100 Books to Read in a Lifetime

A few days ago, CNN released a list of books (compiled by Amazon.com) of the top 100 books to read in your life time.  Check out the list here.  I was so excited to see that one of my faves, Cutting for Stone was on the list.  I wrote a review of this book some time ago.  Enjoy!!

Fifty Shades of Gray

After hearing all the hype about Fifity Shades of Gray, I admit, I succumbed to peer pressure and read it.  I was a little embarassed to say I was going to read it, so, I downloaded it on my eReader (see, they are good for something).  All the stories about the "Graybies" (babies born about 9 months after the book came out I believe) my curosity got the best of me.  Friends told me the book was, for lack of a better term, hot. Hmm...

Well, it is a very good and interesting story.  Anastasia Steele, soon to be college graduate, fills in for her friend and interviews Christian Gray for the school newspapaer. Ana is nervous and when she meets Christian, she gets worse.  However, with all the awkwardness, Christian is attracted to her.

In what I would say is a bit stalker like, Christian becomes a little (lot) obsessed with Ana.  She is young and naieve, he is young, handsome and rich and well...next thing you know she is in bed with him.  And in the elevator, and in his special playroom....  I can't say that the book is making me all hot and bothered.  I don't have much attraction any of the...activities that Christian has planned for Ana.  I don't find spanking or being tied up and almost asphixiated erotic in the least, but it was entertaining.

I am currently reading the last book in the triology, but ONLY because there is another story line in there that I would like to know the ending.  I can definitely see the attraction to the books.  Christian is rich and he is generous. What woman wouldn't want to be swept away?  These books are a little like Danielle Steele meets Zane.  Good reading......

Cutting For Stone

There is no real rhyme or reason to the way I select a book. It can be something I see in the bookstore or something I hear about, or see on Amazon.com.  However, picking up Cutting For Stone was the first time I selected a book based on the title only.

I picked another up a book at the library.  I can't recall the name of it.  But on the cover, one of the reviews was by Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting For Stone.  Wow, I thought.  That is SUCH a cool title!! So, I googled it and bingo, I found a gold mine.

The phrase, Cutting for Stone is actually part of the Hippocratic Oath....."I shall not cut for stone", ie.  I won't cut just because I can.  Even more interesting to me - HOW do you write a book based on that little phrase.

The quick summary of this story is - a set of  twins are born, to a nun.

The story begins with the mother of the twins, Sister Mary Joseph Praise and her move from India to Africa, in the 1950's.  It's a long and very interesting journey.  Sister Mary meets Dr. Thomas Stone on the boat. After a harrowing boat ride, she finally ends up in Ethopia at Missing Hopsital.     Hmm, I think to myself...Thomas Stone? Cutting for Stone? Any connection?......YES!!!

For me, the richness of this book does not just come from Sister and Dr. Stone.  It also comes from the varied  characters that are all a part of this story. Each of them is so well developed, that they could probably be characters in their own books and in ways, they are.  Dr. Verghese is a master at making each of these characters come to life,  espceially the twin boys,  Shiva and Marion.

This book is so full of all things that make a book, in my opinion, great.  There is so much detail about each charater that at times, you forget who the main characters are.  So much detail, but all so necessary and so well written that it makes this such an amazing story.  The story goes from India, to Africa and finally to the United States. 

If it is possible to fall in love with a book, for me, this is it. I loved it so much, that I got the unabridged audio CD's for my car and listened during my commute. Completely riveted and so much so that a few times, I sat too long at a traffic light, forgot I was in traffic, or (embarassed to say) drove past my job or..forgot where I was going.

I got lost and caught up in the language.  The turns of phases that made parts of this story like a song.  Not that Dr. V used big words that sent me to a dictionary, but that he puts words together that sum up a feeling or emotion to the point where you can feel it in your bones. The prose style is fluent;  the book becomes alive with words.  This, to me, was a living story that I watched unfurl.  There where parts when my heart skipped a beat, I laughed out loud and yes, cried.  Bawled would be more like it. 

I will admit, the first say, 50-75 are difficult to get through, only because of the detail about Ethopia, during the revolution and Emperor Salasie's reign.  I was reading this and another book and I had to take this one back to the library.  I immediately put myself back on the waiting list and promised myself that I would complete it.  When I got it the second time, and picked up where I left off, I could NOT put it down.  I am so glad that I did.

Please, please, PLEASE, read this magnificent book. 

Abraham Lincoln

I love historical fiction and I love science fiction.  Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, by Seth Grahame-Smith gives a little bit of both.  Well, a lot of both.

This book begins at the beginning - the birth of our 16th President and his childhood.  The premise is that his dear mother was killed by a vampire because of a deal his father made that went wrong.  Because of this, Lincoln spends the rest of his life, vowing to kill all Vampires. 

At each and every turn in Lincoln's life, he encounters vampires, even once he enters governement service.  What was most riveting to me, was the way vampries were seamlessly put into historical situations.   I am speaking specifically of the issue of slavery. Most people believe that Lincoln's sole purpose of freeing the slaves was to unite the country and stop the war.  This book offers an interesting thought - what if his reason was to stop them from being slaughtered by vampires?...Hmm...

This book is in the genre of Teen fiction.  I found that hard to believe, but then when I thought about the Twilight Series I thought maybe it was.  If it is marketed to teens, it is certainly a great way to teach them some history of Lincoln's Presidency, even if it includes something as far-feteched as vampires. 

I enjoyed the book. I actually took this with me on vacation to Myrtle Beach.  Can you imagine the looks I got?  There is a picture on the cover of President Lincoln, holding an axe behind his back, with blook all over him.   Probably not your typical beach read, but it is enough to hold your interest and easy enough to be able to put down and pick back up.

The other book I read with a  Lincoln theme was The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln, by Stephen L. Carter.  Mr. Carter writes the best books!! My friends and I are always waiting for the next one.  He also writes historical fiction.  He always has someone famous showing up in a book. His entire book, Palace Council was filled with folks like J. Edgar Hoover. 

The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln starts with the idea that the assisination of Lincoln was unsuccessful.  The President survives, but is brought up on charges shortly thereafter.  That in an of itself is enough to hold your interest.  But the introduction of a young, black, educated woman, who wants to be an attorney really pulls you in.  Abigal has graduate from Oberlin and is fortunate enough to get a job as a law clerk, at the firm retained to defend the President on these charges.

However, there is a problem.  In my humble opinion, this book misses the mark.

It is WAY too long.  It is mired in minutia, which in some parts is not required.  There are stories within stories, on top of stories, to the point that you start to confuse characters of have to go back a few pages to try to figure out who this person is.   I have this thing where once I start a book, I have to finish it.  But I found it so difficult, that I borrowed the unabridged CD's from the library so I could try to speed up getting through the book.  JUST to find out how it ended. 

It was quite an ordeal.  To this day, I'm not really sure what happened.  Abigal was very intelligent and I loved the story of her family and life.  She was never a slave, nor were her parents.  The discrimination that she faced daily, her determination to succeed was all great to read.  But it was buried in chapter after chapter of things that at the end of the day, weren't really relevant to the story.

I read so many reviews about this book that were great.  Of course, I'm not a reviewer.  But I have to say, I was disappointed.   Mr. Carter mentions that this was a book he always wanted to write and I can certainly appreciate that. But for me, it just wasn't what I was looking for....

So, I'm looking forward to the next one!

E Readers....

A few months ago, a friend of mine "LBH" asked if I had a Kindle or Nook, since I read so much. Well, I went off on a rant about these electronic readers and how I would miss turning the pages of a book or the "smell" of paper (ie mold).  I asked how can you cuddle up with a e Reader?

Now, we had purchased a tablet for my son.  He uses it for school and to play games and music, it even has a camera on it.  One day, I pick it up and notice that on the menu, there is a link for "Kindle"...hmm....I click on it and it links me to Amazon. I search for free books and decide, I'm going to download one, just to "see" what its like.

Well, I find a book by Joanna Campbell Slan; Cut, Crop, Die.  The main character, Kiki Lowenstein, is an avid scrapbooker and a part time "sletuh".  Who would think that so many crimes could be committed because of Scrapbooking and crafting!! I never thought it was a dangerous hobby, but in this town, apparently it is!!  I also read Ink, Red, Dead.  These are very light and entertaning books and quick reads.  One was a free download and one was 99 cents, but I would have paid more.  I don't know that I'll read any of the others (and yes, believe it or not, there are more), but these 2 were pretty good.

I also read 30 Pieces of Silver.  It appears that the author, Carolyn McCrary, started writing books just for eReaders.  However, a recent review of the 2012 New York Times Best Seller list, includes this book!! It's very controversial; was Judas really the tratior that we thought?  I would give away too much of the book by going into anymore detail.  But let me warn you, you have to be VERY open minded to read this book!! It challeneges all of the thoughts we have ever had about Jesus and his relationship with Judas and the other disciples.  If you are the type who gets upset when you read things that don't line up with your beliefs, maybe you shouldn't read this one.  BUT if you are open minded and could just consider a different set of circumstances, this is a really, really good book!!

So, all of this to say...I think I like the e Readers (lol).  In order to appease my son, we gave him an iPod for his birthday, so Mom can spend more time with the tablet.

11/22/63

I'm Back!!

Wow, doesn't seem like it has been this LONG since I last wrote.  I have certainly read enough!!  I'm cheating a bit though.  Due to my long (2 hour) commute each day, I have been "listening" to books on CD.  I have to say it has been great.   I've listened to many and read a few in between.  One I HAVE to talk about is Stephen King's 11/22/63.

I am not usually a Stephen King fan.  Loved the Shawshank Redemption and the Green Mile - movies that is.  Never read any of his books.  However, the idea of 11/22/63 was intriguing.  What if President Kennedy was never assassinated? How would our world have changed...or not changed.  Main character, Jake Epping, is presented with this opportunity....

Jake's friend, Al, who owns a diner, let's him in on a secret.  The diner, always thought of as suspicious because of the low prices (is it dog meat and how can he stay in business are always questions of this establishment) actually is the doorway to a portal to the past.  Going through the portal, you can go back to late 1962.

Al is dying and wants Jake to go back and try to stop the Kennedy assassination. 

I have to stop there.  I read the reviews about the book and once I started reading it, I was upset that so much was revealed.  I won't do that to you and if you plan to read the book, I beg you NOT to read anything but the book.  It's a big one, over 800 pages.  Or 23 unabridged CD's.  This was so good, I would bring the CD's in the house with me.  I could not wait to get in the car.  Even a drive to the market or to car line, I was listening to this!!  Of course, it wouldn't be true Stephen King if there wasn't just a "little magic" involved.  Just enough though, to make you think...There are some very memorable characters as well.  All I can say is Harry Dunning....the thought of him brings me to tears....

As big as this book was - I'm going to read/listen to this one again and again.....I hear a movie is in the works.  It would have to be a mini-series like "The Stand".  Either way, I'm completely hooked!

A Work In Progress....

Yes, that is defintely what my "blog" is going to be. Initially, it was some need to be intellectual, at least to myself.  I thought I would read a ton of books and share my thoughts and opinions with folks, so they could share my views and we could discuss.  Sort of an online book club. (For those of you who don't know, many years ago, a group of friends and I had a book club, meeting every month for over 7 years). 

Then tonight, I had an epiphany - an "Ah Ha" moment as Oprah would say...when in the WORLD am I supposed to have the time to not only read all these books, but to then, collect my thoughts and "review them" online to share with everyone.

Hmm, let's see how could I do this? I thought to myself.  I grabbed my glass of Moscato and thought...yes, I could use my iPad and when my son is at karate, I could blog my thoughts.  I could also use that 45 minutes to read, make notes and share them.  I put my glass down and thought, yes, that is a great idea!!

Reality - tis more fun to chat with the parents and catch up on gossip, or, here is a thought, watch my son as he works towards his orange belt in Kenpo karate.  Plus, I would have to buy an iPad to do that.  Glass back up, deeper thought.....

This whole thing started this summer.  The good old summer reading list - 10 books in 3 months for the soon to be 4th grader.  Summer, what a wonderful time of the year - school is out, no homework, kids can stay up late, sleep late, go to camp in between and wear themselves out.  TONS of time for Momma in the summer!!  So I decide, I'm going to read 10 books too!!  What better way to encourage him!!  Do as I do, right!!  And boy, did I hit the jack pot with books!! The Passage (800+ pages, so good I'm going to read it again), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ( and the other 2 books in the Triology), The Confession...

School starts and now, comes the homework.  They don't understand it and neither do you (did we really need to know basic algerbra in 4th grade and for that matter, do we need it now)...frustration, tears behind that.  You can't wait for 9pm-bed time.  It gets dark early, but you are running to karate practice, back to school nights, soccer practice.  Dinner, dishes, and oh yeah, trying to spend maybe a couple minutes with your husband before he goes to sleep.  So by the time all this is done, the LAST thing I want to do is read.  I can hardly keep my eyes open past 10pm.....

So, as I said a work in progress. I think my blog would be best served as a way for me to vent and share my thoughts on the things that make me laugh, smile, cry you know, all the emotions...... 

Yeah, I like that idea!!!

Imagine......

Kindred:

Imagine, if you will, a young woman, moving into her first home, trying to figure out what will go where wondering if you will ever finish. Then, you feel faint, the room begins to spin and as you fall to the ground, you hear your husband call your name.

You wake up, you are outside and its pouring rain. You hear screaming and see a woman, looking at her son, drowning.  You get up, run to save the boy, pull him to shore and are immediately greeted by a double barrel shot gun.  You feel faint again and come “home” to your living room, with your husband leaning over you asking – where did you go?....

Such is the opening of Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, the first African American woman writer of to be published in the science fiction genre. 

The main character Dana (Edana) Franklin, makes 6 trips like this in the course of this book.  The young man she saves, is actually one of her ancestors, who calls on her whenever he is in trouble.  It is never explained why he calls on her or even how.  But this book on time travel had me riveted.  From the opening scene to the end, this is one that will keep you thinking.....

They Tell Me of a Long Story, that makes No Sense

When you pick up a book and the cover has comments from notable authors, like Michael Eric Dyson saying this is a brilliant first book, or Nikki Giovanni saying that there is a “magic in the story, in the telling”, you immediately think (or at least I do), that this book HAS to be great. Then you read the story line –the main character, TJ, a young African American man,  leaves his home in Swamp Creek, Arkansas at 18 in order to pursue his dreams, whatever they may be.  He returns, 10 years later, with a PhD in African American Studies and ready to confront the demons that sent him away.

In Daniel Black’s “They Tell Me of a Home”, the story line seems great -  not only did he leave home – he didn’t tell anyone where he was going and during his time away, he never contacted his family– not even his beloved sister.  He gets home and finds out that his sister, the one he came back for is dead and has been buried in the back yard, right outside of the kitchen.   His mother hardly acknowledges his presence and his brother asks – where have you been, you know our sister was waiting for you to return.  His father, the one he ran away from out of sheer fear, was the most welcoming one.  Sounds good right?

That is, until you get into the details.  His mother, he learns is not his mother.  His father brought him home to her, after an affair and asked her to please raise him.  Okay, that explains the hatred he says his mother has for him (in his mind it does).  But still no one will tell him, why his sister is dead and who his real mother is. 

From here the story gets worse – he finds that his real mother is his beloved teacher, who wants him to stay in Swamp Creek and teach the children (although the book is set in the early 70’s apparently, Swamp Creek still has a one room school house with one teacher who teaches all grades).  He doesn’t find out she’s his mother until AFTER she dies; he goes to visit her and his ‘brother’ greets him and tells him the truth.

Finally, he learns what happened to his sister.  She was pregnant, his momma, who was not his momma, got so mad, she killed the girl.  His brother, tells him this much but at the end of the book, he tells the full story – not only was she pregnant, his brother was the daddy.  How does he tell his brother of the incest? He says, “we was gonna name the baby after you”.

We have all read and heard stories of “odd” things happening in the South.  Children finding out in adulthood that their mother was really their aunt is not at all uncommon.  However, stories, of incest? I know they happen, but, a “planned” affair between a brother and sister? And as much as I like to live the fantasy that is often found in a book - how is Swamp Creek allowed to have a one room school house

And during all the “telling” of the story, the writing is horrible.  The negro ‘dialect’ is used, which I cannot stand. I hated it when Mark Twain did it in Huckleberry Finn and I still hate it.  I think we are all well read enough to be able to hear the dialect in the words.  Not only that, these same characters who use this dialect, will turn a phrase that the most educated of us probably won’t use.  A phrase here and there is fine, but I shouldn't need a negro thesaurs to figure out what the heck the characters are talking about. 

I won’t omit the fact that there WERE some very funny parts in the book.  The far-fetched stories that we all grew up hearing, the way we get together after a funeral and it ends up being a family reunion. And how there is always one uncle (or 2) who in spite of the occasion have a “taste” and get to talking a bunch of trash.

The funniest thing to me is that in spite of how much I despised this book, I could NOT put it down.  I wanted to KNOW what happened and I was so disappointed when I found out.  I was able to skip around and read enough to figure out the story.  I wouldn’t have read as much as I did, had I not been waiting for another book……

Sorry, Mr. Black, I really tired to like your book. I just couldn’t. However, according to the reviews on Amazon, I am in the minority on that issue.  But that’s the beauty of blogging – you can express your own opinion…..

Book Overload....

I'm wondering if there is such a thing as "book overload" or doing too MUCH reading? I guess if I was still a student, I would be told there is no such a thing!! However, as a working mother and wife, with a laundry list of things to do and a mind that is always racing with the next thing I need to do - there is!!

Case in point, I started reading The Passage at the end of the school year; when I had more time for me.  I probably read 6 books after that and then came across The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larssen (more on that later).

I am now on the 3rd book of that installment (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest).  On Saturday night, I had a nightmare, which incorporated parts of The Passage as well as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and a bit of another book I'm still reading, Cutting for Stone. And let me tell you, it is a much different experience reading some of this stuff and "living it" in my dreams.  I woke up in a cold sweat with my heart racing. 

I probably need to back off the adventure/crime/sci-fi novels for awhile, but what is left after I omit those?

The Passage

While visiting the library with my son, I took a few minutes to find a book for myself. Now that he reads on his own, I have more time to read.  I had no idea "what" I wanted; something with an adventure, maybe a little mystery or just something out of this world.  I came across "The Passage", hardcover edition with over 800 pages.  I opened it and read a bit and said, hmm, this might be good.  I actually put it back a couple times before I decided I would take the chance.

The first sentence grabbed me and it is not often that this happens.  From then on I was non-stop!!  There were parts where I literally was holding my breath.  I won't share anymore in the hopes that you too will pick up this book. If you enjoyed Lost or the X-Files, liked the movie "Outbreak" or should I now say "Contagion", this is a must read for you. Don't think about how long it is - just enjoy the story!

And, the best part ...the next book (this will be a trilogy) comes out in May 2012!!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_11?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+passage&sprefix=the+passage