Tortitude

Last night, I finished Scorpio Races. rolypolypony --I see now why you so strongly advocated for this book. It was freaking amazing from start to finish.

( No big spoilers )

My bookclub chose Tim O'Brien's In the Lake of the Woods for our next book. I wasn't thrilled because as much as I've heard great things about his other books, I rarely like war stories. And I didn't want to read about some woman lost in the woods, either. But that's the way the group voted, and I didn't want to miss meeting with them next month, so.

I really struggled with it. To the point that I couldn't read it at home. So a plan was born to go out every night, sit in a cafe, and read 50 pages. I finally finished it last night. Hated it all the way through.

This is the basic summary of the story: In the Lake of the Woods is O'Brien's portrayal of a historian or biographer's attempt at piecing together the mystery of the disappearance of Kathy Wade. Kathy's husband, John, recently lost a primary election to become Minnesota's Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate after his involvement in the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam was revealed to the public.

( No real spoilers. )

So glad it's OVER. Never have to read that one again.

To get the taste of it out of my mouth, I started reading Raw Shark Texts immediately, and I'm already hooked. Very curious about the story, the character, where it's going. Going to continue my nightly cafe-reading trend. It gets me out of the house and with some exercise for a bonus. Something to look forward to all day!

Finished.

( Clickity )

Blathering about A Feast for Crows. (About 1/5th of the way in.)

( Clickity )

GRRM knows drama.

GOD. Spoilers for past half the book--around 70%.

( Clickity )

Spoilers for about a quarter of the way through the third book

So, I freaking love this series. I love it so much more than Wheel of Time--and though it may be blasphemous to say, much more than LoTRs.

( My thoughts, they are Random and Disconnected. )

I went tonight and I'm really glad I did. Only two other women showed up, but they were there last time and I like them. They didn't judge me for not finishing or liking the book, though they both liked it. One woman, Deb, really did, because she's a retired nurse, and she loved all the detailed medical stuff.

While I only read half the book, I really loved the characters of Hema and Ghosh, but the rest of it was too grisly, too boring, or too political. I just couldn't connect or care, so.

Anyway, the discussion was fun, and I'm glad I'd read spoilers and at least half the book so I wasn't just sitting there slack-jawed. One of the women really reminds me of my sister-in-law, Sarah, who also is part of like three book clubs, and it was in talking to her that I was really motivated to find some book clubs again! We talked about other books, games for the Kindle, and movies. They're really nice. And in a way, the small size of the group makes it kind of nicer, more personal.

We were discussing the next book, and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand was up vs. my suggestion of The Hunger Games. And while Last Stand sounds sweet, it sounds like another intensely literary slow-moving selection and I just wanted something more readable for the summer. And happily they were both really interested in reading The Hunger Games, so--that's what we're reading. Woo! I also hope that the other dormant members will be invigorated by Hunger Games, since it's so ...topical? trendy? right now.

Tomorrow: The Help.

In no particular order.

1. I'm making my mom's Aloo Gosht (beef/potato curry) recipe. It was my childhood and adult favorite meal (i.e., what I would want for my last meal). My mom would sometimes not have potatoes and would make it with turnips and I would HOWL at her, "WHY DON'T YOU LOVE ME OMG THIS IS CHILDABUSE HOW COULD YOU DO THAT! EWWWWWW TURNIPS ARE LIKE MEMBRANOUS BAGS OF GOOOOOOOOO" and she would shake her head at me, laughing, and say, "I didn't have any potatoes!!" And I would carry on for like 5 hours and refuse to eat it and whine at her to make me something else.

This glimmering insight into my childhood should surprise no one.

Anyhow, as I'm cooking, I realize I'm having conversations with her. And it was really comforting. "Should I chop the potatoes this big? A little smaller? Okay."

I hope it turns out okay. I only have some vague instructions and nowhere near her skills. I'm letting the memories of watching her make it a million times guide me.

2. I am really looking forward to a chatty-chat fest with serenity_valley today. Schedules being what they are, we've had to wait to find a good time for both of us. AND THAT TIME IS ALMOST HERE! (Though I also really enjoyed the sneak preview call we had yesterday.)

3. Sarah is coming over for a Wii Play Date and then Tanielle is going to come, too! And I'm going to make the roasted chicken with yukon gold potatoes and carrots because I'm obsessed. But also I'm going to do roasted tomatoes to go with it. Yay! AND AND individual upside-down pear cakes with ice cream.

4. So, OMG. My childhood hero was Judy Blume. I voraciously consumed her books. They were a religion to me. Those books are probably what lit the reading bug under my ass. She just turned 71. She has a blog. And I went there to wish her a happy birthday (along with a lot of 7, 8, and 9 year old children), AND SHE WROTE BACK! It was the sweetest note!!

Thanks so much for your warm note.  I'm touched by how well you remember my books.  Readers like you have made my career, and I can never thank you enough.  If you have a chance check out my blog and let me know what you think.  I'm trying to add a new post every week.
Love,
Judy

That's right, bitches! Judy Blume loves me! I can die happy now.

Also, how much of a phenomenal badass is she? Blogging at 71? Probably still working on another book? I love her. I feel an epic re-read of everything from SuperFudge to Forever coming on. Too bad I can't include those in my 50 Books in a Year thing.

Hokayso. I have to go do things. And then I will come back.

AND OH YEAH IT'S A LONG WEEKEND, BABY! *AWHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO*

(This is without caffeine or sugar. PH34R ME!!! *thumps chest*)

Could I be more post-y today? (Probably.)

Anyhow--I am really inspired by people who do the reading books challenges (*waves to margotheangel*). I used to read a fuckton of books, but over the last few years it's sort of peetered off into cyclical re-reads of Harry Potter and things on the Internet.

So, I would like to do the 50 book challenge for 2009! Whee!

To wit, these are the first three books for the year. And I'm counting the Ruth Reichl books, dammit even though they were at the tail end of last year.

( Books 1, 2, and 3 )

You know what I wish? I wish someone would redo all of Alan Moore's books--the artwork, I mean.

I keep hearing that it's canon and everyone MUST SIMPLY READ IT. (My comic book guy keeps chanting at me, "Read it. Read it. READ IT.") But I can't. I own a bunch of his stuff. A couple of TPBs of Swamp Thing. V for Vendetta. I think that's it. Oh, I borrowed Promethea from some friends once. And I bought that erotic set, the name of which I can't remember--Lost Girls? The porny stuff he did with his girlfriend.

Anyhow. I find I just can't read his stuff because I hate the artwork so intensely. I also hated the artwork in early Sandman, but I hated it sufficiently less (or I was just more tenacious in my love of Neil Gaiman) that I was able to read it all--and love it. But the messy cluttered panels, the tiny lettering. It gives me a headache and I can never get past the first pages.

Outside of his amazing story-telling, it's why I worship Brian K. Vaughn and will buy anything he does sight unseen. The art is always so gorgeous and lends so much to the story.

Anyhow. I wish I could read Watchmen. (This rant camet on because of some random clicking leading to the Watchmen movie. Which makes me wish I could read Watchmen.)