Fall of Giants
September 28th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Remember how excited I was that Ken Follett was coming out with a new book that chronicles 5 families through the 20th century? I am now boycotting it because of the $19.99 price tag. We’ll see how long this lasts. So disappointed but I just can’t justify $20 for an electronic copy of a book. Hmmm…
National Book Festival 2010 Review
September 28th, 2010 § 3 Comments
This past Saturday was the 2010 National Book Festival, held on the National Mall in DC. I first went last year, shortly after we’d moved to the area, and I had so much fun I had to go again this year. For anyone in or around DC who loves books, it is a great event! Basically it’s a group of huge tents with author speakers from many genres like Fiction & Mystery, Teens, Historical, Kids, Poetry, Contemporary & Life, etc. Each author gives a15 minute talk and then has a 20-minute Q&A with the audience about what they’re working on, how they write—basically anything! It’s really fun getting to know writers whose work I love on a more personal level. And awesome for learning about new-to-me authors as well! This year I went to see Ree Drummond, aka Pioneer Woman (!!! Yes!!! I almost died when I saw her in the program), Diana Gabaldon, Elizabeth Kostova, Julia Glass, and Ken Follett (!!). Here’s what I thought of each:
Ree Drummond: So overall she was adorable. I think she was counting on the fact that the people who came to her talk would already know who she was, so she didn’t give much intro at all before opening it up for questions. Thankfully, someone pointed this out and asked her to back up and tell her story, so we did get to hear some! Her life just fascinates me, and she’s such a real, down-to-earth, country gaI—and so funny! If you haven’t heard of her blog, go immediately to The Pioneer Woman. Her humor and compassion and fastidiousness in documenting recipes step-by-step with 46 pictures to boot is hilarious, and also super helpful. I was also excited to her about her new book coming out!!! It’s called Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and tells the love story of meeting her husband on a trip back to her hometown in Oklahoma. It comes out February 2011 and you can pre-order it here. Overall, a good start to the day (hopefully if she comes back she’ll get a later timeslot, since at 10:30am not many people were there yet).
Diana Gabaldon: So I had never heard of Diana before, but after hearing most of her talk, I want to read her books. She has to be one of the most engaging and funny speakers I’ve heard in a long time. She is quirky, talks fast, makes fun of herself, writes these epic-long novels that many people commented on how multiple generations of their family are obsessed with, and overall very entertaining. She writes the Outlander books, which sounds like an action/romance/mystery/fantasy sort of series? By all accounts they sounded like odd, impossible-to-categorize, and can’t-put-them-down types of books. So, how can I not check that out? Oh, and she’s also like 4’11” with dark hair past her waist. Just thought I should add to your mental picture. J
Elizabeth Kostova: So Elizabeth was much different than the previous two. She went to Yale, and overall I found her more methodical, analytical…more academic in the way she approached her writing. She wrote The Historian, which I didn’t read, and honestly it doesn’t seem super up my alley, but all the same it was very interesting to hear her talk about the process of writing it. It took her 10 years to write with 3 kids under the age of 6, so she wrote mostly at night while everyone was asleep. I guess The Historian (based on the Dracula myth) isn’t like most novels in that it is one long piece of prose; instead it is a (LONG!) document that contains letters, memos, articles, anecdotes, and the like and together they’re woven together to create a story. A very interesting—but quite daunting!—task for putting together a novel. Her new novel, The Swan Thieves, sounds like a more traditional historical novel, but it also deals with the idea of myth, so if you’re into that—check it out!
Julia Glass: Julia was a real disappointment for me. I missed her last year when she was presenting in the morning and I couldn’t get myself downtown in time. So I was really looking forward to her this year. I really enjoyed her first two novels, Three Junes (which won the National Book Award) and The Whole World Over, as they’re so beautifully written, you’re just lulled by the rhythm of her prose. But…I just didn’t like her very much in person. She had quite a long speech prepared, and overall I found it unnecessarily political, pretentious, and boring. It felt like she was reliving her life for her own benefit, not inviting us in. She also seemed to have a chip on her shoulder that she was basically the opening act for Ken Follett, and she let us know about it. Overall I just wasn’t impressed, and honestly it makes me want to read her books less now that I know who’s behind her beautiful writing. Sad, really.
Ken Follett: I was really looking forward to hearing Ken speak, and he definitely didn’t disappoint! So first off—I didn’t realize he was English, so surprise accent! Off to a good start. He started by telling us about his new book, Fall of Giants, which is the first book in a planned trilogy that will follow five families around the world through the 20th century. Each book will focus on a war (WWI, WW2, and the Cold War), and he explained that he wanted to do another epic after everyone “responded so warmly” to Pillars of the Earth and World Without End (don’t you just love the Brits?). He read a passage from the book and it sounds very good. He did quite a bit of research, and all of the quotes by characters that existed in real life were taken from historical documents, memoirs, etc. so it sounds like it will relatively accurate from a historical standpoint. And you know how terrible I am at history so if he can find a way to make it interesting to me so I actually remember it, HOORAY!
So, all in all, a very successful National Book Festival. Definitely check it out if you’re in the area next year!
ps. One person I didn’t get a chance to see was Suzanne Collins, the author of the Hunger Games trilogy (young adult fiction…the first book was a cross between Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Lord of the Flies), which I spent Sunday devouring. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend. I’m partway through the second book, Catching Fire, and it seems just as good so far.
Check out my Living Social Books profile for what I’m reading and book reviews.
A Moveable Feast
October 8th, 2009 § 2 Comments
Just a quick update to say I finished A Moveable Feast, Hemingway’s memoir of his time in Paris during the 1920s. While it did offer splendid portraits about life in Paris, I think I enjoyed more his interactions with Gertrude Stein (don’t think I’ve ever read anything of hers…) and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Also his life as a writer…I took many notes and was somewhat reassured that Hemingway wrote the first draft of The Sun Also Rises in just six weeks. This gives me a bit of hope that you can edit the crap out of hastily written draft, say, written during NaNo, so that you end up with some semblance of a respectable novel. I have been taking notes and outlining plot and characters before it starts in November, but I still have a lot to do. I am hopeful, though, that I can get this project off the ground this year (as opposed to last year’s complete failure…I had no plan and I don’t think I got more than a diary entry out of the whole venture). Which will be good as after the marathon I will need something to do so I don’t go crazy.
Currently reading The Stranger by Albert Camus, which I like. Got very busy yesterday so I hopefully I can finish it today or tomorrow. We’ll see.
The Sun Also Rises
September 28th, 2009 § 2 Comments
This weekend I read The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. I think this was my first novel by Hemingway; I had read other short stories by him that I enjoyed. At first I was really taken aback by his writing style. I am used to reading long, poetic, meaty sentences—and this Hemingway is not. He uses a direct voice that is simple, everyday, and focused on moving the plot along. But he also does quite a bit of foreshadowing, and I just love how he hints at the way he is feeling first, and then bounds into the exposing dialogue. It’s light and airy and nice. Most of the story takes place in Spain, which has a very special place in my heart, and much of the action revolves around the San Fermin festival is going on, so I also got to experience my own memories of La Merce in Barcelona. At the end I was left a bit disappointed, but looking back on it, there was only one way for it to end. So I enjoyed it and look forward to my next Hemingway novel (though if you enjoy short stories, I’ve always found A Clean, Well-lighted Place to be a good one).
In TSAR, the characters are originally from Paris, and what with several blog friends visiting Paris and general feeling of wanderlust, I must also share with you this fantastic website that I hope to use in the future, called a Haven in Paris. Basically it is a catalog of houses and apartments that they own that you can rent while you are in Paris, Tuscany, or Montmarte. It is definitely more money than a hostel (my mode of choice thus far), but definitely less expensive than a hotel and you also have the ability to make your own meals. I cannot wait to try. And as I’m daydreaming, wouldn’t that just be a beautiful way to live, operating a fleet of beautiful spaces for people to come enjoy and fall in love with your city? I think so.
ANYway, I’ve decided not to be a lump on the couch today, so after a shower and a meal, I’m going out to explore some things in DC for the day, and perhaps also getting some writing in. Visiting the National Book Festival has inspired me again…but more on that later.
Books to Read
May 22nd, 2009 § 2 Comments
New goal: to finish this list in 14 weeks (August 28). Longer than 12 because I have finals coming up, but then also a whole lot of nothin’ to do after that… 
Anyone want to join in?
I’m also thinking of doing the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge with some fellow bloggers. I’ve always wanted to learn how to bake bread from scratch, and I’m thinking all the available bread around the house might just make me eat more carbs (lately I have been completely disinterested in food…kind of a problem). Plus, I have a fancy KitchenAid stand mixer just sitting around collecting dust! (though I did use it to bake two loaves of banana bread recently…yum!) Anyone want to join in? I’m thinking of starting this after finals and then trying to do a recipe every other week? I may buy the book today…it’s been sitting on my wish list for a few weeks now…
Anyway, off to run! Hope everyone’s having a fabulous day
In Other News
February 26th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
Drew and I are still waiting to hear about our jobs…today was supposed to be the day but now we’re being told that it will not be until next Wednesday. Am really getting tired of waiting, even though it’s only been a little over a week since our interview.. But still! I always try to live by the motto underpromise, overdeliver, not the other way around.
On the upside, tomorrow is Friday. I am quite pleased about this fact and will be happy to have the weekend. Tomorrow afternoon we’re going to the LPF at Carnivale which should be loads of fun–I’ve been meaning to eat there and now I have a chance to do so for free! Yippee! Then we’re going to see Twilight…oh dear. 
I’ve been boycotting the books but I agreed to go to the movie solely because I’ve seen some posts about the cool interior design. And it’s nice to spend time with people, so it should be fun (we’ll see!). Melanie, Katie, and I are also officially registering for the chicago marathon tomorrow…hooray! I really do need the act of actually committing to get myself in gear.
Speaking of committment, albeit a fun one, just as I decided I’d try to finally write a novel by doing a bit each day, Marta suggested a little write club over on her blog. What absolutely perfect timing! So I’m going to mix in some of her writing prompts with my own and hopefully good things will follow! You should join in on the fun as well. Well, I think that’s all for now! I’m off to do some reading…
Kindle 2
February 15th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
So…the Kindle 2 has finally arrived!!! After months of anticipation and stalking the discussion forums, I have to admit, my expectations weren’t fulfilled. It would have been one thing if we hadn’t been told they were skipping 3 or 4 generations of the product with the Kindle 2, if our expectations weren’t crazy high. But…they were, and I guess that’s a risk when you try to break into unchartered territory (no, this wasn’t the first e-reader, but it was the first one that really “stuck” with a more mainstream audience). People expect greatness since we’re used to getting it with the iPod/iPhone. Was the first iPod even remotely good looking? No. Was the second? I guess kinda. The third version is where they really got it. And the iTouch and iPhone wowwed me. As did the price of the Shuffle…
THE GOOD
The design is improved. The keyboard looks much easier to use. The next/previous page buttons look like they don’t accidentally press as easily. The annoying back cover that liked to unhook itself is solved. The scroll wheel is now a joystick so you can click on individual words and phrases that you want to look up or highlight. The rounded corners are prettier (though, I wish the inside corners were still sharp to make it look more like a page). It still uses EVDO so you don’t have to have a wireless signal. The Kindle store has grown a LOT. The new read out loud feature is intriguing…wonder how well it works. Now supports PDF and Office documents. Uses a USB cable to hook up to a computer.
THE DISAPPOINTING
Many people are bothered by the fact that the Kindle 2 doesn’t have an SD slot. This does not bother me, but I am bothered that there’s still no way to put books into file folders. How hard can this possibly be? It’s obvious it’s a problem if people are using 5,6,7,8 SD cards just so they can categorize their libraries. Come on now. Also, the keyboard is kinda useless other than searching for books on Amazon.com. It’d be a lot better if it was a touch screen. Also need to deal with light issue…I know the e-ink technology doesn’t allow for backlighting, but what about sidelights? Or a cover with a built-in light? And while we’re on covers, kinda bothered that now you have to pay $30 extra for a cover, though admittedly it’s a lot sleeker than the one I own. I’d also be a lot more tempted to upgrade if the Kindle 2 was bigger…like big enough to read a textbook on.
Overall, this is still a great product, and if I didn’t already own one, I would definitely get one now. But there were a bunch of missed opportunities, so I don’t really feel the need to upgrade. I am excited to see what this “educational model” will be like… What do you think?
Looks
February 15th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
Hope everyone had a lovely Valentine’s Day! I had a nice lazy day filled with blueberry pancakes, thick bacon, writing, reading, and the apartment all to myself–a pretty good day all around! Yesterday I started and finished Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, which I really enjoyed. It is a very easy read and has inspired me to put some structure to my writing (almost nonexistent for a long while), instead of giving myself such a daunting goal of writing a novel someday. So I’m going to take the same approach as I did with the marathon and write a little bit every day (I started yesterday) and see what ideas I come up with. Then I’ll start bringing those together and hopefully work on a real project. So far it is fun! And I really like what she says–that writing is all about telling the truth. That was something I needed to hear because when I was a teenager I think I used writing to lie about my life and wallow in drama. Before I knew it I actually believed that some of those things were happening to me! It is much more freeing to be the scribe, bound to tell the truth, but also empowered to show my personal point of view. So yes, we’ll see I’m also reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society which is an enjoyable piece of fluff, if you like literary references and books written as a collection of letters. I needed something light after East of Eden and so far it is exactly what I was looking for.
And finally, I thought I’d share a few looks I am enjoying right now.Clearly I need a black tulip skirt!
(photo cred: 1 & 2: via lookbook, 3 & 4: via elements of style, 5: anthropologie via unruly things)
Atlas Shrugged
December 18th, 2008 § Leave a Comment
So paddled my way through Atlas Shrugged a couple weeks ago (actually finished the night before one of my finals…oops!). I think it is officially my longest book, so hooray hahaha But yeah, so I read this later in life than I think most people do, and as an econ student, a lot of her philosophy seemed very natural to me: that of free market economies; that good businesses should be rewarded with profits, and bad businesses should fail; that rewarding businesses or people based on need rather than merit is deplorable rather than honorable, etc. Probably the best thing I took from Atlas was the fact that “the good” always tended toward clear, direct dialogue that laid open the truth, and took responsibility for faults. “The bad” on the other hand tended toward vague, nice, and clouded dealings in which participants deluded themselves into thinking they were in the right by ignoring reality. Rather interesting. Made me think about how sometimes I play these strange games in which I hide from fault by blaming outside factors or misunderstandings because I didn’t make things clear beforehand. All rubbish! And at first I was very upset about all the deserters just packing their bags and giving up…by the end I was convinced they were doing the right thing, and now that I’m reading 1984 I realize that refusing to play a part in something you don’t believe in is much better than unconsciously going along with what’s wrong, blinding yourself from the truth only so you can act in good faith. I found it really hard to deal with Rand’s view on love…like when Dagny comes back from Atlantis and has fallen in love with Galt, Reardon is like, “I know you met the man you love there…” and IS COMPLETELY FINE WITH IT. Not upset or anything that he’s lost the only love of his life. Like, come on. Of course I do ascribe to true love as consisting of admiration of another’s values, so there’s that. But gosh, Reardon just letting her go like that just killed me. And also, this could be a factor of there having been more research done on utility theory since Rand wrote this book, but she kind of neglected the fact that it’s probable that people in love will take the other’s utility into account of their own. For example, when Bill is happy, that makes Susie happy. And the fact that Susie endeavors to increase her own utility doesn’t rule out the fact that she’ll also try to make Bill happy. Particularly in the sex scenes, it was a little lost. But yeah, I also could have dealt with about 1/3 of each of those long speeches she has throughout…since they just repeat themselves over and over. I found myself reading the topic sentence and then skimming the rest because it was really just ranting and preaching afterwards. The plot was a lot better than I was hoping for, and the dialogue in between characters was great overall. I think everyone should read this book, as it is deeply moving and still applicable to today’s politics and role of government (particularly Obama’s healthcare plan I think would make Rand turn over in her grave!!!). I wonder if she would think we had made any progress since the 60s?
Jane Eyre
December 18th, 2008 § 2 Comments
Ay ay ay, finished Jane Eyre a while ago. Overall I really enjoyed it…it was one of those books that feels a part of your soul, where you laugh, cry, get angry, and at the end you feel you’ve lived a whole ‘nother life. It teaches you about yourself, and I have the sneaking suspicion that reading it over again in a couple years will be an equally rewarding experience. Jane is very endearing, and I loved the style in the beginning where all the kiddies talk as if they’re adults with these deep emotions. Makes your teenage outbreaks seem justified!! But yeah no really, this is a great book. …and cue favorite quotes!
“I cry because I am miserable.”
“Feeling without judgment is a washy draught indeed; but judgment untempered by feeling is too bitter and husky a morsel for human deglutition.”
“There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow-creatures, and feeling that your presence is an addition to their comfort.”
“There was no harassing restraint; no repressing of glee and vivacity with him; for with him I was at perfect ease, because I knew I suited him; all I said or did seemed either to console or revive him. Delightful consciousness! It brought to life and light my whole nature: in his presence I thoroughly lived; and he lived in mine.”
