Follow Friday: Resolutions

I love a new year.  A fresh start, full of potential.  I try not to bog myself down with resolutions too much, because then I can't keep up with all of my good intentions, and that makes me sad.  It also makes my fresh, new start sad . . . very, very sad.

What I really need to work on this year is simply posting more often. (haha) Easy enough.  I love to read; I like to write.  Those aren't the problem. The problem is time.  Like the tide, it waits for no man, and it doesn't pause for me while I'm writing my new post, hoping my teething toddler will stay asleep just one more half hour.  So, I want to start getting up an hour (yes, I'm giving up my sleep!) earlier than normal and using some of that time to keep up with blogging and to spend more time reading. This may fuel a caffeine addiction, however.

What sort of resolutions are you working on this year?

parajunkee

Buy a Book, Give a Book Virtual Advent 2011

I love to give books as presents. I usually try to give books that I’ve already read, just so I know exactly what I am recommending, but sometimes it’s very tempting to go over to that new release shelf and pick up one of those freshly bound volumes. When the temptation is too much to bear, I turn to these sources to try to get it just right. The perfectly suited gift for my intended recipient. So, have a look at the ones that I found most intriguing!

Catherine the Great: Portait of a Woman by Robert Massie

I don’t read a ton of nonfiction, but when I do, these are the type I like to read: really well done historical biographies. This one sounds good enough to devour.

“The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and The Romanovs returns with another masterpiece of narrative biography, the extraordinary story of an obscure young German princess who traveled to Russia at fourteen and rose to become one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history. 

Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into Empress of Russia by sheer determination. Possessing a brilliant mind and an insatiable curiosity as a young woman, she devoured the works of Enlightenment philosophers and, when she reached the throne, attempted to use their principles to guide her rule of the vast and backward Russian empire. She knew or corresponded with the preeminent historical figures of her time: Voltaire, Diderot, Frederick the Great, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, Marie Antoinette, and, surprisingly, the American naval hero, John Paul Jones. 

Reaching the throne fired by Enlightenment philosophy and determined to become the embodiment of the “benevolent despot” idealized by Montesquieu, she found herself always contending with the deeply ingrained realities of Russian life, including serfdom. Catherine’s family, friends, ministers, generals, lovers, and enemies—all are here, vividly described. The story is superbly told. All the special qualities that Robert K. Massie brought to Nicholas and Alexandra and Peter the Great are present here: historical accuracy, depth of understanding, felicity of style, mastery of detail, ability to shatter myth, and a rare genius for finding and expressing the human drama in extraordinary lives.

History offers few stories richer in drama than that of Catherine the Great. In this book, this eternally fascinating woman is returned to life.”

Also check out an interview with the author on NPR here.

The Sense of an Ending 
by Julian Barnes

This one sounds like the absolutely not-to-miss pick of the year. It won the Man Booker Prize this year. As they were discussing it, it reminded me a little of Paul Auster’s The Book of Illusions, where a main theme, as alluded to in the title, deals with reality vs. illusion: what we think we understand as truth vs. what is really true, and how those may not always line up. Here’s a quote from The Sense of an Ending that made me thirsty for more: “History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfection of memory meets the inadequacies of documentation.”

“By an acclaimed writer at the height of his powers, The Sense of an Ending extends a streak of extraordinary books that began with the best-selling Arthur & George and continued with Nothing to Be Frightened Of and, most recently, Pulse.

This intense new novel follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he has never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance, one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. Tony Webster thought he’d left all this behind as he built a life for himself, and by now his marriage and family and career have fallen into an amicable divorce and retirement. But he is then presented with a mysterious legacy that obliges him to reconsider a variety of things he thought he’d understood all along, and to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.

A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single sitting, with stunning psychological and emotional depth and sophistication, The Sense of an Ending is a brilliant new chapter in Julian Barnes’s oeuvre.”

There’s an interview with the author available through NPR for this book as well. Check it out here.

The Art of Fielding 
by Chad Harbach

Although seemingly a baseball book, this novel actually uses the sport more as a backdrop. The book really delves into that quest for self-identity. It was also one of the New York Times Book Review's Top 10 Books of 2011.

"At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended. 

Henry's fight against self-doubt threatens to ruin his future. College president Guert Affenlight, a longtime bachelor, has fallen unexpectedly and helplessly in love. Owen Dunne, Henry's gay roommate and teammate, becomes caught up in a dangerous affair. Mike Schwartz, the Harpooners' team captain and Henry's best friend, realizes he has guided Henry's career at the expense of his own. And Pella Affenlight, Guert's daughter, returns to Westish after escaping an ill-fated marriage, determined to start a new life. 

As the season counts down to its climactic final game, these five are forced to confront their deepest hopes, anxieties, and secrets. In the process they forge new bonds, and help one another find their true paths. Written with boundless intelligence and filled with the tenderness of youth, The Art of Fielding is an expansive, warmhearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendship and love, and about commitment—to oneself and to others."

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

This novel sounds fascinating. It’s George Orwell’s 1984 meets Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. If that doesn’t sound promising, I don’t know what does. =)

“The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo.

A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’ A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.

As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.

A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s—1Q84 is Haruki Murakami’s most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers.”

The Voice of the River 
by Melanie Rae Thon

I picked this one out of the list because it just sounded so sweeping and ethereal, yet grounded in mother earth. It jumped out to me, and I just have a feeling that if I read this one, it would become an easy comfort read.

“Missing: seventeen-year-old Kai Dionne and his dog Talia.
The search for these two spans a single day, morning twilight to late evening, from the time Kai leaps in a half-frozen river to save the dog to the hour he and Talia are recovered. Each person who comes to the river brings his or her secret needs and desires; each has known loss, and all are survivors: a homeless boy tries to find himself, his lost twin, his double; a childless mother grieves for her son and daughter; a man who shot his father recalls a tender, intimate night “when the father was kind, and not afraid, and not angry.” Kai and Talia belong to, and are loved by, a whole community. As strangers work together toward a single cause, they become family—bound by love not only to the ones lost, but to all who gather.

The perceiving consciousness is oceanic and atmospheric, embracing all living beings, swirling around a person, a bird, a bear, trillium blooming in dark woods, snow, stones, pines singing—moving closer and closer, loving, finally merging, sensing and knowing as one, before lightly whirling out again to embrace and love another. This powerful current of shared memory and experience, this ceaseless prayer, is a celebration of life, all life, mystery and miracle within an immense animate landscape, a song of praise, the voice of the river.

Melanie Rae Thon opens a new genre: call it Eco Avant-Garde, a confession of faith, and a love song to the world.”

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg

I love an anthology, and that’s what this is, of sorts. There’s a long list of awesome authors who contributed to this book: Sherman Alexie, Lois Lowry, Kate DiCamillo, just to name a few. And the illustrations are, of course, amazing. See inside the book here. This is a great one to get if you just can't seem to find the right fit in the bookstore.  I imagine there are few who wouldn't be drawn in by this book and still fewer who wouldn't be delighted to receive it as a gift.

"For more than twenty-five years, readers have been puzzling over the illustrations by this enigmatic artist. Thousands of children have been inspired to weave their own stories to go with his intriguingly titled pictures. And now, some of our most imaginative storytellers attempt to solve the perplexing mysteries of Harris Burdick.

Enter The Chronicles of Harris Burdick to read this incredible compendium of stories: magical, funny, creepy, poignant, inscrutable, these are tales you won’t soon forget.

Filling in for Harris Burdick here is an esteemed collection of highly decorated authors. Among the many accolades bestowed upon this illustrious group include one Pulitzer Prize, five Newbery Medals, three Newbery Honor awards, two Caldecott Medals, one Caldecott Honor award, three National Book Awards, eight National Book Award nominations, one Printz Award, five Boston Globe—Horn Book Awards, eight Bram Stoker Awards, five Coretta Scott King Awards, two Hugo Awards, and two O. Henry Awards. They have had an untold number of New York Times bestsellers."

Death Comes to Pemberley 
by P.D. James

So, I haven’t had a lot of luck with P&P sequels, and I’ve even tried an Austen “mystery” before and it did not work. At all. However, this one comes highly recommended, and I’m really interested to see if I can finally chance on one that does the original justice. And, let’s be honest, I’ll probably keep trying just because I’ve always got hope . . . just a little hope. =)

“A rare meeting of literary genius: P. D. James, long among the most admired mystery writers of our time, draws the characters of Jane Austen’s beloved novel Pride and Prejudice into a tale of murder and emotional mayhem.

It is 1803, six years since Elizabeth and Darcy embarked on their life together at Pemberley, Darcy’s magnificent estate. Their peaceful, orderly world seems almost unassailable. Elizabeth has found her footing as the chatelaine of the great house. They have two fine sons, Fitzwilliam and Charles. Elizabeth’s sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; her father visits often; there is optimistic talk about the prospects of marriage for Darcy’s sister Georgiana. And preparations are under way for their much-anticipated annual autumn ball.

Then, on the eve of the ball, the patrician idyll is shattered. A coach careens up the drive carrying Lydia, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister, who with her husband, the very dubious Wickham, has been banned from Pemberley. She stumbles out of the carriage, hysterical, shrieking that Wickham has been murdered. With shocking suddenness, Pemberley is plunged into a frightening mystery.

Inspired by a lifelong passion for Austen, P. D. James masterfully re-creates the world of Pride and Prejudice, electrifying it with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly crafted crime story, as only she can write it.”

You can also listen to NPR’s review here.

And lastly, the clothbound classic penguins that have been out for awhile always make for beautiful gifts! I have yet to start collecting them, although I always gawk at them and touch their covers at Barnes and Noble. Just beautiful. =) Check them all out here.

And here are the wonderful resources! You can listen to Radio West’s full Holiday Book Show here. And also see Ann and Michael’s Holiday Book Buying Guide here.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Genre: Young adult, contemp fiction
Publisher, Year: Dutton Books, 2005
Other Works: An Abundance of Kathrines
Flags: Strong language, Adult themes, Explicit references
Rating: A+, or Must Read Now!
Challenge: Countdown
Premise: A boy starts new at a boarding school. He makes new friends, all of whom love to work and play hard. A tragic event changes everything.

I've been meaning to post this review for awhile. I think I read this book almost two years ago and loved it immediately, along with it's quirky author, John Green. This book definitely made a lasting impression on me.

Miles Halter, nicknamed "Pudge," arrives at a new boarding school, full of expectation. He's looking for something, something big, and finds it in the embodiment of a girl, Alaska, and a group of friends who, like him, are just trying to get things figured out, and have a little fun besides. The whole story pivots around one event: one painful and troubled realization, one hasty decision that leaves lasting scars. Before this event, there is adventure, discovery, and the same mistakes teens have been making and learning from for centuries. After—nothing is the same, regrets abound, and, felt most deeply, nothing can be done to change it.

Miles meets with a group of intelligent, misfit teens who like to do those things that all kids that age do—drink life to the lees and damn the consequences. Up to this point, Miles has had little opportunity to be reckless, and with his new life, he’s also ready for new experiences, led by a high-spirited, slightly damaged, beautiful girl. Alaska represents to him every excitement that the world has to offer, and he can’t help himself around her. He’s entranced, with the innocence that envelops every first love.

Amidst all of these physical and emotional discoveries, Miles is also looking for something more, something intangible, what he call the Great Perhaps. Although it may seem like a lot of fun and games—kids being kids, goofing off, and all that—Miles and his ramshackle group are each finding their own paths, grasping for answers to life’s biggest mysteries, the unfairness of it all and what it all means. I can understand why some don’t like this book. I suppose on the surface it could seem like the chronicles of a bunch of over-enthusiastic, irreverent, and under-supervised kids wreaking havoc, but it really is so much more than that. It’s a heart-breaking tale of a heart-breaking time in life. For me, it put into words so much that makes sense about being a teenager, about big choices and even bigger questions, about accepting adulthood. About the frustration of realizing that some questions just don’t have good, solid, scientific method answers. About making sense of the senseless.

This is one I’m definitely putting on my list of what to read with my daughter when she reaches teenagehood. Not only was it brimming with meaning, but was also a joy (and a sorrow) to read. Green is an excellent writer, and the story was well-paced, creative, and compelling. I’m looking forward to reading his other books.

Follow Friday: Peevish

If you are new to the #FF fun, Feature & Follow Friday is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Here's this week's question.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don't like love triangles or thin plots. Tell us about it.

This may be because I'm sitting next to a YA novel I just finished, but I'm going to say that what frustrates me is when an author takes a pretty creative plot and junks it up with a lot of stuff (for lack of a better term), so at the end, I want to say it was good, but it really wasn't. What junk am I taking about? Here's an example: Breaking Dawn. The first thought Edward would have of a child with Bella would be to "get that thing out"? Wolf pack explosion, do I really care what every single wolf is thinking all the time? Do we really need to start calling Jasper "Jazz" in the forth book? Did we really need the characters to actually mention that there were so many vampires that it would help to have an index to keep them straight, and then add a footnote to said list? Would Bella really have named her child that, I mean, really? And don't even get me started on the final battle scene.

But the most disappointing thing about all of that, is that the story could have been so much more. It started out great, and then went way downhill, and then up and down, and over again. The ideas behind it were awesome, but the execution of those ideas left much to be desired. And just simply cutting out a lot would have been a start. I just have to shake my head and say what a shame! Anyway, that's about it. That's kind of a downer, sorry!  Hopefully I'm not offending anyone's deep and abiding love for the Twilight series.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that I have a sort of love-hate relationship with some of these books because the creativity is up here, while I feel the interpretation of that creativity into words can sometimes be down there.

Ender's Game by Orson S. Card

Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi
Publisher, Year: Tor Books, 1985
Other Works: Shadow series, Homecoming series
Flags: Moderate language, teen angst
Rating: A+, or Must Read Now!
Premise: Alien attack! A young boy is slated to save the world.

"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man stupid and blind in the eyes." Haha. I have to agree, Mazer. Just a little random quote for you. I don't read a whole lot of science fiction, but I've heard for years that I had to read this book. And, I have to say that it didn't disappoint.

In this book, we’re transported to a future where the earth is under an imminent attack of an alien species that threatens to wipe out humanity. To prepare for the coming war, the government trains special children, kids who exhibit the “right” qualities to be successful military commanders, to fight their enemy. Ender, at a tender age, is taken from his parents and sent to Battle School. He has a rough go of it. The adults deliberately prefer him, so most of the kids at the school hate him and he’s bullied from the beginning. As the adults at the school push him to the brink, they force him to learn (and learn fast) at an accelerated level. Ender also learns what he’s made of in his experiences, and it is punishing to him, mind and body. In the end, the fate of the human race lies squarely and heavily on his shoulders.

This book addresses a lot of heavy topics: ones that left me with a lot of questions. Ender is a full-on intricate character, and seeing the world from his view was an interesting ride. On a purely entertainment-value level, I was completely sucked in by Battle School. It took me a little while to catch on, but then I could hardly put the book down. When Ender became commander, I was riveted by his army's battles. I think Card did an excellent job of describing something so well that I could enjoy every aspect of the action even though I've never had any experience with the military. It had a sort of Lord of the Flies appeal in that Ender was more or less left to his own devices, especially in his social relationships, which was particularly unfair since the adults used tactics to make Ender's peers hate him. In growing up, there’s the moment when you realize that your parents may not actually know everything, that being an adult doesn’t automatically make you wise. Ender is forced to this realization much too early, so he has to develop resources to react to his environment—the ordeal he’s being put through—and also figure out who he is and what he wants at the same time. And even though the children in the book are so young, and seemingly too mature for their age, I don't actually think it's too far off considering what children go through during war time. Of course, perhaps in a different way, since we don't see armies being stocked with children much, but I think there are events that when children are forced to experience them, they grow up very quickly. (Notwithstanding the potty humor which was certainly true to form in my opinion!) Ender is a child in body, but what he’s experienced in his short life—what he’s forced to by his circumstances—outweigh his immaturity. As I've gotten older I've learned, that the hierarchical struggle for popularity/power doesn't end with junior high or high school. It's not a childish thing, it's a human phenomenon.

That Ender's social life should be used as a tool to mold him into a leader and a killer was very interesting to me and not one that I had considered. At first it didn't make a lot of sense to me, but in the end I understood. And it left me with questions. Is it really necessary? What if the adults had been kind to Ender? What if they hadn't isolated him or pushed him to the brink of his limits? Is such treatment really needed to order to glean talent? And yet, he was still able to make friends, but only in a way. What the adults also took from Ender was the ability to trust another human being. As a child, he innately trusted adults, who are supposed to be the people who look out for you, help you. But that trust his forever breached, and it has a devastating effect on Ender, who quickly turns from an impressionable child to a wary and careful one. And the result is that there wasn't one relationship in Ender's life that wasn't dysfunctional. So, they end up with the exact mix of what they need in a battle leader, but what of the personal expense?

With the stories final twist (it’s a goodie!), I was left feeling conflicted and empty. War is complicated, and in the end, it’s about people. Part of me wishes the book could have played out like your run of the mill alien action movie, because then the answers to hard questions would be straight forward and easy. The aliens are pure evil and want to annihilate humans, so you get ‘em where you want ‘em and bang!: big smiles, slaps on the back, cigars, fade to black. But you know, that's not real life. In a real war there are always two sides. There are families, cultures, languages, civilizations, on both sides. It's never so cut and dry: good guys vs. bad guys. Though that's the way it is often portrayed. Bad guy beats on good guy, good guy struggles, good guy kills bad guy, everyone is happy. With war comes responsibility and difficult burdens.

Final note: this book has zero love interests. Still loved it.