Pretty Darn Great

Monograph Monday - Phantoms, Saints, and Lots of Salt Water

What's been making my metro commute bearable? This week its been the following:

The Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux (ISBN: 1434102602) -- Am about 5% through this, and things are just starting to ramp up. Christine's had her star-making performance and there's a mysterious ghost skulking around the Paris Opera House. Don't know if it was in the original or just in the transcription I'm reading but there are AWESOME ALL CAPITAL STATEMENTS throughout, am enjoying the melodrama so far.

Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint, by R. Andrew Chesnut (ISBN: 0199764662) -- am about 10% through this. Beloved of criminals and others with desperate causes, Santa Muerte is "the anti-Virgin of Guadelupe", a folk saint personifying death who heals, protects, and delivers. Still in the beginning of this book, am sorting through her billions of nicknames (La Flaquita, La Hermana Blanca, La Dama Poderosa, etc etc etc) and her history.

Lifeboat: A Novel, by Charlotte Rogan (ISBN: 0316185906) -- just finished this last week. Its 1914, a luxury liner sinks, and our narrator ends up on a lifeboat with 38 other people. While the story of physical survival and interpersonal conflict was interesting, the way that the author bit by bit reveals the character of the narrator and her motives was even more so.

Watching, Reading This Week

Looking for something to do? If you need ideas I have a couple of suggestions....

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Watch on BBC America - My favorite Car Connoisseur turned me on to Top Gear. I know nothing about cars and never thought I'd be up for hearing about them for hours; maybe its the British accents, its definitely the smart easy way they describe the technicals but I love the show. There was a marathon of the show on BBC America that I taped a week or two ago and have been making my way through the lot of them. A complete blast!

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Read In-A-Book - Missed the first couple of episodes of TrueBlood on HBO this season but am all caught up. And though the series is only loosely based on Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books I still like reading them for their frothy not-really-scary fun and hints at possible direction for the series. Read the latest in the series, Dead Reckoning (ISBN-13: 978-0441020317), in less than a day. But it was a fun day!

Watching, Reading This Week

Looking for something to do? If you need ideas I have a couple of suggestions....

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Watch on Netflix: My Companion has brought a lot of great things into my life, but one of the best? Battlestar Galactica, the new version that was on SyFy a few years ago. He mentioned it briefly early on, I think thinking I'd find it impossibly geeky. Of course I found it irresistibly geeky and the two of us have been making our way through the four seasons of the series. I've been watching much of it on my own but am just about at the end - have only the three-part series finale to watch.  Both of am dying of curiosity and a bit bereft to have this awesome story fully unfolded.

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Read Online or In-A-Book: Anyone who's watched a horror (or heck, even a vaguely scary) movie with me knows I spend half of them with my hands over my eyes, peering through my fingers poised to jump or yelp at the first scare. But truth is I find them fascinating, and love learning more about how they're crafted. So of course am tearing my way through Jason Zinoman's "Shock Value: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood, and Invented Modern Horror" - if you find the topic interesting and don't want to go through the whole book check out his series "How to Fix Horror" on Slate (http://www.slate.com/id/2297938/entry/2298161/)

Perhaps Too Many Books

This pile here at the end of my bed is the most attractive of the ever-growing piles of books in my apartment.

(Above) Its alright, as long as you don't kick too much in your sleep

Its getting crazy here - starting with my collection of childhood/adolescent journals that are on top of the bookcases in my living room, to the bin by the side of the bed that's packed full of books I've leafed through before going to sleep, to the bunches on my desk on the floor everywhere except the bathroom really and that's only because I'd be worried about water damage.

Man, I shudder to think what it would look like if I didn't also have a Kindle I use and love....

(Above) Those tall bookshelves, overladen

It would be hard to cull enough to make a difference and so I've been contemplating another tall bookcase. I have room for just one more in the apartment (after that I may have to start putting them in the bathroom).  But after that I'm stopping. I swear. Or moving into a bigger place.

Overnight at the Library

New York Public Library, that is.

My fabulous friend Neville alerted the gang of us that NYPL is holding an overnight scavenger hunt at their main building (the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at 5th Avenue and 42nd Street. You know, the one with the lions) at the end of May.  You can apply online, and 500 people will be divided into teams and have the night to scavenge, write, and explore. How much fun does that sound like?  (The answer? Masses! A lot! Tons!)

Despite the fact that I already spend most of my daytime hours at a Library, of course I'm applying. Not only is it an iconic bulding and an amazing institution, but this also fulfills my childhood fantasy of running away to live at a museum. You know, without having to bathe in the fountain (the way Claudia and Jamie did during their stay at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler).

Did I mention they'll let you roam the underground stacks?  Come on and apply, you know you're totally curious....

 

Interested in trying out it for yourself?

Where: New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at 5th Avenue and 42nd Street. Apply online at http://game.nypl.org/

When: The event is on May 20th; Applications are due by April 21st

Warnings: Only 500 people will be invited so get creative and apply on time.

ISO Tour Books Worth Lugging Through Israel

Got back a week ago from a two-week trip to visit my sister Hug, who's now living over in Tel Aviv Israel. Though she promised to do all the relevant research I knew it would be a good idea to snag a couple of tour books on my own to have on hand.

My criteria? I wanted books that handled all of Israel and mentioned Petra, and ones that were as politically neutral as possible (much harder to find than one would think).  I've had good luck with Eyewitness Guide books in the past and she recommended the Fodors. But how did they actually stack up, and were they worth dragging their weight through Israel and Jordan?

(Above) The books, safely back home

Jerusalem, Israel, Petra & Sinai (Eyewitness Travel Guide) - The Good? The large number of color photos, of course! The pictures of Israeli currency reassured me that the taxi driver gave me correct change  when I first arrived, the shots of sites made it fun to plan out where to go. The Not-So-Good? Listings for restaurants are scarce, and while the very edited list of sites  to visit in different parts of the country are nice in some ways other broader books gave a more complete picture. But worst of all? The maps are all pretty hand drawn and utterly frustratingly ridiculously useless. This was a big problem walking through the Old City in Jerusalem where not only were the maps strange about what they included and what they didn't, the separate maps of the different quarters of the city were pretty pointless unless you were standing in a very obvious place and wanted to see what was around you. The Verdict? Maps are a big deal to me so I didn't really use this one much, though I did enjoy the pics as I was deciding what sites I wanted to see.

Fodor's Israel, 7th Edition - The Good? This baby is thorough, giving all kinds of useful site, restaurant, hotel, and travel options. It listing the phone numbers for Israel Air and Egged Bus Tours really saved us in Eilat. The information on how to travel to Bethlehem and Petra were a reassuring start. The Bad? The book really assumes that you'll be using a tour company to travel to the West Bank (Bethlehem) or Petra; the public transportation and cab instructions it gave had significant omissions which I understand from an editing point of view but which did lead to some stress on the trip.  Add in the out-of-date cost information for the Jordan leg of the trip (fees to leave Israel were 101 rather than 88 sheckels; Cost to enter Petra were 55 rather than 21 dinar) and the way it repeated the lie that there's an ATM at the Petra Visitor Center and I just may have cursed the book at one point. The Verdict? Would totally use this book again, but know that I need to check the cost and specific travel details.

Hope to head back in a couple of years to visit Hug again, in the meantime the books are a nice a bit battered reminder of a great trip!

 

Interested in reading them yourself?

Jerusalem, Israel, Petra & Sinai, DK Publishing (328 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0756662028)

Fodor's Israel, 7th Edition, Fodors (548 pages, ISBN-13: 978-1400008988)

Recipes I Really Don't Plan on Making

The food in Northern New Mexico is delicious - green chile stew and sopapillas and posole and other amazingness. So when we were packing up my grandparents house and I came across my grandmother's recipe book, a binder stuffed with clippings and notes in her loopy handwriting and characteristic red pencil, you'd think I'd have been excited to stumble on a trove of old family recipes. But knowing my abuela, I knew better. Instead I'd stumbled on a cornucopia of 1960's and 70's recipes.  I mean there was an entire section devoted to ambrosia salads. Ambrosia salad, people.

So when I was recently sorting through a huge collection of recipe cards that came across my way and saw examples of similarly, well, interesting fare I had to laugh.

(Above) Mandarin Mold, indeed

(Above) Pink Creamy Slaw?

Having enough recipes that I actually want to cook I got rid of these, but definitely appreciated the tour through 1980's food culture (or at least that's what a scholar may call it).  And for a close look at an even awesomer set, check out Wendy McClure's tour through a gang of Weight Watcher's recipe cards.

Unhealthy Families, Girl Gangs, and Keeping the Lights On

A couple of loooooooooooong books this month.  Luckily they were all complete page turners, thoroughly enjoyable to read.

(Above) The mess of them for the month

The Liars' Club: A Memoir, by Mary Karr: Okay maybe enjoyable isn't the right word for this one.  At times it was downright painful to witness the confusion, uncertainty, anger, and neglect delivered by the author's alcoholic mother and distant father.  The book is excellent but rough, her love admiration fear of her mother particularly heartbreaking. From the neighbors disengaging from the craziness to the girls acting out or sucking up depending on what looked safer, whether it was all factually true the book felt emotionally accurate. The writing is beautiful, the characters well described, and the author manages to capture a distinct feeling for both East Texas and Colorado.

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, by Tom Robbins: What happens if you have an extraordinary gift and you see where it takes you? Or maybe you try and deny it? In this wandery tale of clockworks, advertising, cowgirls, feminine hygiene products, whooping cranes and hitchhiking Sissy Hawkins manages both. Enjoyed reading it but unlike with others of Robbins' books don't think I'll be heading back for a re-read.

Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People, by Tim Reiterman: Found references to this tome when I read the Deborah Layton book last month. This book was long but really good, describing Jones' childhood and adolescence, showing the development of his ministry in the Midwest, its move to California and then on to Guyana. As someone who investigated Peoples' Temple for years prior to being part of the team that went to Guyana with Leo Ryan, Reiterman holds a broad but detailed, and personal view of the topic. Well sourced and noted to an inch of its life, this thorough account doesn't let his knowing followers off the hook but firmly places responsibility on Jones, making it clear that he wasn't a good man gone bad but simply a (compelling but) bad man.

Lips Unsealed: A Memoir, by Belinda Carlisle: Am a huge Go-Go's fan, loving both their pop and more punk music and have fond memories of singing along with Carlisle's solo music throughout Junior High and High School so I was looking forward to this insider's tale of the band and solo act.  The book was good but even when Carlisle talked about very personal battles and conflicts it still felt distant and guarded. I didn't miss gory details, but did feel like there was something missing in the book.

The Passage, by Justin Cronin: Read this monster in like 3 days, scaring myself in the process. A complete page turner reminiscent of "The Stand" the book follows a couple of groups of people as they create then try to live in a world where a horrible virus and menace was unleashed.Cronin writes dull disquiet, creeping menace, and complete terror all really well, loved loved this book.

 

Interested in reading them yourself?

The Liars' Club: A Memoir, by Mary Karr (352 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0143035749)

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, by Tom Robbins (384 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0553349498)

Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People, by Tim Reiterman (688 pages, ISBN-13: 978-1585426782)

Lips Unsealed: A Memoir, by Belinda Carlisle (272 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0307463494)

The Passage, by Justin Cronin (784 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0345504968)

Scary Book + Flickering Lights = A Not Great Idea

For my birthday my good friend Meredith gave me this book "The Passage" that I've been tearing my way through the past few days. Had plans for this evening that got postponed but was happy - extra time to read more of this scary tale of post-apocalyptic survival ringed by nighttime vampire attacks. 

I've since thought better of it. Its ridiculously pouring rain, the power has been on and off all afternoon and evening. I thought I was cool reading a scary book in an empty house, but when the lights turned off a bit ago and I yelped I realized it was probably a good idea to put the book away until daylight. And maybe keep a few extra candles lit until I go to sleep.

(Above) Book, Candles, No Bells

Beautiful Words from Writers - Sweet Notes

"Sounds travel through space long after their wave patterns have ceased to be detectable by the human ear; some cut right through the ionosphere and barrel on out into the cosmic heartland, while others bounce around, eventually being absorbed into the vibratory fields of earthly barriers, but in neither case does the energy succumb; it goes on forever - which is why we, each of us, should take pains to make sweet notes."

- Tom Robbins, from his novel "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues"

After a morning spent in a cloudy crabby grabby tired mood took a break with a book at lunch and was served this gentle hint. Your mileage will vary but it gave me a way out of that mess, reminding me what I already believe about our place and responsibilities in the world, that we all connect to and affect each other. Sweet words, indeed.