Several months ago, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet received glowing reviews in the USA Today. The story seemed intriguing in an Asian setting, I had to have it. I ordered it from Amazon and sneaked it on to the shelf were it sat until now.
Talk about a hook! The first chapter shocked me. I had to keep reading after that. Every night before I go to bed, I read. Every night I looked forward to reading the next few chapters. That elevated level of anticipation doesn't happen to me very often.
The author is a master of language. This is the story of Dutch merchants living and trading on a small island in Japan in 1799. The dialect was perfectly written and that is not a simple task. Dutch people are trying to speak Japanese while the Japanese are translating for the Dutch. Then throw in a British captain and his sailors all while writing for a person reading in English.
I felt I was in the place and time period, not only because of the dialogue but because the prose is amazing. The author's word choice was spectacular and transported me into each scene. I breathed the air, smelled the sea, and felt each character's pain.
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet is a beautifully written, powerful story of strategy and intrigue. I'm rating it a 4 out of 5 because I loved it but I was disappointed in the ending. That happens sometimes even in the stories we adore.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Mystery Solved
Two years ago, in January when the whole world seemed to be on the brink of disaster, Richard and I leaped over the falls to start our new wondrous life. We packed up all our belongings and moved to our new home 150 miles north where we knew no one. Based on our life prior to this time, it looked like a very impulsive action on our part. We're planners, leaving nothing to chance if we can help it. Yet here we were all alone in a strange new town.
We've faced many rough spots in two years, owning 2 homes when the sale of our old house fell through at the last minute, not being able to find a good job before finally realizing that $10 an hour is a pretty decent job in this new economy and battling the alcohol that made the unknown seemingly bearable. All these challenges have been resolved so that I'm now in a place of peace, love and harmony.
But there was one little thing that's been gnawing at me. When I inventoried my unread books, two were missing. For two years I've been searching for them finally deciding that when I left Richard alone for a week to unpack after our move, he'd thrown them out with the trash. Every time I went to the bookstore I looked for these titles trying to resist the urge to purchase them again. I highlighted them in orange on my book log so I'd never forget them. I knew they had to be here somewhere but had given up hope.
Richard has been doing the spring cleaning. Today he was cleaning out the closets, tossing out all the stuff we don't need. I took Ginger for a walk since she's afraid of the vacuum. It's always quite an ordeal when the vacuum is running. On our return a pile of junk greeted my on my desk. And there they were. The books I couldn't forget about. The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. I screamed with delight.
I have less than 100 pages left to read in my current selection and then I'll start these two. This is their time, I'm certain of it. They've magically reappeared for a reason. I've leaped over the falls into a new wondrous life to learn something new about myself through my books.
We've faced many rough spots in two years, owning 2 homes when the sale of our old house fell through at the last minute, not being able to find a good job before finally realizing that $10 an hour is a pretty decent job in this new economy and battling the alcohol that made the unknown seemingly bearable. All these challenges have been resolved so that I'm now in a place of peace, love and harmony.
But there was one little thing that's been gnawing at me. When I inventoried my unread books, two were missing. For two years I've been searching for them finally deciding that when I left Richard alone for a week to unpack after our move, he'd thrown them out with the trash. Every time I went to the bookstore I looked for these titles trying to resist the urge to purchase them again. I highlighted them in orange on my book log so I'd never forget them. I knew they had to be here somewhere but had given up hope.
Richard has been doing the spring cleaning. Today he was cleaning out the closets, tossing out all the stuff we don't need. I took Ginger for a walk since she's afraid of the vacuum. It's always quite an ordeal when the vacuum is running. On our return a pile of junk greeted my on my desk. And there they were. The books I couldn't forget about. The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. I screamed with delight.
I have less than 100 pages left to read in my current selection and then I'll start these two. This is their time, I'm certain of it. They've magically reappeared for a reason. I've leaped over the falls into a new wondrous life to learn something new about myself through my books.
Friday, January 7, 2011
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
I thought I'd start out the new year with a classic. I remember reading The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe as a youngster but had no knowledge of the other six chronicles. Until the movies started coming out. My how times are changing. Old stories, new medium.
All 766 pages of this book seemed daunting at first until I realized that there were seven stories of roughly 100 pages each. The introduction stated that the stories were in order of how C. S. Lewis meant for them to be read. Interestingly enough that is not the same order in which they were written. After reading them in order I realized the talent of Mr. lewis in creating this wonderful land of Narnia. The transitions between tales were smooth and seamless.
I loved Aslan and wanted to be able to rub my face in his soft, thick mane like the children did. Each child had a distinct personality that was so easily woven into the stories. They came to know Narnia in such believable ways, by walking through the back of the wardrobe, holding onto a magic ring or admiring a painting of a sailing ship. I want to go to Narnia but I know that I'm too old. Darn!
I do have to say that reading all seven chronicles at once did get a little boring. I have to admit that I only skimmed The Silver Chair, chronicle number six. But since each story is rather short, I might suggest reading one or two, then reading something else in between before coming back to the stories of Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Susan, Diggory and Eustace. They'll be fresh.
I love the classics and The Chronicles of Narnia didn't disappoint. I rate it a 5 out of 5.
All 766 pages of this book seemed daunting at first until I realized that there were seven stories of roughly 100 pages each. The introduction stated that the stories were in order of how C. S. Lewis meant for them to be read. Interestingly enough that is not the same order in which they were written. After reading them in order I realized the talent of Mr. lewis in creating this wonderful land of Narnia. The transitions between tales were smooth and seamless.
I loved Aslan and wanted to be able to rub my face in his soft, thick mane like the children did. Each child had a distinct personality that was so easily woven into the stories. They came to know Narnia in such believable ways, by walking through the back of the wardrobe, holding onto a magic ring or admiring a painting of a sailing ship. I want to go to Narnia but I know that I'm too old. Darn!
I do have to say that reading all seven chronicles at once did get a little boring. I have to admit that I only skimmed The Silver Chair, chronicle number six. But since each story is rather short, I might suggest reading one or two, then reading something else in between before coming back to the stories of Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Susan, Diggory and Eustace. They'll be fresh.
I love the classics and The Chronicles of Narnia didn't disappoint. I rate it a 5 out of 5.
Friday, December 31, 2010
To I Pad or Not, That is the Question.
I've been miserable that past week listening to everyone talk about their new Kindles, Nooks and Ipads. I'm so jealous I've turned green with envy. I want one so badly.
I made a vow to read all those books and I've read alot of them. Forty to be exact out of a list that now has 103 entries. Do I still have trouble resisting new titles when I visit the bookstore? Yes! That's one of the reasons the list has grown during the year. When I read about new novels in the newspaper or magazines, I want to rush out and buy them. Partly because I love reading and partly because I'm a writer searching for insight into the reading public.
My sister, Martha says it's time for me to start pitching so I can move on to more current things. It's really difficult for me to throw out a book or not finish one even if I don't like it. But I making progress in that regard. Recently I stopped reading two books midstream. I found them both to be real slogs. The real breakthrough however was with my copy of "Uncle Tom's Cabin". I adore reading the classics and thought I should get ready for my appearance on Jeopardy by reading this. Those contestants are always so well read. Every time it came up on my list, I skipped over it for something else.
A few weeks ago I logged on to Paperback Swap. It's a site for swapping books and if you've never heard of it, please check it out. Low and behold someone had Uncle Tom's Cabin on their wishlist. Without a moment's hesitation I offered up my copy and the reader accepted it. So off it went in the mail to someone who really wanted to read it. I made someone happy and my list is shorter. Progress is good.
I'm yearning to be in and have an e-reader though. I know I could very easily download any book on my shelf in an electronic version. If I could carry it with me, I might read through the list faster. I hesitate not only because of the cost of the reader, ( I really want the ipad but at $500 it's even harder to justify when I'm making $10 hour) but because of the cost of paying a second time for books I already own.
I've learned so much about myself doing this exercise this year, I see no reason to stop. And if the only dilemma I take into the new year is whether or not I can splurge on some new electronic device, then I'm a lucky person indeed.
Here's wishing all of you a healthy, happy and prosperous year in 2011.
I made a vow to read all those books and I've read alot of them. Forty to be exact out of a list that now has 103 entries. Do I still have trouble resisting new titles when I visit the bookstore? Yes! That's one of the reasons the list has grown during the year. When I read about new novels in the newspaper or magazines, I want to rush out and buy them. Partly because I love reading and partly because I'm a writer searching for insight into the reading public.
My sister, Martha says it's time for me to start pitching so I can move on to more current things. It's really difficult for me to throw out a book or not finish one even if I don't like it. But I making progress in that regard. Recently I stopped reading two books midstream. I found them both to be real slogs. The real breakthrough however was with my copy of "Uncle Tom's Cabin". I adore reading the classics and thought I should get ready for my appearance on Jeopardy by reading this. Those contestants are always so well read. Every time it came up on my list, I skipped over it for something else.
A few weeks ago I logged on to Paperback Swap. It's a site for swapping books and if you've never heard of it, please check it out. Low and behold someone had Uncle Tom's Cabin on their wishlist. Without a moment's hesitation I offered up my copy and the reader accepted it. So off it went in the mail to someone who really wanted to read it. I made someone happy and my list is shorter. Progress is good.
I'm yearning to be in and have an e-reader though. I know I could very easily download any book on my shelf in an electronic version. If I could carry it with me, I might read through the list faster. I hesitate not only because of the cost of the reader, ( I really want the ipad but at $500 it's even harder to justify when I'm making $10 hour) but because of the cost of paying a second time for books I already own.
I've learned so much about myself doing this exercise this year, I see no reason to stop. And if the only dilemma I take into the new year is whether or not I can splurge on some new electronic device, then I'm a lucky person indeed.
Here's wishing all of you a healthy, happy and prosperous year in 2011.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Why is Santa Claus Fat?
The question of Santa's girth was posed to me the other day by a woman who was born and raised in India. She's a lovely woman who has lived in this country for many years, raising her own children here. We were working together at the tax office, chatting and joking between clients.
"Linda, why is Santa Claus fat?" Sawsan asked during a lull in the business. "When my children were little I had to give my husband a pillow to wear under his Santa outfit. Why is that?"
I thought for a minute. "I really don't know."
Questions like this one, fascinate me. If any of you have read my book reviews, you may have noticed a pattern of my selections. Learning about foreign cultures is my passion. I love to travel and experience language, food and people that I don't have at home. I read alot of books especially about Asia, a place I've always felt a strong connection to.
American children are raised on Santa, therefore as adults we take him for granted. We never think twice about why he has a beard, wears a red suit and lives at the North Pole where is is so beastly cold the fire in the fireplace burns year round twenty four hours a day. In other words we assume Santa never gets sick or runs out of gifts and on Christmas morning our stockings will be filled with lots of goodies. So I set out on a mission to answer Sawsan's question. I bet even Santa doesn't like to be taken for granted.
Santa, it seems became fat with the poem, The Night Before Christmas by C. Clement Moore. The classic line is 'He had a little round belly, that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly'. Santa didn't have reindeer either until Mr. Moore added them. The Coca Cola people capitalized on the poem by creating a a round, jolly Santa for their advertising. The image stuck. I found one more interesting tidbit on Wikipedia, that mentioned, L. Frank Baum, of Wizard of Oz fame. He wrote a Christmas story about a Santa who lived in the Laughing Valley of the Hohaho. I couldn't pin this down, but it seems this may be where the 'Ho Ho Ho' came from. Santa doesn't say 'ho ho ho' in The Night Before Christmas.
I called my sister, Martha today. She's an expert on all things Santa with three grandchildren who are over the top excited waiting for Christmas Day. I asked her this same Santa question and she rattled off C. Clement Moore and Coca Cola with precision. She didn't know about L. Frank Baum but I figured two out of three was a passing with flying colors, grade.
"You passed the test." I congratulated her.
"I didn't know I was taking a test," she grumbled. "So here's yours. What's the story behind the candy cane?"
Back to the drawing board I go. I bought a box of 88 cent candy canes at Walmart yesterday. I love peppermint so much I really should know why we shape it like a cane. Martha arrives on Christmas Day so I still have a few days to find the answer. I'm sending a big Merry Christmas thank you to Sawsan for helping me to see that Christmas is a magical time filled with many blessings and I will never ever take it for granted again. More Christmas questions anyone???
"Linda, why is Santa Claus fat?" Sawsan asked during a lull in the business. "When my children were little I had to give my husband a pillow to wear under his Santa outfit. Why is that?"
I thought for a minute. "I really don't know."
Questions like this one, fascinate me. If any of you have read my book reviews, you may have noticed a pattern of my selections. Learning about foreign cultures is my passion. I love to travel and experience language, food and people that I don't have at home. I read alot of books especially about Asia, a place I've always felt a strong connection to.
American children are raised on Santa, therefore as adults we take him for granted. We never think twice about why he has a beard, wears a red suit and lives at the North Pole where is is so beastly cold the fire in the fireplace burns year round twenty four hours a day. In other words we assume Santa never gets sick or runs out of gifts and on Christmas morning our stockings will be filled with lots of goodies. So I set out on a mission to answer Sawsan's question. I bet even Santa doesn't like to be taken for granted.
Santa, it seems became fat with the poem, The Night Before Christmas by C. Clement Moore. The classic line is 'He had a little round belly, that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly'. Santa didn't have reindeer either until Mr. Moore added them. The Coca Cola people capitalized on the poem by creating a a round, jolly Santa for their advertising. The image stuck. I found one more interesting tidbit on Wikipedia, that mentioned, L. Frank Baum, of Wizard of Oz fame. He wrote a Christmas story about a Santa who lived in the Laughing Valley of the Hohaho. I couldn't pin this down, but it seems this may be where the 'Ho Ho Ho' came from. Santa doesn't say 'ho ho ho' in The Night Before Christmas.
I called my sister, Martha today. She's an expert on all things Santa with three grandchildren who are over the top excited waiting for Christmas Day. I asked her this same Santa question and she rattled off C. Clement Moore and Coca Cola with precision. She didn't know about L. Frank Baum but I figured two out of three was a passing with flying colors, grade.
"You passed the test." I congratulated her.
"I didn't know I was taking a test," she grumbled. "So here's yours. What's the story behind the candy cane?"
Back to the drawing board I go. I bought a box of 88 cent candy canes at Walmart yesterday. I love peppermint so much I really should know why we shape it like a cane. Martha arrives on Christmas Day so I still have a few days to find the answer. I'm sending a big Merry Christmas thank you to Sawsan for helping me to see that Christmas is a magical time filled with many blessings and I will never ever take it for granted again. More Christmas questions anyone???
Friday, December 17, 2010
Have You Had Your Laugh For the Day?
It's still early in the morning and I've already had my laugh for the day. Nothing will be able to get me down from here on out. Guaranteed.
Yesterday morning I received a Facebook post from a colleague at the company I worked at for 15 years.
"I downloaded the Kindle version of One Clown Short to my ipad and iphone," he wrote. "Remember me when you get your royalty check."
"Close the door to your office when you're reading at work. You'll be laughing out loud." I replied.
My first Kindle sale. I was ecstatic! Looking back it seems like I spent most of the summer getting the One Clown Short print version into an electronic version. Not having an electronic reader of my own, since I'm still plowing through the growing pile of unread books I own, I had no idea what I was getting into when I started down that road. But I made it and am so proud of what I learned along the way.
As any new author would, today I checked my Amazon sales ranking specifically for the Kindle version of One Clown Short. Overall in the Kindle store One Clown Short is at 59,000 and change. Respectable. I read on and here is where the laugh of the day occurred.
One Clown Short is ranked #73 on the Kindle Store list of top sellers in business ethics. Business ethics. I had to let that digest for a moment. One Clown Short is the story of a bunch of clowns with too much money and too much time on their hands trying to run a business. Ethics are the furthest things from their minds.
I must admit One Clown Short is a hoot from start to finish. And I'm sure I added that ethics tag to the title somewhere along the line. To find it on a list of high powered, sensible, nonfiction business volumes is hysterical to me. One Clown Short is not any of those things. It's a funny, and often over the top tale of what really goes on in the business world. Maybe all those serious authors that are on the ethics list with me, could learn a thing or two by reading One Clown Short.
Yesterday morning I received a Facebook post from a colleague at the company I worked at for 15 years.
"I downloaded the Kindle version of One Clown Short to my ipad and iphone," he wrote. "Remember me when you get your royalty check."
"Close the door to your office when you're reading at work. You'll be laughing out loud." I replied.
My first Kindle sale. I was ecstatic! Looking back it seems like I spent most of the summer getting the One Clown Short print version into an electronic version. Not having an electronic reader of my own, since I'm still plowing through the growing pile of unread books I own, I had no idea what I was getting into when I started down that road. But I made it and am so proud of what I learned along the way.
As any new author would, today I checked my Amazon sales ranking specifically for the Kindle version of One Clown Short. Overall in the Kindle store One Clown Short is at 59,000 and change. Respectable. I read on and here is where the laugh of the day occurred.
One Clown Short is ranked #73 on the Kindle Store list of top sellers in business ethics. Business ethics. I had to let that digest for a moment. One Clown Short is the story of a bunch of clowns with too much money and too much time on their hands trying to run a business. Ethics are the furthest things from their minds.
I must admit One Clown Short is a hoot from start to finish. And I'm sure I added that ethics tag to the title somewhere along the line. To find it on a list of high powered, sensible, nonfiction business volumes is hysterical to me. One Clown Short is not any of those things. It's a funny, and often over the top tale of what really goes on in the business world. Maybe all those serious authors that are on the ethics list with me, could learn a thing or two by reading One Clown Short.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Leave It To Cleavage by Wendy Wax
The other day, While having a conversation with my writer friend, Judy, she hauled this book off her own shelf.
"Read this one. I think Wendy has a similar voice to yours. You know. Light and funny," she said.
"I don't usually read books in this genre, but I seem to write in it. I'll give it a shot." I answered.
A few days ago I couldn't find the to make through two very deep literary books, I figured something light would be just the ticket. Leave It To Cleavage was all that. Miranda is wealthy beauty queen who allowed her husband to run the family lingerie business. When she uncovered pictures of him wearing a bra and panties she knew something was amiss.
Leave It To Cleavage is a quick easy read, good for a day at the beach or a soak in the tub. For a reader, it is a great escape. For me as a writer I thought it lacked in plot and character development. The story is full of romance and the author did build a fair amount of sexual tension but then closed the door too soon. I don't care to read the really hot romance and this story had just enough but then left me hanging. The ending became too predictable.
I'm torn in my rating on this one. For a reader, light and funny. For a writer, lacking. So I'm going to split the difference and give the rating of 3 out of 5. Enjoy!!
"Read this one. I think Wendy has a similar voice to yours. You know. Light and funny," she said.
"I don't usually read books in this genre, but I seem to write in it. I'll give it a shot." I answered.
A few days ago I couldn't find the to make through two very deep literary books, I figured something light would be just the ticket. Leave It To Cleavage was all that. Miranda is wealthy beauty queen who allowed her husband to run the family lingerie business. When she uncovered pictures of him wearing a bra and panties she knew something was amiss.
Leave It To Cleavage is a quick easy read, good for a day at the beach or a soak in the tub. For a reader, it is a great escape. For me as a writer I thought it lacked in plot and character development. The story is full of romance and the author did build a fair amount of sexual tension but then closed the door too soon. I don't care to read the really hot romance and this story had just enough but then left me hanging. The ending became too predictable.
I'm torn in my rating on this one. For a reader, light and funny. For a writer, lacking. So I'm going to split the difference and give the rating of 3 out of 5. Enjoy!!
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