Books = Happiness, Always

Sorry, it's been such a long time since my last post. There hasn't been enough time for reading and other bookly joys since I took on a long-term substitute teaching position. (Yes, I am still reading Drown.) Here's a quick post to share the following Wisdom Nugget:

From https://www.facebook.com/vintageanchor?fref=photo

[Book Rant] A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time. Where have you been all of my life?

Reading A Wrinkle in Time was more than experiencing a literary adventure, it was reliving a magical childhood.

Within 190 (oh-so-short) pages, L'Engle manages to create a wonderful blend of excitement, humor, and genuine emotion.

As we join Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and her sweetheart Calvin on a mission to rescue Meg and Charles Wallace's father (as well as stop the earth from succumbing to The Black Thing), we learn, as Meg does, that there is only one thing that can save any of us--LUURRRVVVEEE.

Also, can we discuss this bad-a** cover? They don't make book covers like this anymore. I love how unique and fascinating older fantasy and science fiction often book covers are. They are actual works of art. Look at those stunning pastel colors in those delicate wings. The contrast of shadow and subtle light. The floating, green mug with the glowing, red eyes in a crystal ball. I love it!

And Meg. Okay, I admit a love-hate thing with children's books. I love the stories, but I often hate the characters. I sometimes find it difficult to connect with young protagonists, unless the writer is quite adapt at their craft, which L'Engle-darling most definitely is. I found all three of the main young characters utterly endearing.

Stop and call the presses! THERE. IS. A. SEQUEL. A Wind in the Door. Oh yea, you know I'm searching for that baby as soon as possible.

Laters Gators,
Fatuma

[Favorite Quotes] from The Road by Cormac McCarthy

If he is not the word of God God never spoke. (5)

Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed eyes to sorrow it. (130)

But when he bent to see into the boy's face under the hood of the blanket he very much feared that something was gone that could not be put right again. (136)

My Book Version (ISBN): 9780307277923

[Book Rant] The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road. Where do I even begin speaking about The Road? Should I start with the simplistic, yet emotionally charged poetry disguised as prose? What about the complex characterization of characters that remain nameless even at the very end? Oh and the brutal, powerful wasteland backdrop. Can't forget about that.

The Road centers about a father and son pair as they wander around a destitute and dying earth. It isn't what one expects from a traditional dystopian novel in that there isn't a sense of adventure or of a protagonist "saving" the world.

There isn't much of a plot actually. Just a whole lot of feels. Rather than events, it's raw emotion that is the driving force in this novel. Fear, regret, grief, anger. Shining brightly through these darker feelings is a beam of hope and love. That is what keeps not only the boy and his father going, but it's what keeps readers reading as well.

The most impressive aspect of the novel, attesting to McCarthy's skill, is that even with minimal character detail (heck, we never even get names), I was able to forge a incredibly strong connection with the boy and his papa and felt deep concern for them. (I call this the McCarthy Effect, which is minimal words=maximum feels.) For 200+ pages, my heart was lodged in my throat as I breathlessly read, hoping that the two of them would somehow find their place in this horrid version of their previous world. And when that happened at the end . . . I was far too invested to be able to control the tears in my eyes.

Final Verdict: 

Princess Reads A Lot absolutely LOVES this book! She is captivated, enamored, enchanted, and fascinated, otherwise irrevocably in love. She has found yet another literary prince charming and is in bliss. 

 

The Road isn't the most exciting read if you're looking for something plot-driven. I can understand why I wasn't able to finish it in high school. I wasn't ready for it back then. The power of McCarthy's writing is in that the alternation from dense, descriptions of a harsh setting to simple, raw interactions between the father and son and back. It's the juxtaposition of desolate landscape and beating hearts, desertion and companionship, death and love that grabs hold of a reader and doesn't let go even days after turning the final page.

At the core, The Road is a powerful work about survival, hope, and love in the midst of utter devastation. For that alone, it is a worthy read.

Now the question that remains is whether or not my poor, tender heart can handle watching the movie. I don't think I can! That trailer though. Take a look below:

Currently Reading: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.

Until next rant,
Fatuma

When Only a Meme Will Do: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

I'm currently reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy, after years of planning to give it another try. Sometimes only a meme can express how one is feeling:

To which I respond, "Yes, and there's nothing I can do to help them, except cry, continue reading, and hope everything works out."

You're Doing It Wrong!

 

... And you best get that checked out ASAP!

Previous Book Owners Become BFFs!

I tend to be pretty anal about the condition of the books that I own and/or read. Having vowed to just say no to dog-earring,  creased spines, torn covers/pages, lost book jackets, mysterious stains, and the likee, I often stay away from used books.

But (bet you saw that coming a mile away), there is something special about reading a book previously owned by a fellow book lover. There's joy in deciphering the notes in the margins to reveal the previous owner's thoughts and feelings as they read the same book. By adding my own notes, I enter a conversation with Mr. or Ms. Previous Owner, who soon feels like a close friend. This is even more profound when you know owners by their names or even know them personally.

During my junior year, I had a blast reading Jean Anyon's "Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work" because the previous owner, Mary (so inscribed on the inside cover), had highlighting important notes and written her insights in the margins.  I amused myself by thinking/writing things like: "Wow, Mary. I hadn't thought of that," "Ditto, Mary," and "Mary, you know you my girl, but I gots to disagree here." Yes, I know, I'm far too easily amused.

Now, I'm currently reading Managing the Interactive Classroom by Kay Burke, which is a part of the education book haul I received from my splendid mentor teacher. I feel so close to her whenever I encounter her notes, laughing quietly whenever I can't read them because her handwriting had been a running joke between us. Even more fascinating is realizing how aligned her comments/highlights are with her eventually teaching style and methods as I witnessed them. She used what she learned.

Is it yay or nay to used books? I say, both. There's something for leaving your own mark on a brand spanking new book. However, the connection between book owners is worth experiencing as well.

[Book Rant] The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates

I have incredibly mixed feelings after finishing The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates. Awe, exasperation, dissatisfaction, appreciation, and exhaustion are all fighting to be forefront. I can't quite decide if if his was one of of he best novels I've read in a long time or the worst.

At its core, The Falls is an intimate glimpse into one family's life as its members experience love, pain, joy, loss, grief, connection, separation, trust, and betrayal. 

Set in historic Niagara Falls, the story opens with a couple on their honeymoon and the groom's suicide. The reasons for the suicide are revealed to readers and we are compelled to keep reading in disbelief and in sympathy. As authorities search for her spouse's remains in the falls, the bride keeps vigil. By her side is confirmed bachelor Dirk Burnaby.

Over the span of the 28 years, readers join Ariah Erskine also known as "the Widow Bride of the Falls," as she deals with the loss of not one, but two husbands. Faced with these multiple tragedies, Ariah maintains a solid core of pride and strength as she pulls away from the world and creates her own safe space with her children and her piano at the center.

The dramatic irony of the novel's beginning instantly intrigued me. I felt strong sympathy for Gilbert, who could no longer maintain his charade. I felt pity for Ariah as well. Poor thing, having lost her husband of a day and becoming a media sensation.

When she meets Dirk, falls in love, and marries him, I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, things are looking up Ariah. However, that small part of my reader brain that wasn't completely immersed in the story reminded me of the blurb and that "tragedy soon takes over their lives . . . " Oates does an amazing job of presenting their idyllic family life against the backdrop of scenic Niagara Falls. She does even better with increasing tension. Any hint of conflict was met with a panicked, "Is this it? The tragedy that 'poisons their hacyon years with distrust, greed, and murder'?" 

Aside from the story, Oates writes stunning prose. Having never visited the Falls, I could still easily imagine its beauty and power. As much as I loved the prose, it felt overdone at times. Oates introduces some fascinating characters, but she doesn't allow them to breathe life into the story on their own. There is too much interjection by an omniscient 3rd person voice that I didn't appreciate. There were instances where I wanted to hear and feel directly from the characters themselves, and not from a narrator. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the first 60-75% of the novel, but the last 25% dragged on and I struggled to finish. Eventually, I skimmed the last 50 pages just to see how it ends. Part of this could be due to the fact that I started The Falls a few weeks ago. It's been difficult to smuggle in reading time since I started substitute teaching full time. (Read about my Sub Adventures here.)

So I have to admit that by the time I picked The Falls back up, I was a bit fuzzy on details from the 300 pages. I believe that The Falls is the type of novel that cannot be completely appreciated on the first read. A second read is needed to absorb all of its subtle nuances. I'll get back to everyone when I've read a second time (if I ever get to it a second time). 

In the meantime, the final verdict:

Princess Reads A Lot isn't too sure about this book. She didn't like it, but she didn't not like it either. She knows it's one she won't ever re-read and that makes her a little sad.

Book Sale Begins! See Inventory.

The First Ever Book Rants 

"My Bookshelf Has Reached Maximum Capacity and I Must Get Rid of Some of My Precious Babies" 

Book Sale Begins NOW!

How It's Going to Work:

You choose any five books from my list below and pay just $25. Five for Twenty Five. Pretty catchy and simple, yes? After payment, I ship my babies to you for free and when you receive 'em they become your babies to cuddle and cherish forever and ever. And everyone is happy. =)

Details:

1. Choose your five books by creating a comment to this post. First come, first served. If a comment is made requesting books, those books are on hold for THREE (3) days until payment is made. Once payment is made, those titles will be striked from the list. TIP: Use CTRL +F to search for particular titles (though there aren't that many and you can just scroll).
2. PAYMENT will be accepted via PayPal only. Send payment to my PayPal account at africanpride1991@aol.com.
3. SHIPPING  will be used via USPS Media Mail. For faster service or international shipping, please comment requesting a shipping estimate that must be added to cost of the books.
4. All books are in Very Good to New condition unless otherwise noted. Feel free to request pictures of a particular title(s).
5. Click the title of each entry below to be taken to the respective Goodreads page for book details.
6. If you have any other questions, please post in the comments. I will respond within a few hours.

THE INVENTORY:

Fiction:

• I Gave You my Heart but You Sold It Online by Dixie Cash
  
• My Heart May Be Broken, but My Hair Still Looks Great by Dixie Cash
• When Darkness Falls by James Grippando (Large Print)  
• Don’t Know Much About Anything Else by Kenneth C. Davis 
• Anathem by Neal Stephenson (w/ bonus CD)
• A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb
• Anthem by Ayn Rand (SOLD)
• Being Written by William Conescu
• Goodnight Steve McQueen by Louise Wener
• The Ruling Class by Francine Pascal
• Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole
• Missing in Tokyo by Graham Marks
• Candy Everybody Wants by Josh Kilmer-Purcell
• Braless in Wonderland by Debbie Reed Fischer
• Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? By Raymond Carver
• If Today Be Sweet by Thrity Umrigar
• The Plague of the Doves by Louise Erdrich
• The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards (cover little worn by creases, tear on back cover)
• All Aunt Hagar’s Children by Edward P. Jones
• Neurotica by Sue Margolis
• Daughter of Darkness by VC Andrews
• Marley and Me by John Grogan
• Party Girl by Anna David
• Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh  SOLD
• Tell me Lies by Patrick Cooper
• Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
• Run by Ann Patchett
• The Divine Comedy vol 3 (Paradisio) by Dante
• From Charlie’s Point of View by Richard Scrimger
• Slam! By Walter Dean Myers   
• Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs  SOLD
• Minion by LA Banks
•  The Other Side of the Game by Anita Doreen Diggs
• Smart Women by Judy Blume
• The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey
• Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis

Romance: 

• A Little Magic by Nora Roberts (Spine torn, but intact) SOLD
• Bound by Shadow by Anna Windsor
• Bound by Flame by Anna Windsor
• Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
• Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot 
• The Taste of Innocence by Stephanie Laurens
• In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath
• Bad Boys on Board by Nancy Warren and Donna Kauffman
• Dates from Hell by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, & Lori Handeland SOLD
• The Fires of Paradise by Brenda Joyce
• Some Like It Wicked by Teresa Medeiros
• The Ties That Bind by Electa Rome Parks (Book Jacket Gone)

Mystery/Thriller:

• Scots on the Rocks by Mary Daheim
• Trouble in Bloom by Heather Webber
• Protect and Defend by Vince Flynn (sticker residue on cover)
• Hello, Stranger by Virginia Swift  
• The Sacred Cut by David Hewson
• Killer Charms by Marianne Stillings
• Jade Island by Elizabeth Lowell

Nonfiction:

• The Immortalists by David M. Friedman SOLD
• A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

Young Adult:

• The Moves Make the Man by Bruce Brooks (bit rough around edges of cover)
• Lucky by Alice Sebold SOLD
• Second Star to the Right by Deborah Hautzig (upper right corner of cover torn) 
• Vamps by Nancy A. Collins (upper right corner of cover torn off) 
• Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 
• Jinx by Meg Cabot 
• The Healing Time of Hickeys by Karen Rivers
• The Torn Skirt by Rebecca Godfrey SOLD
• The Orpheus Obsession by Dakota Lane 
• Cruel Summer by Kylie Adams
• Dumb Love by Katheleen Jeffrie Johnson
• The Other Boy by Hailey Abbot

Children's:

• Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls by Meg Cabot
• Summerhouse Time by Eileen Spinelli

Upcoming Book Sale!

Hiya Fellow Book Lovers,

First, I need to tell you that my bookshelf is currently a mess. I have too many books (and random knick-knack patty-whacks) and not enough shelves.

EXHIBIT A:
Yes, there are THREE rows of books on that middle shelf. Yes, there are books piled on the floor. Yes, I know if I didn't have no many knick-knacks stuffed into the nooks and crannies, I'd have more space for maybe half of the floor-books. Sigh . . . yes, I continue to buy more books.

As such, I need to get rid of some books, but I can't bear to throw them away (*shudders* just saying those words upsets me). However, individually listing them on eBay is a pain.

So, my idea:

I will post a list of all of the books that I am willing to part with (*sob*) and buyers (that's you guys) can select whichever five you'd like for just $25! (It has a ring to it doesn't it?) Free shipping and all that as well.

More details forthcoming, but a few points:

• Payment method: PayPal
• Shipping method: USPS media mail (unless buyer is willing to pay extra for faster service) within continental US. Also willing to ship internationally if you're willing to pay for it.
• Book Conditions: I take care of my babies so almost all will be in Almost New/Great conditions, but I'm MORE than willing to most photos of requested books.

Hmmm . . . I believe that's enough for now. In the meantime, please feel free to comment below with any other questions and look forward to the book list!

[Book Rant] The Phantom Tollbooth

 

I'm apologizing in advance for this super lazy post, so please forgive me!

Blurb: 

One day Milo finds an enormous and mysterious package in his room. A phantom tollbooth, with a map to a weird world beyond! So Milo sets off on a fantastic voyage in which he meets: the not so wicked Witch, Faintly Macabre, Alec Bings who sees through things, and the watchdog, Tock, who ticks.

My Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed this. I first picked it up because it seemed very Roald Dahl-esque. And I absolutely adore Dahl's work. The Phantom Tollbooth didn't disappoint. I found it imaginative and endearing. The word-play was also very amusing and I found myself chuckling aloud in a couple of places. The Phantom Tollbooth is a great children's book--one that's incredibly magical, while teaching some vital life lessons. I would definitely recommend.

Final Verdict:

Princess Reads A Lot LIKES this book a whole lot!
It made her smile and she's sure glad she read it.

Recent Book Buys!

Today, I had an interview for substitute teaching work at a temp agency. More importantly, I took advantage of being in Grand Central to hot-foot it to my favorite bookstore in Midtown while jamming to Olly Murs' "Troublemaker" on repeat.

Book Off is located at 49 W. 45th Street between 5th and 6th. It's unique in that it specializes in imported Japanese books. But that's not what I go there for; I go for the cheap manga collection and the $1 books section. Actually all of the books are fairly cheap as most are $5 and less. They also have an impressive used DVD, CD, and Video Game section as well, but I couldn't care less about those. The $1 books are what I swoon over as I often find some real gems. Today's gems are as follows:

1) Thomas Harris' Hannibal Rising: I've already read Silence of the Lambs, and I have Hannibal in my To-Be-Read pile. Now all I'm missing is Red Dragon. Once I have that my Hannibal Lecter Weekend Marathon (both books and movies) can commence. I'm so looking forward to it!

"Well, Clarice - have the lambs stopped screaming?" - from Silence of the Lambs

2) Robert Cormier's After the First Death: I love The Chocolate War and always wanted to read more by this writer. Also, the blurb is short, sweet, and intriguing: "Who will be the next one to die? They've taken the children. And the son of a general. But that isn't enough. More horrors must come. . . ."  And on the cover is a school bus going over a bridge with a red sniper target on it. Do you blame me for being unable to put this baby down?


What about you, dear readers? Picked up any gems yourself recently?

[Book Rant] Joyland by Stephen King

 

The Story:

In Joyland by Stephen King, we meet 21-year-old, college student Devin Jones, who's an aspiring writer. (No shocker there! King has a thing for writers as protagonists, I'm starting to see.) Young Devin spends his summer break working at a carnival-slash-amusement park called Joyland. There, he meets an assortment of interesting characters, including two soon-to-be-best-friends, Erin and Tom, and his eventual saviors, Annie and Mike, all while nursing first-love heartbreak and losing his virginity. Oh, and of course it wouldn't be much of a Stephen King novel without a ghost or two, would it? There's a ghost of a young woman who had been murdered on the only dark ride at Joyland. Who dun done it, is the question we're reading to answer. That, and experiencing young Devin's coming-of-age story with a twist.

Thoughts:

As far as King novels go, I haven't read nearly enough to really be familiar with his style, but I didn't enjoy Joyland nearly as much as I did Bag of Bones and The Shining. To be honest, I was a little bored. The story didn't grip me by the collar as tightly as I had expected it to. It lacked much of the suspense and tension I had come to expect from King. Could it be due to the fact that Joyland  is about 300 pages shorter than the previous two King novels I've read? Does King write better when he has more words to work with? Who knows. All I do know is that I found Dev a little dull, the other characters unimportant (didn't care about any of 'em much), the ghost story not very interesting, and the big reveal of the killer anti-climatic and rushed. 

Final Verdict:

Joyland is a run-of-the-mill crime/mystery novel. While not a bad read, it's not terribly exciting either. 

 
Princess Reads A Lot isn't too sure about this book. She didn't like it, but she didn't not like it either. She knows it's one she won't ever re-read and that makes her a little sad.

[Book Rant] The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

First Book Rant of 2014!

Kim Edwards' first novel, The Memory Keeper's Daughter, begins on the night of a blizzard in 1964 and Dr. David Henry and his young wife, Norah, are settling in for what they think will be a comfortable evening at home. That is, until Norah goes into labor. Yup. And during a blizzard. David, calmly, rushes her to the hospital where he works. It's no biggie; another doctor will be meeting them there and all will be well. Except the blizzard and its homies, Mother Nature and Fate, have other plans and the doctor can't make it. David is forced to put that MD license to use and delivers his own children. With the help of a nurse, Caroline, Dr. Henry's fraternal twins are born--a perfectly healthy boy named Paul and a girl with Down Syndrome, Phoebe. Dr. Henry makes a knee-jerk decision, one fueled by a painful past, to send his daughter with Caroline to be dropped off at an institution. Caroline leaves immediately. When she arrives, she realizes that she cannot leave the baby girl at the institution and takes her away, raising Phoebe as her own. In the meantime, Dr. Henry tells his wife that their daughter died in childbirth . . .

The premise of this novel is what initially drew me in. I continued reading, eager to follow the Henry's--David, Norah, and baby Paul--on their painful journey of grief, loss, and devastating secrets, as well as Caroline's struggles to successful raise a child that is not her own and has special needs. There was so much potential for an amazing novel and I was excited to keep reading.

Unfortunately, there were a few "irks" that stood in the way of my truly enjoying the novel as I had hoped.

1) What I liked best about Edwards' writing is also what stood in the way of my enjoyment of the story. I found her writing to be mesmerizing, full of great sensory language that is almost poetic. It gently draws you in--deeply, without your even realizing until you're in too deep to back out.

While I appreciated this style for describing the physical setting, I didn't enjoy it as much for the description or portrayal of deep emotions. I think every reader can attest to the fact that we'd prefer to be SHOWN how a character feels, rather than TOLD. I felt that Edwards didn't allow me to make my own decision about whether or not to empathize with the characters. Instead, I felt force-fed to believe certain things and feel a certain way. No, just no.

2) The effect of being told instead of shown how much the Henrys' and Caroline's lives changes after that night in 1964 is that all of characters (with the exception of Caroline) became caricatures and unrealistic. They lacked depth and authenticity, flat characters who didn't exhibit much change over the course of the novel. At least not in ways I felt meaningful. When I finished the novel, I didn't care about them any more than I did when I opened the book. Actually, I may have cared about them less.

3) Phoebe. The role of Phoebe in the novel, other than being the source of a secret, is unclear. On one hand, she and Caroline seem to be the core of a message for the treatment of and expectations for individuals with disabilities. On the other hand, she seems completely unimportant as an individual and more a character for which other characters react to. That lack of clarity, of purpose for Phoebe's character made it difficult to truly care or believe her. (Does that all even make sense?)

3) What happened to the climax?! It was so weakly executed that I nearly missed it! For all the commotion surrounding the secret, its reveal was anti-climatic, as was the characters' reactions that doubly suffered from being cliched.

4) Unrealistic, fairytale-esque ending. It sure sounded pretty. And my gut reaction was "Aw, that's nice and sweet." But then I thought about it. What the hell? There is no way that their lives can just continue so simply! It was a big freaking deal, wasn't it? Dr. Henry sent his daughter away to an institution to die and lied about it for 25 years!

Final Verdict:

Princess Reads A Lot isn't too sure about this book. She didn't like it, but she didn't not like it either. She knows it's one she won't ever re-read and that makes her a little sad.

Kim Edwards is a pretty good writer, as to be expected from someone who holds a MFA in fiction and an MA in linguistics. So, the writing style of the novel is one readers can appreciate. The potential for a great story and interesting character development initially hooked me in. However, I was left disappointed at how the story falls short. More attention seems to have been given to the structure of the writing rather than to the development of the story and characters. The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a fairly good read if there's nothing better in your Planning to Read queue.



Have you read The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards? Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

Secretly Yours,
Fatuma