An Open Letter to Diana Gabaldon

This is my 100th blog post (and my first in about two years), so it seems fitting that it covers a topic about which I am most passionate. How to best convey my emotions on a topic that is so dear to my heart? As that Mad Hatter said, "Start at the beginning, and when you come to the end, stop."

In the late Spring of 2005, I was procrastinating. One of my best skills, carefully honed throughout my entire college career. Finals - and graduation - were about a week away, and there was not much for me to do (other than pack my apartment, study for finals, finish my theses, and get my life into something resembling order). As now, one of my most efficient ways to procrastinate is to wander the bookstore, call a fellow reader and ask for a recommendation. I called my mom.

Me: I need something that is easy to read, that won't take too much time. I've got finals.
Mom: Read Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon.
Me (arriving in the "G" section): Mom, this book is over 800 pages. Were you listening to my criteria?
Mom: Trust me.
Me: Fiiiiiiiiine.

I don't remember much about French, other than being trés fatiguée at my final. I was up every night devouring Outlander. I could have lived on nothing but the rich descriptive language, the carefully cultivated historical research, the piquant characters, and the obviously mouthwatering relationship between the protagonists, Claire Beauchamp and Jamie Fraser.

When I returned to my parents' home to spend the summer before starting graduate school, I completed Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, and The Fiery Cross in about a week each. I didn't have anything pressing to do (other than find somewhere to live 2,000 miles away, get prepared for the rigors of academic life and worry about my student loans), so I contented myself to while away the days laying in the backyard with a book in my hand.

Then, of course, graduate school in Wisconsin. All books, all the time. Especially in winter. I purchased - and read immediately - A Breath of Snow and Ashes when it was released, and I continued to offer up Outlander to anyone who asked for a great book recommendation. In the Fall of 2009, my husband moved back to California a month before my final semester of coursework was completed, taking all of our belongings back across the country. I was to follow in December, keeping only the most necessary items with me until my departure. Clothes, coats, my laptop and, of course, An Echo in the Bone. I really felt the need to have the large, hardcover tome with me for the remainder of my time in Madison. I said it was because I was only "halfway done" and I wasn't about to wait a month to finish the book (even though I did have to wait until my teaching and student-ing was completed to open it back up). I think, however, that it was reassuring to have it as a keystone to important moments in my life, most of which involve moving through space (and not time). Of course, reading in the backyard isn't the same in a blizzard. But still.

In 2011, now back in Orange County for the first time (really) in basically a decade, I saw that Diana Gabaldon Herself was touring for The Exile (the graphic novel of Jamie's experiences) and she was visiting Vroman's. A mere hour from my home (with no traffic). My in-laws live halfway between myself and Pasadena (for to watch my 8-month-old). My mom works halfway between my home and my in-laws' home (for to accompany me).  Yes, we left early so that we wouldn't hit too much traffic. Yes, we hit no traffic (amazingly) and were there like 3 hours early. No, I didn't mind. I was in one of my favorite places, an amazing bookstore, and I was about to meet one of my favorite people. Yes, there were a lot of people there. Yes, I met her. And, while I had all these things I wanted to tell her, I simply said, "I love your books." I totally choked. She was gracious and wonderful, and I'm sure she doesn't remember me.

Lest you think I'm completely obsessed with the whole Outlander universe, I will say that I did not go to Comic-Con to see her or the cast of the show, and I did not get to see her when she visited Vroman's again for Written in My Own Heart's Blood (I couldn't get tickets to either event, or find anyone to watch my 3-year-old and my 1-year-old). But. I had been looking forward to the book for ages, and I bought it the day it was released. A few weeks later, I was in Pasadena and went to Vroman's, found a signed copy of the new book and obviously bought it. Because, of course I did. So now I have two copies.

I had been really looking forward to the show since the moment I heard it was happening; after reading MOBY (as Diana Gabaldon calls it), I said to myself, "Self, you should really re-read the first book before the show starts, just as a refresher." Two weeks before the show started I decided to read Outlander (again), and I finally convinced one of my kindred-book-spirits to start it for the first time. This time, I finished the book in about three days (thanks to my teething daughter "keeping me up all night"), and I thought, "Okay. I'll just read Dragonfly in Amber again." And then the same thing happened with all the rest, right up through MOBY, which I read for the second time. (I feel like I should acknowledge that, while I do re-read books for my studies, I've never been one to re-read too many books, so re-reading a book less than two months after reading it the first time was definitely out of character for me). Loren, my kindred-book-spirit, is in the middle of The Fiery Cross. You're welcome.

One of the things I really enjoyed about reading the novels again was a serious appreciation for all of the intersections of the different storylines that can get jumbled across eight years of reading, and an unwavering sense of astonishment at the amount of painstaking work that goes into making everything so bloody authentic.

I've loved watching the books come to life on the show, as have many of my friends (and a few people I got hooked on the books just before it started). The show feels very honest to the books, both in content and in spirit, which isn't something that always happens. One of the aspects of the show that I really appreciate is how dirty people are. Is that weird? I know they're all traipsing through the Scottish Highlands and I appreciate that they look it. It's one of those weird things I really remember about reading the books. Everything didn't constantly seem shiny and clean.

So, I finished the books. Again. And then, I went to pick up the next book on my never-ending pile of books, and I just felt like I wasn't quite ready to let Claire and Jamie - and Brianna and Roger, and Ian and the rest of them - go. Because these books took time to read, and I got so invested in all of them, and I know it takes time to write these books and the next one isn't for a few years. I would never want the books to come out faster and lose any of their magic. And then I realized (sort of) that part of the reason that I didn't want to pick up the next book is because I never really put it out there what I wanted to say to Diana Gabaldon when I met her in 2011. I love your books.

Read: The Godfather

Full disclosure: my familiarity with The Godfather before I started reading it was limited to popular culture references and that time I watched it in college when I was living in a fraternity. The guys made me watch all their canonical films - Glory, The Godfather, Platoon, and the like. I was happy to watch the movies, but my memories of the film kind of remind me of when something is amazing at the time, but might be less-than-amazing the next day. It's easy to get swept up into the brouhaha of a movie when there are fifteen twenty-year-olds waxing on about how "this is the best movie ever." I was somewhat skeptical about reading Puzo's book until I watched the History Channel's documentary about the book and movies and how they influenced American culture in the '60s and '70s. Inspired by this academic-esque special, I suggested we read the book for my book group.

Mario Puzo's The Godfather chronicles the Corleone family in the decade following World War II. Michael, the youngest son, does not want to enter the family business; Sonny, the eldest son, prepares to take their father's seat as Don; Fredo, the middle son, seems to not really have much of a place in the family. The book opens at the wedding of the youngest Corleone, Connie.

Fredo Corleone,
the original Jan Brady

I won't go into the plot, because it is both straightforward and complex. The characters, too, are straightforward in their actions but complex in their motivations, particularly Don Vito. Reading this book, it's easy to understand how we all suddenly became very interested in the workings of the Italian-American Mafia. The book, at times, reads like a How-To manual; it takes time to show every precaution that is taken in just about any situation.

The most dynamic characters are, of course, those who have the most complicated relationship with the Corleone family. Michael, for one, feels pulled in many different directions, and his actions really demonstrate the uncertainty that (I imagine) many men were feeling when they returned from WWII.  Tom Hagen might be the most complex character, as he is the "outsider" who really managed to make it on the inside. He is neither a Corleone nor Italian, but an Irishman. The relationship that Tom shares with each of the Corleone major players - Vito, Sonny and Michael - reveals the strength of his character as well as the inevitable otherness of anyone who isn't Sicilian.

Like the development of Vito Corleone's various schemes, the story unfolds in a way that never feels rushed or forced. You want to read the book, because you care about this family, even though it is mostly composed of complete antiheroes. You feel compelled to turn the page, as though the Don Himself is sitting on your shoulder, reassuring you that this is the right thing to do, and getting you to see the rationale behind some of the less savory acts in the book. You feel like Michael is resisting the urge to embrace the lifestyle of his family, until the moment when he sort of falls into it. He ends up being so amazing at it, you wonder how he ever thought that he could avoid this inevitability in the first place. And if you can actually read this book without picturing young Al Pacino as Michael, then you've actually never seen any references to the movie (and you're probably living under a rock or in the actual past). Even the casting of Al Pacino as Michael seems to be one of those "duh" moments. Of COURSE he's Michael. He has always been Michael. It's the same with Michael. He has always been the Don.

Easily one of the best books I've read this year, and possibly one of the best books that I've read in a long time, I would enthusiastically recommend that you read this book. It really is an offer you can't refuse. Unlike when the Don makes you that kind of an offer, I really think that you'll be happy you agreed to this one.

Seen: Snow White and the Huntsman

When you're a stay-at-home-mom to a toddler, the prospect of a night at the movies with your girlfriends is enough to get you through the longest of days. The moment you wake up, you think, "I'm going to the movies tonight!" When he strategically chucks his spaghetti lunch on the floor (walls, kitchen, or you), you think, "I'm going to the movies in seven hours!" When 5:45 rolls around and you find yourself counting the minutes (seconds) until relief comes in the form of whoever will watch your Gremlin/Troll/Toad/Whatever-your-child-turns-into-at-the-end-of-the-day, you think, "I'm going to the movies in one hour!" The most you can hope for is that the movie you've agreed to see with your similarly-situated friends is going to be amazing. The least you can hope for is sitting quietly in the dark for two hours. So it's already a winning situation. 

When we decided to see Snow White & the Huntsman we figured that, at the very least, we would get to see Chris Hemsworth flex his particular brand of awesome and behold Charlize Theron's outrageous costumes. The movie poster kind of sets us up for just that: see how The Huntsman looks totally kickass wielding that axe, while the Evil Queen's collar explodes into crows. What about Snow White? If you've seen Kristen Stewart in anything other than Twilight, you know that she actually can act. In this ad, however, she almost seems to be a non-character. She has a certain reluctance about her (a skill she honed during the press tours for her tween-driven franchise that she still seems sort of uncomfortable with); I was prepared to have to tolerate her (similar to the feeling I had about Scarlett Johansson in The Avengers) but not particularly care for her. And, while I can't say that I completely understand what that white horse-deer creature saw in her, I was pleasantly surprised by her performance.

 

At least the pale skin can be attributed to
being locked in a tower, rather than being undead.
And no sparkles.

In other news of random casting, I think the biggest disappointment was William. Not because I hated the actor. But the character was such a throw-away. Sure, it seems like he is supposed to fill the traditional role of "Prince Charming." He's got the pedigree to back it up. But there is very little that is actually charming about him. 

Hollywood's newest obsession?
The bow-and-arrow.
And the medieval mullet.

It seems like everyone is in love with Snow White - something with which anyone who has seen any version of the story is familiar. I appreciated the twist on the Evil Queen, whose sociopathic desire to stay young and beautiful leads her to consume the young beauty out of everyone. Charlize Theron's over-the-top  Ravenna offered something that previous Evil Queens have lacked - being actually crazy. Like, delusional. But at least she looked amazing while being completely bat-shit crazy.

You don't bathe in a mixture that is equal parts
porcelain, white-out and unicorn tears? More for me.

One of the best parts of the movie was the co-headlining Huntsman. And not just because Chris Hemsworth managed to balance the almost-palpable booze-soaked-grief with the ability to bring some much-needed levity to an otherwise serious and dramatic movie. Without him (and the dwarves), the movie seemed to take itself too seriously. 

Of all the people Snow White could have hunting her,
this seems like a pretty good option.

Aside from the characters themselves (and the creepy and seemingly Targaryen-inspired sibling relationship), the movie itself was pretty entertaining. Kristen Stewart's reluctant heroine was almost believable - but where did she learn to wield a sword and ride a horse bareback while she was locked in a tower for twelve years? Is riding a horse like riding a bike? The outcome of her resurrection (I don't want to completely spoil it, but you already knew that she was going to live because I'm assuming you've seen/read at least one version of the story) was actually satisfying. I appreciated that she ran headlong into her situation once she was literally given a second chance at life. I hope that in the sequel they don't try to turn the movie into another Twilight-triangle. We've been there and done that with K-Stew, and that's where she flounders. I felt like that who-will-she-choose moment at the end was one of the most forced moments of the movie, because it was pretty clear who she wanted to be with, and why he was the right choice for her (spoiler alert: the title of the movie isn't Snow White & Her Long-Lost Childhood Friend Who Is Now An Archer). 

Ultimately, I found the movie completely watchable. I didn't even want to get up to go to the bathroom, because I was worried I'd miss something. And, I would gladly see it again.  For this, if nothing else:

After all, the most reliable way to grade a movie is to decide if you would see it again, and what you would be willing to pay to see it at all. There are some movies that should be relegated to the $2 theater, and others that might get a matinee for $6 or $7. But I'd see this movie again in the evening - at $12, that's saying something. 

Snow White & the Huntsman wasn't necessarily the best movie of the summer (that would, so far, be The Avengers. Your move, Dark Knight Rises). But it was a pretty close second. And it was one of the better princess movies I can remember seeing in recent years. Your move, Brave.

Seen: The Avengers (a huge helping of awesomesauce)

A couple girlfriends and I had been itching to see The Avengers since well before it came out - we talked about it for what seemed like ages. We decided to take advantage of our built-in babysitters (our husbands) and head out to the movies and welcome in summer as it was meant to be welcomed. The Avengers was one of the most highly anticipated movies of the summer - with a huge budget and a huge cast, the stakes could not have been higher for this movie. Joss Whedon had to balance the existing franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Incredible Hulk, as well as incorporating the rest of the cast and adding in a believable (to whatever extent comic-book movies are believable) AND all the while making a kick-ass summer movie. I've seen all of these movies. I loved them all. Even though the bar was set pretty high for me, I would probably like the movie regardless. I even liked Eric Bana's Hulk (though I preferred Edward Norton's by far). At the end of the day, did The Avengers usher in the summer movie season with the power of Thor's hammer and Hulk's smash in a giant serving of awesome with a side of kick-ass?

In a word: YES.

In more than a word, it was possibly the best comic-book movie I've seen; it was definitely the most entertaining movie of the year and one that I was happy to see twice.  This movie had everything that I could have wanted in it: action. banter. and this:

That's one powerful hammer

The movie had plenty of chances to stumble. The Incredible Hulk has a spotted history (at best), and I was apprehensive about Mark Ruffalo taking the job. I really liked Edward Norton as Bruce Banner and didn't really get why he didn't translate into The Avengers. And I enjoy Mark Ruffalo, but didn't know if he had the ability to Smash.

My secret? I'm always angry

He did a fantastic job, of course. And I don't think that I could even see Edward Norton alongside the rest of the cast; Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner fit in so well with the rest of the cast that I thought he might change his name to Bruce Banter. 

The only thing that I didn't get about the movie was the standard tease of the next movie during the credits. I had to consult one of my comic-book aficionado friends to figure out who it was. Now that I know who this "cosmic warlord Thanos" is, I'm pretty pumped for The Avengers II.

And not just because of this:

Though more Thor is definitely worth looking forward to.

Or this:

Poor Captain America has the reputation of such a
goody-two-shoes. 

But, actually, because of this:

The Avengers worked because all of those things that could've gone wrong (but probably wouldn't and definitely didn't) went absolutely right. Ultimately, if the writing and acting didn't work, the movie wouldn't have worked. I was just glad to see that all of the characters and actors meshed so well. Even ScarJo. 

Book Group News: January 2012

This week, we had our year end Book Group dinner. Each month, we contribute $10 to the kitty, and then at the end of the year we go out to a nice restaurant for a "free" dinner. This year, as with years past, we went to Citrus City Grille at the Orange Circle.

CCG, 122 N Glassell St, Orange CA 92866
(714) 639-9600 

The food at Citrus City Grille is excellent. I had the stuffed dates and the rack of lamb with butternut squash risotto, and I also tasted the beet salad and the tiramisù. They have a great Happy Hour that lasts until closing (Sun-Thurs), so it's affordable to have a cocktail or a beer. The only downside to the restaurant is the noise. I don't remember it being this noisy any of the times I've gone there in the past, but it was loud like a crowded bar - and we were sitting outside. It was very difficult to hear each other, especially to hear the ladies at the other end of the table.  I think this could be attributed to the group of 20 women sitting near us (baby shower or birthday party, perhaps) and the group of six businessmen sitting behind us. Safe to say, I think next year we will try somewhere new.

Our other "year-end" tradition is to have a book exchange. This year there was a lot of stealing of books to be had, so I take that as a sign that everyone brought great books this year.

Finally, we read and discussed 

A Game of Thrones: Book One

"Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?"
"That is the only time a man can be brave."

Overall, the book was a huge success (see my personal review here), and we gave it an average of 4.6/5 (pending a couple of to-be-finished scores).  About half of us have watched the show (I haven't personally seen it - how I long for the days when I had HBO!), and we generally agreed that one thing the show really offered was an excellent, almost to-the-letter adaptation. This seems to be something that is unique to adaptations in the fantasy genre, because the fans of fantasy tend to be very vocal about keeping everything exactly the same.
Collectively, our favorite characters were Eddard Stark, Jon Snow, Arya Stark and Tyrion Lannister. The most commonly held issue with the book was the lack of a family tree chart at the beginning of the book. Yes, there is a list with the different families at the end of the book, but there isn't anything that's a quick and handy reference for when you are reading the book. By the halfway point, I assured the women who hadn't finished the book yet, the characters are clear and you don't constantly find yourself checking who a person is in your head. I promised to report on the second book (which I've already started).

Tune in again next month, when we'll be reading "The Paris Wife" (Paula McLain).

Resolutions - lost

Last week I penned (typed) a long post about how resolutions were somewhat silly, because if you really want to change then you will make it happen regardless of the day, and then began listing my various resolutions (because I'm a contradiction).

And then I saved the post, I swear, because I wanted to include some pictures.

Only either I didn't save the post or it got lost somewhere in the series of tubes that is the internet. And now I'm trying to remember what I resolved to do...

So here are my (lost) resolutions:
1. Blog more: this really speaks to my desire to get my opinions out there (even though I don't typically plug my blog on facebook or anything). I almost always INTEND to blog, but I don't always have a chance to get my computer out and write it, and I find it somewhat tedious to blog on my phone.
2. Prepare one new dish each week: I really want to make sure that Liam has an open mind about eating, and he is willing to try new things. So far, so good. He'll eat basically anything that I give him, and he seems to like just about everything (of course, this can change at any moment).
3. Learn to sew: I don't own a sewing machine, and I don't want to sew clothes, but I would like to have the ability to hem things, or repair seams, or even (gasp!) make a quilt out of my favorite items of Liam's clothing from his first year on this planet. That's my "2012 Project." I would also like to be able to make blankets for my million friends who are having babies this year (okay, really I just want to make blankets for a couple of them), and I saw this awesome project on Pinterest for a Kindle cover that I think is super cute.
4. Become a better corresponder: yes, that's a made-up word. But the "Art of Correspondence" is something I'd really like to participate in more. There's something nice about just receiving a note from someone to say hello, but I think it might be equally gratifying to write a note to someone.
5. Try something new, professionally: I'm adopting a new book for my Italian class, and it's totally different from the books that I've used thus far for my classes. It promises to be a challenge (at first) but I think that it will be a good choice in the long run.
6. Get organized, both personally and professionally: My desk became a catchall during the holidays, and it still hasn't recovered. I would also like to get my lesson-plans somewhere digital so that I can just access them and print them out, with (ideally) links to the files I need for each day, or else a very easy-to-use folder system that I clean out and update regularly. My personal desk can probably be tackled in a weekend (and will include a trip to the organization section of a couple stores, since there are no shelves or drawers in this desk, which is really more of a secretary). My professional organization might prove a little more challenging, but I'm willing to give it a shot. PLUS, I have sort of a clean slate since I'm using a new book, which is organized completely differently.

Okay, so that is my best estimation of what my 2012 Resolutions were. I'll try to check back once a month to see how I'm progressing on each of them.

Reading, lately

Lately, the majority of things I've been reading has limited to Liam's board books (Fifteen Animals, Goodnight Gorilla, and other similar books), but I have also been enjoying the Eragon series of books (I'm currently on Book II - Eldest). The stories are fun, but feel a bit juvenile. Yes, I know that they are Young Adult books, but they lack the sophistication of Harry Potter and the Hunger Games books. Perhaps it's because Eragon was written by a teenager.

Liam is keeping me busy, though, so it's taking me much longer to get through the second book than the first.

My book group is currently reading The Ice Princess (Lackberg), which I've already read and really enjoyed, so I'm thinking about reading / hoping to read The Preacher, which I believe is the next in the series from Lackberg.

Shameless Plug

I just wanted to take a moment to rave about my friend Nina's photography company, Blackbird Ink Photography. You should check out her website - she's a great family and wedding photographer, and she's really easygoing. We worked together in the Media Resource Center, and hilarity ensued. I love looking at her pictures, and I can't wait to have her take Liam's picture!

Here's a little Liam to brighten your day

Firsts & Lasts

We went to our first movie without Liam over the weekend. We - I - chose to see "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt.2" because I've been waiting to see this movie since November.
It was glorious. The movie was the perfect ending to the series, which might very well be the best film franchise in recent history. I will miss Harry, Hermione, Ron and the rest of them but am comforted by the fact that my child will also be able to enjoy the books and the films, and we will enjoy them together. I hope that he asks me to read Harry Potter to him; I think it will be a really fun experience for both of us.

Many people posted this quote on Facebook over the weekend. While I enjoy both series, I have to throw my hat in with the Boy Who Lived.

Harry Potter is all about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity... Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend.

Agreed.

Fun Friday: July 15th edition

First we went to Stroller Strides.

Liam (on right) and his friend Cody finally got to play at the end of class,

because both were awake and happy.

Then we went on Liam's first carousel ride. 

He was destined to enjoy it, 

since he loves the feeling of a breeze on his face.

That's pretty much it.

No major meltdowns.

Just a lovely day.

It was pretty awesome.

It's all about the small victories. 

Review: The Man From Beijing

The Man From Beijing
Henning Mankell

We read this book for book group in the month of June, and the overall average score that this book received was a 3.43 out of 5. Originally I gave it a 4 star rating, but upon considering things as I prepared for this post I think I would have to knock my rating down to a 3.5, so I don't know what that would do to the above average.

Henning Mankell is a well-known author, though this was the first of his books that I had ever read. I got the free sample from Amazon and was hooked - the brutal murder all but guaranteed a great story that I would really enjoy. I love murder mysteries and intrigue.

I did enjoy the book as I was reading it. Let me say that upfront, because I would be insincere if I were to just criticize it and leave it at that.

The things I liked about the book:
1. I wanted to read it and see what happened next in the story, because I was interested in the way things played out.

2. The crime-solving narrative was interesting. As was the railroad narrative.


The problems that I had with the book:
1. There was a serious lack of tying up loose ends. I wasn't expecting everything to fit together really well like an episode of Law & Order or anything; there were just things that seemed like they were going to be important for a fair amount of time that ended up being relatively inconsequential and were never addressed, but I don't want to ruin the story so I won't say what they were here.

2. I think that it's possible that Mankell suffers from a bad translator, because a lot of the language seemed really forced and unbelievable.

3. The actual premise behind the murders was *somewhat* far-fetched. I say somewhat with a certain level of sarcasm, because it seemed really unrealistic.

4. The different parts, with the different narratives, didn't make the story hard to follow, but it seemed like they could have been separate books on their own and Mankell just didn't want to take the time to develop them very well.

5. There were many things that various characters did that seemed completely out of character, but they weren't explained in any way. It seemed like Mankell didn't have notes on the characters when he wrote the story, or that wouldn't have happened.

Okay, so would I recommend the book? Sure. But I wouldn't want you to expect it to be another Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Because it isn't. Where Stieg Larsson wrote a relatively complex story that was really well-developed, Mankell fell short on the development part and got a little too complex without explanation. Of course, I think that Mankell churns out a lot of books, so he might not have time to worry about these things.

Review: The Winter Sea

The Winter Sea

Susanna Kearsley

I admit, I bought this book on my kindle because it was on sale for $2.99 and since I was waiting for my book group to meet before I bought the book for the following month, I didn't want to spend a lot of money.

That tidbit aside, I was really glad that I bought this book and would have gladly paid the usual $9.99 that Amazon charges for a book to read it. The premise is both original and something I'm relatively familiar with: an author is working on a book and is inexplicably drawn to a castle on the coast of Scotland, where she gets more inspiration than she has on any previous works, because she essentially transcribes the memories of an ancestor who she *randomly* chooses to use as the narrator for the historical novel she's writing.

Okay, so the premise is *somewhat* reminiscent of a few other novels, because there are elements of time travel and romance and Scotsmen (all reminding me of Diana Gabaldon, another favorite author of mine). None of these elements make it any less enjoyable - it was not really a romance novel (though I get the impression that Kearsley may be more known for that based on the other recommended books I've been seeing) and much more of a historical fiction novel (even though that's only half of the novel).

One thing that I really enjoyed about the work was the jumping between the contemporary narrative of Carrie, and the 1708 narrative of Sophia. At times it would frustrate me because I'd be really involved in one story right as Kearsley would switch gears to the other one, but I learned to really appreciate the way that the one narrative fed into the other.

My only criticism of the novel was that I would have liked to have more of either story; I wanted to hear more than what Kearsley offered in the book. I felt like both narratives, but more so Sophia's, were unfinished. With Carrie's narrative, I felt like there wasn't enough backstory and I would have appreciated having more substance to her narrative, or more interaction with her family; with Sophia's story I felt like Kearsley could have (should) write another book that tells us what happens next, and I also would have appreciated a little more backstory. I suppose that with Diana Gabaldon's Outlander as a comparison I've been spoiled, because she always tells us what happens next.

All in all, it was a fun, light read. Perfect for summer. And the kindle sale price was un.beatable. I would rate the book 4 stars overall - it would have been higher if not for those MINOR things mentioned above.

google+ (and -)

There has quite a bit of hullabaloo about google+ today.

So I put out a post on facebook asking for an invite and immediately got one from my friend Jack (thanks!).

And I was really excited to get into the whole google+ing of it all.

But I just don't get it.

And I don't know if it's because it's new, so there aren't very many people on it, or what, but something about it isn't adding up (or plussing up, I suppose). I'm having a hard time finding people on it more than anything. And I've also been trying to figure this out...can people who don't use gmail even use it? 

I'm still excited about it, but I think it will offer better competition to facebook if I can figure out how to fine people on it. 

Thoughts?

And then there were three...

It's crazy to think that an entire month has passed since Liam was born. It has both flown by and felt like the longest days and nights in the history of the world. It's a weird dichotomy.

I haven't really talked much about my pregnancy on the blog - maybe not at all - and I don't know why. So, here is the story of Liam's arrival.

About 4 weeks from my due date, he was still in the breech position. Just very comfortably sitting in a little Buddha-like position. After consulting with our doctor, we went in for a version, in hopes that they would be able to flip the baby over and I would still be able to have a traditional delivery. My doctor was confident that it would work, because I have a high tolerance for uncomfortability and the baby seemed like he wasn't a giant or anything. But, in a sign of the times to come, he refused to flip over. He was not having any of this outside manipulation of people trying to get him to change his position (I can only hope that this means he will have strong convictions about his beliefs when he grows up).

So we scheduled a c-section, which was not in my birth plan. It was a rough period of adjustment, until I started to think about the fact that I would get to avoid most of the uncomfortable parts of childbirth. Essentially, I walked into the hospital at an agreed-upon time and they pulled a baby out of my belly, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat.  I was still really nervous, having never undergone surgery of any kind, but I managed to rally by Saturday.

Saturday, we left the house bright and early:

We went to the hospital, and waited for everything to be ready. 

Sean put on his scrubs:

I went into the Operating Room to get prepped, epidural-ed, etc. 

Sean had to wait until the last minute to come into the room. 

He said that he felt like he was waiting forever. 

Once Sean came in, so did Dr. Linzey:

The epidural was the weirdest thing; I knew what was going on, but since I was partitioned from seeing the surgery part, I didn't really know what was going on. I felt some tugging, but it sort of felt like it was happening to someone else. 

Really, it seemed like one second I was just laying on the table:

and the next second there was a baby:

And then we were three:

Dr. Linzey came to visit us in recovery. 

Liam seemed a little upset to be out in the world, but Dr. Linzey was able to calm him down.

And we had a baby. And EVERYTHING changed.

 

The Oscars, 2011 Edition

It’s that time of year again: awards season. I make an effort to see all of the films that are nominated for Best Picture, because they are also typically nominated in the other big categories and I always try to win the Oscar Ballot prediction games, even if I’m not playing with anyone else.  Overall, I thought that the nominees for Best Picture this year were all viable candidates for the prize, though some stood out more than others. I just finally saw Winter’s Bone last week and now I feel like I can accurately rate and review the Best Picture nominees:

Black Swan – Natalie Portman did an amazing job in this and I definitely think that she deserves all of the accolades that she is earning for this film. And I really liked the film, too, because my husband and I were still talk about it the next day. It got under my skin. I don’t know if I really thought it was the best picture of the year, though it was definitely one of the finest performances I can recall – not just this year. Grade: A

The Fighter – again, I thought that the performances, particularly that of Christian Bale, were excellent in this film, even though I still find myself struggling to take Mark Wahlberg seriously. I appreciate the “true-story” aspect of this film. I would see it again, but it didn’t move me. Grade: A

Inception – this movie was right up there with Black Swan, and I found myself still talking about it and thinking about it days later; I felt like it needed a second viewing just to start making sense of it, rather than because I thought it was amazing. I thought it was really good, but not quite as good as some of its fellow nominees. Grade: A-

The Kids are All Right – I hadn’t seen this movie before the Golden Globes, and the fact that it won Best Comedy and the commercials made it seem lighthearted led me to believe that I was going to watch something completely different from what it was. Yes, there were moments when I found myself laughing, but it was not a comedy.  The acting was good, and I understand that the premise was to show a portrait of what it means to be a family today. But it wasn’t my favorite. Grade: B+

The King's Speech – Colin Firth, like Natalie Portman, deserves all the accolades he is getting for this role. And the story is simultaneously accurate (feeling), moving and inspiring. But the thing that makes this film different from the other frontrunners is that it isn’t just an exercise in excellent acting (like Portman) or a really good story (like The Social Network); it has it all. Grade: A+

The Social Network – I was initially a little apprehensive about this movie; it seemed like one of those movies that was getting these excellent reviews and I wasn’t sure I bought the hype.  I must admit, however, that, after watching the movie, I understand what the hype was about (though I still think it was a tad excessive). The story was actually quite heartbreaking, and I think that was the strongest part of the movie. Grade: A

127 Hours – James Franco represents Colin Firth’s biggest competition in the Best Actor category, because he basically carried this entire movie on his own. I was very familiar with the story, as I read the book a few years ago and definitely intrigued by the fact that they were making it into a movie. Franco’s ability to make being pinned down by a rock intense, moving and a stressful experience makes it deserve more accolades than it is receiving. Grade: A

Toy Story 3 – I found out I was pregnant right before I saw this movie, so I was already feeling emotional when I saw it. I think I cried more during this movie than any others this past year, but I have the same issue with its inclusion in Best Picture that I had last year with Up. There is a separate category for Best Animated Picture, and what this does is a) spoils the race in that category and b) takes the place of another movie that could have been nominated (and maybe deserved it more). Grade: A-

True Grit – I’ve only seen bits and pieces of the original, since it’s been playing on AMC regularly lately, but I really enjoyed this film. People are saying that Hailee Steinfeld should have been nominated in the Best Actress category (and not Best Supporting Actress), but I’m sure she’s thrilled to be nominated either way. The entire cast, especially Jeff Bridges, did a great job. And I don’t even like westerns. Grade: A

Winter's Bone – I remember when this film came out, and it was unclear what the film was actually going to be about. After seeing it, I still kind of feel the same way. The acting was good, and the movie was good, but I had a hard time articulating why to my husband (who didn’t watch it with me). I felt like one of the main drawbacks of the movie was unexplained backstory of the clan and such. I felt like I needed a family tree to figure out exactly who Jennifer Lawrence she was talking to. And I still don’t completely understand what happened to the father, aside from him being dead. Grade: B+

                        Best Picture

                        Will Win: The King’s Speech

                        Could Win: The Social Network, Black Swan

                        Should Win: The King’s Speech

Best Actress                                          Best Actor

Will Win: Natalie Portman                Will Win: Colin Firth

Could Win: Annette Bening              Could Win: James Franco

Should Win: Natalie Portman            Should Win: Colin Firth

Best Supporting Actress                    Best Supporting Actor

Will Win: Melissa Leo                       Will Win: Christian Bale

Could Win: Amy Adams                    Could Win: Geoffrey Rush

Should Win: Hailee Steinfeld            Should Win: Christian Bale

Fall of Giants

I finished this book last month; we read it for book group, which was supposed to be in December but had to be postponed. I was actually glad it was postponed because it gave me a chance to finish the book. I was just really busy with everything else that was going on around the holiday season (but I’ll get to that in another post). Anyway, onto Fall of Giants.

Ken Follett’s tome – I use that word deliberately because, at over 1,000 pages, the book itself was quite hefty. This was an example of when I am really happy that I have a kindle – I know that I couldn’t carry a book that size around in my purse, and I like to read wherever I can. The kindle was a lifesaver with this book.

The stories in the book revolve around different families in different countries during World War I. Some of the characters were more likable and relatable than others, and some of the stories were more intriguing than others, but overall I really thought that Follett’s novel showed a very clear understanding of the period and the nuances of the different experiences of WWI. Follett could find a very lucrative career writing History books for people who need history to be personalized in order to really understand it; at times, especially during the battle sequences, the historical detail can begin to get a tiny bit dry, but I still found myself able to enjoy it, even though I don’t consider myself much of a military history enthusiast. (Incidentally, I read in the acknowledgments that Follett employs a company called “Research for Writers” in New York to help with his research for these massive undertakings – will you please hire me?)

I also really appreciate the fact that Follett clearly has a plan. I know that there are two more books in the series, and I think that I would have been let down a little if I had not known there was a sequel coming. The ending, which I thought did an excellent job of closing the action of the book, felt a little unfinished, but that’s because the story itself is unfinished.

I did feel like, at times, Follett was forcing the various characters to all have children at approximately the same time for the sake of the trilogy and, while I appreciated the insight into the battles, I wish that there hadn’t been quite so many in such detail. Other than these two criticisms, I really enjoyed the book, and I felt like I learned quite a bit from it, since he makes it a point to relate things that realistically could have happened, especially when he has real historical figures in the fictional story.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy history, who enjoy the time period, or simply enjoy an excellent story and appreciate Follett’s writing. It really pulls a person into the story.

My rating: 4.5/5

So busy!

I feel like I haven't posted anything in ages - and looking at my recent posts, I'm right! I guess that I could take it as a sign that I've been busy and that's something positive, right? Right?

Anyway, here's an update about what I've been up to:

On a professional note, I planned and taught a course as an autonomous unit, with myself as the only representative of an Italian department. The community college teaching is very different from the university scene. I don't mean to knock community colleges - I think they are a great resource and really important part of higher education. However, the motivation level fell into two categories: really motivated or really not motivated. My class started with 32 students and ended with 14, a phenomenon that my colleagues assured me was very common, especially with night courses that aren't obligatory (because I was really worried that it was something about me that was scaring the students off). Of these, it was almost evenly divided between people who were a) either returning to school after a long absence or else were extremely motivated to get into a particular university, and people who were b) killing time and trying to make their unit requirement. The students were all nice and the 14 in the final group all seemed to enjoy themselves in the class, but I can't figure out how to change my approach for next Fall.  I won't be teaching until next Fall because I've been busily growing a baby inside of me, and the community colleges can't hire people to cover classes for those weeks surrounding giving birth.

On an academic note, I can happily say that I defended my dissertation proposal in December and it was very well received by my advisor and the rest of the committee. One of the biggest accomplishments involved with this - I didn't even cry! I tend to get very emotional about academic things, and I tend to cry when I feel cornered (it's one of my least attractive qualities).  I think that defending the proposal on skype helped, because there was the whole internet in between us, and I was really vigilant in my preparations. I've taken about a month's worth of a break to recover, and am starting to think about making some progress again. Which is daunting in its own way. But let's just take this time to celebrate that first accomplishment.

On a personal note, I'm almost 36 weeks pregnant and totally ready to get this little alien life form out of my belly.  I've had what my friends have called a particularly "boring" pregnancy, because I haven't been sick at all or had any weird and abnormal cravings. I was exhausted at the beginning and am starting to be exhausted again, and can't wait to meet this little guy.

That's it for now. I know that each portion got a bit shorter and briefer, but it wasn't intentional.

This week...

Okay. I know I've been extremely bad at posting these last few weeks - er, months. And I wish I had a good reason, aside from it being summer (which is no longer a good excuse), me being pregnant (which is, but I'll wait to use it until later), me working diligently on my dissertation proposal re-write (which is somewhat true), and me finally getting a job and teaching getting under way.

But I am not full of excuses.

Instead, I will give you a list of those things which I will blog about before Sunday:
1. Not Me
2. The Surgeon
3. Mockingjay
4. Why I love the Hunger Games Trilogy, a retrospective
5. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
6. My Summer, also a retrospective
7. My Autumn, a projection (but possibly as accurate as the weatherman in Madison, who once said, "There is no way I could've predicted that." Aside from the fact it's your job.)
8. The rat
9. Weekly Geeks (this week's)

Of course, these may not be in this particular order, but I think that if I stick to doing them, I'll get the ball rolling and they'll be out this week.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (#29)

I bought The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane because I was attracted to the cover, I was intrigued by the story, and I was really excited that the author was a graduate student - it gives me hope that, not only are there other people out there in my situation, but other things can be accomplished while working on the dissertation.

The main character is also a graduate student, and the book opens with her qualifying exams. Something that I remember well - though in my department they were called Prelim exams, the oral portion was still pretty terrifying.

The thing that I loved about Connie - the protagonist - is that her grad-student-ness is really believable. Even though I don't completely agree with every way that she is presented, particularly when she talks about how she and her roommate lived off a free cheese plate from a department meeting for a week. That's a bit of an exaggeration, at least in my experience, because I've always had a teaching job (though, of course, I'm sure that Cambridge is a more expensive place to live than Madison, so I'll give it to her). It's clear that Howe is also enmeshed in that world. I also really appreciated Connie's finely-honed skill of research. It's something that is often overlooked by people who don't understand the life of a graduate student, but is one of our most marketable qualities. 

Somehow, the even less-than-plausible aspects of this book were still believable, and the way that they were presented made them that way. I still won't go into great detail, but I think this was one of the better books I've read this summer, and maybe even this year. I was pleased to see that the characters were all presented as strong people, and I thought that the relationship between Connie and her mother, Grace, was really honest and complicated; I also liked the relationship between Connie and her best graduate student friend and roommate, Liz.  

Definitely recommend this book.

Overall, 4.25 out of 5.

The Big Shaggy, or Heart

A couple of weeks ago, there was an article in the New York Times that talked about the benefits of studying the Humanities (which I do) and also discussed something he called "The Big Shaggy." I've honestly been thinking about it ever since then.

It got me thinking about the idea of heart, especially in light of some of the most recent World Cup matches.

I saw heart in Landon Donovan, in the 91st minute, after he made that goal - and in my husband, who was more enthusiastic about a soccer match than I had seen him about any sports even recently. Since soccer has so few goals, typically, and in this match there was only the one goal, it makes for just the most electric moment. It's something that permeates through the crowd, like the sound of the vuvuzela.

I saw heart, passione, in the Italians today. Sadly, it was too late. Today, in the wake of the heartbreaking loss to Slovakia, Marcello Lippi blamed himself for his team's early exit (you can read an article about it here). Of course, I would point to the fact that Totti and Del Piero retired from the national team, and especially that Buffon was injured and wasn't tending goal. I think that if the team had been able to rally before the 81st minute - because they DID rally and they were on FIRE for those last minutes of the game - things could have been different.

And, heart? Big shaggy heart? How about Isner and Mahut? They played that monumental set in Wimbeldon, playing for two days straight? They showed heart.

I hope that the American team keeps this level of heart for Saturday - and beyond, because I think that the heart they played with has the opportunity to really take them far.