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.
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