Welcome, New Year!

Holiday bounty...this isn't all of it!

The holidays are great and all, but is it just me, or are you glad they're behind us?

I had a ball with my family and friends for the past 2 weeks. We ate, we drank, and we sang ourselves silly. But never have I felt such a strong desire for the restart of the new year. Clean slate. Square one. You are welcome here, 2014. Come into my warm embrace.

2013 was great, y'all. Don't get me wrong. But it was a whirlwind, and my reading suffered. The mayhem prevented me from getting lost in any books, from really devouring them. The calm of a serene 2014 full of words is appealing. (One can hope!)

And on to the books! I have some great readers around me. GREAT! And they gift me with new titles all while I pilfer their own personal libraries and fill my suitcase with the bounty. I come to this restart with a new motivation to not just find and covet books, but to actually sit down and read them as I've always done. Let me share a few titles still resting rather snugly in my suitcase, great candidates for the first solid read of the new year.

Detroit City Is the Place to Be: The Afterlife of an American Metropolis by Mark Binelli, 2012

Truth be told: Detroit City Is the Place to Be was resting under many a board book on my brother and sister-in-law's staircase. I started it while I was their house guest intrigued as we all are now (I'm late to the game) in all things Detroit. So far as I can tell, Mark Binelli moved to Detroit and wrote this nonfiction book about his observations while there. The book is also littered with history and possibilities for the city's future. I read this Slate review that seems pretty convincing of Binelli's lyrical prowess and ability to inform and entertain despite not coming to any new conclusions.
I grew up about 4 hours from Detroit and now spend a lot of time in Michigan as my husband lives there, and I have NEVER BEEN WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS! Travesty.
2014 resolution: visit Detroit.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, 1939

Not usually much of a mystery reader, I've never read any Agatha Christie. NONE! Isn't that the worst? My brothers (they're at it again...they are the true feeders of my reading habit) say And Then There Were None is pretty creepy and not in the gruesome way but in the suspenseful unknowing way which is the best kind of creepy.
10 people, all of whom were involved in the death of other people in various ways, are tricked into coming to an island on which they are trapped due to poor weather. One by one they are each killed.
And that's all I know because I haven't read it! But seeing as it is considered the best selling mystery novel ever, this librarian needs to get on it!

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, 2009

Dave gave me this book for Christmas...do you think he's trying to say something?! I spent a lot of time during the latter half of 2013 going through the motions, sulking in my teeny apartment, and generally feeling in a funk. Husband is on it throwing back the curtains, letting the light in, and gifting me this book written by Gretchen Rubin who devoted a year of her life to incorporating more happiness and joy in her day-to-day.
Maybe giving up all those" drink more water", "exercise daily", "up your veggie intake" resolutions and resolving to get happy in 2014 is the way to go?

Gold Coast by Elmore Leonard, 1980

Elmore Leonard passed away this year, and I've never read his books. Seen a movie or two (Get Shorty, Be Cool, etc.) adapted from his work, but never read one of his books. And then wouldn't you know my brother Matt had this nestled on his bookshelf. He gave it a high accolades so it stowed away in my carry on.
One sentence pitch: When Karen's mob boss husband passes away, he leaves her millions with a caveat: if she starts seeing someone else, she'll lose it all...something is bound to happen with a set up like that!
I've only read the first chapter, but so far it is quick and readable with plenty of plot to keep you entertained.


P.S. Leonard spent much of his life living in Michigan and working in Detroit. Just a little Michigan lover there for you.

*And while you're busy clicking around the internet, check out this cheeky piece written by Leonard for the NY Times in 2001: "WRITERS ON WRITING; Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hooptedoodle".

Happy fresh start to you and yours! XOXO

Proposed brother/sister road trip: Russia's M10

Just thought you should know....

Anne Lamott has a new book (remember her from the honeymoon?)! I saw it when I picked up the copy of Dallas 1963 I ordered from the bookstore around the corner. Stiches was tempting sitting there on the checkout counter looking all green and hopeful, but buying 2 hardcover books in one trip to the bookstore is buying one too many. Until next time, Anne!

Also, Dave and I saw 12 Years a Slave. Whew. If you've heard anything about it, you've likely heard this movie is strong and powerful and very difficult to watch. Do not expect a relaxing trip to the theatre. And don't buy popcorn and candy and the likes. The brutality of 12 Years a Slave does not lend itself to movie snacks. All of that said, I encourage you to see it as it supposedly is one of the most accurate depictions of slavery to come out of the film industry. I recommend it in the same way I would recommend Schindler's List.

And finally, I stumbled on this FASCINATING piece from the New York Times on the 430-mile road that connects St. Petersburg and Moscow, the M10, that is. The article describes the severe neglect of the road and the plight of the towns and villages out there standing along it. We're talking out in the hinterlands here. Villages are being reclaimed by the wilderness! There has been a resurgence of child marriages along the M10 as laws for schooling the young have changed or been done away with. And there was a 70 MILE TRAFFIC JAM during a blizzard last year. The article reads:

    After a snowstorm in November, about 10,000 vehicles got stuck in a traffic jam that 

    extended more than 70 miles, trapping some drivers for three days in subzero 

    temperatures.

What?! That is some wild west business happening out there. The article gives political explanations as to why the M10 has experienced such neglect and the implications of this downward spiral.

Read on, my friends! And happy November!

Dallas 1963 by Bill Minutaglio and Steven L. Davis, 2013

NPR's author interviews are just the best, keeping me up with the latest and greatest of recently published. Bill Minutaglio and Steven L. Davis have co-authored Dallas 1963 as the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination approaches, and I heard Melissa Block discuss the book with Bill last week.

...and now I've ordered it from my local bookstore. What can I say?! 

The book describes the political tension and climate in Dallas prior to that infamous event at the grassy knoll on November 22, 1963. In the brief interview, Minutaglio mentioned the Mink Coat Mob incident in which LBJ and Ladybird Johnson were attacked by a mob of Dallas' "leading citizens" just a few days prior to the election in 1960. And I was intrigued. I enjoy books like this...little nuggets and microcosms of history, descriptions of a city or a year, something focused. Bill Bryson has a new book with that same sort of focus, One Summer: America, 1927 (thanks, Diane Rehm!), as if he plucked this year, this moment out of a vast history to really focus the reader and help him or her better understand the feeling, the movement.

Listen to the interview here and scroll down to read an excerpt from the book. And then go order it from your local bookstore (because if I wait for this new release from my library, it may be January before I get it, and I can totally regift this at Christmas, right?).

Happy reading! Happy October! Eating pumpkin bread and hunkering down with Roald Dahl's The Witches over here. How will you celebrate the season?

P.S. Remember Anjelica Huston's terrifying performance in the creepy 1990 movie version of The Witches?! If that film doesn't give you nightmares, you're made of tougher stuff than I.

Honeymoon

Over the past 6 months, Dave and I got engaged and tied the knot.

There is so much to say on that subject that I choose to say only that we are happy and thankful and overwhelmed by the generosity of our family and friends. Also, we are looking forward to returning to our selves, our selves who read and run and talk about interesting things, and not the wedding planning version of our selves.

We escaped to the upper peninsula of Michigan and honeymooned on Isle Royale, a secluded island National Park about 50 miles north of the Keewenaw Peninsula on the western U.P, and Mackinac Island, an undeniably quaint hamlet wedged between the great lakes of Superior, Michigan, and Huron. Between island hops, we found time to visit Painted Rocks National Lakeshore, eat the U.P.'s finest pasty (hand-held pot pie), and discover a gem of a bookstore in Marquette, Michigan (where we restocked on reading materials and I romanticized living just around the corner choosing to forget about the roaring winter months).

These happy, secluded weeks drew to a close yesterday as we wrapped up our time on Mackinac. But I can feel the beginning of a new reading cycle in my life taking hold as I've managed to acquire new books throughout our trip.

I'll spare you the whole list and just touch on some reading highlights as of recent.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris, 2008

My brother Matt and I drove from D.C. to Indiana a week before the wedding. We visited our cousin in Pittsburgh, stopped at a lighthouse in Ohio, and listened to a Father John Misty album the whole darn way. Additionally, whomever was riding passenger read aloud essays from this Sedaris classic. I had found it on a family bookshelf a few days before and smuggled it out of greater D.C. in my duffel. We laughed and laughed as one always does with any delicious Sedaris book. There's something about his brutal honesty that is appalling because you recognize those thoughts, those horrible cringe-worthy feelings are in your own self! You are just as terrible as Sedaris, and that is why you love him. Also, thank you Pittsburgh cousin for pointing out that our beloved Sedaris has a brand new book out now called Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls. I am behind the times.

A View From the Wolf's Eye by Candy Peterson, 2008

While visiting Isle Royale, we stopped in at the remote wolf study home, a tiny cottage accessible by boat, of Candy and Rolph Peterson who have spent their life's work researching the wolf and moose population on the island. Rolph was out doing something productive like setting up a bat testing site, but we were lucky enough to chat with Candy who, in the 20 minutes we had with her, bestowed on us all sorts of useful insight like,  "I like to believe every one of us is trying to do our best at every moment," and, "Instead of unfairly comparing two things or places (i.e. apples and oranges, the Boundary Waters and Isle Royale), we should celebrate the uniqueness and strengths of being distinct." As we stood there in the gray 55 degree afternoon, Dave could see my eyes cloud over as I fell in love with Candy Peterson. When she found out we were honeymooning, she went into the small cottage she has called home every summer for almost 40 years and came out with her book, A View From the Wolf's Eye, as a wedding gift. Candy told us she had fallen in love with Rolph on Isle Royale and was touched that we would choose to spend our honeymoon at such a quiet place. She then signed the inside cover of the book, found out I was a children's librarian, made my heart flutter again when she quoted the Wind in the Willows, and bid us farewell while she went back to chopping wood. After a desperate paddle in the canoe back to our campsite (a storm was blowing in), I burrowed deep in my sleeping bag, cracked the spine of A View From the Wolf's Eye, and lamented about what sort of adventure Dave and I could embark upon during our marriage. Wolf study?

Eragon by Christopher Paolini, 2001

Being a children's librarian, this book has haunted me for years. The first part of a fantasy series called the Inheritance Cycle, Eragon sits on my library's shelves begging me for attention every time I walk by. It's like that dragon's eye on the cover can see into my soul. Alright, alright! So when visiting Snowbound Books, I found an affordable used copy and dove in. I'm only about 180 pages along in this 500 page read, but so far, so good. Eragon is a teenager living in Alagaesia, a mythical land ruled over by King Galbatorix. While out hunting, he stumbles on a mysterious stone which turns out to be a dragon egg that launches Eragon into his destiny: dragon rider. That's about as far as I am. A few comments: I am slightly annoyed how there is sort of a wise elder who just explains all these mysteries and how magic works, etc to Eragon. I think really great fantasy fiction just kind of lets these mysteries explain themselves rather than providing a character whose sole purpose seems to be clearing things up for the reader.  It's too seasy! Additionally, be aware that there is, every so often, a violent scene or action sequence with pretty vivid descriptions. Keep this in mind when recommending to a young reader.

*One of the coolest things about Eragon is Christopher Paolini started writing it when he was 15 years old! And it was first self published when he was 18 or 19. AND he grew up and lives in Paradise Valley, Montana which is one of the most beautiful places you'll ever see and not far from my Montana family. What were you doing when you were 15, huh?!

Some Assembly Required: A Journal of my Son's First Son by Anne and Sam Lamott, 2012

Anne Lamott (of Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith and Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life fame) is a really calming force of a nonfiction memoir author (she also writes fiction but I've only read her nonfiction). When you just need to be reminded of forgiveness and the beauty of things, find yourself a good read by Ms. Anne Lamott, a recovering addict who has found God. I was feeling particularly vulnerable coming off of the wedding with my mind racing when I wandered into the Island Bookstore on Mackinac, saw Anne Lamott's name across the cover of this book, and purchased it without reading the back or flipping through its pages. The book tells the story of Anne's first year as a grandmother. Her son Sam and his girlfriend Amy have a child when they are 19 and 20 years old. And Anne writes a book about it with many insights from Sam. The book reads like a journal. And though this is a story about parenting and grandparenting, it is really about being a slightly screwed up being stumbling through the ups and downs and learning to forgive yourself for all of your imperfections just as Lamott's books always seem to be. It is both refreshingly candid and funny. I urge you to pick up one of Lamott's books soon. But I'd probably start with Traveling Mercies before moving on to Some Assembly Required.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, 1985

Okay. The truth is Ender's Game is being made into a movie coming out soon! So though I've read the first few chapters of this book several times, this time (I promise) I am committing. Written in 1985, some may consider Ender's Game a science fiction classic (it won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards in the 80's). Orson Scott Card tells the story of Ender, the third child in a family born in a society with a two child policy. From what I know so far, Ender's abilities and cunning get him selected to head to a battle school where he'll be trained to defend Earth against "buggers", some sort of alien species who've been battling humans off and on for many a year. More on Ender's Game to come!

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed, 2012

I will spare you my long review of Cheryl Strayed's memoir as you have likely seen it on every bookstore table and heard about it from the likes of Oprah. This book came in a wedding gift package in the mail right before the big day so I shoved it in a pack, and it entertained me for many a cold evenings on Isle Royale. While in the depths of despair following the death of her mother, the unspiraling of her marriage, and a new relationship with heroin, Cheryl Strayed decides she'll hike the grueling Pacific Crest Trail alone. Though I enjoyed reading the book, be prepared for a story of coming back from the edge and grief and the sadness that Strayed navigates more than many insights on the Pacific Crest Trail. Granted, I know more about this western backpacking path now than before I started, but the book is more about Cheryl and her internal struggles than the hike itself. Also, do not compare this to Bill Bryson's laugh-out-loud, tears-in-your-eyes classic A Walk in the Woods. Remember what Candy said back in A View from the Wolf's Eye? It is unfair to compare two unlike things, and these 2 trail books are unlike entirely.

Happy July to you from our honeymoon! We ate a lot, read a lot, and stared out across the water A LOT. I miss it.

Happy holidays!

I spent Christmas in D.C. We (Dave and I) drove.

When driving, one can pack a whole heck of a lot more books than flying. So I did. Naturally. And as I move on to the next part of my journey (wedding in Boston), I am realizing how little I actually read in the past week. Ah, well. There's something to be said for spending time with nieces and other family. We need breaks sometimes, even from reading.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, 1873 to 1877

I'm doing it. I'm taking on this tome. And you know what? So far, so good. I'm really enjoying the atmosphere: Moscow and Saint Petersburg in the mid-19th century. It's cold. They're rich. There's a pervading divide between the haves and the have nots. All the names are full of hard constants. What's not to like? It kind of makes me want to take the train somewhere, but I have the feeling Amtrak out of Indianapolis isn't quite as romantic as Tolstoy's story.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basile E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, 1967

It is my mission to get a student in my library to check out this book. What's wrong with these kids?! Maybe it is the boring cover and it is pretty dated, but I LOVED this middle grade fiction novel back in the day. A girl and her brother run away to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They sleep in antique beds and collect money from the fountains. What more could you want from a book? So I am rereading From the Mixed-Up Files this break so I can really push it come January. And when my sister-in-law saw it on my nightstand, she about died. She could never remember the title but just the story she had read and loved as a kid. So now she knows! Isn't that the best?

Snow by Uri Shulevitz, 1998

This one goes out to my two nieces. Snow is one of my favorite kid's books. It is a short, lovely story about a boy looking to the sky waiting and watching for just one snowflake and then another and then another before the whole town square is blanketed. But the best part of the book isn't the story, it is the wonderful, beautiful illustrations with muted colors. If you don't believe me, Shulevitz won the Caldecott, and that counts for something.

AND...

Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S.C. Gwynne, 2011

Dave and I have been listening to this audiobook on and off for the past few road trips. I'll be honest: it isn't my favorite, BUT it is a great audiobook. You can kind of zone in and out because there isn't much of a linear narrative. This adult nonfiction describes the Comanche Indians primarily in the mid-19th century. This powerful tribe could ride a horse better than anyone in town...or on the frontier including the settlers. And let it be known: the settlers and the Comanches did not get along. If you have a weak stomach, you might have trouble reading (or hearing) the brutal scenes, some battles and some skirmishes. I recommend Empire of the Summer Moon as an audiobook choice.

I hope you all had a great holiday and are gearing up for New Year's! Any resolutions on the table?

Thanks for the images, BarnesandNoble.com!

Meeting Gollum

I'm exhausted.

And full...still.

And I am reveling in all that was Lincoln. Saw it this afternoon and really enjoyed it. Was it the best movie I ever saw? No. And if you're expecting a sweeping saga on the Civil War and the mysterious Mary Todd, you'll be disappointed. The movie focuses on Lincoln's political maneuvering in early 1865 as he works towards passing the Thirteenth Ammendment to formally abolish slavery while the Civil War draws to a close. My grandma was disappointed and felt it was more of a documentary than a feature film, but I was very interested in the work done to gather those pivotal votes. And really, it just made me want to scurry back to Indianapolis and spend a long sunday with Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin, the book which the movie Lincoln is based on, the book that is sitting on my nightstand with a bookmark secured snuggly somewhere in the middle of chapter 2!

Tis the season of the book turned movie, and I am woefully behind on my reading. In addition to my Civil War reading, I am a few chapters in to my reread of The Hobbit (definitely have to brush up before the movie comes out) and am lamenting my poor Anna Karenina. That book has been on my bookshelf for years, and I've started it so many times! Now that darn movie is coming out, and I'll be too weak to resist going to see it. And forevermore, my experience with a Russian literary classic will forever be tarnished with images of Keira Knightley and Jude Law. Such is the plight of the book made movie.

I leave you this scence from The Hobbit cartoon movie (1980) to bring you back. It haunted my childhood dreams. And you know what? I'm skeptical anything Peter Jackson comes up with can top this:

We Die Alone by David Howarth, 1957

I know, I know. What a title, right?

Listen, I was scouring the public library shelves for a great audiobook this weekend as I planned to trek to central Michigan and thought I could spend the time learning something. And the title caught my eye. It is, after all, an adventure story, and you know I'm a sucker for those. So I grabbed it, hopped in the car, and headed north to Michigan and into the northern fjords of Norway.

It gets really cold there.

Here is the story of Jan Baalsrud, the lone survivor of a Norwegian resistance unit sent from England to northern Norway during the Nazi occupation of WWII. Jan escapes into the bleak islands and fjords of his homeland after his boat is attacked and destroyed by the enemy. Being the only escapee, Jan, wet and freezing, must rely on his own training and the kindness of his countrymen to make it to the safe haven of neutral Sweden. Now all he has to do is stay hidden from Nazis in his Norwegian soldier's uniform, battle the treacherous elements of that region (wind, snow, blizzards, fjords, etc.) with absolutely no supplies, find some scraps of food to eat, and receive help from Norwegian loyalists who must risk everything to help him and are living on meager, rationed food themselves.

And you thought you had a rough day?

David Howarth just sort of relates the events of Jan's epic feats, and I appreciate that. There's a militaristic element to the writing with precise mileage and terrain descriptions as well as a care for precision and detail (it is incredibly well researched). This book isn't flowery or emotional. It's one of those "this is what happened" books. And the "what happened" is so darned amazing you don't need or want anyone waxing poetic and distracting you from the meat of the story. You will be in such awe of the incredible feats of the human spirit that all you'll want to know is what happens next.

I spent my drive to and from Michigan riveted. And it wrapped up just as I was pulling up to my apartment. Perfect!

If you're up for an inspiring account of one man's monumental story (complete with roaming wolves, self-amputated toes, and reindeer-herding Laplanders), find yourself a copy of We Die Alone.

And on a lesser note, I was inspired to visit some fjords again. I once saw a fjord in Montenegro, and it was one of the most beautiful landscapes these eyes have seen. I love me a good fjord.

P.S. The other audiobook I have on the floor of my car is The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring. Yes, you're thinking of the right Roald (a kid asked me for Ronald Dahl books today...loved it).

P.P.S. I met a brand new baby today (and I love her)! She looked tired.

Reading = Loving

Remember when I said I joined a book club at school? Did I say that here? Well, I joined a book club of coworkers. And the book we're reading this month is The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma (2012) about a girl and her father. When she was 9, they made a promise to read out loud together every night for 100 days straight. Nine years later, the streak broke when Alice left for college.

I did not choose this book, and to be honest, the first 40 pages are pretty corny. Alice was a precocious 9-year old. But that being said, I LOVED the last paragraph of her introduction. I hope you love it, too. It reads as follows:

"This book is about the quilt of our lives, and all the patches - some tattered, some vibrant - woven together by the books we read. This book is about remembering what you were reading when your sister moved away. but also remembering what that last hug felt like. This book is about remembering the words on the pages, but never forgetting whose head was on your shoulder while you read them. This book is about growth, and change, and fear, and hope, and triumph, and yes, books. It is about all of those things, because reading never is, and never can be, just about the characters and the plots. 

Reading to someone is an act of love. This book is, above all else, a love story." 

What I Did Last Weekend

Things I did last weekend:

• watched 6 year olds play soccer
• reunited with my cousin Eileen. She's great!
• had breakfast at Trio's in Dupont Circle, a regular on the family circuit
• helped Dave as he cooked a feast  
• got caught in a downpour while running around the capitol
• went on a late-night drive with my brothers and Dave around the city, tradition!
• voted absentee
• rekindled my love for a good library friend in a corner booth one night
• went to Eastern Market many a time
• became increasingly overwhelmed by the idea of ever having children…how do you all do it? 
• visited Kramerbooks and bought a new book!

Kramerbooks is, as my brothers would say, my jam. This tiny bookstore is open almost around the clock and is located just off of Dupont Circle in D.C. Yeah, it's packed and hard to maneuver. And yes, the books are overpriced. But I love it. I just do. Kramerbooks always seems to lie between where I am and where I'm going making it the perfect spot for a short visit (or maybe it's just that we're always going to Trio's, a restaurant down the block, to stuff ourselves with eggs and toast). Somehow I end up swinging through every time I'm in town even if its for just a quick hello. And I thought I'd actually buy something this time (living large!). So I did. Which of the following did I choose:

The Civil War: A Narrative, Volume 1, Fort Sumter to Perryville by Shelby Foote,  1958

I LOVE reading about the Civil War. Is it just me or do you love it, too? I took a class as an undergrad called "The American Civil War", and it goes down as one of my all time favorite courses along with "The Rise and Fall of the British Empire", "American Urban History", "American Military History", and who could forget "19th Century British Literature" (my English gem!). And while we're on the topic, I'll never regret majoring in history. Sure, I remember about 10 facts from these classes, but I also remember being so fascinated with the subject matter, staying up late reading for class and ENJOYING it and actually wanting to go to class, wanting to be like my professors, wanting to know more. And that respect for knowledge and love of learning is something from those days of which I need to remind myself.

ANYWAY, back to the Civil War. In that course, we read mostly primary texts. But this trilogy of nonfiction has sat on a shelf in the back of my mind. That shelf is entitled the "one day" shelf or the "must read to get smarter" shelf (do you have those shelves?). And I want to know about the Civil War, really know about it, as in the players and the landscapes and the battles and the politics. And then I want those books on my shelf so when I've forgotten all I read (which will happen down the line just as it did after my class 5 or 6 years ago), I can always go back to them and remind myself. I think this thoroughly researched, vetted, and respected comprehensive tome can do that for me. 

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk, 1998

Way back when, I studied abroad in central Europe (Budapest, to be exact). While there, I embarked on a literary journey because I was really getting into reading heavy things, and I had some great friends who were smarter than I and pushed me towards solid titles. One of them was Snow by Orhan Pamuk. And you know what? I never finished that book...maybe got about halfway through. But I have a lot of respect for Mr. Pamuk as I should because the man is a Nobel laureate. He's Turkish and has a unique voice to someone like me who reads primarily American or British literature. From my limited experience, his writing seems meaty and difficult. Yes, you know I believe in brain candy, but sometimes I feel like all I read is fluff. I want to read something that is both challenging and contemporary and fictional. Snow was that for me. And I gave it up. This reader needs to be pushed again. I need to read things that aren't always comfortable, titles that are semi-obscure. And then, I need to tell YOU about it so you can read it, too!

The Round House by Louise Erdrich, 2012

Remember when I said Dave was a good sport?

This book keeps popping up on my radar, and boy does it sound good. I'm mostly intrigued with the setting: an Ojibwe (that's the way Erdrich writes it, but is it Ojibway? Hmmm) reservation in North Dakota. Unique settings always perk my ears up. And this one has it, don't you think? Besides that, I know little. I think the story is told from a teenage boy's point-of-view. His mother is raped and beaten within an inch of her life, and the boy and his friends head off to find the perpetrator. It has received some pretty solid reviews. One major problem with buying this book: it is only available in hardcover. I usually reserve those purchases for only those titles I MUST buy.

So who's the winner?

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk came out on top and is now staring lovingly at me from my night stand…along with about 11 other books. My bad. I'll let you know how it is!

P.S. Like my socks?

NPR loves books.

Do you love NPR or do you LOVE NPR? Morning Edition accompanies me to school each morning.

NPR tells me all about books like Ready Player One which was AWESOME. After that spot on review, I put my trust in them. Here are some great interviews I've heard lately for books I'd like to read:

This girl (me) is a total sucker for adventure books, climbing, scaling, paddling, diving. You name it.   Of course, I enjoy reading them from the safety of my bed.

"These were just incredible men with the grit, you know, the strength of character, you know. These were men who just didn't know that there were limits to what a man could do." Wade Davis

I love that line from the interview.

*This link also includes a passage from the book.


Yes, please Mr. Sims. Shed some insight on E.B. White's "barn book."

And I could not embed the audio of this interview, but go to the link and LISTEN TO IT.

Seward: Lincoln's Indispensable Man by Walter Stahr, 2012

I have kind of read bits and pieces of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin (2005) which is all about Lincoln's rivals in the presidential primary of 1860 who become members of his cabinet. So I've met Mr. William Seward as one of those rivals and am curious about this book. After all, who wouldn't want to read the biography of the man who "purchased" Alaska?

Do any of them sound intriguing? I see they're all nonfiction, MC. And so the pendulum swings back.

I went away.

I went away for July.

I went away in place and time.

I went paddling in Canada, canoe paddling, that is. And I found a little bit of myself, a little bit that was once a big bit, a little bit that I had let go dormant for 5 years. And I breathed life into that bit. It was difficult. It taxed my bones and my mind, but it was the best kind of difficult.

When I was in college, I spent my summers near Ely, Minnesota guiding canoe trips for Boy Scouts in the Boundary Waters and Quetico Provincial Park. I learned about a million and one things including J strokes, wet-foot portaging, and donut frying in the woods. But really, all of those sappy life skills like self reliance and confidence and living in a certain stillness made up the truly valuable bulk of my gained knowledge.

Then, I did things like internships and graduate classes and vacations in the summers ever since. I had burned out, so to speak, and thought that part of my life was over. Each summer I'd put out the feelers and see if I could go up. Maybe I could squeeze in a trip or two? And then I'd back out. There were valid reasons, but there were also excuses to stay away.

Until this summer. My good friend from Ely, Mr. Fred Marks, had begun directing another Boy Scout base in Bissett, Manitoba, a teeny, tiny gold mining town about 3 hours northeast of Winnipeg. And he encouraged me to return. Again and again. So finally, I did. And I spent some time paddling in the Atikaki Provincial Park.

Can I tell you what it means to go back to your college job, a job that you loved so much it became a part of your identity during that time in your life? Even though I was at a different base, guiding Boy Scouts through the wilderness once again gave me some severe flash backs. The gear, the smell of it, the tents airing out, the canoe bruises on my forearm, the trail food, even the few people I know who continue to work for the base, their mannerisms, it brought me back in such a poignant way. And I was admittedly overwhelmed. But now that I am back here in Indiana, I can see that I really needed that perspective to show me how much has happened in my life since college, how deep down, I am still the same person. And that is a person I like. I always want to be the person I was when I was 20. (*Thank you for teaching me that lesson, Fred.)

Then:

Now:

Not much has changed, right?

While I was there, I read a book by two employees of the base. I know real authors! Fred Marks and Jay Timmerman, both guides, paddled from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay, a journey of about 1400 miles (!!!)...and then they wrote a book about it, a book I stayed up late reading with my headlamp and the mosquitos and a chill in my bones during the truly frightening parts. Jay and Fred and several other former guides packed up a few summers ago and portaged and paddled along historic fur trade routes once traveled by Native Americans and voyageurs alike with York Factory on Hudson Bay marked as the last stop. The story of this adventure is recorded in Far Distant Echo: A Journey by Canoe from Lake Superior to Hudson Bay.

Fred and Jay both describe every, darn detail of their expedition from food packing to navigation, from legendary North Woods folks to the welcoming people who call the area home today. Delicately interwoven into the logistics of their story is the route's historical relevance. This mix of logistics and context helps the book remain not just an account but a window into a place and a culture. Despite their no nonsense writing styles, the emotion comes through when either Fred or Jay write of a particularly interesting piece of history or an inspiring adventurer.

The real climax of the story occurs on Lake Winnipeg, a massive lake the crew must cross while heading north...a distance of about 250 miles. Imagine, if you will, the wind and waves whipped up on a lake of that size. Do so in the safety of your own bed where you can rest at ease. For me, reading this book even on my week long trips this summer gave me the heebie jeebies and real anxiety. Jay talks of crew members praying as they paddled thinking they had seen the end of their days on such harrowing water. This setting is where the group is truly tested and the reader finds out who will push on and who will back out.

Anyway, I couldn't get enough of Far Distant Echo and strongly encourage you to read it whether you consider yourself at home in the great outdoors or if you'd prefer living your adventures vicariously. And if you don't believe me, check out this review. We both agree!

I promised Fred that every library I'll ever work in will have its own copy of Far Distant Echo. And that is a promise I intend to keep even at my new elementary school library where I start work in 4 short days! More on that later.

We ate lunch with Kate Winslet...sort of.

My brother came to town. And it was great.

Dave hit the road Friday with pretty much all the furniture in our apartment. He rented a truck and hauled it to his parent's house (about a 5 hour drive away) leaving brother Matt and I in Boston town to entertain ourselves.

And entertain we did! We bounced around from the North End to Concord, MA and some places in between.

And then Saturday evening, we went to the Harvard Bookstore and stared at a lot of books. I enjoy visiting bookstores with my brother Matt because he loves books too and a dialogue ensues about new books or old books or book reviews, etc. It's great. And he ain't no book snob. His purchase was a used copy of There is Treasure Everywhere, a Calvin and Hobbes masterpiece.

*He also left me a copy of the New Yorker he carried on the plane. It's their science fiction issue (awesome). He made me read this short fiction piece by Junot Diaz called "Monstro". See the New Yorker interview of Diaz here. The story was great and spooky and the perfect amount of science fiction. More on that some other time.

Back to the Harvard Bookstore, I picked up My Antonia and the Gulag Archipelago...just a little light summer reading. It got me thinking about my summer reading book list, and it is woefully long. In all likelihood, I'll probably make it through 2 of these tomes, but that's the great thing about summer reading, right? Who cares? I'm not trying for a personal pan pizza here.

Here is my list:

My Antonia by Willa Cather, 1918

 The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenistyn, 1973 (published in the West)

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, 2009

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, 2009

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, 1873-1877











The majority of this lineup is fiction. I am craving it.

The big highlight of Sunday afternoon was Matt and I dined with Kate Winslet!

And by dined "with" I mean we were eating in the same room. After strolling around Walden pond, we stopped at this little sandwich shoppe (spelled how people in Concord, MA would spell shop). As we sat down at a table by the window, Matt started getting that nervous Matt look about him. And then he just blurted out, "That's Kate Winslet!" Thus ensued lots of nervous laughter and staring and a collective sigh of relief when she finally left. But really, she was about 5 feet away, and she looked as great as you think she would.

And then Matt got her number. Go, Matt!

P.S. Have I mentioned Brother Matt has a blog?

*Thanks for the book covers, BarnesandNoble.com!

Tightrope Walkers

I read this book review of A Sense of Direction: Pilgrimage for the Restless and the Hopeful by Gideon Lewis-Kraus in Outside magazine the other day. And I would like to get my hands on the book though I am curious if most of the message is right there in the review. But the ideas were interesting and struck a chord with this member of a young, overwhelmed-with-options generation. Matthew Power, the reviewer, describes a nonfiction account of a 20-something bashing around Europe overly conscious of creating an experience. Lewis-Kraus decides on a whim to hike the 500-mile pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela through Spain. Power writes, "He will exchange directionless choice for "pointless direction."It seems like Lewis-Kraus is self-deprecating enough to make the book humorous rather than pretentious. Anyway, I haven't even read the book, but you should and then tell me how it is!

Aren't adventure stories great this time of year? Or really, any time of year because there is something special about being burrowed in your bed during a wind-howling winter night while digging through Into Thin Air or Eiger Dreams. (And because I've brought up Jon Krakauer, you should know Dave is reading Under the Banner of Heaven which is a fascinating book about the history of the Mormon church and Mormon fundamentalism...he makes me want to do a reread).

But if you're in the mood for an adventure quick fix, you should watch this preview of a daring documentary:

I stumbled on it at this great blog A Cup of Jo. Make sure you watch until the end. The last minute may make you queasy!

Canoeing Nightmares

Do you remember your dreams? I usually do. This memory can be both exciting and terrifying often blurring the lines between the real and imagined leaving me tangled in my blankets with a pounding heart and wide eyes wondering if that really just happened. My dreams often reflect my real-life fears. As a result, the plotlines are a mish mash of oversleeping, getting fired, forgetting to wear pants while out in public, people choking, etc. What do these things say about me?

Last night I had a nightmare about canoeing which seems silly but is, in reality, a manifestation of my current concerns. This June I am headed back to my college summer job as a canoe guide for teenagers, and I guess it’s safe to say I’m a bit nervous. 

You see I haven’t done this in a few years and I’m wondering if I’ll be able to cut it. Also, instead of paddling in the border country of Minnesota and Ontario, I’m bumping it up a notch and heading to an even more remote locale deep within the bowels of Manitoba (3 hours northeast of Winnipeg) for what has been deemed a more challenging experience. Can I still portage a canoe? Am I up for weeks of limited personal hygiene? Do I remember how to pack for these trips, start a camp stove, read a map, feel comfortable in the woods? Yes. Of course. I know I do deep down, but until I get back in a canoe, get lost a few times, and sleep on the hard ground, I won’t feel confident. I’ll worry. 

And I’ll dream.

Anyway, last night, in my mind, I accidentally took my crew down these life-threatening rapids within the first 10 minutes of our trip. Everyone came out downstream unscathed, but all of our gear and selves were out of our canoes bobbing about. We took forever retrieving our flotsam. Also, I hadn’t done a gear check with them before we left. Only after the rapids did I discover the impractical things they had packed like glass bottles and an entire book cart full of books (my two worlds mixing)! I woke up flustered and worried.

So I’ve taken on a new approach to these anxieties. I have too many other things on my plate right now to worry about one month of my summer that is supposed to be fun and renew my spirits! Therefore, I am not dwelling on it until I am done with school. For now, I have the library to worry about and if you know me, worry I will. I refuse to allow silly canoe nerves to get in my way. When asked about my preparations, I'll say I don't feel like talking about it (Do you ever do that? It works.). Instead, I'll continue to read and I’m starting my marathon training plan this week and I’m youtubing musicals.

I certainly won't be reading this book:

Lost in the Wild by Cary J. Griffith, 2006

My dad picked this book up on a visit to Minnesota when I was there a few years ago. He said he stayed up late reading it worried about me paddling around out there. So I read it once I was safe and sound come fall in my college town and could see his concern. The book follows two separate stories of young people as they (spoiler alert) get lost in the wild. One of them just so happens to have been a former employee in the same position that I once held. He falls and suffers a concussion while searching for a portage trail and is left behind by his crew. Yikes! It is interesting to see that a few seemingly minor decisions can end up making the difference between life and death.

And I won't even read this book even though it isn't as nerve inducing:

Canoeing with the Cree by Eric Sevareid, 1935

Written by Mr. Eric Sevareid who made his journalistic name as a reporter in Europe during WWII, this is a candid account of Sevareid's canoe journey with his childhood friend Walter Port from their home near Minneapolis all the way to Hudson Bay. In one adventure-filled summer, these two recent high school graduates completed what many thought impossible for two inexperienced paddlers. And remember, this is in the early 1930's, years before radios and moisture wicking fabric. One of my favorite books and an easy read, not only is Canoeing with the Cree a great adventure tale, it is a relatable coming-of-age story of two average kids who do something extraordinary. 

Instead, I'll start crafting a list of books I will read this summer, books that will keep me both company and calm alone in my tent. Stay tuned!

Thank you for the book covers Barnesandnoble.com!

It is the eve of my spring break.

Let the celebrations begin!

Things I plan to do over the next 10 days:

• Hobknob around Boston with Dave's lovely sister and her boyfriend...catching a Red Sox game and gorging ourselves at the Union Oyster House
• Trek on up to the LLBean flagship store in Freeport, Maine to look at things I don't need and can't afford like this (love!) 
• Visit my wonderful aunt and uncle and cousins in western Mass
• Cheer my heart out on the sidelines of the Boston Marathon and then go home to burrow on the couch and read these books:

Rez Life by David Treuer, 2012

I stumbled across this book on a new nonfiction display at le library, and I don't know too much about it. BUT the inside cover described an account of life on an Ojibwe reservation in northern Minnesota which sounds pretty dang interesting to me. Shout out to northern Minnesota! I'll see you this summer.

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin, 1998

The show caught me up. I'm ready for book 2. Enough said.

Happy Spring everyone! 

*Thanks for the pictures BarnesandNoble.com!

The Short American Century: A Postmortem by Andrew Bacevich, David Kennedy and Emily Rosenberg, 2012

Remember Brookline Booksmith? Well, they host all these great author events, and I am dropping by one Thursday evening. What a good way to start off a 3 day weekend, right?

I am attending a discussion by Andrew Bacevich, a renowned professor from Boston University and retired military officer whom I was lucky enough to hear speak back as an undergrad at Indiana University. Two other professors from Harvard named Jeffrey Frieden and Akira Iriye will join the discussion. Down in the basement of the Booksmith, these 3 academics will discuss a new book by Bacevich, David Kennedy, and Emily Rosenberg on America in the latter half of the 20th century. The Short American Century: A Postmortem is a reflection, if you will.

I don't even remember much about Mr. Bacevich or what he talked to us fine, young 20 year olds about, BUT I remember it was riveting. He visited my American Military History class which I took spring semester of my senior year. And though I didn't agree with everything he said, I could tell this guy knew what he was talking about. He made me want to know what I was talking about. I am always impressed with knowledgeable people. They inspire me to read more and learn more and take more classes and run more and write more letters and just generally be less lazy. And maybe what I need right now is a swift kick to get me back on that track I was once on many moons ago. Andrew Bacevich, impress me with your knowledge. He will have truly blown me away if I walk out of the Booksmith with a hardcover copy of his book. I almost NEVER buy hardcover. Can he do it?

Read this interesting essay by Bacevich and then come join me at the event! Afterwards we can romp around Coolidge Corner eating chocolate bunnies and making plans on how to get smart like that guy we just saw. Deal?

*Thanks for your picture, Brookline Booksmith!

Library books are taking over my bedroom.

I have a problem.

And it is growing.

Library books are taking over my bedroom.

The thing about library books is they come and go so they can't really have a permanent spot on a bookshelf or along your wall if you're too cheap or transient to buy a bookshelf (ahem, like me). AND you always want them by your bed if that's where you happen to do most of your reading. So without you really knowing how or when it happens, library books take over your room.

I can't get out of bed like a normal person. I must shimmy down to the bottom of the bed especially if the lights are off to avoid breaking an ankle on these dangerous, yet delectable titles. I've thought about a basket like the one in which I keep magazines in the living room. That may be the best answer though I suspect it will get beaten up with hardback corners and edges.  

But until I come up with a suitable solution, on the floor they will stay. And the more pressing issue is which one should I read next? Here's a sample of the pile:

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, 2010

This story of the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the North has been catching my eye in bookstores for the past year or so. Seeing as the book is still only available in hardcover, I did my best to avoid its expensive draw. Finally, I caved and put it on hold at the old L-I-B. And now it is sitting, waiting next to my bed. Wilkerson won the Pulitzer Prize and the title (taken from a Richard Wright poem) reeks of sweeping epic history and I took a fabulous American urban history as an undergrad which this book seems to  so I must read this book.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini, 2003

The first part of a fantasy series, Paolini started writing this book when he was 15! When I was 15, I watched too much T.V. and came home to my Grandma's baked goods...certainly wasn't writing epic fiction. Also, Paolini is from Paradise Valley, Montana which is every bit as beautiful as it sounds. In fact, it may be one of the most beautiful places ever, and I know that because my cousins live just up the road! Hey cousins! But I digress. Eragon is the main character. He finds a strange stone deep in the woods. It turns out to be an egg from which a dragon hatches. That sounds exciting, right?

Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, 2010

Who doesn't love a juicy expose? A few weeks ago HBO released a film based on this book chronicling the 2008 road to the presidential election. Written by two political journalists, it is apparently based on hundreds of interviews of those who were there behind-the-scenes. The writers cover everyone from Obama and Hilary to McCain and Palin, Giuliani to Edwards. The list goes on.  Seeing as I don't have cable let alone HBO, I thought I'd get my hands on the book so I could really get into all the sordid details. And with an election swiftly approaching, there's nothing like some shocking insider tidbits to wet my appetite.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, 2001

This is a middle grade novel, book 1 of an 8 book series, starring Artemis Fowl, an international criminal hailing from Ireland...who is about 11 years old. Artemis is from a criminal family and apparently undergoes a transformation from cold criminal to a more caring hero? I don't know. I haven't read it. But about a gagillion 10 year olds have and they love it so that says something, right?

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1932

Well, that's always next to my bed. I won't tell you how it ends.