books, a love affair

I confess....I need the extra space.

We moved to this house when I was eight. It was the summer before I started fourth grade. We were still somewhat new at the blended family thing but I was the only kid who was going to be a full time resident. My step-sister must have been starting college and my step-brothers would have been in their teens. I'm guessing it was with an eye to their various visits that the guest room was furnished with two twin beds. Since my return home in my thirties was unexpected, my childhood room has long been an office (both mom and step-dad work from home) and I am in the guest room. The twin bed has taken an adjustment and there is a bit of an emotional/mental downer in using it, but the second bed is mighty handy. I have a bed for me. And I have a bed for my books.

I am generally not a very material person. I don't tend to want a lot of things (which frustrates folks in December with my birthday and the holidays crammed together). But I hoard books. They are my wallet-weakness. I know I should use the library, but there's something that compels me to OWN my books. I prefer paperbacks, and would even if they weren't cheaper, because they fit better in my hands. This is especially true since I enjoy reading in bed, traditionally before going to sleep. The upside to unemployment is reading in bed in the mornings too. It's a lovely way to enter the day, especially when the air is cold and the blankets cozy. I've fallen in love with getting used books (always in good condition). I suppose there's an irony since I take them out of circulation, but I kind of enjoy wondering where they've been. I loved the one that had stamps showing it lived abroad and in a library. I kept a plane ticket stub that fell out of another (travel b/w Croatia and Italy!!).

I am sure I've said before that I revisit books. I have a decent memory for happenings in my life but have never been good at memorization beyond that. It's why I never enjoyed history classes...the stories of history intrigues me but I never could recall dates or make analogies to other events. Likewise, I sometimes recall how a book "felt" but I never fully remember it so I can reread it without boredom. Some I even reread annually...those I do recall more strongly but I still find new wonders each time.

I tend to be drawn to character driven books (I swear I've blogged on this before but can't find it...). I don't need a complex plot, I'd rather have complex players. I don't need to love the characters, in fact I prefer that they have imperfections, but I need to be intrigued by them. I like them well-rounded and with warts. I don't want them to be quite like me or like people I know, I like to "meet" new folks, but I want to understand them (even if I don't agree with them). I tend to read "quality fiction" with an occasional chick-lit break thrown it, though I've enjoyed getting to explore other genres through the HarperCollins review team.

That last paragraph feels thrown in to a post more about physical books than their stories, but I didn't want to skip it. I'll return though to the material reality of reading before I hit "publish" and send this off to the e-sphere. I desperately hope that "real" books don't become a relic of the past. I suppose they are a bit safer than records/tapes/CDs since they can be enjoyed without any extra equipment, but I hope they don't disappear with technology. I know many who love their e-readers, including my dad who is a fellow book addict, but I just can't do it. I want to hold my books, not a tablet computer. I want to feel them and turn the pages and dog-ear them (yes, I dog-ear...and I'm proud of it!!). I like the heft and the reality. When I left Boston, I brought a large duffel filled with some "essentials" and left several boxes full of books to be sent when I have a new place of my own. The second twin bed has the books that came with me and many more that I've found since then. I may need a two bedroom apartment to accommodate them when I settle again. It'll be worth it to have their company.

it's been a bit...

I confess...I sometimes even think in bullet points. Being the type to overthink things, I wonder if my bullet posts are annoying. Then I realize it's my blog and I can do as I please. Then I wonder again. Then I think I want more followers....some sort of ego thing....then I wonder if bullets bore followers. Really, life in my head is quite complex.

• Two weeks ago, I missed a birth control pill one night (took two the next). Normal women take a week off of active pills every month. I don't since I take them to control the endo. I was off with ONE pill after years of no misses. I ended up curled in the fetal position for a week.
• Yesterday, I went to the store and bought a pint of ice cream and a copy of Shape magazine. I caught the cashier (well, self-checkout supervisor-type) grinning.
• I've come to a conclusion on the marriage stuff. I am not mad at X for divorcing me. I am, however, mad at him for marrying me. He knew the problems that ended up making him leave were there and just hoped they'd change. He didn't take me as who I am. I admit I'm not perfect, I own that I have issues that contributed to the problems, but I was open about those. I took him as he was (he isn't perfect either...), he didn't do the same.
• A guy hit on me the other day. We'd made eye contact at a bar (we were the only ones under 60 there alone). He came over and said "You have pretty hair." I thanked him. He said "It's long." I said "Yes" and that I'd worn it long for many years. He fumbled with his beer and then eventually left. It was kinda sweet and felt nice but, as a suggestion to readers, an opening compliment is lovely but you need to have a follow-up. Yes, I could have helped, but wasn't feeling motivated (or, honestly, attracted).
• I can feel my core muscles getting stronger from PT. Definitely a good thing. I get nervous before appointments sometimes because I can't think of much to say and you kind of need to talk during the assisted stretching part.
• I've never been a fan of the Thansgiving meal. I am, however, looking forward to: lox pinwheel appetizers, squash, and dessert. And red wine...but that's a given.
• My mom has always cooked Thanksgiving. She puts on music since she's in the kitchen for a while. It is often the only time of the year the CD player is on and it is often Barbara Streisand (some stereotypes of New York born Jews hold true). For this reason, whenever I hear Memories, People (Who Need People) or other such songs, I think of turkey.
• An addition to my treadmill tv viewing is On Demand episodes of The Defenders. I was really surprised to enjoy it. Not "fine TV" by any means, but a fun watch.
• I want to see Harry Potter but want to let the crowds die down. I'll admit they've all fallen downhill for me after the first...but that's not unlike me.
• I'm waiting for a new shipment of books. I've taken to buying used ones in good shape from Amazon. There's usually a $3.99 shipping charge on each since they are from different places (not Amazon itself) but that's not a bad deal when the books are usually between a penny and four dollars.
• My birthday is sneaking up. It triggers a random bit of mental trivia from an English teacher. She said to watch out for 33 year olds because that's the age at which Jesus is said to have died and thus it often has meaning when used. I'm wondering what meaning 33 will have for me. My 32nd year was not a good one but it does present the opportunity for 33 to be a re-birth of sorts. Now the same voice at play in the intro to this post is wondering if that statement would be offensive to some people. I hope not.

two-for-one: Mental Floss History of the US & Take Me Home

I confess...I procrastinated a small bit so you get a double review. Both brought to you by the lovely folks at Harper who send me promo copies.

• The Mental Floss History of the United States: The (Almost) Complete and (Entirely) Entertaining Story of America -- Will Pearson, Mangesh Hattikudur, Erik Sass

This definitely falls into the realm of a book I might pick up and glance at on my own but wouldn't likely have bought if not presented with the opportunity to read it for Harper. I enjoyed it, though I think it may be better as a "pick-up and read a few pages" book than one read straight through.

Mental Floss is a magazine that presents factual information in a humorous tone (how is that for a totally non-humorous description). I knew the name in passing but hadn't read anything in their retinue before. This novel begins with the arrival of man in North America, makes a quick leap to European explorers (w/ a solid explanation for the missing detail due to the lack of written artifacts), then goes through colonialism and American history through Obama and the current recession. In each section, it gives a general chronology, reviews some popularly accepted misconceptions, and covers some biographies and popular topics. The whole is told in a very readable, enjoyable manner. I made a few new discoveries (Washington wasn't a great general) though less was a surprise than it might be to most since my education favored questioning history a bit more than most.

It is an enjoyable ride. I do NOT intend it to be negative when I say it would be a great "bathroom book"...it's simply a book that would be easy to pick up, peruse for a few pages, and then put back down till a later date. I'm not a history gal (partly b/c I have no memory for it so it frustrates me) but it held my attention and I give it 4 of 5 stars.

• Take Me Home -- Brian Leung

This novel falls into the realm of books that I wanted to like more than I did. I very well might have picked it up on my own and I wouldn't have regretted it but I also would be unlikely to return to it or pass it on. I'd give it a solid 3 out of 5 stars.

The novel follows Addie Maine in both her first stay in the Wyoming Territory (1880s) and her return as an older woman (1920s). The focus is on the earlier period, when she joined her brother who had been attracted to the territory by the promise of a homestead. Having found the land rough, he ends up working in a coal mine shortly after Addie arrives. The area is populated by both Caucasians and Chinese, the latter brought in by the rail and mine groups to provide cheap labor. The lack of money leads to strong racial tensions, tensions to which a growing friendship between Addie and a Chinese man run counter. I won't say too much more to avoid venturing into spoiler territory, although it becomes clear early on that Addie is wounded in a local riot (one that has a historical parallel).

I like stories about strong women and Addie is certainly one. I am also interested in the history of racial tension, especially stories that sometimes go untold...I knew of tension with those of European descent and the Chinese (it's easier to have tension w/ groups that appear different on sight) but not of the particular story that provides the historical backdrop for the tale. I just never felt fully pulled in, never fell into the story and the characters (I've said before, characters make a book for me more than plot). I wanted to know a lot more about Addie's lone female friend in the territory but that was pretty much a side story. Leung (who I think is only on his 2nd novel) has talent for identifying an interesting context and tale. His prose flows well and has character. But I just didn't find myself surrendering to the tale enough to give it a higher rating. Good, but not great.