What a fun challenge! (3M's Wrap-Up)

This was a great challenge, Lisa, and I hope you do it again next year. I ended up with 7 titles when I said I would do 5-6, so I consider it a success. Thanks so much!

My wrap up post is here.

Juli's Review of The Echo Maker

From the back cover:

On a winter night on a remote Nebraska road, twenty-seven-year-old Mark Schluter has a near-fatal car accident. His older sister, Karin, returns reluctantly to their hometown to nurse Mark back from a traumatic head injury. But when Mark emerges from a coma, he believes that this woman--who looks, acts, and sounds just like his sister--is really an imposter. When Karin contacts the famous cognitive neurologist Gerald Weber for help, he diagnoses Mark as having Capgras syndrome. The mysterious nature of the disease, combined with the strange circumstances surrounding Mark's accident, threatens to change all of their lives beyond recognition. In The Echo Maker, Richard Powers proves himself to be one of our boldest and most entertaining novelists.

If you can get through the first 100 pages of this book it is well worth reading. This is one of the more intricate novels I’ve read in awhile. There is a lot going on that is cleverly intertwined…neurology, biology, ecology, relationships…there are four or five main characters whose lives layer over each other in an amazing and sometimes sad way.
At times it was confusing. Not because it was poorly written, I just had a hard time following on occasions. For the most part I just kept reading to see what the human mind was capable of.

I selected this book from 3M's list (Michelle). When I finished reading the book and read why she picked it I was shocked to learn that she HAD Capgras and Cotards Syndrome in college! I tried to imagine her (even though I don't know her) in situations similar to those in the book. It must have been a difficult and strange time to say the least. I assume/hope that she is no longer suffering from those conditions as it seems so painful for everyone involved.

I found the book very interesting because I have degrees in psychology and biology and they overlap perfectly here. Great recommendation if you have the right mindset.

(completed 11.26.07)

Luncheon of the Boating Party

by Susan Vreeland

I read this book because 3M selected it for the Something About Me Challenge. Having enjoyed most of Vreeland's novels and I absolutely loved Girl in Hyacinth Blue, I was looking forward to reading Luncheon.

Obviously the book is about the painter Renoir; with the focus on the time period dealing with his painting of the famous Luncheon of the Boating Party. Each person in the painting has a personal connection to Renoir and, by the end of the book, the reader feels acquainted with them and, in some cases, deeply involved with them.

3M from 1 Chapter More shared this wonderful personal experience on her blog.

Did you know there is a phenomena in which people cry uncontrollably in front of paintings or other art? I didn't know it either until it happened to me. I took my 7th grade class (back when I was a teacher) to an art museum in Nashville where they were having a special exhibit on impressionism. I was looking at this painting, and lo and behold, I started sobbing without any warning. It was so beautiful. It was like I was seeing it in 3-D. I couldn't believe the beauty of it. What was the painting, you ask? It was Luncheon of the Boating Party by Renoir. If you just see this in an art book, you may ask what the big deal is as there doesn't seem to be anything special about it. See it in person and you'll see a huge difference, believe me.

What a thrill to actually enjoy this masterpiece in person. Thanks for sharing that moment with us, 3M.

I don't know what exactly was happening in my life or with my mood, but I didn't get drawn into the story right away and I didn't feel compelled to keep reading. I am enjoying it more in retrospect than I did while reading. I really think the problem was mine, not the author's.

My favorite character was Alphonsine. I really liked her and found myself trying to counsel her not to fall in love with Renoir. She was so aware and thoughtful of all around her. I didn't care that much for some of the other character's pains, but I did for hers.

I am glad I read this book. I knew nothing of Renoir's life and could not even name one of his works before reading Luncheon. I got a good feeling for Paris and the countryside in 1880. And I found this site that shows all the paintings, Renoirs and others, that are mentioned in the book along with the passage. It's been fun looking at those.

The Tale of Despereaux - 3M's Review

This is another Newbery winner that I listened to with my son on our road trip. We enjoyed this one even more than Bud, not Buddy.

Banished from his mouse community for fraternizing with humans (to borrow C.S. Lewis's phrase), Despereaux is sent to the dungeon where it is assumed he will be eaten by the rats. Of course, he isn't eaten by the rats, but while he's in prison he learns of a rat's plans to harm one of his beloved human friends, Princess Pea. His quest to save the Princess Pea forms the rest of the story, which I won't spoil for you!

This is a very charming fantasy tale that kept us truly entertained on our trip. It might be a little scary for those under 8 or so, though. I also recommend DiCamillo's The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, which I read and enjoyed earlier this year.

2003, 272 pp.

Newbery Award

Rating: 4.5

The Little Prince - 3M's Review

The Little Prince is a charming story written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. A pilot has crashed his plane and is stranded in the desert, where he meets a little prince from another planet. The prince tells the pilot about his planet and of the people he has met on other planets. Many lessons can be learned of the stories he tells.

This is a great book for children and adults. It is inspired by the author's own crash in the Sahara desert as well as other personal events. The illustrations were beautifully done by the author. Highly recommended!

1943, 84 pp.

Rating: 4.5

The Amateur Marriage - 3M's Review

Crossposted at my new website, 1morechapter.com.

In memory of Nattie.

The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler outlines the lives and marriage of Michael and Pauline Anton from World War II to the present day. We see their joys and trials in courtship, marriage, children, and death.

It's hard to review the book without giving spoilers away, but the book basically follows a difficult marriage. Or was it, really? Was it really much different than most marriages? Aren't even "good" marriages difficult at times? These are the questions the book raises.

This was a very readable book that I finished in a day, and I would have very much liked to discuss it with a group. I've read one other book by Anne Tyler, Saint Maybe (which I also liked), and I'll be seeking out more.

2004, 306 pp.

Rating: 4

Stargirl - 3M's Review

Stargirl
by Jerry Spinelli

2002, 186 pp.

Rating: 4



Stargirl is a high school girl who, refreshingly, does NOT try to be like everyone else. She marches to her own drummer. She is kind to everyone, almost to a fault. But does everyone love her for it or think she's too much of an oddity?

I enjoyed this book, though I winced a bit at the too familiar (though long ago) high school culture. A very good story for teens.

The Secret Life of Bees - 3M's Review

The Secret Life of Bees
by Sue Monk Kidd

2003, 302 pp.

Rating: 4.5






Crossposted at my blog at http://3m3am.wordpress.com.

I'm so glad I hadn't read this book before so that I could read it for the Something About Me Challenge (and the Southern Reading Challenge). I loved everything about this book. The setting, the characters, the story. I didn't know anything about it before I started reading, and I think it's best that way. All I'll say is that it is about a girl named Lily and that bees play an important part of the story. If you're one of the few who haven't read it yet, you'll be in for a treat when you do.

3M's List

My choices for the books "about me" are in this post.

I will probably only read 5-6 books for this challenge. Titles in red are the leading candidates at the moment. The others are alternates. Nominated books that I am thinking about reading, subject to change are:

Winter Wheat by Mildred Walker
The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint Exupery
Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland
The Secrets of a Fire King by Kim Edwards
Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood
A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson
PostSecret by Frank Warren
Blindness by Jose Saramago
Nothing But the Truth by Avi
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak


Eligible books I've already read:

The Thirteenth Tale
Nicholas & Alexandra
Evening Class
Pride & Prejudice
Jane Eyre
East of Eden
The Screwtape Letters
Persuasion
The Diary of Anne Frank
The Awakening
Wuthering Heights
Twelfth Night
Little Women
To Kill a Mockingbird (Review)
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Review)
Where the Red Fern Grows
Booked to Die
The Eyre Affair (Review)
Grapes of Wrath
Shadow of the Wind
Charlotte's Web
The Echo Maker (Review)
The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Review)
March (Review)
Mere Christianity
My Sister's Keeper (Review)
Fahrenheit 451 (Review)
Anna Karenina
The Time Traveler's Wife (Review)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Giver (Review)
Number the Stars (Review)
Island of the Blue Dolphin
A Wrinkle in Time (Review)
Flowers in the Attic

The Red Tent Give-Away

I have an extra copy of The Red Tent by Anita Diamant to give away. If you HAVEN'T READ this title and would like to be in the running for it, comment on this post on my blog. I'll draw a name on Sunday.

3M's List

My final two selections have been added.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
I just finished this. It has several "something about me" qualities. It is set in Lexington, Ky, and I live less than an hour from there. The author is a UK professor and mentions the school and the Wildcats, and my husband got his undergraduate degree there and is a UK fanatic. Like Paul (the boy twin), when I was an adult I found out I had a sister that I never knew about. Like David (the husband and father), I felt like an "imposter" in my (brief) professional life. He is a doctor in the story; I was an engineer. This was probably due to his poorer family background, which I can also relate to. Like Norah, I suffered from postpartum depression. You could say I really related to all the main characters. Besides all these "similarities," I really loved the book, too!

The Echo Maker by Richard Powers
This book is set in Kearney, Nebraska, where my sister currently lives and is not too far away from where I grew up. Powers did a good job of describing the remoteness of the region. The main "something about me" here, though, and this is getting a little too personal, is that the main character suffered from Capgras' and Cotard's Syndromes. Capgras Syndrome is the belief that your loved ones have been "replaced" by imposters, while Cotard's Syndrome is the belief that you have already died. I experienced these two syndromes while I was in college. Freaky, huh?

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
This is the book that started my reading addiction. My wonderful 2nd grade teacher, Miss French, read this to my class, and we were mesmerized and enthralled by it. A beautiful, beautiful book.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
This book really affected me in college as I sought answers to my "little crazy episode" above. Who can argue with Narnia creator C.S. Lewis?! No, seriously, Mere Christianity gives one of the best defenses of Christianity available. It is not a long book, but it is a little dense. If you need something lighter, try More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell.

Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland
Did you know there is a phenomena in which people cry uncontrollably in front of paintings or other art? I didn't know it either until it happened to me. I took my 7th grade class (back when I was a teacher) to an art museum in Nashville where they were having a special exhibit on impressionism. I was looking at this painting, and lo and behold, I started sobbing without any warning. It was so beautiful. It was like I was seeing it in 3-D. I couldn't believe the beauty of it. What was the painting, you ask? It was Luncheon of the Boating Party by Renoir. If you just see this in an art book, you may ask what the big deal is as there doesn't seem to be anything special about it. See it in person and you'll see a huge difference, believe me.

The book of that title by Susan Vreeland will be out in early May. It was given a starred review by Booklist. You may see a review and summary at Amazon here.

Lest you doubt my word about the crying phenomena, check out Pictures and Tears: A History of People Who Have Cried in Front of Paintings.