do I have to? (pick 9, I mean?)
this year's tally is a sad 62.
(I think that subscribing to Macleans - while making me a better informed individual - is eating up my valuable reading time... oh, and maybe I've developed an addiction of binge watching Boardwalk Empire, Orange is the New Black, Fringe, House of Cards, Nurse Jackie, Flight of the Concords, and (gulp) Sons of Anarchy)
and, although I could list the top 9, the last 3 on the list would just be OKs.
instead this a very short list of books that truly moved me this year:
Life Itself
roger ebert was a beautiful human being that lived a graceful life. we could all learn from his example
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
so many books set in india, yet this one is non-fiction, written by a white woman who needed a translator and tons of patience to find this piece of humanity
The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays & Stories
she died so young; this author would have gone on to write a masterpiece. and the story of forgiveness that is found in the first few pages will fill your heart
The Interestings
deeply personal to me, a coming of age for my particular generation. how do we cope with peers that surpass us in wealth and stature?
How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia
I may be frightened to read this again. the echo of death is on every page and the final entry feels like the goodbye is coming for you now
Where'd You Go, Bernadette?
too light to be on this list? but once I felt smug judgement on the queen bees of my life, the tables turned and I saw my own vanity and foibles
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
new year's eve
andrew takes pepper to a new year's eve wedding.
they stay out very late and are excellent at hiding how much they have had to drink when they return.
so much for andrew's parents keeping an eye on them...
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
my life in books: a quarterly review
graphic novels - tally: 4
sisters by raina telgemeier
delightful graphic novel that seems to channel members of my family :) I liked the added touch of yellowed paper for the memory pages versus the at-present stuff. and the stuff at the end, photos of the author with her real sister, were an inspiration.
Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley
ho-hum time shifting story that is too predictable to be truly enjoyed. this same guy did the scott pilgrim series which have long been on my list to read but, with this mediocre offering, I won't be getting to them any time soon.
Jimmy Corrigan, the smartest kid on earth by chris ware
a weird, convoluted tale of what I thought was one kid, but was actually 2 childhoods and one adulthood... I can't imagine how anyone followed it when it was released as a serial in a weekly Chicago newspaper (for 5 or 6 years?) but then again, being forced to read it so slowly might have helped the understanding process, and it definitely would allow a greater appreciation for the art (some of it spectacularly detailed). my favorite parts were the childhood(s) scenes. perhaps it was the sadness of the tale, or the mumbling protagonist as an adult, but I didn't enjoy this half as much as I thought I would.
smile by raina telgemeier
another sweet one from telgemeier. reminded me so much of pepper even though the main character is in grade 8/9.. braces, boys, finding her tribe. (although with all the graphics/text about caring for her teeth, I surprised pepper didn't do a better job of it - she read this book 2 years ago, even before she got her own braces!)
novels - tally: 4
the solitude of prime numbers by paolo giordano
both a sad and beautiful book. two deeply wounded people recognize acceptance in each other but never truly abandon themselves to it.
this book was different in the way the story was told: chronologically, in short-story type vignettes, until the main novel begins. it makes for the very different perspective: usually character memories are told in flashback but we never lose sight of the present day protagonist. this way, its a fully formed scene, and your reaction is not coloured by who the people ultimately become.... it's much for realistic this way: the past experience has a lasting shadow, and yet is so far away that there is confusion as a reader at first. is this the same character years later? we turn back a few chapters, and yes - these are the same people, grown up...
dear life by alice munro
I started reading munro in my 20s with 'who do you think you are?' and loved her depiction of a full, jumbled internal life. back then, she wrote about me and most stories held the me part in sympathy (or was that just me perception / bias). now that we are both older, she still writes for the me I am now (or will become in 10-20 years), and I still love her for that. but she hasn't given up entirely on writing younger characters... and in that framing I see myself, often times unflattering. could it be that she always had aspect but I never saw it because, in my youth, I didn't think it applied to me - and thought it never would.
I should go back to that first book and see how this 45 year old reacts...
in this particular collection, I most enjoyed 'Dolly' in that it implied that petty jealousies and irrational impulses belong not only to the youth, but all of us. I like that. I like to think that there's still room for surprise, for possession, when we are older, no matter our comfortable groove.
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
hilarious. this plays out like an extended movie / tv show that might be a farce of 'wallander' or 'girl with the dragon tattoo'. I really enjoyed how the plot kept moving along, how attempts to shrink it (like a thug threatening a witness not to talk, or locating a great safe house) never slowed the pace of progress. and how - if the book hinted at how one loose end was going to be tied up, it quickly applied the same logic to the mirror loose-end rather than drawing that plot point into another full chapter. in that way, it was a master of confidence: respecting the intelligence of the audience and continually spinning new and exciting 'yarn'. I hear it's a movie. i'll definitely watch :)
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer
as many books about WWII as there are, and as many as I've read, there always seems to be a little more... feeling? meaning?.. that can be squeezed out.
I truly enjoyed this tale of 2 separate narrators, alike only in age, who are destined to meet. perhaps the girl's story was more compelling - coming from the point of view of being blind. fear inside war is strong enough. now add being abandoned and blind; the terror is nearly too much to take.
I didn't need the update to 2013. not everything needs to actually tie to the present day to mean something. the war itself has merit on it's own.
non-fiction &memoirs - tally: 4
paris in love: a memoir by eloisa james
well, it was bound to come after all the blogs turned into books: a book filled with FB status updates...
taken in very small doses, it's not as offensive as it should be: a recovering-from-cancer mother takes her family to Paris for a year to write 4 (pre-commissioned) books, watch her 2 children struggle in their foreign language schools, comment on her husband's conversation partner's love life, intermittently travel to Italy to visit the in-laws, and document almost all her meals at chic French restaurants. in fact, I'd go so far as to say it's about one-third about the food and her consequent weight gain & lose (she's even so perfect that she gets herself back to pre-Paris weight before they head back home to the States
wild: from lost to found on the pacific trail by cheryl strayed
this is the same author of tiny beautiful things and so I was already primed to be irritated by her style of writing: lots of hyperbole and continued use of contrast as in: I felt so 'one thing', but also felt 'the opposite thing'. it feels like how I wrote in university, for one: immature and certain this small thing happening before me was filled with significance and trying so earnestly to express it's unique moment.
but the biggest annoyance was her lack of true growth. in the last 1-2 pages of the book she fast forwards to being a mature, married, mother of 2 that has obviously gotten past her mother's death, but we don't get to see how that came to be. the story really ends with her successfully surviving the trail even though she was incredibly unprepared for it and, on many occasions, could have been severely injured or even died
what makes olga run? by bruce grierson
fascinating book. so muc to take in and learn from: we've got 2 copies of the worrier/warrior gene. the worrier is better at cognitive tasks, while the warrior is better able to cope with stress (and make decisions). there a study that shows rats will live longer if immersed in frigid water at intervals... meanwhile, thnk of all the hearty stock that comes from those wind-chilled prairies, where exposed skin freezes in minutes.
in fact, stress in your late 20s and early thirties is really good for you; makes you resilient. makes you second guess all the helicopter parenting we've been up to (if a kid can't take a mild disappointment, how will they cope with a major one in adulthood?)
also some great advice regarding the plasticity of the brain and keeping yourself intellectually nimble: eat with left hand occasionally, or drive a different route to work/the store. it's called productive confusion.
personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
and lastly, my favorite takeaway: break a sweat: daily, differently, and with others
The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson
so interesting! instead of focusing on one person and their creativity and invention, this book champions the collaboration of individuals and tries to give each person his or her due. a little systematic at times (each section starting with a rambling biography of the current focus) the actual 'meat' of the book is fascinating: real chemistry sets, fiddling with resistors and circuits, entrepreneurs that made the first video games out of tv consoles - the folks who, collaboratively, created the digital age were a curious bunch that laid their physical hands on innovation long before it was hidden away in the box we know as the computer. in the same way that cory doctorow's 'little brother' made me want to build a computer from scratch, this book makes me want to know further still about all the digital devices that have taken over our lives.
sisters by raina telgemeier
delightful graphic novel that seems to channel members of my family :) I liked the added touch of yellowed paper for the memory pages versus the at-present stuff. and the stuff at the end, photos of the author with her real sister, were an inspiration.
Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley
ho-hum time shifting story that is too predictable to be truly enjoyed. this same guy did the scott pilgrim series which have long been on my list to read but, with this mediocre offering, I won't be getting to them any time soon.
Jimmy Corrigan, the smartest kid on earth by chris ware
a weird, convoluted tale of what I thought was one kid, but was actually 2 childhoods and one adulthood... I can't imagine how anyone followed it when it was released as a serial in a weekly Chicago newspaper (for 5 or 6 years?) but then again, being forced to read it so slowly might have helped the understanding process, and it definitely would allow a greater appreciation for the art (some of it spectacularly detailed). my favorite parts were the childhood(s) scenes. perhaps it was the sadness of the tale, or the mumbling protagonist as an adult, but I didn't enjoy this half as much as I thought I would.
smile by raina telgemeier
another sweet one from telgemeier. reminded me so much of pepper even though the main character is in grade 8/9.. braces, boys, finding her tribe. (although with all the graphics/text about caring for her teeth, I surprised pepper didn't do a better job of it - she read this book 2 years ago, even before she got her own braces!)
novels - tally: 4
the solitude of prime numbers by paolo giordano
both a sad and beautiful book. two deeply wounded people recognize acceptance in each other but never truly abandon themselves to it.
this book was different in the way the story was told: chronologically, in short-story type vignettes, until the main novel begins. it makes for the very different perspective: usually character memories are told in flashback but we never lose sight of the present day protagonist. this way, its a fully formed scene, and your reaction is not coloured by who the people ultimately become.... it's much for realistic this way: the past experience has a lasting shadow, and yet is so far away that there is confusion as a reader at first. is this the same character years later? we turn back a few chapters, and yes - these are the same people, grown up...
dear life by alice munro
I started reading munro in my 20s with 'who do you think you are?' and loved her depiction of a full, jumbled internal life. back then, she wrote about me and most stories held the me part in sympathy (or was that just me perception / bias). now that we are both older, she still writes for the me I am now (or will become in 10-20 years), and I still love her for that. but she hasn't given up entirely on writing younger characters... and in that framing I see myself, often times unflattering. could it be that she always had aspect but I never saw it because, in my youth, I didn't think it applied to me - and thought it never would.
I should go back to that first book and see how this 45 year old reacts...
in this particular collection, I most enjoyed 'Dolly' in that it implied that petty jealousies and irrational impulses belong not only to the youth, but all of us. I like that. I like to think that there's still room for surprise, for possession, when we are older, no matter our comfortable groove.
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
hilarious. this plays out like an extended movie / tv show that might be a farce of 'wallander' or 'girl with the dragon tattoo'. I really enjoyed how the plot kept moving along, how attempts to shrink it (like a thug threatening a witness not to talk, or locating a great safe house) never slowed the pace of progress. and how - if the book hinted at how one loose end was going to be tied up, it quickly applied the same logic to the mirror loose-end rather than drawing that plot point into another full chapter. in that way, it was a master of confidence: respecting the intelligence of the audience and continually spinning new and exciting 'yarn'. I hear it's a movie. i'll definitely watch :)
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer
as many books about WWII as there are, and as many as I've read, there always seems to be a little more... feeling? meaning?.. that can be squeezed out.
I truly enjoyed this tale of 2 separate narrators, alike only in age, who are destined to meet. perhaps the girl's story was more compelling - coming from the point of view of being blind. fear inside war is strong enough. now add being abandoned and blind; the terror is nearly too much to take.
I didn't need the update to 2013. not everything needs to actually tie to the present day to mean something. the war itself has merit on it's own.
non-fiction &memoirs - tally: 4
paris in love: a memoir by eloisa james
well, it was bound to come after all the blogs turned into books: a book filled with FB status updates...
taken in very small doses, it's not as offensive as it should be: a recovering-from-cancer mother takes her family to Paris for a year to write 4 (pre-commissioned) books, watch her 2 children struggle in their foreign language schools, comment on her husband's conversation partner's love life, intermittently travel to Italy to visit the in-laws, and document almost all her meals at chic French restaurants. in fact, I'd go so far as to say it's about one-third about the food and her consequent weight gain & lose (she's even so perfect that she gets herself back to pre-Paris weight before they head back home to the States
wild: from lost to found on the pacific trail by cheryl strayed
this is the same author of tiny beautiful things and so I was already primed to be irritated by her style of writing: lots of hyperbole and continued use of contrast as in: I felt so 'one thing', but also felt 'the opposite thing'. it feels like how I wrote in university, for one: immature and certain this small thing happening before me was filled with significance and trying so earnestly to express it's unique moment.
but the biggest annoyance was her lack of true growth. in the last 1-2 pages of the book she fast forwards to being a mature, married, mother of 2 that has obviously gotten past her mother's death, but we don't get to see how that came to be. the story really ends with her successfully surviving the trail even though she was incredibly unprepared for it and, on many occasions, could have been severely injured or even died
what makes olga run? by bruce grierson
fascinating book. so muc to take in and learn from: we've got 2 copies of the worrier/warrior gene. the worrier is better at cognitive tasks, while the warrior is better able to cope with stress (and make decisions). there a study that shows rats will live longer if immersed in frigid water at intervals... meanwhile, thnk of all the hearty stock that comes from those wind-chilled prairies, where exposed skin freezes in minutes.
in fact, stress in your late 20s and early thirties is really good for you; makes you resilient. makes you second guess all the helicopter parenting we've been up to (if a kid can't take a mild disappointment, how will they cope with a major one in adulthood?)
also some great advice regarding the plasticity of the brain and keeping yourself intellectually nimble: eat with left hand occasionally, or drive a different route to work/the store. it's called productive confusion.
personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
and lastly, my favorite takeaway: break a sweat: daily, differently, and with others
The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson
so interesting! instead of focusing on one person and their creativity and invention, this book champions the collaboration of individuals and tries to give each person his or her due. a little systematic at times (each section starting with a rambling biography of the current focus) the actual 'meat' of the book is fascinating: real chemistry sets, fiddling with resistors and circuits, entrepreneurs that made the first video games out of tv consoles - the folks who, collaboratively, created the digital age were a curious bunch that laid their physical hands on innovation long before it was hidden away in the box we know as the computer. in the same way that cory doctorow's 'little brother' made me want to build a computer from scratch, this book makes me want to know further still about all the digital devices that have taken over our lives.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
the loot
christmas morn
and of course,
another handmade ornament from rob
hooping
AND
electioneering
what a combo :)
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
heard today
fierce:
I wonder how canadians taste compared to americans?
I think Indians probably taste the best.
I wonder how canadians taste compared to americans?
I think Indians probably taste the best.
Monday, October 27, 2014
election day
that's 35 cents a vote
compare that to
$2.39 per vote for 1st place
$1.56 per vote for 2nd place
.......................................................
for posterity:
rob's Guelph Politico survey
rob's Guelph Citizen survey
rob even got listed in a wikipedia entry
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
halloween
scouts is having a halloween party so dress-up time comes early.
obviously bosco is johnny depp's pirate of the carribean
and
this would be hell boy
we're hosting another japanese student, and yes, his costume is very see through. he brought this costume from home in preparation for halloween (they don't celebrate it in japan) but we got him something else to wear for the 31st (going door-to-door in our frigid fall)
that's rob as cheech
or is it chong?
he went to work like that on the 31st
obviously bosco is johnny depp's pirate of the carribean
and
this would be hell boy
that's rob as cheech
or is it chong?
he went to work like that on the 31st
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
my life in books: a quarterly review
novels - tally: 6
how to get filthy rich in rising asia by mohsin hamid
told in second person AND in the present tense, this story grabs at you and pulls you into the centre.
sure, the author could be accused of a gimmick style, but it's appropriate for his subject matter, which is often death. and he ends the book in a chilling way, foretelling our own (singular) death. i may never read about a character's death in the same way again.
and the mountains echoed by khaled hosseini
i was almost halfway thru when i realized this was going to be series of characters addressed in each chapter, and not a true narrative. and i really like that.
i've read this author before and, to be honest, feel like i've read enough about afganistan through A Thousand Splendid Suns (i enjoyed it immensely) and The Kite Runner (felt both repepitive of his first novel, and far fetched). (not to mention Three Cups of Tea, The Breadwinner, and the CBC radio drama, Afganada). so i was glad to rediscover afganistan through fresh eyes: not all his characters are afgans, but have ties to the place. by encompasing this wide range of characters, we are able to see afganistan from the 50s to the post-war present.
the rosie project by graeme simsion
charming comedic romance (no wonder they are turning it into a movie) that takes advantage pop culture's current obsession with sheldon cooper's character from The Bing Bang Theory. the main character, hillariously unaware that he has asperberg's syndrome, starts a search for his ideal partner and accidently gets involved in a paternity quest. i laughed out loud many times, and that doesn't happen often.
granted - the book does bend the character traits at times in order for the plot to move forward, but if you read the book to simply enjoy yourself (and not look for truths) then it's a great read. i read that the author is going to write a sequel, and get paid TONS i'll bet :)
the invention of wings by sue monk kidd
a book that mixes the struggle for freedom from slavery with the a young feminist movement. i liked the earlier parts better - the description of life in the south - and i liked the alternating narrators (one black, one white) but i never got a sense of the purpose of the book. to equate the women's movement with slavery is an insult to the barbarism of slavery, and i can't help but notice the author is white and i'm a little sick of white authors inserting themselves (and their great white hope characters) into essentially black stories/narratives. i'm sort of surprised that oprah would put it on her bookclub list...
major Pettigrew's last stand by helen simonson
a funny book set in pure fantasy land: a regimented and widowed old fart in the countryside finds himself breaking british class taboos when he takes up with the village shop's east indian proprietor who happens to also be well-read, a widow, and amenable to his advances. while the overarching story is implausible, the details of the local elites, foreign interlopers, village life (being encroached upon by new developments), and interactions with adult children (that haven't truly grown up at all) make the book highly entertaining. I laughed aloud in numerous spots.
(actually, the major is so quick with a well-honed barb that his character HAD to be one with a deep library and a love of the classics)
lastly, I found a gem within the pages that should apply to all my future apologies, if I have any hope of being sincere: "The best way to prove our remorse is not to compound the injustice with a lie."
hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet by Jamie ford
clumsily told, this apologetic novel tells the story of the Japanese interment during WWII and the especially caustic relationship between Japanese Americans and Chinese americans that originated from their own countries' history. unfortunately, a lot of it reads like a history lesson (and perhaps its true that many Americans are ignorant of this time in their history) but I need no such primer.
as a love story, it baffled me that we were supposed to take the murmurings of 12 and 13 year olds as worthy of a lifetime's obsession.
graphic novels - tally: 3
persepolis by marjane satrapi
i must admit i know very litle about this time in iran, when the people forced out the shah and then the supposed 'new' republic got hijacked by the islamic fundamentalists. each chapter acts as both a history lesson and a childhood memoir. i know it was turned into an animated film, an i'm curious to see it.
the tale of one bad rat by bryan talbot
graphic novel addressing childhood sexual abuse - probably really cutting edge when it came out in the 90s.... but felt too old fashioned to me. maybe that's a good thing - all the tropes like not wanting to be touched by anyone, keeping this most dreadful of secrets, and feeling like the abuse was YOUR fault have been addressed over and over. but this must have opened up a dialogue 20 years ago.
i guess i'm too jadded to be its audience - i long for less abstract and more personal memoirs that involve abuse, like Blankets.
hyperbole and a half by allie brosh
this is a book that future pepper should have written. well, except for the depression parts. actually the depression parts were so bleak and so convincing that I changed my mind about showing this book to her (even though it is a great example of writing in your own voice, and drawing in your own style) - I truly fear that being exposed to the topic (the way she writes/draws it) might permanently skew her to that mindset. so yes - very powerful stuff.
it's too bad I won't show it to pepper b/c this woman is also brutally honest about the tricks and lies we tell ourselves to cover up our bullsh*t. my only problem? she basically ends her self discovery by just admitting to herself that she's a crappier person than she'd like to be. I'd have preferred an attempt to really change; saying 'it is what it is' might make you feel better because you don't need to apologize for being less than perfect, but it also means you aren't sorry whenever you let someone down, and I prefer some hope in my endings.
non-fiction - tally: 4
gnostic gospel by elaine pagels
how ironic that i started this book just after a 'hedwig and angry inch' binge. and lo - that creation story that forms the song: The Origin of Love is in this book.... a greek-influenced story passed down thru rabbis. so it's a real thing. hmm.
also, the ideas (which were contrary to orthodox christianity) that are contained in the gnostic gospels seem to have dripped into the religion after all: the inclusion of women in the church, the concept of god the mother as well as god the father, the encouragement of seeing god everywhere and finding the god within you, the idea that christ doesn't have to even be divine to inspire the movement...
initially, i was quite attracted to the ideas presented, but ultimately i chafed at the idea of 'secret' knowledge that can and will only be provided to the rare initate of gnosis. if there is alvation to be had - it must be available to all.
the everything store: jeff bezos and the age of amazon by brad stone
either this author is GREAT, or that adage 'live long enough and you'll change your mind about everything' is true because i LIKE business now!
i found this a fascinating read. there was nostalgia in remembering my own first forays into the internet and netscape and ebay. there was juicy gossip: bezos' screaming tantrums, his weird space race fixation, cloak and dagger meetings as they poached walmart's and microsoft's best people.
there were brilliant business strategies: offering free shipping as the base level of service with a higher tier for those wanting to pay for faster delivery. (then gambling on their 'prime' membership of a paltry $79/year for free 2 day shipping of anything - customers bought twice as much as before, AND started buying from new categories). amazon used their 'marketplace' platform to allow 3rd party selling but really it was a way to closely watch HOW to be successful in whatever business someone came up with - passive, no-risk learning - and then they beat them at their own game.
there were shakespearian manuevers: they emptied toysRus' online store of the hottest toys that xmas in order to meet their own customer demands and screw the competition. they offered free 2 days shipping and unlimited returns in their new online shoes store in order to force the (more visible competitior) Zappos to take a similar hit - except most of the traffic went to Zappos and they lost tons more money than amazon. (at least enough money that they couldn't resist amazon's takeover) same tactics with other businesses like Quidsi. the threats - dropping a product's 'buy' buttons when they didn't get their way; orchestrating competitor products to show up when doing a product search from a non-compliant vendors. nasty, nasty stuff. and i haven't even started about their dirty tricks with respect to ebooks and their continuing stranglehold on the publishing industry.
my boyfriend barfed in my handbag...and other things you can't ask martha by jolie kerr
just another 'handy's helpul hints' for 20 and 30-something year old women, packaged with humor... sure: keep on top of slowing drains with a half cup of baking soda, followed by a half cup of vinegar (soak 30 min then flush with hot water), know your floor composition BEFORE you start a cleaning process, and woolite & vinegar for your stinky gym clothes - but these things are easily condensed in a magazine article. mostly, this book grossed me out as it shone an unwelcome light on all the filth of our lives (my disposable razor went straight into the trash, yuck)
wherever you go, there you are: mindfulness meditation in everyday life by jon kabat-zinn
still kicking around after 10 years of being published, this book was supposed to be a bible of sorts for meditation. too bad I'm not ready to actually start meditating yet. this book is really meant to be an aid as you start up your practice and contains lots of imagery (which I sort of hated) to help in the meditation process. I found him too goofy at times, too medical at others. and certain phrases he loves to use trigger me to think blah-blah-blah.
how to get filthy rich in rising asia by mohsin hamid
told in second person AND in the present tense, this story grabs at you and pulls you into the centre.
sure, the author could be accused of a gimmick style, but it's appropriate for his subject matter, which is often death. and he ends the book in a chilling way, foretelling our own (singular) death. i may never read about a character's death in the same way again.
and the mountains echoed by khaled hosseini
i was almost halfway thru when i realized this was going to be series of characters addressed in each chapter, and not a true narrative. and i really like that.
i've read this author before and, to be honest, feel like i've read enough about afganistan through A Thousand Splendid Suns (i enjoyed it immensely) and The Kite Runner (felt both repepitive of his first novel, and far fetched). (not to mention Three Cups of Tea, The Breadwinner, and the CBC radio drama, Afganada). so i was glad to rediscover afganistan through fresh eyes: not all his characters are afgans, but have ties to the place. by encompasing this wide range of characters, we are able to see afganistan from the 50s to the post-war present.
the rosie project by graeme simsion
charming comedic romance (no wonder they are turning it into a movie) that takes advantage pop culture's current obsession with sheldon cooper's character from The Bing Bang Theory. the main character, hillariously unaware that he has asperberg's syndrome, starts a search for his ideal partner and accidently gets involved in a paternity quest. i laughed out loud many times, and that doesn't happen often.
granted - the book does bend the character traits at times in order for the plot to move forward, but if you read the book to simply enjoy yourself (and not look for truths) then it's a great read. i read that the author is going to write a sequel, and get paid TONS i'll bet :)
the invention of wings by sue monk kidd
a book that mixes the struggle for freedom from slavery with the a young feminist movement. i liked the earlier parts better - the description of life in the south - and i liked the alternating narrators (one black, one white) but i never got a sense of the purpose of the book. to equate the women's movement with slavery is an insult to the barbarism of slavery, and i can't help but notice the author is white and i'm a little sick of white authors inserting themselves (and their great white hope characters) into essentially black stories/narratives. i'm sort of surprised that oprah would put it on her bookclub list...
major Pettigrew's last stand by helen simonson
a funny book set in pure fantasy land: a regimented and widowed old fart in the countryside finds himself breaking british class taboos when he takes up with the village shop's east indian proprietor who happens to also be well-read, a widow, and amenable to his advances. while the overarching story is implausible, the details of the local elites, foreign interlopers, village life (being encroached upon by new developments), and interactions with adult children (that haven't truly grown up at all) make the book highly entertaining. I laughed aloud in numerous spots.
(actually, the major is so quick with a well-honed barb that his character HAD to be one with a deep library and a love of the classics)
lastly, I found a gem within the pages that should apply to all my future apologies, if I have any hope of being sincere: "The best way to prove our remorse is not to compound the injustice with a lie."
hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet by Jamie ford
clumsily told, this apologetic novel tells the story of the Japanese interment during WWII and the especially caustic relationship between Japanese Americans and Chinese americans that originated from their own countries' history. unfortunately, a lot of it reads like a history lesson (and perhaps its true that many Americans are ignorant of this time in their history) but I need no such primer.
as a love story, it baffled me that we were supposed to take the murmurings of 12 and 13 year olds as worthy of a lifetime's obsession.
graphic novels - tally: 3
persepolis by marjane satrapi
i must admit i know very litle about this time in iran, when the people forced out the shah and then the supposed 'new' republic got hijacked by the islamic fundamentalists. each chapter acts as both a history lesson and a childhood memoir. i know it was turned into an animated film, an i'm curious to see it.
the tale of one bad rat by bryan talbot
graphic novel addressing childhood sexual abuse - probably really cutting edge when it came out in the 90s.... but felt too old fashioned to me. maybe that's a good thing - all the tropes like not wanting to be touched by anyone, keeping this most dreadful of secrets, and feeling like the abuse was YOUR fault have been addressed over and over. but this must have opened up a dialogue 20 years ago.
i guess i'm too jadded to be its audience - i long for less abstract and more personal memoirs that involve abuse, like Blankets.
hyperbole and a half by allie brosh
this is a book that future pepper should have written. well, except for the depression parts. actually the depression parts were so bleak and so convincing that I changed my mind about showing this book to her (even though it is a great example of writing in your own voice, and drawing in your own style) - I truly fear that being exposed to the topic (the way she writes/draws it) might permanently skew her to that mindset. so yes - very powerful stuff.
it's too bad I won't show it to pepper b/c this woman is also brutally honest about the tricks and lies we tell ourselves to cover up our bullsh*t. my only problem? she basically ends her self discovery by just admitting to herself that she's a crappier person than she'd like to be. I'd have preferred an attempt to really change; saying 'it is what it is' might make you feel better because you don't need to apologize for being less than perfect, but it also means you aren't sorry whenever you let someone down, and I prefer some hope in my endings.
non-fiction - tally: 4
gnostic gospel by elaine pagels
how ironic that i started this book just after a 'hedwig and angry inch' binge. and lo - that creation story that forms the song: The Origin of Love is in this book.... a greek-influenced story passed down thru rabbis. so it's a real thing. hmm.
also, the ideas (which were contrary to orthodox christianity) that are contained in the gnostic gospels seem to have dripped into the religion after all: the inclusion of women in the church, the concept of god the mother as well as god the father, the encouragement of seeing god everywhere and finding the god within you, the idea that christ doesn't have to even be divine to inspire the movement...
initially, i was quite attracted to the ideas presented, but ultimately i chafed at the idea of 'secret' knowledge that can and will only be provided to the rare initate of gnosis. if there is alvation to be had - it must be available to all.
the everything store: jeff bezos and the age of amazon by brad stone
either this author is GREAT, or that adage 'live long enough and you'll change your mind about everything' is true because i LIKE business now!
i found this a fascinating read. there was nostalgia in remembering my own first forays into the internet and netscape and ebay. there was juicy gossip: bezos' screaming tantrums, his weird space race fixation, cloak and dagger meetings as they poached walmart's and microsoft's best people.
there were brilliant business strategies: offering free shipping as the base level of service with a higher tier for those wanting to pay for faster delivery. (then gambling on their 'prime' membership of a paltry $79/year for free 2 day shipping of anything - customers bought twice as much as before, AND started buying from new categories). amazon used their 'marketplace' platform to allow 3rd party selling but really it was a way to closely watch HOW to be successful in whatever business someone came up with - passive, no-risk learning - and then they beat them at their own game.
there were shakespearian manuevers: they emptied toysRus' online store of the hottest toys that xmas in order to meet their own customer demands and screw the competition. they offered free 2 days shipping and unlimited returns in their new online shoes store in order to force the (more visible competitior) Zappos to take a similar hit - except most of the traffic went to Zappos and they lost tons more money than amazon. (at least enough money that they couldn't resist amazon's takeover) same tactics with other businesses like Quidsi. the threats - dropping a product's 'buy' buttons when they didn't get their way; orchestrating competitor products to show up when doing a product search from a non-compliant vendors. nasty, nasty stuff. and i haven't even started about their dirty tricks with respect to ebooks and their continuing stranglehold on the publishing industry.
my boyfriend barfed in my handbag...and other things you can't ask martha by jolie kerr
just another 'handy's helpul hints' for 20 and 30-something year old women, packaged with humor... sure: keep on top of slowing drains with a half cup of baking soda, followed by a half cup of vinegar (soak 30 min then flush with hot water), know your floor composition BEFORE you start a cleaning process, and woolite & vinegar for your stinky gym clothes - but these things are easily condensed in a magazine article. mostly, this book grossed me out as it shone an unwelcome light on all the filth of our lives (my disposable razor went straight into the trash, yuck)
wherever you go, there you are: mindfulness meditation in everyday life by jon kabat-zinn
still kicking around after 10 years of being published, this book was supposed to be a bible of sorts for meditation. too bad I'm not ready to actually start meditating yet. this book is really meant to be an aid as you start up your practice and contains lots of imagery (which I sort of hated) to help in the meditation process. I found him too goofy at times, too medical at others. and certain phrases he loves to use trigger me to think blah-blah-blah.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
rob runs for council
pepper designed buttons for rob's campaign.
I made pamphlets and delivered them door-to-door,
and designed his website
rob prepared answers for the Tribune, Mercury, and others,
attended debates,
and spent hours talking on stoops and porches
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
koske
in anticipation of fierce's japan trip, we hosted a 'toyota' university student from japan for 5 days.
all the students arrived in business suits, and wore them every school day. this is a rare moment that koske was in casual clothes
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
hell day
i could write pages about hosting teenage boys from spain and france - walking out of the shower to alexandre's scooter face plant, the nasty tricks they played on bosco, their insolence and their internet use... but the last day was the last straw.
i am NEVER hosting with gayle & co again
i am NEVER hosting with gayle & co again
 |
| alexandre & david |
Friday, July 18, 2014
cadet camp
pepper is at cadet camp for 6 weeks -
i stole these photos off the cadet's flicker page:
nice to see them just being girls - horsing around
no make-up
everyone in that PE gear
the great equalizer: those massive cadet shorts
pepper even snagged herself a boyfriend...
is that him chatting with her in the corner?
p.s. she passed.
the boyfriend didn't
i stole these photos off the cadet's flicker page:
nice to see them just being girls - horsing around
no make-up
everyone in that PE gear
the great equalizer: those massive cadet shorts
pepper even snagged herself a boyfriend...
is that him chatting with her in the corner?
the boyfriend didn't
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Sunday, July 6, 2014
by the numbers: our cycling trip
3 nights camping
5 scout camps visited
132 kilometers ridden
2 support van
21 riders
2 times i got off my bike to walk up a hill
5 water breaks taken
8 meals prepared for us by gracious scouter bonnie
10 additional kilometers i rode home to get home rather than wait for our car keys
Saturday, July 5, 2014
scout cycling trip: Saturday & Sunday
from Everton to Manitou
one last safety check before we leave:
we took a detour to mountain bike in the woods,
got a bit lost
and very muddy -
but it was fun
then we had a BBQ lunch at BSSR
not a huge fan of Manitou...
stinky port-a-pottys,
sweltering heat,
copious mosquitoes
but there was caving nearby so it was a hit with the scouts
sunday's route:
to Barber Scout camp
late lunch at Barber - any and all leftovers :)
but i took off early to get home
to see bosco
who'd been on his own since 9am when pepper left for camp
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