, Obama shows how he struggled with self-identity. The following is an excerpt from his memoir. It is one of the first times he encounters the difficulties of being black:

“…I came across the picture in Life magazine of the black man who had tried to peel off his skin…I know that seeing that article was violent for me, an ambush attack…that one photograph had told me something else: that there was a hidden enemy out there, one that could reach me without anyone’s knowledge, not even my own.…I went into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror with all my senses and limbs seemingly intact…and wondered if something was wrong with me…I noticed that there was nobody like me in the Sears, Roebuck Christmas catalog that Toot and Gramps sent us, and that Santa was a white man.”

The second half of the memoir explains his early adulthood- working in New York, coming to Chicago as a community organizer, and making a trip of self-discovery to Kenya. The most pivotal part of this book is when Obama finally decides to go to Kenya to discover his roots. It is almost as if Obama kept delaying this trip of self-discovery and acceptance of his father’s other life and family. In the end, I believe this trip allowed Obama to come to peace with his self. It is beautifully narrated with imagery and written so that the reader can easily understand the impact of the trip on the author’s life.

I am really happy and relieved that this man is the president-elect. Obama is intelligent, eloquent, and has an open view of the world. I have a deeper understanding and appreciation of Obama through his memoir.

Taking a Break- Just Got Tagged

I'm in the middle of a new book that I can't wait to unleash in this blog. However, I was just informed that I've been tagged by my little mei mei, Laney.

Blog tagging is when a fellow blogger "tags" another blogger. What does this mean? It means I have to share seven things about myself and then tag some other bloggers.

So, here are my seven facts about yours truly. I'm going to tag my friends Natalie and Nick & Heidi. Here are their blogs:
Farming My Roots
Heidi and Nick Moy Family

Jeanne's fun facts
8) I always need to be playing some type of team sport to keep sane
7) I heart any kind of ethnic food
6) When I cook, I usually always cook something I've never cooked before
5) Laney is my friend and little mei mei
4) I can't stand it when people don't respond to my e-mails or rsvp my evites
3) I just joined Facebook this year
2) At any moment, there are at least six different books I want to read
and....
1) I create a fun to-do list for each season, so that I get out there and try something new in the city I love...CHICAGO!!!

Until the next book...adieu.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

This is a beautiful, poetic narrative of a suffering person. As odd as it may sound to describe suffering as beautiful, the author, Jean-Dominique Bauby, accomplishes a striking work of art. Despite the grimness, the memoir is more about celebrating memories and life. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a fast, simple read with chapters no longer than four or five pages. However, the greatest feat of the book is the manner in which it is written. The author dictates the book by only blinking his left eye.To give the reader background, Bauby was the former editor for French Elle Magazine. A high profile, powerful man, he lived life to the fullest- meetings with the elite, mistresses galore, high fashion. The author explains in the book that his life comes crashing down in the back of a Benz; he suffers a life debilitating stroke that sends him into a month long coma. After he wakes from his coma, he is cognizant of everything around him. The only issue is that he is permanently locked in his own mind. Unfortunately, he lives the last years of his life suffering from a condition called “Locked-in Syndrome.” It is an extremely rare condition in which the person is literally locked in his/her mind unable to be mobile or communicate.

The only movement the author manages is blinking his left eye. Through the help of a speech therapist, a common usage alphabet is created. Each letter used comes from approved through a blink by Bauby. As a result, the entire novel is thought of and edited in Bauby’s own mind.
The author’s creativity and poetic expression is shown in various chapters. Amidst this beauty is also a longing and sadness for the man that has to live his life in this tortuous manner. The following is an excerpt:

“Hunched in my wheelchair, I watch my children surreptitiously as their mother pushes me down the hospital corridor. While I have become something of a zombie father, Theophile and Celeste are very much flesh and blood, energetic and noisy. I will never tire of seeing them walk alongside me, just walking, their confident expressions masking the unease weighing on their small shoulders.”

Apparently, there is a French independent movie that came out in 2007 about this story, which won many awards and was nominated for four Academy Awards. Regardless of the film, the book is worth reading because the splendor of the writing and the ease of reading makes the reader want more.

The Glass Castle

One of the many reasons why I like reading books is because books take me away for a brief moment. I learn something new about a different country or culture. Books can also teach me about how the “other” lives: whoever that other may be. In the case of this particular memoir, The Glass Castle, I learned that there are, indeed, really crazy people out in the world today with totally f—ked up priorities that do not make any sense. People who are able to survive from this type of past must have deep ambition and... a lot of therapy. Welcome to life and childhood of Jeannette Walls.Unfortunately, having a drunk as a father and a parent who repeatedly wants to escape the reality of being a mother cause difficulties in Walls’s childhood. The family troubles are further complicated by the parents’ inability to reason and live responsibly. Despite raising children in a household without food or a reasonable home due to irresponsible spending (mostly on alcohol, prostitutes, and expensive art supplies for a fruitless career), the mother refuses to sell family land that happens to be overflowing with oil. Instead, the author and her brother consistently go dumpster diving around restaurants and at the school cafeteria or sleep in a cardboard box or live in a rat infested home. Situation after situation, the children suffer as the parents play.

The author immediately dives into the story of her life- starting at the age of three. At the age of three, her parents allow her to cook hot dogs at the stove because they believe that she is old enough to be independent in the kitchen (or because they would rather not actually parent). Sadly, her dress catches on fire and she is engulfed in flames. This leads to 2nd and 3rd degree burns for which she still has major scars for along her torso. Below is an excerpt from the first chapter after she is taken to the hospital:

“Then Dad got into an argument with the doctor. It started because Dad thought I shouldn’t be wearing bandages. ‘Burns need to breathe,’ he told the doctor. The doctor said bandages were necessary to prevent infection. Dad started at the doctor. ‘To hell with infection,’ he said. He told the doctor that I was going to be scarred for life because of him, but, by God, I wasn’t the only one who was going to walk out of there scarred. Dad pulled back his fist as if to hit the doctor, who raised his hands and backed away.”

The rest of the book is story after story of shocking instances of child neglect and abuse. One such story involved learning how to swim. Her father’s method of teaching her how to swim at the age of six is to throw her into the deep end of a natural spring pool. After a couple minutes of drowning, the father grabs her to safety only to throw her back in the deep end. He repeats this act four times. At the end, he declares the exercise a success and turns the event into a little anecdote that sometimes a person needs to suffer before they can learn.

After these stories, the author still reflects on how much she loves her parents and siblings. In fact, the author recounts as a child lying to the authorities in order to protect her parents; she does not want the family to separate. It is amazing that the author- a successful, Barnard educated woman- could have come from a family such as this and still love the people who raised her. A lot has to be said for a person who comes from such difficult backgrounds and be able to escape.

The Unconventional, In-Your-Face Writer

Never have I read and enjoyed a book that pushes the reader into an unconventional writing that is almost uncomfortable and, at the same time, smooth and easily relatable. I introduce to you The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. This book blew my mind because of its stylized writing and its cultural story that intricately weaves Dominican history with an American immigrant experience. This book is not for the reader that likes the traditional fictional book of one voice, simple character identification and dialogue.

I was originally introduced to this author, Junot Diaz through the Colbert Report. Here’s a link to the interview I watched. Diaz’s witty comments and humility during the interview intrigued me, and I wanted to check out his book. Upon reading the first couple of pages, I was immediately hooked. Instead of blogging about the story, I’d rather focus on why this book is so unique and fun to read. There are three specific aspects to this book that totally impressed me. These three aspects are: the artistic use of language, the footnotes, and the author's honest opinions of the Dominican Republic's history.

This Pulitzer Prize winning book for fiction is unlike the others. Chabon, Eugenides, and Lahiri all have a melodic flow to their writing- their writing is absolutely beautiful. I would not classify Oscar Wao as beautiful writing. Instead, this 2008 Pulitzer Prize author writes in a raw prose; it’s full of curses and Dominican slang…and I loved every minute of it. There’s so much Dominican slang that at times I did not understand every word. On any given page, there can be up to 10 Spanish words. This might freak some people out. In fact, many publishers had difficulty with all the Dominican slang. They wanted Diaz to “tone it down.” Instead, Diaz stuck to his guns and kept the slang as is.* Obviously, he made the right choice by not listening to those publishers trying to fit Diaz into an uncomplicated mode (the "writer of color" mode). In a manner I could never accomplish, Diaz is able to balance this raw language with taste and intelligence. How he managed to do this is entirely beyond me.

I really loved being lost in this Dominican world- it was okay to keep reading without over-analyzing each word I didn’t understand. An example of this language is found in the first chapter titled “GhettoNerd at the End of the World” and here is an excerpt of it.

“Our hero was not one of those Domincan cats everybody’s always going on about—he wasn’t no home-run hitter or a fly bachatero, not a playboy with a million hots on his jock.”

Another aspect that blew me away is the author’s use of footnotes. Traditionally, footnotes are used in a serious manner. As Diaz puts it, footnotes are a voice of authority. However, Diaz purposely does not follow this pattern. Pushing the tradition of this writing technique, Diaz uses his footnotes as a place of additional, common thought. He drops f-bombs in there. He talks about comic characters in there. He chews out the Dominican Republic’s past in there. He lays it all out in there- it is literal and almost defiant. The following is a footnote found early in the book:

“At first glance, [Trujillo] was just your prototypical Latin American caudillo, but his power was terminal in ways that few historians or writers have ever truly captured or, I would argue, imagined. He was our Sauron, our Arawn, our Darkseid, our Once and Future Dictator, a personaje so ass up….(dude had bomber wings, for f—k’s sake)”

This excerpt also exemplifies Diaz’s painfully honest descriptions of the history of the Dominican Republic. I know Diaz is not a historian; however, I do feel that there is some truth in fictional writings of historical time periods. Trujillo, the dictator who ruled the DR and mercilessly killed hundreds if not thousands of people, is a key component of this book and the lives of the characters. Even though Oscar Wao is a contemporary character living in the present, Trujillo’s shadow is cast over him, the other characters, and all the DR even decades after his death. It is an eerie concept and one that is very honest and incredibly sad in understanding how the history of a country, in all its horror and injustice, can still seep into the present and future. As Diaz states, “The past silently influences the present.”

Despite the somewhat chaotic nature of this book, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is completely refreshing to me. I'm always in admiration of a writer who is able to manipulate words into something that I couldn't even dream of doing. Cheers to a writer who writes for himself and is not afraid to push literary boundaries.

*Here’s My Attempt at a Footnote: How do I know so much about Junot Diaz? I went to see him speak at the Harold Washington Library on Sept. 12th. He had an interview with Victoria Lautman. Here’s the link to this interview. I went as a loner and sat in the 7th row, front center. I tried to get him to sign my book, but, alas, I was number 107.

Cheers to Memoirs by Women!

On my recent backpacking adventure to the Middle East, I carried two items of entertainment with me to keep me occupied on long flights or bus rides- my iPod and my books. My iPod tends to have a lot of bands with male singers...Beck, The Shins, Led Zeppelin. However, my reading tends to be the opposite. To balance my boy bands, I read two memoirs written by women. The two books I chose were perfect because I needed to identify with something familiar while trekking in very unfamiliar territories. Although the authors, subject, and tone of the two books are very different, both memoirs have something in common- independent women learning to truly live independently.

The first book I read on the trip I actually devoured. I discovered it off of a website from my favorite independent bookstore in Chicago called "Women and Children First" (Andersonville). There is a link on the website of this bookstore with recommendations from the avid readers who work there. The recommender I align with most is Linda and here's her link: Linda's Recommendations. Not too long ago, Linda posted a recommendation for a book called Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress: Tales of Growing Up Groovy and Clueless that I had been meaning to read for a while.
I am so thankful I finally picked this book up. In terms of a book that makes you laugh, is easy to read, and is a page-turner, this is THE BOOK f0r a twenty or thirty-something year old. Susan Jane Gilman gives us a memoir of her unique and yet easily identifiable life. In the forward of this book, Gilman explains that she wanted a memoir about a "coming-of-age" story that isn't focused on getting a man. She writes, "There's so much more to women's lives (than getting a man) that's worthy of attention and ridicule." Thus, the book isn't your Sex and the City narrative.

The memoir starts us with Gilman at the age of five recounting how she wants to be a shining star despite being an average five year old and ends with Gilman in her mid-thirties still learning very unexpected lessons about herself. Each chapter is a different stage of life- childhood, adolescence, college years, post-college years (of confusion), and womanhood. At each of these stages, Gilman, through hilarious story-telling, weaves the reader to the ultimate lesson learned as a woman. Without giving too much away, I believe the ultimate lesson that Gilman learns through these stages is humility. Although my own life stories are very different (I did not grow up in a hippie family on the Upper West Side of NYC), I noticed I went through the same lessons as Gilman in my own life. The last stage in the book shows us Gilman as a secure woman, but still learning a lesson for which the title of the book is written for. This book has been compared to others, such as The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing, which I'm interested in devouring next.

The other book I read on this trip is actually a memoir about traveling. I found it on the shelves of the Hebron Hostel in the Old City of Jerusalem. I donated my BUST magazine and, in exchange, I took this book with me. The second memoir is by a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Alice Steinbach, and the title of her book is Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Women.
The idea that intrigued me most about this book is the fact that Alice Steinbach left her entire life to live abroad for a year...and she did it alone. While putting her extremely successful career as a journalist for the Baltimore Sun on hold, Steinbach went to Europe alone to gain insight on her life as an independent woman. During her year abroad, she lived in Paris, London, and traveled through Italy. The memoir made me very nostalgic of my own independent traveling through Europe. Steinbach and I happen to share travels through the same cities. I loved remembering these cities and their images through Steinbach's beautiful writing. We also happen to have traveled through these cities alone. The summer after graduating from college, I left Chicago to backpack Europe by myself. I thought then, and still feel now today, that the journey was a huge statement in who I was as a person and an independent woman. Steinbach seems to have the same kind of liberation.

Another idea I think about that this book brought to the forefront of my mind is traveling or living abroad at the end of my career (or at the beginning of my life as a free, wiser woman). With Gilman's memoir, I laughed at her past and identified with her tales of being in her twenties. With Steinbach's memoir, I think about the future. Steingbach writes from the point-of-view of an older female. Her writing is not so fluffy and humorous- it is full of remembrance of the past with a light longing and, at times, seriousness. In the memoir, Steinbach explains that she is able to leave her normal life because it is the right time for her: she established her career, her sons are grown men, and she is no longer married. Another way to think about this is Steinbach is able to leave her life because she is older. This makes me think about all the different opportunities I may have later in life when I am ready to think about life beyond my career and children.

These two memoirs by women remind me that females, at any stage in life, still try to figure out the balance of being feminist and independent. The books are a reminder that, as Steinbach would say, women adapt and move forward at any stage in life.

Skinny Bitch

I saw this book in the bookstore in the food and nutrition aisle. I wasn't looking for a diet plan, although I have been watching what I eat lately. Instead, I was drawn to it because of it's title Skinny Bitch, which is exactly what the writers Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin aimed for. Other women must have felt the same way because this book became a NY Times Bestseller off of that name. It is a really quick read and gives you a comprehensive idea about the philosophy of eating these women have.Within the first three pages, there are blunt sentences that just make you chuckle. Here are a few excerpts:
"You cannot keep eating the same shit and expect to get skinny."
"Beer is for frat boys and not skinny bitches. It makes you fat, bloated, and farty."
"Brace yourself girls: Soda is Liquid Satan."
These are a few sentences that made me laugh and continue to read this book. After reading a couple serious novels, this book was a fun change.

Beyond the blunt humor of the book, the authors dissect the food industry, the government (FDA), and encourage readers to be smart consumers. The authors are very critical of the food industry and the government. After having read Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen, I understand that both books share in the criticism of our food industry today and how often money supersedes quality. The three big pushers to create bigger, better, faster that seeps into our food are antibiotics, hormones, and fertilizer.
I won't go into detail about the cattle/pig/chicken industries that are not organic because it is a little disgusting and both these books are good reads to research a little more about that. Let's just say that there are a few images that are stuck in my head. However, an interesting point that Freedman and Barnouin make is that the massiveness and power of the cattle industry play into the government. The cattle industry donates millions to political parties and, in turn, politicians are hesitant to fight against them. Also, the FDA and USDA are run by former cattle/pig/chicken ranchers who also don't want to prosecute their own people. As a result, you have easy restrictions placed upon meat. In addition, the huge bureaucracy of the food section of government cannot possibly deal with sending inspectors to every single cow/pig/chicken ranch. How do we know that our meat and dairy are good to eat?

In Chapter 11 titled "Let's Eat", Freedman and Barnouin offer good organic choices as well as provides a list of artificial chemicals that are found in the ingredients of everything from crackers to granola bars to soda. I learned from watching Ellie Krieger on the Food Network (Healthy Appetite) that the most important practice for a consumer is to read the ingredients label. If the ingredients label includes ingredients that cannot be pronounced or are unknown to you, then don't buy it. Freedman and Barnouin follow the same principle.

Beyond promoting organic foods, one philosophy I did not expect from these authors is that they promote veganism. I really did not expect this upon picking up the book, so it was a nice surprise. I have a couple vegetarian friends, including one pesco-ovo-lacto brother-in-law. But, I have one vegan friend. And, although he doesn't make a big deal about it, it must be difficult because he cooks at home all the time. I just never thought it was a practical way to live because a lot of effort has to go into it. And, even more has to be given up...no sushi...no crab legs...no Korean bbq.

I don't know if I agree with everything Freedman and Barnouin believe in. However, the fact that some of what they discuss is similar to Michael Pollen make this book more creditable to me. I will never become vegan or vegetarian; the authors will not be able to refer to me as a skinny bitch. But, I have renewed my sense of trying to buy more organic produce (as much as my budget can afford) and cutting more meat out of my diet.

Pride and Prejudice

The summer before I left for college, I rented movies that starred Matthew Broderick- Project X, Biloxi Blues, Glory, Ferris Bueller (of course), The Freshmen...I even saw the Lion King because Broderick is the voice of Simba. Why the admiration? Beyond thinking MB was cute as an 18 year old, I just enjoyed the different themes and roles...taking me away from the anxiety of leaving home for the first time. As with most people who enjoy books or movies, the entertainment takes you to another world for a couple hours. This summer, I find myself having a new infatuation. My infatuation for summer 2008 happens to be all about Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.I must be honest. I have never had any interest whatsoever in pursuing anything Jane Austen. Jane Austen to me meant a couple things- boring, hard to read, and inapplicable to me as a woman in 2008. After all, what do I have in common with an upper class woman living in the Georgian/Victorian Age? Jane Austen lived during a time when women stayed indoors, looked prim and proper, and prayed to be married to a rich man because they weren't supposed to be employed otherwise. Despite the vast differences between Jane's lifestyle and my life today, Jane and I appreciate a good, mushy love story. Love transcends all.

Many women are very fond of Jane Austen and this book in particular. Just look at all the positive and glowing remarks the 200 year old book gets on Good Reads. My girlfriend from college always says that Pride and Prejudice is one of her favorite books of all time. A friend of my husband's family is so enamored by Pride and Prejudice that she has several copies of the book lying around her house and reads different chapters here and there.

It used to surprise me that a person could be so in love with one book. Now, I find my summer is looking a lot like the one I had 10 years ago, but just swapping out the Matthew Broderick for Pride and Prejudice. I really love being immersed in this book. This isn't to say that I thought it was the best book ever. There are some really slow parts and you do have to reread certain passages here and there. However, I discover myself being more and more attached to the book as time goes on because it is romantic and timeless. It is a story of the independent Elizabeth Bennett and the rich Mr. Darcy- two seemingly very different people, but continuously involved characters. Our lovable Ms. Bennett keeps thinking of Mr. Darcy as horrible because of her own prejudice. And, (did you guess it?) our Mr. Darcy keeps hiding his true self because of his pride. Once they overcome their pride and prejudice, the story ends with a happy ending.

One activity I did before reading the book was to watch the 2005 movie starring Keira Knightely and Matthew MacFadyen. The movie happened to be playing on Oxygen and I recorded it by chance. Little did I know that I would have a Jane spell cast upon me. The movie is beautiful- the scenes, outdoor gardens, and estates used to film the movie are breathtaking (and now I'm inspired to do a British Isle trip next summer). I love movies that take me to foreign lands...I dream of visiting these places. The movie is also very easy to follow and, most of all, eased me into the society and language of the time, which helped when reading the book. It has some really nice artistic elements giving it a more modern feel without being too abruptly stylish. Pride and Prejudice received four Oscar nominations, including one for Best Actress.

I must warn you that books are always better than the movie unless you watch the movie first and then read the book. Books obviously have more detail enabling you to get into the characters. So, die-hard Jane fans may not be such a big fan of this movie. In addition, the screenplay for the movie had some very different scenes than what is found in the book. Rather than being disappointed, I welcomed the changes as a nice surprise.

I'm still feeling the warmth of the book having just finished it. Does this mean that I will have 5 copies of P & P around the house and will start quoting it? No, but I will be on the 3rd viewing of this movie within 2 months and I'm very inspired to take up Emma or Sense and Sensibility in the future (after first having watched the movie, of course :)

The Things They Carried

I just finished reading a fictional book called The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. I felt a deep satisfaction after reading this book because it is not a typical book that I would go for- it's about soldiers, war, killing, etc. Despite the somber tone of the book, it was nice to go out of my usual routine. I chose to read it mostly because the juniors at my high school are required to read it as a part of their American literature class, and it is paired nicely with the US History curriculum that I teach. You see, The Things They Carried is all about Vietnam.
This book is a collection of many short stories based on the author's life experiences while serving in Vietnam. Although the book is considered fiction, the reader is fully aware of the reality of the book- it had to be based on the author's life. The book is mostly a cathartic cleansing of the author's conscience realties and, perhaps, guilt of the war. O'Brien is honest about the madness, his feelings, and his life today. I appreciate the author's honesty in this book the most...his honesty about the emotional effects of the Vietnam War show that his feelings are still raw thirty to forty years after the events.

Beyond the honesty, O'Brien's writing is very different. Each chapter is a different story, but they flow together. Some chapters explain the author's perspective before and during the war in a first or third person narrative. Then, there are a few chapters that are written with the author's present voice. The jumping back and forth could have been distracting and chaotic. But, the manner in which O'Brien is able to piece the book together actually enhances the reader's overall impression of what it is like to be a surviving soldier of Vietnam. There are many themes that jump around through out these chapters. The biggest theme is death- the death of a friend, platoon member, and the Vietnamese. O'Brien continuously looks at death showing how it was valued or devalued, taken seriously or not seriously, thought about or avoided.

I remember a technique I learned in a college creative writing course- a writer should always stick to a story that one knows a lot about. Obviously, O'Brien does this. However, O'Brien adds one more piece- he wrote the book for himself. There may be a chapter he wrote for his platoon members or for his daughter. But, the bottom line is that he did not write it for money, he did not write it for fame...he did not write it to win a Pulitzer prize (for which he was a finalist for). He wrote the book mainly to lift the weight off his chest and be honest with what happened in his life- he wrote it to make sense of an event in his life that he really had very little choice to partake in.

Hey book clubbers!  I have been remiss in my blogging.  But, I have been trying to keep up with reading something.  Right now I am reading "Momma Might be Better Off Dead."  It is the story of one Chicago family living in poverty and their interaction with the healthcare system.  So far, I have learned about SSI (supplemental security income), Medicare and Medicaid regulations, and end-stage renal disease/dialysis.  The only problem is that the book was written in 1993, so it's pretty much history at this point, although I think a lot of the policies are still in place and the main themes are pretty much the same...  Needless to say, this is not an uplifting book, so to speak, but it is really well written (basically it's like reading a novel written in the third person), and it is based in Chicago.  Anyway, I'll add it to my list of good books about the healthcare system.

I also found on my shelves a book I bought at a used bookstore many years ago called "Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston.  It's pretty much a memoir.  I'm not sure why I didn't read it when I bought it (there's a lot of fantastical story telling in it about her being a warrior, that's probably why) but I was looking at it the other day and plan to read it when I'm done with the above.

I know I'm totally out of sync with the book club now, but maybe as someone suggested we could all read different books and then review them for each other (especially during the summer when we're all on different schedules).  Eventually we'll all get around to reading the ones that sound good to us.  I am going to borrow "Unaccustomed Earth" from you Jeanne, and maybe I'll read that before "Woman Warrior."

OK, that's it for now.  

Happy Anniversary! Three Books of Love

It's Joshua and Jeanne's 3rd Anniversary today!
In honor of our day of matrimony, I'm dedicating this blog to three books that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside or make me yearn for love. Actually, now that I think about it, all three books have an element of unrequited love or a love that cannot materialize due to circumstances.

1) The Time Traveler's Wife: It's set in Chicago from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. What can you not love about that? As the title suggests, there is a little bit of time traveling involved (don't take it literally...just enjoy the story). While reading this book, I imagined the author's storyboard being a bunch of different colored post-it notes all over her house. This author seriously had to be able to keep things very, very organized to pull this book off.

2) History of Love: It just made my heart ache. The writing is stylized, different. It's much in the same vain as Jonathan Safran Foer- probably because Foer and Krauss are husband and wife. It's a book of love that goes through generations and countries. Really, any story involving an old love through time just gets to me.

3) Unaccustomed Earth: Just finished this one. It's typically Jhumpa Lahiri- meaning that the writing is BEAUTIFUL. Even though it is a series of short stories, the stories actually flow with one another. The book impacted me even as I finished it and just laid in bed trying to sleep. I kept thinking about it...and still do. The kind of books that make you think after you close the cover are the kinds I love.

So, there you go. Three books of love that make my heart ache.

Books for the Summer

Hi Ladies!
While proctoring finals, I've been surfing the web for summer book lists. I came upon this on NPR's site. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90589316

I love going to the bookstore and looking at potential books to read. Now, my summer book list has increased to 11 books to read because I was recommended to read a book by my school, The World is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the 21st Century.

Anyway, I hope to be finished with Unaccustomed Earth soon. I highly recommend it so far!

still reading...

As Jeanne said, I'm still reading.  BUT, reading your entries (even the ones I wasn't supposed to) did make me more curious about the book, so hopefully I will pick it up a notch and have something to contribute  before you guys forget the entire book.  

I know that since I didn't read the last book on time, I don't necessarily get a say in the next one, but if I did, it would be for What is the What or Unaccustomed Earth.  

You'll be happy to hear I've officially given up on the other book I was reading.  It will join the long list of books that I've read half of.  That's what shelves are for, though...

pictures

Water for Elephants

Hi!

Since we really haven't discussed the book, maybe we can do it on the blog.
WARNING!!!

If you haven't finished it you might not want to read the rest of this...............

First off, did you guys like the book?

When you read the prologue who did you think the "she" character was? Did you think it was Rosie or Marlena?
As you read the book did you think back to the prologue about who was swinging his silver tipped cane and got his head split in half like a watermelon?

Who were your favorite characters?
I have to say I like Walter and Queenie the best!! I wasn't very happy about what happened to Water in the end.

Do you think there was a reason the author included that August was Jewish and Jacob and Marlena were Catholic?

What was up with Camel getting sick from the bad booze? Did that really happen??

Was anyone else bothered by August being labeled as schizophrenic? He had some obvious personality problems, but it seemed odd for the time period that they would say he was schizophrenic; maybe crazy, mad or something like that. I guess I'm also sensitive when the evil character has a mental illness or disability.

What did you think about the ending of the book? Do you think it really happened, or as Rosemary said to Jacob about the man who said he carried water for elephants, that he wasn't lying; when people get older somethings become real in their minds.

What are we reading next???
I've kinda started to read What is the What, but I'm also interested in reading Memory Keepers Daughter and Three Cups of Tea.

And if anyone wants some chicken this week, we have plenty left over at our house!!!!

Love, Heidi

Water for Elephants

Hi all,
We just finished reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (and Elizabeth's finishing it as we speak). From the grapevine, I heard that Katy loved it and I assume that Heidi loved it as well especially since she tends to like books with more drama, heart, and personal reflection. And, Heidi encouraged Nick to finish it with us. Nick can be an honorary member.
There are three aspects of this book that intrigue me. One is that it takes place during the great depression. Being a history teacher, I always enjoy a good fictional book that takes me back in time or to a different place. The other intriguing aspect is that this is a book about the circus. I really love books that teach me something new about life, and having grown up in an immigrant Korean family, I really do not have any connection to the circus in any way. The author clearly had to do immense amounts of research in order to write this book because many of the ideas in the book were based off of documented situations that happened in the Ringling Bros. Circus. The third intriguing element, and perhaps the least intriguing of the three, is that the author is from the Chicago area. I enjoy supporting local authors or reading books about Chicago (The Time Traveler's Wife).

However, reading this book right after Michael Chabon's Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay makes me realize the superiority of Chabon's writing, which is probably why he won a Pulitzer Prize for his book. Although I enjoyed Water for Elephants and found it entertaining, the writing does not compare to Chabon's or Eugenides or J. Saffron Foer. I would not list Water for Elephants as one of my favorites. However, I would describe this as a good book. It is a good book because it is simple and easy to read. It is a good book because it is about a unique subject. It is a good book because it is fun and entertaining.

One thing that I have to point out is that Stephen King gave a positive comment about Water for Elephants- his comment is on the back cover. We had a little Memorial Day gathering last night which led to the viewing of King's book-turned-into-movie called The Mist. I have to explain that I hate watching scary movies. They make me tense, make my heart race, and those scary moments follow me into my dreams. Although there were some suspenseful scenes, the movie was not too incredibly frightening. But, without giving the entire movie away, I must say that I left feeling disturbed once the movie ended and now believe that King is totally demented.

Long live procrastination

Right now I am procrastinating from (is there a proper preposition to use with procrastinating) going to Home Depot. I also enjoy procrastinating on (?) the books for book club by reading other books. This has been a particular problem this month, as I have been reading Elie Weisel's book (still, and it's getting pretty old quite frankly) and a book I bought on the chakras (per Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love and my yoga teacher, though I have yet to convert Jeanne!!). I have also been procrastinating by downloading fun podcasts, one of which I will create a link to on this site for all of you grammar lovers out there. I will have more meticulously noted and visionary (really?) thoughts to add in the future, but I have to go procrastinate some more right now.

BTW, Jake's blog is awesome!

The beginning

It started as a vision...
Three women were determined to start a book club based on the democratic principles this nation was founded on. We wanted freedom in choosing books and a fair vote to decide on all future books that we would read. No forced upon readings of young adult books in this club. It began with sharing all the recent books that we had just read. Eventually, we came together in unison to read books by authors such as Jeffrey Eugenides, Khaled Hosseini, Malcolm Gladwell, and Nicole Krauss.

Today, our group consists of four members.
Visionary and meticulous note keeper- Elizabeth
The romantic and lover of the deeper story- Heidi
Explorer and risk taker of reading- Katy
Always willing to be the one who cooks- Jeanne

Welcome to our blog. This is a way for us to communicate and remind ourselves of the books we enjoyed...and a way to keep in touch and be social...and maybe also a means to procrastinate.