(Auster)ity

  

By page 1, I was irritated by the obscure literary references and seemingly pretentious writing.  By page 3, I could not put Invisible down.  This was my first foray into Auster's world, and it reminded me in a certain sense of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's Angel's Game.  Both books tell the story of a young writer brimming with promise who is unexpectedly sought out by a mysterious supposed benefactor.  Things quickly go awry and spin out of control.  Invisible is absorbing, shocking, disturbing even.  I didn't feel particularly fond of his characters, but I was intrigued enough by the plot to read this book in two sittings.  While this adds another tick mark on the list of depressing books I've read this year, I'll be reading more Auster very soon.  The writing is simple and straightforward - Auster picks every word carefully, creating a sparse but palpable read.

Jim Crow Era: Fiction and Non-fiction

I recently read these two books back to back because they just happened to come in the same time on my "hold" list at the library.  Both books are based on events that took place during the Jim Crow era, though The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks also interweaves current day events as we come to know the Lacks family.  

I was curious about The Help, having heard good things about it but also being wary of any book jacket telling me that I will need a "hankie."  Author Kathryn Stockett tells the story through three female characters - two African American women who work were domestic workers, and one young white woman who becomes interested in their lives.  As I read this novel, I felt immersed in the South in 1962 and the lives of all three of these women.  For me, the book had a breezy feel to it, despite being about such a serious topic as racial injustice.  Other than this contrast which I found a bit unsettling, I applaud Stockett's effort.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is about science, bioethics, and the controversy over who owns elements of our body once they are taken from us.  Henrietta Lacks was an African American woman who died in 1951 from cervical cancer.  Unbeknownst to Lacks, a tissue sample was taken from her at Johns Hopkins University, and her cells became the first to live and grow outside of the human body.  Her cells became known as HeLa, and have been highly influential in cancer research and medical advances.  The Lacks family did not find out about Henrietta's cells being used for science until nearly 20 years later.  Interested in finding out about the DNA of Henrietta's ancenstors, doctors at Johns Hopkins contacted the Lacks family and then did research on them without informed consent.  As the family comes to know author Rebecca Skloot, we experience alongside them their wrestling with who to trust and how to feel about their mother's/grandmother's cells being taken without her knowledge.  Despite HeLa cells being worth millions of dollars, the Lacks family has never received any compensation, and ironically, many members of the family do not have health care.  I don't often read non-fiction books focused on science, but this was a fascinating read in which I learned a great deal about the history of experimentation on African Americans, biology, law and ethics.

Chilean Whimsy

  

I lived in Chile for a year, and during that time, I was able to visit all three of Pablo Neruda's homes - in Santiago, Valparaiso, and Isla Negra.  I've posted some photos above from my time in Valparaiso, an UNESCO World Heritage city known for its many hills, old wooden elevators, and colorful, cobblestoned streets.  An eccentric, rough and tumble port city, it is one of the most unique and memorable places I've ever been.


Neruda's houses (now museums), are quirky and whimsical, designed to have a nautical feel.  As he traveled throughout Africa, Asia and Europe, Neruda collected a variety of objects including keys, bottles, clocks, sea glass, and nautical instruments.  These objects may seem mundane to us, but they were treasures to Neruda.


What shaped Neruda as a child, before becoming one of the world's most beloved poets? The tender, honest, and sophisticated new novel The Dreamer, written by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Peter Sis, provides insight into Neruda's early fascination with objects in his daily life.  Called absentminded and a daydreamer by his domineering father, Neruda was drawn to poetry from an early age.   Born Neftali Reyes, he changed his name to Pablo Neruda just before starting college in Santiago.  The Dreamer captures the struggle between doing what one loves, and following the expectations our parents put upon us.  You'll likely pick it up and not put it down until you are done (about an hour or two)!  While the library has categorized The Dreamer as "juvenile fiction," both young readers and adults alike would likely enjoy this fictionalized account of Pablo Neruda's childhood.

Two of the best books I've read in 2010 (and two appendages lost)

 

Bloodroot and Little Bee are, hands down, the best books I've read in 2010 thus far.  Strangely enough, they have an odd detail in common - in both books, one appendage from a main character is lost, and in a sense, it is these acts of violence that  set the stories in motion, even though the mysteries of how these appendages are lost are slow to unravel.  There are some brutal scenes in each of these books, but if you can stomach it, these are too good to miss.

Bloodroot, Amy Greene's debut novel, is a multigenerational saga set in Appalachia.  I read so many books that I often forget plot lines or the names of characters, but I doubt I'll ever forget Myra and Johnny Odom.  The story is told, quite convincingly, from the perspective of several different characters.  The book almost feels like reading magical realism.  This is stunning, haunting storytelling at its best.

Little Bee, Chris Cleave's second novel, tells the story of how the lives of a British woman and a Nigerian girl become intertwined as a result of a horrific encounter.  It is a dark story, though infused with humor.  The characters are well-developed, and Little Bee is unforgettable.  I was blown away.

Well-read, well-worn

Out of Print Clothing, a venture created by Todd Lawton and Jeffrey LeBlanc, is where you can go to find t-shirts featuring vintage, out-of-print cover art from classic works of literature.  

For every purchase, a book goes to the non-profit Books for Africa.

Out of Print Clothing

Books for Africa

Charming bookstores in unexpected places

Below is a link to an article in The New York Times entitled "As American as Cherry Pie," by Ann Patchett, recounting her visit to do a reading in Petoskey, Michigan that she initially begrudged though she ended up being charmed by the town and particularly the independent bookstore there (McLean and Eakin, pictured above).   

Where have you stumbled upon a great bookstore where you least expected it?

"As American As Cherry Pie" - Ann Patchett

"The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago, the second best time is now." - African proverb

Somewhere in Eastern Washington

This blog is an attempt to infuse intentionality into my experience as a reader, and to share this important part of my life with others.  I've been a voracious reader for over 20 years.  It is high time to lay down some literary roots.  

Every day, I try to carve out time to read so as to slowly chip away at my ever-growing list of books to read or to re-read.  When I travel, one of the first places I try to find is the local, independent bookstore.  As I walk home from work these days, right past the public library, I have to stop myself from visiting each day and checking out more books than I could possibly read in a three week period (3 times a week maximum)!  


My love for books is only equaled by my appreciation for chocolate, Argentina, Otis Redding, and a handful of human beings (and one mischievous cat).  Reading has been one of the cornerstones of my life, and has altered and shaped my very foundation.  Through this medium, I have caught glimpses of life in times or realms I never thought I would see, and I've been privy to the inner lives and emotions of some haunting and unforgettable fictional characters and real people I haven't been fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to meet.  


I look forward, via this blog, to sharing my ruminations, recommendations, and resources about all things literary.  I await your comments and ideas.