For the Record: May 2016

May was largely a reading-slump month for me. In the first three weeks I only managed to complete one audiobook. I think part of it is readathon backlash: maybe I'm a better reader when I stay on a regular pace rather than binge. I'm also in a serious rough patch with blogging—I thought that after my house rebuild was complete I'd be eager to jump back in to reconnecting with all the book bloggers I'd been missing but so far it hasn't been the respite I'd thought it would be. I have a lot of curriculum to write for next school year, and somehow that competes with blogging time. I'm going to try taking the mental pressure off (not feeling guilty for not keeping up with blogging) and see if that helps me get my groove back.

On the 20th, my oldest son turned 20 and got into a motorcycle accident when a car decided to do a last minute illegal u-turn in front of him. He was wearing a helmet and padded jacket, and managed to emerge with only a broken leg, a couple of broken toes, and a bunch of cuts, scrapes, and bruises. After a stressful weekend in the hospital, he's back in his apartment - bedridden but recovering. Though it could have been much worse, it is not an experience I recommend to anyone! Mothering makes me feel old.

5 Books Read in May [36 books year-to-date]

1 Nonfiction:
  - The Name of God is Mercy, Pope Francis (4.5) This small book is formatted as an interview, which made it feel somewhat disjointed for me, but the pope's message is such a good one that minor quibbles fall to the wayside. I love that Pope Francis takes the time to make his heart known. It's refreshing to hear of someone in such a powerful leadership position use that influence for good.

2 Junior Fiction:
  - A Stranger Came Ashore, Mollie Hunter (4) Our school studies for next year are incorporating mythology from different cultures, and this is a perfect slice of Scottish Celtic lore involving the sea and selkies.
  - Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, Mildred D. Taylor (3.5) This was a read-aloud for school, and was one of the few that I enjoyed more than my daughter. She did enjoy the characters, but was bored for most of the book. I enjoyed the writing and the characters, and felt that the story is socially and historically crucial.

2 Fiction:
  - Everything I Never Told You, Celeste Ng (4) I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It isn't the kind that sticks with you for the beautifully poetic writing and nuggets of wisdom, but it is a so well told that it was a little addicting. It is a sad story, as you'll surmise from the first line of the book, but unabashedly frank about the things that drive us, for better or worse.
  - Eligible, Curtis Sittenfeld (2.5) I listened to this on audio because: 1) I had enjoyed the same narrator while listening to Everything I Never told You, and 2) because it had been awhile since I'd read an Austen spin-off/rewrite and this was getting a lot of promotion. The narrator ended up annoying me, sadly enough, and I'm a little baffled as to why Random House is putting so much effort into this book because the quality just isn't there in my opinion. All the character & locations were duplicated with the modern spin of sperm donors, transgender discrimination, racism, and reality shows. It pushed all of my agenda-novel buttons and didn't fill any of my Austen yearnings.

        


Current Reads:
  - The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah. [Current audiobook] I think the key for audiobooks (for me) is to find books that are more about the plot and aren't too difficult to track. I'm enjoying this one so far, but haven't developed a connection to the characters or their story, so I'm hoping that happens soon.
  - In Search of the Source, Neil Anderson. [Current read-aloud] This will probably be the last read-aloud until September. I've read it before and enjoyed learning about Papua New Guinea. My daughter is enjoying it also.
  - Chasing the North Star, Robert Morgan. I haven't actually started this yet, but it is next up. It's a review copy from LibraryThing that I need to complete. I've liked Robert Morgan in the past, so I'm hoping this one is good too.

    

For the Record: January 2016 (plus New Orleans!)

Welcome to 2016! It sure seems like the year is off to a rough start, both with celebrity deaths, political shenanigans, and what not. I'm still holding out hope that 2015 just couldn't fit it all in and it's about to turn around.

On the personal side of life, January was a slog. My husband was gone most of the month, here and there for work and other things. My high school kiddos had semester finals, and my 11yo daughter's horse trainer announced she was moving out of state. Overshadowing all of that was the fog that comes when one big (huge) project is finishing (our remodel) and no new goals or projects have surfaced. So that's my February goal: find a new mission!

I did get to join my husband on one of his trips. He had a trade convention to attend in New Orleans, which is somewhere we've long wanted to visit. The food was good, the music was great, and the crowd was crazy. We saw a couple of Mardi Gras parades without much hassle, as we were staying in the French Quarter, and toured the Garden District before leaving. I was surprised how run-down the city was and  have been wondering if that is characteristic to the city historically, or if it is due to a slow recovery from Katrina? Anyone know? I was reminded of Ignatius from Confederacy of Dunces the whole trip. I might need to reread that book this year.

On the bookish front, January was a pretty good month. I've been writing more and blogging more, which feels great. I've been getting the urge to reorganize my bookshelves (already!) but have put my efforts towards cleaning up my LibraryThing records instead.


I love being able to see all my books, and have gone full-library-nerd and labeled my books if they were prize-winners or ones I need to read. Having them all on display means I don't keep many books cued up on my nightstand, and also that I don't have huge book-buying urges like I did when they were all packed away and I was too busy to read. There are so many great options on my shelves!


7 Books Read in January [7 books year-to-date]

1 NonFiction:
  - The Old West, Stephen Hyslop (4) My husband got me this lovely book for Christmas. It has tons of beautiful illustrations, and a good proportion of Indian history to white history. I loved all the little mini-biographies and read straight through the book, although it would be nearly as enjoyable to flip through and read bit by bit.

2 Junior Fiction:
  - Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, Jean Lee Latham (3.5) I was not expecting to like this biographical novel about one of America's most important navigators - oceans aren't my favorite thing - but I was pleasantly surprised.  I'm sure it was better because I read it aloud to my daughter (she enjoyed it) but overall it was both educating and entertaining.
  - Moccasin Trail, Eloise Jarvis McGraw (4) This is my second time reading this book and I just love it. I love how you get a picture of 19th century American life from the perspectives of the Indians, the trappers, as well as the settlers. Such an interesting contrast. Even better, there is a good look at why it is important to explore why we react as we do, and notice how our actions affect others.

1 Classic:
  - Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert (3.5) I picked this up on a whim - it was just so pretty sitting on my shelf. It was an interesting contrast/comparison to The Awakening by Kate Chopin, but in the end, as with The Awakening, I quickly tired of the shallow flightiness of the main character. Flaubert's writing, on the other hand, was enjoyable.

3 Fiction:
  - Smilla's Sense of Snow, Peter Hoeg (3) My book club pick was a novel in translation from the Danish, first published in 1992. There were some lovely poetic parts, though it ended up being too "action movie" for my tastes. We had some good discussion about whether the author succeeded in writing from a female point of view, and we all appreciated the look at Greenland, the native Greenlander's life, and the strained relationship between Greenland and Denmark.
  - The Girl You Left Behind, Jojo Moyes (4) This was the third book by Moyes that I've read (the other two were for book club: Me Before You and One Plus One) and I enjoyed this the most of the three. I bought it on a whim at the same time I purchased the first one, because the WWI topic was interesting. I thought the romance in this book was a little more natural, and the book overall felt less emotionally manipulative than her others. I liked the history aspect, and appreciated that her character introductions were a little less chaotic.
  - News of the World, Paulette Jiles (4.5) I actually blogged about this book! (Yay me!) This was certainly my favorite read of the month, and is one that has stuck with me since reading it. It's a small book, but super substantial as far as characters, setting, history, and language. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the old west.

            


Current Reads:
  - A People's History of the United States, Howard Zinn. I've been on a US history kick. That's what we are studying in homeschool, and my son is in a AP US History class, so we have all kinds of great discussions. My dad is also a a US history buff so we have some great conversations. This one is definitely interesting, as it is written from the unpopular point of view: the poor and downtrodden, the underdog. It is, obviously, biased. But it's a perfect contrast to traditional history tellings and really helps to round out the perspective a bit.
  - Farmer Boy, Laura Ingalls Wilder. I haven't read this since elementary school, but thought it might be a fun read now. As a girl, I only remember being frustrated that Laura wasn't in this, as she was who I was in love with. Reading it now, without that expectation, is a much better experience. It sure seems a lovely life!
  - We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Karen Joy Fowler. I actually haven't read more than the first sentence, but this is what I'll be reading as soon as I find a free moment.

    

New Books This Month:
Here's what I saved from my local independent bookstore's closing sale, as well as another couple I found at Barnes and Noble when I went there to try to cheer myself up about Apostrophe Books. I don't think it helped, but I'm looking forward to the new adventures anyhow.

        

For the Record: September 2015

What a relief to be back in a routine. It hasn't been easy to focus on schooling when we still have workers in our house every day, but the end is in sight.  After another week or two, we should have our home back to ourselves.  It's only been three years. Yikes. (*big sigh of relief...or was that just exhaustion?) My library cabinets are being oiled and all the loose ends are being tied up; pretty soon the only problem with my house will be that it is located in Southern California instead of Northern California! (I actually don't mind SoCal but I'm a NorCal girl and I miss it So Much.)

Reading this month wasn't too bad! Partially because of routine and school books, partially because getting all my books out of storage made my thirsty for reading.

8 Books Read in September: [61 books year-to-date]

2 Classics:
  - The Optimist's Daughter, Eudora Welty (4.5) What a beautiful portrait this small book is! Full of Southern manners and culture clash, family dynamics and truth, this is a book that I already want to read again. There isn't much plot, but as a character study and observation on life, this has it all.
  - Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes (4) Before reading this book I was pretty certain that I wouldn't like it. It seemed too tied to an agenda to be enjoyable. Of course I was wrong. I did have a hard time getting into it at first (probably because of my preconceived ideas) but it was written so well and plotted so perfectly that I ended up being won over. This read happened to coincide with Banned Books Week: happy accident.

2 Other/Fiction:
  - Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee (4) I had decided to not read this book. Not because I loved To Kill a Mockingbird so much, but because I didn't love it enough to warrant reading a subsequent book. I'm glad it was picked for my book club though, because it ended up being the perfect companion novel and helped me appreciate Mockingbird more than I did before. Where Mockingbird felt polished, clean, and purposeful, Watchman felt raw, pointed, and passionate. I don't think the characters were portrayed with different personalities, rather with a different perspective. Very interesting read, and wonderful discussion in my book group.
  - The Story of Land and Sea, Katy Simpson Smith (3.5) Though I usually enjoy books that focus on the characters and setting more than the plot, this one was the exception. I found myself skipping over descriptive passages trying to find the story. It was an interesting look at America during the time of the Revolution, as it didn't focus on the war as much as most novels in that setting would tend to do.

4 Junior Fiction:
  - Pedro's Journal, Pam Conrad (3) A fictional journal of a boy on Columbus' first journey, this was more about the history than the entertainment.
  - Flora & Ulysses, Kate DiCamillo (4) This was an entertaining little story of a squirrel with super powers and the girl that needed him in her life.  My 11yo is reading it and is also entertained with the intelligent humor and addition of drawings and comics. It's a cast of oddballs, which somehow makes it more realistic.
  - Walk the World's Rim, Betty Baker (4) Really interesting history here! I've had a hard time teaching about the explorers and conquistadors without feeling like it's a bunch of names and dates that don't matter much. This book does a wonderful job at introducing many cultures, geographical locations, and historical events in a very simple manner.
  - Om-kas-toe, Kenneth Thomasma (3) Although this was an interesting picture of the Blackfeet Indians, their lifestyle and introduction to horses, the writing was kind of terrible. It would have been more interesting, perhaps, if the reader had some familiarity with modern day Montana and was able to identify the locations the author mentioned. As it was, the continual interjections of commentary into the story made it harder to stay focused.

              


Current Reads:

  - A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson. My current audiobook. Isn't this being made into a movie? Usually I like to watch a movie before reading a book, contrary to most readers, but this seemed like a good one to read first.
  - Wolf Winter, Cecilia Eckback. This story is pretty intense! I suppose it could be classified as a crime mystery, but it so thoroughly feels like I've been dropped into 1717 rural Sweden that I can't help but think that this is exactly what historical fiction should be.
  - Justin Morgan Had a Horse, Marguerite Henry. Current read-aloud to my 11yo daughter. The accents written into the dialogue make this a fun read.

    

On My Nightstand:
Since unpacking my books, I kind of just want to read everything immediately. The plan, though, is to alternate some of the books that have been on my nightstand forever with some of the new books I've picked up. So, next up is The Big Burn by Timothy Egan followed by The Night Watch. We'll see where I go from there.

      

For the Record: August 2015

To be honest, I was surprised when I looked back and saw that I'd actually read a few books in August. Summers are always busier than I think they'll be, and this one was even more so. I've been working long days trying to get to the point where we actually feel like we are mostly moved into our home, and that doesn't leave much time or energy for reading. We still have people working on the house every day, but the task list is starting to get smaller (at long last!) My library cabinets are finally being built, and I seriously can't wait to be able to take my books out of storage.

I had been planning on joining The Classic's Club for Austen in August, but I only managed to get through the introduction of Northanger Abbey before setting it aside for now.  Kind of sad! I did manage to knit a pair of slippers for my 16yo son and a hat for my14yo daughter, (knitting is a more brainless pastime than reading,) so I feel like I accomplished something in August. I'm guessing that the rest of 2015 will be similarly busy, but I'm definitely hoping that life will mellow out a bit come January.

5 Books Read in August: [53 books year-to-date]

1 Nonfiction:
  - Being Mortal, Atul Gawande (5) Frankly, reading the details of how our bodies begin to fall apart was not my idea of good reading...so I am thankful that part didn't last long! This book was written in a very caring, thoughtful manner, and yet was detailed, researched, and organized. As it addresses something we will all eventually face, I'd say this book deserves a wide audience.

1 from Powell's Indiespensable:
  - The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty, Vendela Vida (3.5) If you've ever been curious about reading a book written in second person, here's your chance to experience it. It was entertaining, though not captivating.

1 Audiobook:
  - The Privileges, Jonathan Dee (2.5) I felt like the narrator did a fine job, but the story felt disjointed and lacking a strong theme. I kept wondering what the point of the story was, and I'm still not sure. It didn't satisfy my appreciation for character studies either, so I was pretty unattached and irritated throughout.

2 Other/Fiction:
  - The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara (5) I've had this on my shelf for quite a long time and always thought it would be too militarily technical, but I was mistaken. I'm so glad I finally read it. Breathtaking portrait of the Battle of Gettysburg.
  - Harry and Hortense at Hormone High, Paul Zindel (4) If that title sounds bizarre, take a gander at the book's cover art. This was one of many books that my 14yo daughter saved from the recycle bin at her school's library, and I couldn't bear for it to go unread. It ended up being funny as well as dealing with serious issues, not to mention being a delightful flashback to the '80s.

        


2 Current Reads:

  - Flora & Ulysses, Kate DiCamillo. This is really a book that I'd typically read in one sitting, but life. It's intelligent and entertaining, and makes me want to get some opinions from my kiddos to see if they'd like it as well.
  - Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee. My current audiobook, listening to it for my book club. I actually have a hard copy of it but I'm enjoying hearing Reese Witherspoon read it.  I may actually be enjoying this book more than To Kill a Mockingbird...or more accurately: I am finding myself appreciating To Kill a Mockingbird more than I could have without reading Go Set a Watchman. It may not be as polished, but I feel that it's a little more honest and raw and I like that.

  

On My Nightstand:
It grows and it grows, then I put all the books away in a box until I can finally shelve them properly. Then I buy more on impulse because I don't have time to read but want to. I actually have no idea what I'll read next. These are the books I bought on impulse so maybe it'll be one of these: