July's Calling Card

I did finish The Northern Clemency Tuesday evening. In the event that you are planning to read this novel, I will simply note that all families have dysfunction and this might make you feel better (or worse) than your own. Incidentally, the women (mostly) seemed to fare better than the men.

My trip to the library this week left me thinking that I'm reading the same titles as fifteen others in the metro area, or at least this seems to be the magic number of holds on each book I attempted. I had also left my main reading list at home so I was selecting books from the small notebook I keep stashed in my purse. The good news is that I had a completely new experience at the library; I pulled titles using their call numbers rather than the author's surname. To be quite honest, I felt a bit more scholarly, or at least less mainstream, as I walked around the third floor searching for books using the posted numeric signs as my guide.

My current selections both have multi-page indices which, I think means I won't be skimming through these in a few days. My new reads are Bury Me Standing: The Gypsies and Their Journey by Isabel Fonseca and The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas L. Friedman. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Here's to Ms. Foshie

I had to do an extra odd-day post just to pass this along. It was included in my list of NPR most emailed stories for the week: "Librarians Go Wild for Gold Book Cart." It just might remove a few of the stereotypes you may hold regarding librarians. It definitely should, however, make you think twice about vikings with book carts.

Ms. Foshie was my high school librarian and I wonder what her life was like outside of her cats, the school library, and the year-book.

July's Lucky 13

Two updates for you today:

* I have just under one hundred pages remaining in The Northern Clemency and today I've found reasons not to read. I'm not certain as to whether this was a conscious decision in order to delay completion of the book or that merely, I have had more pressing things to do. (I do suspect the former as I enjoy savoring those last few pages as the sun begins its downward set.)

* The 2009 Man Booker Longlist was released today and there is always something to appreciate about a long dozen (also called a baker's dozen). I'm sure that I'll find a few to peruse from the list and I hope you will as well.

Happy Reading!

Journey North

I have long thought that Sundays lent themselves to reading, particularly a rainy, gray day like today. I have picked up The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher as my next read. With its nearly 600 pages of prose, perhaps my mind was subconsciously preparing for North and South. I’m one sixth (easy math) into the story which, thus far, has begun the tale of two families in the area of Sheffield, UK. This book was short-listed for the 2008 Man Booker Prize and Hensher’s The Mulberry Empire also received a nod for the 2002 Longlist. I sense a mid-afternoon break for tea in my future. Cheers!

Catching Up as a Reader

I was unable to attend our June meeting and had not yet been able to secure a copy of The Reader from our library to stay current with our reading list. Luckily, a fellow GBC member was able to spare her book Tuesday so that I could spend Wednesday glued to the pages. Once I began the story, I did not want to relinquish the book. I used each spare minute to read and found myself preparing dinner with one-hand so that I could use the other hand to hold the book. (Luckily, rice is low maintenance). The evening was spent with an appropriate amount of light and the stillness of my home for company as I desired no musical or technological interruption. As I neared the last few chapters of the novel and the end of Hanna’s story, I released an audible sigh both for the story and its ability to have captured my attention in such a focused way. Getting lost in a book can be such a wonderful thing sometimes.

I don’t expect to read North and South in such a similar manner, but it would be nice to be wrong about that.

As American as July and Apple Pie

Thank you GBC Paige for hosting our July Book Club meeting. We had a great crowd, fantastic food and a lot of fun. Last night’s meal included a cold soup starter with a mix of summer salads to accompany the main course of ham and cheese sandwiches served warmed from the oven. GBC Sondra satisfied our sweet palates with a dessert of homemade apple pie, including handmade crust. Those who were adventurous also tried the slightly iced, cold sweet milk (which didn’t quite make it into homemade ice cream).

As we finished our meals and prepared to discuss B is for Beer, our group began to assemble in a circular formation which should have foreshadowed the confessional personal stories which would be shared related to first experiences with beer. Those who were familiar with Robbins’ other books were not as keen with this story, and the group concurred that an age limit would be recommended if the book were used as a children’s story. (Age limit of course, would depend on geographic location and would generally be higher in the Southeast, excluding football Saturdays). All agreed that the use of a beer fairy to share the history of beer was amusing.

As we begin to lose those few minutes of daylight each day, we can look back on last night’s meal and conversation as a top summer highlight: friends, great stories, a book on beer, our traditional reading water and apple pie.

July, Not to be Denied

Do you have that favorite book that you have read more times than you are willing to admit in social settings? Perhaps a story which started as just a well-liked novel and then slowly became an annual read? Maybe you own a book which naturally falls into a best loved passage or has pages which have slowly separated from the seams like a gentle tide? In general, I am a little (okay extremely) particular when it comes to handling books, but I will admit that there is hardly anything more romantic than a well-loved book.

A book that is always in one’s bag in the event there is a quiet moment to revisit a particular selection or refine “that quote” until you have it committed to memory in absolute perfection. A book that has been witness to a sunrise and a sunset, and which may have been immersed, or at the least, partially baptized in some form of water (unintentionally of course). It will have dog-eared pages, yellowing from years of use with a cover that is rarely seen these days and certainly doesn’t reference a major motion picture. Perhaps, in the extreme, it is held together by a very large rubber band. It is book that brings you happiness or some type of peace upon reading and manages to rescue you from those moments of chaos and uncertainty.

I think everyone should own such a book.

Fairy Tale

I have just finished reading B is for Beer in preparation for our meeting Tuesday. I am eagerly anticipating the discussion as to whether or not the book meets its billing as “A Grown-up Book for Children."

The novel’s dedication is “This one is for Blini.” I was instantly intrigued, however my internet search has left me without an answer or even weak indication of Robbins’ object of affection. (A blini is a pancake originally from Russia, but doesn’t seem to work here.)

If you are a reader that pays attention to the blank page with five or six words citing objects of inspiration, you would likely enjoy Once Again to Zelda: The Stories Behind the Literature’s Most Intriguing Dedications by Marlene Wagman-Geller. This book was fascinating in the “story behind the story” and further served to propel my inquisitiveness for dedications for any new book read (see above).

Elementary

I did complete Arthur & George earlier this week and while I enjoyed the book, I was left with several questions regarding parts of the novel which seemed to be left unaddressed at the book's final pages. My book lender is out of town so I must patiently (?!) await her return in order to talk through those points. I do think it would make a very animated discussion book for a book club. A comment by The Seattle Times calls the work "an accomplished duet," however I rather feel that much of the book would be classified as two solos before culminating in the foreshadowed duet for conclusion. Julian Barnes writes about each of the characters independently in headings which rotate chiefly between "Arthur" and "George" with the occasional "Campbell." A small intro to the book can be read here.

Another option if you'd prefer the non-fiction variety of the tale would be Conan Doyle and the Parson's Son: The George Edalji by Gordon Weaver.

J is for July

Tom Robbins, author of our book selection for July, is a challenge to summarize from sources other than Wiki. He was born in Blowing Rock, NC in 1936 and has published a number of novels with witty titles including Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates, Jitterbug Perfume, Still Life with Woodpecker, Skinny Legs and All, and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. If you would like to get a feel for his voice and a few minutes’ insight into his personality, I’m listing below a few links to peruse.

• Interview in late April 2009 by Minnesota Public Radio
• Anecdote (in two parts) about a trip to Cuba with James Lee Stanley
• Interview from January Magazine discussing Fierce Invalids…
  

I'm looking forward to the read.

Sunset 8:06 pm

I know many of you are now accustomed to the random thoughts which enter my head. Today, while cleaning the stovetop, I was thinking about the Farmer’s Almanac. While growing up, we always had a Farmer’s Almanac calendar, usually sponsored by one of the town’s funeral homes. We would typically have our first introduction to the calendar rolled up into a small cylinder bound by a rubber band. It would usually take several turns to roll the calendar counter to the original binding in order to get the paper to lie flat against the wall. The calendar was fairly simple with six pages printed front and back (green before its time). We could have the sunrise, sunset, fishing data, and various other recommendations on planting at our very fingertips. Most of the calendar was black and white print with holidays marked in red.

While searching for an image that I might include for reference, I found a Greeneville, TN company which has been producing calendars since 1896. It’s likely that my childhood calendar was made by AmerICan Calendars, and I am amused that I have only made this connection many years later, although I do distinctly remember the funeral home’s name.

In the event you like to be guided by the Almanac, today is a good day to can fruits and vegetables, to mow, and to do a few other things which are only appropriate if you have livestock.

July Going By

As Alfred might have said, "Now I think we've come to the part of the show" (or blog) where I remind you that our book for the month is B is for Beer by Tom Robbins.

In traditional fashion, I'm going to try to squeeze in one more read before tackling our book for our next meeting. One of my neighbors has allowed me to borrow a copy of Arthur & George by Julian Barnes. I think there could be a hint of mystery in my future. Intriguing, indeed.

July Down Under

Have you ever finished reading a book and then re-read the beginning? I have just completed True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey and done just that. While I initially was not sure that I would enjoy this book set in Australia describing the exploits of Ned Kelly, by the end I was absorbed. The fondness began subtly, making time to read an entire “parcel” and then carefully, timing my reading so that I could have ample moments to read through several key selections without interruption. I was intrigued by his “adjectival” language which took me nearly thirty pages to comprehend and then to appreciate. The story involves tragedy mixed with bravery and attempts at heroism using the voice of Ned Kelly to describe his life and actions to a daughter unseen. Also, in case you have an interest in this type of thing, the font was set in Minion.

Ode to Kansas

I am still thinking about reading maps. This morning I am sitting directly opposite a map of the United States and as I glance up periodically and read the state names, I am wondering if each of us could place the states in their appropriate location on a map as we all had to do at some point during our elementary/grammar school careers. This map is particularly nifty in that it also has a picture to note an item for which the state is widely known, excluding a few of the Northeastern states which have a tiny footprint on the map. (Likely a challenge to the artist to design miniature crabs, boats, maple trees, etc).

Going one step further, do we still know the capitals or would we instinctively say Seattle rather than Olympia influenced by a caffeine haze? I was curious to know whether I still had this ability of recall and sought an interactive map to use as a test. (Enter “Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids.”) Rhode Island was my last state to place on the non-outlined map of the U.S. My progress was respectable though I did not keep my time. No pressure to get them all correct, but I will tell you in advance that this map is geared toward young children.

Trading the 3rd for the 4th

Knowing where you are going is really nice, but this morning I appreciated that not knowing where I would be can also be a fun journey. Today was the Fourth of July Music City 5K/10K and GBC Paige and I attended in support of GBC Kim and Tim who ran the course. We, in our haste, had neither ownership of nor had reviewed the course map so it was a bit of an adventure to follow our fellow friends around their path.

We managed to catch them just in front of the fountains over the Woodland Street bridge and view them from afar on Commerce. (The folks at Panera were slightly interrupted by chants for our fellow book-clubbers). No neon lights on Broadway, but we were happy to get in our last words of cheer before the finish line. Well done to Kim and Tim, and be on alert that you may be approached to participate as part of a team run this fall.

My advice: occasionally, don't pick up a map and see how the day unfolds.

July on the Fly

This morning I’ve done something that I have not done in a long, long time; I read the liner notes in a CD. "Leonard Cohen Live in London" is a double-disc album in a tri-folded cardboard case with CDs at each end and that wonderful pocket in the middle for the small twelve page music booklet containing photos and text about the show. I moved through the book slowly and read about the performance; the text was beautiful and I imagined an incredible show.

By my best recollection, I have not purchased a physical CD in about three years (other than the occasional gift) as I have picked up most of my music online. I suppose this is one of the tragedies of technology and a desire for instant gratification. So this morning, I’m thinking a bit about how I used to pour through liner notes: CDs, tapes, albums, and yes, even a few eight-tracks. I would read as the first track played and keep the liner handy for reference during that first play through. I think my judgement on an album was heavily influenced by the effort that was placed in the liner notes. Was it a booklet of lyrics and photos or just a two page list of songs? Based on the liner notes, I think I will enjoy the Cohen album, and I am in gratitude both for the music and this reminder of albums past.