Fiction Addiction

Case Histories is the second Atkinson novel I have read.  Having loved When Will There Be Good News, I had to see if they were all that good!

Admittedly, after reading through the first 3 “case histories”, I very nearly decided to take a pass on this novel.  It was so depressing!

However, I decided to continue reading, and having done so, I now think I get the type of stories Atkinson writes.  It seems many of her characters face all sorts of horrendous, heartbreaking situations, and through the course of the novel, they find a way to get past the tragedy and relearn how to embrace life.  It’s also a mystery, much like WWTBGN, as each of the “case histories” are really unsolved mysteries.

Would I recommend this book?  Yes, with the caveat that starts off pretty heavy handed with 3 sad “histories”.  Would I read another Atkinson novel?  Probably.  But I think I may take a break for a bit…

WOW! I am so glad I decided to read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo!!  I really don’t want to give away any of the plot.  It is so enjoyable to read this one without knowing much about it.

In short - it’s a mystery of sorts that starts off a little slowly, but quickly gathers momentum with every page.  Before you know it you are completely hooked, and the book is over!!  I can’t believe we have to wait until July ‘09 before the sequel, The Girl Who Played With Fire, comes out in its US publication.  It’s also very sad that this phenominal novelist’s life was cut short.  In any case,  this is not a book you want to miss!!!

I haven’t read a Dean Koontz novel in ages, and my favorite was Watchers.  I drifted away from this type of novel for several years, but with the sleep depravation that comes with raising an infant, I was looking for something light and fast paced.  The Good Guy was also recommended by Stephen King in his EW article, so I gave it a go. It wasn’t bad.  It was definitely a fast read. It is a bit of a chase novel (like The De Vinci Code, but without the contraversy) but it held my interest.  I would consider this a good vacation read - light and fast.

I read Riding Lessons because I loved Water for Elephants so much.  It’s always intersting to me to see if I will love most novels by an author, or just the one.  For example, there are very few Stephen King novels I don’t like, and despite his towering ego, I really enjoy most John Irving novels. In any case, I thought this book was OK.  Water for Elephants was just so good, it’s hard to compare.  I found myself not liking the main character in Riding Lessons that much, which made it a little more difficult to enjoy.  It’s still worth reading, but you can’t go in with too high of expectations.

When Will There Be Good News was recommended to me by my mother in law.  I immediately downloaded it to my Kindle without even reading the summary, based on her enthusiasim alone.  I then saw that Stephen King recommended this book in his “Best Books of 2008″ article he wrote for EW.  I took that as a sign and read this book as soon as I could.  It was excellent!  I suppose at the heart of it, it is a mystery, but what I liked most is that even through all of the darkness that prevaled through most of the novel, there was a fierce hope and determination not to let that darkness win.  This is the first novel by Atkinson that I have read, but I downloaded a second to the Kindle just yesterday. I haven’t started it yet, but plan to soon.  I am curious of they are all as good as this one.

Why was my last post March 25 of this year, you may ask?  Because I found out I was pregnant in early April and struggled with morning (all day) sickness and finding enough energy to go to work, never the less post on the blog!  However, I did get some reading done over the last several months (and even some now that the baby is born - she still sleeps a lot and I am still on maternity leave;-).

One novel that I really enjoyed was The Host. As you know, I completed, and thoroughly enjoyed, the whole Twighlight series, so The Host was a logical next read.  I was curious how Meyer would handle a novel targeted to adults, and in my opinion she didn’t disappoint.  Without spoiling the plot, this is an interesting story about a race of sentient beings who believe they are improving worlds by “body snatching” other sentient beings.  That is the moral back drop of the story, but I really enjoyed the characters as well, both alien and human.  I am not sure my hubby would enjoy the book as much as I did, as there is a love story that figures as one of the central plot lines, but I suspect many of my girlfriends would.

In any case, I hear that Meyer is working on a sequel to The Host. If so, you can bet I will pick that up too!

Snow Angels is a quick, if dark, read. I read it because I really like Kate Beckinsale, who plays the lead in the movie version of this novel. It is well written but very sad. Most of the characters are not happy, and I tend to prefer books with at least some glimmer of hope.  Just when I thought this book might have some, it was quickly snuffed out. If you are in the mood for characters who struggle to be better, but sadly can’t get out of their own way, you may want to check this one out.

I LOVED this one!!! The Book of Bright Ideas is one that you can’t pass up.  I absolutely fell in love with this book. With the character’s flaws, their pain and misunderstanding, contrasted to other character’s fierce embrace of life, love and acceptance. I loved Winnalee to no end. Her disregard for what others thought of her, for her acceptance of herself and others.

The story is told from 9 year old Button’s perspective, and a summer when Winnalee and her sister Freeda blow into town like a fire storm that wipes out some things, and allow others to grow in their place. I didn’t want the Summer of The Book of Bright Ideas to end…

The Book of Bright Ideas itself is a book that contains “life lessons”, so that Winnalee will learn how best to live life. The quote below is just one Bright Idea, but I loved it. I didn’t want this book to end, and cried when it did. I would absolutely recommend this!!!

“Bright Idea #94: If you always ride on the slow rides that don’t lift far off the ground, just because you’re afraid of falling, you won’t fall far, that’s true, but you won’t get many thrills either. And you won’t be proud of yourself when the carnival’s over.”

Some Things That Stay is the second of the 4 novels I recently purchased.  It’s a coming of age story of a 15 year old girl who is moved every year with her family to a new place by her artist father, always in search of new inspiration for his paintings. Themes of religion, loss, love, and the ability to change resonate throughout the novel.  I liked this one as well, but didn’t connect to the characters quite as much as I did to Whistling in the Dark or The Book of Bright Ideas.

I especially liked the conflicted feelings the main character has about religion. Raised by atheists, she is exposed to Christianity by her Baptist neighbors.  She never experiences what the others seem to in church, but she desperately wants to feel connected, to feel that there is a Grand Scheme to things.  I think most people experience this, whether religious or not, the desire for community, to feel connected.  I thought Sarah did an excellent job of portraying this, without beating us over the head with either atheism or Christianity.

I would recommend this one as well.

On the cover of this novel is a quote by Sara Gruen, the author of Water for Elephants, which of course is one of my favorites!  That alone gave me reason to read Whistling in the Dark, and I wasn’t disappointed.  I ordered a handful of books from amazon.com, based on recommendations on the site.  I really liked 4 of them, this being one.

It’s a sweet story of two sisters, one fearless and smart as a whip named Troo, and her older sister Sally who is fiercely protective of her sister, while not quite as fearless but extremely observant.  The story has a bit of a mystery wrapped in it, which carries the plot, but I just fell in love with the characters.

I read this in less than week, always an indicator of a good story.

The Secret River is a piece of historical fiction set in the early 1800’s colonial Australia.  It isn’t the fastest book I have ever read, but it was poignant.

In retrospect, I would like to read this story from the perspective of the native Aborigines.  It was hard for me to have a tremendous amount of empathy for the main characters based on the decisions they ultimately make.  I can’t highly recommend this one, but those who really like historical fiction should enjoy it.

I loved this book! Once Upon A Day was quite a nice surprise. I loved the characters, their raw and honest emotion, their broken lives and the hope that transcended their separate tragedies. This was the first novel by Lisa Tucker that I read, and I already have another one in my Amazon queue! This was the type of novel and you don’t really want to end, because it will mean the end of your relationship with the characters.

I would definitely recommend this one.

Middlesex is a beautifully written novel with memorable turns of phrase and a complex rich story line that spans 3 generations.  The story takes place in Greece, Turkey and Detroit MI, and is told from the perspective of a narrator who begins their story as a female, and ends as a male.

It is certainly not a short read.   The subject matter is a bit unusual, but there is nothing unusual about the momentum that carries the plot, from war, to the hey day of Motor City, to race riots,  all of which so colorfully and often times sadly highlight the human condition.

I would recommend this book, but you have to be in the mood to invest time and be willing to engross yourself in what I sometimes found to be uncomfortable topics.

I have attended every Tori Amos concert since Under the Pink. For some reason, last Friday’s concert was my favorite among them. The people attending the concert, and Tori herself, had such positive energy that night.

I loved the remix of Raspberry Swirl and Bouncing Off Clouds.  I think sitting in row N of the Orchestra section helped improve the sound - historically I have always felt the band drowned Tori out, but I was usually in the balcony.

And as per the blogs, yes they were filming so the song sets were fairly standard, and no Tori didn’t improvise much, but I honestly didn’t care!  I really just had a great time, shared a lot of positive energy with a room full of happy people.  Should we expect more from a concert?  Perhaps some do, but this is one tour I am really glad I didn’t miss!

The Other Boleyn Girl is interesting bit of historical fiction, with a emphasis on “fiction”. It is amazing how little we know for sure of things that happened only 500 years ago, in a country that speaks English, in a society that was mostly literate (English gentry). It makes one question how much we know, or don’t know, of things that happened much longer ago, in societies much less literate and in other languages to boot.

Overall the novel is a nice yarn that manages to stay engaging even though we know the ending. It’s worth the read, although to quote a friend it does get a bit “harlequin” towards the end.

As a side note, I did think that Ann Boleyn was quite villainized. Who is to say what her true character was like, but my inclination is to believe she was probably not quite as vicious and autocratic as this novel portrayed. I like to think she was a survivor; a smart woman who created and took advantage of an opportunity, but perhaps hadn’t read the fine print before doing so. It was a lesson well learned by her daughter and future queen, Elizabeth I.

Landing at Logan International BEFORE Garmin nüvi 350 Pocket Vehicle GPS Navigator with Maps for North America: Land at 9 pm ET, find way to rental car, get in rental car, ask rental car attendant for directions to Mass Pike West. Make the first turn correctly. Miss the second one. End up on who knows which freeway but definitely not the Mass Pike.

In the dark, in the rain. Apparently street lights are illegal in MA.

Several miles and many tears later, pull into gas station to find out what was already known - this was the wrong direction. Get correct directions from gas station attendant, hoping this was not the MA equivalent of the Tenderloin, try to memorize them, and get back on the road.

Pray I don’t miss the turn this time.

Landing at Logan International AFTER Garmin nüvi 350 Pocket Vehicle GPS Navigator with Maps for North America: Land at 9 pm ET, find way to rental car, get in rental car, snap Garmin onto the windshield. A nice Australian accented female voice tells me to make a left, then a right, then the first left. Mass Pike West entrance is successful.

Drive through Mass Pike, only to find it consists of miles of tunnels. Garmin satelite doesn’t do tunnels.

Ah oh.

Just before entering tunnel # 2 Garmin reconnects to satelite and announces a turn was missed. She recalculates. She suggests the next viable option. Hop right on it. 45 mintes later I arrive at my destination. No tears, no panic, and only one easily recoverable missed turn.

If you are wondering if Garmin nüvi 350 Pocket Vehicle GPS Navigator with Maps for North America is worth it’s $366.99 sticker price, just ask my husband. He will tell you it is worth every penny:-)

After giving up on The Expected One, I moved on to Suze Orman’s The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom. It was great! It was very accessible and easy to read. Rich Dad, Poor Dad, is still my favorite and something I consider a must read, but this book really helped me understand a lot more about our money and how to protect it.

For example, and keep in mind I am paraphrasing big time here, did you know that if all you have is a will, when you (and your spouse, if applicable) pass, all of your assets must first go into probate? This can take months to years before titles to properties are transferred to the beneficiary. Once it is out of probate, some states, including CA of course, have a standard probate tax - and it’s material. How do you avoid this tax? You really should read the book, but in short you can create something called a revocable living trust.

She goes over a lot more, like durable power of attorney (so you don’t end up stuck on a respirator somewhere), life insurance, long term care insurance (1 in 2 adults who have LTC insurance will use it), and bypass trusts (they protect your beneficiaries from federal estate tax). It is a quick read and I feel a lot more confident on how to prepare for the future. I am now reading Cramer’s Mad Money. It’s really good so far too.

Growing up I was told small dogs were annoying yippy creatures that one would be crazy to own. Big dogs were respectable, smart and perhaps offered protection (or at least the appearance there of). They definitely weren’t yippy. But then we got one. I won’t deny she can be yippy, but it is our fault for treating her like a baby. How can you not!?! She was 3 lbs when we got her! We try to treat her like a dog, but ultimately she breaks us with her waggily tail.

I don’t think we are the only people that fall victim to the cuteness of a tiny dog. When we take our now 10 lb puppy out in public people literally slow down and stare at us with big toothy grins. Maggie is a fluffy mutt with a tail that shakes her whole body when it wags. It’s impossible not to smile looking at that dog. I have no doubt every owner feels the same, but I can’t help thinking Maggie makes the world just the tiniest bit a happier place for her being in it.

When we tell our friends we send our 9 month old puppy Maggie to doggie day care, we are usually greeted with a snort I interpret to mean “Are you kidding me? Dogs don’t need day care!”. Let me tell you why I disagree.

Our life before doggie day care: Bryan and I both work so that we can afford the roof over puppy’s head and afford the air conditioning that keeps puppy cool in the summer. That means that for 9 hours a day, plus 9 hours at night, puppy does nothing but sleep. What does this fun little math equation mean?

It means that all of the energy puppy gathers by sleeping 18 hours a day is expended between 5-9PM. This energy manifests itself in many wonderful ways, inclusive of but not limited to chewing anything within reach, biting (she especially likes to bite the “love handles”, not a pleasant feeling, I can assure you), digging, running outside through the mud then in through the doggie door and straight onto the couch, barking at anything that moves (or not, movement doesn’t appear to be a requirement), topped off by some crazy sprinting around the house while making strange gremlin-like noises and all be damned if anyone can catch her.

Our life after doggie day care: Doggie gets dropped off at 8 AM at doggie care, where she literally runs into the playroom and can’t be bothered by the fact that her mom/dad is leaving for the day. She spends all morning running after other dogs. She then gets a 1.5 hour nap around 1 PM, where I assume she at least stops running. The afternoon is spent following the care givers around, hoping for a treat (she is a known treat hound in puppy class).

Finally, some time between 5-6 PM she gets picked up. She walks VERY quickly back to the car, hops into the back seat, right into her crate and lies down. She doesn’t make a peep on the drive home. Upon arriving home, she calmly follows us around the house and thankfully plants herself in our lap the moment we sit down. At night, she is so tired she just waits to be picked up and put to bed. Basically, our little devil dog becomes an overnight angel.

It’s a pretty solid case to me. All of us are happier; Maggie is calmer, we feel less guilty, and we aren’t embarrassed to have guests over during the week. So go ahead and scoff if you like, but if I have changed your mind, I won’t make you admit it. Check out Planet Pooch any time you like, we won’t tell;-)

We are a gadget house. We don’t own every new gadget out there (no iPhone for example) but we hold our own. Our latest purchase is the AppleTV. My first inclination was to think that all we needed was another plastic box on the shelf, but since I spend more than my fair share at Nordstrom’s I felt I had little room to complain. So we buy the new gadget, bring it home, and Bryan spends some time on the floor surrounded by wires (not all of which would make their way back to the garage on their own;-). A little while later we have AppleTV. I loved it! It wirelessly connected to iTunes, which is on a computer in our office, and our entire playlist was available in our living room, menu via TV and sound via surround sound. When before my music listening was relegated to the car (via ipod) or gym (again via ipod) we now find ourselves listening to music all the time.

As it turned out, this also meant we had to create some new playlists. We had a couple co-workers over not too long ago, and the only somewhat acceptable playlist we had included Bon Jovi and Journey. I was informed post dinner party that Bon Jovi wasn’t “guest appropriate”. Needless to say we now have a playlist called “Guest”, and there is not a Journey or Bon Jovi to be found.