Well, faithful readers, it seems I've been somewhat lax in my blogging over the last couple of months. I need to get back to it! So I'll do just that by talking about how half the fun of reading books is the accumulation of them. And in my house, there's been some pretty significant accumulation lately.
My husband and I each belong to a history book club, and lately there have been quite a few books on sale that appealed to us. I believe that, to date, we have added approximately 20 books to our shelves. I love adding books to shelves. Really, I enjoy it so much I should have been a librarian instead of a lawyer. In fact, that's the first thing I wanted to be "when I grew up" when I was a kid. If I had to do it over again, I'd have gotten a library science degree. But it's fun for me to figure out where on the shelf a new book (or in this case 20 new books) should go. The only problem is that just a few months ago I had my shelves just as I wanted them. I don't like books from end to end. Rather, I prefer to have pictures, or vases or candles or whatever else on the shelves to break up the line of books. So, now I'm going to need a new shelf so I can spread them out again.
The next challenge comes in January. See, for every book purchased in November, you can do a buy-one-get-one-free deal in January. I don't know that we're ready for another 40 books though! Yikes! Maybe I should just get two more shelves right away just in case. Or maybe we should just exercise some restraint for once....
01 December 2010
27 September 2010
Book Festivals
Ten years ago, Laura Bush, in conjunction with the Library of Congress, started the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. As I learned in her book, "Spoken from the Heart," it was something she also started in Texas while that state's First Lady. I first became aware of it in 2005. I like to watch Book TV on C-Span during the weekends, and every year they feature the authors from the History and Biography Tent. In 2005, David McCullough, my favorite author, did a presenation on his book "1776." I spent a good portion of that weekend watching the other history and biography authors, and now every year I look to see who will be presenting. Some day, I want to actually go myself rather than rely on C-Span. If McCullough is ever there again, I'm there as well. I figure he's due to publish another book sometime soon!
There are state and regional book festivals all over the country. The Wisconsin Book Festival takes place in October, although I've never had the opportunity to go. I have been to the Fox Cities Book Festival though, and really enjoyed it. I saw a panel of speakers talk about reading classics, and I talked to a few authors who were there promoting their work. A regional festival doesn't always have the caliber of authors the National Book Festival does, of course. I bought one book that sounded really interesting, but turned out to be absolutely horrible and poorly written. But I also found a cute children's book that I gave to my godson that year. It's fun to have a book autographed by the author!
There are book festivals everywhere -- find one near you in the next year! You might have a chance to see your favorite author or discover a new one!
There are state and regional book festivals all over the country. The Wisconsin Book Festival takes place in October, although I've never had the opportunity to go. I have been to the Fox Cities Book Festival though, and really enjoyed it. I saw a panel of speakers talk about reading classics, and I talked to a few authors who were there promoting their work. A regional festival doesn't always have the caliber of authors the National Book Festival does, of course. I bought one book that sounded really interesting, but turned out to be absolutely horrible and poorly written. But I also found a cute children's book that I gave to my godson that year. It's fun to have a book autographed by the author!
There are book festivals everywhere -- find one near you in the next year! You might have a chance to see your favorite author or discover a new one!
23 September 2010
"The Man Who Ate The World: In Search of the Perfect Dinner" by Jay Rayner (2008)
You may have seen Jay Rayner as one of the judges on "Top Chef Masters" on Bravo. He is a restaurant critic from London who has been published in several newspapers and food magazines. Appropriately, this is the book I have been reading during my lunch break. It is a memoir of Rayner's year-long global search for "the perfect meal." He visits cities all over the world (New York, Moscow, Tokyo, Dubai and Paris, among others) and documents what he eats a long the way. Some of the meals are extraordinarily good, while others are just the opposite. Regardless, they are always very expensive.
To be honest, many of the foods he ate sounded pretty unappetizing to me; others I had never heard of before. Of course, I have never eaten in a Micheline star-rated restaurant, which most of the places Rayner visited were. I'm sure I never will eat in any of those places. None of that matters, because Rayner knows how to talk about food -- that much is certain. You are almost able to see, smell and taste what he is eating through his descriptions of the food. You get a real sense of the ambience of each restaurant -- some of them pretentious and some holes in the wall. This book is a great read for the foodie in all of us.
That said, let me tell you about two of my favorite restaurant meals of all time. The first was at Tre Scalini in Rome in 1994. The restaurant is located on the Piazza Navona, and we ate in the outdoor area right on the piazza. To be honest, 16 years later I don't remember a lot of the details. But there are three things I do remember. One was the steak. It was fantastic. In fact, after eating that steak I didn't feel like eating steak again knowing any other steak would pale in comparison. Eventually, I lost my taste for steak altogether and almost never eat it now. The second thing I remember was the dessert -- their well-known tartufo, a chocolate ice cream dessert. The third thing was our waiter, Rafaele. He took the time to translate for us and helped us out a lot with what to order. This was not a cheap meal, but it was worth it. Well, actually, I didn't pay -- my parents did -- so maybe you'd have to ask them if it was worth it.
My second greatest restaurant meal was at the Bodega Castaneda in Granada, Spain in 2003. This was a very small place with a few tables inside and a few more outside. You had to get there really early to get a table. I ate there twice while in Granada. Both were good experiences, but one stands out as even though it was very simple: the albondigas (meatballs). These were the best albondigas I'd ever eaten. I think I commented on every bite I took, as if it was a surprise that each bite was as good as the last. It's not expensive, so definitely check it out if you are ever in Granada.
And so ends my attempt at being a food critic. I think I'll leave that to Jay Rayner from now on.
My review: 3.5 stars out of 5
To be honest, many of the foods he ate sounded pretty unappetizing to me; others I had never heard of before. Of course, I have never eaten in a Micheline star-rated restaurant, which most of the places Rayner visited were. I'm sure I never will eat in any of those places. None of that matters, because Rayner knows how to talk about food -- that much is certain. You are almost able to see, smell and taste what he is eating through his descriptions of the food. You get a real sense of the ambience of each restaurant -- some of them pretentious and some holes in the wall. This book is a great read for the foodie in all of us.
That said, let me tell you about two of my favorite restaurant meals of all time. The first was at Tre Scalini in Rome in 1994. The restaurant is located on the Piazza Navona, and we ate in the outdoor area right on the piazza. To be honest, 16 years later I don't remember a lot of the details. But there are three things I do remember. One was the steak. It was fantastic. In fact, after eating that steak I didn't feel like eating steak again knowing any other steak would pale in comparison. Eventually, I lost my taste for steak altogether and almost never eat it now. The second thing I remember was the dessert -- their well-known tartufo, a chocolate ice cream dessert. The third thing was our waiter, Rafaele. He took the time to translate for us and helped us out a lot with what to order. This was not a cheap meal, but it was worth it. Well, actually, I didn't pay -- my parents did -- so maybe you'd have to ask them if it was worth it.
My second greatest restaurant meal was at the Bodega Castaneda in Granada, Spain in 2003. This was a very small place with a few tables inside and a few more outside. You had to get there really early to get a table. I ate there twice while in Granada. Both were good experiences, but one stands out as even though it was very simple: the albondigas (meatballs). These were the best albondigas I'd ever eaten. I think I commented on every bite I took, as if it was a surprise that each bite was as good as the last. It's not expensive, so definitely check it out if you are ever in Granada.
And so ends my attempt at being a food critic. I think I'll leave that to Jay Rayner from now on.
My review: 3.5 stars out of 5
20 September 2010
Reading the Classics
This past weekend, my mom and I went to see a performance of "To Kill a Mockingbird" at St. Norbert College. It was an excellent performance, but as the end neared, I realized that I only had a vague idea of how it ended because I've never read the book. It seems like one of those books everyone would read in high school. Maybe it's the racially charged language (the n-word is uttered more than just a few times) that prevents it from being read in school. Obviously, I've heard enough about it to know the general theme of the book, but that was about it. If fact, I'm almost ashamed to admit there are a lot of classics that I haven't read.
Barnes and Noble sells classics at a pretty low price, and the library is free, so there should be no excuse for not reading them. However, I think many of us look at the classics as the books we are forced to read while in high school but which we never actually enjoyed. I know I intensely disliked having to read "The Scarlet Letter" in high school. I wonder if I should try it again now as an adult. It certainly can't be any worse than I remember!
There are several lists of the top 100 books of all time. The New York Times version can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/library/books/072098best-novels-list.html. Of this list, I have read four. Interestingly, "To Kill a Mockingbird" is not on this list. Regardless, I think it's time for me to get reading!
Barnes and Noble sells classics at a pretty low price, and the library is free, so there should be no excuse for not reading them. However, I think many of us look at the classics as the books we are forced to read while in high school but which we never actually enjoyed. I know I intensely disliked having to read "The Scarlet Letter" in high school. I wonder if I should try it again now as an adult. It certainly can't be any worse than I remember!
There are several lists of the top 100 books of all time. The New York Times version can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/library/books/072098best-novels-list.html. Of this list, I have read four. Interestingly, "To Kill a Mockingbird" is not on this list. Regardless, I think it's time for me to get reading!
01 September 2010
"The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge" by David McCullough (1972, 2001)
Whew! I finally made it through another book -- 518 pages this time. I think I might need to add a new rule to my list of how to pick the next book to read: don't read two huge books in a row!
David McCullough is one of my favorite authors. In fact, he is my favorite author of nonfiction books. His biography of John Adams is my very favorite nonfiction book, and it has lead me to read several other of his books. Truth be told, I would never have picked up a book about a bridge if it wasn't written by McCullough!
The author's introduction at the beginning of the book tells why he wrote a book about the Brooklyn Bridge. His first book was about the Johnstown flood -- a book I have yet to read but is on my list! After that book's success he received several requests to write about things such as the Chicago fire and the San Francisco earthquake. However, he didn't want to be pigeonholed as a disaster writer, so he sought something completely different. This book was the result.
I have to admit that I am probably not the best audience for this book. The engineering discussions went over my head for the most part, and I've never been to that part of New York so the references to landmarks were lost on me. I've therefore never seen the bridge in person, which might have made the book come to life a bit more for me. Despite that, I enjoyed the book for the parts that did appeal to me: the biographies of those involved in the design and construction of the bridge; the danger associated with the construction due to issues such as "the bends" and the heights (and depths) involved; and the politics and corruption of the time (think Boss Tweed). As usual, McCullough's writing makes it a quick and interesting read, even for a book of this length. It doesn't reach the levels of his Adams or Harry Truman biographies, but I didn't expect it to given the topic of the book. If I had more interest in engineering, it might have rated it a little higher.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.
David McCullough is one of my favorite authors. In fact, he is my favorite author of nonfiction books. His biography of John Adams is my very favorite nonfiction book, and it has lead me to read several other of his books. Truth be told, I would never have picked up a book about a bridge if it wasn't written by McCullough!
The author's introduction at the beginning of the book tells why he wrote a book about the Brooklyn Bridge. His first book was about the Johnstown flood -- a book I have yet to read but is on my list! After that book's success he received several requests to write about things such as the Chicago fire and the San Francisco earthquake. However, he didn't want to be pigeonholed as a disaster writer, so he sought something completely different. This book was the result.
I have to admit that I am probably not the best audience for this book. The engineering discussions went over my head for the most part, and I've never been to that part of New York so the references to landmarks were lost on me. I've therefore never seen the bridge in person, which might have made the book come to life a bit more for me. Despite that, I enjoyed the book for the parts that did appeal to me: the biographies of those involved in the design and construction of the bridge; the danger associated with the construction due to issues such as "the bends" and the heights (and depths) involved; and the politics and corruption of the time (think Boss Tweed). As usual, McCullough's writing makes it a quick and interesting read, even for a book of this length. It doesn't reach the levels of his Adams or Harry Truman biographies, but I didn't expect it to given the topic of the book. If I had more interest in engineering, it might have rated it a little higher.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.
17 August 2010
I guess textbooks are books too!
Hi everyone. It's been a little over a week since my last post. My intention has been to write every three days so as not to disappoint my fans! Ha! But the fall semester is fast approaching, and I've been spending tons of time prepping for my 7 classes this semester. This requires reading a LOT of textbooks, particularly in classes where I'm using a new book this semester. Because of all the reading I've been doing, I haven't taken as much time for leisure reading as I'd like. Thankfully, that should remedy itself when my schedule normalizes in the next couple weeks.
However, I need to remind myself that reading textbooks is still reading. I read mostly non-fiction anyway, so reading a textbook isn't always too much of a deviation from that. I enjoy getting new textbooks, and if it wouldn't frustrate the hell out of the students and the bookstore, I'd probably switch books way more often just for the fun of it. There's not much out there that beats a brand new book (I used to love brand new notebooks too, so I admit to being a little odd in this regard), even if it is a textbook. It's right up there with new car smell. No, I don't smell my textbooks. That's a whole other story that only my law school classmates would appreciate!
However, I need to remind myself that reading textbooks is still reading. I read mostly non-fiction anyway, so reading a textbook isn't always too much of a deviation from that. I enjoy getting new textbooks, and if it wouldn't frustrate the hell out of the students and the bookstore, I'd probably switch books way more often just for the fun of it. There's not much out there that beats a brand new book (I used to love brand new notebooks too, so I admit to being a little odd in this regard), even if it is a textbook. It's right up there with new car smell. No, I don't smell my textbooks. That's a whole other story that only my law school classmates would appreciate!
05 August 2010
Making good books into miniseries
Some of my favorite books have been successfully made into miniseries: Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"; Alex Haley's "Roots"; John Jakes' "North and South"; David McCullough's "John Adams." These miniseries brought these books to life. However, I've recently found that it doesn't always work out that way.
I am a big fan of Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series. There are 10 books so far in the series, and I've read each of them. They are wonderful books and I'd recommend them to anyone. I was excited when I found out HBO was going to make them into a series. HBO did an excellent job with "John Adams" (even if I wasn't overly thrilled with the casting choice for John Adams himself), and was looking forward to something similar with Smith's books. Unfortunately, for me at least, it just didn't work. I think there are two reasons for this.
First, I love the way Smith writes his characters in the series. I was able to form a very clear image in my head of each of the characters and the locale in Botswana where the series takes place. I didn't think the HBO series lived up to my impressions. I don't know if it was the casting, the writing, or the acting, but it just didn't work for me. One example is the character of Mma Makutsi, who is an assistant detective/secretary. My impression of her from the book was that she was quite opinionated and often judgmental, but still a likeable character. In the HBO series she was still opinionated and judgmental, but came off bitchy rather than likeable. I was turned off by her, and that was unsettling for me.
Second, the books are very character-driven, not action-driven. You keep reading because you become attached to the characters and care what happens to them. It's not suspenseful really, and not particularly exciting; but it's not at all boring. However, when translated into a TV series, it became boring because nothing really happens amd there's not the character development to make up for it.
As a result of these observations, I watched only one episode and returned the DVD to Netflix. I was worried that if I watched any more, the images on the screen would replace the images in my head. That's not a risk I'm willing to take, and I can't wait for more books to come out in this series so I can continue reading about the wonderful characters.
Do you have a favorite book that was made into a movie or TV series? Maybe "Harry Potter" or the "Twighlight" series? How about "The DaVinci Code"? Please comment below and let me know!
I am a big fan of Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series. There are 10 books so far in the series, and I've read each of them. They are wonderful books and I'd recommend them to anyone. I was excited when I found out HBO was going to make them into a series. HBO did an excellent job with "John Adams" (even if I wasn't overly thrilled with the casting choice for John Adams himself), and was looking forward to something similar with Smith's books. Unfortunately, for me at least, it just didn't work. I think there are two reasons for this.
First, I love the way Smith writes his characters in the series. I was able to form a very clear image in my head of each of the characters and the locale in Botswana where the series takes place. I didn't think the HBO series lived up to my impressions. I don't know if it was the casting, the writing, or the acting, but it just didn't work for me. One example is the character of Mma Makutsi, who is an assistant detective/secretary. My impression of her from the book was that she was quite opinionated and often judgmental, but still a likeable character. In the HBO series she was still opinionated and judgmental, but came off bitchy rather than likeable. I was turned off by her, and that was unsettling for me.
Second, the books are very character-driven, not action-driven. You keep reading because you become attached to the characters and care what happens to them. It's not suspenseful really, and not particularly exciting; but it's not at all boring. However, when translated into a TV series, it became boring because nothing really happens amd there's not the character development to make up for it.
As a result of these observations, I watched only one episode and returned the DVD to Netflix. I was worried that if I watched any more, the images on the screen would replace the images in my head. That's not a risk I'm willing to take, and I can't wait for more books to come out in this series so I can continue reading about the wonderful characters.
Do you have a favorite book that was made into a movie or TV series? Maybe "Harry Potter" or the "Twighlight" series? How about "The DaVinci Code"? Please comment below and let me know!
02 August 2010
Do I want an e-reader?
I am not what they call an early adapter of technology. I don't have an i-phone, and I'm not even considering getting an i-pad. My mp3 player is an off-brand, not an i-pod. I just don't like to spend money on technology. However, I have been considering getting an e-reader, like a Kindle or a Nook. The problem is that I just don't know if it would be worth the expense for me.I love to read; but more than that, I love books. I like the feel of a new book. I like holding it in my hand and turning the pages. I have heard that reading an e-reader is very much like a book. I don't buy it, at least not yet. If I travelled more, either for work or pleasure, then I think it would be a good thing. Lugging a bunch of books on a plane is not fun. But my work is about 2 miles from my house, and I only go on vacation once or twice a year. I can't imagine choosing to read from an e-reader when I could just as easily read an actual book. But my curiousity might be getting the best of me, and I'm sure I'll end up with an e-reader sooner rather than later. If nothing else, I can download books for cheaper than I could buy them, which is a great option for books I'm less certain about.
There are people who worry books will become obsolete eventually as technology progresses. I don't think that will ever happen. There are too many people out there who, like me, need actual books in their lives. At least, I hope that's the case!
30 July 2010
Decisions, Decisions OR What Book Do I Read Next?
Every time I put a book back on the shelf, I choose a new one to read. My problem is that I accumulate books faster than I can read them, so it's hard to decide what's next. Also, by nature I don't like to make decisons if I don't have to. (Don't ever make me decide where to go to eat!) So when I need to pick a new book, I use the scientific method of eenie, meenie, miney, moe. Basically, I put the completed book back on the shelf and start counting from the next book in line, working my way down the shelves. Whatever book I land on, I read.
Of course, there are rules to this game. First, I usually don't read two similar books in a row. For example, I just read a book on Lincoln's cabinet, so I wouldn't read another Civil War era history or biography. Second, sometimes I land on a book I've already read and don't feel like re-reading right now. In either of these cases, I just go to the next book in line and apply the same rules. When I land on a book that I haven't read, I must read it. No excuses.
I know I could just pick whatever I felt like reading, but that never works. I have too many books to choose from, and some might never get read if I did it that way. With my method, each book has an equal chance of being read somewhere down the line. It might sound crazy to you, but if you know me well enough you probably aren't at all surprised at how my mind works. Ask me sometime how I go about eating a bag of M&Ms. There's an order to everything!
Of course, there are rules to this game. First, I usually don't read two similar books in a row. For example, I just read a book on Lincoln's cabinet, so I wouldn't read another Civil War era history or biography. Second, sometimes I land on a book I've already read and don't feel like re-reading right now. In either of these cases, I just go to the next book in line and apply the same rules. When I land on a book that I haven't read, I must read it. No excuses.
I know I could just pick whatever I felt like reading, but that never works. I have too many books to choose from, and some might never get read if I did it that way. With my method, each book has an equal chance of being read somewhere down the line. It might sound crazy to you, but if you know me well enough you probably aren't at all surprised at how my mind works. Ask me sometime how I go about eating a bag of M&Ms. There's an order to everything!
27 July 2010
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln -- Doris Kearns Goodwin (2005)
At 757 pages, this book took me about a year to read. I am actually a pretty fast reader, but my reading was interrupted by other books that were not 3 inches thick and therefore more appropriate for taking on vacation or to court appearances. This should not suggest that the book was boring; in fact, the opposite is true.
Although Lincoln is the character around whom this story is told, it is not really a story about Lincoln so much as his presidential cabinet. The main players are Salmon Chase, Edwin Stanton, William Seward and Edward Bates, all of whom Lincoln defeated for the presidential nomination in 1860. For the most part, these men thought Lincoln unqualfied for the presidency, but Lincoln somehow knew these political rivals were also the men he needed with him as the country headed towards the Civil War. Their minds were changed regarding Lincoln's abilities over the course of the next several years leading up to Lincoln's assassination.
This book is heavy on politics, so the reader needs to be interested in politics to truly enjoy this book. The casual Lincoln fan might find it tedious. I do enjoy politics, and while I'd heard of these cabinet members, I knew little about them. I thought this book was fantastic, I learned a lot, and I would definitely recommend it.
My ranking: 5 out of 5 stars
Although Lincoln is the character around whom this story is told, it is not really a story about Lincoln so much as his presidential cabinet. The main players are Salmon Chase, Edwin Stanton, William Seward and Edward Bates, all of whom Lincoln defeated for the presidential nomination in 1860. For the most part, these men thought Lincoln unqualfied for the presidency, but Lincoln somehow knew these political rivals were also the men he needed with him as the country headed towards the Civil War. Their minds were changed regarding Lincoln's abilities over the course of the next several years leading up to Lincoln's assassination.
This book is heavy on politics, so the reader needs to be interested in politics to truly enjoy this book. The casual Lincoln fan might find it tedious. I do enjoy politics, and while I'd heard of these cabinet members, I knew little about them. I thought this book was fantastic, I learned a lot, and I would definitely recommend it.
My ranking: 5 out of 5 stars
26 July 2010
Let's give this blog another shot!
I've tried this before and failed spectacularly. However, I thnk it's time to try again!
I love books! While I don't have time to read as much as I used to, I still try to read at least a little every day. It just takes longer to finish each book now! And really, I'm only rarely reading only one book at a time. There's the book I read at home, the book I read at school, and often one other book thrown in somewhere for good measure (such as having one in the bedroom and one in the living room). I think I just have a sort attention span and that's why I'm reading several things at once. It's also why I love to read during commercials. That's also how I studied when I was in school -- in short little bursts during commercials.
My goal with this blog is twofold: 1) to review books as I complete them, and 2) to talk about the world of books in general. I'm hoping to inspire others to read as well as to be inspired by the books others have read. Please feel free to comment and add to the discussion!
I love books! While I don't have time to read as much as I used to, I still try to read at least a little every day. It just takes longer to finish each book now! And really, I'm only rarely reading only one book at a time. There's the book I read at home, the book I read at school, and often one other book thrown in somewhere for good measure (such as having one in the bedroom and one in the living room). I think I just have a sort attention span and that's why I'm reading several things at once. It's also why I love to read during commercials. That's also how I studied when I was in school -- in short little bursts during commercials.
My goal with this blog is twofold: 1) to review books as I complete them, and 2) to talk about the world of books in general. I'm hoping to inspire others to read as well as to be inspired by the books others have read. Please feel free to comment and add to the discussion!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)