Monday, February 25, 2008
Parenting Book Review
Central Oregon has a new parenting magazine: True North Parenting. It is online now, but will also have quarterly print issues. Check out my book review of When Your Kids Push Your Buttons by Bonnie Harris in the latest online issue. I have read a number of parenting books over the past few years, and this is one that really makes you think about your (not your kids') behavior.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
I heard about this book long before I picked it up to read. Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite fiction authors. I think The Poisonwood Bible is a great read and it is one of my favorite novels of all time. I have been disappointed in the past, though, with fiction authors’ memoirs. I also was not too thrilled with the subject. It did not sound that exciting to me to follow a family as they lived on a farm eating local food for a year.
However, once I started reading this book, it seemed to be on my mind a lot. I wondered if I had ever actually had fresh asparagus. I had no idea there was really only a two-week window for eating it. I found myself mentioning the book to friends, some of whom had already read it. I started thinking a little more about the basic premise behind the book and if it would be feasible to do where I live; that is, could my family eat only items that had been grown or made within a 100-mile radius? I got inspired to think about planting a vegetable garden, although here the planting season does not begin until June.
The Kingsolver-Hopp family consists of the mom, Barbara Kingsolver, her husband, Steven Hopp, and two daughters. Barbara describes their year on the farm while Steven contributes to the book with insights from a biologist’s point-of view. Camille, the oldest daughter, contributes recipes that use their home-grown products and are available at http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/Recipes.html. I tried the eggplant papoutzakia, but unfortunately, I was the only one in my family that liked it. I am hoping to try the 30-minute mozzarella recipe. There are some other great recipes in there, but after reading the book I am going to wait until the vegetables and/or fruits are actually in season.
The Kingsolver-Hopp family did not completely eliminate all non-local food from their diet. Each family member got to pick an item they did not want to live without for a year. The choices are telling: coffee, dried fruit, hot chocolate, and spices. They were lucky to live in an area (southern Appalachia) where they were able to grow quite a lot. I think one of the hardest items to forego as a mother would be fresh fruit in the fall, winter and spring, since really not much grows here in Central Oregon. To eat locally it seems you have to pick where you live very carefully. It would be a lot easier to do in California than in climates further north.
I have heard recently that eating locally is the latest food trend. I think I’ll try to at least focus on fruits and vegetables from the Pacific Northwest and in the right season. I highly recommend this book if eating locally is something you are considering, or even if you just want to know what all the fuss is about.
However, once I started reading this book, it seemed to be on my mind a lot. I wondered if I had ever actually had fresh asparagus. I had no idea there was really only a two-week window for eating it. I found myself mentioning the book to friends, some of whom had already read it. I started thinking a little more about the basic premise behind the book and if it would be feasible to do where I live; that is, could my family eat only items that had been grown or made within a 100-mile radius? I got inspired to think about planting a vegetable garden, although here the planting season does not begin until June.
The Kingsolver-Hopp family consists of the mom, Barbara Kingsolver, her husband, Steven Hopp, and two daughters. Barbara describes their year on the farm while Steven contributes to the book with insights from a biologist’s point-of view. Camille, the oldest daughter, contributes recipes that use their home-grown products and are available at http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/Recipes.html. I tried the eggplant papoutzakia, but unfortunately, I was the only one in my family that liked it. I am hoping to try the 30-minute mozzarella recipe. There are some other great recipes in there, but after reading the book I am going to wait until the vegetables and/or fruits are actually in season.
The Kingsolver-Hopp family did not completely eliminate all non-local food from their diet. Each family member got to pick an item they did not want to live without for a year. The choices are telling: coffee, dried fruit, hot chocolate, and spices. They were lucky to live in an area (southern Appalachia) where they were able to grow quite a lot. I think one of the hardest items to forego as a mother would be fresh fruit in the fall, winter and spring, since really not much grows here in Central Oregon. To eat locally it seems you have to pick where you live very carefully. It would be a lot easier to do in California than in climates further north.
I have heard recently that eating locally is the latest food trend. I think I’ll try to at least focus on fruits and vegetables from the Pacific Northwest and in the right season. I highly recommend this book if eating locally is something you are considering, or even if you just want to know what all the fuss is about.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Don’t Miss This Mystery Series
Sometimes I get caught up in reading the newest and latest mysteries and forget there are excellent mysteries that were written decades ago. I thought I’d share my favorite series from the first half of the 20th century in hopes that would inspire other people to share their favorite authors from long ago. Dorothy L. Sayers wrote a four-book series between 1930 and 1937 featuring her well-known sleuth at the time, Lord Peter Wimsey. The books are, in order, Strong Poison, Have His Carcase, Gaudy Night, and Busman’s Honeymoon. I’d highly recommend reading them in order, although if you are short on time, I think Gaudy Night is one of the best mysteries ever written and it can stand alone. Sayers’ mysteries are all well-thought out, intricate puzzles.
In this particular series she introduces Harriet Vane, a mystery author, who initially is on trial for killing her ex-lover. Lord Peter Wimsey steps in, as he often does, to disentangle her from this mess. In the process he falls in love. She does not. The next three books each have a mystery at the core, but also follow the Wimsey-Vane relationship. It is a remarkable series for the time, especially with the inclusion of a strong, independent woman as a lead character. It is also remarkably undated, although I think there are some academic quarrels with how Sayers represented servants. Sayers was one of the first women to graduate from Oxford University and was possibly trying in this work to imagine how two highly educated people would work out the issues of love and work. I think this is timely today as the women I know struggle with raising a family and a career simultaneously.
Gaudy Night deserves special mention. It is a mystery set at Oxford, where Harriet Vane, a former student, is asked to help. Here is a portion of the author’s note to help set the tone, “Certain apologies are, however, due from me: first, to the University of Oxford, for having presented it with a Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of my own manufacture and with a college of 150 women students, in excess of the limit ordained by statute.” Someone is harassing the students and teachers of this women’s college and early on it becomes evident it must be an inside job. Sayers lays a trail of clues that upon further readings of the book make the identity of the perpetrator clear, but I had no idea the first time I read it. Lord Peter Wimsey appears only at brief intervals to advise Harriet Vane, but those scenes are some of the best-written emotional scenes, which involve hardly any physical contact, that I have ever read.
Feel free to send me your suggestions for great mystery authors over the years at escapetobooks AT gmail DOT com, or leave them as comments.
In this particular series she introduces Harriet Vane, a mystery author, who initially is on trial for killing her ex-lover. Lord Peter Wimsey steps in, as he often does, to disentangle her from this mess. In the process he falls in love. She does not. The next three books each have a mystery at the core, but also follow the Wimsey-Vane relationship. It is a remarkable series for the time, especially with the inclusion of a strong, independent woman as a lead character. It is also remarkably undated, although I think there are some academic quarrels with how Sayers represented servants. Sayers was one of the first women to graduate from Oxford University and was possibly trying in this work to imagine how two highly educated people would work out the issues of love and work. I think this is timely today as the women I know struggle with raising a family and a career simultaneously.
Gaudy Night deserves special mention. It is a mystery set at Oxford, where Harriet Vane, a former student, is asked to help. Here is a portion of the author’s note to help set the tone, “Certain apologies are, however, due from me: first, to the University of Oxford, for having presented it with a Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of my own manufacture and with a college of 150 women students, in excess of the limit ordained by statute.” Someone is harassing the students and teachers of this women’s college and early on it becomes evident it must be an inside job. Sayers lays a trail of clues that upon further readings of the book make the identity of the perpetrator clear, but I had no idea the first time I read it. Lord Peter Wimsey appears only at brief intervals to advise Harriet Vane, but those scenes are some of the best-written emotional scenes, which involve hardly any physical contact, that I have ever read.
Feel free to send me your suggestions for great mystery authors over the years at escapetobooks AT gmail DOT com, or leave them as comments.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
The Littlest Hitler by Ryan Boudinot
Usually I do not like short stories. By the time you’re just getting into the story, it’s over. However, I have to make an exception for this compilation of short stories by Ryan Boudinot. Yes, I am biased as he grew up in the same town that I did and he writes about picking bulbs! Can you imagine a childhood summer sitting in the dirt and digging bulbs out by hand for $0.02 a foot? Here are two excerpts from his short story So Little Time:
“Picking bulbs sucks donkey ass.”
“After the third day or so of picking, holes start appearing in your gloves and when you blow your nose mud comes out. Five days a week, from seven in the morning to four in the afternoon. Sitting on bare ground, eating Hostess fruit pies with dirty hands.”
Of course, I never had anything as glamorous as a Hostess fruit pie in my lunch. I am reminded that this is a fictional story, as the characters picking bulbs here get a time-out inside when it rains and food from McDonalds. That never happened in my year-and-a-half of picking bulbs. I do remember being under the threat of being fired every day as I could barely make the 400 feet per day quota. I am sure that this ominous threat when I was 10 and 11 years old must have had some impact on my psyche.
But, back to So Little Time and the other stories in this collection. The bulb picking is simply background for a pretty depressing, yet eloquent, look at poverty through the eyes of a junior high student. Another story that I found interesting is Written By Machines, which explores the urban Seattle techie life and the idea that computer code can be a beautiful thing. The title story, The Littlest Hitler, begins with a fourth grader’s idea of going as something scary, Hitler, for Halloween. It doesn’t turn out so well when another classmate shows up as Anne Frank.
Pick up this collection if you get a chance, or encourage your library to order it. I have to admit I did not like all the stories equally and some are more violent or graphic than others, but they were all worth reading. And, interesting to consider how bulb picking may have impacted many kids growing up in one small county in Washington state.
“Picking bulbs sucks donkey ass.”
“After the third day or so of picking, holes start appearing in your gloves and when you blow your nose mud comes out. Five days a week, from seven in the morning to four in the afternoon. Sitting on bare ground, eating Hostess fruit pies with dirty hands.”
Of course, I never had anything as glamorous as a Hostess fruit pie in my lunch. I am reminded that this is a fictional story, as the characters picking bulbs here get a time-out inside when it rains and food from McDonalds. That never happened in my year-and-a-half of picking bulbs. I do remember being under the threat of being fired every day as I could barely make the 400 feet per day quota. I am sure that this ominous threat when I was 10 and 11 years old must have had some impact on my psyche.
But, back to So Little Time and the other stories in this collection. The bulb picking is simply background for a pretty depressing, yet eloquent, look at poverty through the eyes of a junior high student. Another story that I found interesting is Written By Machines, which explores the urban Seattle techie life and the idea that computer code can be a beautiful thing. The title story, The Littlest Hitler, begins with a fourth grader’s idea of going as something scary, Hitler, for Halloween. It doesn’t turn out so well when another classmate shows up as Anne Frank.
Pick up this collection if you get a chance, or encourage your library to order it. I have to admit I did not like all the stories equally and some are more violent or graphic than others, but they were all worth reading. And, interesting to consider how bulb picking may have impacted many kids growing up in one small county in Washington state.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Run by Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett is one of those authors that, after reading Bel Canto, I wanted to make sure to watch for any new books by her. Run is her latest book. It is set in Boston in a stereotypical Irish family with a kind-hearted, yet domineering patriarch, Bernard Doyle. The typical Irish-American family breaks down when Bernard’s wife, Bernadette, can not have any more children after the birth of their first child, Sullivan. The family adopts two African-American brothers; Tip is 14 months old when he’s adopted 5 days after they bring home Teddy, a newborn. The heart of the book is set when Tip and Teddy are in college and facing decisions about what to do next. Unbeknownst to them, their birth mother, Tennessee, has always known who adopted her sons and has kept track of them, even attending the same political events that Bernard has dragged Tip and Teddy to over the years. One 24-hour period changes all of their relations forever.
The story is told in multiple third person points-of-view. Kenya, as the 11-year old daughter of Tennessee, has a significant voice. When Kenya unexpectedly ends up at the Doyle’s house she is amazed to be there for many reasons, some of which catch her by surprise. “She did not think of where she was or what had happened. She could do nothing but take in the light. It had never occurred to her before that all the places she had slept in her life had been dark, that her own apartment had never seen a minute of this kind of sun.” (pg 156) Telling the story from multiple points-of-view allows one to really understand what all the main characters are going through. It becomes clear that Sullivan has always felt outshone by the two adopted children. He was twelve when his family adopted Tip and Teddy and his mother died only fours years after that. “This business of coming back to take your little part in the play you would never again be the star of was simply more than anyone should have to bear.” (pg 255) The writing is very lyrical and slow-paced. It almost feels as though everything is happening underwater, giving it a very beautiful sheen, but it becomes clear that all cannot end well.
I think one neat thing about Ann Patchett’s writing is that her books are all so different, but contain the underlying theme of really examining the connections between people. Run does not have as unique a premise as Bel Canto, but it is still a good read. Other books I’d recommend by Ann Patchett include the novel The Patron Saint of Liars, and the memoir Truth and Beauty about her friendship with another author, Lucy Grealy. Lucy Grealy is the author of Autobiography of a Face, which is about her battles with cancer and endless surgeries. And really the main reason to read Truth and Beauty is to find out what happened to Lucy after her memoir ends.
The story is told in multiple third person points-of-view. Kenya, as the 11-year old daughter of Tennessee, has a significant voice. When Kenya unexpectedly ends up at the Doyle’s house she is amazed to be there for many reasons, some of which catch her by surprise. “She did not think of where she was or what had happened. She could do nothing but take in the light. It had never occurred to her before that all the places she had slept in her life had been dark, that her own apartment had never seen a minute of this kind of sun.” (pg 156) Telling the story from multiple points-of-view allows one to really understand what all the main characters are going through. It becomes clear that Sullivan has always felt outshone by the two adopted children. He was twelve when his family adopted Tip and Teddy and his mother died only fours years after that. “This business of coming back to take your little part in the play you would never again be the star of was simply more than anyone should have to bear.” (pg 255) The writing is very lyrical and slow-paced. It almost feels as though everything is happening underwater, giving it a very beautiful sheen, but it becomes clear that all cannot end well.
I think one neat thing about Ann Patchett’s writing is that her books are all so different, but contain the underlying theme of really examining the connections between people. Run does not have as unique a premise as Bel Canto, but it is still a good read. Other books I’d recommend by Ann Patchett include the novel The Patron Saint of Liars, and the memoir Truth and Beauty about her friendship with another author, Lucy Grealy. Lucy Grealy is the author of Autobiography of a Face, which is about her battles with cancer and endless surgeries. And really the main reason to read Truth and Beauty is to find out what happened to Lucy after her memoir ends.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)