39. We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver

Sarah's pick for January book club.

This was an incredibly hard book to read, which we were warned about. Loosely it is the story of a boy who kills some of his fellow students told from his mother's perspective in letters to her ex-husband. In and of itself not the easiest of topics. But I found the book difficult and depressing for a lot of other reasons, most of which I don't really want to go into here because I don't want to ruin the experience for you if you do decide to pick it up. Suffice to say it was maybe not the cheeriest book to read over Christmas.

I found the whole letter approach an interesting method of telling the story. I thought that the book was very well written, the letters came across as being from a woman who was extremely well educated ... I even had to look up a few words, which is kind of embarrassing to admit. And there were a few moments when I just wanted her to get the point already instead of putting off the inevitable by using too many and too big words. I think that is also why it took me so long to read, because I too wanted to put off the inevitable, I hoped that maybe if it took me long enough to get to the end that the ending would change. But as is usual with life the end was the same no matter how I got there. I kept thinking, as she was reminiscing about Kevin as a baby, about her life before Kevin and her life before Thursday, was it really like that? Did you really think those things at the time? Or is this what you remember now that you know how the story ends? Is this what you are telling yourself because by making it seem like there were signs & symptoms that you missed noticing or you noticed but other people brushed off you can assign some sort of blame? Of course that only made the story seem more real. That's what we do a lot of the time, we need someone to be responsible ... sometimes we need ourselves to be responsible.

I think it will be an interesting book club discussion next week.

38. It's Not Easy Being Green and other things to consider - Jim Henson, the Muppets & Friends

This book was part of my Christmas present from Chantal and it is awesome. For one thing it was a very quick read (less than an hour) which is exactly what I need in order to beef up my numbers. And I could cheat by only picking short childrens lit or by deciding any book counts as opposed to the current rule that it has to be something I haven't read previously/don't remember reading previously. That second rule is really screwing me over. And it is all self inflicted but I know that I had a reason for setting up the guidelines I did and I won't allow myself to waver. Le sigh.

Anyways, I can't really quantify the ways in which this short book of quotations inspired me but it honestly left me feeling truly energized. I would often pause and wish that I had a laptop or more time to jot down the flurry of thoughts that were racing through my brain. And the great thing is that I think everytime I flip through it I will be inspired in different ways and think different thoughts, or expand on the ideas I had today. Which now that I am sitting here still very full from my Christmas dinner seem a lot less tangible than they did earlier. But that is ok. Because I can at least remember how I felt when I was thinking them and that was very connected. And also a little bit nostalgic because I grew up with Jim Henson's creations - The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street. I remember being entirely enchanted by all 3 of those shows. Plus the book is intended to be at least a little bit motivational so it fits in with my self-improvement projects and my good intentions to become a better person. It helped to give me back some of the energy to go on that has been sorely lacking the last few weeks ... there have been a lot of days where I am wondering why I even bother. But there is a purpose and a plan and I have been reminded somewhat of my place in this world and that is something I am very thankful for on this special Christmas day.

Plus there are some really neat pictures.

I really do believe that all of you are at the beginning of a wonderful journey. As you start traveling down that road of life, remember this: There are never enough comfort stops. The places you're going to are never on the map. And once you get that map out, you won't be able to refold it no matter how smart you are.

So forget the map, roll down the windows, and whenever you can, pull over and have a picnic with a pig. And if you can help it, never fly as cargo.

- Kermit

And so I shall try to remember that every day is the beginning of a new journey, a new adventure. Life may not always go exactly the way I had hoped or planned but I am going to try and accept that as part of the fun. Which, knowing myself, is not going to be an easy task. But I think the attempt is a worthwhile one.

Merry Christmas :)

37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

My mom picked this book up on the advice of some of her teacher friends ... perhaps she is planning to do some reading while she is in Hawaii over Christmas. In which case I am not sure that this is the best book. I mean, it was fabulous and moving and incredibly powerful and she should read it absolutely. But it's not what I would pick up for a little lite holiday/beach reading. Maybe that's just me.

I realized again and again and again just how sheltered I am as a white girl living in a first world country. I can't even fathom any of the events that are described taking place, I have no concept of how I would cope in a lifestyle of continuous fear like that. And I realize that the events described didn't happen as written, this is not a non-fiction work, but I am also not naive enough to suppose that it is entirely fabricated either. I just think how little I know about oppression and religious or ethnic persecution ... and I guess I try to look at it from an academic perspective, partially because I have no personal experience and partially because it provides a little bit of separation, but I just can't wrap my brain around that kind of cruelty. I don't understand the logic that says I am this religion or this color or was born on this day or I have this much money and that makes me better. I know that it happens, it probably happens around me in a watered down version on a regular basis, it has happened throughout history, but I don't understand. I'm not sure that I want to understand. I try to put myself in the situation and I wonder how I would react and how strong I would be and in an abstract world I would definitely be heroic. But in reality? I suppose that is harder to say. And maybe that is what is really scary.

The Kite Runner is set in Afghanistan and I started reading with really very little background information - I knew some very basic facts but not much more than that - and I have very little experience with Islam or the Koran or ... well anything really. I think this booklog has more than proven how little I know. I mean, I know a lot but it is sort of specific knowledge and in the grand scheme of things it is not actually a lot. (If that makes any sense) And part of this project is to broaden my knowledge base and put me in touch with new things. In that sense this book was definitely successful, AND it made me think and feel and wonder and I would say it gets my recommendation.

36. Set in Darkness - Ian Rankin

Hey! I finished this book last night and I am posting about it today! I think that is a personal best! Wow I am dorky.

Another mystery, this one just the way I like them. Lots of twists and turns keeping me guessing. I was a little annoyed because about half way through I thought I had it all figured out (!!) but no, those were just well placed red-herrings making me feel all full of myself. Sometimes my friends tell me that I am a TV producers dream because I react exactly the way they want their target audience to react and I think with this book I was the authors dream because I would think I had the case solved and then the detectives would come to my exact conclusions and then we would all be wrong and it was all very edge of my seat novel reading.

The main character was DI Rebus (the books are set in Scotland and I am not entirely sure what the DI stands for ... Dsomething Inspector obviously). There is actually a series of books about him and his cases and Set in Darkness isn't the first in the series but most mysteries work well as stand alone cases and this was no exception. I could tell that some of the characters had been fleshed out in earlier works and there was some backstory that was a little fuzzy and would probably have been clearer had you read the earlier books but those points didn't work to the detriment of this novel.

The events of Set in Darkness even took place during the Christmas season so that kind of fit too. Of course this was not exactly cheery Christmas fare. Bleak, life as a cop is often hard and depressing never more so than at Christmas might be a more apt description. But I am not exactly in a Rah Rah Christmas place at the moment so it didn't put a damper on my spirits or anything. And really I thought it was a well-woven storyline and not much makes me happier than that.

35. The Cat Who Went Up the Creek - Lillian Jackson Braun

Another book I stumbled across when combing our bookshelves for stuff I hadn't actually read. I remember when I was younger (Jr highish?) I used to LOVE this series. I guess it's kind of nice to read something you used to love and not react in the same way because it is a testament of how you have grown and changed as a reader and the same things aren't always going to appeal. Which gives me hope that some of the "classics" I have had a hard time with will one day grow on me. But it is also bittersweet because in some ways reading a book from a series I loved as a child and realizing that I don't love that series anymore is like giving up one of those last vestiges of my childhood. And I mean, I'm 25, so it's time to let go at least a little bit. But still .. you know?

Anyways, this is a mystery series and I am a pretty big sucker for mysteries. I find that they tend to go one of 3 ways. Either it is obvious "whodunit" and I am annoyed the whole time that I am putting the pieces together faster than the detective; there are so many twists and turns and red herrings that it is totally unclear what the hell is actually going on and you feel unsatisfied by the ending because you can't figure out where all the pieces fit together; there are just enough twists and turns and redherrings to keep you guessing and the ending kind of surprises you but it feels like it fits. This book fell more into the first category and that was ok and it was a quick no-brainer read and that was what I was looking for when I read it but generally speaking I like my mysteries to have a bit more substance.

I almost felt like Qwill (the main character/"detective") just fell into the solution by accident. To be truthful, the whole series seems to be based on that premise from what I can remember. He just happened to inherit a bazillion dollars so he just happens to be able to throw his money around when it is needed. He just happens to vacation or visit or walk by the scene of something suspicious and then he just happens to run into the right people and they just happen to tell the right stories and his cat just happens to yowl or swipe at him at the right time ... everything just comes across as very accidental. I do recognize that sometimes it is simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time ... but to always fall back on that logic? It seems like a bit of a weak coping method. But then I am not a published author and she has written a ton of books in this series so she must be doing something right.

34. Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons - Lorna Landvik

Oh good. A book I actually enjoyed (aside from a couple of really nitpicky points). That attempt at Thomas Nashe really dragged me down. I almost think that is why my reading for pleasure really slowed during University .. I was reading a lot of stuff I didn't necessarily understand (or want to put the effort into understanding truth be told) and some stuff I didn't really enjoy and it sort of sucked all enjoyment out of reading anything for a good while. Maybe that is the reverse of how it should work, maybe most people would overcompensate by reading more of what they did like, but I have never claimed to work on a normal scale.

I really have to get better at writing as I finish books because now I find myself struggling to put into words what it was that I liked about this book. I guess I found that I could relate to the idea of a close group of friends starting a bookclub because in a sense that is what a few of my friends did a couple of years ago. So all the stuff about getting off topic at the meetings and interspersing talk about the book with random chatter about day to day life really felt familiar. Their bookclub was a lot smaller than mine (although with busy schedules most of our meetings only end up being about 5 people) and they all lived on the same block (whereas we are spread out over the city) but the closeness and the laughter and the occasional disputes and above all the strength of friendship was the same. I also liked how the books they read were listed with a little blurb about why they were chosen or what was served at the meeting - even though it did add about a million titles to my reading list.

Each chapter focused on a different member and the perspective shifted and that was interesting because it isn't often that you hear a story from all angles. What bothered me a little was how some narrators were first person and some were third person and it didn't seem to follow a set pattern so every once in a while it would take a few minutes to figure out whose turn it was to narrate. And for once you had a series of strong female characters while the husbands kind of got sidelined - there was a bit of an implication that the women were individually unique and strong but their strength was magnified by the close relationship they shared. Part of me always likes reading books about groups of friends because there is such a distinctive flair to friendships and relationships and often it is hard to capture that but I think this book did a good job, to detail the bookclub as a whole but also how smaller pairings worked and had their own dynamic. I thought a lot about my girlfriends and what each of them bring to my life and how we work as a whole (often disfunctionally :p) and it just reminded me that there are a lot of things that would have been immeasurably tougher to get through without my girls at my side.

33. The Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

I think a lot of people read this in highschool. We didn't ... I'm not even sure I can remember what novels we did do. Lord of the Flies in Gr 11, To Kill a Mockingbird in Gr 10, Fifth Business by Robertson Davies in Gr 12. Look at me go. Just don't ask for any complicated plot summaries.

I got my copy of The Catcher in the Rye off of my brother's bookshelf. What's more, he has actually read it. I asked him if it was any good - "It's a classic" he said. Yeah, but does that mean it's good? "It's a classic, it doesn't have to be good." Helpful. And also begs the question of how exactly a book becomes a classic.

If I'm not mistaken this book is also on a list of most frequently banned books (I thought I had a list around here somewhere but I can't seem to put my fingers on it). I don't really get that either. I mean, it's not really something I would want my kids (if I ever have kids)to read but mostly because I think it would bore them to the point of wanting to poke their eyes out and turn them off literature forever and not because I think it would give them "ideas". Heaven forbid. Yes I know I'm a terrible person. Again, it's probably a lack of context. I am really starting to feel like I should just keep to reading books that I can easily relate to because this lack of context thing is really becoming a problem. Or maybe I should just read more and things will slowly start to contextualize themselves. Who knows. I'm going to try the latter and see where it takes me at any rate.

As for the book itself .. well, in case you couldn't tell from the above commentary, it's certainly not making my top 10 list anytime soon (speaking of which, I should do a top 10 list ... hmmm). Mostly I found Holden Caulfield to be absolutely insufferable. He was self-absorbed, he hated everything and everybody, he was a spoiled little rich boy with no concept of what actual suffering might involve and he went into a deep depression whenever he wasn't handed what he wanted on a silver platter. And then narrated his drivel over 214 pages (yes I know he isn't real). No other characters are flushed out, there is no sense of forward momentum, there is a lack of narrative continuity ... Need I say more?

The Unfortunate Traveller & Other Works - Thomas Nashe

Apparently part of being an English major means I have shelves full of books I was supposed to read for class and ... didn't. I have 17(?) books to go to meet my goal and in an effort to not purchase a million and four books in the next couple of months I raided my bookshelf, my brother's bookshelf (he reads now, who knew?) and my aunt's bookshelf. And then I still managed to spend $90 at Chapters. Nobody's perfect.

So this Thomas Nashe guy, he was a contemporary of Shakespeare's, and in one of my Shakespeare classes - in what I am guessing was an attempt to broaden our understanding of the period - we were assigned The Unfortunate Traveller as a little light reading. And I actually did read it. But I hadn't read any of the other pieces in this anthology and since I am trying to broaden my literary horizons and this was gathering dust on my shelf anyways I thought I would give it a try.

The good thing is it made me realize that broadening my horizons doesn't mean I have to read things I don't like; I just have to try new things and be open to liking things I didn't expect to like. In this case, I didn't actually finish the book, or the first story really. And it gave me incentive to clean out our bookshelves and take things to a 2nd hand bookstore. I am sure Thomas Nashe is someone's cup of tea. Just not mine. Which I kind of feel bad about, but I guess that liking Shakespeare isn't necessarily a pre-requisite for liking authors who wrote in the same time period. And maybe it's not fair to say that I don't like Nashe ... I did like the flow of the writing. I liked how the words felt like they should be read aloud, how the sentences had cadence, how it felt like poetry. But it didn't make sense to me. I would read and read and read and feel all nice but I would get to the end of a sentence or paragraph and have no idea what I had just read or what it meant in correlation to the previous sentence or paragraph, never mind in the grand scheme of things. It's not a language barrier because I can follow along with Shakespeare, and I understood on a basic level what the words meant ... I think that perhaps Nashe was a more political writer than story teller, and maybe the first story in the book was not a good place to start because it was all social commentary and I have no real basis for understanding 16th century social commentary. Maybe I will come back one day and it will all make sense and I will wonder how I ever felt the way I do now (kind of like with the Simpson's, how when I was younger and had no real point of reference for their jokes and cultural innuendoes I didn't find them funny but now that I have more of a framework I find them hilarious). But right now is what matters and I don't appreciate Nashe right now and I have better things to do than to spend an hour reading 15 pages that my brain only processes as blah blah blah.