Archive for the ‘Books’ Category

Put succinctly I had a love/hate relationship with Julie Powell’s book Julie & Julia.  Unlike some of her critics I do applaud Powell’s leap from the world of blogging into that of a published author. Many of her detractors have made it all about the food but that wasn’t why she embarked on 524 Recipes in 365 days; Jennie Yabroff in her Newsweek article Stop Hating Julie Powell, Please covers this well.

What Ms. Powell did need was someone to remind her that when people stop reading your words for free and start laying down money for your book, you then have an obligation to give them a reasonably professional product and that is where she just doesn’t deliver. Some of her word choices and phrasing were barely at a high school grammar 101 level. Attempts to be avant guard through drawing on sexual encounters (hers and those of her friends), a preoccupation with her own body odors and the ad nauseum descriptions about the grunge and filth of her apartment were imitations of twenty-something writers who had gone before her and who have done it so much better.

When she isn’t trying so hard and returns to the realness of her life the book improves. I enjoyed reading about the bona fide world of Julie Powell. This is also where she stops being a blogger and remembers that she is an author as her prose takes us through the drudgery of her day job, her escalating enthusiasm for cooking, to her growing obsession with completing the project Mastering the Art of French Cooking  and even her feelings for Julia Child.

It was a stark contrast indeed that while reading Julie & Julia I came across a piece of work by Elizabeth McCracken.  After years and years and years of reading it is not often that one can still stumble on an author who really draws you in,  This Does Not Have to Be a Secret from her book An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination does just that.

She has a wonderful style that never slips into some of the slickness that so many writers do. She writes about life events and emotions with a refreshing clarity and where I really felt a connection was her sense of humor; the dwarves of grief that she refers to will forever have a place in my imagination  and I will definitely be ordering one of her books for my winter reading

Authors such as Elizabeth McCracken provide a quality source of reading pleasure, and while pop culture figures such as Julie Powell may stretch their 15 minutes of fame into 30; I for one won’t be finding the time to read any more of her books.

For many of us the book that we choose to read at any given time is determined by any number of factors.

It could be seasonal. Summer is the time for the blended and frothy type of book. In the spring and fall I tend to be restless so I like the story to take place somewhere other than North America. Winter is for those big cozy works of historical fiction and memoirs

Then we check our mood, do I need to find myself or lose myself?

Finally, there is the time of day; business books and research are great for day time but by the evening I want something with which to as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot might say “turn off the little grey cells”.

Age doesn’t really enter into the equation; think of the number of adults reading Harry Potter.

So here we are the summer of ’09. My Amazon book wish list is pages long and I have groaning piles of yet to be read books, newspaper business sections, Time, Vogue, Marie Claire, O and More magazines in the living room, office and bedroom.

I have just finished My Sister’s Keeper which was no great feat; it is to literature what The Young and the Restless is to PBS. I will say though that the ending was unexpected. Next on my pureed summer book diet is Julie & Julia which led me to Julie Powell’s blog What Could Happen.

In the way of a little brain fiber I am reading three business books that have been recommended to me -

“Coolhunting: Chasing Down the Next Big Thing” Peter Gloor

“Tribes” Seth Godin

“Change Your Questions, Change Your Life: 7 Powerful Tools for Life and Work”
Marilee G. Adams Ph.D.

I cannot end this post on books without mentioning the one literary genre for all seasons and that is a good murder mystery. This past week coincidentally I was exchanging emails with mystery writer Roberta Isleib, who is currently on the other end of  the equation in that she is spending her summer putting the finishing touches on a new book.

No matter what the month is, all that you need to truly enjoy a mystery is a comfortable chair, no one home, a dark night, some fog rolling in, the sound of dogs howling over the moors ……………

It is difficult these days not to see Elizabeth Edwards when we turn on the television. The interviewer is  reading an excerpt from her book “Resilience” with that tone of voice reserved for the sick person in hospital, asking gently worded questions and providing the viewer with a soapy interview.

I know she is the victim of an extra marital affair and I know that she is ill with breast cancer. I cannot nor do not judge how she handles these things. In these matters my affiliation is firmly with the ‘what goes on behind closed doors’ party.

What is perturbing is why she supported and campaigned for John Edwards to be President of the United States after he told her about the affair. Why, in spite of this knowledge did she sally forth, endorsing her husband as the right man for the job. Why did she cast herself as the loyal wife in the tableau of the wholesome American family?

By making the decision to submit herself and her family to this renewed public scrutiny, she should be accountable for that period in time. As Roger Simons asks in his article “Did Elizabeth Edwards want to get into the White House as badly as John Edwards did?”

I counter that with this question “Is Elizabeth Edwards again using the American public this time to garner book sales?”

Caryl Rivers in her Huffington Post article writes that she should be allowed to tell her story, to “have her say”. Funny that she has so much to say now but the truth was oddly silent during the ’08 Presidential campaign.

We read to know that we are not alone – C.S. Lewis

Like many I was slightly put off by the title “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” . I decided to buy the book anyway (it was on sale) and from the first page I was captivated. For me it blended all the right ingredients; an interesting time in history, fascinating characters and a well paced story line.

I have noticed that other reviews whether they like the book or not, make little mention of the galvanizing event in the book and that was the occupation of Guernsey by the Germans and what life was subsequently like for the island’s occupants. Even Juliet the main character would have seemed amiss in any world other than the post-war England of 1946. The correspondence that she sets in motion could take you from charmed to horrified in the matter of a few sentences. There is nothing sensationalizing about how this is done and that is what makes the book a fascinating read.

I will echo some reviews in saying that it had the bones of a modern day classic but there were some weak areas in the second half that took it back into the ordinary. I have recently learnt that Mary Ann Shaffer died in February of 2008. Whether the introduction of the second author, Annie Barrows or Mary Ann’s health had something to do with the shift in the writing style I could not say.

The book does not rely on grandiose scenes or bombastic characters (except for Mark who does embody the impatience of the social changes to come)  and that is why Hollywood should never touch it.  I do see a Masterpiece Theatre style of production; one that would do justice to the book’s core elements of healing, the beauty of individuality and the allure of the unpretentious.

NB: While we are speaking of television productions that do credit to the original books be sure to catch HBO’s #1 Ladies Detective Agency based on Alexander McCall Smith’s books.

It all started when I decided that each month this year, I would put up a photograph of a different city on the home page of TimeFinders Online Magazine.  January’s edition featured New York. Then HARO (Help A Reporter Out) wrote about  Nightshift NYC (book~blog~events). A fascinating look at a city that never sleeps and the people who work from sunset to sunrise.

Unlimited Magazine has an excerpt from the book and what seems for many of us a down the rabbit hole lifestyle. Until I read that I had never really thought about how hard it must be to function in a world that predominately revolves around a 9-5 way of life.

Today, I am a guest on the Jungle Red Writers blog. Come for a visit and meet the five fascinating female mystery writers that started it all.

I really cannot add anymore other than to share their welcome with you:

“Welcome to Jungle Red, a salon of five mystery writers. Here, it’s all about writing. And not writing. And our search for motive in life, love, fiction and reality. Fans of classic films may recognize the name Jungle Red as a tip of the hat to Clare Booth Luce’s The Women. Like that eclectic group—we go through our highs and lows, fun and feuds with just an occasional unsheathing of our Jungle Red nails. Join us as we discuss (and occasionally diss) the world of reading, writing and publishing. All you need is an appreciation for a thoughtful turn of a phrase, admiration for a clever twist in a plot—and a sense of humor.”

When I am remiss in connecting with someone I dash of an email with the subject line -  ‘Catching Up’ so here I go.

In 2008, Nov 4th was noteworthy not only because Barack Obama won the election but also because that was the day when I broke my foot. Sorry, Barack but my tears during your acceptance speech were 44% happiness over your win and 56% PAIN!

This is the first time that I have ever broken anything so I was fascinating by the whole process from my foot becoming a grotesque size and one big multi-colored bruise.  By the way, whoever designed the walking cast should be given some sort of prize. To the shoe area of my bedroom which took on a somewhat macabre look as it became home to one dress shoe, one boot, one sneaker and one slipper. Sadly, even though it was the holiday season my high heel shoes just gathered dust.

When out and about you are more reliant on the kindness of strangers. Those who took the time to hold open the door for a few minutes longer as you hobble over, people who kept up their snow and ice removal and even the cab drivers who yes, open the car door and were extra helpful getting groceries to the door. Speaking of shopping not sure what to say about the grocery staff who were restocking shelves and pretend not to notice me struggling to get an 8KG bag of kitty litter into the shopping cart.

Anyway, foot is basically healed now and it is a brand New Year. I don’t believe in New Years Resolutions but I do have a few things that I would like to work on.

1. Drink less coffee. Drink more green tea.

2. Learn how to make an omelet

3. Find more time to read and write.

4. Be the kind of Life & Business Coach who really helps their clients in these tough economical times.

5. Take Mia to the next level of obedience classes. The time together and the interaction with others will be good for both of us.

6. Stay in touch with friends & family so I don’t have to send those catching up emails.

7. Have massages and manicures on a regular basis.

8. Finish that pile of partially read books besides my bed.

9. Podcast & Twitter

It is really going to bother me that I couldn’t come up with an even ten.

………………….10. Work on an apparent latent tendency towards perfectionism.

Being in the throes of puppy raising I decided to read Marley & Me by John Grogan and it had me laughing out loud. I admire John and Jenny for persevering. Chris & I had to call on a lot of patience when we acquired our chocolate lab. While I loving call Duke ‘neurotic’, in fact he came to us as a rescue dog and we went through a lot to get him to a state of near normalcy. It took years to socialize him and for us to learn what he could and couldn’t handle.  For instance the reason that there are no pictures of this fairly handsome boy is that he cannot overcome his fear of cameras.

Duke has finally realized that despite all his best attempts to end her young life that Mia is not going away. He is willing to play and interact with her from 8am -8pm, then he retreats to his bed with a do not disturb snarl at the ready. At 6 months of age Mia is an Australian Shepherd in progress. She recently started puppy classes where I tend to get more attitude than obedience.  Overall though she is the happiest of dogs so I don’t have the material for a Mia & Me book, but with that face maybe a bit part in a Disney movie?

As it is uncharacteristically warm in Alberta and there are no icy sidewalks to contend with we are able to continue our regime of 5:45ish am walks.  While Mia & I are ready to go at that time, Duke and beloved need to stretch, yawn and perform various masculine rituals before we can even get out of the door. As you can see from the pic, Mia is wearing her favorite scarf and her impatient “I’m ready to go” expression.