Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is written by a writer who moves with his wife and infant to France for five years. One of the best books I have ever read that discusses the differences between he American and French beliefs about the world. There are thoughtful passages and laugh out loud passages. I loved the chapter about having a baby in France- No raw vegetables!. I have read this book twice and enjoyed it both times. A thoughtful intelligent look at life as an expatriate. Have you figured out yet that Alma and I would like to move to France for a year or two? There are things we would find frustrating but I think the experience of living in a different culture would be great for the boys. Unfortunately we don't have very mobile jobs. So maybe we will have to wait and do this when we are empty nesters.

A year in Provence By Peter Mayle

This is another travel book. One of the first I read about living in France- an classic and a must read. It is a good introduction the the slower rural life. The life ruled by seasons and rejoices in what is fresh and perfect at that moment.

Country Driving; A Chinese Road Trip By Peter Hessler

I have read River Town by the same author and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to reading this book. It didn't disappoint. I didn't care for the first section about driving along the great wall. It was okay just not captivating for me. But this was made up for my by the strength of the section about his country home and the relationship and experiences he has in the small agricultural village. The real power of his writing is the ability to connect with the Chinese and really describe their lives, government and beliefs. In no other chapter is his love and frustration with this culture so evident. I especially loved the sections about seeking health care in the big city for a little boy- I always like anything that looks at health care in different cultures.

I also liked the last section where he looks at an area of the country that is just starting to develop factories. This was especially fascinating and he is able to illustrate so well a changing country by highlighting the experiences at one bra accessory factory. I highly recommend this book. But I think I still prefer River Town- if you are only going to read on read that one but I hope you read both.

The Best Women's Travel Writing Ed by Lavinia Spalding

This was a great collection of stories. My favorites:

Masha by Marcia De Sanctis- a story looking at a brief connection between women from different worlds in communist Russia.

Naked by Sarah Katin- A look at the differences in how women view their bodies in South Korea. Also a feeling of friendship and wanting to share their culture with the outsider.

Jersey Girl by Abbie Kozolchyk- One woman's quest for soccer jerseys all over the world- and the unexpected experiences this brings. (also that is the thing Coen looks for on all our trips).

In Lardo We Trust by Marcy Gordon- The universal story of a ill conceived hike and the blessings of lardo.

The Innocents Abroad bu Mark Twain

Are you tired of travel books- there are more coming.

Becky is reading the Sweet Life by David Lebowitz an not enjoying his disgust at his fellow Americans. I didn't mind that part really. Here are my thought on the matter. In any city in America you meet pleasant polite people and rude inconsiderate people. And all those people travel. The problem is the rude and inconsiderate stand out. You rarely remember the person who wondered through the shop- and said a polite merci on her way out the door. But you do remember the oaf who talked too loud and demanded things or failed to say bonjour. They stand out more in Chicago and they stand out more in France. Also we are always more sensitive to the flaws of those who are related to us. We don't notice the rude demanding Russian nearly as much as you do the similar American.

So that all said- this is on of the best satires written about Americans abroad. While always amusing and with tongue in cheek Twain is able to illustrate the differences in Americans and Europeans. The silliness of the American to quickly adopt the worshipful attitude to allthat is old and the ability to forget the splendor of the American landscape. I love this book- maybe my favorite Mark Twain book.

Tales of a Female Nomad; Living at Large in the World by Rita Goldman Gelman

I loved this book. It is honest and heart felt. It tells her story, her view with out worrying about giving a complete guide to the areas she travels. It is full of the brief evocative moments that make your travels memorable. The conversations, the miscommunication, the friendships made while being in a foreign place. Any traveler knows it is those moments that stay with you. The conversation in the market where you honestly connect to a women so different from you- the time you follow the advice of a fellow traveler and wander someplace untraveled and have a transcendent experience, or the friendships formed that change you forever. It is these brief unplanned moments that make traveling a joy and a revelation. This is a book that collects those magical or sometimes heartbreaking moments in the author's life on the road. There is an especially touching chapter about her many years in Thailand that moved and inspired me. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

How to Climb Mt Blanc in a Skirt By Mick Confrey

More of my Travel books:

I really want to like this book. I really do. A book about Lady Adventurers? That is right up my ally. I have only read a handful of chapters and so far and I don't really like the book. The chapters are brief descriptions of different female explorers- a little tongue in cheek. But it isn't funny enough to be an amusing book and it isn't informative enough to be a learning book. It doesn't quite know what it wants to be and so it isn't successful at anything. I do like the little tables in every chapter where he compares the female explorer to her male counterpart. I may read all of it as it is a very easy read- but I may not as I don't really enjoy it. I will put it back into the pile by my bed and see.

Democracy in America By Alexis De Tocqueville

More of the travel books I gathered for the book club.

This is probably one of the best travel books/social commentaries ever written. A classic for a reason. The famed French Soldier travels through post-revolutionary America. He writes about the blossoming new form of government, the people, and the future as he sees it. He writes as a man in the center of the political life of America at the time- but still with the perspective of an outsider. A key piece of literature in understanding early American history.

Bella Tuscany by Frances Mayes

This is the second book after Under the Tuscan Sun. It is a continuance of the first book. The ever deepening connection the author has for this corner of Italy. Her prose are rich and sun filled.

Lunch in Paris; A Love Story with Recipes By Elizabeth Bard

Last month for our book club we read travel books. Well- I went through my book shelves for some books to share with the others and then I went to the book store to find one for me and left with a substantial pile. Some of them have made it into the pile that has been growing by the computer. I was a little surprised by how many books I had a bout travel. And there was a definite theme going there- France. I love France- and after last summer Alma does too. I dream of going back and spending lazy summers in the Alps and eating cheese and soaking in the late afternoon sun. Apparently this love affects the books I buy because I had quite a few about France and I bought this one to read too. It is about an American moving to France after a whirlwind love affaire. There are lots of books about Americans moving to France. This one was okay. Not the best- not the worst. I really liked her look into the health care system- which agreed with some of the more professional things I have read. I also really liked her look at the interactions between her and her in-laws and her parents and her French family. That was something I hadn't read about in other books. She talks a little about her foodie love- but not especially well or uniquely. I haven't tried any of her recipes yet- so no comment on them. This is really an area well traveled and written about by others in a much better way. But at the same time I understand that it is a major part of the French experience and how would you leave it out. So over all okay- but if you are only gong to read one book about living in France read Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik or The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz or My Life in France by Julia Child or A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle. All of these are superior. But if you are going to obsessively read books about France than by all means this one is on the list.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This is a best seller for a reason. It has a compelling story and takes place in a time of great change and emotion. One can only hope had you lived in the same time you would have had the same courage and insight to break free of the social norms you were raised with. That all said I didn't love it. It was good- the story interesting, the character inspiring (or revolting) but is just didn't touch me. I can't point to anything in particular it just failed to touch me.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

I recently reread this as it is one of my all time favorites. I still love it. This is about some impoverished sisters living in a castle in England during the 30s. It is brilliantly written- the sister dynamic is so compelling. Also the difficulty in loving a brilliant and yet essentially selfish parent. I love this book- but not enough to bring myself to read 101 Dalmatians.

Alice Waters and Chez Panisse by Thomas McName

This is a good book if you are a foodie- into California cuisine. But otherwise give it a pass. It isn't particularly written well enough to appeal to anyone who isn't already a fan of the fresh food movement who wants to know more about it's genesis. Anyways I liked it but defiantly did despite its flaws.

Ranger's Apprentice Seriece By John Flanagan

I loved these!!!! Maybe my favorite middle reader. Kathy- these are great for both of your kids. My friend Andrea's family likes them so much they have ordered the ones you can't get here from Australia (and even sent them to the cousins in Austria). I am trying to wait patiently for them to come out in the United States. I love an adventure book with and unlikely hero, one that celebrates the power in every ones individual talents, add in spunky kids saving the country and a couple of powerful strong girls and I am a fan! I keep looking at them on the shelf and anxiously await the day Coen and Becket can read them with me (I am thinking 7-8). Andrea is your Cowen reading them?

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

I really liked these books- a fun fast read. Good for discussion topics. I was not in love with how the trilogy ended but I still liked them overall and recommend them. Kathy- I think that Genevieve. might like them but I am not sure of suitability- you should definitely read them first. I would say they are ideal for 13 and older. Good for boys and girls. These would be good books to read at the same time and use as a tool for philosophical discussions. Moral dilemma questions abound- how do you decide what is right? The Conley and Clove Families devoured these this summer and the handful of copies were making fast rounds around the big groups of readers. Some one always seemed to be reading one during the family reunion and there was many debates of who had priority reading in my family.

Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks

Oliver Sacks is another author I will read anything by- but thinking about it I don't think I have ever really read Awakenings- the book that made him famous. (Well I read it in Jr High but that was before I really discovered Sacks and therefore don't count it.) I also recommend anything written by him. He is a neurologist who writes about the wonders of the mind and the amazing feats and defects it is capable of. this particular book is about the mind and music- There are all kinds of facinating chapters- why the Chinese have many more people with perfect pitch, musical hallucinations, people who see a different color for every note, musics relation to movement disorders like Parkinson's, music and depression. This is just a s mall sampeling of the topics. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves music or whi is interested in the workings of the mind. But if you could only read one Oliver Sacks I would have to say try An Anthropologist on Mars.

A Sense of the World; How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler by Jason Roberts

Well the title pretty much covers the book. James Holman (1786-1857) was a blind man who traveled all over the world and wrote about his time. It is an amazing account of a life lived in a time of change and discovery- by a man who observed more than many sighted individuals in the same places. It is fascinating and inspiring and I want to read it again now that I am thinking about it. I shall add it to the mountain on the side of my bed.

Nora; The Real Life of Molly Bloom by Brenda Maddox

This is one of the best biographies I have read recently- I actually started this one in Ireland and finished it when we got home (so I guess not so recently). This is about the life of James Joyce's wife Nora. I loved it. I loved the look at his life from the perspective of his life long faithful companion. She was a simple woman who in many ways was a balast to Joyce. Who worked many years to support the family- who raised his children- who had an undying belief in his genius. She is many ways is in most of his books. If you are a Joyse fan I highly recommend this book- or even if you are more like me and find him fascinating but difficult and frustrating. A very good and detailed look at her life.

Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson

I love any book by Bill Bryson. But I especially love any of his travel books. This one is about his last hurrah trip around England before his family moves back to the US. I love Bryson's quirky look at the world- and his snarky old man complaining attitude. That along with his love of beautiful architecture, hatred of bad city planners, and enjoyment of the odd quirks of human nature makes him an enjoyable companion for a few hours. Kind of like being with Alma. This is a great book I highly recommend it. Also as I read another book about him recently- one about the life of William Shakespeare- a slim volume about what we really know, not what we think we know. I also like Bryson when he is discrediting historians, also very amusing.

Just a few left in the Pile

I know I am missing tons and tons of books- there are probably another handful lurking under the bead. But I will never remember all the books I have read because I have the worst memory ever. The minute you ask me what we are reading and my brain turns to mush and I can't remember a single book I have read since 6th grade. And all that come out of my mouth is "Uhhh Witch of Blackbird Pond?

I Read the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan and loved them. I love that they were full of adventure- for the boys and girls. And yet it wasn't that obnoxious pushy kind of girl book- because it is really about a boy - and his friends both boys and girls. Anyways- I loved this series and Kathy- I think that your kids would really like them too. All of my nieces and nephews and siblings have read them and they were a big hit. Lots of fun. Just writing this makes me want to reread them- I think I will.

Good Behavior by Molly Keane- This was another of my Irish books- only this one I quite liked. It is dark too- I don't really know why it doesn't bother me. I think when the book is dark but the subject is interesting and thought provoking I can still enjoy the pain and darkness- but It has been too long to remember really why one I liked and not the other. This is a book about a family crumbeling apart but trying to keep up appearances.

The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. Alma got this book after I read a review of it and I of course had to read it too. I really like his writing and liked this book a lot. It is about his experience of trying to follow the bible literally for a year. What could be a cynical mockery of others religious beliefs some how just avoids that pit fall. He still finds the humor in the attempt of living the Old Testament. During this experiment he meets many orthodox people. And the book conveys humor, and respect at the same time at what to us modern readers seem strange and unusual practices. What starts as a attempt at a light hearted spoof still has a heart and it is interesting to watch the author find a connection to his own spirituality.

Bess of Hardwick; Empire Builder by Mary S. Lovell. I really like books about unusual and strong women and this one doesn't disappoint. Bess was an amazing woman that lived through the reign of Henry the VIII and Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. I tumultuous time. And some how Bess survives and thrives. Many of her acquaintances and even dear friends lose their lives or fortunes at the whims of the Royals but Bess is a brilliant politician who is able to ride the waves of the time and amass one of the greatest fortunes of her time- and by far for a woman of her time it is quite extraordinary. And it was her fortune separate from her husbands. It is also interesting to read about the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots from the perspective of her keepers- and the way this destroyed their marriage. I highly recommend this book.

Another interesting book about an unusual woman is the Ordeal of Elizabeth Marsh; A Women in World History by Linda Colley. This is about an eighteenth century woman who loved all over the world (she was captured by white slave traders!). If you read her life's story in fiction it would seem over the top and unbelievable and it would also have a better romance. But this is a very interesting book- I just wish the authors writing skills matched the drama of the story since it can be quite a slog. I got through those portions thinking about how I would write this story as a trashy romance novel. But if you like history from a woman's perspective I think you will like this one.

Marie Therese The Fate of Marie Antoinette's Daughter by Susan Nagel. I got this one when we were at Versailles (which we didn't love). I read this when we got home. The first half of the book was much more interesting than the second half. I kind of liked it but didn't love it.

I feel like I should have pictures but that is too much work.

More Catch Up

Ice Bound by Dr. Jerri Neilson This is a book by that doctor working on Antarctica who diagnosed herself with breast cancer and had to treat herself. I like medical stories and I couldn't finish this one. This is an interesting story- just not interesting enough for a book. And that she just brushes over the fact that she doesn't really see her kids and leaves for Antarctica knowing she won't see them all year- just a something I couldn't really respect. Apart from my personal issues there just a books worth of interest in this story- skip it.

Barcelona by Robert Hughes. I read this while I was in Barcelona and loved it. I couldn't decide if it was beast to read while there and it is all fresh- but I kept reading about things we had seen the night before- or if I should have read it before we left. I great book that covers the political, social, and artistic history of this city and how they are all ties together. It is a bit of a heavy read- completely worth it. If you had been with me in Barcelona I would have totally bored you out of your mind. Just ask Alma. He is very good at nodding and uh-huing while I go on and on. This book is staying on the shelf for further reference and reading.

The Unruly Queen; the Life of Queen Charlotte by Flora Fraser. Well this has been sitting by my bed half read for months and months. The problem is I love non-fiction, but I don't really like books about petty stupid people who spend time with other petty stupid people. No one to admire- just a poor little princess who breaks your heart with the idiots she got stuck with for parents. So even though I am only half way through her life I just can't bring myself to care to much for the other half.

Have you noticed something?- for the first time in my life I am not finishing books. I have let go of the compulsive need to finish reading anything I start. I just stop when something is boring or unappealing. I just stop, I know, revolutionary.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave. I read this not to long ago and remember really liking it while I read it, but as I sit here looking at it I have a hard time remembering what it was about. Oh I know a poor refugee and a middle aged British Woman. I think I need to reread it again.

Letters From Yellowstone by Diane Smith. I read this about 3 months later than the online book club- I have not done so great with that book club this year. But I did read this one. I loved it. It was charming and sweet. We went to Yellowstone a couple of years ago. It is written in the form of letters- I liked the difference in the different outlooks of the characters. This was a sweet easy read.

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry. Before I read this book I admired Lois Lowery but after reading it I liked her too. I think she would be cool enough to hang out with. I really liked this homage/spoof of the old fashioned children's books. Now I know lots of people don't like books where the parents are the bad guys and I agree- but it works here. Mostly because it is mocking those other books where this is a common story line- just taking it to a whole new level. Also the adults who take over are great. I love how the oldest sibling is so disagreeably bossy. I just loved this book. I laughed out loud several times and kept wishing I had someone to read bits too. And I thought the appendixes were brilliant. I especially liked the definition of a tycoon- would Oprah be a tycooness?

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. I have been trying to read all the classics I have somehow missed. I really liked this one. Except I just couldn't quite get over my dislike of the main premise of the book. That somehow a poor innocent child raped is in fact ruined and must somehow atone for it her whole life. You see this cultural gap was just too big for me to ignore. So while the book was brilliant and I loved the writing but I just couldn't separate myself far enough from my own time period not to be royally pissed at the romantic male when he rejects this poor girl after learning of her past. There are some transcendent passages about the role of man and man's beliefs. And the book is worth a read if only to remind ourselves of the false precepts of the past of a women's role as a fallen temptress- and to be grateful we live in a more enlightened time.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. I loved this book. This was one of the finest works of non-fiction I have read in a long time. Fair warning the language is quite strong and there are graphic scenes- so I guess I am saying don't read this Andrea. It is rare for a book to so fully explain a cultures essence. I kept calling Becky to see if she agreed with what I was gleaning. And so different from other books about Dominican refugees (I can't imagine anything so different from Julia Alverez). I highly recommend this book. Very worth its Pulitzer Prize.

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell So I loved the masterpiece classic of Return to Cranford- so I read this one but haven't read Return to Cranford. I liked it quite a bit. Very charming and sweet. Harvene tells me Wives and Daughters is her best book- and I did recently watch the BBC version of it and loved it so that is on my to do list to read now.

The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine. I loved this book- I think I read half of it out loud to Alma (and this time he actually enjoyed it). It was a really interesting book by a neuropsychiatrist about the female brain (surprise there). Here are my two favorite tips I picked up from the book. A women who doesn't have a secure relationship with her mother- later in life has elevated cortisol levels to everyday stresses. She has cortisol levels similar to others who are in a life and death situation when she is late for a meeting. This has given me a lot of insight to some of my crazy behavior. Also one of the reasons that girls develop speech so much earlier is that they have estrogen levels similar to their fully fertile adult levels in their brain the first two years of life. Most of the speech centers of the brain develop much faster under the influence of estrogen.

The Last Princess; The Devoted Life of Queen Victoria's Youngest Daughter. This was okay. It was mostly review of material I have read before in books about Queen Victoria. I think that I enjoyed other books that discussed all of the children better as they give you a little better picture of the family dynamic. This was fine- just information available in more complete forms elsewhere. But it is interesting to see how she manipulated all her children and probably Beatrice is the most pitiful of all the children as she was the youngest when her father died and thus the most sucked into her mother's world.

The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz. Written by a pastry chef (was the pastry chef at chez Panisse for 13 years) who moves to Paris. This is a great book about living in a different culture, the food, the language and the people. I read this when we were in the Loire Valley and it really helped me see Paris with new eyes. One of the really sad parts of the trip to Paris was that I didn't get to go to any of the many pastry shops and butchers he lists. I loved it. One of the little tid-bits was that law suits do not really exist in France- Which was evident when we went to the amusement park. I found his web site a great help in planning our week as well. Lots of tips about the cheapest way to get around and other stuff. Writing this makes me want to go check out his blog again- and I won't be putting this book on the book shelf- I will be leaving it in the kitchen so I can try some of the many desserts he gives recipes for. This book was hysterical. He enjoys the Parisian's but also enjoys poking a little fun at their oddities. I highly recommend this book if you are not traveling to Paris and it is a must read if you are.

The Country Girls Trilogy by Edna O'Brien. I read this in Ireland or shortly there after and well I don't like it. I get that the author is brilliant and I want to love female writers- but I just couldn't get into this. It was just to depressing. I just can't seem to really get into a book about two women's miserable lives. I just can't do it.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. I discovered this one by accident and I am so glad I read it. It is an clean beautiful book about our perceptions of truth, and beauty, simplicity and friendship. It is an intelligent read and was a good moment for me to brush up on my philosophy as well. I highly recommend this for when you really want to read something that pushes you. It is elegant and simple. I wish my French was good enough to read it in its original format.

Hello old friends

I know I have let this slide- a lot. And I am sure no one ever checks it any more. But I have this pile of books that are growing and will soon take over our house. These are just the ones that have stuck around the house. Any from the library or borrowed from friends are long gone. So here is a random and abbreviated list from the last year or so.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson So I read these because I was feeling like I was the last person on earth not carrying one of these books around in an airport. And they were a very good mystery. They were a little graphic for my taste. I liked the different and interesting characters but I didn't really connect with the main male protagonist. I did really connect with the main female. So I will probably read the third in the series but wouldn't be to comfortable recommending them because of their graphic nature.

Rasputin's Daughter by Robert Alexander This was one of the books for our book club. I don't think any one of us really liked it a ton. I have issues with historical fiction in general- and I think I have a hard time not being hyper critical. That being said I also didn't much care for the writing either- I also don't think I really like books about the tsar's family much either- just too much about that time.

Enemies of the People- My families Journey to America- Kati Morton. I really loved this book. It was one that L&H passed on to me. Ms Morton is a journalist who was raised in Communist Budapest by journalist parents. This book was written after she requests her parents secret police files. These files help illuminate a things she only remembered as a child. It is also an interesting look at the communist police state and the mistrust and constant anxiety one would have lived under. I really liked Kati's writting and the story is intriguing and fascinating. I real life spy story.

Finding Monsieur Right- by Muriel Zagah A silly little romance- the only thing I really remember was it was just silly.