Day 5: Book I Wish I Could Live In
April 18, 2012 § 1 Comment
I had to think about this for a while, but then it came to me, and it seemed so obvious. The book I wish I could live in is The Great Gatsby. Of course. Set in 1922 in the West Egg district of Long Island, who would not want to be part of Jay Gatsby’s extravagant parties?
In fact, in high school AP English, we threw a “Gatsby Party.” Naturally, I moaned and groaned and did not take full advantage of such a wonderful opportunity. I completely missed a legitimate chance for fun in a short skirt, a tad too much makeup, and general disdain for social norms and behaviors. Not to mention, jazz. I love jazz.
So Fitzgerald portrays the era enveloped by decayed social and moral values? But the “American Dream,” in which any person from any social bracket was still alive, and almost possible. Nick explains Fitzgerald’s idea that the American dream was originally about discovery, individualism, and the pursuit of happiness. Then Americans became disillusioned after World War I, resulting in the desire for easy money and relaxed morality. Call me crazy, but I guess nothing has changed.
So if I get to have a disillusioned dream of my own, I would love to be living that dream in a swanky home, close enough to attend Gatsby’s parties, but far enough not to have to become irreversibly situated within the plot of the story, alas I become as cynical as Jordan Baker.
Day 3: Book That Makes Me LOL
March 21, 2012 § Leave a comment
Several years and three children (hers, not mine) ago, my friend Robin introduced me to a very hilarious man, David Sedaris. Okay, neither of us actually knows him, but she strongly suggested that I read Me Talk Pretty One Day. So I borrowed her copy. And I laughed so hard I cried. I may have even peed a little. I returned the book to Robin, and promptly bought my own copy. I enjoyed it that much. I read it again. I would have read it a third time, but I’ve lent it to every person I know, and I have no idea where it is now. Me Talk Pretty One Day remains on my Wish List on Amazon.
“I’m the most important person in the lives of almost everyone I know and a good number of the people I’ve never even met.” David Sedaris
I have heard it argued that David Sedaris is only appealing to women and gay men. Not so, my friends. I know of several very straight men who really enjoyed Me Talk Pretty One Day. Of course, several of them keep that under wraps for fear of the mocking which they believe would ensue. Get over it. Or don’t. Keep it in your night drawer with your other socially embarrassing goods. But read it.
“I spent months searching for some secret code before I realized that common sense has nothing to do with it. Hysteria, psychosis, torture, depression: I was told that if something is unpleasant it’s probably feminine. This encouraged me, but the theory was blown by such masculine nouns as murder, toothache, and rollerblade. I have no problem learning the words themselves, it’s the sexes that trip me up and refuse to stick.” -Me Talk Pretty One Day
This book is not so much a novel as a collection of stories from various phases of David’s life. He recounts his trials as a youth, marked by a speech therapist who desperately tried to cure David’s lisp, accompanied by a series of “de-gaying” tactics. When his OCD takes over, I could barely breath (because I was laughing so hard) as he licked the light switch in his childhood classroom.
There is also some toilet humor, and if you are easily offended, this book is probably not for you. Robin and I enjoy toilet humor, especially The Poopie List .(This is not the comprehensive list we discovered in high school. The original list had me laughing so hard that no sound was able to escape my mouth.)
“Everyone had taken their places, when I excused myself to visit the bathroom, and there, in the toilet, was the absolute biggest turd I have ever seen in my life – no toilet paper or anything, just this long and coiled specimen, as thick as a burrito.” -Me Talk Pretty One Day
The chapter devoted to David’s brother, affectionately called Rooster, is one of my favorites. Poor, redneck, Rooster, the product of declining parental discipline. Vulgar and crass, yet somehow loveable. I am not including a quote from this chapter, because all of the good ones contain multiple obscenities.
It has been years since I’ve read Me Talk Pretty One Day, and I really need to read it again. Soon. David’s neurotic family would definitely give Chelsea Handler’s (I love her books) a run for their money.
“I can’t promise I’ll never kill anyone again,” he once said, strapping a refrigerator to his back. “It’s unrealistic to live your life within such strict parameters” -Me Talk Pretty One Day
Day 2: My Least Favorite Book
March 19, 2012 § Leave a comment
I haven’t posted in a few days. I’m not going to lie; I really had to think about this. I love nearly every book I read, and the books that I don’t love, I don’t necessarily hate. While today’s title is not The Book I Hate, I kind of feel like labeling a book as My Least Favorite Book is almost like saying that I hated it.
I don’t read a lot of fiction, and when I do, I prefer Salinger or Vonnegut. Jacqueline Susann is my dirty little secret. Having said that, I like Stephen King. I think he’s an excellent writer. Both The Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption moved me to tears. Pet Cemetery and The Shining scared the bejesus out of me. So, I grabbed Tommyknockers out of my Mom’s Kleiderschrank,
in which she has her own small personal library.
Huge disappointment. I didn’t even get through the first half. My mom warned me; she told me exactly why she didn’t think I would like it. She was right (when are Moms ever wrong???).
Well, the book started out okay. There’s something a little off -the guy uncovers a strange metal object in the middle of the countryside. I was hoping against hope that it wouldn’t be a spaceship. Vonnegut’s so-labeled sci-fi I like; I think it’s his writing style. And even Vonnegut said that the only reason his writing was labeled as science fiction, was because he wrote about technology. He also said not writing about technology misrepresents current(ish) life as much as the Victorians misrepresented their lives by not writing about sex.
I’m not big on aliens, although I wouldn’t mind actually seeing one. But I seriously doubt I ever will, unless it’s some manufactured scheme by the US Government joking (kind of)… I could’ve gotten over the aliens. But then there was the suggestion of nuclear radiation and fallout. Come on. I’m not going to get on a soapbox, but nuclear radiation poisoning? Really? Sidenote: I was a mechanic in the Navy, and I was on a nuclear aircraft carrier. (I did a lot of cleaning -my nails suffered from lack of manicures for many years but not once was I overexposed to radiation.) Totally safe.
Even if you’re anti-nuclear power, the “radiation poisoning” symptoms described in the book are not realistic. I know you’re thinking-what part of this book is suppose to be realistic??
Something about the whole thing just irked me. I could’ve accepted some sort of zombie-like progression in which the aliens or infected individuals bit or scratched other people. Again, unrealistic, I know. I didn’t even read far enough to find out what Tommyknockers are. I guess I was hoping for scary boogeymen going door to door or something.
So feel free to share your opinions. I would love a good synopsis from someone who actually enjoyed the book. Or at least made it to the end.
30 Days in Books
March 13, 2012 § 2 Comments
I initially envisioned my blog as being insightful, witty, maybe even philosophical. So far, it has been none of these. Today I stumbled upon Beverly Penn’s Blog, in which she challenges herself to remember her reactions to books she’s read. Since reading is probably the one thing I can definitely say that I love doing, and in fact, could not live without doing (besides breathing, eating, blah, blah) I think that this is an appropriate activity. I cannot conceive of completing the list within the given time allocation, but I look forward to really considering each book I’ve read and truly remembering what I learned from it. And, to be honest, after almost every book I read, I swear that I will reread it because it has, in some way, made such an impact on me. The rereading does not happen as often as I would like, so hopefully, I can recap the highlights here. Happy Reading!
Day 1: Favorite book
Day 2: Least favorite book
Day 3: Book that makes you laugh out loud
Day 4: Book that makes you cry
Day 5: Book you wish you could live in
Day 6: Favorite young adult book
Day 7: Book that you can quote/recite
Day 8: Book that scares you
Day 9: Book that makes you sick
Day 10: Book that changed your life
Day 11: Book from your favorite author
Day 12: Book that is most like your life
Day 13: Book whose main character is most like you
Day 14: Book whose main character you want to marry
Day 15: First “chapter book” you can remember reading as a child
Day 16: Longest book you’ve read
Day 17: Shortest book you’ve read
Day 18: Book you’re most embarrassed to say you like
Day 19: Book that turned you on
Day 20: Book you’ve read the most number of times
Day 21: Favorite picture book from childhood
Day 22: Book you plan to read next
Day 23: Book you tell people you’ve read, but haven’t (or haven’t actually finished)
Day 24: Book that contains your favorite scene
Day 25: Favorite book you read in school
Day 26: Favorite nonfiction book
Day 27: Favorite fiction book
Day 28: Last book you read
Day 29: Book you’re currently reading
Day 30: Favorite coffee table book