D Magazine just started a book blog and it’s grabbed my attention…along with an online discussion of a book (most recently Joan Didion’s Play It As It Lays), Reading Room canvases local business leaders and other well-known Dallasites on what they are currently reading. The entries are written in a casual, conversational manner and are actually quite informative about books that I have little or no knowledge of. And it is a thought-provoking look at the current state of books and reading amongst people to like to read. Like all of you.
So…we have an idea about what’s being read over in Dallas. How about Fort Worth? I have a few things on my coffee table: The River Flows North, by Graciela Limón, The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd for my next book discussion group meeting and a novella by Colombian writer Laura Restrepo called The Scent of Invisible Roses. But being able to read only one book at a time, the one actually containing my Argentine 10 peso bill bookmark is a young adult novel called Muchacho, by LouAnne Johnson. Ms. Johnson was the author of My Posse Don’t Do Homework, from which the movie Dangerous Minds was made a few years back starring Michelle Pfeiffer. Muchacho tells the story of Eddie Corazon, a tough kid who attends an alternative school in a New Mexico barrio who is a “secret reader”: someone who actually likes to read but has to be careful about who knows this little foible. I like reading books about Latino teens, since they are the chief demographic in my library and anything I can to do to help me understand them is good for everyone involved. Believe me.
What about the rest of you? What are you reading right now, at this very minute (aside from this blog)?
Friday, November 20, 2009
Teen Fiction with a dollop of romance
I was reading another book blog this morning and it reminded me about a book I had really enjoyed. The thought of that one title started me thinking about other teen books I had read as an adult that I really loved. Of course the site also mentioned My Sweet Audrina, a VC Andrews title that I don't think I will ever forget--some of the imagery is burned into my memory bank forever.
This is a list of books that I didn't want to end.
My memory is rather vague on the actual storyline. I remember deserts and sand. Robin McKinley has written numerous books for teens and tweens. Many of her titles are extensions of fairy tales or folk tales.
Another desert locale title. For someone who hates the heat I seem drawn to books with lots of sand that isn't on a beach! Shabanu's story is continued in Haveli.
Ah this title does not involve sand. There is an underlying romance with adventure. If I have to be honest all of the titles listed here have some element of a romance in them.
Unfortunately, FWL doesn't own a copy of these next three books but it is well work the effort to get them through InterLibrary Loan
The China Garden by Liz Berry
This is full of mystery. Plus it takes place in the English countryside. I'm a sucker for anything English.
This is full of mystery. Plus it takes place in the English countryside. I'm a sucker for anything English.
The Road Home by Ellen Emerson White
This title was gritty. The main character is a combat nurse in Vietnam. The story begins during her tour of duty and continues once she is back state side living with her parents.
My Father's Scar by Michael Cart
I was totally drawn into the life of the main character. His pain became my pain.
Romance in some shape or form plays a role in all of these books. Maybe that is why I liked them so much. Now while I wouldn't be caught dead reading a Harlequin, I definitely like a little romance with my mysteries. Nothing like a little sexual tension to make a nasty murder even more intriguing.
Let's see:
Shabanu has an arranged marriage.
The China Garden a handsome young man who shares in the mystery of the China Garden on the manor.
The Road Home has romantic elements for the lead character both while she is in Vietnam and when she comes home.
My Father's Scar revolves around the main characters homosexual awakening and how it impacts his relationship with his family.
Flight of the Dragon Kyn has a little romance as well.
Monday, November 16, 2009
What would you do to survive?
May 16th was supposed to a great day. Families all over the U.S. and the world were gathering to watch the meteor. The meteor should put on a wonderful show when it hit the moon. All the scientists were excited and talked about what a wonderful event it was and how no one should miss it. No one was expecting what happened and no one could have imagined the lengths that humankind was going to have to go to survive.
In Life as We Knew It, Miranda is a typical 16 year old living in Pennsylvania. She hangs out with her friends, is on the swim team and spends hours on the computer gossiping about her favorite celebrity. She's semi-excited about being a god mother to her dad's new baby. She watches the meteor with her mom and brother from their front lawn with the rest of the block. When the meteor impacts the moon, the moon starts to move. Suddenly, it is off kilter and way too close. Everyone on the block knows they are in big trouble.
Overnight, chaos has broken out around the country. The moon has changed tidal patterns and most of the east & west coast have flooded, then comes the earthquakes and volcano eruptions. Miranda's mom is proactive and understands that they need to start preparing for a total loss of services. After a day of frenzied shopping and cleaning out every store they can think of, Miranda feels like her mother has lost her mind. But, within a few weeks as food, gas, and electricity are becoming scarcer, Miranda realizes that her mother may have just saved their lives.
As the months creep by, Miranda's family circumstances become more and more tense and Miranda begins to wonder if they will survive.
In The Dead & the Gone, May 16th was a normal day for Alex Morales. A junior in high school, he goes to school and then heads off to the New York pizza parlor where he works. He has no interest in the meteor and doesn't even seem to know it was happening. Alex's mom is an operating room technician and was scheduled to work that night and his dad was out of the country visiting relatives. After the meteor hits, Alex's parents never come home and he is left to care for his two younger sisters. He doesn't know if they are alive or dead, but after months of no word, he must assume that they have died.
New York is devastated by the meteor strike. Since most of the city is surrounded by water, the tidal changes flood out more than half the city and death is every where. Alex and his sisters must fight every day to survive. He sends one of his sisters away to a local convent because she will be guaranteed food every day. He must steal clothes, food and just about anything he can trade in order to help his family. Even though he knows that he and his sisters must get out of New York if they are going to make it, it is extremely hard to convince both himself & his sisters that they must give up on their parents returning home. With the help of a former classmate's father, he arranges travel out of the city for the three of them, but at the last minute, the weather turns so bad that the way out is canceled. Alex wonders if all the time he spent trying to save his family was for nothing and if they are all going to die any way.
Susan Beth Pfeffer takes one event and in two separate books looks at how teens are effected differently by that event. Both books are enthralling. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I certainly hope that she continues writing stories about this event. These are definitely fascinating reading.
In Life as We Knew It, Miranda is a typical 16 year old living in Pennsylvania. She hangs out with her friends, is on the swim team and spends hours on the computer gossiping about her favorite celebrity. She's semi-excited about being a god mother to her dad's new baby. She watches the meteor with her mom and brother from their front lawn with the rest of the block. When the meteor impacts the moon, the moon starts to move. Suddenly, it is off kilter and way too close. Everyone on the block knows they are in big trouble.Overnight, chaos has broken out around the country. The moon has changed tidal patterns and most of the east & west coast have flooded, then comes the earthquakes and volcano eruptions. Miranda's mom is proactive and understands that they need to start preparing for a total loss of services. After a day of frenzied shopping and cleaning out every store they can think of, Miranda feels like her mother has lost her mind. But, within a few weeks as food, gas, and electricity are becoming scarcer, Miranda realizes that her mother may have just saved their lives.
As the months creep by, Miranda's family circumstances become more and more tense and Miranda begins to wonder if they will survive.
In The Dead & the Gone, May 16th was a normal day for Alex Morales. A junior in high school, he goes to school and then heads off to the New York pizza parlor where he works. He has no interest in the meteor and doesn't even seem to know it was happening. Alex's mom is an operating room technician and was scheduled to work that night and his dad was out of the country visiting relatives. After the meteor hits, Alex's parents never come home and he is left to care for his two younger sisters. He doesn't know if they are alive or dead, but after months of no word, he must assume that they have died.New York is devastated by the meteor strike. Since most of the city is surrounded by water, the tidal changes flood out more than half the city and death is every where. Alex and his sisters must fight every day to survive. He sends one of his sisters away to a local convent because she will be guaranteed food every day. He must steal clothes, food and just about anything he can trade in order to help his family. Even though he knows that he and his sisters must get out of New York if they are going to make it, it is extremely hard to convince both himself & his sisters that they must give up on their parents returning home. With the help of a former classmate's father, he arranges travel out of the city for the three of them, but at the last minute, the weather turns so bad that the way out is canceled. Alex wonders if all the time he spent trying to save his family was for nothing and if they are all going to die any way.
Susan Beth Pfeffer takes one event and in two separate books looks at how teens are effected differently by that event. Both books are enthralling. I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I certainly hope that she continues writing stories about this event. These are definitely fascinating reading.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Who needs a turkey for Thanksgiving---when you have a sleeping bag and a campfire
I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving. For the past few years, I would take my son to the Fort Worth Zoo on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (half price day.) But last year I started thinking that Thanksgiving would be a great time to start taking short trips.
I am thinking about taking a camping trip with my son. I've been wanting to drive the Talimena Scenic Drive. I was hoping the trees would be in full color. But according to the fall foliage schedule web site for Arkansas this coming weekend is really the last one for any color. Anyway. A camping trip would get me out of having to cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
If I get my nerve up and we do go camping here are some books that will help me:
Right now I am sitting at home and I am not sure if these titles will have the Talimena drive in them (but even if they don't I'm sure they will provide a lot of material for wishful thinking.)
And some web sites:
Talimena Scenic Drive: a National Scenic Byway includes maps, interactive pages, and a lot more
Queen Wilhelmina State Park This state park is at the Mena, AR end of the drive.
Talihina Main Street highlights Talihina, OK the western terminus of the drive
Thursday, November 12, 2009
To Bear Witness
I was going to do my next posting on romantic comedies, but well, after the events of this past week in Fort Hood in conjunction with Veteran's Day and Kathryn King's touching post on the subject, following all that with lighthearted chatter about my favorite romantic comedy couples just didn't seem fitting, to say the least.
So, I was at a loss for appropriate blogging matter, that is, until I read a review by David Denby in the New Yorker of a new movie due to open soon called The Messenger. It is about the servicemen whose job it is to take the news of soldiers' deaths in Iraq to their loved ones. The review was overwhelmingly positive but Mr. Denby ends it with the following sobering comments.
"The Messenger joins the group of strong Iraq-war movies that, like rejected suitors, stand hat in hand, waiting for an audience to notice their virtues.... Box-office wisdom holds that it’s too early to make movies about this conflict..."
I realized he was right. There have been well reviewed movies about our current conflict in Iraq released in the past few years and I have not wanted to watch any of them. And since none of those movies did very good box office, it seems as if I was not alone in that reluctance. I really don't know how others felt, but, for me it just seemed too hard to bear.
Well, I have changed my mind on that. We have two very good (according to the critics) Iraq-war movies in our system, In the Valley of Elah and Stop Loss. I am going to check them out and watch them. And then when The Messenger opens, I'm going to go see it.
If the men and women of the military can sacrifice their lives for us, then I can surely bear some sort of witness even if it is only in the feeble and second-hand way of watching a movie about it.
So, I was at a loss for appropriate blogging matter, that is, until I read a review by David Denby in the New Yorker of a new movie due to open soon called The Messenger. It is about the servicemen whose job it is to take the news of soldiers' deaths in Iraq to their loved ones. The review was overwhelmingly positive but Mr. Denby ends it with the following sobering comments.
"The Messenger joins the group of strong Iraq-war movies that, like rejected suitors, stand hat in hand, waiting for an audience to notice their virtues.... Box-office wisdom holds that it’s too early to make movies about this conflict..."
I realized he was right. There have been well reviewed movies about our current conflict in Iraq released in the past few years and I have not wanted to watch any of them. And since none of those movies did very good box office, it seems as if I was not alone in that reluctance. I really don't know how others felt, but, for me it just seemed too hard to bear.
Well, I have changed my mind on that. We have two very good (according to the critics) Iraq-war movies in our system, In the Valley of Elah and Stop Loss. I am going to check them out and watch them. And then when The Messenger opens, I'm going to go see it.
If the men and women of the military can sacrifice their lives for us, then I can surely bear some sort of witness even if it is only in the feeble and second-hand way of watching a movie about it.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Thank You....
I had planned to highlight military books this week to celebrate Veteran's Day next week. The tragedy yesterday at Fort Hood only highlights just how brave the men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting our freedoms truly are--and not just them but their families too. Mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers and friends of our service personnel all make sacrifices in their lives that allow us to reap the benefits of our dedicated service men and women.
I seemed to have always lived in military towns/cities. Growing up, I lived by El Toro MCAS, Santa Ana Army Air Base (with the blimp hangers), Carswell AFB and Ellington AFB. My parents are very patriotic. My father tried to volunteer for Korea but he was turned away because of his extremely poor eyesight. Most of his friends enlisted. My grandfather was in the army in WWII. My mother didn't see her father until she was three or four. He did a lot of the nose art on the bombers in the European theater. Apparently there is a plane up in OK City at a museum that features his art work.
I think now more than ever we need to say thank you when we see a man or woman in uniform.
Here is the list of books I had planned on highlighting:
Friday, October 30, 2009
Fright Night
When I was a young teenager my best friend LOVED a good (or so bad it was good) slasher film. We would stay up late into the night watching them and I always got the creeps. The room where we watched the films had a wall of windows and french doors. I always felt like someone (or something) was peeping through those windows and doors.
Another one of my favorite horror films is called The Legacy. It used to play all the time as the late late movie when I was a teen. The scene where Roger Daltrey's character chokes on a chicken bone is burned into my memory bank!
With Halloween just around the corner, here are some movies that are NOT family friendly (unless you like having your kid insist on sleeping with you until he/she is 18!). So pop some popcorn, get some Blood Orange Italian Soda (available at Target), and sit back and scare yourself silly!
The Grudge series (or the original Japanese films Ju-on and Ju-on 2)
I totally can't forget these classics:
Amityville Horror (I LOVED this one)
Another one of my favorite horror films is called The Legacy. It used to play all the time as the late late movie when I was a teen. The scene where Roger Daltrey's character chokes on a chicken bone is burned into my memory bank!
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