By Ruth Ozeki (418 pp)
I've had this writer on my list forever and I finally grabbed a book. For the most part I was wildly in love with this book. However, last night I had terrible insomnia that I knew it was hopeless so I got up and went to the living room to read. Unfortunately, I was at a terribly dark part of the book which wasn't the greatest at 3am. This is about a woman who finds the diary of a 16 year old Japanese-American girl on the beach. She has her own issues and as she reads the diary learns of the 16 year old's issues. One of the featured characters is a 104 year old Buddhist nun. The book is hilarious, sad and has some tough spots but overall: RECOMMEND.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
26. Writing is My Drink
By Theo Pauline Nestor (249 pp)
Hannah gave me this book for my birthday - it's both memoir and how-to for writing memoir. Here's a quote from when Nestor was unable to write something for work in a crunch: "I did not die because we never do die in those moments when we come toe-to-toe with the version of ourselves that's a fraction of the person we want to be." If would have been nice to read that in a book 30 years ago. Recommend for people interested in memoir.
Hannah gave me this book for my birthday - it's both memoir and how-to for writing memoir. Here's a quote from when Nestor was unable to write something for work in a crunch: "I did not die because we never do die in those moments when we come toe-to-toe with the version of ourselves that's a fraction of the person we want to be." If would have been nice to read that in a book 30 years ago. Recommend for people interested in memoir.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
25. Green Grass, Running Water
By Thomas King (431 pp.)
This book came out in 1993 and it's interesting how timeless it felt. Sure, there were VCRs and no cellphones so it's not like you can't tell it was written over 20 years ago, but the issues the Indians were dealing are pretty much unchanged. I can't believe I had never heard of it before. (Thanks Carter).
I wasn't sure if this book was going to work for me because it has a magical realism thread and I can't always get into that. However, this book is hilarious. It concerns some missing elders and a group of contemporary First Nations people in Alberta dealing with life. Unique structure that took me awhile to figure out. Recommend especially for people who like contemporary Indian stories. Also I feel compelled to add that there is a character on p. 281 named Robert Loblaw.
This book came out in 1993 and it's interesting how timeless it felt. Sure, there were VCRs and no cellphones so it's not like you can't tell it was written over 20 years ago, but the issues the Indians were dealing are pretty much unchanged. I can't believe I had never heard of it before. (Thanks Carter).
I wasn't sure if this book was going to work for me because it has a magical realism thread and I can't always get into that. However, this book is hilarious. It concerns some missing elders and a group of contemporary First Nations people in Alberta dealing with life. Unique structure that took me awhile to figure out. Recommend especially for people who like contemporary Indian stories. Also I feel compelled to add that there is a character on p. 281 named Robert Loblaw.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
24. Wolf Hall
By Hilary Mantel (604 pp)
I had two half finished books before I went on vacation and of course I can't take a half finished book on vacation. I've been wanting to read this and I like taking a tome on vacation so this was it. Actually I originally chose 2 tomes but I smartly put one back. Over the course of vacation I read 450 pages and I was afraid I would never get around to finishing this. But I am still feeling worn out from travel and the busy week I had this week so I spend a couple of lazy afternoons finishing it. It is a King Henry VIII story from the POV of Thomas Cromwell. It's a little dense for a vacation book. I like KHVIII as much as the next person but after awhile I can't keep track of who is who and jeez, they sure liked executing people. Definitely recommend for people who love KHVIII stories.
I had two half finished books before I went on vacation and of course I can't take a half finished book on vacation. I've been wanting to read this and I like taking a tome on vacation so this was it. Actually I originally chose 2 tomes but I smartly put one back. Over the course of vacation I read 450 pages and I was afraid I would never get around to finishing this. But I am still feeling worn out from travel and the busy week I had this week so I spend a couple of lazy afternoons finishing it. It is a King Henry VIII story from the POV of Thomas Cromwell. It's a little dense for a vacation book. I like KHVIII as much as the next person but after awhile I can't keep track of who is who and jeez, they sure liked executing people. Definitely recommend for people who love KHVIII stories.
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