I'm Still Attached

Some books just get you.  You start to read them and within the first few pages, you feel some sort of strange ethereal pull from the book that stays attached to you until you've read every.single.word.  And even longer, sometimes.  And you can't even read another book until your mind/body/soul have processed that book.  It just happens.  And those are great, great books.  I'm not convinced they have to be extremely well written (although they often are) or that the content has to be super intense (although it may be).  I am convinced, however, that the story told tells us a truth in a such a profound way that we can be changed by the book.  If we let ourselves.

I read Ragged Company  (Richard Wagamese) this past week.  My community does this great thing called One Book One Community where encourages all our local people to read the same book, whether on your own or in a group, and then hosts author events and discussions, etc.  The local paper is involved and the libraries are huge advocates.  I love it -- because I love community and I love people reading and they pick really great books.   This year, Ragged Company was the livre du jour.  And it totally got me.

The premise of the story is pretty simple: four homeless people win the lottery ($13.5 million) and, obviously, it changes their lives.  Feel good story of the year, right?  People escape the horrifying world of the street with the great salvation of money -- yay!  But the story. OH the story.  Quickly, and with a certain quietness, Wagamese starts telling a story that is much more profound than street life = bad; rich life = good. He weaves complexities and voices, circumstances and hearts into a rich tale that reveals that our potential lies in our ability to see and love others, rather than in our potential to possess and use wealth.  

And it isn't an easy read -- you  will cry and the images will haunt your heart.  But you will also learn.  I have spent (a little) time with people who live on the streets and the way Wagamese honours and tells their story moved me.  He tells painful, raw truth with a profound gentleness and beauty.  He holds pain in tension with love and does not, not, not wrap everything up nicely.  He tells us a truth that can change us; can change our perspective and our compassion.  

I keep wanting to pick up another book, but everything seems to futile just now.  I'm still attached to Ragged Company.  I need a few more days. 

 

Spies. Food. Weddings. Marriage. Kids. 100 Year Old Men.

Friends!  It's been such a long, long time.  I've been sorting out life with two ever-growing but still pretty small guys as well as diving back into my (paid) job.  It has been a crazy, lovely winter and spring.  And now summer is fast upon us and I realized how long I had gone without spending time with all of you.

I've gone through blogging/reading slumps before, but this slump was really just blogging.  I've been reading devouring books.  Lots and lots of books -- reading 2 or 3 at a time.  And it has been amazing.  I've loved having my world filled out by characters both real and fictional, and some in between.  I've been reading books with friends, books with book club and books with my kids.  I've spent time with my Bible and been reading work-focussed books.  And you know what I found?  That I speak more aptly, respond more slowly and think more clearly when I am reading.  Such a good thing.  So here's a very brief overview of some of what I've been reading (and the settings I've been reading in!):


Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy (Eric Metaxas) This book fully rocked my world.  I'm a bit of a history nerd (and here and here) and so I like reading about history.  Not everyone does.  But my book club, whom I read this with, all agreed that it was pretty epic.  Epic in the way that you watch a man decide he is going to help assassinate Hitler without (somehow) compromising his deep set faith.  I really loved this book.  I actually had bought the e-book and then got the paperback (kind of unheard of for me) because I wanted to hold the book and flip the pages and remember significant things.  




The 100 Year Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared   (Jonas Jonasson).  Yup.  Most Descriptive Title Ever.  And that is what the book is about.  Light and lovely, this book weaves a magnificent tale through history while matching it with a fun and present story line replete with characters that you can't help but like, no matter how rough their edges may be.  Also, I totally quit on The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series, so this book redeemed Swedish lit for me...which sounds pretty flaky, but 'tis true. 

My Life in France (Julia Child)  I am perfectly, perfectly aware that Julia Child has died.  I am.  I knew that it was coming.  Nonetheless, after finishing her jaunty and endearing memoir, I was unprepared for her death.  (Bonhoeffer from above also dies, which I knew, but I finished both books in one week and it was painful.)  I really wanted some of these people to live because their lives were so very real to me and I want to know them.  Julia's story is full of foie gras and friends and France, all lovely and jumbly and delicious.  At one point she talks about how she and her husband had decided that people were more important than time.  I loved that.  What a brilliant starting point for making decisions.  Choosing people first and then busy-ness second. My compliments to the chef. 

Wedding Night (Sophie Kinsella) I've admitted before to Sophie as one my guilty pleasures.  And I did really like I've Got Your Number which she released last year.  But Wedding Night wasn't that good.  I'd even say weak -- disappointing!  I'm definitely prone to like her; yet this novel was thin on plot and character.  A little piece of me grieved that I might be outgrowing Sophie -- but I'm not willing to give up just yet.  

The Meaning of Marriage (Timothy Keller)  I'm reading this one in company of my husband and four other married couples.  Together, we are walking through some of the issues and ideas around marriage so that we can grow in our marriages and our relationships with one another.  Marriage should be our priority relationship and so we need to manage it like it is.  The book is good but the conversations and people are better.  If you are married, or thinking about it, find people to be with who will challenge and encourage you.  Marriage can do incredible things but it can also hurt incredibly.  Find places and people who will help you (and your spouse) on the journey. 

Knuffle Bunny (Mo Willems)  Yes, a children's book, but my oldest son love loves this book.  He loves the family running through New York and he loves the search for Knuffle Bunny.  I like to read it as though I am auditioning for different kinds of movies -- romantic, scary, funny, drama, gangster, etc.  It's incredible how much one book can change.  And I love watching my kids grow to love books -- they remind me each day how significant a little time with our imaginations can be.  And I just keep learning.  

That's a quick overview -- some highlights (and a few lowlights). 

I'm off to try to pace my reading of Juliet Stories by Carrie Ann Snyder.  Her prose is magical.

Happy reading,

sw

Science Fiction Fabulous

 Science Fiction.  Land of logical freedom -- the limits of science are both free and necessary to create worlds that are only *somewhat* like the one we live in. I've claimed that Sci-Fi is out of my box. As far as books are concerned it really, really is.  But truthfully, I like Sci-Fi TV and movies.  Nothing that hardcore--The X-Files was a bit too creepy for me.  However, I do love Star Trek, Star Wars and various other fun Sci-Fi-based films (read: Zombieland).  In the "what's your favourite action movie" game my answer is definitely the new Star Trek.  And not just because Chris Pine (aka Captain Kirk) looks just like my husand (wink, wink). I just like Star Trek.   When it comes to books my science fiction forays were few and far between.  Until recently...all of sudden book club and friends and websites (cause I listen to the interwebs) were all about Science Fiction.  And...

It has been so much fun!  Sobering events in the last few make it even more desirable to imagine that the world could change drastically.  (Obviously imagining the world away is not the solution; yet a break is still deeply appreciated.)  Onto nicer thoughts...

I have read three books -- a classic of Science Fiction Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card), a comedic one, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) and a present day sci-fi, Wake (Robert J. Sawyer).   What a lovely cross-section, no? 

Reading Ender's Game is like reading a intro to Science Fiction.  And it did what I never expect Science Fiction to do: grabbed my attention and held it.  I did social sciences in school -- I naturally am (geekily) enthralled by history, politics, trivia.  But futuristic claims?  Not what I'm used to.  Ender's Game, friends.  So great.  Here's what Science Fiction does that I love: using more far-fetched realities it creates real commentaries on our current society.  Most are built on the premise that in the future our problems will move to deeper extremes.  Thus, reading these books that exist in the 'extremes' of society helps to illuminate our own current problems.  When you read a book set in distant future and it seems to be pretty truthful to what is happening in present day (especially around propaganda), you know it is good.   Ender had characters that I grew with, plot turns that were widely unexpected and a full, complete story.  I found myself really wanting to talk to people about it which is definitely the mark of a book that has surprised and enthralled me. A great gift the reader in your life (which might be you) but also for a teenager -- boy or girl.  


Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (HGG) is essentially reading a British comedy.  Think of reading Run Fat Boy Run or Death at a Funeral (if you haven't seen those movies, you really should).  It's hilarious, slightly irreverent and quippy.  Thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It's commentary isn't subtle at all, but well worth reading anyway.  And you'll learn the answer to the eternal question.  What more could you ask? 







Finally, Wake.  This book was probably the biggest stretch for me (didn't have the far-off futuristicness of Ender's Game or the humour of HGG).  Set in present day Waterloo, Ontario Wake follows the story of 15 year old Caitlin, who is about to make some huge discoveries about the world and the Internet.  It weaves several disparate stories into one (albeit not quite -- this is the first book in the series and few pieces have been left hanging) which is a style I enjoy. I'm good with switching around and trying to perceive where all the stories will intersect.  Some of the Canadian/math/physics humour was a bit on-the-nose for me.  My big beef?  I don't like it when I have to read more books to get to the ending.  I like books that tells its own story and then I can choose to go farther if I want.   That being said, I totally want to know how it ends.

There is something about the Sci-Fi genre that loves a sequel.  All of these books are the first of series.  But with Ender's Game  and HGG I have been warned several times that the subsequent books aren't worth reading.  This is my PSA not to read the rest of those series.  With Wake, you can check in later.  I'm going to have to read the next two to find out what happens.  

Any recommendations of Sci-Fi reads?  Based on these three, I'm open to what the genre has to offer.  And yes, I have read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  And yes, it is awesome.  

The verdict is in! Food, Glorious Food!

Friends!  

The food from The Homemade Pantry is amazing!  I have made the cornbread, hummus, granola bars and a few other recipes and I have to say -- amazing.  Just delicious.  If I could give you food, I would...but as we are Internet friends, I'll use a story.

Here's my example...

DIY Granola Bars tend to be some epic compromise.  Either they aren't chewy or they aren't crunchy, generally they aren't delicious and seem like a lot of work when the ones in the wrappers are soooo good.  You can disagree with me, it's fine, but in my experience of making granola bars, I hadn't found a recipe that outstripped the ease and yumminess of the store bought brand.  Until Alana Chernila's Car Snacks #3 The Nutty Granola Bar blew my mind.  It is perfect.  Sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy, filling, portable--perfection.  They are on my weekly to-make list and when I'm eating one my little 22 month old buddy says, "More! Share! More! Please!"  That's probably the highest praise there is.

This book is officially on my to-buy list.  Added bonuses: great storage tips and the canning method is integrated into the recipes so you it is all spelled out for you.  Anything I can freeze, can or shelf is a win in my world.  

I am about to make a advent calendar that is about doing something each day that prepares our family for Christmas, reflects what it means to us and helps us spend time with each other in quiet, significant ways.  One day is definitely going to be making homemade marshmallows and hot chocolate.  Actually, maybe more than one day!  

Reading and Eating...my version of DIY.

You might have guessed that I love to read.  And I love to eat.  So reading about eating is kind of my favourite thing.  And I love cookbooks.  

My big hesitation around sampling/eating through a cookbook is food cost (not to mention the cost of the books!), specifically random ingredients that I am going to use in tiny portions and be left with a bag full of when the meal is complete.  Not my thing and not my stage of life.  I need recipes that are simple, delicious, healthy and cheap.  And, I am learning, this is completely doable.  

To my great joy, I found The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making by Alana Chernila.  Here plentiful book contains great pictures, captivating stories and (what I hope are) delicious recipes.  I started reading this book when I should have been napping and my fingers have been itching to start creating a pantry full of treats ever since (Thanksgiving kind of got in the way).  

My library-borrowed book now looks like this (picture is also a mini-plug for the ease of these removable tabs):  

I'm excited to get started and see if this book is a buyer (ie, I'll buy it) or a library books (ie, borrow and use intensively for a short period of time).  On my list to make...well, everything!  Butter, ricotta, creme fraiche, instant oatmeal, ketchup, hummus, pesto, roasted tomatoes, granola bars, fish sticks, hot chocolate, marshmallows, butternut squash soup, graham crackers, cheese crackers, caramels and potato chips.  To start, anyway.  I *might* need more than a two week loan!  

This weekend we made cornbread (perfection -- exactly how you want cornbread to taste -- a little sweet, buttery and amazing dipped in chili) and potato chips (time consuming but worth it!  Will absolutely do again.  The crunch and flavour were fully addictive).  I'm going to keep going...so far this one reads and tastes like a winner!

Quitters Sometimes Prosper: Books I've stopped reading & others I should have stopped

I generally like to see things through to the end.  Especially food.  Chocolate should never be left unfinished.  Or these maple covered nuts.  Just sayin.

And I do like to finish most books. But every once and a while, I quit.  I just do.  My need for public confessions makes it clear that peace has not been made with these abdications.  I would love to know if you have ever finished one of these books, if you have loved it and even why I might try again.  (And I am totally up for trying again...that is how I fell in love with Margaret Atwood.  Long story.) I used to think that I would never quit a book--I would always see it through.  Then I became a parent and I learned that words like "never" and "always" are just plain foolish.  

So here is my confession.  I have quit some books. 

(Spoiler alert: At the end are some books I am looking forward to reading, lest this post feel too woe-is-me.)

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Series (Stieg Larsson).  I read the first book and part way through I started skimming.  A) I was (very) bored.  The characters ate way too many sandwiches.  B) I didn't like the violence.  I didn't feel the story was powerful enough to merit the amount of violence involved.  C)  EDIT (and I may be one to talk, but this is a blog, not a book).  So I quit on the whole series.  There was no way I was entering into another long, poorly edited, graphically violent book that seemed to be gruesome just for the sake of it.  But I'm willing to listen to another side of the story.

 

 

Middlemarch (George Eliot) A classic, right?  Have you read this classic?  I tried.  I QUIT.  It was too deep for me.  I don't balk easily at long sentences.  I like to think that any sentence, read properly, is understandable.  ERRONEOUS.  I had to read and re-read sentence after sentence.  It was hard for me to do so--this book as serious theological underpinnings and I have done some schooling in theology.  So I wanted to understand.  My pride wanted me to get it.  But I couldn't follow it.  And yes, it haunts me.

Vanity Fair (William Makepeace Thackery).  Again, a classic.  And while I could follow this story--I just got bored out of my skull.  I wasn't engaged.  Bigger confession: watched the movie just to see the ending. Terrible, I know.  

Lord of the Flies (William Golding).  I'm not sure I quit this one *per se* but I didn't really read the whole thing.  I read the beginning (in grade 11), got busy, saw the movie, read the end for a project (still grade 11) and then never got to the middle.  I feel like a Lord of the Flies flake.  I hope I can't retroactively fail grade 11 English.  

Uh-oh.  This list is getting longer the more I think about it.  Maybe I'll stop.

After all is said and done, I do think it is worth sticking most books out until the end.  That being said, here are a few I wish I had read differently:

Little Bee (Chris Cleave).  This book has a great beginning.  I loved it.  And then the whole thing falls apart.  My book club all felt the same way: great start, riveting and interesting...but then...blurg.  Everything goes downhill.  It is either a brilliant comment on the contrast between Western-suburban culture and rural African life OR it is just not that great.  I think the latter might be the case. 

 

The Expats (Chris Pavone).  I didn't mind this book, I just wish I hadn't started reading it while I was home alone with my kids.  It was midnight before I went to bed because I had to know what happened.  Good read, Bourne-like mystery...but don't read it home alone.  Consider yourself warned.  

 

State of Wonder (Ann Patchett).  This book is added to the list hesitantly because I like Ann Patchett's writing, especially Bel Canto (it is a go-to recommendation for me).  However, this story was too thin or almost too thick--I'm not sure which.  It was well-written but weakly told.  Great moments but too long before anything happens.  However, if you are looking for an exercise in character writing, you could check this book out.

Most books I have read from start to finish, whether I like them or not.  But sometimes, you just have to give up and let a book slide.  Not to worry.  Behind each disappointment is another book waiting to wow you.  I'm off to start Divergent (Veronica Roth), Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)  and The Virgin Cure (Ami McKay).  I'm sure my high hopes will be met!

Good food, good books, good advice!

Friday nights in our house are pizza night.  We used to get take out, but for a few months now we have been making our own.  Not only because my next door neighbour makes the best pizza dough in the world or because our little guy will eat anything sandwiched between bread and cheese, but because there is something so deliciously creative about concocting colourful, plentiful and fanciful pizzas.  If art class had been about pizza making, I would have been a much better student.  

Last night's pizza included on our favourite combos: pepperoni, pineapple and olives.  We amped it up a bit substituting local pork chorizo sausage for the pepperoni and adding some dollops of pesto for a bit of zip (totally inspired by our garden's basil fiesta).  It was amazing.  But I didn't come up with this perfect blend of salty/savoury/sweet on my own...it was on the advice of a good friend.  Who has taught me much about life and love--including how to buy books.

How does one buy a book?  The shelves of bookstores & libraries, large or small, are packed with options.  While I love to bend the ear of our local bookstore experts, they aren't always on hand while shopping online or browse at the library.  So how do you pick?  My good friend, who inspired our pizza last night, taught me her own reliable method:

1) Look at the cover and pick something that looks interesting.  I know, I know -- don't judge a book by its cover.  Fine.  THEN MAKE COVERS BORING.  If you don't want me to use them, stop investing in them.  Until then, I'm going to be drawn to books that have cover I like/find compelling.  And book cover artists know this moth-to-a-flame tendency is true.  Go ahead...use the cover.  Pick something pretty or scary or funky or simple.  Follow your gut.

2) Also use the cover to read about the book .  I'll skip this step on books that come with strong recommendations as I am willing to trust my book-loving friends.  But when I'm on my own, you have to check out the back and find out what you are getting in to.   [nb: I am always wary of the words "disturbing" and "chilling".  These tend to indicate dark topics inside.  Which can be fine, I just like to be warned and to have decided I'm good with some sad content.]  Read the quotes from others and check out who is reading the book as well. 

Still interested?  Okay, step 3.

3) Open to a random page and read a bit.  This step is key.  You will get a sense of the writing and content.  It will give you a chance to engage the book a little bit.  I would also read the Acknowledgements.  They are the 'big picture' of the book and offer a bit of insight into the character of the author without giving away the plot.  

If you are still intrigued about the material then find the book at the library, purchase it or borrow it.  There are lots of local booksellers online and amazing online used bookstores (I like www.abebooks.com).  Look around before going with the big guys...you will be amazed what you can find.

How do you buy a book?