Back from Buffalo and back in school which only can mean one thing . . . no more fun reading for a while. So, my fellow book loving cyberfolk, please accept the last three reviews until June (unless I can sneak something great in between paper writing and other scholastic-type endeavors).

Today's theme: the known and the unknown. I picked up three books at the library before I left for Buffalo: two by authors I have read before and really, really liked and one by an author I had never heard of before, but the title was intriguing and I liked the picture on the book jacket. (Note: that's how I choose my wine and my football picks too! Never underestimate the power of excellent pictures!) The two known quantity authors were Tracy Chevalier, who wrote the very good Girl with a Pearl Earring and Jane Smiley, author of A Thousand Acres and MOO, both excellent books. Chevalier did not disappoint me with her book The Virgin Blue, a story of midwifery, marriage and the mystical union of past and present. I was fascinated with Ella Turner and Isabelle du Moulin, the two protagonists of the story. Not always pleased with them, but fascinated nonetheless. This book is definitely worth a shot. Smiley, however, disappointed me so very, very much with her story of the whiny, wealthy, navel-gazers of Los Angeles in Ten Days in the Hills. Besides the tediousness of the dialogue, the excessively graphic sex scenes were unnecessarily abundant. I mean really, do I really need that clinical of a description of genitalia in all states of being? Yikes. I was really ready for this novel to be over and yet I obsessively had to finish it.

The new author for me is Chris Bohjalian and the book is Before You Know Kindness. This book is the story of a New Hampshire family, the Seton's, and about the repercussions of a single cartridge left in a hunting rifle one July night. Fantastic characters, fluid plot and realistic dialogue. Also, one of the characters works for a PETA like organization and the description of organization and their motivations were really, really interesting. I would highly recommend this one as a book club read. If you read it, let me know what you think. Also, I am starting my summer reading list, so if you have any suggestions, please oh please leave them in the comment section. I will post the list for everyone to see and use.

Elif Shafak was arrested and charged for crimes against Turkey for writing her novel The Bastard of Istanbul. Apparently, the government felt that Shafak's story of two young women, one Turkish and one Armenian-American, was anti-Turkish in nature and defamatory to the Turkish culture. Huh. Yes, all the characters in this novel were inherently flawed, but so are all those who claim humanity. Except Donald Trump, of course. He claims to have no flaws whatsoever. Again, huh. In any case, I found this novel to be interesting. The characters wove together as beautifully and as complex as the design in a Turkish rug. Are there such things? Maybe I'm thinking of a different rug. Nevertheless, a look into a culture so obviously not interested in being looked into.

Admittedly, I'm not much a fan of the mystery novel. I'm not averse to them, I'm simply not drawn to them either. Thus, it was a mystery to me when I picked up The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard. A mystery that revolves around the dynamics of a small town and the relationships therein and what happens to all of those when a naked teen-aged girl is found frozen to death in the snow. No one claims to know who this girl is and she is buried in the town cemetery with a simple headstone that reads "Peace Be Unto You". Not long thereafter, people start attributing small miracles to this young girl whom they have started referring to as "the Virgin". Her grave becomes a pilgrimage of sorts and the circumstances surrounding her death seem to fade as far away as her true identity. It is a good book, but not one that I would walk around the library trying to push upon people. If you like this sort of thing, give it a shot.

A long time ago I read the book The Red Tent by Anita Diamante and loved it. Just recently I read another of her books The Last Days of Dogtown (blog posting 2/21/07) and liked that one too. So, because I was having a hard time thinking of anything to look for at the library (hint, hint, I need suggestions!) I decided to head to the "D" section and find anything else by Ms. Diamante. I picked up her book Good Harbor. It's the story of two Jewish women who live in the seaside town of Gloucester, one full time and one for holidays. The women become friends and walk through life together, high and low points. The characters are sometimes lovely women, and mostly believable. The dialogue is real and nothing is too saccharine. Still, it is less rich than the other two novels, but a sweet read nonetheless. Perhaps a book to take on vacation with you? I can imagine reading this in a cabin or a beach house. Definitely by water and with a tasty beverage.

Also found while wandering through the San Jose Public Library, a series of books from Canongate Publishers (as if that means anything to anyone, except of course to the lovely folks at Canongate . . . sorry if I offended!) that are retelling of world myths by modern storytellers. One word for you friends . . . CAPTIVATING. The first two I have read are Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith (The #1 Ladies Detective Agency Series) and The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale). Both are amazing tales. The first is from a Celtic myth of Angus, the son of a god and a naiad, who brings dreams to mortal creatures. Wow. Smith has an amazing gift of weaving language in a way that is dreamlike and wonderful and makes you long to be sitting in front of a fireplace listening to him tell the tale of the boy who brings dreams. The second is a much darker story in which we get an account of what Penelope was doing in all the time Odysseus was away rescuing Helen from Paris of Troy, from Penelope's point of view. Atwood has a much heavier hand than Smith does, when retelling a story, but no less effective. The Penelopiad is presented as a Greek tragedy, complete with a chorus made up of Penelope's twelve maids who were hanged by Odysseus upon his return. Wonderful. I had a tough time putting either of these down.

The last two books from Dianne:

1. Avoiding Prison and Other Noble Vacation Goals by Wendy Dale -- Essays/Memoir by a young woman with a genetic tendency to wanderlust about her time in Central America with a boyfriend in prison and their quest to clear his name. Funny and smart, it was a quick read.
2. Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susan Jane Gilman -- You might want to cross your legs while reading this one. I laughed so hard as Gilman describes her childhood as the daughter of progressive, Jewish hippies living in a predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood in New York City during the 70's who really only wear her tutu and grow up to be something that ends in "-ess" (stewardESS, princESS). So, so funny. Seriously, I think you'll laugh.

Does anyone else listen to "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me?" on NPR? It's a witty news quiz program that airs on Saturday mornings at 11:00 a.m. on our local NPR station. (http://www.npr.org -- for an air time near you). In any case, one of the regular panelists on the show is Paula Poundstone, a comedian who, a few years back, got arrested for child endangerment when she was caught driving drunk with her three children in the car. They were going out for ice cream. Probably rum raisin. I think she is hysterical, sober or drunk, although I don't know her well enough to tell the difference. Nevertheless, she has written a book entitled There's Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say. It is FUNNY! What she did is she wrote short biographies about famous people like Joan of Arc and Abraham Lincoln and interjected her own thoughts and connections to her own life as a part of each piece. This makes for somewhat disjointed thoughts and connections that really stretch, but once you get the hang of her stream of consciousness, you will find yourself laughing aloud as you read. At least I did. Maybe it's because I like rum raisin ice cream. Maybe you like rocky road. You still might think it's funny. If you like vanilla, maybe not so much. Whatever, if you read it, let me know what you think!

First things first, the La Fouace aux Noix was wonderful. I have to tinker with it next time I bake, but it was a loaf of walnutty, yeasty goodness!

Now for more books from Dianne:

1. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld -- Chick lit goes to boarding school. A beach read.
2. Hotel Babylon by Anonymous and Imogen Edwards-Jones -- Any book by anonymous leaves me suspect. This was supposed to be an "insider's look" at the operations of a luxury hotel in England. Fascinating, but went nowhere fast. I have to admit, though, the next time I checked into a hotel after reading this book, I had novel flashbacks. Another beach read.
3. Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc -- A journalism student follows a family from the Bronx for eleven years. She chronicles the drugs, sex, love, death and poverty that encompasses this tangled web of a family. Do not read looking for a feel good ending, or a feel good middle or even a feel good beginning. This is an intense piece of work. Do not be afraid of it either. It is a book that will come back to you over and over, in the most unexpected of places. Let me know if you read this one. I really, really, really would love to hear what you think.

I love bread! I love the way bread smells, the way it tastes, the way it feels when I touch it. I love to bake bread. Fruit breads, whole wheat, sourdough, squishy wonderbread . . . I love it all. Bread rocks and if it weren't for all those nasty carbohydrates, this woman would live on bread alone. That said, I just finished a book about bread baking called The Baker's Apprentice by Judith Ryan Hendricks. Apparently, it is a sequel to a book called Bread Alone, but I haven't read that one. This book is good, not great. A nice diversion. What I did like about it is the main character is a bread baker and there are lovely descriptions of her product and a few recipes interspersed in the text. I have the La Fouace aux Noix or hearth bread with walnuts in the oven baking right now. I will let you all know how it turns out. The dough didn't rise very well, so it could be a brick in the aforementioned hearth. We'll have to see.

The next book I have for you is also a nice diversionary read, albeit pretty predictable. Elizabeth Berg's The Year of Pleasures is the story of Betta, a retired children's book author, whose husband passes away and leaves her the instruction to sell their home and go find a place to start over that is off the beaten path. She does and this book is about the year that follows his death. She ends up in a small town with it's usual cast of characters: the fellow widow, the quirky radio show host, the single mom and her adorable son. Berg is a lovely author, I truly enjoyed her book Open House, and this book is just as enjoyable. Some accurate descriptions of grief, albeit a tad melodramatic and the whole thing wraps up a bit too neatly. A good book for it's niche.

As ever, let me know what you think of these books if you have read them and if you have any suggestions. . . please share!!

Back from Quebec and have four FABULOUS books for you to check out:

1. The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant -- The latest book by the author of The Red Tent is about the demise of a cold New England hamlet (I have always wanted to use the word "hamlet" in a sentence.) and the rebirth of it's people through the town's death. Spellbinding.
2. London is the Best City in America by Laura Dave -- I picked this one up from the library on the merit of the title alone. What an interesting look at relationship that is so not the usual relationship book. Highly recommended.
3. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri -- Magical. It gave me a new perspective on the immigrant experience without descending into the victim perspective so common in that genre of novel lately. So beautifully written, so wistful and melancholy. This is for sure on a must read list for anyone who is looking for an excellent book. I think this would also lend itself well for a book club.
4. The Master Butcher's Singing Club by Louise Erdrich -- Wow. This is one of those novels that I wait for, without knowing that I am waiting for it. Mystical but not wierd. Beautiful and sad and heartwrenching. Thank you Kelly Schoenberg for lending this one to me. I will be thinking about this book for a very long time after closing the cover. Read this book.

I have decided to take the winter quarter off of school and you know what that means . . . UNLIMITED READING OF NON-SCHOOL BOOKS! My most excellent friend Dianne gave me a Safeway bag full of books that she liked and I devoured them all. Thus, my next few posts will be sharing with you all those wonderful reads.

The first book I recommend to you is The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander. This book details the last days of Tsar Nikolas and Tsarita Aleksandra from the perspective of their 14 year old kitchen boy, Leonka. Besides being enthralled with this period of history, this book interested me in that the entire time I was reading it, I was sure that what I was reading really wasn't what what happening. There was a sense of anticipation of something unidentified yet to come. Whether that ever came to be or not, you'll have to read for yourself. I really, really enjoyed this book.

If you ever, ever, ever write anything, please start listening to the "Grammar Girl" web site at www.qdnow.com. I listen to the podcast version on itunes. Amazingly easy tips to tighten up your writing, whether you are writing things that other people might read or not. Go to this site and subscribe to the podcast. Listen. Rethink how you use the word "of" and be happy.

I must say, Annette Pizzo so totally rocks! Why? Because she sent me a little e-note about BOOKMOOCH!

BookMooch (www.bookmooch.com) is a site where you can list all the books you currently own and are looking to give away. The more you list, the more points you can earn. With your points you may "mooch" books off of other people, thus getting free books, essentially! Yes, those with critical spirits may choose to point out that you are paying to mail books to others, so the books you receive are not REALLY free, but let's not be that way. Yippee! Free books!

Thanks to Eileen Elrod for this one. The book is Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and it is marvelous. Gilead is the story of the reverend John Ames, an aged preacher in an aged church in an aging town in Iowa. Ames sets out to write a letter to his young son and this book is the text of that endeavor. The pace of the book is slow, but not in a tedious, boring way. Robinson does a wonderful job of using the pacing of the book to develop the voice of the protagonist. Ames is old and is slowing down, his best friend is in his last days, his young son is in the magical days of childhood, everything in his life moves at a slower pace. Take the time to join reverend Ames in his slower, more reflective pace and you will not regret it.

One of the many emotions this book stirred in me was a wistfulness of the childhood my children are not able to have. Ames reminisces about times where he and his best friend would lay on the roof of the chicken coop and watch clouds and talk about all sorts of things magical and real. I started thinking about if my children ever have time to have unmonitored by adult conversations about anything. It seems as though we are raising a generation of children who are never out of sight or earshot of adults and thus, are losing the chance to talk to and wonder with their friends about the things of life. That made me sad.

The last blessing Ames writes to his son is one I wish for all boys, especially my own, and I will close with that: "I'll pray that you grow up a brave man in a brave country. I will pray you find a way to be useful." Amen.

This book is SO overdue from the library!!

My latest read The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs by former Secretary of State Madeline Albright was well worth the overdue fees I am going to have to pay on it. This book took me a very long time to read because I had to stop every few pages to reflect on some idea she proposed, to write down a thought for later consideration, and mainly to simply digest what I had just read. It was a wonderful, albeit long, experience.

The Mighty and the Almighty is not pro-America propoganda, nor is it anti-Bush rhetoric, but is a thoughtful and thorough discussion of the rightful role of faith and religion in foriegn policy, but also in the quest for peace.

If you choose to read this book, and I do hope you do, make sure you give yourself enough time and remember to renew it when it's due.

I WILL BE BUYING THIS BOOK!

As much as reading and books consume such a large part of my person, in actuality, I very rarely purchase books. For the most part, the books on my shelves fall into three distinct categories: 1. books that have struck me at such a deep place in my soul, that have made me cry, laugh and think (In the case of Anne Lamott, all at the same time) and those that I want to read over and over again, 2. books from the collections of people I love that were given to me as tokens of rememberance and affection, and 3. books that I bought when I was much less responsible with my finances and bought books as some buy groceries.

My latest book, which must go back to the library tomorrow, falls wholly into the first category. I have just finished "Searching For God Knows What" by Donald Miller. I first read Don Miller at the beginning of the summer when I devoured "Blue Like Jazz", which I will be purchasing also. Maybe there will be a buy-one-get-one sale at Amazon. His view of what it means to be one who follows Christ is both revolutionary and at the same time, it is the very core of what Jesus taught; a lesson that He himself never changed. Every chapter challenged me to consider "Am I a Christian in name only? Or do I truly desire to follow Him?" Big questions. Great Book. Very funny too.

If you want to borrow either one of these books, just ask, I will have them on my shelf at home.

"It's not that I don't like people. It's just that when I'm in the company of others -- even my nearest and dearest -- there always comes a moment when I'd rather be reading a book."xiii

This is the most excellent opening line of my latest read. The title ranks right up there too. It's called Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading by Maureen Corrigan, the book critic for NPR's Fresh Air. Part memoir and part literary criticism, Corrigan takes her reader on a bookish journey through a bookish life. Not that being bookish is a bad thing. I myself relish the adjective. In fact, when I read Doug the opening line, he laughed in the way one does when reminded of something familiar. A very good book. Not a quick read, but one filled with lots of "oh, I remember that book!" Especially if you majored in English.

Coming up next: Two of my favorite books this summer.

Corrigan, Maureen. Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading. Random House Publishing: New York. 2005.

The concept of community has been pervasive in every area of my life these days: my spiritual life, my literary choices, my civic involvement and even at the hockey rink. Community, or the lack thereof, is something that has been weighing heavily on my head and on my heart these days. I truly believe that human beings are designed to live in community with others and I am being given glimpses of what happens when we choose to deny that aspect of our being and live individual, self focused lives. It is no suprise to me, then, that the next book that showed up on my stack of books was If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name by Heather Lende. Lende lives with her family in Haines, Alaska, a small town 90 miles north of Juneau. Her book is a series of snapshots of life and community in Haines. It is, quite simply, a lovely, lovely book. When you read it, let me know what you think. Oh, and the chapter on marriage is absolutely beautiful.

Back from Whistler, by far one of the best places ever. Dylan is ready to pull up roots and move to Canada tomorrow. He even has their national anthem memorized. Oh wait, maybe that's because he has been to a gazillion hockey games. It is easier to sing than the Star Spangled Banner, but that is for another day. The book that occupied most of my down time (and there was a lot because it rained every day!) was a book by Edward P. Jones called The Known World, a work of fiction set in the pre-Civil War South. What makes this book different than any other civil war fiction I have read is that it is from the black perspective, both free and slave. It deals with the freed blacks who have purchased their own freedom and then that of their wives and children. Some, then, choose to purchase slaves of their own. Tough subject matter but an excellent book. I may jinx myself, but so far I have not read one book this summer that I wouldn't recommend. Woo Hoo!

Heading to Canada this week with a youth hockey team and a stack of books. I hear that we will have a whole week of rain and "it looks like rain" so I might have a chance to get all of them in. I just finished Little Chapel on the River: A Pub, A Town and the Search for What Matters by Gwendolyn Bounds. Non-Fiction. Made me think a lot about the idea of community and the role of the small business owner in the care and nurture of said community. Wal-Mart and Target are certainly not community builders in the true sense of the word. Starbucks could be in a watered down way in that people do gather there, but it is still supporting a large corporation headed by people whom we will never meet and will never be a part of our lives. They serve a purpose, but do not fulfill a need. In any case, a good book. Let me know what you think should you read it.

Got your nose in a book again? This was the recurrent question of my brother-in-law Bart on our trip to my husband's family reunion last week. We spent four days at the Palmer Gulch KOA at the base of Mount Rushmore http://www.palmergulch.com which I would highly recommend if you are planning to visit Mount Rushmore and you don't mind obscenely large recreational vehicles filled with white people who like to "rough it". In any case, as is my nature, I spent a great deal of the time reading. Here are some of the books I read this week. I highly recommend all of them: 1. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert 2. Fluke by Christopher Moore (Another fabulous, albeit highly inappropriate, book by this guy is Lamb, The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, pee your pants funny) 3. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.