Books and reading are my favorite conversation topics. With yarn and knitting as a very close second. Perhaps because reading has been a passion of mine since childhood, while knitting just came on scene in the past decade… I get a lot of requests for book recommendations, and this is one of my favorite things to do. I usually point people to my Good Reads account because I write pretty detailed reviews there and use their star-rating system (though I wish had .5 stars! or even .25 or .75 stars!).

In these days before 2012, I look back at all the books I’ve read this year (and the one that remains on my nightstand – still time to finish before the new year!)

Notes:  ** Best of 2011 – my recommended favorites for the year.  All links point to my GoodReads reviews.  You can see all the book covers here.

Non-Fiction

The Wordy Shipmates
Kingdom Coming
The Murder of the Century
Fire
The Rights of the Reader **
In the Garden of Beasts
Unfamiliar Fishes
World Without Fish
The Ragged Edge of the World **
Man Ray in Paris
Earth Then and Now
Spilling Ink
Hope for Animals and Their World
The Tree
Lost City of Z
Architecture of Happiness
Emperor of All Maladies **
Medium Raw

Fiction

The Submission **
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
When She Woke
The Lake
Ready Player One **
Robopocalypse
When God Was a Rabbit
I am the Messenger
Centuries of June
Vampire of Ropraz
A Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
The Lover’s Dictionary
Dead Reckoning
Across the Universe
One Day
Matched

Graphic Novels / Sequential Art (Fiction and NF)

Nat Turner
Empire State: A Love Story (or Not)
Dawn Land
The Influencing Machine **
Petrograd **
Anya’s Ghost
The Homeland Directive
American Vampire
People’s History of the American Empire
Embroideries
Aya
AD: New Orleans after the Deluge **
Life with Mr. Dangerous
Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened
Dark Entries
To Timbuktu
A Study in Scarlet
Hound of the Baskervilles
Waltz with Bashir
Stitches
American Born Chinese
Night Fisher

Cookbooks

The Hundred Best Vegan Baking Recipes
The Vegan Slow Cooker
Vegan Soul Kitchen

Miscellany (How-tos, Reference)

Scaling Down: Living Large in a Small Space
Nonfiction Readers’ Advisory
The Compassionate Diet
100 Countries 5000 Ideas
Crazy Sexy Diet

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a gem. Something that any reader will hold close to their heart. The essays are translated from the original French work by the educator Daniel Pennac. The book is full of amazing quotes. Some of my favorites:

“Time to read is always time stolen. Stolen from what? From the tyranny of living.”

“By making time to read, like making time to love, we expand our time for living.”

I particularly loved Part 3 – “The Gift of Reading” – where he describes a classroom of high school students – the stereotypes of “the loner”, “the prep”, “the goth”, etc. and how when the teacher [him] decides to read aloud to them for the entire class. It is his experiment to get them hooked. He chooses Süskind’s Perfume with its lively descriptions, and the teens, all of them, instantly become hooked.

The last few essays are also great, where he discusses the “Rights of the Reader” (the book is named after this series of essays). He outlines 10 Rights that each reader inherently possesses. He goes on to write short essays about all of them:

1 – The right not to read.

2 – The right to skip.

3 – The right not to finish a book.

4 – The right to read it again.

5 – The right to read anything.

6 – The right to mistake a book for real life.

7 – The right to read anywhere.

8 – The right to dip in.

9 – The right to read aloud.

10 – The right to be quiet.

A perfect book for a literature class – or a continuing education course. I highly recommend it.

View more of my reviews on GoodReads

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There is a sense of liberty and empowerment when a teacher writes a list like this.  As an avid reader, I have exercised my *right* to each of these 10 things, and I imagine that you have too.

The right NOT to read?  Well, I guess that could be the few books that I sat out on for my old book club.  Things that just didn’t float my boat, so I opted out. The right to skip? I exercise this one ALL the time.  Of course, once a text comes to me in book form, I have to believe that dozens of eyes have read the same thing I am reading – so why does it often feel like everyone forgot their red editorial marker?  So yeah, I totally skip.  The right to NOT finish a book? I usually give books a 50 page limit.  If it has come highly recommended by a trusted friend, maybe 100 pages… I just abandoned a book the other day.  Got through Part I with relative ease, and then what? Part II was a mess.  Close cover. No more. I have plenty of other things to keep my engaged.  The right to read it again?  I will admit that I don’t exercise this one that much.  I rarely read a book twice (children’s books read aloud to my nieces don’t count!) but I understand why people do it.  I have often contemplated reading a beloved series again (most recently Harry Potter and The Hunger Games), but I haven’t done it yet.

The right to read anything?  I have a long history of reading cereal boxes and shampoo bottles and ingredient lists and technical instructions just because … just this morning I read the how-to instructions on my new can opener.  The right to mistake a book for real life?  I often think that if a fictional character was REAL, we would be great friends.  Or I get that feeling that an author might be speaking to me directly, so I think that counts!  The right to read anywhere?  ha – yeah, I told you I read shampoo bottles, so you can figure out WHERE I was while doing that.  The right to dip in?  Tied to the right to skip… dip in and read one essay, and yep, that’s all the fix I need.  The right to read aloud?  When something has to be shared, you have to read it aloud. I sometimes whisper the words to myself though, as I am reading along. Or reading aloud for emphasis and memorization.  The right to be quiet?  Sometimes you read something so moving that you simply have nothing to say.  That’s okay too.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these – please share your experiences!

From Potter Craft’s site:

To help put the principles into practice, The Knitter’s Book of Socks offers 20 fresh, original patterns from today’s sock-design luminaries, including Cookie A, Cat Bordhi, Ann Budd, Nancy Bush, Anne Hanson, and Melissa Morgan-Oakes. The socks presented here run the gamut from simple knit-and-purl combinations suitable for beginners to innovative designs with lush colorwork, swirling cables, and delicate lace.

Understanding the elements of yarn is the first step on every successful sock knitting journey. With this book as your guide, you’ll learn how to make any sock yarn shine and love every pair of socks you knit.

Hickory Socks

I wish I could show you all of the patterns because they are all fun – ideal for all knitting styles and skill levels.  You can see a small slideshow on the publisher’s website, but it doesn’t do the book justice!  It will keep you busy knitting for years to come.

Want to try knitting some of these patterns?  I’m doing a book giveaway for the finale of this year’s Socktoberfest!  All I need from you is a comment telling me how long you have been knitting socks.  Are you a brand new knitter wanting to try? Are you a seasoned pro who has seen it all?  Bring it on, and this lovely book could be yours!

I will choose the winner randomly on Wednesday, November 2nd and contact the winner and announce it here.  Stay tuned!

My new hat (Ravelry notebook page for details) was a fun knit, with a fun yarn – an angora/wool blend.  Just enough fuzzy halo to be nice and not get stuck in your eyelashes and lips.  Added bonus that the cables formed a nice little flower pattern on top too!

So, my rate is one knit to about eight books… here are some of the highlights from the summer of [book] love:

The Lost City of Z:  A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon : a biography and adventure travelogue rolled into one.  Fascinating story of Percy Fawcett, the British explorer who was lost in the Amazon in his search for the lost city of gold – coded as “Z” by Fawcett.  The author retraces some of Fawcett’s steps through Brazil, and uncovers some of the mysteries that still revolve around his mysterious disappearance in the mid-1900s.

Centuries of June: A Novel : Reading this book was like dissecting a Dali – surreal, fantastic, with small bits of recognizable traits from “real life” but otherwise, a dreamscape when time and space don’t jive. The book is a dying man’s look back on history – through the eyes of eight women and a male “guide” that morphs from his late father to Samuel Beckett, to his living brother…  unlike anything I’ve ever read.  Very memorable.

World Without Fish : The book is a call to arms on protecting the oceans, and specifically practicing sustainable fishing. He clearly states that in 50 years, the oceans will look very different than they do today (like the title says a “world without fish”). The book is heavily illustrated with intermittent “comics” following a ocean scientist and his daughter, but there is also quality science writing here. This book would be a useful text for classrooms and educational settings.

Ragged Edge of the World: Encounters at the Frontier Where Modernity, Wildlands, and Indigenous Peoples Meet : Gosh, this book was fabulous. Linden has such an engaging style – like you are just having a casual conversation. Each chapter is an essay that focuses on a location or people group that he has encountered during his long career as a foreign correspondent and journalist.

Robopocalypse : Told in a report format, the reader learns the history of the “New War” – the robot uprising against humanity – through the stories of the ones fighting in various locations – primarily the US, but also the UK, Japan, and Afghanistan. If you are a sci-fi fan, you will eat this one up like candy. I sure did!

(Full reviews of these and many more on my GoodReads page!)

I got a Kindle last year for my birthday.  They have been around for years, and it wasn’t that I was holding out or anything, just hadn’t picked one up yet. Maybe it was the dip in pricing and the WiFi capabilities of the new Kindle 3.  Maybe it was Amazon’s aggressive marketing.  Whatever it was, I think it changed my life for the better.  Over the last few years, I have focused on simplicity and unattachment, and I think I surprised a lot of my family and friends when I gave away over 400 books in the last 2 years – which happened even before the Kindle.  The literal weight of these books was just too much for me and for my bookshelves.  I knew there were some that I would never read and I didn’t even know why I was holding on to them.  And I can tell you that I don’t even miss them, and I regained some space in my house (and my mind!)

I realized that it was the information INSIDE that I was trying to hold on to… maybe in some way I thought that by owning the books, I would possess the information inside? by osmosis of some sort? Not sure.

Sure, I love the smell of (some) books.  I love going to a library and seeing the spines and thinking of all of the knowledge and wisdom inside… but in my mind, there is a place for both the physical book AND the ebook.  I was able to make a pretty clear distinction:  novels, non-fiction, essays – KINDLE.  Graphic novels don’t translate to the screen that well (well, the Kindle, that is… I realize that with the tablet computers, there might be a way to do this right now) and there seem to be some acquisition librarians at my my county library who like graphic novels as much as I do.  I do prefer physical cookbooks as well.  Again, tablet computers may take this realm pretty soon, but in the meantime, I will continue to use, peruse, and love my cookbook collection.  (And do I even have to address knitting and other craft books?  I do use the Kindle for some PDF patterns, but my knitting book collection did not undergo the same “weeding” that the other books in the collection did!)

On GoodReads, you can see what I am reading – on how I am reading.  When I buy and read a Kindle book, I give it a Kindle tag.  I do the same for audiobooks. The distinction is really only for me and my memory bank, but it is an interesting study in modern reading habits, as I see others using these same kinds of tags.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this ~ people seem to have a lot of opinions on this topic!

No doubt you are familiar with The Fibre Company and the talented ladies of Kelbourne Woolens who distribute the yarn… they have created so many lovely (and popular!) patterns over the years.  Courtney Kelly and Kate Gagnon Osborn, like many knitters, are inspired by traditional patterns.  In this book, they have put a contemporary spin on so many classic styles and techniques like colorwork, lace, and cables.

All of the patterns feature the luxorious yarns of The Fibre Company’s line. (And let me tell you, these yarns are gorgeous.  I have made several projects with them: I designed the Sherbrooke Cowl with Terra’s texture in mind, I knit the Felicity hat in Knightsbridge and I used Organik for a weaving project back in 2008, the Take Two Scarf)

Courtney and Kate both possess a keen eye for modern styling and fit.  The book is filled with beautiful patterns that will be wonderful additions to every knitter’s wardrobe.  It’s hard to choose a favorite – but because I like colorwork so much, my eyes go there first.  I love the modern shape and color choices for the cover design, the Adelaide Yoked Pullover (links to Ravelry).

I love the Cowichan-inspired “woodland” feel of the Maple Bay Cardigan – complete with squirrels!

The Yvette Roositud beret is particularly beautiful, using the Estonian inlaid embroidery technique with multiple colors:

Another favorite – and a nod to Nordic motifs are the cute and comfy Telemark legwarmers:

With all the cardigans, pullovers, shawls, hats, and socks that this book has to offer – I must admit that the pattern that is calling my name – ney *screaming* my name! – is the lovely Madeleine shawl.  That chunky lace with the picot just looks like a great transition-to-spring piece.

So… you want a copy?

You can see all the projects from this beautiful book over on Interweave’s website (in the Scribd preview).  Before you go… drop me a comment for your chance to win your own copy of this book!  Interweave sent an extra copy with this giveaway in mind!  I would love to hear what projects you have planned – or just a simple hello!  The giveaway is open until Saturday, February 26th. A winner will be chosen on Sunday and I will notify you!

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And if you want to see where this blog tour has traveled, please see these other blogs and podcasts that were part of the Vintage Modern Knits tour!  There are some great posts with additional photographs of the projects and interviews with designers Kate and Courtney!

2/5                        Ready, Set, Knit podcast (WEBs) http://readysetknit.yarn.com/

2/7                        Knitting Daily http://www.knittingdaily.com

2/8                        Knit and Tonic http://www.knitandtonic.net/

2/9                        Winged Knits http://cecilyam.wordpress.com/

2/10                      Narrating Life http://mirandawalker.blogspot.com/

2/11                      Knitbot http://knitbot.com/

2/14                      Knitting School Drop Out http://www.knittingschooldropout.com/

2/15                      Never Not Knitting podcast http://nevernotknitting.blogspot.com/

2/16                      Knitgrrl http://www.knitgrrl.com/

2/17                      Sunset Cat Designs http://www.sunsetcat.com/

2/18                      Neoknits http://www.neoknits.com/blog/

2/21                      Tenten Knits http://margauxelena.typepad.com/

]]> http://lollygirl.com/blog/2011/02/22/vintage-modern-knits-blog-tour-caboose/feed 186 http://lollygirl.com/blog/2011/01/05/story-time http://lollygirl.com/blog/2011/01/05/story-time#comments Wed, 05 Jan 2011 10:00:50 +0000 lolly http://lollygirl.com/blog/?p=3185 Wintertime (well, every time, really…) brings the dilemma of whether I snuggle up with a book, or with my knitting.    I try to keep it balanced, but as my knitting production went down in the latter part of the year, my reading increased.  Go figure.

My young adult / nonfiction “kick” is still going strong.  Here’s what I have been reading lately… all reviews link back to my full GoodReads reviews.

Young Adult

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson -

Riveting and heart-breaking story of Lia, an 18-year old high school student with anorexia, who also cuts herself. In the opening pages of the book, her life is irrevocably changed when her best friend dies (due in part to this “game” they have about who can be the skinniest girl in the school). The book is told in first-person narrative with some stream of consciousness passages – the language is so vivid and so heart-wrenchingly descriptive. Very memorable piece of work – Anderson’s book left a mark.  (GoodReads)

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Speak – by Laurie Halse Anderson -  I need to come up with a more descriptive word than “powerful” for Halse Anderson’s books. The word just doesn’t get to the heart of it. This one was great.  Although this book is several years old, it is still getting quite a bit of press… the controversial/banned book kind. Makes me all the happier that I read it.  (GoodReads)

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian – by Sherman Alexie – Great book in so many ways. I really liked Junior’s voice and first-person narrative. I loved the humorous drawings interspersed throughout the pages. Coming-of-age tale, social commentary, sports drama… the book spoke volumes in less than 200 pages.

Junior, as a character, reminded me of the main character in a book I read and enjoyed last year: Oscar Wao in *The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao*. Perhaps there are some major similarities or there are just too few teenage males in fiction that is is inevitable for the reader to be reminded of the handful of others.  (GoodReads)

Nonfiction

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – by Rebecca Skloot – Compelling and fascinating page turner that weaves the unique and groundbreaking story behind the HeLa cells that have revolutionized medical science in the last century. Skloot puts a name, a face, and a rich family history around the cells of Henrietta Lacks, who the “immortal” cells were essentially stolen from in the 1950s after she started treatment for severe cervical cancer. Medical records, archival research, and oral history paint a vivid picture of the Lacks’ family’s struggles in 1950s Baltimore. (Full review at GoodReads)

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The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival – by John Vaillant – It’s one of those books that you get so absorbed in and you learn all of these interesting facts that you want to share with people… At the core of the story is the investigation of a unique mauling in the remote forests in coastal Siberia in the mid-1990s. The team that is dispatched to look into the killing is very similar to a forensics team at a crime scene; they read the snow, see how the attack took place, follow the tiger’s entrance and exit paths, and begin to formulate ideas based on what they find. (Full review at GoodReads)

What are you reading this winter?

A selection of summer reading, artfully arranged thanks to BigHugeLabs… it’s been an eclectic season – so, I am going to focus on the graphic novel and fiction highlights first and save the batches of non-fiction for a later posting.

Graphic Novel Highlights

Blankets by Craig Thompson ::  I read this huge (600+ pages) in a few hours – mind you, it is a graphic novel.  As I turned the last page, I wiped the tears away from my eyes.  It was a profound story, and one that hit so close to home.  One of the most beautiful graphic novels I have encountered, and probably one of my favorite new books altogether.  Thompson has a few other graphic novels, and another one in the works (according to his blog – lots of illustrations!), and I will definitely be reading them.  Highly recommended. [ Full review at Goodreads ]

Alan’s War: The Memories of G.I. Alan Cope by Emmanuel Guilbert ::  This graphic novel was my second by Guilbert (the first was The Photographer, which I enjoyed very much and review back in the spring) and it was told from a different angle – it was oral history illustrated. Simple story with simple graphics – quite appealing. The artist met the storyteller and the project was born from their conversations on WWII experiences. Understated and subtle drawings with a lot of emotion. [ Full review at Goodreads ]

Fiction Highlights

Nothing quite matches the monumental fiction that I encountered within the last year (Atwood, Russell, Collins) but I was entertained by a few things…

The Passage by Justin Cronin :: “Where’s Lolly?” “No idea… haven’t seen her in awhile…” –  This monster book came along with me to the beach -  and once we arrived, I disappeared with this book (and a bottle of beer). It’s been called epic. Yes, it is that. Can’t put it down. Yep, that too. And when people ask me what it’s about, I can’t quite figure out what to say other than “Military experiment gone wrong – viral vampires, post-apocalyptic… The Road… I am Legend…” and because this is similar to many of the other books I have been reading of late, I usually get an eye-roll and a smirk.

There are some great reviews of this book already posted, so I will just add that I was definitely entertained: the first section of the book was my favorite, taking place in the near future (2012 or 2013). Not really a horror story in the way that I was scared to turn the lights off… and if I recall, there were even a few times I laughed. One such part – towards the end – was not intended to be funny… but every time Roswell, New Mexico is mentioned (this time in a completely non-alien context) I have to laugh because I grew up there and have endured many a-question about my Roswell life… I have a feeling that this book is just going to gain more steam, so go ahead and get on the train  [ Full review at Goodreads ]

Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell :: Probably my lowest rated book to be included – but the subtitle here is “highlights”, and it is definitely something I won’t be forgetting any time soon… A crazy trippy ride. This book was my companion on an inter-continental flight -read it cover to cover on the plane. I was conscious of my seat mates reading over my shoulder… and there was slight embarrassment as this book is full of expletives and explicit scenes. But hey, it’s about mobsters. It’s kind of their “deal” to be like that. It’s a hell of a story – parts of it really grossed me out and I am not usually squeamish. Other parts were very informative. Bazell is a real doctor and he shares lots of information on anatomy, pathology, etc. I figure if any one asks me about this book in the future, I will most likely remember the gross parts as they are the ones that stick with you. I will never think of shin bones the same way. Style reminded me of Irvine Welsh and Chuck Palahniuk – raw and gritty but ultimately good storytelling.  [ Full review at Goodreads ]

Graphic novels have been on the scene for just over a decade, and they are really starting to gain some steam.  They can be like comic books in style, but are bound in a book format, and usually have a wide variety of topics.  The ones that I have been particularly drawn to are the autobiographical stories.

The best of this genre – that I have read – is definitely The Photographer: Into War-torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders by Emmanuel Guibert (illustrator) and Didier Lefèvre (writer). 

Lefèvre was a French photojournalist (who passed away in 2007) whose work appeared in many newspapers and magazines. For the assignment described in the book, Lefèvre worked alongside a team from Médicins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders. Lefèvre captures many moments on film; his photographs are interspersed with the drawings in the graphic novel.

The book is a stunning piece of literature – a true “snapshot” of life at that time in Afghanistan (~1985). The story is recounted by Lefèvre, so you also have several stories about his relationships with the people in the team – Juliette, the strong and independent leader, who knows how to mix with both men and women in this fundamentalist Islamic culture; John, the burly American doctor with a hear of gold; Régis, the anesthesiologist who dreams of opening a winery in sourthern France… and the many Afghans – Mahmud, Najmudin, and the patients who are treated in the team.

Highly recommended book.

My full review on Goodreads

 Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis is a very well-known book in the graphic novel genre.  Satrapi recounts her life in Iran in the late 1970s and early 1980s.  Persepolis 2, the book that I read, continues the story as Marjane’s parents have sent her to school in Austra.  You can get both books as one single volume with The Complete Persepolis.  This review covers only Book 2:

Through Marjane’s eyes, we see this changed society – the broken lives and buildings of Tehran, but we also see the strength of her family.  There are several times that she writes (and draws) and says “I have never told anyone this…” and then lays it all out. It must have been quite cathartic and liberating.

Ultimately, this book seemed much more introspective – describing the immigrant experience, as well as the “homecoming” experience after years away. Marjane’s story is not flowery and happy – and she does not sugarcoat it. It is extremely educational though. If you read the first part of story and want a reprisal and some closure, this is it. She is quite talented – both in this genre of literature, memoir, and in translating her feelings into words and pictures.

Full review of Persepolis 2 on Goodreads(may contain some minor spoilers)

The third graphic novel I read was probably the most visually interesting – the artist is really good – but the story was lacking, unfortunately. Shortcomings follows the lives of several urban late twenty-/early thirty-somethings.

It’s character-driven, with very little “action” but a lot of subtext. One of the over-arching themes seems to be how these first-generation Asian-Americans (Ben and Miko are Japanese-American and Alice is Korean-American) face the various stereotypes in modern society. The relationships are screwed up… but at the same time, these people seem so very real – like co-workers, or people you meet at a party. Perhaps being the same age range as the characters added to this familiarity, but I really did feel like I knew these people. The reviews on this one vary widely, and my rating was at the lower end of the spectrum, but I can see how this book can be meaningful and important to others.

Full review on Goodreads

 The last three books that I read are part of this re-emergence of great young-adult literature. The Mysterious Benedict Society is a sheer delight for older readers (10-14 years):  an adventurous tale with kids saving the world from an evil genius… the heroes are a special group of children that are chosen specifically after a battery of tests is adminstered to the general kid population.  They succeed and then move on to the next test – a covert mission into a secret school… this is the first of a series that will be sure to keep kids reading – it’s just fun to read!

A real page-turner and lots of fun to read. The author captures a lot of elements of fantasy and whimsy that will really appeal to his intended audience. There was definitely a “Kids Rule!” message, being that the kids were the heroes who essentially “saved the world”…

Full review on Goodreads

Trying to describe these next two books is difficult – I enjoyed them so much that I really had a hard time writing a review. Again, they are written with a young adult in mind, but much like some of the other modern classics (Harry Potter, specifically) they can be enjoyed by everyone. And wow, did I enjoy them. The Hunger Games is the first of the three-part series, with Catching Fire as its immediate sequel. The third and final book in the series, Mockingjay will be out later in the summer, and it will undoubtedly be an instant hit – there are scores of people anticipating it!   

My excitement for these books make my critical mind go out the window, so they are hard to review. They are not perfect, but hands down, some of the most entertaining works of fiction I have ever read!  The books are set in the near future on the North American continent.  A governmental body has dissolved the national lines and created this set of districts that supply the great entity – Panem.  Each year, the government requires every district to enter their children into a lottery – and the children/teens that are chosen (2 from each of the 12 districts) are sent into a battlefield – The Hunger Games – where they must fight to the death.  It is brutal – like gladitorial games – and televised for all of Panem. The government uses this impending tribute as a way to stop any resistance – knowing that their own children could be sacrificed next.  The story follows the tributes from District 12 – one of the poorest districts, the coalmining district - Katniss and Peeta.  These books are already in the works to become movies – so go ahead and get a jumpstart!  They will undoubtedly be the next big thing – so you can be ahead of the game!

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I have been reading a lot… but also knitting up a storm… photos to come

My little kick with fiction continues – specifically “speculative fiction” - a little bit sci-fi, a bit dystopian, but also rooted in some reality as it really just imagines a future world and asks “what if?”

I have read a couple of Margaret Atwood’s books and liked them well and good, but it was not until I read her two most recent novels that I understood the true genius of this author.  I say it in no small way – these two books absolutely blew me away.

Oryx and Crake / The Year of the Flood: A Novel

 After hearing a significant amount of buzz about Atwood’s newest book, and hearing that it was sort of a “companion” piece to the older novel, published in 2003, I decided to take the plunge, picking both audiobooks up at the library.  The books do not have to be read together, but I felt that reading them in succession helped me pick up each little reference, nuance, and passing observation.  So tightly interwoven and so elegant… it was perfect.

Oryx and Crake introduces an imagined future where we meet the main characters: childhood friends Jimmy and Glenn, and learn about their life growing up cloistered on a scientific compound.  The book is told from Jimmy’s perspective, switching back and forth in time; before and after an apocalyptic event that has dessimated the population.  

Year of the Flood is neither a prequel or a sequel to Oryx and Crake, but occurs at the same time. My GoodReads review of Year of the Flood follows:

Profoundly brilliant. Had I not read this directly after reading Oryx and Crake, I would have missed so many things – little nuances, passing comments made by the characters… it just enriched the earlier story and brought so much depth, context, and elegance. Like looking at the Rubin’s vase optical illusion and only seeing it one way for so long, and then someone points out the other image right before your eyes. Of course, it was Ms. Atwood herself who constructed the image and slowly sheds light on it with each chapter in her books – alas, I think she has one (possibly two!) more story to tell here.

Year of the Flood has two narrators – both survivors of an apocalyptic event (a “waterless flood”), and both linked from their associations with “God’s Gardeners”, a religious sect. The two women are of different generations but share the foundations of the Gardeners’ beliefs long after they have left the group’s compound. The story moves back and forth in time (before and after “The Flood”), describing the lives of the women as they move about, and how they eventually come back together after “The Flood” mentioned in the title of the book.

Atwood’s creation of the “Gardeners” is so fascinating – she has gathered the cult’s doctrine and principles from 19th-century transcendentalism, Jain and Hindu philosophies, post-modern environmental thought, the zeal of 1970′s “born-again” movement with a tad of Hare Krishna devotion, the apocalyptic asceticism of the Essenes, as well as the homesteading, return-to-the-land movement of post-Industrial North America. The hierarchy is based around a group of senior leaders, called the Adams and Eves. “Adam One” is the group’s leader and “pastor” of sorts, because he teaches the group and is featured in several chapters in the book with some of his sermons, followed by songs that are sung by the Gardeners. (The audiobook version had all of the composed songs with accompaniment, and the songs are also available on Atwood’s website.) The group canonizes scientists like Dian Fossey and Jacques Cousteau, and has feast days for St. Rachel Carson and so many other well-known luminaries in the fields of ecology, zoology, and life sciences. They also celebrate days like “Mole Day” and “Predator Day”, noting the importance of food chain, the smallest creatures and their contributions, etc.

I will admit, there were a few times that I just had to take a pause, Atwood “blew my mind” more than once.
  

The books were read in succession – perhaps as they were meant to be – so they fit together perfectly in my mind like a jigsaw.

Even a week after finishing the second book, I can’t get this story out of my mind. I think the two should definitely be read together, and I think that they are among the best books I have ever read.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

This book is getting a good amount of buzz as a possible 2010 Newbery Award winner.  It is a young adult novel for the 10 -16 set, but younger and older (like me!) readers will undoubtedly enjoy it.  The book was mentioned and excerpted on National Public Radio’s website - go read a bit of it!

A little gem of a book – a unique storyline that is wonderfully crafted and executed. Miranda’s character is this encapsulation of what it is to be 12 years old – going back and forth between this world of childhood and adulthood. I wouldn’t really characterize this as a coming-of-age story though… more like a day-in-the-life with a twinge of mystery and sci-fi thrown into the mix. I really liked the setting in 1979… it was a lot like my childhood, so there was a nostalgic element there… Loved the little bits of fantasty woven throughout, as well as the musings and the references to late 1970s/early 1980s pop culture.  Very enjoyable book ~ highly recommended.

Maybe even some time to pick this one up before Christmas?  Although the narrator is a 12-year old girl, I think that this book could be enjoyed by boys.  It has a science fiction element to it (sort of the undercurrent of the entire story) that will appeal to them.   I listened to the audiobook, which was also quite good.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Another day… another dystopian!  This one was probably the most realistic of the speculative fiction because it really just seemed like this *could* happen. 

The story follows a family of four and how they survive through a catastrophic/apocalyptic event – a meteor hits the moon, knocking it off balance, eventually moving the moon closer to earth, thus shifting all of the tides and the gravitational pull – tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes… just about every disaster ensues. It is told in a diary format, written and narrated by 16-year old Miranda, who lives in small-town Pennsylvania.

In the end, the story was one of love, courage, strength, and endurance. The family of four (mother, two sons, and Miranda, the daughter) struggles to live through these terrible events as they watch the world crumble around them. It definitely had a very eerie element about it – so much so that as I was listening on the audiobook, it was almost like these things were actually happening. So, the author definitely set the tone and the landscape for the readers.  

I hesitate to fully recommend the book because it can be pretty depressing, sad, and annoying (see full review on GR), but in the end, I am really glad I read it. It made me think a lot about the things we all take for granted – running water, electricity, family bonds.  It inevitably leaves you with the question of “How would I handle this type of situation? would I make it?”

Pretty interesting premise, and like I said, major points for making it so believable – but I had some major criticisms of the book as well.  You can read my full review on GoodReads to find out what I didn’t like (and why I rated it 2.5 stars out of 5). 

…and now for something completely different… (and happier!)

A non-fiction book of essays by one of my favorite authors!

‘The Moon by Whale Light: And Other Adventures Among Bats, Penguins, Crocodilians, and Whales by Diane Ackerman

Ooh, Ackerman knows how to make you relish every word!  She is a naturalist, but also a poet, interweaving science and nature with the most delicate of language. 

Ackerman’s writing style is so lyrical and her descriptions are so vivid – reading her work is like biting into the juiciest of fruits. This particular collection highlights bats, crocodiles, penguins, and whales. Ackerman spends time with these animals, learning about their biology and psychology, talks with their keepers, trainers, and researchers.

While all of them were wonderful, the chapters on bats and crocodiles were my favorites of all – perhaps because I knew the least about these two creatures. The bat essay, in particular, sent me to my computer many times to see images and photos of these amazing animals. Just days after reading this essay, I had the experience of being in the open desert (Joshua Tree National Park in southern California) and witnessed the Mexican Free-Tailed bats coming out to feed at dusk… just me, my husband, and these beautiful bats. It was amazing, and is something that will stay with me for a long time. I am sure that I would have been amazed by this sight even if I had not read the book, but the experience was all the more enhanced by the knowledge I gained from this essay collection.

This is a book I will return to, I am sure, to remember these paragraphs filled to the brim with facts and stories… and will fall in love with the writing each and every time. 

I think Ackerman writes best when she writes about nature. I have enjoyed her other topics (like An Alchemy of Mind, about brain science) but they did not hold my attention quite like this collection and the book that “hooked” me on to her work over a decade ago, A Natural History of the Senses.  I have not yet read any of her poetry, but I am sure it is great, because I love her prose.

…onward and upward… I am already listening to and reading new books.  Makes for a great time while working on these sweaters!
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