FINISHED: Unseen

Late last night I finished reading Unseen, the first book in Mari Jungstedt’s Inspector Klutas mystery series. In the jumble of information overload that I subject myself to hourly, I cannot now remember how I learned about this series…a blog, an online review, a publisher’s e-newsletter. Any of these sources are possible. Regardless, these Swedish crime novels are set in Visby, the walled medieval “capital” of Gotland, an island in the middle of the Baltic, where I am about to spend a week with my little family.

Whenever I travel, I try to read at least one novel set in the city or region or country before I visit. I think you get a better sense of local color and landscape, as well as a list of sights and other points of interest. In fact, I found Unseen to be far more useful for planning my trip than either of the travel guides (whose initials are Frommers and Lonely Planet) I had consulted. For example, I learned about the Gotland pony, Sweden’s only remaining domestic pony, as well as black Gotland sheep, which, I hope means that there will be at least one yarn shop in Visby. Also, even though this is fiction, I have my fingers crossed that the candy store on Hastgatan, near Stora Torget. I need a salty licorice fix.

The novel opens with the brutal murder of a young woman and her dog, whose paw has been severed. In almost parallel storylines, Inspector Anders Klutas and his team investigate what becomes a string of murders, while TV journalist, Johan Berg, covers the story with a cameraman, much to Klutas's chagrin. Slowly connections between characters are revealed, drama builds, and we get a glimpse into the killer’s motives.

I think Jungstedt, a former TV journalist, shows remarkable potential. Her prose is unadorned, which lends a certain atmosphere to the story, and I liked that. From early on in the novel, I found fault with the Klutas. His manner was overly tense and gruff, as if he needed to show his authority, even in situations where he clearly had command. He’s no Commissario Brunetti, and I often found myself wondering What Would Brunetti Do? In general, Jungstedt needs to improve her dialogue writing skills, which could happen. I am willing to read another novel—perhaps The Inner Circle, third in the series, which incorporates Swedish mythology and has received strong reviews.

diving into the Infinite Summer

A 1000-page literary novel that has an 8-point font and tips the scales at close to three pounds is a somewhat unlikely summer read. Face it, the beast just isn’t portable, making it a lousy choice for reading at the beach or tucking into an airplane carry-on. Perhaps a three-inch-thick book is perfect for a “staycation,” as many folks are hanging closer to home. One thing is certain: lots of people are reading Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace’s magnus opus, as part of a summer reading challenge.

When Infinite Jest was released in paperback, I gave myself permission to buy a copy. I love a big fat book, but I don’t often read them, mostly because I always have three or four books going, and any book over 550 pages suffers. But I would like to read the book that put Wallace’s literary genius on the map. Having company, by way of the Infinite Summer challenge, gives me the nudge I've always needed to finally read Infinite Jest.

One participating blogger did the math to determine how many pages she would need to read each day between June 21 and September 22: 7. My calculation is closer to 12, which seems manageable. And so I began this horribly humid St. Paul morning by reading the first twelve pages of Infinite Jest, and then I read a bit further to finish the chapter. My initial impression is that, indeed, DFW was a genius, and that it’s too early to say where the novel is going or even if I'll like the main character or any other characters, for that matter. Suffice to say, I like DFW’s prose, which is accessible and smart and interesting—a really great combination.

I’m shooting for page 63 by Friday. That way, when I read the IS forum, nothing will be "spoiled."

Free Comic Book Day

For weeks, all of the Bibliotonics have been anticipating Free Comic Book Day. We habituate our local comic book shop, which is less than twelve blocks from our house, and currently one of the biggest draws to our neighborhood. John has been a regular customer of Uncle Sven’s since he was in college. And, although Uncle Sven no longer owns the shop, all of its character has been preserved. It’s a tiny shop and it’s truly for collectors, featuring racks with an emphasis on the week’s new releases.

Uncle Sven’s friendly staff greeted us enthusiastically when we entered the store today. The boys were each handed a shopping bag, stuffed with comic books. Then, John and I received a bag for adults, which appeared to have similar comics, with the addition of a few that were unsuitable for children. Good stuff—Atomic Hobo, Nancy (for nostalgia!), Avengers, a facsimile of the original TMNT, and more, all special editions for FCBD.

We each bought a comic or two for a total comic gorge. I chose Brad Meltzer’s Identity Crisis, the first chapter of the graphic novel (same title), and John picked up the return of Sea Guy. Oh boy, this comic book reading is going to be fun.

Only 364 days until the next Free Comic Book Day!

April statistics

finished: 3
Acqua Alta, Delicate Edible Birds, Loving Frank
In April, I finished reading a mystery and a story collection, as well as listened to an unabridged audiobook—and none of them disappointed. Since my progress report, I read the title story in Delicate Edible Birds, and it left a huge impression so much so that I now understand what the professional blurbers mean when they call fiction “indelible." Lauren Groff manages her unique characters and situations with agility, weaving images of birds effortlessly and naturally, into each story. Finally, Loving Frank exceeded my expectations. I’m glad I listened to the novel. It was properly entertaining and filled the void from home to school and back. I really hated a lot of the choices that Mamah Cheney made in order to live with Frank Lloyd Wright. She rarely exhibited remorse for abandoning her young children. But the ending was affecting, and an afterword lent credibility to Nancy Horan’s liberal use of historical characters. The author had access to Cheney’s diaries and letters, enabling her to put words in her character’s mouths. Loving Frank was 41 for 41 titles, as well as a selection for the 2009 Conversation with Books. I hope Horan has a follow-up novel along the same lines.

purchased: 6
~Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs, and Some Other Things by McSweeney’s (impulse purchase at my inaugural visit to Big Brain Comics on Washington)
~39 Steps by John Buchan (a 41 for 41 title)
~The Tunnel of Hugsy Goode by Eleanor Estes (for Winston)
~James and the Giant Peach (for Winston)
~Cat Owners Manual (background reading, Winston is getting a cat)
~Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (up next)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Harper Lee

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the few books I have read that stands up to every re-reading. Her biography is fascinating. For example, I learned that she started but did not finish law school. The publishing industry was a different beast in 1960, the year Mockingbird was published to great critical acclaim. Forty years later, Lee would have signed a multibook deal, and we'd all be waiting eagerly for another novel.

UPDATE: 41 for 41

Six months into my personal reading year, I thought I would offer an update. True confession: the first month or so tends to start strong because I include books that are on my radar or that I will be reading soon for book group or Conversation. It’s easy to knock those off. Then, I tend to stall out. But, I think I’m doing okay this year. Assuming, of course, that I would actually manage to read all the books on my 41 for 41 list, I still have a long way to go.

To date, I have finished Unaccustomed Earth, Lulu in Marrakech, Friends Lovers Chocolate, something by Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book), Ghostwalk, Little House on the Prairie, and Loving Frank. That’s seven of forty-one. Wow. Felt like more. That’s okay, as I’m way ahead of 40 for 40, which ended with six total books read. Plus, I’m measuring success by quality rather than ratio.

Heading into the third quarter of my reading year, which runs October ’08 through October ’09, I am reading Animal Vegetable Miracle (not Mineral, which, apparently, I’ve been writing all over the internets, much to my horror), as well as The Other Side of the Island. Also, I am carrying a copy of John Buchan’s The Thirty-Nine Steps in my purse—almost as good as reading it.

New strategies
I thought I would jettison a few from the list, namely those that I intended to read for Conversation with Books. Then I was able to procure from the library, an unabridged audio version of Loving Frank. Listening to this book while running errands or commuting was easy and enjoyable. I’m going to try to do more audio “reading,” which should enable me to get to more titles on the list.

currently reading

The past couple week have been s-l-o-w in the reading department, which seems so shameful because I have piles of juicy books from the library, as well as the recent purchases. I hate when this happens...this casting about for something to read when I have plenty to good books right in front of me. So, I'm enjoying whatever I manage to read.

~ Acqua Alta, Donna Leon's fifth Brunetti mystery. I love this one!! My favorite, to date. Art theft, an incredible depiction of Venice’s seasonal high waters (the annual flooding sounds awful), a dramatic search-and-rescue that I hadn’t expected, and the return of characters from Death at la Fenice, the first book in the series. Here is the opening paragraph:

Domestic tranquility prevailed. Flavia Petrelli, the reigning diva of La Scala, stood in the warm kitchen and chopped onions. In separate heaps in front of her lay a pile of plum tomatoes, two cloves of garlic chopped into fine slices, and two plump-bottomed aubergines. She stood at the marble counter, bent over the vegetables, and she sang, filling the room with the golden tones of her soprano voice. Occasionally, she pushed at a lock of dark hair with the back of her wrist, but it was no sooner anchored behind her ear than it sprang loose and fell across her cheek.

And I'm reading an occasional story from Lauren Groff's acclaimed collection, Delicate Edible Birds. I was going to write that I was a little underwhelmed by the stories though still very drawn to them. Then I read a few stories that were moving: “Fugue,” which has multiple, converging storylines, and “Majorette,” which seemed simple initially, then pulled on my emotions until I found myself crying. I had no idea the story was going to go in that direction. I look forward to reading Monsters of Templeton to see what Groff can do with the longer fiction form.

Finally, I am "reading" Loving Frank, the bestselling historical novel about Frank Lloyd Wright, by Nancy Horan, on unabridged audio. I detest this sort of historical fiction for too many reasons to list here. But, it's really easy to listen to, and I find myself wanting to do more commuting or run longer errands to spend more time with it. I’m on Chapter 38, past the midpoint, and I suspect that this novel really isn’t about Frank Lloyd Wright at all. At the least, I don’t trust that much is based on fact, except for maybe a timeline—i.e., that he lived in a particular place at a particular time or that he visited Europe in a certain year. The feminist theme plays stronger for me than Mamah Cheney’s affair with FLW.

march statistics

March was a fantastic and productive reading month. I had an opportunity to read a mid-century classic and two "of the moment" novels. To my sons, I read two middle reader novels from series. And, I finished reading a book I started back in October. But I have also realized the following: since it has taken me days to write this post, which is holding up my blogging, as well as my current reading, in a significant way, I need to blog about what I read immediately following the last page—or not at all. Without further delay, here are some of the highlights from March.

finished: 8

Revolutionary Road, Rapunzel’s Revenge, Little Bee, Deltora Quest 05: Dread Mountain, The Graveyard Book, Yarn Harlot, Little House on the Prairie, Warriors 04: Rising Storm


Revolutionary Road (Richard Yates)
Richard Yates’ domestic drama has been on my TBR list for over ten years so I was thrilled when it was chosen for book group. In fact, my book group had one of its best—and longest—discussions in quite a while. The novel blew me away. Set in 1961, the story explores suburban ennui through the young, ambitious couple, Frank and April Wheeler. A lot of this novel is like watching a train wreck as adultery, alcohol abuse, job dissatisfaction, and keeping up with the Joneses are plot staples. Even though there isn’t a single sympathetic or likeable person in the novel, Yates has masterfully drawn his characters, getting under each one’s skin. The dialogue is pitch perfect, and the scene is set with such vivid details that you can't help but step right into the early 60s. At the same time, Yates has an enviable economy of language and his word choice is exact—concise but not sparse. Kurt Vonnegut called Revolutionary Road the Gatsby of his time, and it was a National Book Award finalist in 1962 (Walker Percy’s The Moviegoer was the winner and the rest of the shortlist is pretty remarkable). I’m looking forward to seeing the movie, which should be on video soon.

Rapunzel’s Revenge (Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illus. by Nathan Hale)
My friend Caryl and a number of others have been gently urging me to read Shannon Hale so when I stumbled upon Rapunzel’s Revenge at the library, I realized the time had come. This updated Rapunzel story is retold by Shannon Hale and her husband Dean Hale, and is illustrated by Nathan “No Relation” Hale as a graphic novel, to brilliant effect. After Rapunzel escapes from years of imprisonment, she sets out to save the valley from her evil mother. Rapunzel teams up with Jack (as in Beanstalk Jack) for a Western-themed adventure that is very entertaining and rewarding, if you’re a fan of fairy tales—and who isn’t? It’s amazing what that girl can do with her braids! I’m not only inspired to read more Shannon Hale, but to read more graphic novels. If you’ve got time to burn, check out Shannon Hale’s absorbing website, with lots of great background info about her books, as well as her blog.

Little Bee (Chris Cleave)
Little Bee is a pretty remarkable novel, and Chris Cleave has done a bang-up job of artfully telling a story, in alternating voices that each reveal a little at a time. I loved and hated the novel simultaneously for this and for a plot that hinged on the kind of cliffhangers you find in more commercial fiction. But I’m willing to put those things aside because Little Bee, the character, is absolutely unforgettable. So, the story alternates between Little Bee and Sarah. Little Bee is a 16-year-old girl who lands in England, a refugee from Nigeria, where her village was burned because it sat on an oil field. Sarah is a young mother, a successful magazine editor, and a recent widow, who met Little Bee on a beach in Nigeria, where she was vacationing with her husband. Okay, I’m not really sure how to write about this book and its plot without completely spoiling it so I’m just going tell you to read Little Bee. The novel is compelling and stylish and well-paced. The characters are well drawn, and even if some are unlikable, they’re still sympathetic. Cleave doesn’t bash you on the head with geopolitics but writes about horrifying atrocities in a way that makes the read take notice. One review compares the experience of this novel to that of an Ian McEwan novel, and I would have to agree.

The Graveyard Book (Neil Gaiman)
The Graveyard Book is easily one of the best books I have read this year. In fact, it is an impeccably written novel that makes it impossible to pick up anything else. My expectations for a stunning plot and sparkling characters are so high that the next three books I try to read will be cast aside in disappointment. Which is why I have turned to Brunetti. Back to Gaiman. The Graveyard Book stars Nobody Owens, who has been orphaned as a baby when his parents and sister are brutally murdered. Nobody is an odd name but we soon learn the purpose it serves. Nobody wanders into a nearby cemetery, where he is rescued by Silas, who becomes his guardian, and the Owenses, a Victorian ghost-couple, who become his parents. Inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, Gaiman’s bildungsroman is revealed in a series of adventures that has Nobody befriending a witch and learning how to open and close a ghoul gate. I loved every character, as well as the careful depiction of the graveyard as a community. The Graveyard Book—already a Newbery Award-winner, as well as a Hugo-nominee—is a real treat. I know I will read it again and again, and I look forward to the day when my boys are ready to enjoy it.

purchased: 4
~Wanderlust (Rebecca Solnit)
I read about this social history of walking on a blog and special ordered it from Common Good Books

~Stern Men (Elizabeth Gilbert)
Gilbert’s first novel, written before her wildly successful Eat, Pray, Love; involves Maine lobstermen; impulse purchase at CGB while picking up Wanderlust

~Homemade Life (Molly Wizenberg)
A memoir in essays by a popular food blogger that I have been following almost from her first day; shamefully purchased at a chain with a discount on top of a discount on top of a discount. I know. The store practically owed me money for purchasing.

~State by State (Sean Wilsey and Matt Weiland)
I have been drooling over this book—50 authors, portraits of 50 states—for months; one day whilst browsing at Sixth Chamber, a copy found me

~Warriors 04 and 05 (Erin Hunter)
Purchased at Red Balloon and Wild Rumpus, each an outstanding children’s independent

reading with the junior bibliotonics

Much of what I read on a daily basis is children’s books, and yet I rarely, if ever, write about them. So I’d like to make this a regular feature, where I comment on what the boys are reading and on what I’m reading to them.

For the record, they both are nutters for comic books. I was completely prepared for this and have no need to fight the urge. Mr. Bibliotonic has a comic book collection that we joke will pay for their college tuition,* so I feel as if the boys may be somewhat genetically predisposed to reading in this colorful format. Also, a few years ago at a Talking Volumes event, I listened to Michael Chabon talk about what his kids read, and comic books were, not surprisingly, sanctioned in his household. As a family, we make biweekly trips to Uncle Sven’s Comic Shoppe, which is as close to a neighborhood bookstore as we have.

In addition to comic books, the boys are drawn to books that are part of a series. I know that series breed familiarity, which is comforting. It’s just that, as the adult doing the reading aloud, I find this tendency to be so limiting. I secretly hope that each son will take the responsibility to read series books on his own so that I may get to all the books in which I am interested. I know that is such a selfish thing to say, but I feel the clock ticking. It is an honor and a priviledge to read aloud to my sons, but it won’t be long before they decide that they don't want to read to any longer—and I’ll still only be a quarter way through Tunnels.

So what are the boys reading?

Son Number One, who is nine-and-a-half years old, is currently smitten with Warriors, and I’m reading this series about cats aloud to him. The cats lived in the wild, in four separate clans. The focus is primarily on Fireheart, a former “kittypet” who now makes his home in the forest with Thunder Clan. Fireheart is smart and fiercely loyal to his clan, even though he sometimes crosses paths with his sister Princess, a house pet. Also, his best friend, Graystripe, has a mate in a rival clan, which can only spell trouble. I’ve learned a lot about cat behavior, such as sharing tongues and predilections for fresh kill. Ultimately the books are about survival. Surprisingly, the books I have read have been really well written. Somewhere near the middle of book 3, I found myself very invested in Fireheart and in what happens next. We’re on book four of six. There are spin-off series, which I cannot see myself reading, 'cuz I’m not joking when I say that Tunnels beckons. On his own, SNO has started the first book in the Guardians of Ga’hoole series, which is much like Warriors, except that it’s about owls.

Second Son, who is just about to turn seven, is an emerging reader, excited to tackle almost anything on his own, even if it takes an hour to read one page. This is rewarding for him and for me. I have been reading aloud Deltora Quest, a fantasy series in which Lief and Barda set out from Del, to save Deltora from the evil Shadow Lord. The series has eight books. In each of the first seven, Lief collects one of the seven gems that belong in the Belt of Deltora, which, once reassembled, will serve to conquer the Shadow Lord. The final book describes the return journey to Deltora. Second Son and I recently finished book five, Dread Mountain, which had a very satisfying ending to make up for the lackluster bulk of the novel. With only three books—each weighing in at about 125 pages—left to read, Second Son doesn’t seem as excited about books six through eight as he was about books two through four. I feel like I have a lot invested…no pressure, though. This series also has a couple of multi-book spin-offs, god forbid.

During the DQ interlude, I am helping Second Son to fix his Secret Agent Jack Stalwart addiction. This is a series featuring a nine-year-old who is an operative for a super-secret organization that fights evil around the world. At the same time, Jack is looking for his brother, Max, also an agent, who is allegedly at boarding school, which is merely a cover. Max is actually missing in the field—kind of a twisted premise for the series’ target audience. Simple and short, these chapter books are utterly formulaic so I’m unable to distinguish one plot from another. Each book is set in a different country, but it’s a rather gratuitous gesture, as all the info about geography, peoples, and culture is superficial at best. In my opinion, the series stinks, but young master Second Son finds it very satisfying. So who am I to judge?

*In truth, the collection may pay for a semester of college tuition. But that’s something, considering that a year at Carleton currently costs more than I earned last year. A little depressing.

souvenirs from a childhood of reading

Last weekend we entertained some friends, and after a dinner that included killing two bottles of port—each was less than a quarter full—the junior set inquired about my legendary* Nancy Drew collection. Darling M (nearly 11) and Z (8) wanted to know how many ND books I had (I overestimated and said 20 or so, but actually it's 12**), and which I had read (why, all of them, thirty years ago). Seeing, then, that an expedition through our very scary, very full garage was in order, we suited up in coats and shoes, equipped ourselves with stick and brooms (I think something mammalian and larger than a mouse currently makes its home there), and trekked upstairs.

Standing amid a wasteland of bicycles, M wondered, "Where do you think It is?" Z applied her keen sleuthing skills and, pointing across the width of the stall, said "Would It say 'Nancy Drew' on It?" Sure enough, there It was, screamingly obvious. The Box, labeled "Nancy Drew mysteries," sat on a coated-wire shelf, minding its own business. Our angle for obtaining The Box was awkward, but we tugged and pulled and knocked over a few bikes (sorry, John, I may have nicked the Holdsworth...you can take the repair out of my next paycheck). Finally, The Box landed with a thud on the garage floor.

Behold...my Nancy Drews and a handful of Trixie Beldens, nestled amid the most motley assortment of teenage romances, Judy Blume's Forever, The Summer of My German Soldier, Frank Herbert's Children of Dune, and Plato's Republic. The nostalgic was palpable: I was looking at the sum total of books I owned through 1986.

The Box, which is huge in size, felt insubstantial, damp from living in inhospitable environments for the past twenty years. I know my books deserve better, and I vow to remedy the situation as best I can. Bless John, who cracked a copy of Isaac Asimov's Foundation, sniffed, and declared, "Smells like a book.***"

*Legendary in so much that I have a few ND's from my childhood in the 70s.
**Now 13, as M came into #8, Nancy's Mysterious Letter, and having no interesting in reading it, gave me her copy.
***i.e., not like mold or mildew

where did I leave off

I was on such a roll, getting into a good blogging groove when illness struck our family. My six-year-old had one of those 24-hour viruses where the main symptoms are a high fever, muscle aches, and joint pains. Win was a pitiful wreck, and, for two days, I held him close…close enough to catch his bug and have it mutate into something approximating the bubonic plague. For at least a day, I lay on the couch with a headache too fierce to focus on the printed page—which, in my opinion, is the biggest insult. After the fever broke, I felt, amazingly, not better, though I was eventually able to read.

Here we are on a cold, drizzly day in March—the counterpoint to gorgeously sunny and warm spring days—and I am getting my groove back.

I gave up on faithfully reporting on the Tournament of Books. The early-round upsets were exciting, to be sure. The commentary was uninspiring. But, now that I’m feeling better, I have a little more energy to get caught up and will more closely follow the final rounds.

While on my sick bed, I read Little Bee by Chris Cleave, and I think I really liked it. My friend Caryl and I have had many conversations about the novel and the author. While my initial reaction was that story is an important one, I felt it was told in a manipulative way. The reader knows from the flap copy that “something” is going to happen in the story and that it’s probably sensational and that the story hinges on it so the reader needs to keep it a secret. I find that coyness so annoying. And the plot turns really go off like A bombs, with big explosions and lingering effects. As Caryl and I talk, I’ll find myself coming around to really liking the book. There’s certainly a lot to talk about, and I will write more later. My monthly roundup is due soon. Yikes! Are we already at the end of the month?

I went right from Little Bee to Neil Gaiman’s Newbery Award-winning, Hugo Award-nominated The Graveyard Book, which I adore. I know I will read this again. The characters are fantastic, the premise is a Gothic twist on a classic story, and the writing is flawless.

I’m in the middle of a few books that I’d like to finish reading by month’s end so as to really clear the decks for the piles and piles of things I’ve purchased and picked up from the library recently. I’m looking at you Little House on the Prairie, which I started reading back in October after seeing the musical adaptation at The Guthrie, as well as Cold Comfort Farm. Both are 41 for 41 titles, and I'd love to make some progress on that list as my reading year is nearly half done. It would feel so good to put these gems back on the shelf rather than risking their loss in any of the tall piles that populate my house.

It feels good to be back. I'm off to the coffeehouse, where, this morning, I left the library's copy of The Graveyard Book. Thank you Nice Person, who turned the book into the lost-and-found!

ToB: round one, match three

Oh, if only I could trust my intellect over my gut. Today’s match presented another upset, with Mark Sarvas’ Harry, Revised trouncing the Booker Prizer winner, White Tiger. But a well-measured verdict was rendered. Jonah Lehrer did a respectable job as judge. My faith in the Tournament is restored.

Match four pits Unaccustomed Earth, Jhumpa Lahiri’s critically acclaimed story collection, against City of Refuge, a novel of New Orleans by Tom Piazza, who is also no slouch. The judge is Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Bonk. I’m not going to hazard a guess as to how Roach will vote, but I’m rooting for Unaccustomed Earth.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Ezra Jack Keats

In my humble opinion, Ezra Jack Keats is a god among men—and children’s book illustrators. When I found out that I was pregnant with my first child, the first children’s book I bought for my baby’s library was Snowy Day. It’s pretty much perfection. Even though my boys have mostly outgrown picture books, it's still our go-to comfort book.

Here’s the Writers' Almanac entry:

It's the birthday of the children's author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats, (books by this author) born in Brooklyn in 1916. After high school, he worked as a muralist for the Works Progress Administration, part of FDR's New Deal federal programming. He did illustrations for comic strips, for book jackets, and finally he started writing and illustrating his own books. He won a Caldecott Medal for The Snowy Day (1962), which was considered a breakthrough book because the main character was an inner-city black boy named Peter, but his race was incidental to the plot of the book. Peter was just a kid like other kids, who played in the snowdrifts outside his apartment building, took a bath at the end of the day, and was sad when he discovered that the snowball he put in his pocket had melted.

And, fun trivia about the author—for example, he was the first designer of greeting cards from UNICEF—can be found here.

For as long as I live, I will look for footprints in the snow that go this way and that way.

ToB: round one, match two

So far, two matches in, I have been incredibly underwhelmed by the judges’ commentary. My feelings about Brockman not having read 2666 were correct. Kate Schlegel’s notes today were so weak, I might conclude that she flipped a coin. I know that I may be overreacting a touch—this isn’t a prestigious literary award. Based on previous Tournaments, I think the decisions rendered should be entertaining in some way, and so far, they just are not.

Granted, Netherland and A Partisan’s Daughter were pretty equally matched, and neither was without problems. So perhaps it was a coin toss. If Kate Schlegel doesn’t want to be a judge next year, I’m happy to take her place.

In match three, two debut novels square off. White Tiger, the 2008 Booker Prize winner, meets Harry, Revised, written by a popular blogger and previous ToB judge. Tough call. Despite feeling like White Tiger is a no-brainer, judge Jonah Lehrer, author of How We Decide and Proust Was a Neuroscientist, just may buck literary convention for a fresh choice. Again, it’s anyone’s guess. I predict White Tiger.

on my radar: Zoe Heller

Zoe Heller's latest book, The Believers, was recently released and catapulted immediately onto my TBR list. I found these things compelling:

~ My friend Daniel mentioned it on his blog, Boswell and Books.
~ Michiko Kakutani reviewed in the New York Times and while the review isn't a rave, it still made the book appealing.
~ Heller is this week's guest blogger at Powell's. She's incredibly likeable.

Tournament of Books: round one, match one

In the first match of The Morning News’ Tournament of Books, Fae Myenne Ng’s Steer Toward Rock faced Roberto Bolano’s 2666. The judge, Brockman, used a risky basketball analogy to critique each novel on his way to selecting a winner. Though I can’t be sure—and I wouldn’t want you to quote me on it—I don’t think Brockman read 2666 in its entirety. From round one, it seems a forgone conclusion that Bolano’s mighty 900-page giant will stomp its way to victory.

Round one, match two—Netherland v. A Partisan’s Daughter—is a little tricksier to predict. The books seem to be similar in literary scope. Netherland enjoyed strong word of mouth this past fall, was a NYT Best 10 Books of 2008, and recently won the 2009 PEN/Faulkner award. The novel is set in post-9/11 NYC and has a focus on cricket and an unusual friendship. Some believe it was dissed by not being nominated for a National Book Award or a National Book Critics’ Circle award. A Partisan’s Daughter is “an oddball love story” set in 1970s London. It was written by Louis de Bernieres, who wrote the wildly popular Corelli’s Mandolin. I listened to Netherland and found it enjoyable, but I don’t see it going far in this year’s Tournament.

Kate Schlegel, TMN’s managing editor, is the judge for round one, match two. She has served as a judge in the previous four Tournaments and is fairly straightforward in her commentary. I predict she’ll choose Netherland.

reminder

The 2009 Tournament of Books, hosted by The Morning News and sponsored by Powell's Books, kicks off tomorrow. Roberto Bolano's massive 2666 faces off against Fae Myenne Ng's Steer Toward Rock. The judge is Brockman, the head writer for Powell's Books' Book News blog. As this appears to be Brockman's first time judging in the ToB, he doesn't have a track record. Also, I couldn't find any of his Staff Picks on the Powell's site. Yet, I predict Brockman will vote for 2666.

february statistics

Quick, before March is done, here are my February '09 reading statistics.

books read: 3

Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (E. Lockhart)
This young adult novel is a contender in the 2009 Tournament of Books, which is how it landed on my radar. Frankie Landau-Banks is a legacy at a fancy boarding school. She’s blossomed into a swan over the summer and, starting her sophomore year, has caught the eye of a senior boy, Matthew Livingston. Matthew is the head of a secret society, the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, which Frankie discovers after following him one evening. Despising Matthew deceptions, and inspired by what she is learning in a class that explores the roots of social and political protest, Frankie decides to engage in her own form of street theater. The novel was quick to read, full of chest-thumping girl power. In the first round of the ToB, Frankie Landau-Banks faces Peter Matthiessen’s National Book Award-winning masterwork, Shadow Country.

Death and Judgment (Donna Leon)
This is the fourth mystery in the series featuring Commissario Brunetti, who unravels a prostitution ring with the most unlikely of leaders. For my money, this episode had a slow but dramatic start and, sadly, little of the luscious descriptions of food and Venice that are such a draw. But, to date, the ending has left the strongest impression. I’m looking forward to number five, Acqua Alta, which I’ve started twice before and which features a return of the opera star from Death at La Fenice.

House (Michael Ruhlman)
I am a huge fan of Ruhlman, especially Soul of a Chef and The Reach of a Chef, but he’s also a wicked blogger. In House, Ruhlman writes about buying and restoring a 100-year-old home in Cleveland, his hometown. It’s a frank and inspiring memoir, as well as a love letter to Cleveland. Beyond that Ruhlman explores the structure of a house and what makes a house a home. Here’s the author’s lovely, evocative prose, before the renovation begins:

I descended the stairs slowly, held the banister as I hit the landing. I could imagine the tread of girls my daughter’s age on these stairs. I continued to the main hallway. I would stroll this way through the quiet house over the next several days, trying to imagine what had happened here—it was such an old house—and also what might happen.

books heard: 2

Netherland (Joseph O’Neill)
Netherland has been on my TBR list since it was published in 2008. It received strong reviews and was a New York Times Notable. The unabridged audio gave me an opportunity to “read” the book in time for the 2009 Tournament of Books, in which Netherland is a contender. The novel follows Hans van den Broek, a Dutch banker living in the Chelsea Hotel after his British wife, following 9/11, hightails it back to London with their son. In navigating his new life, Hans makes the acquaintance of Chuck Ramkissoon, a Gatsby-esque schemer, and falls into the cricket subculture. It was a quiet novel, perfectly enjoyed in audio form.

Me Talk Pretty One Day (David Sedaris)
It’s all well and good to read any of Sedaris’s bestselling essay collections—and it’s quite another to listen to him on audio. His voice is so distinctive that you will hear it in your head as you read his essays, but I believe you will laugh a little harder and more often if you hear him perform. Me Talk Pretty One Day kicks off with an essay about the speech therapy he endured as a child to correct his lisp but the bulk of this collection is about moving to France and the oddities of culture and language. And the pieces are outrageously funny and smart. I wanted to hang on every word so that I could repeat passages back to friends later, but my memory sucks.

books bought: 5
The self-imposed ban on buying books is officially off. It was an unrealistic expectation, which I knew from the moment I committed the pledge to cyberspace. For awhile, I deluded myself into believing it was possible to hold my consumer tendancies in check. Later, I rationalized buying one book a month, so that I may continue to support independent booksellers. Then an unfortunate mental state presented itself. Only retail therapy would do. The first place I turned was the bookstore. You can see how slippery the slope is.

Fiction on a Stick (edited by Daniel Slager)
This anthology had a lot of local buzz when it was released, but these six-question interviews with some of the authors placed it more squarely on my radar.

A Place of My Own (Michael Pollan)
Before Pollan became a household name with Omnivore’s Dilemma, he wrote a memoir about building a writing studio. On the heels of Michael Ruhlman’s House, this book falls neatly in line with my interest in architecture.

no one belongs here more than you (Miranda July)
Total impulse purchase based on a desire to read more short fiction.

Oranges (John McPhee)
I have intended to read McPhee for a very long time. Following a visit from my mother-in-law and her husband, who can fit a McPhee book into almost any conversation, I ran across this mostly botanical microhistory at Sixth Chamber. Kismet.

The Borrowers (Mary Norton)
Also at Sixth Chamber, I found this classic children’s novel of tiny people who live in the walls of bigger people’s homes. I had been looking for something with a little more substance to read aloud to the boys, and this book from my childhood seems a good choice. To this day, I love found objects and often try to imagine what the Borrowers would do with an empty shotgun shell.

books abandoned: 2
Nemesis
Discovery of France

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Dr. Seuss

When I was a kid, my family had a few Dr. Seuss books—Yertle the Turtle and If I Ran the Circus—but I’m not sure where these came from and I certainly don’t remember either of my parents reading them aloud. There’s so much I don’t know but I’m fairly sure of this: Dr. Seuss meant for his books to be read aloud. And really, is there any literature more fun to read aloud than his?

My Dr. Seuss love is directly attributed to my children, especially Winston, who is nearly 7 and who could forsake all other books for an exclusive reading diet of all things Seussian.

Please don’t ask me to pick a favorite Seuss book. I thrill to most of his books for the illustrations—crazy characters, vivid colors—as well as the rhymes. But Fox in Socks provides the greatest tongue twisters I’ve ever known. My goal is always to read it through without stumbling—and, it can be done.

In addition to a stunningly prolific career as a children’s book author, Dr. Seuss, (a.k.a. Theodore Geisel) illustrated ad campaigns. Read more about his illustrious career here.

library haul

While I was at the library picking up holds today, I stumbled upon Little Bee, the highly buzzed (pun unavoidable) book by Chris Cleave. Read my friend Daniel's interview with the author. If the novel wasn't already on your TBR list, it will be.

Also, I'm pretty excited to finally get to State by State and couldn't believe that there wasn't a waiting list. Script and Scribble, a survey of handwriting—cursive, I hear, is making a comeback—looks pretty neat too. I like the trim size and overall packaging, and will likely comment more later.