Flunking out

I admit it: I am not a reading challenge kind of gal.

Inspired by Robin Brande's Quitter's Editon of the Friday list, I am officially bowing out of the challenge. Since August, I've read literally dozens of books, but only two of them have been from my challenge list. That's probably a bit of an indicator right there. It all comes down to the fact that I'm tired of eyeing my TBR pile with a mixture of guilt and resentment.

That sounds pretty harsh, doesn't it? Of course it's not all *that* bad. I know nobody here is going to string me up by my toenails if I don't get through my list. But I've discovered that reading is perhaps the one corner of my life where I really like to be impulsive and fly by the seat of my pants, and that's how I want to do it.

Even so, I'm glad I tried the challenge, particularly because Becky's choice of These Happy Golden Years inadvertantly nudged me into embarking on my Little House audio marathon, which I've LOVED. And I can finally say that I've read The Borrowers, which is a good thing for a girl who sells children's books.

I do still intend to read the 2.8 books I haven't gotten to yet -- namely, A Short History of Nearly Everything, 84 Charing Cross Road, and The Neverending Story. Someday, that is.

I kinda feel like a poo, though, because just yesterday Heather T posted a nice review of one of the books from my list. Drat. Ah, well. I'm glad she read The Giver, she's glad she read The Giver -- everybody's happy, right? Right.

Carry on, challengers!

The Giver - Heather T's Review

Today, I finished The Giver by Lois Lowry. I picked this out, originally, because I am trying to read Newberry Books, since I missed so many of them growing up. Then, it appeared on Sarah Miller's list for the Something About Me Challenge. I picked it up and read it quickly. It is a very short little book, but the depth is amazing. It is, as I have heard other reviewers explain it, "chilling." There are startling details that you take in little by little throughout the story, the most haunting for me being the absence of color.

The entire story left me feeling very disturbed. I tried to contemplate living in a world like thiers. Scarily enough, I understand their motivations. They have done away with racism and sexism entirely. The elderly are cared for and honored. There is no rape or murder. But even knowing the world that I do, the world that HAS all of these terrible things, I found the absences heart-breaking. There is Fiona's beautiful red hair, rendered gray for the sake of "sameness." There are gray apples and gray flesh. There are "releases" that simply devastate my soul.

I hope I never live to see a world like the one in this book. At the same time, I wish I could have imagined and written sucha gripping piece of young adult literature.

Heather

(Lack of) progress report

A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson

I'm trying to read this book. I really am. I picked it from Raidergirl3's list because it's been on my shelf for ages and it's high time I learned a thing or two about science.

I'd planned to listen to the audio version because I love listening to Bill Brysn read, but I got fooled -- Bryson *doesn't* read the unabridged edition. This seriously complicates things. I really don't have time to wade through the print version, and the narrator -- a slightly stuffy British fellow -- isn't doing a darn thing for me. Mostly, I just sit in the car and imagine how much better the book would be if Bryson were doing the reading instead....

These Happy Golden Years -- Sarah's review

I chose These Happy Golden Years from Becky's list both because I wanted to experience some Beckyness and because it's been ages since I read the Little House books.

Well, now! I can’t say enough good things about this book. Granted, a HUGE part of my enthusiasm is because of Cherry Jones, the audio performer. Cherry Jones’s readings of the Little House series brings the Ingalls and Wilder families to new life the way Garth Williams’s illustrations did in the 1950’s. I am in the process of loading the entire series onto my iPod because of her.


Now, onto the story itself. Because of my own tangental historical obsessions, I couldn’t help but compare the 15-year-old Laura to Annie Sullivan as she set out to teach school for the first time. In some ways, I’d go so far as to say Laura had it worse than Annie – leaving such a happy home at such a very young age and all. Anyway… Laura and Almanzo’s courtship is so understated that it drove me bonkers as a kid, but this time around I found it rather sweet. I don’t know when Laura started to fall for Almanzo, but he had me during that awful 12 mile sleigh ride from the Brewster school in a near-blizzard.


All in all, there’s just something about watching a character grow up like this. But more than that, it’s amazing to have such a full slice of American history preserved this way. I’m in serious danger of adding the Ingalls/Wilders to my list of historical passions. Thanks, Becky!

The Borrowers -- Sarah's review

I picked The Borrowers from Wendy's list because it seemed like one of those Books I Ought to Have Read By Now. I read, write, and sell children's books, after all. How could I not have read The Borrowers yet? It's a little embarassing, you know?

At any rate, I'm so glad I finally did. What a sweetie pie of a book! There's a reason this has become a classic. It's just that good -- cozy and comfortable with a spot-on voice. After a run of ho-hum books, I blazed through The Borrowers and loved it.

I realize I'm mostly just gushing here, but I feel sort of like I'm one of the last people on earth who doesn't already know all about The Borrowers.

I should probably mention that I read the 50th anniversary editon, which is illustrated with the original British pictures by Diana Stanely. There's also an introductory essay by Leonard Marcus and a letter by Mary Norton explaining the origins of the little people under the floorboards. All fun stuff for a kiddie lit geek like me.

Speaking of anniversary editions, I was a bit surprised to discover this book is only 50-some years old. In the grand scheme of things, that's a pretty quick trip to the classics shelf if you ask me. That's decades younger than Winnie the Pooh, The Secret Garden, Little House, and heaps of other old favorites. I guess that just goes to show how good it is.

Thanks Wendy!

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

The Red Tent is one of SarahMiller's selections for this challenge. Sarah said about this novel: "This is the type of story I love best -- strong characters, strong relationships, and terrific writing. I'm also fascinated by books that dig into the nooks and crannies of well-known stories and bring out something new." I think this is a good summary of this book, and my review is below (and cross-posted on my blog).
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In Genesis 34, there is a brief mention of Dinah, the sole daughter of Jacob, who was taken and violated by an Egyptian prince, who then fell in love with her and asked Jacob for his blessing of their marriage. It is this very small Biblical mention that is the foundation to Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent.

Diamant first tells the story of Jacob’s four wives, who were all sisters, whose lives revolve around “the red tent” where they spent three days menstruating among a commune of women. Dinah is born to Jacob’s first wife, Leah, and becomes a young member of this all-female tour de force. In the red tent, Dinah learns about goddesses of the earth, fertility and childbirth. The strength and differences of her four mothers develop Dinah into a smart, resourceful woman – skills that she will use later in her life.

As Dinah gets older, she learns the trade of midwifery, which brings her into an Egyptian city where she meets her first husband, the Egyptian prince. Diamant tells their story as one of love, not rape, and when her husband is brutally murdered by her brothers, she chooses to disown her beloved family and settles into Egypt.

The Red Tent is an interesting story of Biblical women, their fertility and birthing rites, and early forms of midwifery – a respected profession for women of this era. Overall, I found the story to be a smart and engaging read. Readers of Biblical fiction and women’s literature will definitely want to check out this novel.

Finally posting my TBR list....

I'm off to a slow start, but at least I'm not the only one! Here are my picks:

1. From Historia's list, 84 Charing Cross Road, because ages ago when I worked at the library Elaine told me I'd love it.

2. From Becky's list, These Happy Golden Years, even though I did read it a long time ago. This will be an excellent excuse to listen to Cherry Jones read the audio edition. Besides, this time I will read in the context of Beckiness. ;)

3. From Little Willow's list, The Neverending Story, because I've only seen the movie.

4. From Wendy's list, The Borrowers, because in anticipation of choice #5, I'm going to need a shortie, and it just seems like someone who sells children's books ought to be someone who has read The Borrowers.

5. And even though I know darn well I will live to regret this, my final pick is the very enormous A Short History of Nearly Everything from Raidergirl3's list, because I've had it on my shelf for at least two years now and I'm tired of feeling guilty every time I see it.

Plus, if I get really ambitious, I'll read Jane Eyre (Kathrin's list) because my Aunt Wanda gave me a copy at least ten years ago and I'm very embarrassed to admit that I Still. Haven't. Read. It. (But don't feel bad, Aunt Wanda -- Uncle Bob gave me The Hobbit when I was 13 and I didn't read it until after he died.)

The View from Saturday

i've finished my first book for this challenge - E. L. Konigsburg's The View from Saturday, from Sarah Miller's list. i've posted a brief review on my book blog. (by the way, Sarah's blog, which i'd never visited until now, is here.)

this is what Sarah had said about it:

I honestly can't tell you exactly what it is that makes me love this book so much. The way everything fits together appeals to me - how with the characters and the story itself, the whole is equal to more than the sum of the parts. I also love the haven these kids create for themselves.

i completely understand what she means about the whole being equal to more than the sum of the parts! this book is well-crafted - as well as a delightful story.

i've been meaning to read this book - the 1997 Newbery Medal Winner - for a number of years. thanks for putting it on your list, Sarah, to give me a little motivation to get it read!

Five about me, Sarah Miller

Strangely enough, I didn't have a hard time chosing my five books. Picking just five favorites is a misery, but somehow, chooisng five books that say something about me is much simpler.

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Zel, by Donna Jo NapoliIt's no secret I love Donna Jo Napoli's books. Her writing sounds like the voice in my head, and that's all you need to know. This is the one I read first, which makes it more or less my de facto favorite.








The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant

This is the type of story I love best -- strong characters, strong relationships, and terrific writing. I'm also fascinated by books that dig into the nooks and crannies of well-known stories and bring out something new. There are definitely some similarities in theme between this book and Zel. That's no coincidence.






The Giver, by Lois Lowry

The Giver gets the award for Book that Most Amazes Me. The premise itself astounds me, and then to top that off, she went and wrote it so well. Oh, and for the record, I believe in happy endings....








The View from Saturday, by E.L. Konigsburg


I honestly can't tell you exactly what it is that makes me love this book so much. The way everything fits together appeals to me - -how with the characters and the story itself, the whole is equal to more than the sum of the parts. I also love the haven these kids create for themselves.






All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum


It seems to me I discovered Fulghum sometime around middle school, and I've read and re-read him ever since. This is where I learned to find the little flecks of happiness and magic in everyday life. (Come to think of it, Fulghum probably has a lot to do with the way I see the conclusion of The Giver!)