Thank you and catch up on current reading

Thank you to all my friends and loved ones who had conversations last week about the joy and passion of reading. My dear friend, April in New Jersey had a small and enthusiastic group discuss reading. Two favorite comments were from two older women. One thought of reading as a treat which she “allowed” herself throughout the day rather than only at special times.  Another gave herself permission NOT to finish a book that didn’t interest her. I LOVE these “tips”.

I simply MUST give you the short version of what I have been reading- too many books are piling up and I must get them back to the Library.

Eva Moves the Furniture by Margot Livesey deals with the “imaginary” friends of a seven-year-old girl. Born in rural Scotland in 1920, Eva’s mother dies of the influenza soon after Eva’s birth. Loved, but a lonely child, Eva yearns for friends. Two “ghosts” join her in the garden one day and come to stay. They even follow her into adulthood. Why? Read this and find out !  

Recommended by my friend, John C., The Camel Club by David Baldacci deals with terrorism (both international and of the home-grown variety).  John said I would like the characters in this thriller and I really, really do ! A page turner with people you want to know more about- I highly recommend this book.

Garden Dreams is a graphic novel by Fumi Yoshi.  A young Arab finds himself the squire of a French Baron during the Crusades.  This book is romantic, historical, and deals with real emotions.  A good introduction to the graphic novel format. Although (I admit that reading the book from back to front was a challenge- and I enjoyed the story.

I love Janet Evanovich’s “naughty” humor and I am so glad that she does the “Between the Numbers” series of books that feature Stephanie Plum and the mysterious “Diesel”. Is he an angel, a devil, a god, a lunatic, just very, very mysterious or all of the above? Plum Lucky  features a self-proclaimed leprechaun and his missing bag of gold. Laugh out loud moments with the ususal crew of Lula, Grandma Mazur, and Connie. The scene with the rocket launcher is NOT to be missed !

 

 

 

 

An Interesting Conversation on Reading

As with my nephew, I am finding many smart, articulate young people who when I first ask them, “What do you like to read?” respond, “I don’t read.”  Just recently, I asked a young man at work what he liked to read- and he gave this “typical” answer.  Perhaps it is not too strange that he should say this: after all he was in a library- the temple of The Book. He is surrounded by people who do read and talk about books all the time.

Yet, as we explored what he did read, it turned out that he probably spends more than a few hours per week (if not per day) reading blogs.  His abiding passion is technology, but as you will see from his written response to my request for his blog favorites, he has eclectic interests.  He gave me permission to share his response:

I enjoyed our conversation, as odd and narrowminded as it sounded I never
considered what I was doing "READING".  When I think reading I immediately
think 'books'.  You make a great point!

A few of my favorite sites, you may also find intersting....

Digg.com  User aggregated news site.  Probably the first site I check in
the morning and regularly throughout the day.  You should consider joining
and 'Digging' articles.

Gizmodo.com  A technology newsite; they take a somewhat childish yet
informative take on new tech.  Good for a few laughs. Owned by Gawker
media group who also have other interesting blogs such as Kotaku which is
about Video Games, LifeHacker, Jalopnik which is a car blog, Consumerist a
consumer advocacy site and Valleywag.

Engadget.com  Another site that reports on tech. Owned by AOL media.

Cnet.com  A tech website aimed at the masses.

ARStechnica.com  Very well written articles about technology; articles are
written with a more technical aspect.

There are way too many sites I visit to list but it is worth mentioning
that there are plenty of forums out there that are great resources for
whatever interests you.  Recently I've been frequenting forums ranging from
Home Theater to Saltwater Aquariums.  The draw for me is the immediate
User interaction/discussion with people of a similar interest.

Hope you enjoy some of these sites!

So here is the deal, if I had never started this conversation (and looked beyond the original answer) I never would have known this young man at all. Now I know a few very interesting things about him and he has taught me (in a fun coversational style) about information sources of which I had no idea. 

Give it a try… ask someone you know, “So what have you read recently?” and see what kind of response you get. If you want, report back via comment to this blog.

Kathleen

The Effects of World War I

I hope that you had a chance to see “My Boy Jack” on Masterpiece theatre.  It told the story of Rudyard Kipling’s son, Jack, who volunteered at age 17 for service in WWI and was killed just two weeks after getting to the front.  The actor who portrays Harry Potter plays Jack and he does a marvelous job- as do all the actors ! The portrayal of Kipling made me want to read, for the first time, his Jungle Books and poetry.

Jacquiline Winspear has written a series that, like the PBS program, demonstrates the bitter effects of the First World War. The Maise Dobbs series begins with a book of the same name. The newest book in the series An Incomplete Revenge is fabulous. Maise is sent to investigate a mysterious string of arsons in a small village in Kent. In the process she deals with her, hidden, gypsy heritage and a number of signficant deaths. WInspear has a true knack for characterizations and page turning suspense.  I highly recommend this excellent mystery series.

 

Have you been sharing the passion and finding the connection?

Even if you have not agreed to participate as a leader for the Reading Rave (Raving about Reading) 2008, I hope you have been having conversations with people about what they have read.  Sometimes, they won’t want to talk about that, or it will lead them into other areas of their life.  Just follow the conversation ! It’s not so much about the subject, but connecting with others initially through the joy of reading. 

Leaders, now is the time to start letting me know what you are planning for the day:

May 3rd (Saturday)-  what are your plans; and with whom do  you intend to share?

What has happened with my current conversation? Two new books to read!

David Baldacci’s Camel Club and Jodi Picoult’s Keeping Faith. Although very different novels, the people who shared with me indicate they are strong, character-driven novels…. something I really enjoy.  The surprise for me was that my sister has such terrific taste in fiction (better than mine) and that we like Picoult for the same reason- she can write about difficult topics and not make them grim !

I have been sharing with friends how much I am enjoying Australian mystery writer Kerry Greenwood.  I love her Phryne Fisher mysteries and have just discovered her Corinna Chapman mysteries.  Both take place in Australia (1920’s for Phryne and present day for Corinna). Both are “amateur” detectives (Phyrne is a lady of means and Corinna is an ex-accountant turned baker).  Raisins and Almonds features the Jewish community; Earthly Delights has a strong sub-plot (and recipe) about making the perfect muffin.

Keep the conversations going, my dear ones ! Share, share, share the joy, passion and connection of reading !

 

 

So What in the World is Kathleen Reading- Historical Fiction

I’ve been reading a lot lately.  Kathryn Lasky’s Jahanara which is the story of the eldest daughter of an Indian Moghul Emperor and his favorite wife (for whom he built the Taj Mahal).  It is very interesting to read what an isolated life the women of Muslim emperors endured.  Talk about “birds in a (really, really, fabulous) gilded cage”! I enjoy reading this kind of “painless history”.  And reading about how women were treated in the past, even in the most glamorous of circumstances, makes me glad I live now ! The books in the Royal Diaries series are written for young adults.

Definitely NOT for children (or teens) is The History of Lucy’s Love Life in Ten and a Half Chapters  by Deborah Wright. Our heroine is a so-smart-she’s-stupid woman who doesn’t realize her current lover is the embodyment of her dream lover.  Rather, she travels through time to meet those she thinks will be perfect lovers- and what a crew she picks: Lord Byron, Al Capone, Ovid, Casanova- pul-eassseee ! What a crew.  Lucy is so ditsy – she’s fun. Once again, I am truly glad I don’t live in the “good old days.”

I’ve read two more historical novels that I’ve really enjoyed… but need to get on to my next task. So more will be coming later this week !

 

Sharing the Joy, Passion and Connection of Reading

Are you willing to try a new kind of conversation?  Would you like to connect with people, even those you meet in the most casual of settings, in a way that reveals something real and alive about them?

Take a chance, just ask with curiosity and interest, “Have your read anything interesting or fun recently?” 

My experience is that, once the shock wears off, one person out of twenty may ask,”Why do you want to know?” When this happens to me, I tell them the truth- I am always looking for something new/intereting/different to read.

What may surprise you though is how many people laugh and say, “Oh, I don’t really read.” But if you ask, with kind interest, “Really? Nothing?” you may find people sharing with you as they have with me:

             One fellow said he was “practically” illiterate – turns out he likes to listen to spoken word cds. He likes John Maxwell, Stephen Covey and Napoleon Hill.  He is really into self improvement and enjoys and learns better from hearing a book read. So do I !

           Another man told me he didn’t read for fun, but he did allow that when he was in airports, and wanted to have something fun to read, he would pick up The Economist because he was interested in politics.  (I’ve known this person for many years and never knew he was interested in politics !).  Since he always told me what a non-reader he was I never would have guessed he read The Economist for fun !

           One lady told me I would not like the books she enjoyed because they had vampires in them- little did she know (see my earlier posts). 

Do you see a theme here? Many people think their reading interests are silly, not important or not even “reading” (if it isn’t done with a printed book).  Isn’t this a shame and a scandal?!   I see how people light up when they can share something that they choose to do because it interests them.  Because it interests them, I can connect to them in ways we just couldn’t do if we stuck to “safe” topics (the weather and everybody’s health !). 

Once they give me an opeing, if I just “go with the conversation” and follow where they are willing to take me, I truly can share an part of someone’s life in a way that is meaningful for both of us. And often I get new reading ideas for myself. 

So start practicing now. Ask someone you know, but don’t know what they like to read, “Have you read anything good lately?”  If they say they don’t read ask “Really?  No magazines, newspapers, online sites, etc.?”

Play the game and see what happens and please add comments to this post about what you find out about the other person and yourself as you share !

Thanks,

Kathleen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m Baaaack !

This is embarrassing?! After, getting such a flying start with my blog- I haven’t done a thing for a long time ! Ah well, back in the saddle again !

Three things I have really enjoyed recently: 

 Persepolis is a wonderful movie. Using illustration, it very effectively translates to the screen the autobiography of an Iranian woman which was published as a graphic novel.

 The Monk Downstairs and The Monk Upstairs by Tim Farrington are a gentle reads !  I found “Upstairs” first and read this sequel before I read the previous title (A National Book Award winner).  In it, the monk (Mike) is marrying his landlady and lover.  Mike was a cloistered Roman Catholic monk for twenty years and Rebecca is truly worried that, at forty-years-old, he will not be able to “make it”. Truth is, she may chicken out first.  Mike’s love and care for Rebecca, her eight-year-old daughter, and Rebecca’s handicapped (because of a stroke) mother, are delightful.  I can hardly wait to start “Downstairs” !  I recommend this book for people who like to read Jan Karon and Sue Monk Kidd.

Finally, I froliced all last week with people affiliated with the Arizona Aloha Festival.  I was lucky enough to meet and greet the major entertainers and spent last weekend at the Festival itself.  More about this in my next blog.

Book Review: White Sky, Black Ice

I found this, the  first book in Stan Jones’ Nathan Active series, even more compelling than the second novel which I reviewed in an earlier post.  Three men supposedly commit suicide within a week of each other. Even for winter-time in the isolated Alaskan Northwest, this is excessive, and Active, a full-blooded Inupiat and Alaskan State trooper, decides to investigate.  He is hampered by the fact that most of the village consider him an “half-blood”, since he was adopted by white people and raised in urban Anchorage. He is unfamiliar with the customs that offer clues to the killings. Filled with rich characterizations and fabulous descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness, this is recommended for lovers of mysteries which feature character and place and offer insight into another culture.  Jones, an award winning journalist, offers a very pleasurable read !

Movie Review: The Bucket List

One more time, I don’t agree with the general critical review for a film. Even though it deals with two men who know they are dying, this is NOT a “downer” film. Rather it celebrates life and knowing, before one dies, what is important in life.  I don’t know why critics will consider a film like this “sentimental” and slam it for being unrealistic, and won’t do the same thing with an action thriller where people die and there is no blood or remorse !? In the film, both men make a “bucket list” (a list of things they want to do before they “kick the bucket)- and then, thanks to one character’s wealth, they do them ! 

It is a blast to watch Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson in the same film. Much like watching Michael Caine and Robert Duval in Secondhand Lions.

One sidebar on my movie-going experience.  I attended a showing where there were a number of older people (with walkers, canes, etc.).  Obviously, one of the local assisted living places was having a field trip ! I noticed how much they enjoyed the humor… that added to my enjoyment also ! Someone told me that the critics were saying that people over 70 years old would enjoy the film.  Well those of us over fifty enjoy it, too ! 

The St. John’s Bible- Phoenix Art Museum

I was told that this was a display not to be missed- and was my friend right!  On display are pages from the first illuminated, hand printed (calligraphy) Bible to be produced in over 50o years.  Commissioned by the St. John’s Abbey in Minnesota, this Bible is inspirational. Many of the illuminations have a “traditional” flavor, but more have a “modern” feel. For instance, the first illumination in the Book of Psalms features imbedded voice tracks of people singing Gregorian Chant, the call to pray in Islam, and songs from Jewish traditions.  Surrounding the St. John’s Bible display are a number of famous Bibles from throughout history (both in calligraphy and early printing).  One display is Arabic and Armenian Bibles collected by James Melikian.

I was smart enough to drop the $20 for the PBS special on the people who are illuminating the Bible.  The entire project will take over seven years to complete, costs over $4,000,000 and is being paid for by private contributions- many from people who pay for a “page”.  Well worth a special trip to Phoenix… come, see, be inspired and enjoy !