Sunday, December 11, 2011
PRABE - reading enjoyment = self fullfillment
I can honestly say PRABE (pleasure reading and blog entries) was a great assignment. Not only did I get to read books I loved (well mostly) but I got to write or express my own opinion of the book, and no one argues with me. What could be better than that? I have always loved reading and this assignment only emphasized that. In fact, I found myself interested in researching other books I wanted to read (creating my books-to-read list) and thinking a bit deeper about the characters, the setting, the theme. As far as changes, I like others to see me as a well-versed reader, I like that I can read something and formulate an intelligent summary about it. I like to explore where the story is going to take me. Are you ready for the ride? I know I am! Happy reading!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
The Paris Wife by Paula McClain continued...
This novel keeps getting better and better the more I read it. I love reading historical fiction too, because I find out more about history, settings, events, and in this case; people. Let's see, where did I leave off? Hadley and Ernest become engaged, have a short engagement and then get married. As newly weds they struggle financially, but finally Ernest, through one of his writer contacts, is given advice to head to Paris to further his writing career.
It doesn't take long before Hadley and Ernest become engulfed in Paris life. Through his letters of introduction Ernest begins associating with the likes of Lewis Galantiere, Ezra Pound, and Gertrude Stein. Ernest starts to build his writing career by writing articles for the STAR and INS (under a pseudo name) and then going on location and writes about the Greco-Turkish war, then meets Mussolini and writes a piece about him as well. Meanwhile, Hadley is very homesick but slowly adjusts to life in Paris. She is a bit disengaged because she feels she has no special talent or passion like Ernest does with his writing. She becomes very troubled when Ernest leaves for a time to do his writing. Finally, she finds that she wants to have a baby and even though Ernest does not want this now, she becomes pregnant. This is where I have left off.
I am really enjoying reading this novel. I try placing myself in Hadley's shoes and I can see how she is disenchanted with life. She does not have anything to call her own. No driving passions, talent or career. No close friends or family nearby. And I assume most women did not in the mid-1920's. But at the same time, I do not see her character as being weak. Naive maybe, but not weak. I am about halfway through, so I must get back to reading....
November 28 - 20 minutes
November 30 - 20 minutes
December 2 - 30 minutes
December 3 - 30 minutes
It doesn't take long before Hadley and Ernest become engulfed in Paris life. Through his letters of introduction Ernest begins associating with the likes of Lewis Galantiere, Ezra Pound, and Gertrude Stein. Ernest starts to build his writing career by writing articles for the STAR and INS (under a pseudo name) and then going on location and writes about the Greco-Turkish war, then meets Mussolini and writes a piece about him as well. Meanwhile, Hadley is very homesick but slowly adjusts to life in Paris. She is a bit disengaged because she feels she has no special talent or passion like Ernest does with his writing. She becomes very troubled when Ernest leaves for a time to do his writing. Finally, she finds that she wants to have a baby and even though Ernest does not want this now, she becomes pregnant. This is where I have left off.
I am really enjoying reading this novel. I try placing myself in Hadley's shoes and I can see how she is disenchanted with life. She does not have anything to call her own. No driving passions, talent or career. No close friends or family nearby. And I assume most women did not in the mid-1920's. But at the same time, I do not see her character as being weak. Naive maybe, but not weak. I am about halfway through, so I must get back to reading....
November 28 - 20 minutes
November 30 - 20 minutes
December 2 - 30 minutes
December 3 - 30 minutes
Sunday, November 27, 2011
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Our book club chose this book and I have delved right into it. It's an historical fiction novel set in the 1920's. It's about Hadley Richardson Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway's first wife and their life in Paris. The novel opens with Hadley in Chicago visiting some of her friends and Ernest is there too, so they meet one another among mutual friends at a party. Their is an instant spark among Hadley and Hemingway and they continue to see one another until Hadley returns home to St. Louis, the following week.
Ernest says he'll write to Hadley and he does. Sometimes 2 to 3 times a day! Hadley is utterly absorbed by his letters and cannot wait to return to Chicago for another visit. Meanwhile life in St. Louis isn't as exciting. Hadley lives with her sister, Fonnie and her husband, and seems quite disinterested of the comings and goings of her life. Her family history unfolds here. Her father, a gambler and drinker, lost thousands of dollars on the stock market, and shortly afterward when he could not pay his debts, committed suicide. Just as Hadley was to set off for Bryn Mawr, her oldest sister, Dorothea dies in a freak accident where most of body was badly burned in a fire she was trying to put out. Hadley begins college but returns after one year, disengaged and unfocused she returns home to her mother. Hadley's mother was ill with Bright's disease and it was a slow death. Hadley cared for her mother as best as she could with the help of her sister, Fonnie, and put her mother to rest. Hadley had a strained relationship with her mother - one that she thought her mother treated her as if she was completely incompetent.
Hadley returns for a second visit and it seems sweeter than the first. She and Ernest have good times with friends and get to know each other even more. Hadley enjoys time with friends at concerts, plays and parties and more time with Nesto. During this time, she discovers some of Ernest's thoughts from being in the war, and in love with a nurse, his dislike of his mother, and his struggle to make it as a writer.
November 22 - 20 minutes
November 23 - 20 minutes
November 25 - 30 minutes
November 26 - 45 minutes
Ernest says he'll write to Hadley and he does. Sometimes 2 to 3 times a day! Hadley is utterly absorbed by his letters and cannot wait to return to Chicago for another visit. Meanwhile life in St. Louis isn't as exciting. Hadley lives with her sister, Fonnie and her husband, and seems quite disinterested of the comings and goings of her life. Her family history unfolds here. Her father, a gambler and drinker, lost thousands of dollars on the stock market, and shortly afterward when he could not pay his debts, committed suicide. Just as Hadley was to set off for Bryn Mawr, her oldest sister, Dorothea dies in a freak accident where most of body was badly burned in a fire she was trying to put out. Hadley begins college but returns after one year, disengaged and unfocused she returns home to her mother. Hadley's mother was ill with Bright's disease and it was a slow death. Hadley cared for her mother as best as she could with the help of her sister, Fonnie, and put her mother to rest. Hadley had a strained relationship with her mother - one that she thought her mother treated her as if she was completely incompetent.
Hadley returns for a second visit and it seems sweeter than the first. She and Ernest have good times with friends and get to know each other even more. Hadley enjoys time with friends at concerts, plays and parties and more time with Nesto. During this time, she discovers some of Ernest's thoughts from being in the war, and in love with a nurse, his dislike of his mother, and his struggle to make it as a writer.
November 22 - 20 minutes
November 23 - 20 minutes
November 25 - 30 minutes
November 26 - 45 minutes
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake no more. . .
Well, I continued to read this book in Hawaii, in the evenings before bed and then I read it on the airplane ride home and it was a red-eye flight. Needless to say, I fell asleep. The story never evolved or developed. It continued with Rose eating packaged and processed foods because she was tired of tasting her Mother's affair and disinterest in her husband. Rose, finally, did confront her Mother about the affair when her Mother went on a "work trip" to Nova Scotia. It almost seemed too casual. Her Mother's response, "Oh, I didn't realize you knew about that?" Really, like affairs are that casual, especially when caught in the act by your 13 year old daughter? Her brother, Joseph, was getting more and more strange. He spent all his time in his room and would randomly disappear. Rose's father remained distant and unaware of any affair or problems in the family. This book fell so flat for me! Thursday afternoon, I ran into one of my friends who is in the book club. I asked her if she finished the book and she said she didn't; she couldn't, it was a boring read with nothing to offer. I felt the same. She told me how it ended. Along with Rose's peculiar ability to taste others' feelings, her brother, Joseph had an ability to change himself into an inanimate object. Hence, the reason Rose could not find her brother when he was supposedly babysitting her at home. Her father could not step into a hospital because of his ability to "smell" disease or death. And the mother? No ability other than to cheat. Hmmm. . . I rate this one star. Don't waste your time with this book.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Particular Sadness continued. . .
Continuing with this book, I read it Friday on the airplane and this afternoon on the airplane. I still feel I have not gotten to the meat of the matter with this book. Background: Rose, the main character (she just turned 9) tasted her favorite piece of Lemon cake and was disturbed by the empty feelings she did not identify with.
Well, this time, Rose tells about the relationship she has with her brother, Joseph. Joseph is their Mother's favorite. But Joseph is a bit odd. By odd, Rose means he's too smart for his own good. People cannot relate to him and he has very few friends. Even Rose recalls only a handful of moments that were meaningful around her older brother. She does remember, however, how her Mother would go to the school and pick up Joseph and they would run errands together and just talk. Their Mother talked to Joseph as if he was an equal, a friend she felt she could confide in, not her 3rd grade son. Joseph's teacher found out he did not have a series of doctors appointments, but that he was pulled out of school to go to the market and talk with his Mom. Even though Joseph was clearly bored at school and not challenged, did not relate to anyone but his Mom, she was on Mom probation. Rose and Joseph's father, an attorney, was very perplexed by the situation. He took notes as he asked his wife, why she took Joseph out of school.
This background information was provided because George, Joseph's only friend, takes an interest in Rose's peculiar problem. George proposes an idea to to take Rose to the neighborhood bakery on Saturday and investigate her feelings in the food. Much to Joseph's dismay, the 3 of them head to the bakery that Saturday. Rose discovers she has feelings for George, or so she thinks! She likes the attention George gives her; his interest in her food and identified emotions. When biting into a chocolate chip cookie she tastes instant anger. Sure enough, George finds out the baker hates his job, saying, "You'd be angry too if you just finished college and this was your first job." Next, Rose tastes an oatmeal cookie, and with it a rushing to finish it. Janet, who baked the oatmeal cookie, is always running late for work! The final bite was of the the angry baker's sandwich. His girlfriend had made it and as soon as Rose took a bite, she set it down immediately and says, "the sandwich was yelling for you to love it."
George concludes as they walk home that Rose can identify feelings that people don't know about or don't want others to know about. . .
November 4 - 40 minutes
November 6 - 50 minutes
Well, this time, Rose tells about the relationship she has with her brother, Joseph. Joseph is their Mother's favorite. But Joseph is a bit odd. By odd, Rose means he's too smart for his own good. People cannot relate to him and he has very few friends. Even Rose recalls only a handful of moments that were meaningful around her older brother. She does remember, however, how her Mother would go to the school and pick up Joseph and they would run errands together and just talk. Their Mother talked to Joseph as if he was an equal, a friend she felt she could confide in, not her 3rd grade son. Joseph's teacher found out he did not have a series of doctors appointments, but that he was pulled out of school to go to the market and talk with his Mom. Even though Joseph was clearly bored at school and not challenged, did not relate to anyone but his Mom, she was on Mom probation. Rose and Joseph's father, an attorney, was very perplexed by the situation. He took notes as he asked his wife, why she took Joseph out of school.
This background information was provided because George, Joseph's only friend, takes an interest in Rose's peculiar problem. George proposes an idea to to take Rose to the neighborhood bakery on Saturday and investigate her feelings in the food. Much to Joseph's dismay, the 3 of them head to the bakery that Saturday. Rose discovers she has feelings for George, or so she thinks! She likes the attention George gives her; his interest in her food and identified emotions. When biting into a chocolate chip cookie she tastes instant anger. Sure enough, George finds out the baker hates his job, saying, "You'd be angry too if you just finished college and this was your first job." Next, Rose tastes an oatmeal cookie, and with it a rushing to finish it. Janet, who baked the oatmeal cookie, is always running late for work! The final bite was of the the angry baker's sandwich. His girlfriend had made it and as soon as Rose took a bite, she set it down immediately and says, "the sandwich was yelling for you to love it."
George concludes as they walk home that Rose can identify feelings that people don't know about or don't want others to know about. . .
November 4 - 40 minutes
November 6 - 50 minutes
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Our book club decided on this book because the last book we read was a little heavy and no one else had any other suggestions! The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake takes place in Los Angeles and though it has not specified, I am guessing it takes place in the 1980's. The main character, Rose, turns 9 years old and as she tastes her favorite cake her Mom made for her she uncovers strong feelings in her piece of cake. Feelings that she is having trouble identifying with. Her favorite cake, lemon laced with layers of chocolate frosting feels incredibly empty like when your restricted to diet food. You crave something more fulfilling and rich but can't have it. Perplexed by this mix of feelings and emotions Rose has, she visits the school nurse the next day. The nurse asks, "Do you think your fat? Are you throwing up food after you eat?" Rose leaves the school nurse feeling even more confused.
George, a friend of Rose's brother, takes an interest in Rose's peculiar problem. When the three of them get home, George takes out a notebook and begins to record everything Rose eats and the feelings associated with the food she eats. Most everything tastes bland until she sneaks a piece of toast from her brother's plate. Suddenly she senses rage and also a detached feeling. How strange! It is so powerful, she has to spit it out!
October 24 - 20 minutes
October 26 - 20 minutes
October 29 - 20 minutes
October 30 - 30 minutes
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Left Neglected conclusion
Sarah find her passion in snow boarding with the New England Handicapped Sports Association (NEHSA). She makes progress learning how to snow board with her left neglect. Sarah also bonds with her Mom. She forgives her Mom for not being there in the past when her brother had passed away. She learns her Mom likes to read People magazine, skype with her friends and continue knitting.
Sarah is offered her job back at Berkley Consultants and while she wants to go back to work, she ultimately rejects going back. She is not ready yet. Sarah slowly convinces her husband to move to Vermont in start of a different, slower-paced life. Truly, the saddest part was when Sarah's mother passed away suddenly. Sarah mourned the renewed relationship with her mother.
This book is about unexpected changes. One minute, everything was busy and chaotic, and the next everything slowed down. Sarah learned to adjust to her new disability, her new life but it took time. Her husband was always very supportive throughout. I don't think the relationships were overly deep in this book but focused on the main character's situation and overcoming obstacles. Near the end of the book, Sarah is at dinner with her husband and they decide to celebrate her one year recovery from the accident not with "what ifs" but what they gained from it. Sarah grew to know her Mom, she learned how to snowboard and was offered a job with NEHSA which she could do from home part time. She and Bob now had quality time to spend together, something they never had before.
I would rate this book 3 stars.
October 17 - 20 minutes
October 18 - 20 minutes
October 20 - 30 minutes
October 23 - 30 minutes
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Left Neglected continued.
Once home to rehabilitate, Sarah discovers new things about her children, her husband, her Mom and even herself. Before the accident, Sarah did not have a moment to relax, not a minute to slow down and smell the flowers. After a couple of weeks of being home, she is helping her son, Charlie, (who, recently, has been diagnosed with ADHD) with his homework. Charlie is frustrated with all the math problems and cannot hold still. Sarah has Charlie do his homework standing up. This seems to help him focus and be a little less fidgety but what really makes the big difference is when Sarah cuts his math problem worksheet into 10 different cards with one problem per card. Charlie is able to concentrate on one problem at a time and answer them correctly.
Sarah proposes the idea to go skiing and spend Christmas vacation in Vermont (where they have a vacation home) to her husband. He agrees, reluctantly, but work is extremely stressful to him but at the same time, he wants his wife to feel better. Once in Vermont, Sarah begins to restore the relationship with her Mom.. Sarah lost her brother, Nate, when she was only seven. He drowned in the pool in the backyard. After that tragic accident, Sarah's Mom could not forgive herself, she became closed off and severely depressed, leaving seven year old Sarah to defend herself. For thirty years, Sarah held on to resentment, keeping her Mom at a close distance. She asks her Mom why is she here now to help? Her Mom expresses her feelings of regret, of neglecting her daughter and not getting help sooner for depression.
Sarah also spends more quality time with her husband. She pleads with him to stay and not return home and to the stressful environment of work. She can "see" what the stress is doing to him. She cannot remember the last time that they had a date night where they just in the moment. Instead dates entailed both of them responding to business emails and voicemails.
October 10 - 50 minutes
October 16 - 40 minutes
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Remembering my Mom
Dear Mom-
I miss you Mom. I know God has a special place for you. I prayed to God to take your hand and lead you up his lighted path. I prayed that you had no pain, or felt any loneliness. Steve and I were hoping and praying each and every day you would heal. We were hoping that you had 5, 10 more years with us. Erin will miss her favorite Grandma - her Grandma that spoiled her to pieces. You are a good person, such a kind heart taking in animals that have been thrown away and do not have a home. I love you Mom. Rest in peace.
June Anne Dahle - June 22, 1938 - October 11, 2011
I miss you Mom. I know God has a special place for you. I prayed to God to take your hand and lead you up his lighted path. I prayed that you had no pain, or felt any loneliness. Steve and I were hoping and praying each and every day you would heal. We were hoping that you had 5, 10 more years with us. Erin will miss her favorite Grandma - her Grandma that spoiled her to pieces. You are a good person, such a kind heart taking in animals that have been thrown away and do not have a home. I love you Mom. Rest in peace.
June Anne Dahle - June 22, 1938 - October 11, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Neglected, Quick, and feeling Just Ducky
Blog Week 1 - October 3 - 9. Currently reading: Left Neglected by Lisa Genova - Total reading time: 95 minutes.
I am halfway through this book and a month late. My book club read it last month and I chose to read Room by Emma Donoghue (I couldn't put it down! I should have been more focused on College Algebra instead of this book). Anyway, back to Left Neglected, the main character, Sarah, is a high powered executive who works for a consulting firm. She has three kids, named after the Peanuts characters, Lucy, Linus and Charlie. Her husband is a very busy businessman as well. They live in a suburb in Boston. Her life is crazy busy and the first quarter of the book reflects this. Anyone reading it despises her life. I do. It is anything but relaxing. She isn't able to experience her kids joys to the fullest, she doesn't have time to cook, read or enjoy any passions, even her sex life is non-existent. One busy morning, Sarah is off to work (running late of course) and she is on her phone, having a conference call, she looks up for a brief second and realizes she is about to get into a car accident. Her life is about to drastically change. She wakes up in the hospital and learns she has suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and also that she has a condition called left neglect. She is completely unaware of anything on her left. And I mean everything: her body, seeing anything on her left, using her left leg to walk, using her left hand to button a blouse. Imagine how imbalanced you would be??? She goes through 2 months at a rehab facility and then goes home. Sarah is in for a big surprise! More to follow next week!
I originally purchased Quick as a Cricket for my daughter when she was 2. She's now 7 and we read it two nights ago. Well, actually, she read it to me! The artwork in this book is spectacular! It can easily spark your imagination. It's a book of similes. The child in the book compares himself to animals and insects. We stopped at, "I'm as tame as a poodle". I figured my daughter was unfamiliar with the word tame, since she is anything but tame. I told her it was the opposite of wild and on the next page is, "I'm as wild as a chimp."
My daughter checked out I wish that I had Duck Feet from the school library. She actually read this to me one morning before school. I am thrilled with her reading! Last year she refused to read. She was in first grade last year and I retained her in first grade this year. It was such a battle for her last year and for me too. She was in power reading, we read each night (well I did), and did homework together. Everyone kept saying, "it will click" Really? Now I see she just wasn't ready developmentally. Her birthday is in August. But because she's a girl and very social I wasn't so sure. She's a different kid this year. Her self esteem and confidence level are so much better. She's happy. I'm happy. Everyone's happy.
I am halfway through this book and a month late. My book club read it last month and I chose to read Room by Emma Donoghue (I couldn't put it down! I should have been more focused on College Algebra instead of this book). Anyway, back to Left Neglected, the main character, Sarah, is a high powered executive who works for a consulting firm. She has three kids, named after the Peanuts characters, Lucy, Linus and Charlie. Her husband is a very busy businessman as well. They live in a suburb in Boston. Her life is crazy busy and the first quarter of the book reflects this. Anyone reading it despises her life. I do. It is anything but relaxing. She isn't able to experience her kids joys to the fullest, she doesn't have time to cook, read or enjoy any passions, even her sex life is non-existent. One busy morning, Sarah is off to work (running late of course) and she is on her phone, having a conference call, she looks up for a brief second and realizes she is about to get into a car accident. Her life is about to drastically change. She wakes up in the hospital and learns she has suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and also that she has a condition called left neglect. She is completely unaware of anything on her left. And I mean everything: her body, seeing anything on her left, using her left leg to walk, using her left hand to button a blouse. Imagine how imbalanced you would be??? She goes through 2 months at a rehab facility and then goes home. Sarah is in for a big surprise! More to follow next week!
Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood and I wish that I had Duck Feet by Dr. Seuss
I originally purchased Quick as a Cricket for my daughter when she was 2. She's now 7 and we read it two nights ago. Well, actually, she read it to me! The artwork in this book is spectacular! It can easily spark your imagination. It's a book of similes. The child in the book compares himself to animals and insects. We stopped at, "I'm as tame as a poodle". I figured my daughter was unfamiliar with the word tame, since she is anything but tame. I told her it was the opposite of wild and on the next page is, "I'm as wild as a chimp."
My daughter checked out I wish that I had Duck Feet from the school library. She actually read this to me one morning before school. I am thrilled with her reading! Last year she refused to read. She was in first grade last year and I retained her in first grade this year. It was such a battle for her last year and for me too. She was in power reading, we read each night (well I did), and did homework together. Everyone kept saying, "it will click" Really? Now I see she just wasn't ready developmentally. Her birthday is in August. But because she's a girl and very social I wasn't so sure. She's a different kid this year. Her self esteem and confidence level are so much better. She's happy. I'm happy. Everyone's happy.
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