Lulu: My reading

Looks like we're all of the same mind here; I read The Help several months ago and loved it. The movie was really well-done, too. Recently I've read:

The Thirteenth Tale (Diane Setterfield) - I adored this book and didn't want to read anything else afterwards, because it was just too good. I recommended The Help to Liz and she recommended The Thirteenth Tale to me; we enjoyed several occasions of quiet, intent, tandem reading while I was at her house through the month of August.

Peace Like A River (Leif Enger) - Recommended to me by Abby and Aunt Beccy a couple of years ago, this was the book I read after The Thirteenth Tale. It was so beautiful! So I passed it on to Liz.

These Is My Words (Nancy E. Turner) - Recommended by Abby and Aunt Beccy, also a couple of years ago, I finally got around to reading it and I'm sad I'm done.

The Book Thief (Marcus Zusak) - I got 48 pages into this addictive book before it was lost in my floating-around-space suitcase that Delta still can't find. Very annoyed about that. I've requested it from our teeny-tiny branch library, so I'm just waiting. But I might end up buying it.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis) - I can't believe it took me so long to read this! I was really missing out. I read it to the kids out loud, after we had finished The Mysterious Benedict Society and were taking a break before diving into the second one. They loved it, Reed especially. I was so happy to read him something that is so richly symbolic of Christ, and written by someone who was a follower of Christ. Aslan makes me cry happy tears. Lucy and Susan make me think of my sisters. I'm really excited to read the first one (I hadn't realized that LWW was the second in the series) and the third! At the moment, we're finishing the Overlander series (Suzanne Collins); we're in the last book. And eventually we'll do the second Benedict book. It's nice to have a long queue of interesting books for their night-time reading. Makes me look forward to bedtime.

Reed is reading the first Harry Potter book! I am so pleased I could cry. While his vocal reading fluency isn't a strength YET, his comprehension is wonderful, and he gets zeroed in on Harry with intense interest when he's reading it to himself.

I'm also perusing several books on the art of writing, both the technical elements and the creative side of it.

In the process of moving and putting all my books on the shelves, I am re-realizing how many books I own that I haven't yet read. Furthermore, a lot of classics and "necessary" reads that I haven't touched....like....(oh, it shames me to admit this!)....To Kill A Mockingbird. Never read it. And too many others that I know I ought to read. I'm happy to have finally read These Is My Words and Peace Like A River, as those were on my shelves for a couple of years before I opened them. But I know, too, that it would be great if I'd read more of my own books!

Lulu: HP

I'm re-reading the Harry Potter series. I've been reading the first one to the boys, and although I'm not sure just how much of it they're really absorbing/understanding, they're very quiet and thoughtful and enjoying it when I read. And most of Reed's questions suggest that he is getting the gist of it.

We're over halfway through. But a couple of nights ago, after I finished reading to them, I wanted to keep reading by myself. So I did, and finished it the next morning. :) And then I decided I wanted to read the whole series all over again, and I'm almost halfway through the 2nd one today. It has helped in my recent early-morning wake-up endeavor to have a good book to look forward to. This morning at 6:10, the words actually ran through my head, "It's okay, it's okay, you can read The Chamber of Secrets after you've run and the kids are fed and dressed!" Hee hee....oh, the power of a good book. So count that as my fantasy read, I suppose, and I guess Ender's Game will be my sci-fi read. Honestly though, I might not even touch it again until I'm done with HP.

The Good Earth, Mobius Strips, and Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain

I've searched long and unsuccessfully for the criteria for the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel won by The Good Earth, but can't find anything substantial about that prize or the William Dean Howells Medal that Pearl Buck also won for it. Oh well, at least I learned that the old Novel prize (around till 1948) was pretty prestigious, especially for a woman. I learned more about Pearl Buck than about the prizes, and she was awesome. I knew she had a profoundly retarded daughter (this explains much of her characterization of Wang Lung and his "poor fool" daughter). The daughter, Carol, would've been 10-15 when the book was written. But I'd forgotten the great extent of Mrs. Buck's humanitarian work for the retarded, for children (she adopted nine other children after Carol came), and for Asian-American relations.

While I'm here in Asia I'm often reminded how different the Asian outlook can be. So I loved The Good Earth for reflecting such a different view of self (although Chinese, not Japanese) while still depicting the people as real human beings like you and me. A couple of reviews criticized Mrs. Buck for giving Wang Lung some "enlightened ideas" that he might not have had as a Chinese peasant in the early 1900s, but I disagree. I think he was still pretty dense about a lot of things! But she made him loveable. I'm really keen, right now, on understanding and loving people who are totally different from me.

I also read Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone this month. You all know how many awards it's won and I don't need to tell you I feel the awards are justified. It was a fun light read and I think I'll read the others (having listened to the first four books on tape before 2003). Not sure though. I'm in a weird season (menopause?).

My choices aren't typical anyway, are they?! For example, I'm excited about a book I just found called The Mobius Strip: Dr. August Mobius's Marvelous Band in Mathematics, Games, Literature, Art, Technology, and Cosmology (2006). Some of it is really quite beyond me and I probably won't read it all, but there's cool stuff in it like a picture of an oak stair railing that's a Mobius strip (so your hand ends underneath the rail when it started out on top) and a maze on a Mobius. (My apologies, Beccy, for leaving out the umlaut in "Mobius.")

None of you will be surprised by my October choice, then. I could've read a lot of things in our Music category but I Google-searched music with science terms, just for kicks, and quickly found Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, by Oliver Sacks. Rae, I loved Sacks's Uncle Tungsten so much when you gave it to me, so I'm hoping this one is just as readable and fun. This one doesn't even come out till October 16th and then has to be shipped to my APO, so I'll be late with my October read. That's okay with me, though, because I'll be pretty busy the first two weeks of the month visiting several of you!! Love, Mim/Mom

The Good Earth

by Pearl S. Buck is my September choice, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. Mom and Aunt Rae, I decided to read it after you both mentioned liking it. The copy I bought is an "enriched classic", so it includes notes and commentary.

I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! I LOVED it!! It was perfect....just perfect. Couldn't have been better. Beautiful.

Lulu

Bookish Thots

I think August was a transition month for many of us...or at least a very busy one. A new baby, visiting grandchildren, violin lessons, kids starting school and entire families moving...including the Hinkles! Many thanks to Samantha for letting me use her laptop while I wait for my internet access to be set up next week. Even my own reading has slipped a little this month. I probably should have just chosen Harry Potter for our August read!

It warms my heart that each of my nieces mothers so well and so attentively. Though I haven't actually experienced the childbirth process, I do know somewhat of the mothering process and I know how demanding it can be. Kudos to all of you great women in each of your various stages of life.

Mim...you would so enjoy the usage class at BYU from Don Norton. His whole emphasis on writing and speaking is that we should be clear and concise in order to be well understood. Sometimes the rules actually get in the way of that. He is teaching me to re-think my entire mindset regarding the English language. We can be more free in our writing and speech, still follow some set rules, and communicate clearly with our own unique regionalisms. I'd love to talk to you about it all. It's just a boatload of fun...Of course, I haven't sent anything in for a month. I told him to not expect to hear from me until mid-September!

To all who enjoyed the Potter phenomenon...I'm kind of glad it's over and we can move on to other enjoyable reading endeavors! Duran called me yesterday to ask about Beowulf (no...that won't be September's read). Apparently, some sort of movie is being made with that as the subject and Duran wanted to know what it was all about. I had to confess that I have never read it...and don't intend to! But I guess it's good that the media is trying to utilize great books. Hopefully more people will be encouraged to read.

My August read has been very enjoyable. It's about a teacher in California who really creates an environment for learning in his classroom...unlike most classrooms...and has great success. He emphasizes civility and respect. He makes learning math and English fun with silly games and Shakespeare plays. And most of his students are low-income children. I recommend the book to anyone interesting in teaching or learning. I'm willing to send it on to anyone interested.

Lulu...your post on your own blog re Gpa and Gma was most lovely. We were there yesterday for lunch and sometimes I do wonder if Gma knows who I am. Most of the time she does. Gpa takes extremely good care of her and is most solicitous to her needs. I too am amazed at their almost sixty years together! But I think they have moved into the eternal realm with their relationship and simply don't count the years. They will surely be together forever. What a beautiful gift that is from our Savior. Thanks for your sweet post.

I will post the September read in a separate post.

Happy reading!

At least I'm reading something, right?

I have to confess that I have been avoiding the library lately. I hope you are not ashamed of me! I have had a hard time returning books on time, finding checked out children's books around my house, finding time to even go, etc. I even had a really big fine recently because of some DVD's I kept too long. So I didn't check out anything for August but I have in mind to read that book Abby used to teach Autumn to read, by Seigfried Engelman. (I guess I just need to get in the habit of renewing online . . .) I also am reading the Harry Potter books again, although unlike Lulu I did read #7 first. I liked Rae's comments on that and agree that I would have been upset had it ended differently. I was very happy with the ending. I like discovering new details as I re-read. I can and can't believe how much I missed in the first readings! :) I sort of wish I had more to write, but today I am "burning the candle at both ends" just to get my laundry and dishes done, so I am going to bed! I enjoy you all and all you say. Thanks! Liz

Long time, no post

Hi, everyone! I've been reading the posts, but have waited to contribute in the whirlwind of relocating. I just figured I'd say that I'm of the same mind regarding adding new people. I would write differently, unless it was someone all of us knew/loved. And I like this little group we've built. I definitely think it'd be cool to add more ladies of the family.

I haven't chosen a book for this month's genre. I'm almost done re-reading all previous books leading up to HP#7--in fact, I'm in 6. So I'm voraciously devouring that, and slapping my hand every time it prematurely reaches for #7.

:)

Lulu

Finished!

I have completed the new (and last) Harry Potter book as well as my June read, In Gallant Company. The HP book was wonderful, I thought, and ended in just the right way. It was intense (with lots of good people dying) but just right. Rowling made me happy. I would have sent her a really nasty note if it had not ended in the way it did.

As for my July read, it wasn't the greatest story, but it did make me think about the Revolutionary War that was also being fought on the ocean--something we don't often hear much of--and how in many respects it was a civil war. English and "Americans"--former English--fighting one another. That must have been as difficult as it was in the Civil War. I often think of our relative on the Andersen side of the family who fought for the Confederacy while some of his other family members supported the Union. Very sad indeed. We owe them so much!

2 Booky Items

The link below will take you to a fine article on the Harry Potter phenom. It tells of a literary critic's Down Syndrome boy and how the HP books helped him progress in his limited understanding. I thought it worth sharing:

www.thecommonreview.org/fileadmin/template/tcr/pdf/berube61.pdf

(or go to www.thecommonreview.org and scroll down until you see the article mentioned)

Abby, I noticed on your personal blog that one of the books you have on your list to read soon is The Historian. I just started it this week. I read Dracula just a year ago or so and purchased Historian in an airport. It was put on a bookshelf and forgotten about. Then, while packing up some books, I found it and decided now was as good a time as any to read it. Had I been really on the ball, I would have remembered that Harry Potter #7 is coming out Saturday and I have first dibs on it in our house. I guess I'll be reading a lot this next week. Plus, I am finishing up my read for our book group!

Anyway, so far the book is great! I am really enjoying its tone. Dracula was just creepy enough to keep me from reading it for many years. This one has that same feel to it. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Happy reading!