Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which I received from my Dad for Christmas. It is "a novel in cartoons." So, it's 217 pages, but it is mostly cartoons. A quick read, but it still counts as a real book.
It's really cute! This middle-school boy keeps a journal and just tells little stories about his family and friends, and what happens at school.
Recommended.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Book 12: The Nine
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin is mostly about the O'Connor era, but includes a summary of the nominations and hearings of Harriet Miers, John Roberts, and Samuel Alito.
It's an enjoyable read, with Toobin describing the personalities and foibles of each of the justices. It's probably a little slanted to the left, but you know Toobin is part of the Liberal Media, so that shouldn't be a big shock. :)
An interesting fact: 5 current justices are Catholic: Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito. Remember when JFK was a controversial presidential candidate because he was Catholic? Why aren't we afraid of the Pope anymore? Toobin does not address this question.
O'Connor once visited a court in India and was surprised that the lawyers were citing her own judicial opinion from a U.S. case, debating what she meant by it. She started to realize then that we could look to other countries' laws sometimes, too. (This almost makes Scalia's head explode every time it's mentioned. NO ONE will influence us! We're the influencer!)
It is interesting to note that the U.S. is the only country that officially sanctions the executions of minors. Since 1990, the only other countries which have executed minors are: China, Congo, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Generally, we believe we have a very different ideology from those countries, so it is meaningful (and unappealing) to be lumped together with them (and ONLY them) on this issue.
I laughed several times while reading this book, mostly at the descriptions of the justices' personalities. It was educational (I did not realize how much James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, had dictated the new, ultra-conservative ideology of G.W. Bush's party.) Harriet Miers withdrew herself from consideration as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice because Dobson, et. al did not believe she was conservative enough!
Now I'm ready for something more fun.
It's an enjoyable read, with Toobin describing the personalities and foibles of each of the justices. It's probably a little slanted to the left, but you know Toobin is part of the Liberal Media, so that shouldn't be a big shock. :)
An interesting fact: 5 current justices are Catholic: Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito. Remember when JFK was a controversial presidential candidate because he was Catholic? Why aren't we afraid of the Pope anymore? Toobin does not address this question.
O'Connor once visited a court in India and was surprised that the lawyers were citing her own judicial opinion from a U.S. case, debating what she meant by it. She started to realize then that we could look to other countries' laws sometimes, too. (This almost makes Scalia's head explode every time it's mentioned. NO ONE will influence us! We're the influencer!)
It is interesting to note that the U.S. is the only country that officially sanctions the executions of minors. Since 1990, the only other countries which have executed minors are: China, Congo, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Generally, we believe we have a very different ideology from those countries, so it is meaningful (and unappealing) to be lumped together with them (and ONLY them) on this issue.
I laughed several times while reading this book, mostly at the descriptions of the justices' personalities. It was educational (I did not realize how much James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, had dictated the new, ultra-conservative ideology of G.W. Bush's party.) Harriet Miers withdrew herself from consideration as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice because Dobson, et. al did not believe she was conservative enough!
Now I'm ready for something more fun.
Friday, February 20, 2009
I'm already falling behind!
This is the 7th week of 2009, so I should be finishing up Book 14, but I'm only halfway through book 12! And it's not a fast read, either. It's about the U.S. Supreme Court, and while it is entertainingly and engagingly written, it's not A Real Page-Turner. I better hurry up and read a lot this weekend!
As you may know, I have a BA in English. I got used to reading Literature during college, and when I read too much easy fiction, I actually feel a little ... guilty. So, as penance for the Deavers, I had to read a non-fiction book. My usual pattern for the past few years would be:
1. Start a Non-Fiction book.
2. Want to be quickly entertained without putting in any work.
3. Set Non-Fiction book aside.
4. Read an easy novel.
5. Maybe eventually read a little more of the Non-Fiction book; maybe just pile it up next to my bed with the others.
This time, I did not allow myself to set the book aside. I'm on a tight schedule! I feel the pressure to complete this reading challenge with a full effort. My 3 readers are counting on me! I should probably be reading RIGHT NOW!
Anyway, I will probably have to read a bunch of Real Page-Turners this year if I'm going to meet my goal. Or else cheat and read children's books or pamphlets. And I will have to put off reading many thick books. I have Roberto Bolano's 2666 sitting on the shelf, waiting for me, but it's over 900 pages. 2010 sounds like a good time to read that one.
As you may know, I have a BA in English. I got used to reading Literature during college, and when I read too much easy fiction, I actually feel a little ... guilty. So, as penance for the Deavers, I had to read a non-fiction book. My usual pattern for the past few years would be:
1. Start a Non-Fiction book.
2. Want to be quickly entertained without putting in any work.
3. Set Non-Fiction book aside.
4. Read an easy novel.
5. Maybe eventually read a little more of the Non-Fiction book; maybe just pile it up next to my bed with the others.
This time, I did not allow myself to set the book aside. I'm on a tight schedule! I feel the pressure to complete this reading challenge with a full effort. My 3 readers are counting on me! I should probably be reading RIGHT NOW!
Anyway, I will probably have to read a bunch of Real Page-Turners this year if I'm going to meet my goal. Or else cheat and read children's books or pamphlets. And I will have to put off reading many thick books. I have Roberto Bolano's 2666 sitting on the shelf, waiting for me, but it's over 900 pages. 2010 sounds like a good time to read that one.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Book 11: In the Woods
I finished re-reading In the Woods by Tana French yesterday. This is French's first novel, and it features Cassie Maddox as the partner and best friend of our narrator, (Adam) Rob Ryan.
When Adam Ryan was a kid, two of his friends disappeared forever, leaving him behind, bloody and terrified in The Woods. He forgot what happened and never recovered the memories. His friends were never recovered, alive or dead. No one in his modern-day life knows this about him, except for his parents and Cassie. He goes by his middle name and his parents had moved to a different area of Ireland, so he's not easily connected to the old case.
Now, as a detective, he is inappropriately working on a modern murder case that may be related to his own unsolved case. Of course things do not go well.
Great things:
1. Twin little girls, one of whom has become slow-witted.
2. Manipulation on lots of levels, from different characters, and for different reasons.
3. Layers of deceit.
4. The self-awareness of doing the wrong thing but going ahead with it anyway.
5. French is a very engaging, engrossing writer. I wanted to devour the whole book from the very first chapter.
Annoying:
1. Same as in The Likeness: please don't use American pop culture references in an Irish book. It pulls me out of the world of the story. It also makes the book much less timeless. It is already dated because of these details.
2. I was disappointed that both cases were not solved. Of course, I might have been disappointed if they were both tidily wrapped up, too.
When Adam Ryan was a kid, two of his friends disappeared forever, leaving him behind, bloody and terrified in The Woods. He forgot what happened and never recovered the memories. His friends were never recovered, alive or dead. No one in his modern-day life knows this about him, except for his parents and Cassie. He goes by his middle name and his parents had moved to a different area of Ireland, so he's not easily connected to the old case.
Now, as a detective, he is inappropriately working on a modern murder case that may be related to his own unsolved case. Of course things do not go well.
Great things:
1. Twin little girls, one of whom has become slow-witted.
2. Manipulation on lots of levels, from different characters, and for different reasons.
3. Layers of deceit.
4. The self-awareness of doing the wrong thing but going ahead with it anyway.
5. French is a very engaging, engrossing writer. I wanted to devour the whole book from the very first chapter.
Annoying:
1. Same as in The Likeness: please don't use American pop culture references in an Irish book. It pulls me out of the world of the story. It also makes the book much less timeless. It is already dated because of these details.
2. I was disappointed that both cases were not solved. Of course, I might have been disappointed if they were both tidily wrapped up, too.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
More Babies! Oh No! More Poor Aquatic Photography!
Big news again, people! Today there are new babies in the aquarium. First I counted 12, then 16, and finally 18! They're so little and so fast that it's tough to count them.
This batch has white ones, speckled ones, and black ones.
The other babies, which are now such old news, are all still alive and doing very well: 7 black ones and 1 white one.
In the photo, you can see Big Blackie, three of the babies from last month, and one teeny dark baby above Big Blackie's tail, and one teeny white baby under Big Blackie's chin, just in the tips of that plant.
Additional aquarium news: we lost the snail. Poor guy: one day his shell was really badly cracked, and part of it had fallen off. Maybe he climbed up to the top, got spooked by a fish, and let go, falling to his eventual doom. He lived for several days with his damaged shell, and then one day the Algae Eater, who we call "Algae Eater" was cleaning up the remains. His shell remains in the tank as a warning to all other snails to follow.
Speaking of snails, we have what might
[REAL-TIME INTERRUPTION: JASON JUST CALLED TO ME, "I DON'T SEE ANY BABIES!" I HAD TO GO DOWNSTAIRS AND POINT THEM OUT TO HIM. 10-20 BABIES!]
be about 50 or 100,000 baby snails crawling and wriggling around. It's an infestation. I mean, we can use the clean-up help, what with our last wanted snail being dead. But those little guys multiply like crazy, and then crawl around everywhere like they own the place, and make it look...snail-infested. Jason smushes them whenever they climb high enough on the walls for him to reach them.
That's all the news from the aquarium today.
Book 10: The Likeness
The Likeness by Tana French.
I really like Tana French. She has written two murder novels that take place in Ireland. In this one, Cassie Maddox is a former undercover detective, now working in Domestic Violence. While undercover, she had created a character to play, named Lexie Madison. Now, months later, a woman named Lexie Madison has turned up dead, and she looks... exactly like Cassie Maddox! To find the murderer, Cassie goes undercover as Lexie (who the police say has miraculously survived the stabbing), to live with Lexie's roommates and find out who killed her and why. It's just as good as you imagine.
Two things bug the hell out of me:
1. Too many American pop culture references. This is a brand-new book, and she's referencing the American show "The X-Files." It just makes me sad to imagine that people in Ireland are watching our old re-runs, even though I like that show. It distracts me while I'm reading. I also don't enjoy reading the words "Britney and Justin," even if it is to make fun of someone.
2. Way too much reference to her first novel without ever summarizing what happened. Yes, it was the biggest event in Cassie's life, and the biggest disappointment. What was it???? I read it two years ago, and as we can see so far from this experiment in listing all my reading, I read about 100 books a year. I usually can't remember more than vague ideas or unimportant details from most books I read. So, I'm re-reading In the Woods and will report on it soon.
Some great things:
1. Look-alikes. What could be more fun in a mystery?
2. Getting immersed in pretending. Cassie has moments when she wishes she could just remain as Lexie and live out the rest of her life with Lexie's friends.
3. Multiple layers of deceit: Cassie's fooling the roommates AND her fellow officers.
4. In the Woods was told from the perspective of Cassie's partner, Rob. So we heard a lot about her, but not from her. Now we get to be inside her head.
One other thing:
French Tells rather than Showing. It's kind of a way of cheating, but it really does work with these very self-analytical and self-aware characters. The books are long, and we don't have to use our imaginations much because of French's technique. But they're Good.
And one LAST other thing:
Her writing has given the inspiration for yet a FOURTH novel, and I have not yet even finished the FIRST. So many ideas and so little discipline and courage to just sit down and write the things!
I really like Tana French. She has written two murder novels that take place in Ireland. In this one, Cassie Maddox is a former undercover detective, now working in Domestic Violence. While undercover, she had created a character to play, named Lexie Madison. Now, months later, a woman named Lexie Madison has turned up dead, and she looks... exactly like Cassie Maddox! To find the murderer, Cassie goes undercover as Lexie (who the police say has miraculously survived the stabbing), to live with Lexie's roommates and find out who killed her and why. It's just as good as you imagine.
Two things bug the hell out of me:
1. Too many American pop culture references. This is a brand-new book, and she's referencing the American show "The X-Files." It just makes me sad to imagine that people in Ireland are watching our old re-runs, even though I like that show. It distracts me while I'm reading. I also don't enjoy reading the words "Britney and Justin," even if it is to make fun of someone.
2. Way too much reference to her first novel without ever summarizing what happened. Yes, it was the biggest event in Cassie's life, and the biggest disappointment. What was it???? I read it two years ago, and as we can see so far from this experiment in listing all my reading, I read about 100 books a year. I usually can't remember more than vague ideas or unimportant details from most books I read. So, I'm re-reading In the Woods and will report on it soon.
Some great things:
1. Look-alikes. What could be more fun in a mystery?
2. Getting immersed in pretending. Cassie has moments when she wishes she could just remain as Lexie and live out the rest of her life with Lexie's friends.
3. Multiple layers of deceit: Cassie's fooling the roommates AND her fellow officers.
4. In the Woods was told from the perspective of Cassie's partner, Rob. So we heard a lot about her, but not from her. Now we get to be inside her head.
One other thing:
French Tells rather than Showing. It's kind of a way of cheating, but it really does work with these very self-analytical and self-aware characters. The books are long, and we don't have to use our imaginations much because of French's technique. But they're Good.
And one LAST other thing:
Her writing has given the inspiration for yet a FOURTH novel, and I have not yet even finished the FIRST. So many ideas and so little discipline and courage to just sit down and write the things!
Book 9: Praying for Sleep
Jeffery Deaver's Praying for Sleep. This was s fun one. A schizophrenic patient/prisoner escapes and sets off on some sort of mission. Hunting for him/trying to hide from him are doctors, police, a tracker, and everyday folk who have had meaningful interactions with him in the past.
It's kind of like Halloween in that the guy is huge and doesn't feel pain, but is hell-bent on completing his mission. We can't understand what it is that he wants until the very end, and of course Deaver puts in plenty of plot twists. Several characters have surprising secrets.
The patient, Michael, is very interested in Abe Lincoln (Happy Late Birthday!) and also in language. He makes a lot of connections between different words. He writes secret messages by capitalizing some letters within his missive (the caps spell out a phrase which is the real message). It's fun!
It's kind of like Halloween in that the guy is huge and doesn't feel pain, but is hell-bent on completing his mission. We can't understand what it is that he wants until the very end, and of course Deaver puts in plenty of plot twists. Several characters have surprising secrets.
The patient, Michael, is very interested in Abe Lincoln (Happy Late Birthday!) and also in language. He makes a lot of connections between different words. He writes secret messages by capitalizing some letters within his missive (the caps spell out a phrase which is the real message). It's fun!
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