We Love Libraries!

For anyone who's met me in person, this will be an old topic: I love my local library! It's true, I can't help it. The Minuteman Library system is amazing - connecting tons of local libraries within the Boston Metro area and allowing me to request nearly anything I could possibly want. I can request online and track my borrowing (I recently realized I can see ALL the items I've checked out since 2006... it's a bit scary). I love it. It appeals to my thrifty, DIY style and my anal-retentive data side.

Thank you Minuteman Library system!

I've been hearing lately that the young folks (those in their 20s) are getting more and more hip to the library and all I have to say is yay! The library is an amazing resource for all of us and I wish more people would use it. You can borrow books of course but also DVDs and CDs and museum passes. It's a great way to get to know your community with different events (book sales, movie nights, second language conversation).

Sure, I've had my moments of pain (thinking specifically of the time I lost a Will and Grace DVD in my stolen laptop - Mrs. Librarian was not understanding) but overall the staff at my local library is wonderful. They now recognize me (something that brings no end of teasing glee to my loved ones) and engage me in conversation around the books I request. Moreover, they've not once yelled at me for using the library to it's utmost - I mean seriously, I push all the boundaries of borrowing.

It seems I am not alone. Check out this Gizmodo article: Public Libraries are Beating Netflix, Redbox and Blockbuster in DVD Rentals.

And please, go get a library card.

We Love Book Sales!

Okay, you guys get it - I'm a big reader. So it makes perfect sense that when my favorite bookstore (for the record, the Harvard Book Store) holds their semi-annual warehouse sale, I go crazy with excitement.

The bookstore itself is fantastic - they have a great layout, lots of little cubbies to hide in with a book, tall bookshelfs and then a more open area for the latest and greatest. They've got tons of remainders and a used books cave below the main store. They do tons of readings and have a coop program (which I love!) and on top of that, they have a huge book warehouse that they've started opening up to folks for a book sale (in June and December).

This past weekend was the December book sale (typically goes both Saturday and Sunday). We hit it up Saturday mid day and it was magnificent! The shelves are stacked from floor to ceiling, books line every surface, and you can get wonderful deals just in time for the holidays. They hand out bags that you can fill while looking around (danger of shoulder dislocation but still) and every one of your sense is assaulted by books - everywhere you look there are books, it smells like books, you can't help but touch... okay, I didn't taste anything but I bet if I did, it would taste like literature.

For those of you in Boston, I wanted to make sure to share the Harvard Book Sale love with you. Sure, you can't go until June now but please, patronize this store and the warehouse. They're both full of beautiful books and great people.

Plus, you can pick up 15 books for under $100 (including glossy cookbooks!).

The Kindle: A Review

Dear readers! If you remember correctly, last time we met, a new Kindle had fallen into my lap (because it was purchased and brought into my house...). At the best of times, I would describe myself as "skeptical of new technology." I'm no Luddite but I like what I've got and new technology makes me nervous (how many mega pixels does a girl need!?). I'm old fashioned - I like the feel of a book, and the smell of the pages.

Well, without further ado, an old fashioned reader's review of the Kindle: it sort of rocks.

I mean, for serious folks, for travelling, this thing is THE THING. And don't go thinking that I was swayed by it's shiny beauty (I might have been a bit) - I compared the Kindle experience with that of the iPad reader and the Kindle app on my iPod. Yes, the iPad is pretty sweet - it's beautiful and fast and sleek and everything you expect from Apple. But as an e-reader? It's not ideal. Sure, it pulls together my "virtual bookshelf" in a way that is pretty appealing to the eye but once you've compared the actual reading experience to that of the Kindle, the iPad (as well as the Kindle app on the iPod) falls flat.

The Kindle is as close to a real book as an electronics device can get, in my estimation. The greyish screen (I know there's a fancier term for this but I can't remember it) is really paper-like. Your eyes don't get strained or tired; in fact, you sort of don't realize you're reading on a Kindle. And for me, that's the biggest compliment I can give the device. It's not a book; you don't actually turn pages, there's no old book smell, etc. But, I am not constantly reminded that it's not a book - as I am with other e-readers I've tested.

My biggest fear with the Kindle though, was not the feel of it but the actual mechanism for "turning pages." For those of you who aren't familiar, there's a slight shuddering with each page turn and I was convinced (mightily) that it would drive me mad. In reality, I stopped noticing it after page 2. It seems like a HUGE deal when you're just playing with the device but when you're reading a good book? You have other things to focus on.

So am I a convert? Not exactly. I'll probably still prefer hard copy books (unless we're talking War and Peace maybe!) but I have to say that I am a fan of the Kindle. I have converted in that sense. Would I buy one now? Yes. Would I buy one for someone else? Yes (in fact, I already have).

Nice job Amazon.

Books 37-41: A Recap

Another recap of books read when I was not blogging... but I swear... I will start blogging again!

Book 37 - Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick

This book was pretty amazing... and shocking. Amazing because she really pulls you into the daily lives of North Koreans, what it's like to live under a fantastical dictator, in poverty, etc. And shocking because wow, I know so very little about North Korea. It's easy in our ever-connected society to become jaded about the unknown (i.e. think there is no unknown) and it's shocking to find out that you know very little about a veritable genocide going on in current times. The North Korean story is shockingly stark and sad and Barbara Demick does an amazing job of clarifying and expanding the viewpoint that you have about the country and its viewpoints. (314 pages, 4.5 stars)

Book 38 - Awkward Situations for Men by Danny Wallace

Oh Danny Wallace... how I have loved you these many years (some of you might remember Danny from Friends Like These) and how you have forsaken me. Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic but I'll be honest, I was disappointed by Mr. Wallace's most recent effort. Sure, it was still entertaining and I did laugh out loud once or twice but it wasn't in his wheelhouse. Danny Wallace excels at telling ridiculous stories about plans or missions or silly projects - long stories that develop. Awkward Situations is more anecdotal, more essays than a plotline. I missed Danny's developments and long stories... I hope the next book will be more like the Danny of old!
(256 pages, 3.75 stars)

Book 39 - Cop in the Hood by Peter Moskos
I think I bought this book when I was obsessed with The Wire which makes me feel both embarrassed and intrigued. Peter Moskos is a sociology student interested in documenting a year with the Baltimore PD who is, sort of unexpectedly, thrust into becoming an actual cop. The stories are heartwarming, infuriating, disheartening, disgusting, etc. He admits that it is a very small snapshot of real life on the force but the book is interesting none the less. I might have asked for some snappier writing but it was a research project after all. (280 pages, 3.5 stars)

Book 40 - Towelhead by Alicia Erian

I'd heard about Towelhead for awhile so I took advantage of my handy kindle app and downloaded the book. Thought I was pretty engaged in the book and thought a lot about it while reading it, I'm not entirely sure if I liked it or thought it was good. Does this happen to other people? The book was pretty sensationalist and it was difficult for me to tell if this was deliberate, to prove a point (that I might not have gotten) or if it was sensationalism instead of good plot development and writing. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to folks, so I guess that helps to determine my actual opinion.

(336 pages, 3.5 stars)

Book 41 - When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I was drawn to When You Reach Me because it's a Newbury Award Winner. For the record, yes, I know I am not a young adult; that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good young adult novel. And Rebecca Stead's book is just that - a really good young adult novel. It pulls in conventions and plot points from other young adult books that I love (Hello A Wrinkle in Time!) but more than that, the characters are well developed, they have clear voices, and the plot is strong and unexpected. Well done Rebecca! I thoroughly enjoyed this book (even as an adult!) and have already been recommending it.

(208 pages, 4.5 stars)

Stay tuned for more books!

Kindle? Say it ain't so!

It's true dear readers. An honest to goodness Amazon Kindle has entered the household. The Kindle App was one thing (free being that one thing) - sure, I loved it; sure, I've read scads of books on it; but it was on my iPod. It didn't require another electronic device or the spending of much money (only the dollars spent on each book).

But now, we have a sleek charcoal-grey Kindle resting on our coffee table. And it already has books on it! Will I love it? Only time will tell really but you guys can count on a no-holds-barred review after I've had time to really use it.

It was purchased, of course, for the big trip coming up. Virtual books... it must be the future! Where's my hoverboard?

Books 32-36: A Recap

Per my last post, it's been a busy time... but that doesn't mean I haven't been reading. Yes, it's been at a slower rate; yes, some of the books are not at my usual level (hello, young adult fiction); yes, a lot of them have been read on my iPod Touch (Woot! Kindle app!) - but I AM reading!

My memory is like a sieve with a rip so I'm not sure I could really pull together reviews for each and every book I've read in my hiatus. Instead, a recap (5 at a time):

Book 32 - New Zealand with a Hobbit Botherer by John Gisby

For those of you who don't know, I am planning a trip to New Zealand for the near future (you may or may not see a hiatus on the blog during November 2010) and I've been spending a lot of time reading whatever I can find about it (and trying to figure out if I can count the Frommer's that I read from cover to cover). My traveling companion happens to be mildly obsessed with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy so this booked seemed like a good fit. It was about what I expected - fairly interesting, full of good tips on traveling in NZ, and moderately well written. (210 pages - 3.5 stars)

Book 33 - The Blindside by Michael Lewis

I know what you're thinking... Sandra Bullock? Bear with me. I happened to catch The Blindside on a JetBlue flight earlier this year (and by happened to catch I mean shelled out $6 to watch) and I really enjoyed it. I, too, was shocked! I liked it so much that when I saw that it was based on a book, I added it to my library queue. In another flagrant betrayal of the way the world usually works, the book served to reinforce the worth of the movie. From what I can tell, the movie is an accurate and credible representation of the book and the true story and is not as sensationalist as it seemed it might be. Michael Orr's story is incredible, unbelievable, fantastical even - but the book is great. I've recommended it all over the place since I've read it - to football fans and non football fans alike. It's an amazing story, well written, etc. Definitely worth the read (and the watch). (324 pages - 4.75 stars)

Book 34 - The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food by Judith Jones

Why, what's this? A food book by Julia Child's editor? Yes, please. After reading My Life in France recently, I was pretty much in love with everything Julia Child - her writing, her food, her editor. Even things remotely related to her - other food writing namely - were intoxicating. It was a mild obsession, truth be told. I picked up Judith Jones' life story and it did not disappoint. It helped carry the dreamy preoccupation I had developed and allowed me to linger further in the picture of a Paris that I will never get to visit. Delightful and warm, you can see why Julia and Judith were so well suited to each other in the literary sense, and I loved the sense that one could not tell whose voice it truly was. The mesh of Julia and Judith in this and other books is just wonderful. (282 pages - 4.5 stars)

Book 35 - City of Thieves by David Benioff

This book was given to me years ago by a dear friend (I am a notorious non-reader of gifts btw, I have to wait until the moment is right!), whose opinion I trust when it comes to great literature. That said, it clearly took me some time to get around to it, something I would not recommend! This book is great. It was a completely unexpected, beautiful book. It was funny and smart and heartbreaking. I loved it so much that I immediately went to find Benioff's other books (which I haven't read yet but still). I should listen to my friends, sometimes they're right. (258 pages, 5 stars)

Book 36 - The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten

Picked this up at a local used bookstore because of my recent penchant for food books (what's not to like? food + reading?!). I have to admit that I had trouble getting into the book; it took me awhile to be interested in what Steingarten had to say. It wasn't so much that he's not an interesting guy but it felt dated. The book is over 20 years old and it felt that way. Is it weird to think that food writing can be dated? Maybe, but it felt a bit like I was reading about the latest trends in Sega Genesis. Sure, it might still be interesting but it didn't feel as relevant. That said, I am still interested in reading his newer book - It Must've Been Something I Ate. (528 pages - 3.25 stars)

Why Hello There...

Okay... yes, I have been absent. VERY absent.

Let's just say life has been... crazy? busy? frantic? Maybe all of the above.

It's not an actual reason but it's a darn good excuse if I don't say so myself.

I promise to get back on the blogging bandwagon soon but in the meantime, check out this fantastic project: Day Zero.

Essentially, you pick 101 things that you want to get accomplished in the next 1001 days (does this sound appealing to anyone else!?) and use it to track it.

I am definitely doing it but who else might be interested? I'd love to feature your accomplishments here (tee hee, a way to not blog?!) if you're interested. Check it out!

Dr. Mario... FAIL (again?)

This past weekend marked the end of the summer for school kids all over the country but for me it was a true sign of fall's impending arrival. The sun set earlier, the shadows felt longer, and I made a much belated trip to Funspot, that NH mecca of video game love.

I tried my hand at Dr. Mario (after what has been a loooooong hiatus) and I have to admit, I just wasn't there. Curses! *Shakes fist*

For those of you who know me personally, you know I've got a few balls in the air (a few hundred?) but that's no excuse! It's September and the year is quickly drawing to a close! This is a 2010 goal folks so I've got to get on it.

All of you personal stuff, get out of my head and let me get to work. My manager says I need to practice and he's right, I do. But how to fit that in to everything else? October... October is when I will practice. And... maybe I can squeeze in a viewing then... that is, if Twin Galaxies would ever write me back.

That's right Twin Galaxies, I'm calling you out. I know Dr. Mario isn't one of your big name contests but I've got an actual world record in my hands!

Viruses beware, I might be down but I am NOT out.

Book 31 - My Life in France by Alex Prud'homme

I'm going to say something shocking... so beware. My Life in France, Alex Prud'homme's wonderful biography of Julia Child (sort of auto-biography since he worked closely with her to write it) is the best book I have read this year. I'm not speaking about literary worth or linguistic talent (though both are quite good) but about sheer, actual joy of the process of reading this book. For the entire week that I was reading this, I walked around with a slight smile on my face... happy. This book made me happy. I know that shouldn't be revolutionary but for me, a person who tends to prefer books that are dense and complicated and (gasp) even depressing, it's not that often that a book makes me gleeful.

For those of you who aren't familiar, My Life in France chronicles Julia Child's life but focuses on her most joyous years - those that she spent in France with Paul. Sure they moved around, sure there were years in cold, Germanic countries; but all of those experiences were told in how they juxtaposed against the rose colored years in France. The descriptions of France, of their quirky apartments, of the characters and experiences... it's all quiet beautiful.

And the food! Oh the food. It's delightful to hear about Julia's early *ahem* failures with food, before she become the Julia Child and was only a very tall, outspoken woman who burned things. It should give every food lover hope. Innate talent helps out sure, but it's a quality of spirit and confidence that will win out in the end. And, of course, a wonderful life partner.

Reading Julia's stories did more than make me happy. I found myself daydreaming all the time (ksbooks agrees that it "sparked her wanderlust". What if I moved to France? What if I focused on food and cooking (something I fantasize about...)? I am by no means getting on in years but even if I were, there is comfort in Julia's unquenchable spirit. Even in her later years, she was still on the go - cooking, getting filmed, etc.

If you like food or France or Julia Child or really, just life (Rainy's Reading Room calls this a book about life) - read this book. Daydream and float off on the plans that you can build in your head.

Additional Reading:

• NY Times: Julia Child's Memoir of when Cuisine was French for Scary
• NY Times: Becoming Julia Child

I am alive!

Sorry everyone, it's been a crazy month! Excuses, excuses - but who knew it had been nearly an entire month since I'd written anything here?!

I promise to be better in the future but for today, here are a couple of articles to keep you happy:

Stieg Larsson Passes 1 million Kindle Books Sold - I guess everyone is reading these books! (Check out my reviews: Book 6: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Book 11: The Girl who Played with Fire; Book 30: The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest)

Billy Mitchel is Again Champion of Donkey Kong - and Jr. too - Why does this guy make my skin scrawl so much!? If you still haven't watched it yet, please check out King of Kong. And stay tuned for an upcoming trip to Funspot (fingers crossed that we can sneak it in!!).

Book 30 - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson

Book 30
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson
576 pages in 15 days

Larsson's third book in "The Girl Who" trilogy came out in mid-May and I couldn't help myself - I pre-ordered the book. The third book picks right up where Book 2 (The Girl Who Played with Fire) ended and avoids the messy "reminder passage" that was needed to bring you up to speed (which is good) but instead, it delves right into the most complex, messiest conspiracy theory this side of the cold war. As Wesley Morris, the Globe film critic, writes "Hornet’s Nest is 90 percent government, police, and legal procedural" and I have to admit that my interest suffered because of it. I previously would not have identified Salander as the one carrying water in this story but it's pretty clear that once she's removed from the story, it's easy to be bogged down in the minutiae of the plotline and the one dimensional nature of most of the characters (even Salander can seem like a type of caricature at times).

It took me a surprisingly amount of time to get into this third installment. It took, in fact, about a week - though I have to admit that I was reading another book entirely (Book 29) on my commute because this tome was so giant. But again, once I got into the book, I consumed it. Larsson is clearly a journalist and it takes you a bit to get all the basis of the story down, before you can dive into the meat and the suspense. I understand that to Swedish readers - and to Larsson himself - some of the more political aspects of the plot were important but to me, they just weighed down the more contemporary story. The books are LOADED with characters and (my own fault) I had a lot of trouble distinguishing between them - the Russian novel effect.

That said, did I enjoy this book? Yes. No equivocation. Sure, the characters are outlined in thick black Sharpie and barely filled in. Sure, there are endless pages of political detritus that seems unnecessary. Sure, it's sensational and fantastical. Who cares?! The books are great together and offer great stories that you can really fall into. I continue to wonder how they would have changed had Larsson lived to help edit and polish them up - would things have been cut, did the books suffer from poor translation, etc. And I have to admit, I'm pretty glad there aren't going to be 10 of them but all in all, very enjoyable. It's easy to see why they are bestsellers.

If you're into podcasts, I highly recommend all of Slate's podcasts (Hang Up and Listen, Double X, Audio Book Club, Political Gabfest, Cultural Gabfest...) but what better place to start than their Culture Gabfest focused on the Steig Larsson books?

Other sources:
LA Times Review
Love, love, LOVE this review from Bookstore People (could it be because we see eye to eye on a lot of points?)
My past posts on the trilogy: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who... Never Ends?

Book 29 - Theodosia and the Serpent of Chaos

This is not the first of the 52 to be technically found in the young adult fiction section of the bookstore (see Book 22: Diary of a Wimpy Kid) but R. L. Lafever's Theodosia and the Serpent of Chaos is pretty entertaining to those of us with a driver's license (okay... and a full fledged adult card) too.

The book is the first in a series of books about Theodosia, our precocious, 11-year-old protagonist who gets in and out of scrapes with a natural skill (or lack thereof) that would stun any of her boy counterparts. The book is billed as "the next Harry Potter" but to me, it seemed more like a historic Harriet the Spy meets a book focused on Hermione from the Harry Potter series (yes, I read a lot of kids' books...). Where Harry is a magical character, in a life or death struggle over eternity, who seems to pair luck and skill to success, Theodosia is your typical book-smart, more parental than her parents, practical heroine.

Of course, she does tempt fate with a boat trip across the ocean and a fairly violent battle with some nefarious German villains, but you're pretty sure that she's going to pull through. With help from her nitwit brother, her ridiculous cat, and a handful of other two-dimensional characters, Theodosia manages to pull through - saving the fate of Britain and her family, with her parents none the wiser.

Check out some other grown-up reviews:

• Booktalk & More
• Strange and Random Happenstance
• Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog

And hear about it from Theodosia Throckmorton herself on her very own website (and blog!) and check out R. L.Lafever's website while you're at it. Happy reading!

Book 28 - Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman

For those of you who don't know who Chuck Klosterman is (and those of you who didn't read Book 4 - Fargo Rock City), Eating the Dinosaur might seem like a weird title for a book - for the record, it refers to one of the only "reasonable" reasons for time travel - but it's all in line with what I already know about Klosterman.

Klosterman, a long time music and pop culture writer, comes off as someone that you both want to be friends with and someone that you think might be a little bit of a douche bag (pardon the expression). I have no doubt he's a bit of both - who among us doesn't have a dear douche bag friend after all? - but what really matters is that he writes entertaining books.

Eating the Dinosaur, the latest in Klosterman's books, is a book of essays that are only vaguely connected - they're all things that Klosterman finds interesting - but are all interesting and entertaining. I didn't love the book like I loved Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs (the first of Klosterman's book that I read) but I did enjoy it and found cause to read some of the essays out loud - for comedic value.

Klosterman is a smart guy. It's clear through the quality and nature of his writing but I've also come into contact with Klosterman through his guest appearances on the Sportsguy Podcast (Bill Simmons). I always tune in when Klosterman is a guest on the podcast. His somewhat cocky opinions and the way he argues with Simmons has the same comedic value and nature that his writing does.

Like I said...

*Check out Klosterman's Amazon Page and give him a shot - you'll probably find him funny but be sort of annoyed that you didn't think of it first.

Book 27 - Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

We're on to the second half of the quest now - 26 books down, 26 to go. Or, I guess 25 since I'm writing about 27 now! Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl is the story of the Gourmet critic's move from LA to New York (and to the much vaunted New York Times food column) - before her move to Gourmet. As many of us know, LA and NYC are two very different places - in almost all things - layout, history, attraction, food...

Reichl struggles with her new post but never once do you think she'll fail. In fact, she treats the whole experience with a certain curious detachment (or at least writes as if she does) and even at the worst, it all feels a little non-serious. Reichl acknowledges this in a very honest way, admitting that, in the end, she's still writing about food and getting paid to go to fancy restaurants.

Reichl's writing is not the star of the book. Her style is fine and her grammar, editing, etc. are perfectly reasonable but the writing is easy to overlook as you're being taken into the back rooms of New York's finest (and not so finest) and best restaurants. I love food writing and I was there with her the entire time, testing out the new dishes and concoctions, experimenting, nosing out the best (and worst). I found the costuming (Ruth had to hide her true identity to get honest service) cute but it was the food, the FOOD that was the best part.

I've heard Reichl's other books are equally entertaining (great for planes by the way) and I will definitely be checking them out.

What will I read next?

While I ponder what books I should add to my list for the second half of my goal (let's be honest, I have about 500 on my amazon wish list...), here's a pretty picture from an independent bookseller in Vermont, circa 6 months ago when it was cold as... you know what I mean.

52 Books in 52 Weeks - Halfway

WOO! Halfway! WOO! Seriously, I hit the halfway point a few weeks ago (I'm a little behind on my blog posts - I have about 4 book posts pending) but I'm pleased to say that is well before the midpoint of the year. I have faith that I can actually do this - read 52 books in a year.

At our midpoint, a recap:

1. Seeing by Jose Saramago (307 pages; 4 stars)
2. Grayson by Lynne Cox (153 pages; 3.5 stars)
3. Julie & Julia by Julie Powell (307 pages; 4 stars)
4. Fargo Rock City by Chuck Klosterman (288 pages; 3.5 stars)
5. Dear American Airlines by Jonathan Miles (180 pages; 3.25 miles)
6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson (590 pages; 3.75 stars)
7. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris (257 pages; 3.25 stars)
8. Election by Tom Perrotta (200 pages; 3.5 stars)
9. God's Harvard by Hanna Rosin (296 pages; 4.5 stars)
10. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (296 pages; 2.75 stars)
11. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson (503 pages; 3.25 stars)
12. Kindness Revolution by Ed Horrell (209 pages; 3.75 stars)
13. The Women by T.C. Boyle (451 pages; 3.75 stars)
14. The Know It All by A.J. Jacobs (371 pages; 4 stars)
15. Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (327 pages; 4.5 stars)
16. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (192 pages; 4 stars)
17. E Squared by Matt Beaumont (497 pages; 3.75 stars)
18. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris (123 pages; 2.75 stars)
19. Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris (385 pages; 4 stars)
20. Drown by Junot Diaz (224 pages; 3.75 stars)
21. Friends Like These by Danny Wallace (416 pages; 4 stars)
22. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (217 pages; 3.5 stars)
23. Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett (320 pages; 3.25 stars)
24. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy (256 pages; 4.25 stars)
25. Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett (257 pages; 4.5 stars)
26. Flesh and Blood by Michael Cunningham (461 pages; 4 stars)

Not a bad list, if I do say so myself. =)

Book 26 - Flesh and Blood by Michael Cunningham

Book 26

Flesh & Blood by Michael Cunningham

461 pages - 1 day

I know what you're thinking - one day?! Well, I had the fortune to be flying across the country on a non-stop flight so let's just say I had PLENTY of time to catch up on my reading.

Michael Cunningham, who you might know as the author of The Hours (one of my favorites), uses Flesh & Blood to tackle pretty much every problem, hurdle, and issue that could strike a family over a period of four generations. I loved The Hours but I didn't love A Home at the End of the World (it was good, just not great) so I started Flesh & Blood with a big question mark in my mind. If I'm honest, I'll admit that the question mark lingered throughout the entire reading... will I like it or won't I... despite the fact that I devoured the book in one (very long) sitting.

Regardless of my skepticism, I was drawn into the story of the families. It's amazing to me how often authors create a family dynamic that is entirely foreign when families are, ostensibly, something we all have in common. I don't need to identify with the particulars (who dies, who breaks up, who does what) but it seems to me that emotions and relationships are less unique that we think and that there should be at least something within a family story that rings true. Cunningham hits the nail on the head (most of the time) and depicts a family that is completely different from my own in terms of specifics but they feel the same. I identify with them, I pick sides and favorites.

The book is alternately stark and incredibly sad and hilarious - again, very true to the actual nature of families and interaction. I can't tell/don't know what Cunningham's family life was like growing up or as an adult but his writing gives you the feeling that he's very empathetic, that he would understand whatever family dynamic you threw at him; that he would find the beauty and the perversion in it.

I can't say that this book will make it into my top 5 or 10 but it affected me in a way that not all books do. Even though I was on a cross-country flight, I didn't want to dive into another book, I wanted to let the characters and the story linger with me, I actually wanted to hug the book (what? this doesn't happen to you?).

That can't be a bad thing.

Books 24 and 25

That's right dear readers, you're getting a two-fer today. I read the books separately of course (though one right after the other) but the two together only strengthen the stories and sentiment of each individually.

Book 24
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
256 pages in 3 days

Book 25
Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett
257 pages in 3 days

Besides the fact that they're almost exactly the same length, these two books explore each authors' connection with Lucy Grealy's cancer (at a very young age) or the lasting effects of it.

Lucy tells her own story, focusing on her childhood and the endless parade of experiments that are done on her face. Lucy is diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma when she's very young - something like 9?- and has a third of her face removed. She struggles with recovery and then, for decades, with reconstruction. She suffers from warped viewpoints on beauty and love and sex that seem to eat away at her in a way the tumor never even approximates. Part of me kept wondering what her life would have been life, how she would have viewed love if her life had developed on an alternate path.

For Lucy, her face is forever the focus of the moment. It is the first thing at all times, with everything else in life (family, friends, men, poetry) coming in a distant second. She seems to see every experience in the light of her latest operation - is she on the mend or is she waiting for the cure?

Ann Patchett (one of my favorite authors) meets Lucy at the Iowa Writer's Workshop when they're both young and groundless. The two become fast friends and develop a relationship that speaks more to family than friends. There are ugly, terrible moments between them and startling truths that they seem to know about each other. They have a girlish love for each other which remains devoted and true despite all of the ups and downs they experience together.

Ann's portrait of Lucy (Truth and Beauty) is honest and painful. Patchett's novels are often palpably full of emotion and she always does a beautiful job of connecting you (okay, me) with the characters but her memoir goes above and beyond. You're there with her as she struggles to support Lucy and herself, as she struggles with success and fame and failure. My point of view is clearly biased (since I love her novels and I wasn't actually there) but her depiction of herself, of Lucy, and of the two of them together, rings very true.

These books are both fantastic on their own but read together, they're a force. Ann and Lucy compliment each other in story, writing style, etc. but their stories are made even stronger by the times when they don't mesh. The story is round and full and beautiful. Read them.

Book 23 - Bangkok Tattoo By John Burdett

Before I jump into the review of Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett, I thought I'd let you all in on a new development in the 52 books in 52 weeks goal - I've started tracking how long it takes me to read each book. So...

Book 23
Bangkok Tattoo By, John Burdett
320 pages - 5 days

Bangkok Tattoo ended up on my Amazon.com wish list (don't even get me started on how long that thing is) but who knows how it ended up there. When it also appeared on BookMooch, I figured I'd give it a shot.

Bangkok Tattoo is, apparently, a follow up to Burdett's Bangkok 8 (which I have not read). I can't speak for the first installment but Bangkok Tattoo is pretty entertaining. Very standard thriller material, keeps you guessing the whole time, very engaging... and then you forget pretty much everything a week later. I will say this - I remember the nature of the crimes in the book and they're pretty intense and creative - which I know is a weird word to use about a crime.

The characters aren't all one dimensional, though quite a few of the more minor characters are; and at least a few plot developments go unsolved but the book doesn't suffer too badly from those oversights. It's entertaining enough that I am interested in reading the first book - which the blogosphere has told me is superior to the one I've read.

Want more? Check out this interview with John Burdett.

**Intrepid Blogger Note: For those of you who don't yet know about BookMooch, check it out. It's AMAZING. For real, I love it. You sign up for an account and have the opportunity to send books out (to people who actually want to read them!) for points. You can then redeem those points for books you'd like to read. If you're interested in being BookMooch "friends", just let me know!**

Funspot Arcade Tournament!

For those of you who aren't aware, this weekend is the much hallowed "International Classic Game Tournament." It actually starts today and it's the 12th annual edition of the tournamet. If I didn't have... you know, a job and a life, I'd be there. Okay, it has more to do with vacation time but still...

I clearly need to hone my Dr. Mario skills a bit more before I take on the bigs but how glorious would it be to crush the record in the presence of the biggest video game nerds around?! (I say that with all honesty.)

Check out the Tournament Page at The American Classic Arcade Museum (you guessed it, that's Funspot NH too) - a bit out of date but I'm sure there will be updates soon.

Everyone is abuzz over at the ClassicArcadeGamesForum - no I don't belong to the forum (though in the interest of full disclosure, I am considering changing that)

I know Donkey Kong is the beallendall of video game crowns but let's be honest, I'm probably not going to beat those scores - one of the reasons I like Dr. Mario - but it's interesting to think about. What game would you want to beat?

Dr. Mario FAIL

Oh dear readers... it's been a long bit since I've opened the Dr. Mario Record Book. The high score for the arcade game remains the same (960,600 - thank you Nik Meeks) but holy moly, the Nintendo score has rocketed up the scale. 2,010,400 for Will p Nichols - my goodness, that certainly does give me something to shot for. It also adds Will p Nichols to my list of Google searches for later this afternoon?

Where do I stand in this whole fiasco?

I dusted off ye olde Nintendo controller this weekend (thanks again RB for your donation to the cause - borrowing your Nintendo for untold months) and settled in for a match. Me v. computer box.

Things were going along well, I had a tidy little score amassed by Level 12 - combos and drops and amazing (if I do say so myself) little plays that were causing the virii to die with satisfying speed.

But then, one slip up - that's how it always goes - and the pill was turned the wrong way, they were piling up. Horror upon horror, the game was over.

Level 12!? Level 12?! What is this? Amateur hour?

Lesson learned - don't get cocky. Even video game dreams need tending. Back on the training track.

Book 22 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid

I've decided to add a feature to my book blog posts and give you all a heads up on how long it takes me to read each of these books. Diary of a Wimpy Kid only took me a day (which is about what I expected) and I can't help but feel a little cheap counting it as 1 of the 52. That said, I LOVE reading quality kids' books and this book was 217 pages so I don't feel that cheap.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney is just delightful. It's everything you want a kid's book to be - both for yourself and (I can imagine) for your kids. The voice is very much that of a young boy (and a middle child) and I love the addition of the drawings.

I know I'm not the target audience here but I really enjoyed reading it. It was funny and silly and ridiculous but totally great too. I will be reading the additional installments and I have a strong feeling I'll be netflixing the movie version.

• Want to know what an actual kid thought of it? Check out David's Book Review (spoiler alert: he agrees with me!)
• And the Official Diary of a Wimpy Kid page (complete with information about the books, author, movie, and... video clips - yes!)

Book 21 - Friends Like These by Danny Wallace

Oh Danny Wallace... Danny Wallace who created his own cult (Join Me) and Danny Wallace who said yes to everything that was asked of him (Yes Man) and Danny Wallace who started the stupid boy project of finding "loads of people named Dave Gorman" (Are You Dave Gorman?). Danny Wallace who makes me laugh out loud on my commute and makes the yuppies on my bus stare at me in confusion.

Needless to say, I was pretty excited when I discovered that Danny Wallace had written another book. Friends Like These: My Worldwide Quest to Find My Best Childhood Friends, Knock on Their Doors, and Ask Them to Come Out and Play is exactly what you expect it to be. Danny Wallace, on the precipice of turning 30, has what amounts to a minor freak out and spans the globe (for real, the globe) looking for his childhood friends. Some people have Facebook - Danny Wallace has world travel. Must be nice.

The book is, as expected, pretty funny. I wouldn't say that it lives up to Join Me (my favorite Danny Wallace escapade) but it did make me crack up in public and embarass myself. Additionally, it turns out I'm only a few years behind Danny Wallace in the march towards 30 and I see all around me the things he's afraid of. We're talking multiple types of hummus in the fridge, your friends having babies, shotty construction work - YUPPIEHOOD.

Danny Wallace is delightful and his books are too. They make you want to be his friend and take part in his silly little boy projects. You want him to find all of his friends and you want them all to be just as happy as you are that he has found them!

Danny Wallace Google Videos!

Danny Wallace's Own Web Page! Woot!

Book 20 - Drown by Junot Diaz

Drown, by Junot Diaz, is a collection of short stories - not actually my favorite type of reading. If you haven't caught on yet, I'm a giant, dense novel type of gal and I like me some complicated plot lines and intense character development. Even though I loved Diaz' novel (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao), I was nervous about trying out the short stories. He's a great writer but everything that I truly love about writing and reading has to do with the longer form a novel - don't even get me started on novellas.

In the end, Drown did not feel to me like a collection of short stories. Instead it felt very much like a novel - with a slightly disjointed version of time. The stories were clearly of a theme and were tied together by commonalities rather than driven apart by their differences. I've since read that the narrator stays true through the stories of Drown but honestly, I didn't feel that. The narrators could have changed but the ideas were the same, the experiences and the feelings. It was easy to feel like Diaz was speaking about a type of person rather than a specific person. My gut tells me that Diaz knows this, that based on his own experiences he's know countless people that could fill the role of this narrator. He colors it with his own obvious intellect and "nerdiness" (as he does in Oscar Wao) but the voice of his stories always seems to come out as both accessible and just beyond your grasp.

Drown, again like Oscar Wao, dabbles in the disgusting with a little too much information regarding bodily functions, etc. but it feels perfectly at home in the writing. You're not startled as much as your as embarrassed, which I again feel is part of the point. I can't speak from experience but I feel like if I met Junot Diaz at a party he would make me squirm and make me want to be his lifelong friend. His writing feels that way at least, though I worry that it will reach an end. I am intrigued to see what he does next - how he is able to evolve his writing style and story line without losing that connection I feel.

The NYTimes, it turns out, offers a wealth of links for those searching for more information on Diaz:

• Junot Diaz NYTimes Topic Page
• An abstract from Diaz' story "How to Date a Brown Girl..." from Drown (which was also contributed to This American Life - one of my favorites!)
• And an interview from This Week in Fiction

Book 19 - Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris

I read Joshua Ferris' first novel, Then We Came to the End, directly after e Squared - Okay, there was the minor speedbump of David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice but let's be honest, it was a literary catnap. So back to the twin sides of the literary ad agency. Where Matt Beaumont's novel is a farcical, satirical visit to an ad agency that is so ridiculous it feels fictional even while you're identifying with its form, Ferris' story is bitterly familiar.

I've read a number of reviews that have called Then We Came to the End "funny", "hilarious", and even "laugh out loud" (Reading Local: Baltimore AND Flourish & Blott's Book News) - and I suppose it is funny, in a way - but I have to be honest with you here; what has stayed with me from this week (yes, yes; I'm late in writing my review by about 2 weeks) wasn't the humor or comedy it was the painful vulnerability of the people around you.

The book is written in the first-person plural (we) - most likely a technique meant to give the reader an extra connection to the story - but I'm not entirely sure the book needed that ploy to get me to feel connected. Of course I understand working in an office. Of course I've had coworkers I've liked and disliked (you have been reading this blog right?). I'm even reticent to say but of course I identified with the idealistic yet somehow jaded yuppies that pervaded Ferris' fictional Chicago agency. But, really, for me, that wasn't where the connection was.

Most of us are familiar with the intimate, yet removed relationship that we have with our coworkers - people that spend as much (if not more) time with us than our families, people that see us in a place that does (even if we don't want it to) partially define who we are, people who share our daily moods and functions. Ferris does an amazing job of outlining these people in a way that is both deliberate and vague enough for you to see them and know them - and with the added layer of texture that gives them a vulnerability that can be difficult to attribute to our own coworkers. I found myself cringing for these people, cheering for them and rooting for them even in moments that I knew were fruitless. I identified with each of them in turn, with the different aspects of their personality that made them like me... but different. Like you... but different.

I've heard some grumbles from the literary blogosphere that Ferris' second book (The Unnamed) did not live up to the expectations that Then We Came to the End built up but I'm going to give it a shot. Ferris' book got to me in a way I didn't even know about when I was reading it. His writing is clever and accessible as well as personal. I often have trouble fitting my reviews into this blog length format (I talk a lot - ok?) but this one is extra hard.

And I have to admit, I'm still not sure who the narrator was. (Should I admit this to you?!)

As usual, some other thoughts:

• A fabulous round up of opinions from A.V. Club
• An interview with Joshua Ferris from Read Roll Club
• If you've read the book, check out Ferris' website - there's an AMAZING map of the floor on which most of the action happens (also click on a nav item and just see what happens!)

And a quote, just because there were quite a few good ones:

"We loved killing time and had perfected several ways of doing so. We wandered the hallways carrying papers that indicated some mission of business when in reality we were in search of free candy. We refilled our coffee mugs on floors we didn’t belong on. Hank Neary was an avid reader. He arrived early in his brown corduroy coat with a book taken from the library, copied all its pages on the Xerox machine, and sat in his desk reading what looked to passersby like the honest pages of business." - Thanks Adventures in Coffee Sipping


P.S. Word on the street is that Kathryn Bigelow (you remember her right?) is working on an adaptation of the book.

Book 18 - Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

I'm a big fan of David Sedaris in certain doses and situations - I've seen him live, I've read his books, I like his additions to This American Life.

That said, I wasn't thrilled with Holidays on Ice. I've heard a number of these stories through This American Life so I'm familiar with them but there was something missing in the reading of them - maybe that something was David himself. I felt myself going through the motions reading this one. I read the entire book in a day (it's fairly short) and moved on. There wasn't a lot of interaction, I didn't laugh out loud (which I usually do with David Sedaris), there wasn't a lot to say.

I am, however, another book down on the way to 52!

Rant: Boston is Falling Apart

I know this blog is about books... er... goals... er... unemployment? Wait, what is this blog about? Hmmmm. Well, any way you slice it, it's not typically a ranting blog but sometimes... SOMETIMES, you just have to rant. It's been nearly five months since my last rant post (Why Consumer Electronics Brands Need a Valium), and it's just about time for the next one.

A quick disclaimer before I dive right in: This post is for comic affect, it is meant to make you laugh. I know that I have it pretty good and millions of folks have it much, much worse. Just for the record.

So, let's get things started. I don't typically delve into my personal details here on Quitsville but the sharpest of you may have realized that I live in Boston - or you know this because you personally know me - which means, ostensibly, that I like the Red Sox and Dunkin Donuts coffee (one of those true). What it also means is that for the last few days I have been watching the city fall apart.

To start things off, the much-beloved MBTA (that's a joke for you non-locals) suffered an electrical fire last Thursday (April 29th). To be specific, it was on the Red Line - the line I use for the record. Since Thursday, the Red Line has been experiencing 10-15 minute delays at all times as repairs are made. Also, for the record, 10-15 minutes is generous... to the MBTA, not to us.

So great, we've got the picture started; however, a red line delay (sadly) is not news. What's news? I hear you asking. Well, how about the breach in a 10 foot water pipe outside of Weston, MA that supplies water to the entire Greater Boston area? Yes, I think we can all agree that that is news. Early Saturday morning, that did in fact happen - a great break in our main water line causing the city of Boston (and oh, about two dozen neighboring towns and cities) to be immediately without drinking water. Don't get me wrong, we have flowing water - safe for bathing and... little else - but we can't drink the water. There is a "boil water order" in effect, requiring us to boil anything we want to drink, wash dishes, brush teeth, etc. with. Or use bottled water.... which, not surprisingly has been in short supply due to the panicking masses.

Great.

When this all started it was like a little mini adventure. No water! Crazy! But then it kept going. The line has been fixed but we're still 24-48 hours (best case scenario) our from being able to drink our water (or do our dishes - OCD panic attack ensuing). Add on top of that the fact that it's been roughly a million degrees and humid as hell here in Boston and you've got a pretty cranky populous. Just for fun, it's also started to rain this morning. And just for the record, no water means no coffee.

*Shakes fist at sky*

For those of you on Twitter, follow the fun at #aquapocalypse and #h20OMG.

Book 17 - E Squared by Matt Beaumont

For those of you who don't know, Matt Beaumont is a satirical British writer. A few years back he wrote e - a novel told through email about the crazy day to day life in a London ad agency. It was pretty ridiculous and pretty amazing.

Unbeknownst to me, Matt has been plugging away on a follow up effort - e Squared - that came out earlier this year. Luckily, I have friends and sometimes they alert me to things I should already know about! I borrowed the book from said friend and, as was expected, sped through it.

Both e and e Squared are very enjoyable, quick reads. The characters are all ridiculous (though some more than others) and though some of the plot points are obviously constructed for humour only, Matt Beaumont does a great job of capturing the endless monotony that some of use feel in our jobs and the disgust that can so easily overtake you when you hate the people around you (I've heard). The actual things that happen are not familiar but the emotions are, the connections (or aversion to connect) are, the stereotypical coworker tropes are. We've all had a boss who was utterly ineffective without us (if you haven't, just be glad) and we've all see the coworker who manages to skate by without actually working.

e and e Squared are worth a read regardless of where you work and what you do. They're entertaining and silly. It's a nice break from the heavy literature (no offense Matt). The fact that it's written in email and text message and instant message makes it that much more referential and accessible. "Hey, I send email everyday, I can relate to this!" Not always true, but it helps.

Read reviews of e Squared:

• 120 Units enjoys both e and it's sequel


• Duffbert hasn't read the first installment of Beaumont's satirical saga, but still enjoys the second book


• Read about the book in Matt Beaumont's own words in a silly interview at denofgeek - also NBC adaption?!?


• Aaaaand, another interview over at beatmagazine


• 'e Squared' - A book for everyone who loves or hates emails

Also, if you're a fan of Beaumont's books, why not follow his fictional ad agency Meerkat360 on Twitter? I do!

And check out the works of both Matt and Maria Beaumont (wife, also a novelist) and somebody named Jessie Jones (turns out she's made up) over at their website: www.letstalkaboutme.com.

Book 16 - The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

I've been on a bit of a retro, old-timey kick lately - both read and watched Revolutionary Road and I'm watching a heck of a lot of Mad Men - and in line with that I recently picked up The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. I've never read Graham Greene but he's always been on my list - John Irving is a big fan don't you know.

The End of the Affair is a smallish book and a moment in time sort of story but I really loved it. I've heard folks say they were annoyed with the self involved nature of the characters or with the minutea of the plotline but I enjoyed it. Sure, the characters were self involved. And sure, there were some ugly displays of humanity, some base moments of frailty. But that's sort of the point right. Very much like Revolutionary Road, The End of the Affair is a sad little story about sad little people. The weather is dreary, the conversation is dreary, everyone is dreary and sad.

And somehow, that is perfect. I found no character who offered redemption in a meaningful way, no character without an obvious personal agenda... no interaction based on love or goodness.

It's worth a read and I can see why Irving is a fan. Graham Greene is clearly a lover of words and a lover of form - his sentences and prose are magnificent without being too much. I can't promise you'll feel the same, sentiment seems to be torn over this author.

Books Born Free was torn - loved the writing but hated the religion while Juxtabook seemed to share my opinion of the bleak, war torn book (see The End of the Affair by Graham Greene and More on Greene's The End of the Affair).

Some Additional Thoughts on Passion

This is going to be one of those posts where I ramble a bit about what's meaningful to me and matters in the way I view life. I know some of my readers like these posts, connect with them and that some of you are just waiting to find out what's going on with Dr. Mario; but writing these posts is important to me and, in a way, has to do with why I quit my job those many months ago.

A few things have happened in the last week that have really opened my eyes a bit to who/what I want to be. Very much like the conference I went to a few weeks back (see: Reaffirming Conferences?) these things are helping me to see what's truly important. The details aren't important but I will tell you that I planned an event for my job - something we'd never tried or done and I was nervous to the point of freak out about how well it would go. I also helped a friend with a project of hers that means a lot to her and has grown to hold a dear place in my heart too.

Like I said, the details aren't important. It doesn't even matter necessarily how many people I touched/reached/brought together. What does matter is how I felt about these things and what they have shown me.

I am a passionate person - I'm sort of known for over-emoting - but there are a few things that really dig deep for me, that connect with a part of me that lives in my core (and because it is so core, sometimes might get overlooked). I am really good at connecting with people and I really love it. I love to bring people together around a cause - whether it's 2 or 10 or 100 people - and I love to connect people to each other, to me, to a cause, to... whatever they need to be connected to.

There are career paths and things that are always important to someone who is ambitious - money, title, management experience, etc. - but it's important to remember that there is a life path too. A life of passion, happiness, and engagement... a life that is full of purpose and focus... how do you account for that when you calculate your net worth?

It's something that I admit, I'm not great at remembering when I think about success. In a world where we accrue value in a very monetarily driven way, it can be easy to de-value emotions and connections. The moments when you see those things - those emotions and connections - is beyond valuation.

Book 15 - Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

I've always been a fan of Dave Eggers - I've read a couple of his books (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and You Shall Know Our Velocity) and I'm a big fan of McSweeneys and 826. While I like most of what I've read from Dave Eggers, I seem to prefer his non fiction, memoirish books. Zeitoun is no different - I really found myself drawn into this book and didn't want to step away from the story.

At this point, we're all pretty familiar with the stories that have come out of Katrina. I'm ashamed to say that I had the feeling that I knew all of the stories... it was a cynical thing to think and I'm glad to have read Zeitoun and been reminded of how many angles that a story can have, how many specific interactions and characters and voices can come out of an event, even those on a much smaller scale than New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina.

It sounds cheesy but, Zeitoun is riveting because it is both disgusting and humiliating (as an American) and amazing and encouraging (as a person, capable of love and renewal). It's a story full of possibility and hope and the blight that comes with being a person of this world. Zeitoun and his wife Kathy are full, well rounded characters (it helps that they're real people) and you want to know what happens to them, you want to hear their story, you root for them.

Dave Eggers is a great writer but the magic of his writing in this story is that he doesn't impose his voice or his point of view on the story in a negative way. The words are put together in a way that adds ease and engagement but doesn't make you feel like you're reading a public service announcement or a tear jerker (though I have to admit that tears were jerked). Zeitoun is marked by an unoppressive voice and an engaging, unbelievable story of cruelty but also of love and resilience.

Okay, this does make it sound like a bit of a tear jerker but I'm not doing it justice. Just trust me on this one, read it.

If you need more persuasion, Timothy Egan's review: After the Deluge makes all of my points but with better prose and more beautiful writing.

Another beautiful review by Daniel Hahn of The Independent

The review by Valet Reader gives you the reaction of someone who doesn't typically love Eggers and offers some pretty interesting Google Maps images of Zeitoun's properties

An article about Zeitoun - the man, not the book

Already read the book and want to do something? Why not check out The Zeitoun Foundation. I bet they know how you can help.

Book 14 - The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs

The latest book in my personal quest to read 52 books in 2010 (see 2010 Quitsville Goals) is the story of another person's (semi-ridiculous) quest. A.J. Jacobs' The Know it All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World is the story of his quest to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica - no small feat if I do say so myself.

I'm 97% sure I originally heard about this book on NPR - let's be honest, where else would I have heard about it? - on FreshAir. Clearly, projects like Jacobs' appeal to me so this book seemed a perfect next step in my own personal project. Being totally honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to love it - A.J. Jacobs is a pretty silly guy and I wasn't sure I could get through the entire book without becoming annoyed with him (the Julie-Julia phenomenon of enjoying the book but not being sure about the writer). I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find that A.J. grew on me; by the end of The Know It All we felt like old friends. I liked his honest documentation of the project itself - A.J. admitted to skimming certain entries, to being an obnoxious party guest, etc. - and it was encouraging to feel his devotion to the project wax and wane as he delved deeper into it (something I can relate to - by the by).

I also have to admit that I find myself identifying with Jacobs - not only has he read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica but he's also written books about living biblically for a year (The Year of Living Biblically) and about living as a human guinea pig (The Guinea Pig Diaries). Jacobs is a man that likes a project (however silly it might be) and I have to say the same about myself - minus the man part. I love my projects (some might say to a fault) and I did find myself thinking 'what if I read the encyclopedia...' or something else very long and intense. I love measurable goals, what can I say.

Just for fun, some of my favorite facts or excerpts from The Know It All:

"Berserkers: Savage Norse soldiers from the middle ages who, it is said, went into battle naked. Hence "going berserk." So to truly go berserk, you should take off your pants. Noted." Page 25

"Gymnasium: The literal Greek translation is "school for naked exercise." Which made toweling off the stationary bike even more important." Page 125

"Scrabble: The game is available in braille. That's a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can't really explain why." Page 304

And... some additional reading:

Check out A.J. Jacobs Website for information on all of his books and a link to his blog

Listen to the interview with A.J. Jacobs on Fresh Air

Follow A.J. Jacobs on Twitter

A review of The Know It All on Wendy's Words

Another review on Robert Van Bobby's Book Blog (with a comment from A.J. Jacobs himself)

See what Pages and Pints thought of the book in their review (also, a side note - a blog about beer and books? Intriguing...)

2010 Quitsville Goals - Update

Hey there blog readers, I thought it might be time for a quick check in on those mighty goals I posted back in January of 2010 (remember January? Cold and bleak... lots of time for reading indoors).

A reminder:

1. Read 52 books in 2010
2. Take the GMAT
3. Get the World Record in Dr. Mario

Progress Report:

1. Read 52 books in 2010:
Here we are, just about to start week 16 of this, our year of the Lord and I've only blogged about 13 books. I'm sure you're all aghast at the lack of progress being made here but I have to at least try to assuage your fears.

The truth of the matter is that I've actually read 19 books but I've been a little lax on the posting. I am reformed though - I've written the blog posts for all of those missing books (6 to be exact) and have them scheduled to go up over the next week or so. And then I promise - I will be better about reporting them to all of you - if only because it's hard to remember exactly how I felt upon finishing all of them after a few more have passed by!

2. Take the GMAT

Absolutely no progress. I have the requisite study aids sitting on a shelf in a prominent location in my living room - staring at me, judging me - but I am immune. I've done absolutely nothing. Eep?

3. Get the World Record in Dr. Mario

My practice has fallen back a bit and due to things I can't control (life and work mostly) I have not made it out to Funspot lately. I have, however, continued the quest for the gold by doing my darnedest to get in touch with Sir Dave Nelson, local referee for Twin Galaxies. My emails have been in vain (or possible in the spam folder) because I have received no response. NONE!

However, I did check the Funspot website today and they've scheduled the annual International Classic Game Tournament - mecca for video game nerds like yours truly. And, it's scheduled for June 3rd-6th. For those of you who don't know, my birthday happens to fall on June 7th... what better way to celebrate the anniversary of my birth than with the world record title to an obscure video game?

I'm just saying.

More on T.C. Boyle

For those of you who liked my review of The Women (or just like the book), I give to you - an article on T.C. Boyle.

Heraldnet Article on T.C. Boyle
Makes me like him more. =)

What recession?

I wrote about this awhile back (see The Silent Unemployment) but it seems to me that our fear of/talk of the recession has quieted, lagged, whatever the word - it's not as vehement as it was a year ago (or 6 months or what have you). I know this is partially because my personal connection to the recession is not as terrifying as it was then either but I still wonder what's going out there. Within my social circle, there are still folks unhappy with their jobs (there always will be) and still folks who are getting paid less than they should/are not being recognized (again...) but I also know people who are getting promoted and are finding new jobs.

What's the real deal folks? Where do we stand?

My short but sweet answer (okay, short but not so sweet) is that we're still knee deep in the sh** of the recession. I'm simply a bundle of cheer, I can't help it.

Boston.com ran an article earlier this week chronicling a recent PEW study that bottom lines it for us - "1 in 5 jobless Americans have been without work for a year or more". The article goes on to answer my follow up question (okay, but where is the level of unemployment settling these days) - "while more experienced Americans are less likely to lose their jobs, once unemployed they face an increasing chance of being out of work longer, the report showed". Super. The report (which clocks in around 22 pages, btw) outlines that long term unemployment (those unemployed for more than 6 months) currently accounts for 44% of our unemployment - highest rate since WW2.

Okay, so there you have it. We are in no way, in the clear. But, to be fair, we have reached the "new normal" that has come out of this Great Recession. The Atlantic ran an article in March (How a New Jobless Era Will Transform America) giving us some optimistic news about how the next decade or so will be affected by what's happened in the last 12-24 months. Sure, our unemployment rate has gotten a bit better lately (it's no longer over 10%) but the theory goes that a higher unemployment rate has settled in for the long haul. Additionally, history has shown us that the long term effects of severe unemployment and recession take awhile to register meaning we still don't know what's going to happen. Hey 2014, how you doing?

And just in case you're determined to stay positive, I've got a chart for ya! This chart from The Consumerist, shows employment declines at the same chronological point during America's last six recessions.


For those of you who are a teensy bit self flagellating, check out the entire Pew report

The Good News? That Atlantic article is 4 pages long and they take the time to outline some of the positives of the human spirit. It's not all gloomy! And I've actually gotta say that I remain positive. I kid about the crushing and overwhelming darkness of this Recession news and unemployment news but I still remain positive about the situation. There are things that need to be fixed (not the least of which is our intense class gaps) but I believe that it will get better. Call me idealistic.

The Girl Who... Never Ends?

This morning I listened to an episode of On Point, from NPR, that focused on Stieg Larsson, author of the Lisbeth Salander Series (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and the upcoming The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest). I already knew that the story behind the story of these novels was pretty sensational - Larsson was an investigative journalist who died immediately after submitting the manuscripts (and, some thought, under suspicious circumstances). What I didn't know is that there is some speculation over how many books the series would have held had he lived. The show seemed to think that the series could have expanded to include something like ten books - and it's even believed that Larsson was currently working on a fourth book (he was said to have been a couple hundred pages in) that has gone missing. Intriguing.

The idea of seven additional The Girl books just wears me out. The books are interesting and engaging but so intense. I'm not sure I could handle ten. It does make me nervous though - what was left out that we will never know?

If you've read any of the books or if you're interested, the show is worth a listen. Tom Ashbrook is a little insufferable at times but... the material is worthwhile.