guest blog: intriguing book list

Being a lover of books, I’m forever searching for book blogs and book recommendations. Yesterday I came across Newsweek’s most recent book lists.  Now, I realize some of you will stop reading this immediately at the mention of Newsweek, but, if you want to broaden your view of the world we live in through books, read on. Last month they published two lists: 50 Books for Our Times http://www.newsweek.com/id/204300 and Top 100 Books: The Meta-List.

The list of 50 is a collection meant to help us expand our understanding of the world today. This fascinated me as it’s a departure from the typical book lists I encounter. It appears to be a mixture of fiction, history, religion, science, politics, and so on. I am embarrassed to admit, that of this list, I have only read ONE, #44!  I can say that #31 has been on my list to read, but that’s it for me and this list. Honestly, I have never even come across most of them before.  I plan to read at least a handful of these and I would love it if any of you could recommend ones you have read.  

P.S. The list of 100 is much more predictable as it is the result of a compilation of top books lists.  I have actually read many of these and, at least, have heard of them.

book review: The Pillars of the Earth

I am happy to announce that I just finished The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. I feel relieved to be finished with it because the book has completely monopolized my free time (and sleep time) for the past two weeks.

Pillars takes place in 12^th century England when the Catholic Church shared power with the tumultuous English Crown.  It was also a time of great cathedral architectural innovations. The story follows several characters living in Kingsbridge during the construction of a cathedral and presents the age-old struggle between good and evil.

Overall, I really enjoyed the novel; it was a total page turner.  Follett knows how to write a complex plot and successfully intertwine multiple characters.  I also thought it was interesting how he allowed us to see the characters grow and develop over a 40 year period; it gave them more depth.

I do have a few criticisms.

• At some points, it feels like the story is a string of plot twists, misfortunes, evil characters, hardships, rapes and disappointments.
• The architectural descriptions of the cathedrals are very detailed – and I found myself grazing over them.
• Follett is an extremist with his characters. They are either good or bad; you either love them or hate them. And there isn’t any in between. I prefer more complex characters – they are more relatable.
• I wasn’t impressed with the ending; it didn’t feel believable to me.

I know I said more negative things than positive, but I truly did enjoy Pillars. I would recommend this novel. Talk about a page turner!

Book Stats

Title: The Pillars of the Earth

Author: Ken Follett

Notable: Apparently Ken Follett is known for writing thrillers – this was his first historical fiction.

Pages: 973

Reading Level: Easy – it will go fast

Do I feel like I need to re-read it? No.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely

two new pages

Greetings loyal bloggees! I’d like to introduce you to my two new blog pages (upper right hand corner in blue): books and gym. I decided to delete my “bookclub” page because it wasn’t very exciting (don’t get me wrong ladies – I love y’all and I have a great time at “bookclub”, but as a whole we are better at drinking than reading)! I still need to write reviews on Water for Elephants and The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. And I guess I need to start going to the gym!

book review: the last days of dogtown

I read The Rent Tent by Anita Diamant about six years ago, and while I don’t remember very much about it, I do remember LOVING it. When someone at bookclub lent me The Last Days of Dogtown, I was anxious to read more of Dianant and see if she is a “one hit wonder”. Good news – it turns out she’s not!

Both novels were loosely based on historical research – but that’s about the extent of their similarities. I remember The Red Tent as an in-depth and colorful story that centers around the characters. The Last Days of Dogtown is a dreary, yet hopeful story. It’s a tribute to a dying town and attests to neighborly compassion and responsibility. The focal point of the story is on the town and only allows a glimpse into its handful of residents. I think this was intentional on Diamont’s part to center the reader’s attention on Dogtown and less on individual characters. It was an interesting approach. The characters that she did present were endearing and I found myself sympathizing with them – especially the women. Their lives were hard and unfair and it made me grateful to not live in Dogtown in 1814.

Overall, a good read – I’m looking forward to more Anita Diamant in the future!

Book Stats

Title: The Last Days of Dogtown

Author: Anita Diamant

Notable: Author of The Red Tent

Pages: 261

Reading Level: Easy and Quick – I read it last weekend while at Lake Las Vegas

Do I feel like I need to re-read it? No, but I do want to re-read The Rent Tent now

Would I recommend it? Yes

My overall rating: A

book review: three junes

I’ve decided I’m going to start writing short book reviews on the books I read. Two weekends ago, while we were camping at Silver Falls, I read Three Junes by Julia Glass. It was recommended by my mom.

Overall, I really enjoyed Three Junes. It’s a warm story that weaves together realistic and compelling characters. The story is told over “three Junes” by three different characters: a newspaperman, a bookstore owner and a book designer. I think what I liked best about the novel is that it presented complex and intimate family dynamics – full of imperfection and miscommunication. Even though it’s nothing like my own immediate family relationships, I felt like I could relate to each character and I appreciated their perspective. My only complaint is that the ending left me wanting more!

Books Stats

Title: Three Junes

Author: Julia Glass

Notable: National Book Award Winner

Pages: 353

Reading Level: Easy and Quick

Do I feel like I need to re-read it? No

Would I recommend it? Yes

My overall rating: A

a few of my favorite things

This weekend has been one of the best in awhile – here are a few of the highlights.

The Sun Came Out – Just when I was ready to lose all hope – the sun came out in full force.  It was wonderful and made my weekend.

Cooking for Friends – Sara and Nate came over for dinner on Friday night. This was our first “double date” with them and I’d say it was a success. While I think it’s invaluable for couples to each have their own friends, I also think it’s important to have “couple” friends. Other couples who you have good chemistry with and enjoy being around. The evening consisted of tons of food, several rounds of drinks and many, many stories.

Saturday Morning Laziness – Derek and laid around Saturday morning and basked in the glory of not having any immediate plans. In a world where everyone is overbooked – no plans is a luxury.  We decided breakfast was definitely in order and we invited Derek’s brother Gabe over to join us. Eggs, hash browns and bacon – delish.

Coffee in the Park – After breakfast, the three of us set out to the top of Queen Anne for a coffee at Peet’s and then Derek took us to Marshall Park. I had never been there – it was gorgeous. What a great day to sit out at the park!

Reading in the Sun – On Saturday afternoon when I opened my book, I was 17 pages into it. Now, I’m finished. I sat out on my balcony and read-away most of the weekend. To some of you, this might seem like a waste – but to me, it was perfect. I was reading Atonement by Ian McEwean. I liked it. I didn’t LOVE it, but I liked it.

All in all, I’d say this has been a pretty fantastic weekend. I hope everyone was able to get out and enjoy the sun.

two stories of sisterhood

Last week while on vacation, I read two books The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory and After Long Silence by Helen Fremont. These books are both very different. They take place in different centuries and they detail different tragedies, but they do have one common theme. They are each narrated by a sister and they each explore the relationship between sisters.

The Other Boleyn Girl is about the friendship, loyalty and betrayal between two sisters. “We’re sisters. And therefore born rivals.” It portrays sisterhood as a constant struggle of love, devotion and competition.

After Long Silence tells a different story of sisterhood.  A story that explores two sisters who thought they were very different growing up and who come to realize they have more in common than they thought. They discover they need each other.  “Lara and I were opposites in every way until we grew up, left home, and discovered that we were more alike than we’d thought. Sisters only get to be opposites within the family, separated by the world, they become practically identical.” I love this quote and I agree with it completely. Encompassed by the unique setting of family life – each child has to differentiate themselves.

I have a younger sister. In my experience, sisterhood hasn’t been a competition, nor have we ever doubted our need for each other. I have been lucky. Our relationship has morphed throughout the years, but it has always provided companionship, love and support. Yes, there have been hard times. I think much of my experience stems from my role as the eldest. Naturally, I’ve always been compelled to protect and guide her. I haven’t always understood her decisions, and I’m sure there have been times where she’s resented me for constantly butting in. Now that we are both adults, I have to be confident that she will make the right decisions for herself. And celebrate with her when they work out. And console her when they don’t.

Everyone’s version of sisterhood varies. I’m sure my sister’s story is different from mine. But I will say that my version doesn’t follow The Other Boleyn Girl or After Long Silence. It’s my own story – maybe someday I’ll have a chance to tell it.