Three Heroines Who Compare Real Life To Romance in Popular Culture, and Find It Lacking

I love the idea of flights of books (TM Modern Mrs. Darcy.) It's like wine flights only with reading. You don't do a deep dive on a subject, you take a small taste of several different varietals and compare and contrast the tastes.

I've stumbled upon an unintentional book flight this week:

Three Heroines Who Compare Real Life To Romance in Popular Culture, and Find It Lacking:

I haven't even finished two of these books, but I can tell you that if you, like me, are stuck in a seemingly never ending cycle of rainy days and public transportation delays you could do much, much worse.

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REVIEW: The Road Not Taken by David Orr

I first read about The Road Not Taken: Finding America in the Poem Everyone Loves and Almost Everyone Gets Wrong in a review last year, and loved the sound of it. I added it to my TBR, and then added it to my 2016 non-fiction reading list. then I took it out from the library twice, and returned it unread. I was a bit intimidated. Finally on my third check out, on my third renewal I had a deadline to either read the book, or return it unread again. Well, third time's a charm. I picked this up earlier this week, and blew through it in two days.

I wouldn't consider myself a poetry fan, but do like to read Frost's poems, especially before I go on a trip to New England. Other than that I didn't really know much about him. Then I read this: "...one should bear in mind that Frost was the kind of man who, first, courts the woman he loves by printing up a volume of his own writing and, second upon feeling himself rejected by that woman, travels over five hundred miles in order to walk into a swamp." Oh Mr. Frost, you are interesting, aren't you?

After a brief biography Orr goes on to consider the poem line by line, the legend of Robert Frost, common misinterpretations, and their connection with the American psyche. This is one of those books where you learn a ton without feeling like you're doing it. Even if you don't like poetry, I think you should read this book. If nothing else it makes for good conversation when you're stuck in an awkward conversation with your boss.

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It would have never happened without a reading challenge

I can't resist a reading challenge. Every time I do one I read at least one amazing book that I would have never picked up on my own. Right now I am obsessed with The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, my entry for "The First Book In A Series By A Person of Color" in Book Riot's Read Harder challenge.

It makes my little bookworm heart anxious that I would have lived my life never reading this amazing book if not for the challenge.

Summer reading challenges should be coming out soon, and I can't wait. If I read just one book as amazing as The Fifth Season this summer, it will be a summer well spent.

What's your favorite reading challenge?

Other books I discovered during reading challenges:

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Books I'm actually going to buy

I'm a heavy library user - both out of cheapness, and out of a strong desire not to have my house collapse under the weight of all the books I would own if I had to buy everything I read. That said, there are two books I've decided to pre-order this summer, because I just can't wait for the library.

Just like every other Muggle around I'll be reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child this summer. I'm sure there will be spoilers galore, and I want to binge on this one before I read all about it on Twitter.

I LOVED The Fifth Season when I read it last week, and NEED to read the next installment, The Obelisk Gate, when it comes out in August. It comes out two days after my birthday, so this won't be hard to justify!

Do you still read actual books (not in electronic format?) Are there any you're planning on adding to your shelves this summer?

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REVIEW: The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau

Have you ever set out to meet a challenging and clear goal that has a specific end point? I know I have. Turns out I may be on a quest, which sounds a lot more exciting than "crazy hobby".

In his book The Happiness of Pursuit Chris Guillebeau not only defines modern day quests (no tilting at windmills here), he provides tips for completing them, and illustrates his points with interesting vignettes from his own travels, and from interviews with other hopeful questers.

I'm in the middle of my quest to visit the highest natural point in each of the 50 states plus DC right now, and this book provided me with some motivation to keep going. (It also gave me plenty of ideas on what to pursue when I'm done!)

Note: I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a honest review.

Can we all take a minute to remember Shel Silverstein?

I went to a poetry reading at my son's school a few weeks ago. It was a great event. There were several rooms where community VIPs like firefighters, members of the Town Council, and local authors read some pretty fun poems. Of course you can't have fun poems without Shel Silverstein.

Where the Sidewalk Ends was always the book kids fought over during silent reading time in my school, and the kids are still doing it in my son's school. That's some good writing - and it's poetry! Poetry is supposed to be boring!

Thank you Shel Silverstein.

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REVIEW: Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

I've been missing lately, but I have a good excuse. Extended jury duty + trying to do my share at work during off work hours + a family crisis have had me on the brink of insanity. The good news is Brooklyn by Colm Toibin was a lovely book to read while the world was crashing down over the past few weeks.

It's the story of an Irish girl who comes to New York to seek her fortune, or a better job at least. Nothing too gruesome or spectacular happens here. There's a tragedy, and some love angst, but this isn't Angela's Ashes. She just makes her way, and in this book that is enough.

Have you Read Brooklyn and seen the movie? I'm astounded that this calm little book was made into a movie. How did it translate to the big screen?

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April 2016 Quick Lit

Each month I link with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit as a way to talk about the books I liked, but didn't review.

I read Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan because someone told me that if I went to a liberal arts school I would relate to it. I think whoever made that recommendation confused liberal arts colleges with all women's colleges (not the same thing btw.) I still liked the book, but the ending was a bit abrupt.

When I was searching my library for Commencement I ran across Maine also by J. Courtney Sullivan. I checked it out right away because I'm going to Maine later this year. I feel like that's a pretty good rule of thumb - if you run across a book about a place you're visiting, check it out. I liked this book. It's told by three narrators. Each one seems sympathetic when you read their chapters, but unbearable when you read about them in other chapters. Of the three books I've read by Sullivan, this was my favorite (I read The Engagements a year or two ago, and thought it was OK.)

I was a little frustrated with The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson. This 14 hour audio book mostly seemed to be about how Britain is so much better than America, and how everyone who isn't him is stupid. However there were descriptions of walking through random places that appealed to my wanderlust enough to keep me listening.

My son and I read Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein together and loved it. This is my son who "hates reading", barely tolerated me reading him Harry Potter, and thought THE MOVIES WERE BETTER. He begged me each night to read until my voice gave out, and when we finished he demanded we buy the next one immediately. If you have a reluctant reader who strengths lie more in the field of puzzles and math, give this book a try. (I was so relieved that Captain Underpants isn't the only solution when kids hate reading. I get that suggestion all the time, and while I have nothing against potty humor, I just can't read it out loud night after night.)

Since I've been in kind of a reading slump, I've been catching up on my back issues of One Story. My favorite was When in Dordogne by Lily King. I liked the uplifting coming of age story. This is a journal worth subscribing to if you like short stories. The stories are good, and the issues are great for tucking in your purse when you run into reading emergencies.

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Happy birthday, Gatsby

Last weekend The Great Gatsby turned 90. Now I don't pick favorite books, but if I had to Gatsby would be in consideration for top dog. I love the concise descriptions -  they tell you so much with just a few words.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

“Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.”

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.
”Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”

“They’re a rotten crowd’, I shouted across the lawn. ‘You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.”

“I couldn’t forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”

“It takes two to make an accident.”

What Should I Read Next?

Have you ever played with the site What Should I Read Next? I just heard about it today, and spent some time exploring. I added a few books to my TBR - Push Not The River was recommended when I entered The Tea Rose, and Bread and Roses, Too was recommended when I entered A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I plan on giving these two new to me books a try, and will report back when I do.

I always think it's difficult to recommend books based only on the title - how does a database know if I liked the characters, the story, the setting, or what? Worth a try though. What's a few more books to read over the course of a lifetime?

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Arm chair hiking books

Books like A Walk in the Woods and Wild inspire people to do crazy hikes every year. However, many people get started on their hikes, and then decide they should have stayed home and read. If you're in that camp (I know I am), here are some books to read after you've read A Walk in the Woods and Wild.

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The Thorn Birds: 1970's drama just like Nana used to love

I decided to re-read The Thorn Birds because of the "read a book from the decade you were born" category in the Bookriot Read Harder Challenge. It came down to a choice between The Thorn Birds and John Le Carre's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I probably should have picked the book I hadn't read before, but the sure thing won out.

I love The Thorn Birds because it reminds me of the soaps that always used to be on at my Nana's house growing up. I highly suggest this (long, multigenerational, sweeping) book if you were born in the 70's and are feeling nostalgic. You can even watch the made for TV mini series which actually just may be a bit better than the book due to the awesome portrayal of Mary Carson.

If you like sweeping melodrama you may also enjoy this trilogy:

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How To Escape A Reading Slump

When I go on vacation I usually pack books before clothes. So when I didn't have any ideas of what I should read on my last vacation, and ended up reading The Thorn Birds just because it was part of a reading challenge and long enough to occupy me all week I knew something was off. I was entering a reading slump. I've been back a week, and it's still going on. I haven't had one this bad since I was pregnant, and it took all my brain power just to remember my PIN.

I'm trying not to fret. I'm trying not to push it. But the truth is I can't engage in anything, and I've been abandoning books like no one's business.

This too shall pass. In the mean time, here are a few strategies I use when I'm in a reading slump:

• Read magazines
• Read cookbooks
• Read short stories
• Listen to podcasts
• Reading just my favorite parts of my favorite books

What do you do when you're in a reading slump?

REVIEW: Shylock Is My Name

Shylock Is My Name is beautifully written, with concise descriptions that made me laugh. Despite all that, I just couldn't get through it. I stopped about 1/3 of the way through. Maybe if I were a regular reader of Shakespeare, or if I knew the original story line of Merchant of Venice I would have been able to stick it out. But, I'm not, and I don't, and I'm a grown up so no one can force me to read a book I don't really understand. I'm going to stick with Jane Austen re-telling from now on.

Note: I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a honest review.

REVIEW: Everyone is Italian on Sunday

If you love vegetables and Italian food this book is for you. For anyone who is stuck on the 30 minute gimmick and the cutesy sayings Rachel Ray is known for, put those aside and get ready to cook from this book all summer long.

This is not your usual spaghetti, meatballs, and chicken parm Italian cookbook. You'll find those things, but you'll also find dozens of recipes for eggplant, a whole chapter on using up garden veggies, and no less than three variations of mashed potatoes. (There's also a whole chapter devoted to cocktails, and some pretty damn good looking desserts.)

I read this book right after my herb garden started producing, so the first recipe I made was Savory Fennel, Rosemary, and Honey Oatmeal. It was amazing! The oatmeal was just the right mix of hearty food and tasty flavor. I can't wait to request this book again once the full garden starts producing, and cook through the vegetable section.

Other cookbooks that make you want to eat all your veggies:

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Good Night Yoga

My daughter and I have really been enjoying trying out the poses from Good Night Yoga by Mariam Gates each night. My high energy daughter doesn't always have it in her to sit still for a story, so this has been a nice addition to our reading life. We can keep up the routine of reading before bed, but she doesn't have to stay still for it.

Two books about cupcakes

Cookie Monster cupcakes from my daughter's first birthday

Cupcakes are everywhere - they've come to symbolize the little treat we all need now and then. So, of course, I've read a few books that feature them. A large section of chick lit is made up of women who hit rock bottom, and rebound by open shops that sell flowers, yarn, or baked goods. I'm not complaining. There's something comforting about these books. Just like cupcakes, even our brains need a little bit of something sweet every now and then.

How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue is chick lit with a twist. Yes there's down on their luck girls who open a bakery, but there's also something sinister going on. But, recipes are included!

Meet Me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan is one of my current reads. The story is lite, and predictable, but just what I need at the moment. This one has recipes too, which is always a plus. (Note: this book has quite a few sudden point of view changes, and does things like refer to skiing and snowboarding as if they are the same thing. It hasn't bothered me too much, but figured I should give fair warning.)

Are you a fan of these "I lost it all so I opened a shop" type books?

How I manage my reading life

I read like it's my job, so there's a fair bit of paperwork and tracking involved.

Back in the day when I saw a book I wanted to read I would just buy it, and leave it in a pile. Then I had kids, and ran out of space and money. Now I am a heavy library user.

My library has a holds limit 50 holds at a time, and I try my best to make it work for me. About 1/3 of it is taken up with books that have a long wait. My library is usually very well stocked, but if something's popular it's not unusual to wait 2-3 months. The other 2/3 is managed so as to try and read my TBR down.

I track my TBR in librarything. I pay a bit each year to maintain my 500+ book list, but to me it's worth it to have something I can sort and tag the way I want. I used to use Goodreads, but the cleaner look of librarything just suits me better.

When I finish a book I track it in three ways. I mark it read and give it a start rating on librarything. I also mark it read here - this isn't strictly necessary, but I like to be able to scroll through the cover images. Plus if someone is thinking about following me, I like to give them a snapshot of my reading life.  Last, if there's any quotes I like from the book I write them down in my paper reading journal.

My journal isn't anything fancy. I use the free printable from Modern Mrs. Darcy. It's three hole punched, and enclosed in a cheap binder from target. I also use my journal to hold any print outs from reading challenges, and my immediate reading list. I pick about 10 books that I want to prioritize each season. The rest of my reading I pretty much leave up to chance and mood.

How do you track your reading?

2016 Reading Goals Progress

Spring is officially here, meaning it's a whole new season of reading! I set some pretty ambitious goals at the beginning of the year in hopes of getting my TBR down. Here's how I did.

The Good: Classics

I made a list of 8 classics I want to read this year, and during the winter I read two of them. I just need to keep up that pace, and I'll nail this. 

The Bad: Non-fiction

I read 16 out of the 50 non-fiction books I want to read this year, but only 7 of them were from my list of 40 assigned books. I need to pick it up if I want to read all 40 in 2016.

The Ugly: Read Out Louds

I assigned myself 5 chapter books to read out loud to the kids, and I didn't read any! (We did read two chapter books out loud, but none from the list.) I would say that we'll make up for it in spring, but we just discovered Mr. Lemoncello!

My TBR

I made all of these lists at the beginning of the year as a way to really make an effort to read down my TBR. I started with 400 books, and am up to 401. So, I appear to add books at the same rate I read them.  I guess I can be happy with that.

Reading Challenges

I love reading challenges! I'm doing two so far in 2016.

For The Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge I've read:

A book published this year: Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

A book you can finish in a day: The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs

A book you've been meaning to read: 10% Happier

A book you own but have never read: Left For Dead

A book that intimidates you: The Green Road

For The Book Riot Read Harder Challenge I've Read:

Read a book out loud to someone else: Love From Paddington

Read a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel: An Ember in the Ashes

Read a book of historical fiction set before 1900: The Mapmaker's Children

Read a book that was adapted into a movie, then watch the movie: A Walk in the Woods

Read a food memoir: Plenty

Read a play: The Importance of being Earnest

How is your reading year going?

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I forgive you Stephen King

Warning: This post contains minor spoilers from books that came out about 10 years ago. If you are strictly spoiler free on The Dark Tower and Harry Potter this is not the post for you.

I started reading The Harry Potter series during a trying time in my life. It was 2006, and all of the books had been released but the last one. Harry & co. were pretty constant companions during that time. I was easily able to get used copies of the first five, waited a while but finally got the 6th, and pre-ordered the 7th one to arrive at my house on release day like every other muggle I knew. I sat on a blanket under the holly tree in my back yard and read the whole thing at once. I loved the series, when it came to the ending I was underwhelmed.

Eventually I decided to re-read the Harry Potter series. I re-read them twice actually - once for each time I was pregnant. There's something about Harry Potter that suits the mind numbing exhaustion of pregnancy. Then my kids were born, and I began to rely on audiobooks. That's when I met Jim Dale, and listened to the whole series again. Somewhere along the way I changed my mind. I decided that the ending was amazing. It just took me a few reads to slow down, and realize how it all fit together.

I'm not sure what made me go back and re-read a series when I knew I didn't like the ending. But it's reflection on Harry Potter that made me go back and start re-reading Stephen King's Dark Tower Series.

During my misspent youth I used to steal my Dad's Stephen King books, and hide them under my pillow to read late at night. He must have eventually caught me, but I don't think he was mad. (The Stand isn't really suitable for hiding under a pillow.) He even suggested that if I really wanted to read something amazing by Stephen King I should check out The Dark Tower. There were only four books at the time, but he said they were worth reading even if they were unresolved. Being of an age where I wasn't prone to take my dad's advise I didn't pick them up right away.

A few years later I was lonely while studying abroad, and picked up a copy of The Gunsliger at an Oxfam shop. I read the first four books while in England, and waiter eagerly for King to write and release the last three. I have a vivid memory of getting up early the day after my wedding so I could go outside and read Song of Susannah. Like Harry Potter, I got the last installment of the series on the day it came out and read it all in one huge gulp. When I finally got to the end I threw the book across the room. Then I picked it up to make sure I hadn't missed something. Then I threw it again.

My reaction to the ending was so violent that I'm amazed that I had the emotional energy to start reading the Harry Potter series just a few years later. Who knows, maybe that's why I put off reading Harry Potter when everyone else in the world was. When a book breaks your heart, you don't easily set yourself up to let it get broken again.

Last year I realized that just like with the ending to Harry Potter, my tendency to binge read might have made me miss the true genius of The Dark Tower series. So I started again. I made my way through the first four - the original books my Dad had told me about. Then I took a break before I started the last three. I finished Wolves of the Calla last week.

I forgive you Stephen King. I haven't yet gotten to the end of the series in this re-read, but I forgive you. The way you weave in the early 2000's into this book while remaining true to the original characters amazed me. Your world building and weaving ways astound me. Even knowing what's coming I am impressed. I'll keep reading with an open mind and a glad heart, and I promise not to throw anything when I get to the ending this time.

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