how sad is this

I just saw this article on the Yahoo! news.

In other news, I finished two books that I began long, long ago. One was Linda Gordon's "The Great Arizona Orphan Abduction" and the other was Elena Poniatowska's "Tinisima."

I was supposed to read Gordon's book when I was in school, so you can see that it's taken me a while to get through it. I did like it, but it's dense, and chock full of endnotes. So, if you are looking for a history lesson, it's a good one. If you are looking for a relaxing evening, not so much.

"Tinisima" is a fictional account of the life of Tina Modotti. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about Tina Modotti to separate fact from fiction, but it was a good book anyway. Poniatowska is an exceptional storyteller. I'm going to make an effort to try and read some of her books in Spanish. If you are new to Poniatowska, I would recommend "Massacre in Mexico" as your first stop.

Summer Reading

First of all sorry no pictures. My scanner died. I did add links so you can see them on Amazon.

Well, it's been eclectic through the move. I had to turn in my library books and pack my books so I've just been reading whatever was around. I have read several things in the last couple of days. First, I discovered Anita Brookner and I read her Hotel du Lac. I really enjoyed her writing style although it was not a light summer read. It was a little more thought provoking. The book is from the perspective of a female writer who is weighing the options of being in love or being comfortable. It won a booker.

Ok, then I got to Pam and Earl's in Olathe and I started reading off of their shelves. I read 2 REALLY REALLY good books that you are going to want to run out and borrow right away. First is Water for Elephants. I have been reluctant to read this book because I assumed it would have a sad ending. It seems like contemporary fiction tends to have sad endings right now just because it's popular. Well this one has a great ending AND an exciting story to get you there.

The other book I have been reading at Pam and Earl's is Drop Dead my Lovely. It is just hilarious. A hermity book seller is reading Sam Spade novels when a stack of books hits him in the head and he wakes up believing he is a private eye. And the way he talks is so funny. Everyone thinks he's a nut case. Here's a little teaser for you:

"You're kidding with that suit, right?"
Oh, yeah. She also had opinions.
Which is generally jake with me. I'm not going to bust a clavicle patting myself on the back for it, but it so happens I approve of women having ideas of their own. When you consider the fact that women are the only minority that outnumber men, it makes the whole package easier to swallow.
I'd put an ad in the Village Voice for a part-time receptionist and she'd shown up before the press run was dry. Turned out she was an actress--yeah, I know: who isn't?--in need of a day gig between classes, auditions, and nervous breakdowns. Or is it nervous breaks-down? Court martial, attorney general, time immemorial, Nutty Buddy--some words are like people. The get perverse in the plural. From times immemorial, after courts martial, attorneys general traditionally enjoy Nuttys Buddy and have nervous breaks-down.
"I'm dead serious," I said. "It so happens I take great care with my appearance. And everything else, angel."
"Um...Pete."
There it was. That "um." I'd been hearing it all my life. The party of the second part was about to pop some frequently asked questions. "What? You're on the air, kid."
"Seriously. What's up with you?"
"Come again, doll?"
"That. The way you talk. With all these 'dolls' and 'angels.' And these zoot-suity clothes. And the hat. This whole hard-boiled thing. Are you serious or what?"
"Yeah, people ask me that all the time."
"So? What do you say?"
" I say I'm just a guy trying to stay clean in a dirty world. I'm a professional, and I wear what the professionals wear. Anybody who doesn't like it can send an e-mail to their congressman."
Stephanie suddenly looked sly. She said, one con artist to another, "Come on, Pete. You can tell me. This is a put-on, right?"
"Lady," I said, "you're looking at a man who doesn't do put-ons. Why? In self-defense. Because life as we know it is a put-on. The more you learn about the world, the more they change it into something else while you're in bed reading The New Yorker. The more convinced you are that you know the score, the bigger the pie they're baking to hit you in the face with out on the street. All a mug can do in a world like this is be a deliberate as possible. In everything."

The whole book is this great. Also, he is the worst P.I. I have ever read about. Love it!

Well, since Uncle Paul is deviating with some action - I think I will add a little chick reading! I barely have a chance to read so when I do it is strictly for FUN! I think mostly because you can pick up a book after a week and remember what is going on.

The last book I read was "Hot Stuff" by one of my favorite chick writers Janet Evanovich. I doubt you learn much from this book, but it is still fun to read. If you are in the neighborhood, my mother was going to drop it off at grandma's house.

the death of a library card

I canceled my library card today and it was more painful than I expected. Not only did I cancel my card, but I also returned the book I had been holding on to (way past the due date) because I still thougth I could finish it. I paid my fine and withdrew my request for a book (Savage Detectives). I had forgotten about the hold on the Savage Detectives, so that was a sad surprise.

AND THEN, the librarian proceeded to cut my library card into tiny little pieces with a pair of scissors, right in front of me! It was awful.

No time for reading. We'll see how many books I can find in English after the move.

Lee Child

I'm deviating from the intellectual mode of this blog and inserting some action. This guy's protagonist is Jack Reacher, a drifter. He is ex-military MP and owns and carries nothing but his toothbrush (though he does have a bank account he accesses occasionally). He ends up in fortuitous situations that cause me a lot of excitement. His first is killing floor where he drifts into a town and immediately is charged with murder. I think my favorite is Dye Trying where he walks out of a store and bumps into a lady who is being abducted at the time so they just take him along. All of his are exciting, especially for those of us with wandering spirits.

Check it out! Free Book System

http://bookmooch.com/

Chinese Lessons

I just finished this book, which was recommended to me by a co-worker. The author was one of the first US exchange students to study in China after the Cultural Revolution.

This is the quote on the back of the book by the former US ambassador to China,

"John Pomfret has written a brilliant, insightful book describing the dark side and the human cost of the 'Chinese economic miracle.' His feel for China, based on years of living there, his fluency in Chinese, and his reporting genius cut through the sham and spin of much current coverage."

The book recounts the lives of five of his classmates and Pomfret's life and interactions with China, including his expulsion after the Tienanmen square massacre. This is a great way to learn about recent Chinese history and give more perspective to the current issues in China.

I would strongly encourage everyone to read this before the Olympics in Beijing.

d

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

Terry Ryan wrote this book about her mother. It is pretty funny, as you would expect when there are 10 kids in one house. To help pay for expenses, the mother starts entering writing contests. And she wins--a lot! Here is a little teaser:

"She began her contesting career simply enough, with Burma-Shave roadside rhymes. In the 1950s you couldn't drive down a highway without passing a Burma-Shave roadside billboard campaign, six signs spaced at hundred-yard intervals down the road, one line to a sign, the last always "Burma-Shave". The verses were clever and meant to amuse, their content ranging from shaving to safe driving and current culture. My mother's submissions added to those topics an occasional touch of irony:

Race little roadster,
Fairly Fly.
You'll be
Used parts
By and by.
Burma-Shave.

Successful Burma-Shave jingles inserted a not-so-hidden advertisement into the mix, and in one entry Mom went for broke--if you don't shave close enough, you could kill yourself:

Hairpin turn,
Hotrod ditched.
Lost control,
His whiskers
Itched.
Burma-Shave."

Susan Vreeland

Just a short note on Passion of Artemisia. It was sort of a let down. I really loved Girl in Hyacinth Blue, so I was looking forward to another book from this author. Only one thing really happens in this book though. Maybe if I had known more about the art ahead of time I would have enjoyed it more.

French Impressions

by John S. Little--sort of. It's actually mostly taken from notes written by his mother while they were abroad. Cute stories about their adventures in France. Good book. Who loaned this to me? I'm ready to give it back.