tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138004652024-03-21T14:19:50.253-05:00Observations of a LibrarianWords and MusicKathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.comBlogger253125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-89718498386100386842012-01-25T02:30:00.010-06:002012-01-25T02:58:14.155-06:00Un Lun Dun<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYot4HExg3WFb40o5koI_tfd6tCqvu1Di45wmBxDUm5Bk12T6fwJ3gzCPauuwS9GppPli_J114RiSWMeZC8EdouwpuoxyVc2-eIthIDV1iJ2ddUCd2pDextBGazDrrBEXGH7zN/s1600/unlundun.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYot4HExg3WFb40o5koI_tfd6tCqvu1Di45wmBxDUm5Bk12T6fwJ3gzCPauuwS9GppPli_J114RiSWMeZC8EdouwpuoxyVc2-eIthIDV1iJ2ddUCd2pDextBGazDrrBEXGH7zN/s200/unlundun.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701484451927553986" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lun-Dun-China-Mieville/dp/0345458443/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327480136&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Un Lun Dun</span></a>: China Mieville: Normally, I don't comment on books before I finish them, but I just wanted to say a few things about China Mieville's foray into YA lit. It reminds me very much, so far, of Neil Gaiman's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Neverwhere-Novel-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0060557818/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327480491&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Neverwhere</span></a>, with the idea of a London that exists alongside and unknown to the London of our reality.<br /><br />In Mieville's story, one girl, Zanna, is the Chosen One -- what she's chosen for, she has no clue about, but she first realizes that something is watching her and and another malevolent force is out to hurt her when she's at school with her friends. After an accident that is clearly somehow related to her, she and her friend, Deeba (who is the only one to stick by her after the accident) stumble into Un Lun Dun, where they begin their journey to find out why and for what Zanna is chosen.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Un Lun Dun </span>contains themes that are found in many Mieville tales -- the idea that an entire reality can exist alongside another with the citizens of at least one of those realities completely ignoring it is especially realized in his novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/City-Random-House-Readers-Circle/dp/034549752X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327481022&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">The City and the City</span></a>. His take on this theme for a YA audience is so far enjoyable and appropriate for that audience, while not being dumbed down in the least. I first discovered Mieville when I picked up <span style="font-style: italic;">The City and the City</span> for its lovely cover. I've continued to read his novels and short stories and he has yet to disappoint me. Although <span style="font-style: italic;">Un Lun Dun</span> is written for a younger audience, older readers can also enjoy this story of an alternate London where milk cartons can be pets.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-77464320417912803102011-12-04T15:10:00.008-06:002011-12-04T18:09:44.680-06:00Castle Waiting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuv96OA1jREl1ZdsIOykRSRV5rmQTV4qfBm3M0Dg4H_hrlM_jf29833VKgOJH1w1yDp-Mpv0L75MVHn9BB5sEzwJkc3zVp7xVbVR36NFFV7BD_E23IoHpqhNNclrjjqIO8gKo/s1600/castle.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 135px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 138px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682383997277722578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuv96OA1jREl1ZdsIOykRSRV5rmQTV4qfBm3M0Dg4H_hrlM_jf29833VKgOJH1w1yDp-Mpv0L75MVHn9BB5sEzwJkc3zVp7xVbVR36NFFV7BD_E23IoHpqhNNclrjjqIO8gKo/s200/castle.jpg" /></a> <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Castle-Waiting-Linda-Medley/dp/1560977477/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323033035&sr=1-1">Castle Waiting</a></em>: Linda Medley: This image is from volume 1 but I've read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Castle-Waiting-Vol-Fantagraphic-Books/dp/1606994050/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323043754&sr=1-1">volume 2</a> as well and like them both. According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Waiting"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wikipedia</span></a>, Medley is currently taking a break from the <em>Castle Waiting</em> series, and I think that's a shame. I love the mix of fairytale and modern touches found in these books.<br /><br />In volume 1, Medley first retells the Sleeping Beauty story and you see the castle become surrounded by brambles. A century later, Sleeping Beauty's castle has first been abandoned and then taken over by a motley crew of interesting characters -- Simple Simon and his mother; Lady Jain and her odd but cute baby; Sister Peace (a bearded nun), and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rackham</span> (a stork who acts as steward in the castle.) Sleeping Beauty's ladies-in-waiting also live at the castle, which seems to exist as a haven for those who need it.<br /><br />Instead of retelling <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">fairytales</span>, <em>Castle Waiting</em> provides the reader with an insight into the daily lives of the characters who inhabit the castle. There's also <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">backstory</span> for Lady Jain, who has fled her husband and is in search of a place to stay, and for Sister Peace, who started out as the daughter of a pub owner and, when she began to exhibit facial hair, left to join the circus, and ended up as a nun in a convent of similarly bearded women. I liked both <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">storylines</span> and I liked both volumes of this graphic novel -- although they are both over 300 pages, they take no time at all to read. I just wish Linda Medley hadn't taken a break from the story because volume two just ends -- period -- at what seems to be the start of a new storyline involving dwarves (here called Hammerlings).Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-50628612500727066392011-10-24T20:38:00.012-05:002011-10-24T21:06:25.443-05:00The Constant Gardener<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4JHI5jmbXU3EdYyVdH3wciLQkgo2TQ8hEv050ejSHMrhyphenhyphenU0d5_jTWCYC9UnLiR8OHEgJGRT721cFgX3RGxxxzFKXHDuQxDgYt3upS_riSLTaupqGsT7C27phEKCnpruA1hGq/s1600/gardener.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 148px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667238329121233218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4JHI5jmbXU3EdYyVdH3wciLQkgo2TQ8hEv050ejSHMrhyphenhyphenU0d5_jTWCYC9UnLiR8OHEgJGRT721cFgX3RGxxxzFKXHDuQxDgYt3upS_riSLTaupqGsT7C27phEKCnpruA1hGq/s200/gardener.jpg" /></a> <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Constant-Gardener-Novel-John-Carre/dp/0743287207/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319506790&sr=1-1">The Constant Gardener</a></em>: John Le <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Carre</span>: It's rare that I like a movie more than I enjoy a book -- very rare. But with <em>The Constant Gardener</em>, that appears to be the case. It's not that I didn't like the book; I did. I just didn't love it, and I loved the movie. But <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">le</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Carre's</span> book was much more confusing than the movie was and more didactic as well. The major plot regarding the murder of Tessa Quayle and how it may or may not be traced back to a pharmaceutical giant and its rush to market of a drug for TB, is just too preachy. There are some subplots that didn't need to be present at all -- all the business with Sandy (who wanted to be High Commissioner in Kenya) -- much of it was superfluous. And although Gloria, Sandy's wife, was kind of funny, we didn't need so much of her. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ghita's</span> trip to the area where Tessa was killed didn't even really need <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ghita</span> at all -- someone else could have done it -- it could have been part of Justin's journey to find out what happened to his wife. The confrontation with Bernard <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pellegrin</span> (played by Bill <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nighy</span> in the movie) didn't feel as emotionally satisfying in the book as it did in the movie. All in all, the book ranks about average for me.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-39750377169543628762011-08-27T10:10:00.008-05:002011-08-27T10:40:25.255-05:00A Feast for Crows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzn8zzkiBs7YltSfqFbpHydVyCEv4qj5Hjib65PMzeIURwFBHCPrJeWC2wnT8eGYJOQNIpI_pf1mvPkwyzK6XUu9lw9y2_Dp2I_tl7gdCeJLXuQ3QGnXTtWNKjyaSrQZvjz2F/s1600/feast.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 127px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645553696455531698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzn8zzkiBs7YltSfqFbpHydVyCEv4qj5Hjib65PMzeIURwFBHCPrJeWC2wnT8eGYJOQNIpI_pf1mvPkwyzK6XUu9lw9y2_Dp2I_tl7gdCeJLXuQ3QGnXTtWNKjyaSrQZvjz2F/s200/feast.jpg" /></a> <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Feast-Crows-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553582038/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314457854&sr=1-1">A Feast for Crows</a></em>: George R. R. Martin: I loved the first three books in the <em>Song of Ice and Fire</em> series, but this one is by far my least favorite. By far. Characters that we have come to expect to hear from are not present -- no <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tyrion</span></span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Lannister</span></span>, no <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dany</span></span>, no Jon Snow. Martin says he felt he had to divide this book from <em>A Dance With Dragons </em>because the story was just getting too unwieldy. I feel that if he had had proper editing, the relevant chapters from this book and the relevant ones from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">DWD</span></span> could have been combined into one book about the length of <em>A Dance With Dragons</em> without losing anything essential from the story (having read <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">DWD</span></span>, I know there's far too much pointless meandering in that book.) As it is, we follow <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Brienne</span></span>, the Maid of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tarth</span></span>, as she wanders here and wanders there looking for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sansa</span></span> Stark. We get much too much of a peek into <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cersei's</span></span> mind as she descends into paranoia and makes stupider and stupider decisions. What's done with Sam <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tarly</span></span> in this book is nowhere near as interesting as it could have been and there was far too much of this uninteresting story -- I'm tired of hearing Sam call himself a craven when it's clear he's anything but. A lot of this was just useless. And <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Arya</span></span> -- I just don't care about her story in this book -- she seems more of an "eye on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Braavos</span></span>" character than anything else. I now know all about <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Braavos</span></span> but less and less about <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Arya</span></span>, and what's worse is that I just don't really care. She's always been one of my favorite characters, so to be bored by her was disappointing, to say the least. I'm not sure how I feel about the chapters set in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dorne</span> -- interesting enough but too much of them. The only thing that I really loved about <em>A Feast for Crows</em> was the development of Jaime <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Lannister's</span></span> character; he becomes much more interesting and unpredictable in his behavior. And he's surprisingly <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">likable</span> -- sort of. I'm just thankful that I came to the series only because I saw <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">HBO's</span> <em>Game of Thrones;</em> if I'd had to wait and wait for the latest book and then got this, I would have been very unhappy. As it is, I was just mostly bored.
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<br />Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-26107396514269675272011-07-09T10:21:00.007-05:002011-07-21T18:34:36.432-05:00Game of Thrones<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWVCOqIL6UJE_dtkGpL5gZINck3eAA44c_ZjunAlxUUzr5RF_abCbij0C3zgttVhbPxhvQo5t2Dal_0hue94uGazgGKrxldE9SpsKkOV4Ar6maJwgkfRJanMKrR3th6MWj95k/s1600/game.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 117px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 114px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627373176098153202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWVCOqIL6UJE_dtkGpL5gZINck3eAA44c_ZjunAlxUUzr5RF_abCbij0C3zgttVhbPxhvQo5t2Dal_0hue94uGazgGKrxldE9SpsKkOV4Ar6maJwgkfRJanMKrR3th6MWj95k/s200/game.jpg" /></a><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553386794/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310224894&sr=1-2">A Game of Thrones</a></em>: George R. R. Martin: I came late to this series, discovering it through the HBO series. Because <em>Game of Thrones</em> won't be back until 2012 and I missed that world, I decided to start reading the books.<br /><br />I don't think I've ever seen such a faithful adaption of a book anywhere. I think I could have started reading the second book without having read this first one because the HBO series dealt with the plots and characters from this book in much the same way Martin does. That said, I'm glad I read <em>A Game of Thrones</em> as I feel it gave me further insight into the motivation of each character. I ended up feeling sorrier for Sansa in the book than I did in the series; she was younger in the book (most of the characters are) and more innocent and trusting.<br /><br />Arya is still my favorite and I look forward to reading more about her exploits in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clash-Kings-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553381695/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b">A Clash of Kings</a>. Running a close second to Arya is Tyrion Lannister -- the Imp. I don't know if that's because of Peter Dinklage's portrayal of him in the series or because I just would have gravitated toward his brand of snarkiness anyway; probably a little of both.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-11881873578735894242011-06-16T19:55:00.008-05:002011-06-16T20:18:09.355-05:00Supernatural<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGXa2WAXG34xhghFrnA-nUM9u8LSAAnPaTf0Tt6LzyVMO0cBm8fUMUXH7iCwho0yBIyTKleKbEdKTrWqZeJ2x1RninIhMImodffDUwKYy2yh4K5rMr4MyBSf3OB3H9oFtenYf/s1600/supernatural.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 111px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 105px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618986166265625474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGXa2WAXG34xhghFrnA-nUM9u8LSAAnPaTf0Tt6LzyVMO0cBm8fUMUXH7iCwho0yBIyTKleKbEdKTrWqZeJ2x1RninIhMImodffDUwKYy2yh4K5rMr4MyBSf3OB3H9oFtenYf/s200/supernatural.jpg" /></a> <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Supernatural-Year-Gone-Rebecca-Dessertine/dp/0857680994/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1308271993&sr=1-1">Supernatural: One Year Gone</a></em>: <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rebecca</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dessertine</span>: Given that this is a novel based on characters in a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">tv</span> show I watch, I probably shouldn't be as bothered by this book as I am. However, it's been awhile since I read it and the sheer badness of it still appalls me. The funny thing is, it had all kinds of things to appeal to me:<br /><br /><ol><br /><li>the Salem witchcraft trials</li><br /><li>The year between the end of season 5 and the time Dean finds out Sam is alive</li><br /><li>Soulless Sam</li><br /><li>The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Necromonicon</span></li><br /><li>The endorsement of Eric <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kripke</span>, the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">show's</span> creator</li></ol><br /><p>But in the end, none of that meant anything; the book was just plain bad. The characterization was thin -- I know I am and should be familiar with these characters from the show, but please! Give them some personality; don't depend so much on my familiarity with them. I could barely distinguish Sam from Dean, nor was it clear to me that Sam was Soulless Sam -- he could have been anybody given that he was so one dimensional.</p><br /><p>And the plot was all over the place. It's as if <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dessertine</span> decided she'd throw in all kinds of supernatural creatures -- ghosts (pirate ones at that), a ship that's just a museum that suddenly drifts out to sea while Ben and Dean are touring it, witches. The witch story was the strongest, why not just stick with it? I expected more of a book endorsed by <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kripke</span> and written by his assistant. Apparently, I shouldn't have.</p>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-61285784040822699652011-03-22T02:47:00.005-05:002011-03-22T03:15:58.763-05:00Never Let Me Go<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEWpSuP3dZ9RROpPMqaNCBAPDHI7dsjjrlqmREq2m61Ffims6H04ZOuwU91rD2ux_jw6c5zvYBGaf9sqUmIRzMlMUBVBlqcVHB_piUkdb7psnfpqy-7-4oGygS6enwsUXcLPs/s1600/never+let+me+go.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEWpSuP3dZ9RROpPMqaNCBAPDHI7dsjjrlqmREq2m61Ffims6H04ZOuwU91rD2ux_jw6c5zvYBGaf9sqUmIRzMlMUBVBlqcVHB_piUkdb7psnfpqy-7-4oGygS6enwsUXcLPs/s200/never+let+me+go.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586807939401176338" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Idiot-Girl-Flaming-Tantrum-Death/dp/081297574X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1300779812&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Never Let Me Go</span></a>: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Kazuo</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ishiguro</span>: It's hard to say anything about this book's plot without revealing details that are best discovered by the reader. Suffice it to say that when we meet the narrator, Kathy, she is 31 and looking back on her life and friendships at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hailsham</span> -- a school for special students. The students are so special that even they don't really realize the nature of that specialness; they are, as one of the teachers says, "told and not told" about it, so they don't have a real understanding of their purpose. When they do find out, it's brutal. Kathy's narration, with its passive and calm tone, acts as a counterpoint to the brutality and horror of the truth that Kathy, Ruth and Tommy will discover.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ishiguro's</span> style is literary in the best sense of the word; <span style="font-style: italic;">Never Let Me Go</span> is about more than just friendship and loss -- compassion and forgiveness. Its themes cover the nature of humanity and society, all in an intimate story with only three main characters. I liked this book when I first read it, but it stuck with me and I keep thinking about it, turning over what it means in my mind. Now I love it. It's the best book I've read this year.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-87212149639847963382010-11-15T18:42:00.005-06:002010-11-15T21:00:12.120-06:00My Reading Life<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPjRcfnXGwRJzjZCc4lLbqRmEjIObzTMiXMVsXztpUYwOsQOTXG0SRvlqEPyZuPM_2YqTc5ViA-e1uhmokt-NDRWlz3FlMkvqqprR_j2oiCQJ7j2WXsN-o8P6IOY8zg7uLN9z/s1600/myreadinglife.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 75px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 75px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539942131536615490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPjRcfnXGwRJzjZCc4lLbqRmEjIObzTMiXMVsXztpUYwOsQOTXG0SRvlqEPyZuPM_2YqTc5ViA-e1uhmokt-NDRWlz3FlMkvqqprR_j2oiCQJ7j2WXsN-o8P6IOY8zg7uLN9z/s200/myreadinglife.jpg" /></a> <div><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Reading-Life-Pat-Conroy/dp/0385533578/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289867992&sr=1-1">My Reading Life</a></em>: Pat Conroy: Ever since I read <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Water-Wide-Memoir-Pat-Conroy/dp/0553381571/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289868370&sr=1-1">The Water is Wide</a></em>, I've loved Pat Conroy, and every book of his I've read since has made me love him more, excepting <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385344074/ref=s9_simh_se_p14_d0_i4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=auto-no-results-center-1&pf_rd_r=07ZTXX5J5B2XJAP682DK&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=1263465782&pf_rd_i=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWater-Wide-Memoir-Pat-Conroy%2Fdp%2F0553381571%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fs%3Dbooks%26ie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1289868370%26sr%3D1-1">South of Broad</a></em> -- I just didn't care for that book at all -- it was missing something -- the heart that's present in most Conroy novels. Anyway, to run across this new book where he talks about the books and the writers and the teachers and the librarians who influenced him and ultimately made him into a writer was a real thrill for me. Despite the fact that Conroy's usual writing weaknesses are present here -- he's often criticized, and not unfairly, for overblown prose -- this book was a delight to read since his strengths are present also. I read it in a day and I'd go back and read it again. Or I might simply pull out my favorite Conroy novel, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Tides-Novel-Pat-Conroy/dp/0553381547/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289869244&sr=1-1">The Prince of Tides</a></em>, and read it for the fifth time, or <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">possibly</span> re-read <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beach-Music-Novel-Pat-Conroy/dp/0553381539/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289869293&sr=1-1">Beach Music</a></em>, which I've only read once. </div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-40828289406802124292010-09-15T16:46:00.001-05:002010-09-15T16:47:44.152-05:00DesignI've had the old design ever since I've had this blog, and I just wanted something with the ocean on it.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-27877368685314595872010-07-28T15:02:00.002-05:002010-07-28T15:05:10.502-05:00World War Z and DreamsOkay then. I haven't finished <em>World War Z</em> yet -- I 'm not anywhere near it. But it made me have nightmares last night and woke me up! I don't think this is a good thing. I'm less than 50 pages in and this happened to me. I've read scarier books than what I've read so far and none of them gave me nightmares. I have no clue why this book did.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-51290626714991524892010-07-25T13:47:00.005-05:002010-07-25T14:08:12.219-05:00Faithful Place<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7UkJQ7tFKg0I9hZTsZyB1dtCbabn04QxWzN6n3hy_RjtvsV0-4dj7CiClXQFeQSMWFL6s7bUrMUvwT2EP7ezjfARq-oogFpofpE-pKOE8YzajwrdlpOPDYaepO5qZwBQjuCf/s1600/faithfulplace.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 101px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 104px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497917582623411522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7UkJQ7tFKg0I9hZTsZyB1dtCbabn04QxWzN6n3hy_RjtvsV0-4dj7CiClXQFeQSMWFL6s7bUrMUvwT2EP7ezjfARq-oogFpofpE-pKOE8YzajwrdlpOPDYaepO5qZwBQjuCf/s200/faithfulplace.jpg" /></a> <div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Faithful-Place-Novel-Tana-French/dp/0670021873/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280083630&sr=1-1"><em>Faithful Place</em></a>: Tana French: I've read all three of Tana French's novels, and while <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Woods-Tana-French/dp/0143113496/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280083808&sr=1-4">In the Woods</a></em> and <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Likeness-Novel-Tana-French/dp/0143115626/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280083808&sr=1-3">The Likeness</a></em> were excellent, <em>Faithful Place</em> is French's best novel yet. The characters, Frank <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mackey</span> and his dysfunctional family (most of whom he has not seen in over twenty years until a mystery from his past draws him back to his old neighborhood) are interesting and compelling. I was drawn into the story practically from the opening pages, and, although I had to put it down for such things as sleep, I really just wanted to keep on reading until I finished. One of French's strength as a novelist is in portraying characters to whom it's easy to relate, even if you don't always agree with their actions. Frank, for instance, can be aggravating -- it does seem, as one of his brothers says, that he sees himself as better than the rest of his family and above the rules. Even his choice of work as a cop -- in Undercover where it's often necessary to break the rules -- seems to bear this out. Despite Frank's flaws, he is a character I wanted to like and his poignant <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">backstory</span> helps provide me with reasons to like him. My only quibble with this novel is that I knew WAY too early who the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">villain</span> was. Despite that, I loved this novel and I look forward eagerly to French's new novel (I hope she's working on one right now!)</div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-89533353319277738742010-06-05T10:55:00.010-05:002010-06-05T12:42:55.047-05:00A Little Reading<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-0uDAL0R2tquZNGfcF-JqJIY-V7-uYO2LClR8N4GXm142wbr2LJ1qo2kYp487qvd3iTruMeaqSBMdYYZ6gC0F0Itm2KyTvN7NLS_LqTbPRVKDmsItnW7iSNDPw2Hl5rLulcM/s1600/him.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 115px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 115px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479326536104237106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-0uDAL0R2tquZNGfcF-JqJIY-V7-uYO2LClR8N4GXm142wbr2LJ1qo2kYp487qvd3iTruMeaqSBMdYYZ6gC0F0Itm2KyTvN7NLS_LqTbPRVKDmsItnW7iSNDPw2Hl5rLulcM/s200/him.jpg" /></a> <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Him-Her-Again-End/dp/0743296249/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275754966&sr=1-1">Him Her Him Again the End of Him</a></em>: Patricia Marx: I understand the reviewers who said this book, although quite short, dragged on just a bit too long -- it did. But I still got a laugh out of Eugene and our nameless heroine's inability to quit him, even though it was beyond my capability to understand. Eugene is just so beyond pretentious that he falls into the funny category for me. The parts I had the hardest time with were the whining about Eugene sections -- but then again, so did our narrator's friends. This book was a quick and funny read. <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yrAZ5M9dAKRY2Uh6cXpbiiHYj3LeQK50MKCpjl34ctXRxh8PW3iGi0Vl5Pqq8R63m8Gui05uLdS6XB_4RcUFmDWruS73UGxYzV0YQKgCU10o4CQoc6b0gm43ycp_ClasldHz/s1600/prince.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 115px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 115px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479329052195190242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yrAZ5M9dAKRY2Uh6cXpbiiHYj3LeQK50MKCpjl34ctXRxh8PW3iGi0Vl5Pqq8R63m8Gui05uLdS6XB_4RcUFmDWruS73UGxYzV0YQKgCU10o4CQoc6b0gm43ycp_ClasldHz/s200/prince.jpg" /></a></p><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Mist-Carlos-Ruiz-Zafon/dp/0316044776/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275755765&sr=1-1">The Prince of Mist</a></em>: Carlos Ruiz <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Zafón</span>: I will admit I bought this book for the cover just like I bought one of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Zafón's</span> previous books, The <em>Shadow of the Wind</em>, for the title. I didn't know this was a YA book until I got it. I enjoyed the story of three children, Roland, Alicia, and Max, who learn about evil and magic during a summer that Max and Alicia's parents decide to move to a coastal town to escape the growing war in Europe. At first, I didn't understand why this book had to be set during World War II -- the war only enters into the story once when Roland says if the war is not over by the end of the summer he will probably be called up. Then I saw that <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Zafón</span> meant the war to hover evilly over the lives of the characters in the same way the Prince of Mist does. It's not a necessary setting but it doesn't detract from the story either.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Never-Tell-Lie-Hallie-Ephron/dp/0061567167/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275756326&sr=1-1"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 115px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 115px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479331883109176546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggf6N49z-3VPnvVhG9J_368ATuqwr_jQRmk6rPkxdO22k8ZsdNHkiND3pfW9uQB79o9aNY85ap-pe2n7cQkikDJB5lDDPxReVdecIzac-a3bbFiemFZBk5QMpis41YF42AuZA3/s200/never.jpg" /><em>Never Tell a Lie</em></a>: Hallie <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ephron</span>: I enjoyed this novel about the disappearance of one woman at the yard sale of another woman despite the fact that I predicted every single (it's possible I missed a few) plot twist and turn from the moment Melinda steps into the lives of Ivy and David Rose. The novelty of a massively pregnant woman as the heroine of the story was interesting, especially since she wasn't a passive player in her story. She was going to find out the truth behind Melinda's disappearance and the odd behavior of her own husband even if she ended up destroying her life to do it -- she didn't want her "happy" life to be predicated on a lie. This was a quick, enjoyable read and it's only the second piece of long fiction I've enjoyed reading on my Nook.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-31425726768211580272010-04-20T12:50:00.003-05:002010-04-20T12:55:50.061-05:00Trouble readingAfter <span style="font-style: italic;">The Unlikely Disciple</span>, I am having problems finding something else to read. If you know me at all, you know that lack of book availability isn't the problem. I've started at least five books, all of which I'm pretty sure I would like if I were in the mood for them: <span style="font-style: italic;">The Summer We Fell Apart</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Lark and Termite</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Italian Secretary</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Lady Killer</span> and a couple of other books. I can't get past the first chapter of any of them.<br /><br />I've had this problem before and I know that I just need a really fast read to jump start my reading. Any suggestions? Remember, fast and easy.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-64253918728430540732010-04-17T02:51:00.003-05:002010-04-17T03:12:31.147-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1_9rihGRnm-9Mmc9QRUEFkLgaI9Wda3x_lQXIHIxuZhEsrTbSBfaXheXB47mbx7qBgTPn9n5FQZcwo58KbEWpuhhknhFe_ZubT0zzdn3u3QERnG9jNe6tWZiE7zxvVFr0VbW/s1600/unlikelydisciple.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1_9rihGRnm-9Mmc9QRUEFkLgaI9Wda3x_lQXIHIxuZhEsrTbSBfaXheXB47mbx7qBgTPn9n5FQZcwo58KbEWpuhhknhFe_ZubT0zzdn3u3QERnG9jNe6tWZiE7zxvVFr0VbW/s200/unlikelydisciple.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461011396404456818" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Disciple-Semester-Americas-University/dp/044617842X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271490713&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University</span></a>: Kevin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Roose</span>: Kevin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Roose</span> was A.J. Jacobs' (<a href="http:http://www.amazon.com/Year-Living-Biblically-Literally-Possible/dp/0743291484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271491036&sr=1-1//"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Year of Living <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Biblically</span></span></a>) assistant; during the research for Jacobs' book, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Roose</span>, a student at Brown University, got interested in Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. He decided to spend a semester as a Liberty University student to see what the lives of the students were like. He applied and enrolled just like any other student and was accepted. This account of that semester, which happened to coincide with Falwell's death (adding more drama to the story) is compellingly readable and interesting. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Roose</span> went to Liberty expecting one thing, but what he found there was something else altogether -- compassion, faith and friendship, friendship that lasted even after <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Roose's</span> return to Brown. I liked this book a lot and would read it again, which I don't often do with books like this.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-60194594419775488292010-04-10T10:03:00.006-05:002010-04-10T10:30:21.033-05:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WbsSgAED0fnssqOk83ui1tvfz39sjjpaf519oXZ4BvH2SYqmocQvKEWZLz7UqYkPM6vB80p6HsYJdqKOexAPNqVEGfoWQxSXQdrnxhQAi_l4kezQEcVwIUqKkCGqALkkmeH-/s1600/postmistress.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 81px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 76px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458525397378536754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WbsSgAED0fnssqOk83ui1tvfz39sjjpaf519oXZ4BvH2SYqmocQvKEWZLz7UqYkPM6vB80p6HsYJdqKOexAPNqVEGfoWQxSXQdrnxhQAi_l4kezQEcVwIUqKkCGqALkkmeH-/s200/postmistress.jpg" /></a> <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Postmistress-Sarah-Blake/dp/0399156194/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270911929&sr=1-1">The Postmistress</a></em>: Sarah Blake: I'm of two minds about this book -- possibly because it seemed like it was telling two separate stories that didn't have a whole lot to do with each other, and when the stories did meet, the convergence seemed forced. First, there's the titular postmistress whose name (Iris James -- I thought it was Alice) I had to look up in order to write this. Then there's Frankie Bard, a reporter covering the Blitz in London. Frankie comes alive on the page -- her rage, her sorrow, her desperation to let America know what's happening to the Jews in Europe -- all her emotions seem real to me. The sections of the book that dealt with Frankie just flew by for me. Whenever I had to read about Iris and Emma on the home front, I got bogged down -- neither of the characters were that interesting to me. It took me several days to read this book because of these two people. Iris was quirky, which I usually like, but there wasn't enough of a story about her to keep it interesting. And Emma, around whom the story of the postmistress and Frankie revolves, is so less than interesting that she makes me want to fall asleep -- she's a passive person, just waiting for the world to act upon her. And I don't find that to be compelling reading. I would have loved <em>The Postmistress</em> if it had been called <em>The Reporter</em> and was Frankie's story alone.<br /><div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-14279135606845588322010-03-23T20:48:00.006-05:002010-03-28T16:15:48.582-05:00Fantasy reading<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfIARI3RHRc7zClsx6C_rOE3EuOprNr4PeLMgWaJA7-uo6eqvOb4EikNI-6qZPzsM7j_lg8HIiVgqSHdp1abnb3mbE5gXOWC_QebII1lHk1ZETq1uCG1-FcBHnhc-ZaAeN1oD/s1600-h/name+of+the+wind.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 106px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 104px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452011828292331090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfIARI3RHRc7zClsx6C_rOE3EuOprNr4PeLMgWaJA7-uo6eqvOb4EikNI-6qZPzsM7j_lg8HIiVgqSHdp1abnb3mbE5gXOWC_QebII1lHk1ZETq1uCG1-FcBHnhc-ZaAeN1oD/s200/name+of+the+wind.jpg" /></a> <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicles-Day/dp/0756405890/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269395340&sr=1-1">The Name of the Wind</a></em>: Patrick <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rothfuss</span>: If you like your fantasy fast-paced and action-filled, this is not your book. If, however, you don't mind a book that takes its time to develop its characters so that you can get to know them, this may be a book you'll enjoy. I've seen it called the Harry Potter for grownups, and I guess in the sense that it's about a young boy, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kvothe</span>, who discovers his magical abilities at a young age and ends up at a university where magic is taught, the comparison is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">valid</span>. But <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Name of the Wind</span> is more than just Harry Potter for adults; it's its own magical universe. There's also a dread that builds up in this book -- the fear of what <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kvothe</span> is going to have to eventually face -- that I never quite felt in the HP books. I am actually afraid for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kvothe</span> -- for what he is going to have to do and what he's going to have to become to defeat his enemy, the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chandrian</span>, legendary figures he learns are all too real. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Name of the Wind</span> can be slow at times, and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kvothe's</span> obsession with this girl, Denna, can be tiresome, but even given all that, the book is well-written and I'm looking forward to the sequel.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-22296892845019461512010-03-02T20:18:00.004-06:002010-03-02T20:35:06.061-06:00My Nook<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6CZVcbpEcnqoRMus3kbJt3aJvV4Usvnc-lWhEVnQ31-RHvBybjpFq0ArbT__6secbVocIkiFI-UbnPpsQLPVDwvRFCb78Fs99zfduoxEgkATlI9TLV-aS-GKwm5tgChL88Yj/s1600-h/nook.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 82px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 129px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444226859679654434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6CZVcbpEcnqoRMus3kbJt3aJvV4Usvnc-lWhEVnQ31-RHvBybjpFq0ArbT__6secbVocIkiFI-UbnPpsQLPVDwvRFCb78Fs99zfduoxEgkATlI9TLV-aS-GKwm5tgChL88Yj/s200/nook.jpg" /></a> I got a <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp?cds2Pid=30195">Nook</a> instead of a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Reading-Display-International-Generation/dp/B0015T963C/ref=sa_menu_kdp2i3">Kindle</a>. Mainly because I could demo it in the store and see how it worked -- that's always easier for me -- to try things out before I buy. I knew I wanted to buy an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">ereader</span> because I'm so sick of carrying tons (sometimes almost literally) of books with me when I travel -- once I carried a huge Stephen King book with me + several others -- that hurt my back. I'm never sure what mood I'm going to be in, so I have to take several books with me to be sure I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">accommodate</span> the mood I end up in. This is tedious. Very tedious. Tediousness and lack of space was the same reason I eventually got an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">iPod</span> -- it cut down on the stacks of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">cds</span> I took with me when I travelled.<br /><br />Do I like my Nook? Yes -- yes, I do. The screen is easy to read -- it's small but the fonts are clear and easy on my eyes. I didn't read the instruction manual (mainly because I never do) but I was still able to figure out how to operate it. I don't like that there is no option for me to set the screen to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">backlight</span> so that I can read in the dark, but if I'd read <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/support/?cds2Pid=30195">B & N's FAQ</a> on the Nook in the first place, I would have known this.<br /><br />Will it replace the physical book for me? No. But I always knew that. It does satisfy the needs for which I bought it -- space for books and easy carrying of my books when I travel. Plus it has the cute little covers of the books on it.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-83062523784843259182010-01-24T18:12:00.005-06:002010-01-24T18:31:43.323-06:00A Non-ghostly Book<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4BO-CFKNWIvR5j4X4Yy7LCPSs6peIofpLYZTBSW6UPTQsgh8ripHaXWjt20-VFkNJIBp2a-R96JFombihJFhecmAURy43FYMlLpB5Lq9MDwQelRwTJyhUWh68xzGulKGR2gJ/s1600-h/girlwhoplayedwithfire.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 115px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 115px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430467461653294018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4BO-CFKNWIvR5j4X4Yy7LCPSs6peIofpLYZTBSW6UPTQsgh8ripHaXWjt20-VFkNJIBp2a-R96JFombihJFhecmAURy43FYMlLpB5Lq9MDwQelRwTJyhUWh68xzGulKGR2gJ/s200/girlwhoplayedwithfire.jpg" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Who-Played-Fire/dp/0307269981/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264378349&sr=1-1">The Girl Who Played With Fire</a></em>: <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Stieg</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Larsson</span>: I loved <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Dragon-Tattoo-Vintage/dp/0307454541/ref=bxgy_cc_b_img_b">The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo</a></em> by this same author. And I was fully prepared to love this one as much. I didn't. I didn't hate it; I just didn't love it and I'm not sure why. I think it may have been the translation or something, but that doesn't make sense because Reg <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Keeland</span> translated both novels. I still like the characters, especially Lisbeth <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Salander</span>. And I liked the story, which revolved around sex trafficking in Sweden. It was also nice the way Lisbeth was forced to confront her past. She becomes less of a shadowy character as we learn more about her in this novel. The language was flat, though, and the dialogue was stilted. Often I'd find myself thinking during conversations, "Oh, please! No real person talks that way!" In some places, this was so bad that I'd be completely thrown out of the story. And there were a couple of things that I'm not really sure why they were in the novel as they weren't related back to the story in any way -- mostly the mathematical equations and Lisbeth's attempt to solve Fermat's Last Theorem. They were interesting but that's all. All that said, I liked this book and am looking forward to <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Who-Kicked-Hornets-Nest/dp/030726999X/ref=pd_sim_b_1">The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest</a></em>.</div></div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-80808192815676168642010-01-14T12:23:00.003-06:002010-01-14T12:29:44.904-06:00ALA Midwinter<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiub_aPHPZrFnoJSCD9SAK3wkogEKzXRJf3Hkwq3XKXe3aiH1cVVuwE5d4mv-BUxcP_AbPaI04kASHrXPGm7cR0TI4mPf-M4x10SyytY2rKicfyOAUzKFwb9crY-M6swhUti86m/s1600-h/boston.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 77px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426663687142305442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiub_aPHPZrFnoJSCD9SAK3wkogEKzXRJf3Hkwq3XKXe3aiH1cVVuwE5d4mv-BUxcP_AbPaI04kASHrXPGm7cR0TI4mPf-M4x10SyytY2rKicfyOAUzKFwb9crY-M6swhUti86m/s200/boston.jpg" /></a> I'm heading out to Boston for ALA Midwinter. I'm still puzzled by the fact that ALA always holds Midwinter in freezing places and Annual (June-July) in places such as New Orleans that are known for their heat and humidity. I hope I won't freeze to death in Boston. I'm really looking forward to this trip as Boston is one of those cities I've always wanted to go to but have never been.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-23781978312771015502009-12-21T06:50:00.007-06:002009-12-22T20:40:28.676-06:00Ghosts Again<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ls7hxiprvPMVevb21P4oAlwaVyVpyuPNc7BsJGdVM0-ZSrUevcD-1t_GIafpy3-oViYm18Lz5nIES00g6-LpDp0LmpLwHVBAeom7jVmtg5Dt-z5lt9S1FldOF6pd_9pETlXC/s1600-h/joehill.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 92px; height: 92px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Ls7hxiprvPMVevb21P4oAlwaVyVpyuPNc7BsJGdVM0-ZSrUevcD-1t_GIafpy3-oViYm18Lz5nIES00g6-LpDp0LmpLwHVBAeom7jVmtg5Dt-z5lt9S1FldOF6pd_9pETlXC/s200/joehill.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417671168579654802" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/20th-Century-Ghosts-Joe-Hill/dp/B002ECEICS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261399745&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">oth</span> Century Ghosts</span></a>: Joe Hill: Although short stories are not my favorite genre, I bought this book after I read Hill's novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Shaped-Box-Novel-Joe-Hill/dp/0061944890/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261400042&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Heart-Shaped Box</span></a> . I had the book hanging around my house for awhile but was finally inspired to read this collection because <a href="http://lesleysbooknook.blogspot.com/">Les</a> liked it. These stories are something completely different from Hill's novel. Not all are scary and I think only two involve actual ghosts, but all the stories are masterfully written. <span style="font-style: italic;">Pop Art</span>, a story about an inflatable boy, is surprisingly heartbreaking, while <span style="font-style: italic;">My Father's Mask</span> is a creepy tale about people made of cards. Not all stories have such potentially whimsical premises; most have characters who are reality-based (besides the ghosts). I found myself wishing that some of the stories weren't so short and that the book itself was longer. I will keep this book because I will definitely read these stories again. Even if you don't like the short story as a genre, Joe Hill's are worth reading.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-22377197496676662009-12-12T06:45:00.005-06:002009-12-12T07:24:35.595-06:00A Ghost Story<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcbUu3Su4FCiZJcWhg2EJsqtwXb8BDyuke9yu3Hoy1Jd_pNdO6XYyT1Rf0LgApPk3LCtW2yRUaRwCj3KyM43Ime0Etac2AlAu_PQpGPYy1jyWNTU25CsZrV-MjISXd2u1Zf-W/s1600-h/herfearfulsymmetry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 115px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcbUu3Su4FCiZJcWhg2EJsqtwXb8BDyuke9yu3Hoy1Jd_pNdO6XYyT1Rf0LgApPk3LCtW2yRUaRwCj3KyM43Ime0Etac2AlAu_PQpGPYy1jyWNTU25CsZrV-MjISXd2u1Zf-W/s200/herfearfulsymmetry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414330187868041186" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Her-Fearful-Symmetry-Audrey-Niffenegger/dp/1439165394/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260621499&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Her Fearful Symmetry</span></a>: Audrey <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Niffenegger</span>: I like a good ghost story as much as (probably more than) anyone. Peter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Straub's</span> <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Story-Peter-Straub/dp/0671685635/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260622148&sr=1-1">Ghost Story</a>, Henry James' <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Screw-Everymans-Library-Paper/dp/B002SB8Q5U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260622166&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Turn of the Screw</span></a>, the short stories of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Penguin-Complete-Ghost-Stories-James/dp/0140102264/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260622880&sr=1-2">M. R. James</a> are all works that I've loved. I didn't come to <span style="font-style: italic;">Her Fearful Symmetry</span> with the same preconceived notions as readers of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Time-Travelers-Wife-Audrey-Niffenegger/dp/015602943X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260622994&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Time Traveler's Wife</span></a>; I've yet to read that book. Yet I was still vaguely disappointed. With its evocation of William Blake and its interesting premise, I just expected more than this book delivers. I found myself annoyed by the two major protagonists -- the twins, Julia and Valentina -- as they seem passive participants in their own lives, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">especially</span> Valentina. They are so passive that I couldn't remember their names; I had to look them up before writing this. The most vivid and interesting character is Martin, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">OCD</span> afflicted upstairs neighbor of the twins; yet I'm not really sure why he was such a major character in the novel -- his story seems separate from the twins' story. <span style="font-style: italic;">Her Fearful Symmetry</span> is about the special bond twins share -- Julia and Valentina are so entwined in each other's lives that it's impossible to separate them, but that's what Valentina wants -- to lead a live separate from Julia's. And in the end, it's her solution (aided by the ghost of her aunt Elspeth) to this problem that annoyed me most about this book -- it seemed just too extreme and was bound to go wrong from the beginning. And yet, despite being annoyed and disappointed, I don't regret reading this book; the writing is lovely and the characters are well-drawn.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-35708737927104583972009-11-27T09:13:00.003-06:002009-11-27T09:20:55.814-06:00Happy Thanksgiving<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3gnyzfmmJV0yysl9D3BYqSg-KQG9CPKl9HwQ0CnmJ_EAHEOJjWztcl7IEWPtIDWW7vGa9NM2jwoOPgLiJvLXEFP2lQwHwQX51sxDFAUWDhHcWO1Vqb_m44_J5fKPFaYGnunX/s1600/thanksgiving.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3gnyzfmmJV0yysl9D3BYqSg-KQG9CPKl9HwQ0CnmJ_EAHEOJjWztcl7IEWPtIDWW7vGa9NM2jwoOPgLiJvLXEFP2lQwHwQX51sxDFAUWDhHcWO1Vqb_m44_J5fKPFaYGnunX/s200/thanksgiving.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408802088688630978" border="0" /></a>I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. This is my absolute favorite holiday -- no one expecting any presents -- just dinner with family and friends and a nice time around the table talking about stuff and being thankful for the good things in our lives. Appropriately, after dinner and pie (I was in a pie baking mood the night before so we had the choice of key lime, pumpkin, butterscotch or chocolate pie) we watched the History Channel's <a href="http://shop.history.com/detail.php?p=69858&ecid=PRF-2101452&pa=PRF-2101452"><span style="font-style: italic;">Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower</span></a>.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-14903894556846765482009-10-29T02:31:00.004-05:002009-11-14T12:36:39.242-06:00Neil Gaiman and ALA<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP0V54Vll-gDlsEZgzj-PQb2H5f_YyYmDk6cYZouI-KxqJdPN3vpIVjOt8KtUqFkhQ3w3Wz9_SUivKqt1N0JE1KMLLz1vaqBqogY3PsrG0WcBtyfdmCHQmtpEjeyLQa6oEx-J/s1600-h/neilgaimansignature.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397921501432463554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP0V54Vll-gDlsEZgzj-PQb2H5f_YyYmDk6cYZouI-KxqJdPN3vpIVjOt8KtUqFkhQ3w3Wz9_SUivKqt1N0JE1KMLLz1vaqBqogY3PsrG0WcBtyfdmCHQmtpEjeyLQa6oEx-J/s200/neilgaimansignature.jpg" /></a><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Someone's</span> comment on an older post reminded me that I never posted anything about ALA in Chicago -- in JULY! Neil <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gaiman</span> was there as he was the winner of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Newbery</span> Award for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Graveyard-Book-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0060530928/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Graveyard Book</span></a>. Yes -- that is my signed copy of it to the left. I, for some stupid reason, did not realize he was going to be there until <a href="http://behindthestove.blogspot.com/"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Babelbabe</span></a> told me. And I had no clue he was going to be signing at the exhibits the day I went. My brother-in-law dropped me off early at the convention center (really early -- like 7:00am) and there were people waiting in line. I asked what the line was for and when they told me, I practically <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">geeked</span> out! I had no <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gaiman</span> works with me at all but the publisher was selling copies of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Graveyard Book</span>, so I bought it so I'd have something for him to sign. I was something like the 10<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> person in a line that turned out to be very long. A woman in front of me must have brought everything <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gaiman</span> ever published for him to sign, including her 10 ton <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Absolute Sandman</span> copies -- 4 volumes! I would never have lugged those around; he said he wouldn't have either as they were too heavy. That was the highlight of my Chicago visit.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-32495256059869462892009-10-24T09:32:00.010-05:002009-10-24T09:59:12.852-05:00American Wife<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67bxEN9EEZfriwb3NmdWSXWhXEriLKxNjcdF9iR8vhsNdvn4zyP-CTKVFVZPSBIR6871756AClE1bzAwAskWkcALThMnGQnIevZ9BK6clX4rpwiG7B61NQbMAeQwnd-D_V8ni/s1600-h/americanwife.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 104px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 100px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396174783445094562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67bxEN9EEZfriwb3NmdWSXWhXEriLKxNjcdF9iR8vhsNdvn4zyP-CTKVFVZPSBIR6871756AClE1bzAwAskWkcALThMnGQnIevZ9BK6clX4rpwiG7B61NQbMAeQwnd-D_V8ni/s200/americanwife.jpg" /></a> <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Wife-Novel-Times-Notable/dp/0812975405/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256394800&sr=1-1">American Wife</a></em>: Curtis <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sittenfeld</span>: I would not normally have picked up this book because I wasn't particularly interested in a novel based on the life of Laura Bush, but <a href="http://www.rubyredbooks.blogspot.com/">Samantha</a> liked it, and we have similar taste in books. This book is not fast paced, so if you're looking for a quick read, <em>American Wife</em> is not for you. But if the life of a quiet woman who finds herself profoundly affected by a tragic accident in her teens and then is caught up in the swirling life of a big political family in her 30s, is of interest to you, then this is your book. Sometimes I found myself very frustrated by Alice -- it's as if, after the accident, she was a passive participant in her own life. She had excuses for everything, including the mistakes of her husband the president, rather than deal with any incident upfront. But, nevertheless, I liked her. I especially liked her the few times she showed some backbone and stood up to Charlie. <em>American Wife</em> is well-written and enjoyable; my only quibble is with the end, after Charlie is in the White House. The book seems to lose Alice's story here and just ends -- it's as if <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sittenfeld</span> didn't know how to end the novel. Despite the lackluster ending, <em>American Wife</em> is a good read and I would consider reading it again at some point.<br /><div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13800465.post-18841493779207415562009-09-11T16:00:00.008-05:002009-09-12T11:16:17.541-05:00Shelby Lynne<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq12enQ8-HM4pRy5owO_b_8OorWMsVKHcXi5lvK_6lxqH3EzvV1aClv5fXaIP2AZmsFLCKruJ8x4WRCma-66pfObLY08T3ft_LPZ6EmiRFbWIygJBLDDOnq0gQdgVoTW3tRSf_/s1600-h/shelbylynne.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 115px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 115px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380318762911617074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq12enQ8-HM4pRy5owO_b_8OorWMsVKHcXi5lvK_6lxqH3EzvV1aClv5fXaIP2AZmsFLCKruJ8x4WRCma-66pfObLY08T3ft_LPZ6EmiRFbWIygJBLDDOnq0gQdgVoTW3tRSf_/s200/shelbylynne.jpg" /></a>Shelby Lynne played the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Saenger</span> on Thursday night, and she was just wonderful. It was good to hear her live -- she doesn't just sing the songs so that you might as well be listening to a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">cd;</span> she has new arrangements for them, making her songs fresh and new. She did many of my old favorites, such as <em>Where I'm From (</em>which I swear is on <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/I-Am-Shelby-Lynne/dp/B00002MHRD/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1252766321&sr=1-2">I am Shelby Lynne</a></em>, but it's not listed on the amazon.com track list), a song about Alabama that is so beautiful it makes me want to stay here the rest of my life. What was really nice, however, was that she did songs from the new album she's working on --- one probably called <em>I'm No Fool</em> and the other most likely titled <em>Your Alibi</em>. Both were songs about the end of a relationship, making me wonder if that's going to be the theme of her new album. They also made me think that the new record (she actually used that word -- "record"!) is going to be more similar in tone to <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Suit-Yourself-Shelby-Lynne/dp/B00094ASRM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1252766038&sr=1-4">Suit Yourself</a></em>, which is lovely, than to <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Identity-Crisis-Shelby-Lynne/dp/B0000C0FF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1252766038&sr=1-1">Identity Crisis</a></em>, with its delightful surprises (like the gospel-infused <em>10 Rocks</em> and the rock-country flavored <em>Buttons and Beaus</em>. )<br /><br /><strong>The Audience</strong><br /><br />I expected a rowdy audience, even though the concert was on a Thursday night, because Shelby Lynne is a hometown girl (her grandmother and other family were in the audience) and she hasn't played Mobile since 1991. I wasn't disappointed. My ears, however, were assaulted by some woman behind me who kept whistling in this really high pitch, the frequency of which really hurt my ears, and yelling, "Shelby, we love you!" at the top of her lungs. On the other side of the theater, people were yelling, "Shelby, Shelby!" and "Welcome home, Shelby!" She was gracious about all this and didn't tell people to shut up, which I might have considered, and she seemed genuinely glad to be back in Mobile. It was great to see her -- too bad the audience also had to be there.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066257241391122732noreply@blogger.com5