I asked my friend Leslie if she had read anything good lately, and she didn't have an immediate response. But when she thought about it, she suggested this one. Good Kiddie Lit is always enjoyable, she said, and I agree. She said she enjoyed the writing style of this author and she thought I would too.
And I did. Very clever and often funny. Delightful prose and real dialogue. And the story is built around these very strange, old, black and white photographs. It's all very clever, but it's also very dark, and sometimes violent. It's not a world I would want to inhabit, and it's really kind of creepy for this to be something recommended for young people to read. I suspect they would like it because it's real, it's about alienated parents, and a fantastical world....but it's not a pleasant, uplifting, or wholesome place to be. If I'm going to engage in a fantasy, I want it to be sweet! This is not.
And...the worst part...the book doesn't conclude. It just gets you ready for a sequel. This is maddening--in the same way that The Rithmatist was maddening. I felt cheated and frustrated. This one's going to the used bookstore so I can trade it in for something better.
Monday, May 27, 2019
Thursday, May 23, 2019
A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson
(1999)
This is the first of two books that Jann was reading and wrote about to me. This one is about Joan Anderson's first struggle to find out who she is when her empty nest made her feel empty and her marriage was lacking. She's only 50 in this book and so it's interesting to read about her thinking and how it develops over a year of living in relative solitude while she figures out what she wants to do and be.
Here's an excerpt: (from page 58)
She's describing some women customers who come into the fish market where she is working.
"I've never had the privilege of being "kept," if, in fact, it is a privilege. I look at the scrupulously scrubbed faces of these mannequinlike women and wonder, Does having it all make you happier or sadder? Does it make you free?
My back is aching, but several lobster tanks need to be scrubbed. I think I'm more than a tad bit jealous of them. Still, there are ground rules I'm certain they must live by, rules set up by their husbands and society that they must obey. Earning one's own keep has a great deal of merit."
I remind myself each time I want to quit that this job is about my independence as well as learning to rise above criticism, honor my ignorance, and deal with my occasional arrogance. And, having surrendered to a simpler life, I am finding excitement in little things that others might think dull."
This excerpt if typical of the honest and soft eyes through which this author sees the world. I really enjoyed her insights about her husband, her sons, and her daughters-in-law. She takes full responsibility for her feelings and thinking. She's honest and frank without being critical or judgmental. It's like being a cognitive apprentice for someone who wants to be content and who wants to let others also be content. I related to many of her struggles and appreciated her conclusion that she needs to let go of her urges to orchestrate and control others. It was also helpful and instructive that she found the right friend, Joan Erickson, who helped her thinking. Good friends have certainly helped me along the way.
And in this modern day, when many so-called feminists eshew the need or desire for a husband, it was refreshing to see how she was able to welcome her husband back into her life and to agree to build a new kind of marriage together. A very hopeful book. I liked it a lot.
This is the first of two books that Jann was reading and wrote about to me. This one is about Joan Anderson's first struggle to find out who she is when her empty nest made her feel empty and her marriage was lacking. She's only 50 in this book and so it's interesting to read about her thinking and how it develops over a year of living in relative solitude while she figures out what she wants to do and be.
Here's an excerpt: (from page 58)
She's describing some women customers who come into the fish market where she is working.
"I've never had the privilege of being "kept," if, in fact, it is a privilege. I look at the scrupulously scrubbed faces of these mannequinlike women and wonder, Does having it all make you happier or sadder? Does it make you free?
My back is aching, but several lobster tanks need to be scrubbed. I think I'm more than a tad bit jealous of them. Still, there are ground rules I'm certain they must live by, rules set up by their husbands and society that they must obey. Earning one's own keep has a great deal of merit."
I remind myself each time I want to quit that this job is about my independence as well as learning to rise above criticism, honor my ignorance, and deal with my occasional arrogance. And, having surrendered to a simpler life, I am finding excitement in little things that others might think dull."
This excerpt if typical of the honest and soft eyes through which this author sees the world. I really enjoyed her insights about her husband, her sons, and her daughters-in-law. She takes full responsibility for her feelings and thinking. She's honest and frank without being critical or judgmental. It's like being a cognitive apprentice for someone who wants to be content and who wants to let others also be content. I related to many of her struggles and appreciated her conclusion that she needs to let go of her urges to orchestrate and control others. It was also helpful and instructive that she found the right friend, Joan Erickson, who helped her thinking. Good friends have certainly helped me along the way.
And in this modern day, when many so-called feminists eshew the need or desire for a husband, it was refreshing to see how she was able to welcome her husband back into her life and to agree to build a new kind of marriage together. A very hopeful book. I liked it a lot.
Monday, May 20, 2019
Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis
Amazon has been recommending hiking books for me, ever since I ordered Wild by Cheryl Strayed. It's an easy sell, since I love hiking and I enjoy reading about it, too, especially during our Bismarck sojourn where the closest thing to a hike is a hilly arboretum.
This one looked like a winner after I read the reviews. And it is! I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. Davis is a young woman, trying to figure out her next step after graduating from college, and feels called to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. In some ways it's similar to Wild, in that it's the story of a solo woman hiker who learns a lot about herself in a thru-hike. Both women are incredibly open about their fears and their fearful situations, and both learn to keep hiking despite pain and cold and all kinds of obstacles. This book, though, is written by a less-troubled individual. She has great family support and it sounds like she always had, and it shows in her approach to the challenges. She has more confidence and more support along the trail. Yet, she has plenty to learn and does.
One thing I really appreciated about this story is how she gains confidence in herself and in her ability to be more open about her faith. She also does a good job of describing the people she meets and how they interact. She is a good example of someone who obviously and simply lives her Christian faith without apology or preaching, either in her life on the trail or in her writing. Her goodness just shines through and is obviously noticed and appreciated by others on the trail. She is able to convey this humbly and simply.
I also enjoyed the way she describes the scenery and it made me want to visit the White Mountains, the Smoky Mountains, and other beautiful places along the Appalachian Trail. I'd like to section hike the parts she describes someday...Not sure how or when, but I'm fascinated by how different it sounds from all of my Black Hills and Napa Valley hiking. I am going to keep this book around and read it again when I'm ready to plan a trip. It's full of appreciation for nature, other people, and the benefits of taking on a big physical challenge.
I'm thinking about ordering another copy to have on hand as a grad gift...I think even someone who doesn't hike would be able to appreciate the lessons learned, and maybe it would inspire someone to take on a big challenge.
Here are some of my favorite parts:
(page 287), when the end is in sight (after 2000 plus miles of hiking)
"Totally submerged, with my hair floating toward the surface and my limbs weightless around me, I embraced the unencumbered sensation of being surrounded by water. Rising back to the surface, I looked at my half-white, half-brown body beneath the water. I was amazed at the transformation that had taken place since Georgia. I never knew that I could be this fit."
"I looked up into the blue sky toward Katahdin. It was like a dream, too far away to touch but too close to be a mirage. I dipped down below the surface and came back up, but the mountain was still there. I laughed and looked up to the sky. I had done it."
(page 291) - After reaching the summit of Mt. Katahdin at the end of the trail, Davis describes her feelings:
"When the photo shoot was over, we turned around and started to hike back down the mountain. I don't want to say that climbing Katahdin was a letdown, because it wasn't. But I thought I was going to have an epiphany once I reached the top. I thought I would feel different at the brown sign marking the mountain summit.
But when I was there, I was just happy. "
This one looked like a winner after I read the reviews. And it is! I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. Davis is a young woman, trying to figure out her next step after graduating from college, and feels called to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. In some ways it's similar to Wild, in that it's the story of a solo woman hiker who learns a lot about herself in a thru-hike. Both women are incredibly open about their fears and their fearful situations, and both learn to keep hiking despite pain and cold and all kinds of obstacles. This book, though, is written by a less-troubled individual. She has great family support and it sounds like she always had, and it shows in her approach to the challenges. She has more confidence and more support along the trail. Yet, she has plenty to learn and does.
One thing I really appreciated about this story is how she gains confidence in herself and in her ability to be more open about her faith. She also does a good job of describing the people she meets and how they interact. She is a good example of someone who obviously and simply lives her Christian faith without apology or preaching, either in her life on the trail or in her writing. Her goodness just shines through and is obviously noticed and appreciated by others on the trail. She is able to convey this humbly and simply.
I also enjoyed the way she describes the scenery and it made me want to visit the White Mountains, the Smoky Mountains, and other beautiful places along the Appalachian Trail. I'd like to section hike the parts she describes someday...Not sure how or when, but I'm fascinated by how different it sounds from all of my Black Hills and Napa Valley hiking. I am going to keep this book around and read it again when I'm ready to plan a trip. It's full of appreciation for nature, other people, and the benefits of taking on a big physical challenge.
I'm thinking about ordering another copy to have on hand as a grad gift...I think even someone who doesn't hike would be able to appreciate the lessons learned, and maybe it would inspire someone to take on a big challenge.
Here are some of my favorite parts:
(page 287), when the end is in sight (after 2000 plus miles of hiking)
"Totally submerged, with my hair floating toward the surface and my limbs weightless around me, I embraced the unencumbered sensation of being surrounded by water. Rising back to the surface, I looked at my half-white, half-brown body beneath the water. I was amazed at the transformation that had taken place since Georgia. I never knew that I could be this fit."
"I looked up into the blue sky toward Katahdin. It was like a dream, too far away to touch but too close to be a mirage. I dipped down below the surface and came back up, but the mountain was still there. I laughed and looked up to the sky. I had done it."
(page 291) - After reaching the summit of Mt. Katahdin at the end of the trail, Davis describes her feelings:
"When the photo shoot was over, we turned around and started to hike back down the mountain. I don't want to say that climbing Katahdin was a letdown, because it wasn't. But I thought I was going to have an epiphany once I reached the top. I thought I would feel different at the brown sign marking the mountain summit.
But when I was there, I was just happy. "
Sunday, May 12, 2019
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
I asked the Schmidtleins one evening what books they were reading...and they both heartily recommended this particular book, even though they said they liked others of his books as well. They said it was original and interesting. They like wholesome reading and this author is a member of the church and keeps it clean. They told me it was a little sci/fi and fantasy, but that there were interesting characters.
Well, the story was definitely sci/fi and kind of dark and even gruesome in parts. I found the characters shallow and somewhat predictable. What was amazing, though, was the author's ability to invent and share a whole method of fighting evil with chalk drawings that come to life according to prescribed rules. The whole idea of "chalklings" attacking and eating humans was not so impressive; what intrigued me was the idea of drawing lines of defense and offense that did different things. Ben McSweeney's illustrations were more interesting to me than the story! This whole world of rithmatics was somewhat allegorical to our creation and the way we fight. Seen this way, the story becomes more intriguing. But all in all, it's not a book I would ever read again nor recommend. But it might be more appealing to a young male reader who likes adventure and strategy.
One more thing...I did get engaged enough in the characters to read the whole book to see if good would win over evil. And it did, of course, but not with any closure. Most plot threads were left untied and unexplained. The main character still had a big dream to fulfill. The last sentence in the book is a highly UNsatisfying, "To be continued." I threw the book down when it ended this way, pretty frustrated that I was hooked in for so long with so little resolution. Cheap author trick!!!
Well, the story was definitely sci/fi and kind of dark and even gruesome in parts. I found the characters shallow and somewhat predictable. What was amazing, though, was the author's ability to invent and share a whole method of fighting evil with chalk drawings that come to life according to prescribed rules. The whole idea of "chalklings" attacking and eating humans was not so impressive; what intrigued me was the idea of drawing lines of defense and offense that did different things. Ben McSweeney's illustrations were more interesting to me than the story! This whole world of rithmatics was somewhat allegorical to our creation and the way we fight. Seen this way, the story becomes more intriguing. But all in all, it's not a book I would ever read again nor recommend. But it might be more appealing to a young male reader who likes adventure and strategy.
One more thing...I did get engaged enough in the characters to read the whole book to see if good would win over evil. And it did, of course, but not with any closure. Most plot threads were left untied and unexplained. The main character still had a big dream to fulfill. The last sentence in the book is a highly UNsatisfying, "To be continued." I threw the book down when it ended this way, pretty frustrated that I was hooked in for so long with so little resolution. Cheap author trick!!!
The Second Journey ~ The Road Back to Yourself by Joan Anderson
Jann recommended this book to me, so I wrote her what I thought about it...Here's my note to her, along with some additional comments:
I wanted to let you know tonight that I ordered both of those Joan Anderson books you mentioned, and The Second Journey came first and I'm almost done with it. I really enjoy it--though, like you, I think a good dose of Relief Society would have helped her a LOT! Or THE GOSPEL. Still, there are parts that resonate. I'm interested in the first one also, but it hasn't arrived yet. I can imagine that you felt a special connection to this story because of your love of Scotland. That whole island experience is very well described and she quotes a lot of the writers and poets I like, like David Whyte and May Sarton.
I admire the quest of a woman who has felt somewhat let down after devoting herself to her family. I think our doctrine and our church culture help us find a balance, and help us feel the nobility and importance of this mothering work, and Anderson didn't have that perspective. Also, I think I didn't devote myself to my family to the extent that I ever lost myself. I don't know if that's right or wrong, but I always had plenty of intellectual challenge away from home. It created a lot of guilt and tension, but was probably a good thing overall. And then I think about how two out of our three kids have left the church and wonder if my lack of devotion was a key factor in that. But I feel peace about most of it. Anyhoo, thank you for sharing that read! A good one. Not as deep as many that I read, and I enjoyed the lightness.
A part that really resonated with me was her struggle to extricate herself from her mother's care. Wow. My sisters are so devoted to my father and yet, my older one is feeling the stress of trying to keep her partner in tow AND care for my dad AND the ranch. Neither Ann nor Jane has really cut loose. They see it as a huge blessing but I know the load can be heavy. Anderson's perspective on this could be seen as selfish, but I don't think so. I think it was her turn to have a life.
And all of this book struck me as a FIRST WORLD journey. She complains about lack of resources, but let's face it, she's wealthy by most standards, just based on what she is able to do...It's a luxury to have a second journey, that's for sure! And....I would like to take myself on a little retreat. It's been awhile since I've done that sort of thing and I would love it.
Later--this book is contributing to my thinking about setting a goal and doing it. This woman (above) went to an island in Scotland and hiked. I'd like to train to do something strenuous and challenging. Maybe train now (in Bismarck) and complete it during one of our breaks or as soon as we're done. Leonard is queing up documentaries for us to watch, and they are inspiring too! We watched one about the Barkley Marathon in Tennessee last night and it was fascinating. We like rock climbing docs too!
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana
This amazing book is a chronicle of a sailor's life beginning in 1834, sailing out of Boston, around South America, and ending up in California. What's amazing is that it's true, is beautifully written, and gives a clear and disturbing look at the life of a sailor during that time. The edition I bought (from Amazon) includes two updates; one from 24 years and one from 76 years after the initial voyage. What's fascinating about the updates is that it gives further color to the author and his life, as well as a look at how the cities in California were developing.
One problem I had was that this edition's print was TINY. It was tough going to read. But the story was so fascinating, I read slowly and carefully, despite this problem. Another problem was the detailed description Dana gives of his sailing. Most of this vocabulary is lost on me, and while I wished I knew what was going on, there was too much obscure vocabulary and verbiage to look up without a serious study of the whole topic. Maybe someday? In the meantime, I tried to guess from context clues what was going on. Most often, Dana would be up on some rigging high above the ship and tying or ??? doing something or other with the sails. For someone with more knowledge, this would probably be enlightening, especially when compared to how ships are sailed nowadays.
I really enjoyed reading about the sailors' clothes, their food, their pastimes, what they talked about to pass the time, their struggles, the line between the officers and the sailors, and life in California under Mexico. These ships were hauling hides from California back to Boston, so the methods of curing the hides and loading them was also described in fascinating detail.
Here's an interesting passage describing how Dana passed his time on deck: (from page 153)
"I commenced a deliberate system of time-killing, which united some profit with a cheering up of the heavy hours. As soon as I came on deck, and took my place and regular walk, I began with repeating over to myself in regular order a string of matters which I had in my memory,--the multiplication table and the tables of weights and meaures; the Kanaka numerals; then the States of the Union with their capitals; the counties of England, with their shire towns, and the kings of England in their order, and other things. This carried me through my facts, and, being repeated deliberately, with long intervals, often eked out the first two bells. Then came the Ten Commandments, the thirty-ninth chapter of Job, and a few other passages from Scripture. The next in the order, which I seldom varied from, came Cowper's Castaway, which was a great favorite with me; its solemn measure and gloomy character, as well as the incident it was founded upon, making it well suited to a lonely watch at sea. Then his lines to Mary, his address to the Jackdaw, and a short extract from Table talk (I abounded in Cowper), for I happened to have a volume of his poems in my chest); "Ille et nefasto" from Horace, and Goethe's Erl Koenig. After I had got through these, I allowed myself a more general range among everything that I could remember, both in prose and verse. In this way, with an occasional break by relieving at the wheel, heaving the log, and going to the scuttle-butt for a drink of water, the longest watch was passed away; and I was so regular in my silent recitations that, if there was no interruption by ship's duty, I could tell very nearly the number of bells by my progress."
I love that description and often wonder how long I would last on such a journey without losing my mind! The hardships he endured and the frequent dangers are humbling to read about. Always cold, often hungry, NO creature comforts, and often cruel treatment and even flogging by the captain were part of the life of these sailors. This is a magnificent history and made me want to learn more about this time and this life.
This book was recommended to me by my brilliant friend Sally Palmer. When I told her I had trouble with the sailing parts, she was surprised. She had no trouble figuring out and picturing what was going on by the context.
Earlier in the book, Dana describes his joy at reading Mandeville, a Romance, by Godwin. It was a pure delight to him, since books were so rare on board and he savored this one. I'm planning to send this copy to my dad. I think he will really enjoy it, if he can be patient with the small font!
One problem I had was that this edition's print was TINY. It was tough going to read. But the story was so fascinating, I read slowly and carefully, despite this problem. Another problem was the detailed description Dana gives of his sailing. Most of this vocabulary is lost on me, and while I wished I knew what was going on, there was too much obscure vocabulary and verbiage to look up without a serious study of the whole topic. Maybe someday? In the meantime, I tried to guess from context clues what was going on. Most often, Dana would be up on some rigging high above the ship and tying or ??? doing something or other with the sails. For someone with more knowledge, this would probably be enlightening, especially when compared to how ships are sailed nowadays.
I really enjoyed reading about the sailors' clothes, their food, their pastimes, what they talked about to pass the time, their struggles, the line between the officers and the sailors, and life in California under Mexico. These ships were hauling hides from California back to Boston, so the methods of curing the hides and loading them was also described in fascinating detail.
Here's an interesting passage describing how Dana passed his time on deck: (from page 153)
"I commenced a deliberate system of time-killing, which united some profit with a cheering up of the heavy hours. As soon as I came on deck, and took my place and regular walk, I began with repeating over to myself in regular order a string of matters which I had in my memory,--the multiplication table and the tables of weights and meaures; the Kanaka numerals; then the States of the Union with their capitals; the counties of England, with their shire towns, and the kings of England in their order, and other things. This carried me through my facts, and, being repeated deliberately, with long intervals, often eked out the first two bells. Then came the Ten Commandments, the thirty-ninth chapter of Job, and a few other passages from Scripture. The next in the order, which I seldom varied from, came Cowper's Castaway, which was a great favorite with me; its solemn measure and gloomy character, as well as the incident it was founded upon, making it well suited to a lonely watch at sea. Then his lines to Mary, his address to the Jackdaw, and a short extract from Table talk (I abounded in Cowper), for I happened to have a volume of his poems in my chest); "Ille et nefasto" from Horace, and Goethe's Erl Koenig. After I had got through these, I allowed myself a more general range among everything that I could remember, both in prose and verse. In this way, with an occasional break by relieving at the wheel, heaving the log, and going to the scuttle-butt for a drink of water, the longest watch was passed away; and I was so regular in my silent recitations that, if there was no interruption by ship's duty, I could tell very nearly the number of bells by my progress."
I love that description and often wonder how long I would last on such a journey without losing my mind! The hardships he endured and the frequent dangers are humbling to read about. Always cold, often hungry, NO creature comforts, and often cruel treatment and even flogging by the captain were part of the life of these sailors. This is a magnificent history and made me want to learn more about this time and this life.
This book was recommended to me by my brilliant friend Sally Palmer. When I told her I had trouble with the sailing parts, she was surprised. She had no trouble figuring out and picturing what was going on by the context.
Earlier in the book, Dana describes his joy at reading Mandeville, a Romance, by Godwin. It was a pure delight to him, since books were so rare on board and he savored this one. I'm planning to send this copy to my dad. I think he will really enjoy it, if he can be patient with the small font!
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