Most Recent Read: Replay

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Reading Replay reminded me Sharon Creech is an incredible writer.  Her writing is all about dynamic relationships between friends and family, which encourage the reader to examine his or her own life.  I need to reread some of my favorites, Bloomability, The Wanderer, Walk Two Moons, etc.

Most Recent Read: Egghead

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I read Egghead by Karla Oceanak mainly becuase the dustcover reminded me of The Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka.  I love the Time Warp Trio books, which are short and hilarious.  (I highly recommend them)  Egghead was a fast read, mainly because it is meant for a much younger demographic.  (if you are wondering why I read children's books, I have several reasons. One of the reasons being I want to find good books for my future children to read) While I liked the format of the book, an elementary school child's art book, complete with sketch drawings, personalized superhero cartoons and complex words followed by definitions, I felt Aldo Zelnick, the protagonist, was annoyingly self-absorbed.  It felt like an episode of Arthur on PBS Kids.  Quick, educational, and layered with undertones of tolerance and acceptance.  Apparently the author was smart and decided to write one book for every letter in the alphabet.  That is a guaranteed twenty-six books.  Smart move.  I however, won't be reading any more of them.  

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I will probably reread and buy all of these books.  Thank you Jon Scieszka. 

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Thanks to Egghead, I did rediscovered the art of Edward Gorey.  His art is very macabre, à la Tim Burton, Coraline and Emily the Strange.  Scary and cute.  But not Creepy Cute, I still need to read that book.

Most Recent Reread: From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

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The next installment in the sibling book club was From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg.  This classic book follows Claudia and James (Jamie) Kincaid, who run away from home and hide-out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  I throughly enjoyed rereading this book and would definitely recommend it.

Some of my favorite quotes:

[Mrs. Frankweiler] "Both Jamie and Claudia had acquired a talent for being near but never part of a group...Some people, Saxonberg, never learn to do that all their lives, and some learn it all too well" (78). [Ezio Auditore da Firenze?]

[Mrs. Frankweiler] "You see, Saxonberg, Claudia had found the article about the statue too easily.  She didn't even look at the first sections of the paper.  I keep telling you that often the search proves more profitable then the goal.  Keep that in mind when you're looking for something in my files" (73).

[Claudia Kincaid] "How can that be? A statue isn't something like an umbrella that you leave in a taxi and lose" (85).

[James Kincaid] "Claudia, dear, I'm no angel" (88).

"'Someone very rich must have tossed in this quarter,' Jamie whispered.  'Someone very poor,' Claudia corrected. 'Rich people have only penny wishes'" (98).

[Mrs. Frankweiler] "The adventure is over.  Everything gets over, and nothing is ever enough.  Except the part you carry with you.  It's the same as going on a vacation.  Some people spend all their time on a vacation taking pictures so that when they get home they can show their friends evidence that they had a good time.  They don't pause to let the vacation enter inside them and take that home" (161).

[Claudia Kincaid] "Five minutes of planning are worth fifteen minutes of just looking" (165).

[Mrs. Frankweiler] "When the stakes are high, I never cheat.  I consider myself too important to do that" (170).

[Mrs. Frankweiler] "I think you should learn, of course, and some days you must learn a great deal.  But you should also have days when you allow what is already in you to swell up inside of you until it touches everything.  And you can feel it inside you.  If you never take time out to let that happen, then you just accumulate facts, and they begin to rattle around inside of you.  You can make noise with them, but never really feel anything with them.  It's hollow" (175-176).

Works Cited

Konigsburg, E. L. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler,. New York: Atheneum, 1967. Print.

Most Recent Read: Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King

I read Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce because it is the first book in the Guardian series and I wanted to read the books before I watched the movie.  It was good, but not amazing.  I felt like the author wrote a story for his daughter and cast her as the main character, but didn't pull it off as well as Rick Riordan.  However, the art in the book was incredible.  I may or may not have judged this book by its cover.

Tsar and Tsarina Lunanoff

Pitch, The Nightmare King

Yetis, or abominable snowmen

  

Most Recent Reread: The Phantom Tollbooth

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My brother, sisters and I have started a book club.  Our first book, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, was a delight to read.  I read this book several years ago in elementary school, and had forgotten what an amazing book it was.  My favorite character is Tock, the ever vigilant watchdog.  There is something reassuring about a ticking clock for me.  I'm the opposite of Captain Hook becuase I love the sound.

I love how the author uses wordplay and idiomatic expressions!  For example, Rhyme and Reason left Wisdom, so there was discord, one must jump to the island of conclusions, and the residents of Dictionoplis must eat their words.  

I also loved the many thought provoking sentences.

"...Today people use as many words as they can and think themselves very wise for doing so.  For always remember that while it is wrong to use too few, it is often far worse to use too many" (68).  

"...'Oh no, not in the middle of the program,' she replied, and turned the silence up a little louder" (152).  

"I suppose they are necessary, for you'd never really know how pleasant one was unless you knew how unpleasant it wasn't" (164). 

"You know that it's there, but you just don't know where--but just because you can never reach it doesn't mean that it's not worth looking for" (197). 

"For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons" (233).  

"...It's not just learning things that's important.  It's learning what to do with what you learn and learning why you learn things at all that matters" (233).  

"As you've discovered, so many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible" (247).

Now I just have to wait for my siblings to finish reading it.  I'm excited to see what they have to say.  Perhaps I will post more once we have discussed it.  

Works Cited

Juster, Norton, and Jules Feiffer. The Phantom Tollbooth. New York: Epstein & Carroll ; Distributed by Random House, 1961. Print.

Most Recent Read: Bitter Melon

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Bitter Melon by Cara Chow was a fast read.  It was predictable.  Girl feels shacked by her controlling mother, girl meets rich boy who also feels stifled by his family, girl and boy fall in love and try to break free together.  

Even though it was predictable, Chow used interesting word choices to give the text a sense of urgency.  For example, "I smile. I know exactly what he's talking about" (Chow 250).  At first I thought it was a typo, then I realized the word choice forced one to be in the moment, to appreciate the now.  It was a reoccurring theme throughout the book:

"I laugh even harder" (Chow 250).  

"That night, I wait for my mom to go to bed" (Chow 229)"

"Theresa opens her mouth to argue" (Chow 122).  

"Derek turns right onto Balboa" (Chow 119).  

"My heart skips a beat" (Chow 119).  

"After his speech, he walks back to his seat.  As he passes, I give a humble thumbs-up.  He smiles.  After we are dismissed, I hesitate for a moment before leaving.  If I linger a bit, maybe he will talk to me" (Chow 100). 

Chow also used symbolism throughout the book to emphasize the differences between Eastern and Western ideologies.  (The Eastern philosophy being emphasis on the family and the Western Philosophy being emphasis on the self). The protagonist names were even symbolic.  Her Chinese name "Fei Ting" meant "Fly Stop" and her english name "Frances" meant "Free".  Through the book Fei Ting struggled to find self worth despite mer mother Gracie's lies, manipulation, and criticism.  Gracies's expectations were ridiculously high and she was emotionally and physically abusive.  Nothing Fei Ting accomplished was ever good enough.

At first I thought the author was exaggerating to accentuate the differences between Western and Eastern cultures.  (Gracie beat Fei Ting with the trophy Fei Ting won at a speech competition becuase Gracie didn't want Fei Ting to compete).  Then I remembered an article I read a year ago entitled, Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior by Amy Chua.  According to the article, "Western parents are concerned about their children's psyches. Chinese parents aren't. They assume strength, not fragility, and as a result they behave very differently...If a Chinese child gets a B—which would never happen—there would first be a screaming, hair-tearing explosion. The devastated Chinese mother would then get dozens, maybe hundreds of practice tests and work through them with her child for as long as it takes to get the grade up to an A" (Chua).  

It was ironic. At first it seemed Gracie truly cared about Fei Ting's success, but as the book went on I began to realize that Gracie was actually being selfish.  Gracie's high expectations came from the conviction that Fei Ting's only lot in life was to succeed so that Fei Ting could then take care of Gracie.  

In the end Fei Ting realizes this for herself:

"Everything I did, I did for you," [Gracie] says.

"No," I say.  "You did it for yourself."

Mom looks at me, her eyes wide with confusion.  "Aren't the two the same?" [Gracie] says (303).  

Chua's article also touched on this point.  "Chinese parents believe that their kids owe them everything. The reason for this is a little unclear, but it's probably a combination of Confucian filial piety and the fact that the parents have sacrificed and done so much for their children. (And it's true that Chinese mothers get in the trenches, putting in long grueling hours personally tutoring, training, interrogating and spying on their kids.) Anyway, the understanding is that Chinese children must spend their lives repaying their parents by obeying them and making them proud" (Chua).

I guess it depends on the child.  My parents were loving, kind and supportive, and it made me want to work even harder to make them proud and happy.  They don't expect me to be their social security, but rather have helped me as much as they can, so I can then help my children.  But if anything happened to them, I would readily help.

Works Cited

Chow, Cara. Bitter Melon. New York: Egmont USA, 2011. Print.

Chua, Amy. "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior." Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal, 8 Jan. 2011. Web. 1 July 2012. .

Most Recent Reject: Brave New World

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I did not like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.  I've just read and seen better.  I felt he came up with some random ideas for a dystopian future, but didn't have the creativity to flesh out a plot. He just laundry listed his bizarre musings and interspersed it with inappropriate lovemaking.

Most Recent Read: Shackleton's Way

I found Shackleton's Way, by Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell in my little sister's room when I was last visiting, and I am so glad I grabbed it.  What an amazing read and what an amazing man.  Granted, I wouldn't look to him for a good example of a husband, but as a leader he was truly incredible.  Orde-Lees, a crew member wrote,"How [Shackleton] stood the incessant vigil and exposure is marvelous, but he is a wonderful man and so is his constitution.  He simply never spares himself if, by his individual toil, he can possibly benefit anyone else" (168).  Morrell writes, "Shackleton's inner and physical strength seemed almost superhuman at times" (186).  

While Shackleton never reached his goal of crossing Antarctica, he was able to keep every member of his crew alive for over a year after his ship was crushed and destroyed by ice.  "Ever since the Endurance had gotten stuck...[Shackleton] had taken bottom-line responsibility for the life, heath, and safety of every one of his men" (163).  

Not only did he keep his crew alive, but they were surprisingly healthy and happy throughout the whole ordeal.  "Shackleton was frugal but not parsimonious.  He knew what was important.  Happiness and comfort were not expendable" (136).  Orde-Lees, wrote of the experience "Still, we have nothing to grumble about as it is, for we have warmth and comfort and the very best of food, and moreover this exhilarating climate makes one feel always fit and well" (122).  Furthermore, "[Shackleton] visited every tent every day, only missing visits when he had such sever sciatica that he couldn't leave his sleeping bag without help" (143).

Shackleton was loved by his men and lead through example.  Furthermore he was a master at keeping a calm disposition even when things went from bad to worse.  Shackleton was composed, thoughtful and forever optimistic.  Morrell writes, "[The crew] expected Shackleton to be furious.  Instead, he kept his composure"(166), "As he spoke, he appeared calm, confident, and strong.  Years later, several of the men would recall how much his words meant to them at that time" (133), and "Always, [Shackleton] set an example by being positive himself, regardless of what he might have been feeling. 'He was unfailingly optimistic, and disapproved strongly if anyone showed a long face,' Hurley (another crew member) explained" (192).

A Swedish proverb states "Rough water are truer tests of leadership.  In calm water every ship has a good captain".  Shackleton's leadership was tested in rough waters literally and figuratively.  According to the book, "With the darkness of the evening came bitter cold and driving sleet.  Every piece of equipment, and the men themselves, became encased in a thick layer of ice as the sleet and spray froze over them...they occasionally had to take off their mittens to wring out the water; even wet gloves spared their fingers from frostbite" (165).  

Shackleton was well read and was an excellent conversationalist.  "One of the great advantages of reading fiction or history is it gives you the opportunity to understand the world from different vantage points and different time periods and different psychologies...That's important to a leader, so one of my prime aims in distributing books is to get people to think outside themselves and to think broadly" (46).  

Shackleton is truly inspiring.  The quote by William Shedd "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for" reminds me of Shackleton because he lived life to the fullest.   I would definitely recommend reading this book as there are a lot more wonderful quotes and nuggets of wisdom.   In fact, I read it with a pen in hand so I could underline my favorite parts, of which there were not few.

The Most Recent Reject: The Neverending Story

I just couldn't get into this book.  The beginning was alright, but by the middle, it just got worse.  The book reminded me of an 80's drug trip.  I thought the premise was to inspire children to write their own stories, but it turns out, the more wishes you make the more memories you lose.  According to the book, to create you own world/story you have to lose your identity.  Furthermore, the main character's imagination started to seem more like hallucinations.  The poor kid's mom died and his father was distant, and to add to the problem he was unathletic and overweight.  There are healthy ways to deal with issues like that.  Talking to a school counselor is a good start.  Escaping into a fantasy land where you are the perfect version of yourself, not to mention all powerful, is not healthy.  I'm all for getting caught up in a good book, but don't use it as an excuse for not tackling real issues that need to be addressed.  I am going to stick with the Chronicles of Narnia.  Even though the stories take place in an unreal would, I feel like Lewis inspired children, and adults, to overcome the problems in their real lives.

Most Recent Read: American Shaolin

My motivation for reading American Shaolin, by Matthew Polly, was my husband's passion for martial arts.  He as won martial art tournaments and does several types of martial arts. (I know about Shotokan Karate, Taekwando, Budoshin Jujitsu, Brazilian Jujitsu, Hapkido, and Capoeira.)  I enjoyed reading about the Shaolin monks and Chinese culture.  That said, the book is riddled with swearwords, namely the f-word, so I couldn't in good conscience recommend it without a warning.  Also, there are one or two inappropriate parts to watch out for.  Other then those glitches, it was a phenomenal read.    

The text was peppered with Chinese proverbs, one of which Matt taught me "I do not fear the 10,000 kicks you have practiced once; I fear the one kick you have practiced 10,000 times" (7).  Another by Lao-tzu, I heard before but have forgotten where, "The knowers do not say; the sayers do not know" (139 & 242).

The way Polly wrote sometimes sounded like a Chinese proverb.

"[Coach Yan] was the most in touch with his inner monster...his mean streak wasn't wide, but it was deep" (8).

"Life started to imitate art" (57).

"Kungfu had started as physical exercises meant to help the monks focus on their sitting meditation.  Now sitting meditation was used to help the monks focus on their kungfu.  The evolution was complete" (138).

And some words of wisdom came from his acquaintances.

"Who knows? It is hard to separate life from fiction"-Cheng Hao (85).

"No, you didn't," [Doc] said with a stern look.  "No one does, because he doesn't go around showing off all of his skills..." (108).

"This is China. The leaders' children are like the descendants of Heaven.  This is their world not ours"-Cheng Hao (131).

"But muscles that are too big reduce the quickness of your technique," Deqing said. "Power is generated by speed, not size.  You saw what a tiny bullet can do" (167).

"It doesn't take much courage to fight when you still believe you can win.  What takes real courage is to keep fighting when all hope is gone" (168).  Deqing

At the time Polly was living with the Shaolin Monks, he was in the middle of getting a degree from Princeton University in Religion with a focus in mysticism.  He writes,"What I discovered from studying the Zen monks, the Sufi mystics, and the Catholic saints was a similarity in the descriptions of their experiences.  They used different images, metaphors, and theological concepts, but they seemed to me to be pointing in the same direction.  It brought to mind a saying form the Upanishads I'd always liked: "God is one, but the scholars call him by many different names"...My working hypothesis was that the cosmos was made up of spirt and matter, heaven and earth, and that humans consisted of both elements, a body and a soul, dust and divinity.  The mystical experience was what happened when the divine or God or Allah or whatever name you prefer breaks through the mundane in a particular soul and exposes it to the universal spirit" (139).

The book is filled with culture references that I found fascinating.  I love learning about different cultures.  Also, it was inspiring to me to learn how dedicated people can be.  The monks practice Kung Fu for seven hours a day six days a week.  It was a good reminder that sometimes we have "eat bitter" to get to where we want to be.  It was also a good reminder that "Life is a one shot deal" (340).  We need to make the most we can, with the time we have.  But, from the wise words of LeVar Burton, "Of course, you don't have to take my word for it."

Most Recent Read: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot was an interesting read.  It took me back to my Bioethics class at BYU.  The book touches on some really important, but controversial issues, including tissue ownership, informed consent and cell-line research.

I liked that Skoot took a holistic approach to telling the story.  I am really glad she didn't paint out all the scientists and doctors as heartless people.  I was impressed to learn that the Doctor who took the cancer cells from Henrietta Lacks, was willing to have experimentation done on his cells.  Dr. George Gey [pronounced guy] first grew the HeLa cell line.  When he found out he had pancreatic cancer, he insisted the surgeons take samples of his tumor while Gey was being operating on.  Gey was willing to use himself as a test subject (171).

So, random interpolation, I have thought for years now that science could be art.  One time I walked into the pathology lab I was researching in and some crystal violet was left in the sink.  It was a like an oil spill of gold and dark purple.  I really wanted to take a picture.  When I would look thorough the microscope at gram stained cultures, I was amazed at how remarkable they were.  Skoot writes, "Christoph had famed a foutreen-by-twenty-inch print of Henrietta's chromosomes that he'd "painted" using FISH [fluorescence in situ hybridization].  It looked like a photograph of a night sky filled with multicolored fireflies glowing red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and turquoise" (234). I am really happy that I am not the only one who thinks photographs from science can be art.

It is sad to read about morally reprehensible studies that were carried out before government legislation protected the rights of patient subjects.  Skloot gives examples of several cases where doctors experimented on patients without the patients knowledge or consent.  While today, human studies are fiercely regulated, and patients have control over what happens to the cells still living in them, patients lose the rights to their tissues after those tissues are removed from their bodies.

When John Moore's spleen was removed and then used for profitable research, Moore sued David Golde, the Doctor who took his spleen.  But Moore lost the initial suit and eventually lost his suit against the Supreme Court of California, which ruled, "When tissues are removed from your body, with or without your consent, any claim you might have had to owning them vanishes" (205).  A similar situation happened to Ted Slavin, but there is a critical difference between the two cases; the doctor treating Slavin told him how valuable his cells were before they were removed.  Therefore, Slavin was in control of what happened to his lucrative tissues (202).

It is a tricky issue to deal with.  It seems logical that a person's cells should still be considered their property even after those cells are removed, however, the judge ruling on the case feared litigation disputes over cell ownership would impede valuable research.  However, because of the ruling, scientists were able to claim ownership of the cells, which ended up impeding research.

Myriad Genetics, a company in Utah, was referenced as one of the companies that holds patents for genes (BRCA1 ad BRCA2).  In the Afterward, Skoot writes "In May 2009 the American Civil Liberties Union, several breast-cancer survivors, and professional groups representing more than 150,000 scientists sued Myriad Genetics over its breast-cancer gene patents.  Among other things, scientists involved in the case claim that the practice of gene patenting has inhibited their research, and they aim to stop it.  The presence of so many scientists in the suit, many of them from top institutions, challenges the standard argument that ruling against biological patents would interfere with scientific progress...Many scientists have interfered with science in precisely the way courts always worried tissue donors might do" (324).

It is a tricky issue.  While the original cells studied may have come from Lacks, Moore and Slavin, they did not have the tools or skills necessary to personally do anything with their cells.  It was necessary for researchers to analyze and synthesize those cells before they were useful.  Furthermore, because of the research done in the past century with individual cell lines, HeLa cells especially, thousands, if not millions of lives have been saved.  Although, if doctors are taking samples away from the patients without informing them, or compensating them, the least the doctors can do is make those samples available so everyone can benefit from the cures developed from those cells.

Most Recent Reread: The Count of Monte Cristo

The first time I read the Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, was my sophomore year in high school.  Since it has been seven years, I thought I would read it again.  I was reminded of what an incredible book it is, and I gained several new insights this time around.  Dumas is truly a gifted writer.

According to my Bantam Classic copy of the book, "[Dumas'] early education was scanty, but his beautiful handwriting secured him a position in Paris in 1822 with the duc d'Orleans, where he read voraciously and began to write".  Furthermore, I learned that he lived a romantic life, similar to the ones illustrated in his novels.  Dumas fathered two children, both by mistresses, and then he married yet another mistress.  In addition, "his lavish spending and flamboyant habits lead to the construction of his fabulous Château de Monte-Cristo, and in 1851 he fled to Belgium to escape creditors...L'action and l'amore were the two essential things in his life and in his fiction".  Overall, Dumas wrote over 277 literary works, but his remarkable historical novels made him the most widely read of all French Novelists.

After finishing the book and musing about the difference between justice and vengeance, I finally realized the critical difference.  Granted, it is a fine line, but there is a difference.  It was such an epiphany.  Justice is about objectively punishing individuals for the wrongs they have committed.  That is why we have detectives, cops and judges; they are third parties who enforce the law.  When a investigation or case becomes personal, the cop, detective, or judge are removed and replaced.  Vengeance is selfish, and when we try to punish people ourselves, we run the risk of going to far.

[Spoiler!] Monte Cristo exacts his revenge on three main individuals, Morcerf, Danglars and Villefort.  These three men stand for three main things which were stolen from Monte Cristo, Love, Money, and Power respectively.  It can also be argued Monte Cristo punished Caderousse, who stood for greed.  In the book, Monte Cristo feels justified in all his actions concerning Morcerf, Danglars and even Caderousse, but when Villefort's wife and son die and Villefort goes insane, Monte Cristo believes he has done too much.

"'Look, Edmond Dantès!' said Villefort, pointing to the bodies of his wife and son. 'is your vengeance complete now?'  Monte Cristo paled at the horrible sight.  He realized that he had gone beyond the limits of rightful vengeance and that he could no longer say, 'God if for me and with me'.  He rushed over to the boy's body with a feeling of inexpressible anguish..." (485).

Monte Cristo believes he went too far when Villefort loses his wife, son, daughter, in-laws, career, social standing, and sanity.  But by that point it is too late for Monte Cristo to do anything to fix it.

It is interesting to note that Morcerf and Villefort brought their punishments on themselves.  It is true the only reason Monte Cristo exposed their skeletons, was because of what they did to Edmond Dantès decades earlier, which is why it still counts as revenge.  But Morcerf and Villefort did commit the wrongs which were brought forward in the latter part of the book.  Morcerf, or Frernand Mondego killed Ali Pasha, Mondego's benefactor, and then sold Ali Pasha's wife and daughter as slaves.  Mondego was just hoping no one would find out about that, but he committed the wrong.  Monte Cristo did not make him commit that wrong, Monte Cristo just made sure years later, everyone who knew Mondego found out about it.

Villefort buries his living, newborn baby to cover up an affair he was having with a married woman.  That was also brought to light, thanks to the Count of Monte Cristo.  An addition,  Villefort's wife murders her husband's first wife's parents and Villefort's daughter.  Villefort's wife tries to murder Villefort's father, but fails and instead kills his servant.  But this is not Monte Cristo's fault.  Villefort's wife is a murdering lunatic who is trying to make sure her own son gets an inheritance, and then when she finds out she must die, she kills her son.  Monte Cristo should not blame himself for the actions of Villefort's crazy wife.  If Monte Cristo was a detective, it wouldn't be so much revenge as just plain being good at his job.  It's just that Monte Cristo is too involved in all of the cases, so it is hard to stay objective.  To be fair, Monte Cristo is still to blame in some regards.  One example is the death of Caderousse.  Monte Cristo hated Caderousse, so he allowed Caderousse to get stabbed to death.  No objectivity there.

Most Recent Read: Specials

Like I said I would, I finished Specials quickly.  It was good.  I really liked how Westerfeld tied up the loose ends, except one.   I wanted Tally to end up with someone else.  I liked that it was environmentally conscious, without being too heavy handed.  I would like to be a special, but without all the freaky features like wolf teeth.  So pretty much, I want some super solider serum.

Most Recent Read: Pretties

Pretties is the second book in Scott Westerfeld's trilogy and I loved it.  I am glad I realized Memento Nora was a copy-cat of these books, (Glossy vs Pretty-Making Bubbly...Really?) after I started reading The Uglies.  Otherwise, I don't know if I would have finished reading Memento Nora.  I usually don't like mimicry books, however, I enjoyed reading both of them.  I'm excited to read Specials.  Stay tuned, it shouldn't take me too long.  

Most Recent Read: Uglies

In between packing boxes for our move to Washington, I finished reading Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.  Lately I have been picking books that take place in a futuristic society and have a strong female lead, which is a bit random for me.  However, I'm glad there are more books in the series, because I really enjoyed reading it.  

Most Recent Read: Son of Neptune

The Son of Neptune was amazing.  Rick Riordan is awesome.  And I want a Camp Jupiter shirt.  

Most Recent Read: Momento Nora

Momento Nora was engaging.  It takes place in a futuristic United States, which is hauntingly reminiscent of 1984.  It was a good reminder of why law enforcement should not be privatized.  

In Nora's city, terrorist attacks happen nearly three times a week, forcing everyone to travel in armored vehicles, routinely visit Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic and even move to compounds.  The compounds include malls, schools, movie theaters, etc., so that no one in the compound ever has to leave.  Also, compound members have to have ID chips put inside them, so they can be identified and tracked.  The people who don't have ID chips inside them, have "mobiles", which are also used to identify and track individuals.  

The Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic, or TFC, is supposed to help individuals avoid post traumatic stress disorder by giving the patients a pill to forget traumatizing or unpleasant memories.  But as Nora finds out, some things need to be remembered.  

The following are some of my favorite quotes: "We walked up to our house in silence.  Mom lagged behind as if she were trying to enjoy the scenery.  We do live in a pretty area.  Eighteenth-century town houses in alternating blues and creams and grays.  Tree-lined streets with big oaks and maples forming a canopy over the pavement.  Cobblestone sidewalks" (pg 20).

"These streets used to make me feel safe.  And inside the foyer, the gleaming hardwood floors so shiny you could see your face in them and the historic-trust sage green walls with wide antique white molding-all of which mom had painstakingly restored-used to make me feel safe, too.  Now I wasn't so sure" (pg 20).

"We'd stayed at a little cabin a block from the beach.  The sheets smelled funky, and it had been cold out, too cold to swim.  We'd walked barefoot on the rocky beach, eaten popcorn shrimp and saltwater taffy, and watched the stars at night.  The beach town didn't have a curfew like Hamilton and the other big cities did.  I'd loved that freedom.  the world seemed so much bigger" (pg 60). 

I think there should be a distinction made between memories which effect our lives today and ones which have nothing to do with the present, but still haunt us.  For example, I'm sure there are some war veterans who would love to forget some of the things they have seen.  I think that would be completely justified.  However, if you are in an abusive relationship, and your partner makes you go to the TFC so you won't remember your partner is abusive, then that is wrong and shouldn't be allowed.  

The book made me think about the things I remember, and why it is important to hold onto those memories.  It also made me think about forgiveness.  It is important to forgive people, but that doesn't mean you act like nothing ever happened.  You can forgive someone without trusting them again.  Furthermore, we are supposed to learn from our experiences.  If we just went around erasing the parts of our lives we-or other people-want us to forget, then we lose all that knowledge.

Most Recent Read: Dani Noir

I loved reading Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma.  It is the best book I have read in a while and is definitely one of my new favorites.  The book is about Danielle (Dani), a thirteen year old girl who is trying to come to terms with the fact that her mom and dad are divorced and her dad is getting remarried.  Her best friend just moved away and her brother is at soccer camp, so she spends a lot of time waiting for one of them to call. 


When she isn't sitting on her roof trying to get cell phone coverage, or tailing a "suspect", she is at the local movie theatre, The Little Art, watching classic black-and-white films.  Because of this, even though Dani's life seems pretty run of the mill, she narrates most of her story like she is in a film noir, which makes for some hilarious commentary.  "And her smile, always with that sweet smile, like nothing could ever bring her down.  She's really killing my noir mood. "Dani!" she says, all bubbly. "Want a sundae? On the house!"...Any other day, I'd take the freaking sundae, but this isn't any other day.  My world is crashing down around me! Not even ice cream will save me now!  Do you hear me, people? This is serious."  It is refreshing that while Dani likes to imagine she is a noir detective or Rita Hayworth, she knows she is really only a teenager living in a podunk town.

Even though the The Little Art only has one movie screen, I like the idea of it.  It's vintage, with a movie reel and red velvet ropes.  The films shown are older, like 1940's older, with stars like Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, and Ingrid Bergman.  They have self serve popcorn with a variety of toppings, salt, butter, cinnamon, hot-pepper flakes, coconut flakes, brown sugar, cocoa powder and parmesan cheese.  If Matt and I ever opened a movie theatre, I could see us doing something like that.  Except I would probably add a counter that served custom drinks, like italian sodas and hot cocoa.  Maybe even some baked goods like lemon scones and almond filled croissants.  All those buttery flakes would be really hard to clean up afterwards.  Maybe I should just open a cafe.  Or a book store.

Most Recent Read: How to Say Goodbye in Robot

There were aspects of How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Staniford I really liked, and some things that drove me crazy.  I read it really quickly and it was nice to devour a book again.  I liked that the characters were well rounded and dynamic.  While the book only had a small spattering of them, there were some really descriptive phrases I enjoyed reading.  I love this first one because I love the crisp air the winter brings and I completely understand what Staniford was talking about. "One of the beds had a pile of coats on it, still cold and fresh-smelling from the night air."  It reminds me of skiing with my family, and the real mountain air that you can feel in your lungs.  It clears your head and makes it so much more fun to speed down the mountain and feel it whip past your face.

I liked this next quote mainly because it was vivid.  "The Ferris wheel whisked us away from the noise and smells of the boardwalk for a few seconds, high over the sand and water.  The moon bleached a strip of the sea.  We dipped down, down through the squeals and shots and bangs and pops and up, up again into the fresh air, the lights of the toy city below.  I wished I could live at the top of the Ferris wheel, just high enough to walk on the clouds if it's cloudy, but close enough to the ground to keep an eye on everybody." And then later, "The pinkish-green air promised rain that never came.  Moisture hung in the atmosphere, weighing down on us.  We were living inside a cloud."

It was random, but funny, one of the characters was Anne, and another was Ann, but Ann was called Awae (pronounced ay-way) for Anne without an E.  I also like the unexpected ending.  Looking back, I really should have seen it coming.  Now for what I didn't like.  I didn't like the swearing, underage drinking and macabre photography references.  Or the Night Light show with Herb Horvath.  Every time I had to read the phrase, "nighty-night" I cringed inside.  I don't know why, but it is now one of my pet peeves.  It doesn't even make any sense.  There are so many alternatives that do make sense, ie: goodnight, sleep well, sweet dreams, so long for now, farewell.  Like I said, I don't know why it bugs me so much, but it does.

So overall, it was a pretty good book that made me think, but not too much.

Most Recent Read: Virtually You

It is ironic that I am writing a blog post about a book that is about our virtual identities.  I'm not going to lie, I didn't finish the book.  Not because it wasn't good, but because it seemed Aboujaoude made some really good points in the first chapters and could have gone without dragging them out the rest of the book.  

The book is extremely relevant for our time and gave me several insights into my own interaction with the internet.  I realized that it really is easier to spend money online, and while Matt and I aren't thousands of dollars in debt because of my online spending (in fact we have no debt), it is good to be aware so that I can be more careful in the future.  Reading this book made me really glad that my husband and I don't feel the need to live our lives vicariously through internet websites like second life.  It's refreshing and liberating to know that who we are doesn't have to be defined by our virtual selves.   

The following quotes are some of my favorite by Dr. Aboujaoude,"Online, we are all still prospectors at heart, looking for a bonanza like everybody else.  And so, many among us believe that if we join enough chat rooms, consult enough blogs, listen to enough podcasts, and look at enough three-dimensional pictures, we can finally discover the unique, perfect, most exquisite...can opener!"

Also by Dr. Aboujaoude,"The internet has become the sure means to almost every brilliant goal, the one common road to myriad things we fantasize about and want to see realized...If our online expedition is expensive, time-consuming, or even of questionable morality or legality, at least it can be rationalized as a quest for a state of perfection that we now know exists and can be found; at least it can be done in the name of discovery and dream fulfillment".  I know I have spent some time looking for the perfect item online, whether is is a floral scarf, an alarm clock where the snooze is activated by shooting a laser at it, or some other random object.  It's amazing how stepping back, and looking at our actions with a heightened perspective can help us understand why we do some things, and how to avoid doing them again in the future.  I know that I will be less likely to spend too long searching online for the perfect flats.  I also realized that sometimes I put up wall posts on Facebook because I want people to notice them and comment back.  But I don't have to use Facebook updates.  I can call a friend and talk to them and then instead of a token comment, I can see how they really are doing.

I also liked this quote in the book by René Girard, "There is nothing, or next to nothing, in human behavior that is not learned, and all learning is based on imitation...If human beings suddenly ceased imitating, all forms of culture would vanish".  This quote reminded me of a quote by Isaac Newton, "If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants".  We are a sum of all the experiences and interactions we have had and I hope that future generations keep those experiences and interactions mostly in the real world, and not the virtual one.