Winter cleaning doesn’t sound right, and actually it was fall when we did it, but we (mostly me) thoroughly cleaned out our garage a couple of weekends ago in preparation for the arrival of the contents of Grandma’s house. [Update: And I will be doing it again this week in preparation for the things we are getting as a result of my mother-in-law’s move to an apartment.]
Shortly after we moved in last September, we went to the storage space we had rented right after the house burned down and retrieved our belongings (except for our patio furniture and three other pieces we saved from the basement, it all fit in a 5 x 5 unit). We brought the boxes home and put them in the garage, and there they sat for over a year. Why? Because they were boxes of movies and books (many, many books) that escaped burning but were thoroughly blackened with soot.
I’ve hated going into the garage because of the smell of fire. And it was hard opening the boxes that had been closed, because the smell was even stronger. But it was also good, because I found some things I did not know had been saved. And even though it will blacken my hands to read them, I still can, if I want to.
The books that were in the basement were children’s books (left behind because at some point I got overwhelmed and just wanted to leave), homeschooling books, and series we had collected: Star Trek (tons of these), Agatha Christie (I had them all!), Patricia Cornwell, Anne Tyler, and a few others. We cleaned and covered the basement shelves, and now they are all out where I can see them.
And now that it’s done, you know what? The fire smell is going away!
I’m cheating a bit on this post because it’s so late and I don’t have much time to make the NaBloPoMo deadline, but I’m a sucker for this kind of thing anyway.
Yesterday a Facebook friend invited me to do the following:
The rules: Don’t take too long to think about it. 15 books that influence you or will always stick with you. List the first 15 you can think of in 15 minutes. Tag at least 15 friends, including me, because I am interested in seeing what books my friends choose. Copy the rules, list 15 books and tag 15 friends.
I produced the following list (many of which I blogged about before here), and I was so disappointed that only one of my friends joined in! Feel free to join in yourself in the comments if you wish.
1. The Lords of Discipline (My favorite book by my favorite fiction writer, Pat Conroy–this is arguably my favorite book of all time.)
2. The Art of Natural Family Planning (This set me on the right path before I had a chance to make any mistakes and I am grateful.)
3. Let’s Have Healthy Children (I read it while pregnant with #1 and I credit it with the robust health enjoyed by all my children.)
4. Surrendering to Motherhood (I need to re-read this periodically to remind me of what’s REALLY important.)
5. Kids Are Worth It! (This is best parenting book I EVER read.)
6. How to Raise Healthy Children in Spite of Your Doctor (We rarely go to the doctor and this book is one reason.)
7. Between Parent and Child (I only wish I could always remember to speak to my kids the way Haim Ginott suggests.)
8. The Lord of the Rings (I’ve read it more times than I can remember, including once out loud.)
9. The Song of Bernadette (I understand and appreciate it more with every reading, and I am so grateful to have been able to visit the site where it all happened.)
10. The Greatest Salesman in the World (I’m not a huge fan of self-help but this is lyrical and inspirational with an awesome twist.)
11. Breastfeeding and Natural Childspacing (This was life-changing for me–I breastfed for 13 years.)
12. Humanae Vitae (I’d heard birth control was wrong but no one ever told me why until I read this beautiful encyclical.)
13. Childbirth without Fear (The first book I read on childbirth, it formed my views about what birth could be.)
David Copperfield. Gone with the Wind. The Lord of the Rings. Dracula. The Lords of Discipline. The Hobbit. The Dark is Rising series. The Chronicles of Narnia. A Tale of Two Cities. Little House on the Prairie.
What do the above books have in common (besides being awesome, of course!)?
They are all books that I have read aloud in their entirety. This might make you think I am a great mother, carrying on the bedtime reading well past the early childhood years. You’d be wrong.
Because I did not read these books to my kids–I read them to my husband.
I don’t remember how it started, but way back when we were first married–maybe even before–I started reading aloud to John, sometimes at bedtime, often on long car trips (there were many in those days), and even just sitting in the living room, when we got so absorbed in a book we just didn’t want to stop.
I picked the books–favorites of mine that I wanted to share. Sometimes I picked authors–like Dickens–that John was doubtful about, just so I could prove him wrong. 🙂
We continued this even after we had kids. I can remember sitting out on the balcony of our last apartment, reading David Copperfield and feeling sad at the end of the nearly 1,000 pages, because we were going to miss the characters we had spent so much time with.
I remember sitting in the living room of our first house, reading Gone with the Wind by the light of the Christmas tree, and hearing little Emily in the hallway, listening in. It was a great way to spend time together, doing something special without leaving the house, which would have required a babysitter.
What I can’t remember is exactly when we stopped, or why. It was probably about ten years ago. Maybe we got too busy, having four kids and lots of outside activities. Maybe it was too noisy on car trips and we had to focus on amusing the kids instead of ourselves. Maybe we were so tired at bedtime that we just fell asleep. For sure, part of it was that Emily got old enough to babysit, and we were able from then until recently to leave the house whenever we wanted to spend time together without the kids.
But now that has changed. The big boys are still at home, but not much. They have active social lives that keep them out of the house most of the time on weekends. If we want to be assured of a babysitter for a special occasion, like a wedding or an anniversary, we have to make a plan with them in advance (because we are not THOSE people, who expect their teenage kids to take care of their little siblings no matter what–we always ask.).
William is 11–old enough, in our opinion and his, to stay alone at home for an hour or two, in the daytime hours. But he is not old enough to be responsible for seven-year-old Lorelei, day or night.
So we are spending more time at home in the evening than we have in years. And it occurred to me that reading aloud would be a much nicer way to connect than playing on our separate computers all night. I’ve been wanting to read Jane Eyre to John for some time. Then Wuthering Heights. I can’t wait!
[UPDATE: I’m embarrassed to admit that we couldn’t get through one chapter. We can’t stay awake while reading in bed anymore. However, I’ve gotten back into the reading aloud groove in order to help William with his school English assignments. In the past year I’ve read him War of the Worlds, Frankenstein, and Unbroken. And right now I’m reading The House with a Clock in Its Walls to the whole family.]
Closet space. Is there ever enough of it? There were next to no closets in our Victorian house. We purchased three armoires from Myrtle’s Mess for the bedrooms, and crammed them so full the doors would barely close. (John’s enormous oak armoire is one of three pieces of furniture salvaged from the fire.)
So we were excited when we moved into what the kids now call “the burnt down house” to distinguish it from “the old house” and “our first house.” I had a walk-in (or at least “step-in”) closet and John appropriated the closet in the office for his clothes. (Teddy still had to use the armoire, which is why it was in the basement and survived the flames; the other two were stored in the garage.)
And we crammed those closets full. Mine had clothes in several sizes, even some things that were twenty years old. Some I hoped to wear again one day, some had purely sentimental value. There were old pocketbooks, and scarves, and lots of shoes. And of course I had a dresser crammed full of socks and underwear and t-shirts. And an overflowing laundry basket with the clothes I wore most of the time, which never seemed to get put away.
It sounds strange to say that the timing of Grandma’s death was a blessing, but it was. Not only did it probably save our lives, since we were all out of the house when it exploded into flames, but it meant that we all had several days’ worth of clothes with us (and our computers!). The clothes I took to Baltimore (and wouldn’t you know I had tried to pack as light as possible) were all that I had.
It didn’t take long before our kids had more clothes than we knew what to do with. Family had already started buying things for Jake and Teddy before John and I and the little kids made it back to Knoxville. Donations poured in from near and far on a daily basis. Lorelei ended up with a wardrobe fit for a little princess.
John did not do badly either. Thanks to my cousin Melissa, who works in a medical practice, he ended up with a closet full of doctors’ dress clothes (which are pretty much the same as attorneys’ dress clothes!). She also gave took him on a shopping trip in Uncle Charlie‘s closet. He did have to buy a couple of new suits, but he soon had more clothes than he started with!
I had a harder time. Much of what was donated either did not fit or did not suit me. And although I had some gift cards, beyond replacing absolute necessities I never seemed to make the time to shop.
When we went to look at houses to rent, realtors would talk up the storage aspect and I would just laugh, because we had nothing left to store. Our new house sports a walk-in closet so big you could hang out in it (and in fact sometimes I do read in there at night!). Until my last trip to Walmart (when I added about three outfits) this is what my side of the closet looked like:
I have a dresser that actually has EMPTY DRAWERS. I don’t own enough underwear to make it through the week.
Now this is not a pity-party or an attempt to solicit gift cards. 🙂 I held onto a Christmas gift card for several months before I finally went shopping. The point is that I have been trying to sort out in my own head what I have learned in the past year, what it all means. Because if something like that happens to you and you don’t at least get some wisdom from it, that would really suck, right?
So one thing I am learning is what THINGS (in the literal sense of the word) matter to me. And clearly clothes don’t rank high on that list. It’s probably no surprise to anyone to find out what does, what I already have more of than I can use, what I accumulate more of weekly.
I have a Tumblr, which you can find here. I don’t do much with it; I think I’m not really in the demographic it’s meant for, but I signed up so I could see what my daughter posts. And recently I happened upon this list of questions from timaspublishing via bookaddict24-7. Y’all know how much I love to read so I thought this would be fun. (It’s self-indulgent, I know.) 55 Reading Questions 1. Favorite childhood book? 2. What are you reading right now?
Well, this is a little embarrassing. I can’t recall the name of it and I will no doubt forget all about it within 24 hours of reading it. It’s one of my guilty pleasure books, a Love Inspired Suspense paperback that I got for free by temporarily joining their book club. (Update: That’s what I WAS reading when I started writing this. Since then I’ve read Up Country for my book club, The Horse and His Boy which I found laying around the house somewhere, and probably more that I can’t remember. I’m actually currently reading Freakanomics.) 3. What books do you have on request at the library?
None. I only do libraries in the summer. 4. Bad book habit?
I’m actively training myself in the use of bookmarks right now. I usually leave my books lying open and face down. I have, however, stopped bending the corners of the pages down. [UPDATE: Mission Accomplished.] 5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Nothing (see above). I think my privileges are probably suspended at the moment anyway. I am just terrible about returning books on time. 6. Do you have an e-reader?
Nope, and I don’t want one. Hope I never cave on this. (Update: My birthday has come and gone and now I own an iPad with an app on it that opens the doors to the wide world of e-reading. I have a friend who only e-publishes a lot of her work and I want to read her stories. Don’t look to find me curled up with my iPad reading Gone with the Wind any time soon.) 7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
One at a time. 8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
No. I would not be reading right now, I’d be working. Or perhaps doing dishes. 9. Least favourite book you read this year (so far)?
I have probably read 50 books or more this year and I don’t keep a list. I don’t recall actively hating any book but most of the romances are pretty forgettable. 10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Probably The Quiet Game. 11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Never. Why would I take something that’s a pleasure and make it unpleasant? Besides, my zone is pretty big. 12. What is your reading comfort zone?
See above! I like stupid romances, mysteries, suspense, religious books, parenting books . . . I especially like legal thrillers. 13. Can you read on the bus?
As a child I did it all the time. These days I would get sick. I can only read on the interstate (not, of course, while driving). 14. Favorite place to read?
In my bed. [Update: Not any more. I can no longer see well enough to read in dim light. And I’m too tired to read at night. New answer: front porch.] 15. What is your policy on book lending?
No problem. 16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
I used to but I’ve stopped. I don’t want to mutilate the books I’m keeping and I want the ones I’m getting rid of in good enough condition to be accepted by the used book store. 17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Not since college. 18. Not even with text books?
LOL. See above. It was hard for me even to get used to doing that. I know people make notes in books and sometimes it seems like it would be a good idea but I just can’t bring myself to do it. 19. What is your favourite language to read in?
English. I am proud of having at one point been able to more or less read books in French but now that my French, Latin, and Old English texts are gone I doubt I will be replacing them. 20. What makes you love a book?
A gripping page-turning story. Characters I get emotionally involved with. A sense of place and time. 21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
I will recommend non-fiction books that made enough of an impression on me to actually influence what I DO (or try to do). As for fiction, that depends on what the people I’m talking to are looking for. 22. Favorite genre?
Legal thrillers/mysteries. 23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?
Spiritual/Theology. I have tons of them but most days my brain is too tired. 24. Favourite biography?
You know, I get these but never seem to get through them. I had a lovely one of St. Thomas More that I read part of, and another enormous one about Dickens. These were in the to-be-read pile pre-fire. I cannot remember when I’ve read one as an adult. Now, as a child, I read tons. There was a shelf in the school library with somewhat simplified stories, always starting with the famous person’s childhood, and I loved those. I was especially fond of Helen Keller and read every book about her I could find. 25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I’m sure I have. My husband is a big fan, and he had a couple of shelves full. But I can’t really remember any, unless you call parenting books self-help books. In general, I’m suspicious of any books that promise smooth sailing and a happy life in a few easy steps. Life is hard and I don’t know any shortcuts. 26. Favourite cookbook?
I’m not a huge cookbook collector. Mostly I don’t use recipes. The two go-to books I relied on were the 1970s edition of The Joy of Cooking and the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. If I needed to make a pie crust or cook a lobster tail that’s where I turned for advice. I had a couple of beautiful cookbooks with gorgeous pictures and never got around to making a single thing out of them. The exception to all this is Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking, which I loved loved loved and made almost every single recipe in. I even broke my writing in books rule to put personalized comments on the recipes, how we liked them, what changes I made. And later I bought the author’s second book on making soups. These are books I will definitely be replacing, because not only are the recipes good, they are spiritual books filled with interesting and inspiring stories. And the premise of the bread-making book is that making bread is a spiritual experience–the author examines his conscience as he mixes his dough each day. [UPDATE: I did indeed get a new copy. I highly recommend it.] 27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Couldn’t tell you. Can’t remember. I guess I wasn’t that inspired. 28. Favorite reading snack?
N/A since I usually read in bed. 29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
For me, it’s usually the opposite. I’m suspicious of hype. I did not read the Harry Potter books for years because I figured a book everyone was making such a fuss over was probably lowbrow (I’m an intellectual snob.). 30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don’t really seek out critical comment in advance. I read what looks good to me. 31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
Since I don’t have a huge reach and am not likely to end anyone’s career with my opinion, I enjoy it. [UPDATE: If someone gives me a book to review, I would be unlikely to give it a scathing review–that just seems ugly. I generally try to find some nice things to say about it to balance out my critical comments.] 32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
Latin. 33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
I guess Madame Bovary, in French, for a college French Lit class. It was exhausting and took forever, and I had to cheat and read the last few chapters in English. And then after all that suffering I hated the book anyway. 34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
I wouldn’t say I’m nervous but I know I should read things like War and Peace and Ulysses and the thought makes me exhausted. 35. Favorite Poet?
Oh, William Wordsworth, definitely, courtesy of Professor Betz and his Sophomore Honors English course. Professor Betz was my advisor in college. He’s a renowned Wordsworth scholar who spends summers hanging out in the same places Wordsworth did. I find that when someone is that passionate about a subject, he cannot help but transfer some of that passion to his students. I’m also fond of William Blake and all the Romantic Poets. I love Poe. I can appreciate modern poetry, but I will always prefer the kind that rhymes. 36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Probably around ten. 37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?
Not too often, occasionally at the end of the summer when I know that if I don’t I will probably never remember and will end up with another enormous fine and be stuck without the use of my card until they have another one of those days where I can trade them cans of food to erase the fines! 38. Favorite fictional character?
How can I answer that? I don’t think I can. There are so many characters that I love. Today I will go with Will McLean from The Lords of Discipline, arguably my favorite book of all time. 39. Favourite fictional villain?
I’m supposed to like the villains? Today I will go with Rhett Butler. I know, he’s a scoundrel, not a villain, but I really do think he gets off lightly. Scarlett would never have gotten into so much trouble if he hadn’t egged her on. 40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Something I’d like to read aloud in the car. This used to be a favorite pastime of mine and my husband’s. I also bring all the magazines I’m behind on. Because I read ALL THE TIME, I have no need for a special “beach book.” I ALWAYS find time to read, so it’s not a priority on vacation and I might actually watch t.v (which I don’t do at home) instead! 41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
I gave up reading for Lent in the second grade. Dumb idea and I was miserable. It sure was a sacrifice though. I did not read a book for about a month after the house burned down. For one thing, all my books burned up. I was also overwhelmed and exhausted. Too, there was some kind of weird element of, “My books are all gone. I can’t read any more.” I didn’t even FEEL like reading. 42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
I can’t think of one. I know I had a few that I put down halfway through but I always planned to get back to them. And that’s rare. Usually if I’ve gone to the trouble to start I will finish. 43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Nothing. It’s a problem. 44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
The Lord of the Rings films. I can remember mourning as a child that it would be impossible to bring those books to the screen, but they did it and did it well. 45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Umm . . . most of them? I know that you have to make changes when bringing a book to life on the screen. But when I cannot understand WHY the changes were necessary, I don’t like it. The first thing that comes to mind is “The Secret of Nimh,” loosely based on Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, one of the best children’s books ever. WHY was her name changed to Mrs. Brisby in the movie? Why did the rats look like terrifying otherworldly creatures instead of, you know, rats?
[UPDATE: The Hobbit.] 46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
I may have spent around $100 at Christmas time. But that’s not typical. I get almost all of my books used. 47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
I might look at a book a little first to decide whether to buy it. But once I’ve got it at home I don’t skim it. Why would I want to spoil the surprise? 48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
I would have to be either very frightened or very bored. 49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes, I like to keep series together of course, and I had a whole bookshelf devoted to series. I had all the “best” books in the living room, and they were loosely grouped around themes–literature, language, coffee table . . . I kept the things that I hadn’t read yet, or were very special to me, on the bookshelf in my room. Things are different now, with stacks on the table in my room, the classics we got at the used bookstore at Spring Hill in our one book case in the living room, kids books in the playroom, and soot-stained books in the garage. 50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I used to keep a lot more than I do now. Now I only keep them if it’s a series I’m collecting or I really, really love them. Otherwise they go to McKay’s or the church Book Swap. 51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
If I was, they are gone now. 52. Name a book that made you angry? Breaking Dawn. Waste of money. Waste of time. Waste of potential for the moral uplift foreshadowed in the earlier books in the series. Basically badfic and wish fulfillment. 53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Harry Potter series. Did it EVER exceed my expectations. The Sue Grafton ABC murders. These are EXCELLENT. I thought they’d be gimmicky but they are first class. Photo Credit 54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t? 11/22/63. I DID like it, but not as much as I thought I would. It had some problems that I think Stephen King gets away with because he’s, you know, STEPHEN KING. 55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
I call it a guilty pleasure but really, what’s to feel guilty about? I like to read Love Inspired Christian romance novels which I can almost always get for free through book club offers. I like to read them because they are mildly entertaining but I have no trouble putting them down, whereas if I get involved in a good thriller I may be up half the night or neglect other things I need to be doing. And I prefer the Christian ones even though the spirituality can be a bit ham-handed, and even though they are always non-denominational Protestants (one of these days I am going to write a Catholic one, or get my daughter to do it!) because there are no sex scenes in them. No, I don’t have moral objections to love scenes in novels, but after all the romance novels I consumed as a teenager, they frankly bore me. And it’s also nice to read about characters who have the same moral values that I have in that area. Okay, if you got this far, now it’s your turn. Answer some or all of the questions, either in the comments below, or in your own blog post (post the link in the comments)! I’d like to hear what YOU have to say about books and reading.
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear;
Those of mechanics—each one singing his, as it should be, blithe and strong;
The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work;
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat—the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck;
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench—the hatter singing as he stands;
The wood-cutter’s song—the ploughboy’s, on his way in the morning, or at the noon intermission, or at sundown;
The delicious singing of the mother—or of the young wife at work—or of the girl sewing or washing—Each singing what belongs to her, and to none else;
The day what belongs to the day—At night, the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing, with open mouths, their strong melodious songs. — Walt Whitman We heard America singing–for real–last Thursday at the Spring Concert at Lorelei’s school. I’ve endured attended countless plays, pageants, and concerts in my 21 years of parenting, but this one stands out. In between renditions of our National Anthem and Yankee Doodle (that was Lorelei’s class) and other patriotic songs enthusiastically performed by cute kids and accompanied by hand gestures, we were treated to proclamations of the Gettysburg Address, the First Amendment to the Constitution, Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech, and other words that symbolize what America stands for. “I’m American, you’re American!” sang the children, and they were the melting pot personified up on the stage. No one needs to preach diversity when you can see it right in front of you. There is no better explanation of what it means to be an American than to see the great-grandchildren of slaves standing on a stage with white kids whose ancestors probably landed two hundred years ago along with more recent arrivals from Asian and Latino countries, all of them smiling and singing in English “This land is my land.” So with a happy tear in my eye I went on to my next engagement, a meeting of my book club at which we watched the famous movie adaptation of our most recent book, To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s so easy, watching this vivid reminder of the dark history of race relations in the South, to feel complacent about how far we’ve come. My older daughter attends college in Mobile, Alabama, and of course her classmates are as diverse as Lorelei’s are. Twenty years ago, the sight of an interracial couple walking down the streets of Knoxville would make you look again. No longer. But the human heart is a dark and secret place, and prejudices still lurk there. All Tom Robinson’s troubles started, remember, when he walked past a white woman’s house. And look what happened to Trayvon Martin, who had the gall to “walk while black” through a mostly white neighborhood. That he had the legal right to be there, that he was actually a guest there, didn’t matter to a man who saw only the color of his skin and made predictable assumptions thereupon. Prejudice against certain immigrant communities of the past, like the Irish and the Italians, may have died out, but there are new immigrants to take their place as the targets of our collective suspicion. Just yesterday I heard someone talking about “all these people with their strange religions” coming in and changing our country which was “founded upon Christian principles.” Religious freedom is one of the bedrocks upon which this nation was founded, actually. And what is the Number One Christian Principle if it’s not “Love one another”? At the end of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout walks Boo Radley (surely the personification of the hated and feared “other”) back to his house. She stands on his porch and realizes that she had “never seen [the] neighborhood from this angle . . . [Atticus] said you never really knew a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.” Later that evening she says of a character in a book Atticus is reading to her: “He hadn’t done any of those things . . . Atticus, he was real nice . . . ” and he replies, “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.”
Linking up today with #WorthRevisit where bloggers “recycle” favorite posts each week. The linkup is hosted at Reconciled to You and Theology is a Verb and you can see this week’s posts right here.
I have a grant proposal to write today. I have a stack of legal work to do. My desk is a mess. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the dog is sleeping in a patch of sunlight in the backyard, and what I’d really like to do is make another cup of coffee and go sit on the deck with a good book. Alas.
What have I been reading lately? Yesterday it was a classic: To Kill a Mockingbird, which I had to read for my book club meeting last night. It gets a whole post to itself, but I’m not quite ready to do it justice. I valiantly resisted opening the secondHunger Games book (Catching Fire) until I got home from the meeting. I read till I couldn’t keep my eyes open. No, I have not seen the movie yet. I’m not sure what I think of the book so far. The story is gripping, of course. The writing isn’t very complex. The story seems to be heading down somewhat obvious lines, but I will reserve judgment until I’ve finished it.
One thing, though–these books are not like the Twilight series any more than Twilight was like the Harry Potterbooks. For starters, if Bella were forced to compete in the Hunger Games she would become catatonic and Edward would have to come save her. Unless she was already a vampire, in which case she would use her awesome vampire skillz to vanquish all opponents in ten seconds or less. Bella goes from girl in distress directly to superhero. Katniss is strong but vulnerable.
I’m also making my way through the stack of thrillers on the table in my bedroom. I recently read Reversible Errors by Scott Turow, whom you’ll remember from Presumed Innocent. All his books are excellent, a cut above other stories in the legal thriller genre due to the complexities of the personalities involved. Characters, not caricatures, they grow and change; they are complicated; they are human. I enjoyed that one a lot. Then I went through a whole stack of Michael Connelly books, most of them featuring police detective Harry Bosch. He’s also a complex character and I recommend those if you like crime novels. Finally, I am working my way though a pile of Jeffery Deaver novels. You may remember The Bone Collector which was made into a movie starring Denzel Washington. The hero is Lincoln Rhyne, a criminalist who is immobilized by quadriplegia. Several of Deaver’s novels feature Rhyne. Deaver is a tricky writer who takes the reader partly into his confidence, only to play tricks at the end.
Next on my list is James Patterson. I have several books by him that sounded interesting from the blurbs. Or maybe I will spend about three days reading Love Inspired romances first. We’ll see. 🙂 [Verdict on James Patterson: Overrated. And he doesn’t even write his own books anymore!]
For more of my book blogging, see here and here and here.
If you are a parent, you KNOW that you understand exactly what I mean, right? Your kid fixates on some favorite book–which you HATE–and he wants to hear it multiple times a day, sometimes chanting “Again, again!” right after you finish it, like a Teletubby.
After five kids, you had better believe I have done my share of reading to children. And I know how to condense a story and rush my way through a hated book. I honestly don’t get how some of this stuff makes it into print.
But books that parents love to read and kids hate to listen to are no better, are they? I’m thinking about all the beautifully illustrated hardback poetic bedtime story books I’ve bought over the years that, frankly, bored my kids to death. I’d look at them longingly, sitting ignored on the shelf, but Emily was the only one of my children who would put up with listening to baby literature.
Emily is a book addict like me, and she was born that way. Before she could walk, we could sit her in front of her shelf in the bookcase, and she would pull out every book, one at a time, and actually look at each picture (not throw them behind her for fun, like the rest of my kids). You could occupy her for an hour that way. And because she was the first child, and the only one for three years, we read to her all the time. I can recite the entire Dr. Seuss ABC book from memory (you probably can too, so I know you aren’t impressed) and large parts of other children’s books as well, thanks to Emily.
There wasn’t as much time to read to Jake and Teddy. Most of our reading happened at bedtime. They were actually really cooperative about listening to what I would consider “improving” books, like treasures from my beloved Eloise Wilkin collection like Prayers for Children and My Little Golden Book about God. They had a book about the Parables of Jesus that they loved. They asked over and over again to hear the one about “the man in the ditch.”
I am embarrassed to admit how little I have read to Lorelei and William by comparison. I don’t mean I never read to them, but it wasn’t daily, not even at bedtime. Maybe it makes up for it some that Emily likes to read to them. Since we moved here, I read bedtime stories to Lorelei most nights, usually the books she herself has picked out from her school library. She especially loves the Pee Wee Scout chapter books.
What children’s books do I like? I could write post after post on this topic (Ah! There’s an idea!). I’m not a fan of sappy tearjerkers like I’ll Love You Forever. Make of that what you will. I also loathe gimmicky retreads like If You Give a Moose a Muffin. There was an awesomely hysterical article posted on Facebook a couple of weeks ago about horrible children’s books, which I did not repost because of the Bad Word in the title. But I agreed with almost all of it. Except I do think the Amelia Bedelia series is amusing. My new favorite children’s book isn’t exactly for children. But I digress.
Let me share just a few that my kids like and that I don’t mind reading over and over:
I first heard Owl Babies on Reading Rainbow. We bought the board book and Jake and Teddy loved it. We changed the three owls’ names to Emily, Jake, and Teddy. I never tired of reading it and they never tired of hearing it. The underlying message–that Mommy ALWAYS comes back–is organic, not tiresome and preachy. More More More Said the Baby is a feast of bright colors and baby love. It’s multicultural without screaming “Hey, look at how diverse these characters are!” It only has a few words on every page! What more could you ask for?
I think Red Red Red came to us via Imagination Library. As if it weren’t enough that someone surnamed Gorbachev would write a book with that title, it’s a lovely book. I had to read it to Lorelei every night for months so I know. I just love the moment at the end where everyone finds out what is red. What a great reminder to enjoy the little things in life.
Doesn’t EVERYONE love Frog and Toad? I didn’t appreciate them nearly as much as a child as I have come to as a grownup. These books teach friendship by showing it, not preaching about it. Can you tell I hate preachy children’s books? And they are funny, too.
Will you share your favorite picture books with me in the comments?
I’m not even exaggerating when I say I almost cried when I read that the print version of the Encyclopedia Britannica is no more.
I’m not a dinosaur, okay? I can’t remember the last time I cracked an actual book to find information (besides, all my reference books are gone). I’ve prided myself for awhile now on being able to quickly access any information needed by me or anyone else in my family online.
But my love affair with encyclopedias goes way back. Back to the first report we had to write, in fourth grade. Everyone in the class had a state–mine was Kentucky–and we actually got to leave the classroom to go to the Resource Library down the hall (it was just an alcove with a couple of carrels and some shelves) to use the encyclopedias to find out the all-important state birds, flowers, and trees.
There was a set of old encyclopedias in every classroom. I remember impatiently waiting my turn for volume C so that I could write the short Columbus Day paper we all had to turn in. My method was to take each sentence in the encylopedia article and rearrange the words.
A few years later found me making trips to the public library to work on a country report, copying (by hand) every map I could find of Vietnam–topography, weather, agriculture.
I can’t remember how old I was when my father brought home a used set of encyclopedias that a friend at work was getting rid of. I was so excited. True, they were the 1959 edition of World Book, but a whole lot of history happened before then, you know? I had no trouble at all using them for my report on Ancient Egypt.
When I was in the 7th grade, I won the Regional division of the National Spelling Bee. The prize: a brand-new set of the 1980 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. If I recall correctly, they were worth $900. They looked magnificent, displayed on the shelves in our den. The fine print on the whisper-thin pages held so much information. They were so intellectual that at times I still used the beloved World Book. I loved the Micropedia section, which was kind of a miniature Internet–you could find anything in there!
The encyclopedias were boxed up 18 years ago, when my childhood home was sold. For 16 years I carried the enormous heavy boxes (well, John and the boys carried them) from home to home. They spent six years in the basement of our first home. Seven years in the attic of the next one. Finally, in our last house, with its built in shelving in the den, there was room to set them out–and John’s World Books too.
Well. You know how that ended. They’d long been unnecessary. Now with their value as shelf art destroyed, it didn’t make sense to drag them around any more. But when I read that article yesterday, I wished that I’d saved them just the same.
Okay, y’all, this is essentially an irrelevant fluff post, because I lost an hour of sleep this weekend and it took extreme heroism for me not to just go straight back to bed after John and Lorelei left this morning.
So, John was reading Time Magazine the other day while we were driving somewhere (aren’t we ALWAYS driving somewhere?) and he informed me that Time readers had selected the two top Best Picture Oscar winners. And the Oscars go to . . . (Why can’t they just say, “And the winner is”? Who do they thing they are kidding?) The Godfather and The Lord of the Rings (well, you know, really it’s The Return of the King, even though they said The Lord of the Rings).
I first saw The Godfather when Teddy was a baby. I can remember hearing about it when I was a child–you couldn’t escape hearing about the horrific horse head scene, probably one of the most shocking scenes in any movie, ever.
As for The Lord of The Rings, I saw all three films at the theatre as they came out. I rarely go to movies but these were a must-see for me. I’ve read the books more times than I can count, and while no movie adaptation is ever perfect, this one comes very close.
As far as pinning “The Best” label on one or the other, I think that’s silly. They are both masterpieces. And at first glance they seem too different to even invite comparison. But consider the following:
They are both myths, in a way. J.R.R. Tolkien created his own mythology in a secondary world he imbues with such reality that we believe it. Mario Puzo fictionalized and romanticized something from the real world. And they are both journeys, with unlikely protagonists who are forced into roles they never really wanted to assume.
What is strikingly different, of course, is how those journeys end. Frodo single-mindedly seeks the Ring’s destruction, even though he expects it will mean his own death. He wears ultimate power on a chain around his neck, but he only wants to be rid of it. That he does in the end put on the Ring and requires a little accidental help from Gollum to complete his quest doesn’t reflect on him because the Ring’s own supernatural powers would have overcome someone less pure of heart long before.
On the other hand, Michael Corleone, the good son who was supposed to do things right and stay out of the family business, quickly loses his purity of heart when he chooses revenge. At the movie’s end he has willingly taken up the corrupting mantle of absolute power. Certainly there were events that pushed Michael along the path, but the choices were his to make, and to quote another favorite movie: “He chose poorly.”
Do I have a point here? Not really. I just think it’s interesting that the top two movies present such opposing world views. And as cynical as I sometimes feel, I am going to put my faith in Tolkien’s view. What do you think? Do you like movies better if they reflect your own worldview? Does it even matter? Which of these two do you prefer and why?
