Yes, I Digress: Censored

I listen to Radio West in the car sometimes, when my toddler will let me. I can’t say I love every featured story, but there’ve been more than one that I’ve found interesting as well as entertaining. So, when I heard they’d be discussing a local high school theater controversy, I tuned in. And I have to say, I was yet again disappointed.  It wasn’t a new controversy; it was the same old one. 

Dead Man Walking, 1995

In a nutshell, the high school put on a production of Dead Man Walking.  I haven’t read the book or seen the movie, but I’m familiar with the story. It deals with the death penalty (a given) and religion. Fabrizio interviewed a woman representing the conservative group that has taken issue with the play, a professor from the University of Utah, and the head of the Dead Man Walking Project. And, as always, the woman representing the dissenters came off as an unprepared, rambling idiot, who couldn’t even answer simple questions in a straight-forward manner.  All she could do was spout phrases like “family values” and “community standards” and “political/social agendas.” Blah, blah, blah.

But, it’s not like this is the first time something like this has happened. No, more like the 100 gazillionth, right? And the argument is always the same, featuring that pesky word “inappropriate.”  What does that even mean anyway?  Appropriateness is a sliding scale that stuffed shirts use to illustrate some sort of superior “morality” crap. I’m so sick of that, I could die. (Melodramatic, me?)

I’ve got no loyalties to Dead Man Walking. Whether it’s good or bad, I don’t know, I can’t say.  What I can say is that censorship of this kind frustrates me. The point of putting on this sort of production is to help teens explore difficult issues--to make them think, to discuss, to find out what they believe in. That’s what being a teenager is about: learning what it means to be an adult, to experience the world, and to think for yourself. And I truly believe that teenagers do have the ability to accomplish all those things and with success, especially when faced with difficult topics. Impressionable? Yes. Drones? Not so much.

I can’t understand why people tend to get so worked up when teens are exposed to anything resembling real life problems and issues that they ought to be thinking about and puzzling over and figuring out.  And honestly, I think it’s good for them to take an issue like the death penalty, which has no easy answer like so many things in life, and think about it--really think about it.  There’s no better way to fulfill that need than through art.

What those people who make such a fuss will never understand is that by censoring, they simply label that work/piece of art with a big, fat "READ ME!" sign. Any of that student body who didn’t participate in or go see that play when it was performed are all going to rent the movie, or better yet, read the book. Immediately. Because that’s how it works. It’s part of that whole reverse psychology thing. So, why do they never feel the need to take care of their concerns privately? Why does it have to be a witch hunt? The thing that really gets me down is that teachers get fired over this sort of thing, and then those who are left behind get handcuffed and gagged. They get hit with so many new regulations that they can never teach anything again, except for unicorns and rainbows and little girls in pigtails.

But I also understand that there’s got to be censorship when it comes to kids, and even for adults, in my estimation. I censor material for myself sometimes--I take opinions of people I trust for what I think will be “appropriate” for me in my life. Certainly there does exist the passing off of rubbish in the name of art. And I’d be lying if I said there weren’t things in my life I would like to change if it were possible: something I saw or heard too early or just shouldn’t have seen or heard at all. And some of those experiences were a bit scarring, though I consider myself a well-adjusted person (Ha!). We all get that to a degree though, don’t we? No matter how much we bubble wrap ourselves or our children.

In the end, I have to go easy on the naysayers though, because what I think it really boils down to is that some people have artistic brains and some don’t. I’ve written before about how my mom fits in the latter category. And I love my mom, and it’s her prerogative. But it’s just so difficult to know where to draw the line. And before that is definitively determined (if that’s even possible), what will be the book-burning expense we have to pay?

That’s life, I guess. We continue to face questions that have no easy answers.

Vocab Workshop: Diurnal

Learn English--that's my goal. =)

From: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
"Perhaps, too, something in the languor and softness of her usually haughtily erect form, her diurnal broad-shouldered definiteness, kept my own eyes open."

{di·ur·nal} \dī-ˈər-nəl\ (adj) - (1)a : recurring every day, b : having a daily cycle; (2)a : of, relating to, or occurring in the daytime, b : active chiefly in the daytime, c : opening during the day and closing at night.
— di·ur·nal·ly adverb

I am more of a nocturnal night owl, rather than a diurnal creature.
Cleaning is among my many diurnal tasks.

Are they great sentences? Eh. But they are true!

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Vizzini: HE DIDN'T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE.
~
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Vocab Workshop: Propitious

Learn English--that's my goal. =) (Also, I forgot to write down where this word came from. it's a fun one to say.)

{pro·pi·tious} \prə-ˈpi-shəs\ (adj) - (1) favorably disposed : benevolent (2) being a good omen (3) tending to favor : advantageous
— pro·pi·tious·ly adverb
— pro·pi·tious·ness noun

That my husband brought home chocolate ice cream is a propitious sign.
I finally found a propitious moment to finish the laundry.

Are they great sentences? Eh. But they are true!

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"Sporadic means once in a while. Try using it in a sentence."

~
"Be seeing you..."
"Yeah, I hope not sporadically."

Shoutout Friday: Hey Lady!

Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? is another one of the first book blogs I ever discovered. Trish has really diverse tastes, and I'm always interested to see what she's reading next. Another plus, she is High Larious. I love her sense of humor--she can be sarcastic, yet light-hearted. You can tell that she doesn't take life too seriously. She blogs about all sorts of things, and it's always entertaining. She had a baby awhile back, which made for some of the funniest posts I've ever read. =) Her blog is a gem, be sure to check it out.

Wishlist Wednesday

I've been meaning to read Patchett's Bel Canto for a long time now and have never found the time. A recent trip to Hey Lady! has given me a sense of new found urgency. Her newest, State of Wonder, sounds equal parts amazing and gruesome, full of conflicting situations and interesting questions. I really have to get a move on!

State of Wonder
by Ann Patchett

Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist with a Minnesota pharmaceutical company, is sent to the Amazon to find her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who seems to have disappeared while working on a new drug. No one knows where Dr. Swenson is, and the last person sent to find her died before completing his mission. Plagued by trepidation, Marina embarks on an odyssey in hopes of finding answers.

Now in her seventies, the uncompromising Dr. Swenson dominates her research team and the natives with the force of an imperial ruler. But while she is as threatening as anything the jungle has to offer, the greatest sacrifices are those Dr. Swenson asks of herself, and will ultimately ask of Marina, who finds she is still unable to live up to her teacher’s expectations.

Replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, and cannibals, State of Wonder is a tale that leads you into the very heart of darkness, and then shows what lies on the other side.

Bel Canto
by Ann Patchett

Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening — until a band of gunwielding terrorists takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, a moment of great beauty, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different continents become compatriots, intimate friends, and lovers.

Yes, I Digress: Banned Books Week

I recently finished Looking for Alaska by John Green, and I really enjoyed it. (You'll see . . . in forthcoming review.) I went looking at his website afterwards to get an idea of what John Green is all about. Interesting fellow. I ran across, in his archives, a post he wrote two years ago about a school in New York that was planning on teaching his book, but had an outcry from the community. The school was going to send home permission slips, detailing controversial content, to parents and have them decide whether they would have their kids read the book. If the parents didn't want their kids reading the book, an alternative book would be given. But this wasn't what the "public" wanted; they insisted that it be banned. He does a pretty stellar job explaining it.



An interesting idea, banning. Honestly, I don't understand how these people even hear about these sorts of things. How they even know what's going on with a particular book. I mean, I consider myself a bookish person, and I'd never even heard of this one until about 6 months ago. In most cases, I would suspect they don't know firsthand, but instead heard from a friend who heard from a friend (etc, etc) that such and such a book was filth. Secondly, don't they know that banning a book is pretty much a sure fire way to make its popularity SOAR!? These are teenagers we're talking about here! What happens when you say: "You can't do that, I forbid it!"

Which brings me to another story. In high school, my class was reading Catcher in the Rye like every other 17 year old in the nation. I tried to hide it from my mom, being one of those kids who didn't like to stick out too much, but she was ready for this. I was the third child. She had A Separate Peace all dusted off and ready for me. I didn't relish in being the only kid "not allowed" to read Catcher in the Rye, but I went along with it. Unfortunately, the alternate had changed in the five years it took for me to get to 11th grade, and it was now Grapes of Wrath. My teacher handed me the tome much to my great displeasure.

Granted, I should have taken it as an opportunity to read a great Steinbeck novel, but instead I borrowed my best friend's copy of Catcher and read it on the sly. I was even brazen enough to take it out and read it in the middle of English class one day (since I was not participating in any class time involving the "banned" book), and I was found out. The coveted novel was taken away, and I got me and my friend in trouble. So, I've never actually read any of the three books, but this year, I'm going to do it--I'm going to read Catcher in the Rye. Every last banned word. (Sorry, mom!) It's going to feel so wicked!

Anyway, point being, banning a book produces the direct opposite effect of what people are going for! If they'd never banned it in the first place, people might not be itching to get their hands on a copy. That book might just become another unacknowledged gem that few find. But then, I guess we should be thanking those banners--for pointing out what we've been missing. Aladdin in the desert: a diamond in the rough.

So, this year I'm gearing up! I'm going to recognize that week in the fall. Mark your calendars for September 25 to October 2, and do something crazy and rebellious. Like reading a book. Read more about it here.

New This Month: April 10

Imperfect Birds
by Anne Lamont

Rosie Ferguson is seventeen and ready to enjoy the summer before her senior year of high school. She's intelligent-she aced AP physics; athletic-a former state-ranked tennis doubles champion; and beautiful. She is, in short, everything her mother, Elizabeth, hoped she could be. The family's move to Landsdale, with stepfather James in tow, hadn't been as bumpy as Elizabeth feared.

But as the school year draws to a close, there are disturbing signs that the life Rosie claims to be leading is a sham, and that Elizabeth's hopes for her daughter to remain immune from the pull of the darker impulses of drugs and alcohol are dashed. Slowly and against their will, Elizabeth and James are forced to confront the fact that Rosie has been lying to them-and that her deceptions will have profound consequences.

This is Anne Lamott's most honest and heartrending novel yet, exploring our human quest for connection and salvation as it reveals the traps that can befall all of us.

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Every Last One
by Anna Quindlen

In this breathtaking and beautiful novel, the #1 New York Times bestselling author Anna Quindlen creates an unforgettable portrait of a mother, a father, a family, and the explosive, violent consequences of what seem like inconsequential actions.

Mary Beth Latham is first and foremost a mother, whose three teenaged children come first, before her career as a landscape gardener, or even her life as the wife of a doctor. Caring for her family and preserving their everyday life is paramount. And so, when one of her sons, Max, becomes depressed, Mary Beth becomes focused on him, and is blindsided by a shocking act of violence. What happens afterwards is a testament to the power of a woman’s love and determination, and to the invisible line of hope and healing that connects one human being with another. Ultimately, in the hands of Anna Quindlen’s mesmerizing prose, Every Last One is a novel about facing every last one of the the things we fear most, about finding ways to navigate a road we never intended to travel, to live a life we never dreamed we’d have to live but must be brave enough to try.

Also new this month:

The Bride Collector
by Ted Dekker

Wrecked
by Carol Higgins Clark

A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie
by Antwone Fisher

Wishlist Wednesday

First my mother-in-law and then a good friend were surprised when I said I'd never read a'one of Miss Mary, Queen of Suspense's novels. I can't say why--I just have never been interested. So here I am, ready to repent with two of their recommendations. They do look delectable, I must say!

Loves Music, Loves to Dance
by Mary Higgins Clark

New York's trendy magazines are a source of peril when a killer enacts a bizarre dance of death, using the personal ads to lure his victims . . .

After college, best friends Erin Kelley and Darcy Scott move to the city to pursue exciting careers; Erin is a promising jewelry designer, Darcy finds success as a decorator. On a lark, Darcy persuades Erin to help their TV producer friend research the kinds of people who place personal ads. It seems like innocent fun . . . until Erin disappears.

Erin's body is found on an abandoned Manhattan pier -- on one foot is her own shoe, on the other, a high-heeled dancing slipper. Soon after, startling communiques from the killer reveal that Erin is not the first victim of this "dancing shoe murderer." And, if the killer has his way, she won't be his last. Next on his death list is Darcy.

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On the Street Where You Live
by Mary Higgins Clark

In the gripping new novel from the Queen of Suspense, a woman is haunted by two grisly murders separated by more than a century, yet somehow, inextricably linked . . .

Following a nasty divorce and the trauma of being stalked, criminal defense attorney Emily Graham leaves Albany to work in Manhattan. Craving roots, she buys her ancestral home, a Victorian house in the seaside resort town of Spring Lake, New Jersey. Her family sold the house in 1892, after one of Emily's forebears, Madeline Shapley, then a young girl, disappeared.

As the house is renovated and a pool dug, a skeleton is found and identified as Martha Lawrence, a young Spring Lake woman who vanished several years ago. Within her hand is the finger bone of another woman, with a ring--a Shapley family heirloom--still on it. Determined to find the connection between the two murders, Emily becomes a threat to a seductive killer . . . who chooses her as the next victim.

If You Liked: The Time Traveler's Wife

Then You'll Also Like
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

Although one of these books involves actual time traveling and the other does not, you’ll find that they have the same effect. If you enjoyed the excitingly haphazard construction of Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife--never knowing quite what will happen next—you’re sure to get sucked into the bizarre world of Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin. Henry and Clare’s life of unpredictability and confusion is mirrored, although in quite a different way, in the existence of two sisters, Laura and Iris, who never could quite understand one another. The most important characteristic, and what makes each of these novels work, is the purposeful guidance the reader experiences, without even realizing it as the stories are written out of order with numerous interruptions. When at first the placement of events may seem chaotic, they are really carefully and intricately woven in just the right way.

While Niffenegger fills the bill by consistently letting you know age and time and place, Atwood creates the same affect by combining the main plot line with news articles, remembrances, and exotic and violent novellas. Each requires the mind to work out of sync, which will leave you reeling with endless possibilities. So if you liked The Time Traveler’s Wife, try out The Blind Assassin!

Yes, I Digress: Classics

I recently joined a Classics Challenge that's running through the end of October. I thought Trisha, the challenge owner, did something really cool with this challenge. She asked for everyone participating to post two things in the comments: first, a book they would consider a "future" classic (this list will go toward bonus points in the challenge), and second, a book they would recommend for beginners to classic reading. What a great way to spice up classics! Let's face it, they are sometimes daunting and not always very entertaining. It's been really interesting to look through these lists. She posted the picks from the last two years: 2008 and 2009. I've been scanning through them and furiously adding to my TBR stack.

I also loved the "beginner" classics list. It was fun to revisit books I've already read and loved and then think about which ones I could squeeze in this year that I've never read. And it's nice to know that the people who recommended these reads regard them as "easy." It makes the prospect of tackling them seem a little less painful, no? So, I thought I'd share some with you from the list. If you haven't had a chance to read these, you really ought to make some room in your reading repertoire for one or two this year! I know I am! +/-

Here are some that I have read and can vouch for:


Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Who doesn't love this book?! By all accounts, one of the best-loved classics ever. And easy-peasy to boot.


To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - I loved this book in high school. Really a true classic. The black and white film with Gregory Peck based on the book is also top notch. Read, then watch. You'll love it.


The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Another high school English class pick. Hauntingly fantastic. I also love the movie made of this book with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. Again, I would recommend reading the book first.


Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - Love Louisa! This book is probably the easiest of the bunch. Wonderful story about family and love. Give it a go!


A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - I read this book over a very hot summer at a job I despised. It really lifted my spirits. It's a sweet story of hardship and love.


Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I've never met a Bronte I didn't like, and this classic is no exception. Adore a Gothic love story, you will too!


And here are some I'm adding to my list:


Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
1984 by George Orwell
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell


Here are some others:

Jude the Obsure by Thomas Hardy
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Great list, right? So, get on those classics people! And join the challenge if you'd like. =)

Jacket Racket: Bill Shakespeare

I was browsing the other day in Barnes and Noble when I came across their Shakespeare rack. I don't know if these are new, but I'd never seen them before. Little delicious paperbacks--ready to slip into my bag. So simple, yet so expressive. If I didn't already have so many copies, I'd be collecting them all. Take a look. Love em! +/-

Shoutout Friday: Angieville

Are you a YA fiction fan? If so, you cannot miss out on Angieville. I had the privilege of working with Angie, and she knows her YA lit like nobody's business. She turned me onto some hits that I now know I can't live without, like Graceling, The Goose Girl, and Madam Will You Talk? I call her my YA guru. When Angie says it's good--you can trust her. =)

One of my favorite of her posts was actually a guest post at another great blog, the Book Smugglers. She wrote about why YA fiction shouldn't be discounted in the world of great literature. Give it a read . . . watch her convince you!

Her tastes run toward fantasy, but she's also interested in lots of other genres as well. And you'll love her sense of humor and witty reviews. She continues to add to my to-be-read stack daily. Check out her blog here.

Wishlist Wednesday

During my recent trip to the downtown library, I mentioned how Austen-centered many of the displays were. I was delighted to find that the librarians also put out a list of "Austen Adoration Works Inspired by Jane Austen and the Austen Universe." (Great title, don't you think?)


I was so thrilled and have already been checking off ones I'd like to try! Check out some of these titles based on Jane Austen works.

The Lost Memiors of Jane Austen
by Syrie James

Many rumors abound about a mysterious gentleman said to be the love of Jane's life—finally, the truth may have been found. . . .

What if, hidden in an old attic chest, Jane Austen's memoirs were discovered after hundreds of years? What if those pages revealed the untold story of a life-changing love affair? That's the premise behind this spellbinding novel, which delves into the secrets of Jane Austen's life, giving us untold insights into her mind and heart.

Jane Austen has given up her writing when, on a fateful trip to Lyme, she meets the well-read and charming Mr. Ashford, a man who is her equal in intellect and temperament. Inspired by the people and places around her, and encouraged by his faith in her, Jane begins revising Sense and Sensibility, a book she began years earlier, hoping to be published at last.

Deft and witty, written in a style that echoes Austen's own, this unforgettable novel offers a delightfully possible scenario for the inspiration behind this beloved author's romantic tales. It's a remarkable book, irresistible to anyone who loves Jane Austen—and to anyone who loves a great story.

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Jane Austen Mystery series
by Stephanie Barron

For everyone who loves Jane Austen...a marvelously entertaining new series that turns the incomparable author into an extraordinary sleuth!

On a visit to the estate of her friend, the young and beautiful Isobel Payne, Countess of Scargrave, Jane bears witness to a tragedy. Isobel's husband--a gentleman of mature years--is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. The Earl's death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet the bereaved widow soon finds that it's only the beginning of her misfortune...as she receives a sinister missive accusing her and the Earl's nephew of adultery--and murder.

Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to the worst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help. And Jane finds herself embroiled in a perilous investigation that will soon have her following a trail of clues that leads all the way to Newgate Prison and the House of Lords--a trail that may well place Jane's own person in the gravest jeopardy.

The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy
by Mary Street

Originally published in the U.K., Mary Street's ingenious retelling of Jane Austen's classic story now makes its U.S. debut-to the delight of the fans of Austen's comic masterpiece of divine romance. In Fitzwilliam Darcy, Austen created the ultimate romantic hero. Yet Pride and Prejudice reveals little of Darcy's innermost thoughts. Here, Street unveils the true motives and mysteries of Elizabeth Bennet's enigmatic suitor. Through Darcy's eyes we discover the reality of his relationships with his sister Georgiana, his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam, the dastardly Wickham, his friend Bingley, and his formidable aunt, Lady Catherine. And of course, all his memorable encounters with Elizabeth, from that first view of her fine eyes to his disastrous proposal, and then to a pride and arrogance tempered by an unquenchable love.

Some others to try:

Austenland by Shannon Hale
Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Margaret Sullivan
Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Yes, I Digress: A Day in SLC

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! To kick off my return to blogging, I thought I'd do a little day-in-the-life post. So, this is not exactly what my daily life is like (I wish), but it was an excuse to spend the day reading, so I thought I'd share.

It all started with a perfectly gray morning--the perfect way to begin a bookish day. I started it off right by not missing out on breakfast. I devoured a cinnamon roll roughly the size of my head at this charming cafe.

Then it was time to scope out a good spot to settle down to a few good page-turning hours. So, I found a stately cushioned chair (er, "throne," rather--I was crowned Lord of the Reading for one day), right next to this most-perfect of Christmas trees. +/-

Although this chair looked like a good pick from afar, after about 20 minutes, I had to scope out a new spot. It was not made for short people--my feet kept falling asleep because they barely reached the floor. But, I was in luck because there were chairs for the short-legged nearby. There I spent many blissful hours.


Then, it was time to hit the city for some lunch. So, out I went among the buildings . . . and along several outdoor "hallways" made to detour the public from the construction going on everywhere right now. I love how they've put up these plastic banners with little fake picture windows in them. Each window lets you spy on a cute little holiday scene: a pengiun ice skating, for example, or a little family snuggled around a fireplace. When I was a kid, I used to love cheesey stuff like that. I'd always imagine how cool it would be if the window was real and there was some way I could open it up and step through the portal to a magical cartoon world. Anyway . . . back to lunch.

I really wanted to go to Schlotzsky's, which has been a family favorite (my mother lovingly refers to the sandwich as a "slot-ski"), but because of the construction, I was unsuccessful and had to content myself with a cheeseburger and some chicken nuggets. Not as satisfying, but hey, I didn't go hungry.


Then, it was time to hop the Trax! And head out for the main event: the city library! I got really excited when I saw this picture, and I was not at all disappointed! I'm a lucky girl to be living so close to this beauty!


They have little shops on the bottom floor of the library, and in front of one, they sell used books that have been retired from the library shelves for dirt cheap. Proceeds go to buying more books of course. And, I found an entire Jane Austen shelf. I had visions of collecting as many versions of each novel as possible, and then quickly dismissed it. But it was still a joy to see them all lined up, waiting to be discovered.

The inside was a dream. They have an entire section of graphic novels! I could hardly get my hands on any at our old public library. They also had several displays up to help you find books you would be interesting in: there's a space dedicated to "browsing" only, with different books prominently featured; there's a section of books lined up which have been picked by the librarians who work there, with printed lists you can take with you; they also had little displays for certain authors, and one was, you guessed it, Jane Austen. So fun! I had a great time looking around, and adding more titles to my tbr list, of course.


So, then I picked out some books I've been meaning to read and found a comfortable chair, yet again, to dig in. I read one chapter of each book, round robin, and then over again. And then, I promptly fell asleep, as the afternoon was wearing on and that cheeseburger was sitting heavy in my stomach. =) But after a little cat nap, I was again ready for action. I read until it was time to meet my better half for dinner.

It was sad to leave that beauty of a building, but I took a little of it home with me, on loan of course!


Then, I concluded this day of reading with a little one-on-one time with my husband. A little dinner and a Christmas concert, and we were on our way home. Sigh. Someday I'll do it again. =)

Jacket Racket: Nancy Drew

It's no secret that Nancy Drew is a bit of a franchise. She's morphed over the years--being reinvented time after time as new generations discover her. It made me curious to see how she's evolved over the years.


However, there's a serious following of the "yellow book" originals. I found a challenge recently where those participating must read those specific original texts, with the yellow stamp of approval. =) I'm sorry to say that I've never read one Nancy Drew novel (gasp!), but I think I've been sufficiently entinced. My first book is planned TBR!

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These were some of my favorite "yellow" covers that I came across. Love that 60s hair!



And a million other lucrative Nancy endeavors . . .

New This Month: December 09

La's Orchestra Saves the World
by Alexander McCall Smith

From the best-selling author of The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series comes a delightful and moving story that celebrates the healing powers of friendship and music.

It is 1939. Lavender—La to her friends—decides to flee London, not only to avoid German bombs but also to escape the memories of her shattered marriage. The peace and solitude of the small town she settles in are therapeutic . . . at least at first. As the war drags on, La is in need of some diversion and wants to boost the town's morale, so she organizes an amateur orchestra, drawing musicians from the village and the local RAF base. Among the strays she corrals is Feliks, a shy, proper Polish refugee who becomes her prized recruit—and the object of feelings she thought she'd put away forever.

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Does La's orchestra save the world? The people who come to hear it think so. But what will become of it after the war is over? And what will become of La herself? And of La's heart? With his all-embracing empathy and his gentle sense of humor, Alexander McCall Smith makes of La's life—and love—a tale to enjoy and cherish.

Summertime
by J. M. Coetzee

A young English biographer is researching a book about the late South African writer John Coetzee, focusing on Coetzee in his thirties, at a time when he was living in a rundown cottage in the Cape Town suburbs with his widowed father-a time, the biographer is convinced, when Coetzee was finding himself as a writer. Never having met the man himself, the biographer interviews five people who knew Coetzee well, including a married woman with whom he had an affair, his cousin Margot, and a Brazilian dancer whose daughter took English lessons with him. These accounts add up to an image of an awkward, reserved, and bookish young man who finds it hard to make meaningful connections with the people around him.

Summertime is an inventive and inspired work of fiction that allows J.M. Coetzee to imagine his own life with a critical and unsparing eye, revealing painful moral struggles and attempts to come to grips with what it means to care for another human being. Incisive, elegant, and often surprisingly funny, Summertime is a compelling work by one of today's most esteemed writers.

Also new this month:

Days of Gold by Jude Deveraux

Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession by Julie Powell

Hidden Empire by Orson Scott Card

Vocab Workshop #2

The following words come from The Blind Assassin,

POROUS \ˈpȯr-əs\ adj - permeable to outside influences

LIMPID \ˈlim-pəd\ adj - 1 a marked by transparency, b clear and simple in style. 2 absolutely serene and untroubled.

CONFLAGRATION \ˌkän-flə-ˈgrā-shən\ n - 1 a large disastrous fire. 2 conflict, war.

RECALCITRANT \ri-kal-si-truhnt\ adj - 1 obstinately defiant of authority or restraint.
2 a difficult to manage or operate, b not responsive to treatment.

LUGUBRIOUS \lu̇-ˈgü-brē-əs\ adj - exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful

RIPOSTE \ri-ˈpōst\ n - 1 retaliatory verbal sally, retort. 2 a retaliatory maneuver or measure. +/-

EPERGNE \i-ˈpərn\ n - an often ornate tiered centerpiece consisting typically of a frame of wrought metal (as silver or gold) bearing dishes, vases, or candle holders or a combination of these

WINSOME \ˈwin(t)-səm\ adj - generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence

LUMPEN \ˈlu̇m-pən\ adj - of or relating to dispossessed and uprooted individuals cut off from the economic and social class with which they might normally be identified

DIRIGIBLE \ˈdir-ə-jə-bəl\ adj - capable of being steered

PALLID \ˈpa-ləd\ adj - deficient in color or lacking sparkle or liveliness

ABSTEMIOUS \ab-ˈstē-mē-əs\ adj - marked by restraint especially in the consumption of food or alcohol; also : reflecting such restraint.

STULTIFY \ˈstəl-tə-ˌfī\ - 1 to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical. 2 a to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective, b to have a dulling or inhibiting effect on.

INSOUCIANCE \in-ˈsü-sē-ən(t)s\ n - lighthearted unconcern, nonchalance

RANCOR \ˈraŋ-kər\ n - bitter deep-seated ill will

FILIGREE \ˈfi-lə-ˌgrē\ n - ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper. 2 ornamental openwork of delicate or intricate design.

BALLAST \ˈba-ləst\ n - something that gives stability (as in character or conduct)

MORASS \mə-ˈras\ n - 1 a a situation that traps, confuses, or impedes, b an overwhelming or confusing mass or mixture. 1 marsh, swamp.

Wishlist Wednesday: Christmas

I've been on the prowl for some good Christmas books this week. There's nothing better to get you in the Christmas spirit then reading a cute and decadent holiday book. But, I haven't always had the best of luck fitting that bill--although I give holiday books some leeway, they still have to come up to a certain level for me. These all looked enticing; I hope I'll have the time to read at least one. Here's hoping!

A Coventry Christmas
by Becky Cochrane

With a scrooge of a boss, her family thousands of miles away, and the only male in her life a hamster, Keelie Cannon is anticipating her worst Christmas ever when her friend Ivy convinces her to spend the holidays with her in the small Texas town of Coventry. Once Keelie arrives, her feelings about Christmas start to change as she not only rediscovers the joys of the holiday season but also of another chance at romance. Cochrane deftly flavors her quirky, character-rich contemporary romance with a surfeit of Christmas charm and sharp humor.

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There's Something About Christmas
by Debbie Macomber

A smalltown Washington reporter learns to love fruitcake in Macomber's chick-lit take on A Christmas Carol. Emma Collins ("kinda cute in an uptight sort of way") hopes that writing obituaries and selling ads for the Puyallup Examiner will lead to a journalism career. Instead, her first plum assignment—interviewing three finalists in a national fruitcake recipe contest—lands her in the cockpit of devil-may-care pilot Oliver Hamilton, whose good looks and charm remind her of her shiftless father.

Despite Emma's fear of flying, Oliver takes her to Yakima, Colville, and the San Juan islands to meet three women who all figure that when life gives you lemons (or anything else), make fruitcake. Emma tastes the thrice-married barmaid's liquor-laden concoction, the tender-hearted widow's chocoholic dreamand the struggling young mother's no-bake graham-cracker confection. While she tries to capture in print lessons learned from the three cooks, Oliver's plane is grounded by a snowstorm.

It all adds up to another tale of romance in the lives of ordinary people, with a message that life is like a fruitcake: full of unexpected delights.

A Redbird Christmas
by Fannie Flagg

With the same incomparable style and warm, inviting voice that have made her beloved by millions of readers far and wide, New York Times bestselling author Fannie Flagg has written an enchanting Christmas story of faith and hope for all ages that is sure to become a classic.

Deep in the southernmost part of Alabama, along the banks of a lazy winding river, lies the sleepy little community known as Lost River, a place that time itself seems to have forgotten. After a startling diagnosis from his doctor, Oswald T. Campbell leaves behind the cold and damp of the oncoming Chicago winter to spend what he believes will be his last Christmas in the warm and welcoming town of Lost River. There he meets the postman who delivers mail by boat, the store owner who nurses a broken heart, the ladies of the Mystic Order of the Royal Polka Dots Secret Society, who do clandestine good works. And he meets a little redbird named Jack, who is at the center of this tale of a magical Christmas when something so amazing happened that those who witnessed it have never forgotten it.