Of Dragons and Dreams

Alright so the title might be a little grander than the reading but this time I've finished two books both of which I enjoyed. First up, The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo.
This one took me a long time to really get hooked on. It was somewhere around page 306 when I finally said, "Yes! This is what I've been waiting for!" Honestly if I hadn't been urged by at least three different people who's book opinions I respect I would've set this one down. The prologue has great promise with an elderly man reciving a pressed flower on his birthday, an event that has occurred for the past
40+ years. The interesting part is the supposed sender, his niece Harriet, disappeared decades ago. The gentleman assumes that its her killer taunting him. Then we get to chapter 1 and enough backstory to qualify as government reading! We find out all about a finacial journalist's downfall and a mysterious girl with a dragon tatoo who does security work. She's asked to investigate the journalist who was just convicted of slander and then the elderly man hires the journalist to investigate his niece's disappearance--a supposedly perfect crime. Somewhere around page 300 this tatoo girl and journalist join forces in the investigation. Before that there is more than enough sadistic behavior directed at tatoo girl (who is named Lisbeth) for me to cringe repeatedly. In the end that sadism helps solve the crime in an ending that I did not see coming. If you can stick out the backstory the novel is worth it. There was a teaser at the end of the copy I read for the next novel in the triology--again a lot of sadism seems to be the theme.
The second novel I read was The Summer we Read Gatsby. I'm not going to lie--I was drawn to it by the title because I love The Great Gatsby. The book started off a little slow again--just can't seem to find that novel that grabs me from the start--but it picked up quickly. It winds up being a romance. Two half sisters who were raised on opposite sides of the Atlantic and have only met in person a half dozen times come together to sort through their beloved Aunt Lydia's things and sell the home they inherited from her when she passed on. Lydia leaves a mysterious message in her will urging the girl to find something of importance in the time it takes them to sell Fool's House--the name she has bestowed upon her home in the Hamptons. The girls--really they're women--spend their time looking for something material of value when its obvious that love and family is what Lydia is alluding to. The chase for material wealth does lead to a bit of a mystery, but all ends well despite an unfortunate end to Fool's House. Along the way you learn a bit about Jackson Pollock, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the artistic traditions of East Hampton. It was a fun read that left me longing for a summer home on a lake and colorful neighbors to drink cocktails with in the sumer sun and shaded porches.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

It has been awhile since I posted about the books I'm reading this summer, but I swear I have been reading. I'm just finding it difficult to stick with a book. For instance, I started reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. I had high hopes for it. It came recommended by a woman who's opinion I trust, but I just couldn't stick with it. It is written with a certain amount of sarcastic wit and heavily footnoted with equally sarcastic remarks that I would normally enjoy but it required me to invest too much energy for a summer read so I've abandoned it until another time.
Next I read Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagan. She's a Wisconsin author and the book is set in a blue collar neighborhood of Milwaukee during the summer of 1956. It's told through the point of view of a ten year old girl. This concept works in To Kill a Mockingbird but it is tedious in this novel. However I stuck with it mainly because of the setting. The book is about a neighborhoood that is sort of being terrorized by a serial molestor/murderer. The main character (who's name I've already forgotten) has recently lost her father to a fatal car accident. Her mother quickly remarries an abusive shoe salesman with a drinking problem. Then her mother has to go into the hospital for surgery. The mother winds up having complications and spending the better part of the summer in the hospital. The girls are left in charge of their older sister, Nell, who is more concerned with her boyfriend than her sisters. The stepfather is "getting some" from a woman at the corner bar and can't be bothered with the girls so they are left to fend for the themselves.
Throughout the book the narrator believes that a friendly police officer is the murderer, but it turns out she's wrong. She is right about the fact that the murderer is after her. I thought the murderer was her stepfather but he isn't. He does wind up in prison though. Just in case you have a love of tedium I won't tell you who the murderer is or why the police officer holds a suprise for the narrator that changes the lives of her family.
Finally, the good. I love reading books set in the British Royal Court and I love theater so naturally I loved Jane Feather's novel All the Queen's Players which is about both. Historical fiction is fun for me as it sort of teaches me about historical aspects that aren't necessarily part of classroom study. The traditions and requirements of the royal courtiers are interesting. Imagine having an entire room of women who sit and wait for your command! And imagine being one of those ladies who sits and waits and sews tapestries while doing so. Then think about the fact that it is an honor to do so! I read The Other Boleyn Girl a few summers ago and then a couple more books by the same author. They were all concerned with King Henry's court. This novel concerns Queen Elizabeth I's court and the downfall of Queen Mary of Scots. Queen Mary is imprisoned for her treasonous behavior of remaining true to her Catholic faith in a Protestant country, but Queen Elizabeth refuses to execute her. Queen E's Secretary of State, Sir Francis Wallsingham, privately funds his own secret spy network to trap Queen Mary. It is through this network that Rosamund Wallsingham finds herself at court, but not before her brother Thomas takes her to the theater. It is at the theater that she meets Thomas' lover Kit (Christopher) Marlowe and a casual court acquaintance Will Creighton, an aspiring playwright.
Throughout the novel Rosamund learns to play the games of the court, disgraces herself, and is sent to serve Queen Mary in prison (even in prison a queen gets her ladies in waiting!). Rosamund's duty is to report everything she sees and hears to her cousing Sir Francis. Eventually she has a hand in the downfall and execution of Queen Mary. It appears that Rosamund will get to live her life and continue her secret affair with Will, but in a twist I did not see coming it all falls apart! I truly enjoyed this book.
Up next is The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo. Every review I've read said you won't be able to put it down, but I did. I put it down to finish reading All the Queen's Players however unlike Oscar Wao I will be picking it up again!

The Help

This book by Kathryn Stockett was kind of, sort of recommended to me by a student. She had just finished reading it when we got to the independent book project in my Contemporary American Lit class and wanted to use it as her book of choice. I wouldn't let her because I hadn't read it yet, but now that I have it can definitely go on the list.
The book is about three women. Aibileen is a black woman in her 50s who's only son Treelore was killed in an accident at work. Treelore's father is long gone and Aibileen works as a maid for Elizabeth Leefolt, a member of the junior league.

Minny is a younger black woman--late twenties or early thirties--who also works as a maid for the junior league crowd. Minny has a tendency to speak her mind which often causes her to get fired and then beat by her husband. As the book opens Minny has been fired from her job tending to Mrs. Walters, a deaf old woman who couldn't hear when Minny sassed off. However Miss Hilly, Mrs. Walters daughter and the president of the Jackson Junior League, spreads a rumor that Minny was stealing the silver so Minny gets even with the Terrible Awful thing she does.

The third woman is Miss Skeeter, best friend of Miss Leefolt and the editor of the Junior League newsletter. Miss Skeeter is tall and awkward--not the classic beauty who goes off to college to find love. Instead Miss Skeeter has managed to complete all four years at Ole Miss and much to her mother's chagrin graduates with a degree rather than a husband. Miss Skeeter returns home to afternoon teas and friends with husbands, children and Old South beliefs. What she does not find at home is her beloved nursemaid, Constantine who has mysteriously disappeared under circumstances Miss Skeeter's mother refuses to discuss.
The three women's lives intersect in the midst of the civil rights movement when Miss Skeeter decides to tell the story of the maids and their lives working for white women. Despite it all being done anonymously Miss Hilly figures out who has done the writing and who has done the telling and spreads the news around Jackson until she reaches Minny's story at the end of the book. Minny has revealed the terrible awful and Miss Hilly backtracks to keep it quiet, but not before most of the damage has been done.
The novel was very good, but as is the case with rotating points of view there is one story that I wanted to read more than the others. There were also several incidents taht seemed too convienent. Miss Skeeter goes off to NYC in job all too easily won, Miss Minny finds a job guaranteed for a lifetime with Miss Celia all too easily, and Miss Celia's life is crafted with a certain amount of mystery that is never fully satisfied. I would happily read the sequel if it were to be written about Miss Celia!
All in all though it was a good read laced with historical events and authentic voices that I will add to the independent reading list. Thank you Anna Mae!

Material Girl

It goes without saying (although I try to say it often in word and deed) that I am thankful for the health and presence of my family and friends. I am thankful that God blessed me with two beautiful children and a loving husband. I am thankful that my parents, sisters, and extended family are still with me and appear to be sticking around for a while. So when it comes to naming what I'm thankful for this year, I'm going with a list of material possessions who's invention I am thankful for. Here are my Top Ten things that I couldn't live without.

10. My crockpot--perfect for getting a hot dinner in the bellies of my babies, I rely on my crockpot in the winter months. However, in an unfortuante accident involving breakfast and my impending dinnertime meal my crockpot cord caught on fire last year and I've been without one. It will also make the top ten list of things I want for Christmas.

9. My walk in closet--Listed as a fourth bedroom on the appraisal statement of our home, my closet is roughly the same size as my children's bedroom. It is becoming a bit crowded though. I may need to add on.

8. Internet access at work--how better to waste time? Without it, my desk would be clean and what fun is that?

7. Facebook--Piggybacking off of number 8, facebook has led to many instances of catching up with friends, playing games, and just plain ole time wastin'!

6. The DVR--what a wonderful invention--I can record two programs at the same time making it unecessary to sacrifice my t.v. viewing for my husband's programs. Yeah!

5. Project Runway--Another piggyback off the previous item, P.R. provides me with a never ending supply of reality drama as well as projects for the costume/makeup units in Intro to Theater. It also inspires my creativity which is fun until I remember that I'm not a designer, pattern maker or draper.

4. Take out--The kitchens at Lakeside Bar & Grill and Christiano's pizza have saved me from slaving over the stove more than once.

3. The Lodge at Cedar Creek--A waterpark hotel just perfect for our family. Slides that are kid friendly and fun for adults too. Not nearly as crowded as the Dells and far enough to feel like a "real" vacation, The Lodge at Cedar Creek is my favorite "bucket hotel" as the kids call it. Now if they would just add a bar poolside, I'd never leave.

2. Heated seats--Wisconsin winters require heated seats, especially at 6:45 AM! They keep me warm and help when my back is achy!

1. The DVD player in my van--generally it stops the fighting and the never ending rattling on about football and baby dolls. It saves my sanity on a regular basis.

There you have it. My top ten material things I'm thankful for. What are yours?

My Twelve

While searching for something fun and interesting yet meaningful to do with English students I came across an assignment that another teacher uses. It is based on an introduction to a book and it talks about the importance of telling stories not just for entertaining, but as a record of who we are. Now, I've known that is a reason for storytelling. The tradition of oral storytelling is an ancient one and was used to keep tradtions and personal histories alive.
However, the teacher from whom I was poaching this assignment goes on to suggest that we can have stories that are meaningful to us because they define who we are. The assignment is to make a list of the Twelve Stories that Tell Us Who We Are. These are the stories that touch a part of our being, our soul and speak to us long after the cover is closed. Below is the list of My Tweleve.

1. The Monster at the End of the Book It taught me to have courage and that perhaps the only thing to fear is my own reluctance to try new things and go new places. Eventually, and somewhat ironically, I face that fear and spend a summer making absolutely no money working for Seasame Street--the home of that monster at the end of the book.

2. The Red Tent It taught me the beauty of womanhood and the bonds that all women share. It made me want to experience childbirth and was read at a time in my life was particularly memorable for many discouraging reasons.

3. Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus It taught me about having fun no matter what your age. Written and illustrated by Mo Willems from Sesame Street, it harkens back to the fun of being a kid and of wanting the impossible.

4. Gone with the Wind Its filled with the romantic notions of a bygone era and I relate to Scarlet's love of the "bad boy" as well as her strong willed determination to get what she wants despite the obstacles. "As God is my witness, I shall never go hungry again!"

5. Tuck Everlasting This book was nearly impossible to get your hands on when I was in sixth grade. It was my first taste of literature in the fantasy genre and I loved it! Whenever I think that I can't read a book recommended by a student because its fantasy, I have to remember that doesn't necessarily mean its scifi--it could be a Tuck Everlasting!

6. Are you There God? Its me, Margaret. Really, all the Judy Blume books touch me childhood in some way, but this one in particular stands out. I read the book at a time when it was being challenged in my childhood school district so my mom also read it to see what all the fuss was about. It was the first (and really the only time) my mom read a book I was reading in order to protect me. She felt it was appropriate, but it was the catalyst for "the talk" if you call giving your daughter a short book about puberty "the talk". Nonetheless it marks this time for me.

7. Paradise Lost Yes, Milton makes my list. I took a college course from a professor who I deeply admire and respect. His area of research and expertise is John Milton. I earned an A in this course from this professor and to this day am extraordinarily proud of it. Add to that, the fact that I never attended Sunday school or church as a child and John Milton's Paradise Lost becomes the most in depth study of any Bible story that I've ever done.

8. The Best Little Girl in the World It's about a teenager who wants to become a prima ballerina and develops anorexia in her quest to become thin enough. I learned the dangers of eating disorders at a critical age as well as the dangers of trying to please other people. Plus I always wanted to be a ballerina so this fed that desire when ballet lessons just weren't in the cards.

9.To Kill a Mockingbird At different points in my life it has meant different things to me, but it invaribly holds a significance.

10. The Great Gatsby Like Gone With the Wind it feeds my inner romantic. Set in the heyday of the Roaring Twenties, flappers and mobsters, party goers and bootleggers this book is my fantasy--up until Myrtle gets killed that is.

11. Wonderful Thing about Tiggers This was the first book I claimed to be able to read. I was 5 and I can recall my mother being amazed that I could read. Then she figured out that she had read it to me so much that I'd memorized it, but it solidified the fact that books were destined to be part of who I was and my love of reading was established.

12. The count of Monte Cristo I never finished this book--in fact I never really liked what I read and I can't begin to tell you what its about. But, when I was in twelfth grade I was a student helper for Ms. M, my favorite teacher in high school. When she didn't have me making dittoed copies or filing papers she had me reading this book and creating a list of vocab words. It was a taste of what it was like to be a teacher behind the scenes, and I knew I loved it. Sadly, Ms. M passed on a few years ago, but this memory sticks with me as one of the reasons I went on to teach. I wanted to be just like her.

There you have it, my twelve. It was hard to make the choices and it was hard to say what these twelve say about me. There are certainly hundreds of other books that I've enjoyed, but these twelve stand out.

It's a Man's World

Scrappy, Flip and (my personal favorite) Spoog were sitting around one day having a conversation. It probably went something like this.
"Hey Scrappy whadda ya doin' tonight?"
"Bubba and I headin' over to Sherm's."
"I hear that Fuzz is havin' a party."
"Well you'll probably find Chicken and his old lady there."
Please note that real names have not been used. It's not becuase I'm protecting the innocent. It's not because the men that my husband (Flip) knows don't have "normal" names. It's because they don't use their real names when talking to or about each other.
When I was in college there was a fraternity house who's parties I was frequently at. None of these men, to my recollection, ever used his real name either. Instead they used their pledge names--names that they were assigned as a sort of humilation/hazing ritual when attempting to join said fraternity. Things like Booger and Roach and (once again) Spoog. I get that. I understand the bonding that goes on over a keg of cheap beer in a nasty basement while reciting the Greek alphabet in your underwear. You're really not grown up yet. What I don't get is why guys don't grow out of that behavior.
Bubba, Scrappy, Spoog, and the rest of them are in their late thirties and forties. The basements are cleaner, the beer isn't as cheap, the men older but the nicknames are still the same.
I'd say its a quirk of the men my husband chooses to be friends with. All the guys from his hometown also have wacky nicknames like Chicken but the names of the guys my father is friends with are also unknown to me for the most part. They all have nicknames, too starting with my dad who has been Pollack since I was a child.
They say that women are hard to understand, but at least when I talk about my friends I use the names that their mamma's worked so hard to choose for them. We don't call each other using slang terms for bodily fluids and barnyard animals. It's gotta be a guy thing!

She's the one with no boobs!

Recently my husband came home from work astonished to find out that I knew Stumpy. Stumpy is a guy who was a senior in high school when I was a freshman-TWENTY FOUR years ago. (Stumpy is also his nickname--I don't know if its based on any one particular event or personal attribute--I don't care to know.) Why yes indeed I did know who Stumpy was and had, in fact, told my husband that about a month prior.

it seems that while waiting for our pizza to be done Stumpy and my hubby struck up a conversation about who it was my husband was married to. Apparently, the conversation went something like this:

Stumpy: So you're married to Angie?

Hubby: yeah.

Stumpy: She's the one with no boobs, right?

Hubby: Well, she has boobs now.

Shared laughs ensue.

Why does this bother me so much? Well, for one thing I barely knew Stumpy when I was in high school and for another its been TWENTY FOUR YEARS! To know that TWENTY FOUR YEARS later the thing that I'm remembered for is my lack of boobage kind of bugs me!

Now, in his defense, my husband did come to the defense of my bustline. He did state that I had filled out in said areas, but he then laughed about the conversation and replayed it all night long.

I'm used to being labeled. Being the oldest of three girls who's names all begin with A we were often called things other than our names. I'vebeen number one, squirt, Charlie Brown, the smart one and the oldest one. now I guess I can add the boobless one to the list as well.