Yes and No

Hi. . .

Yes Ryan is adorable. No I didn't drop off the face of the earth.

I just figured since we aren't reading anything as a group I didn't have anything to say. But I have been reading.

I've finished two books by Jonathan Lethem: Fortress of Solitude and Motherless Brooklyn. They're extremely different -- to the point of seeming not to be written by the same author. Ironically about the only thing they have in common is that they both take place in Brooklyn.

In the past week I've started reading TC Boyle's Drop City. Have you read anything by him? Interesting reading about the Sixties. Perspective is an amazing thing. I've read about a third of the book. He's still setting the scene. What is coming through loud and clear is how anti-women communes were. Perspective again: Shula grew up on a commune and it's definitely not anti-women.

As for what we're going to read when Hagit and I are there . . . dunno. I'll think about it. Whatever it is I guess we have to decide soon. Don't know if I want to read the Vreeland book. It's tempting in that we've made several pilgrimages to see the Impressionists all over France. We went to the homes of both Matisse and Renoir in Nice. The Matisse House is now an amazing museum. The exhibition changes (we've been there more than once). The first time they had several paintings hung next to the windows he was looking out when he painted them. Talking about being blown away! OTOH Renoir's house is a bit disappointing. You can go into his studio but there really isn't much of his work hung there.

I have the feeling that Luncheon of the Boating Party may be too similar to Girl in Hyacinth Blue. Go ahead, tell me I'm wrong.

Ed

Today is Ryan's 2nd birthday...

So I thought you might indulge me by allowing me to add a photo of him!
Paula (otherwise known as BUBBA -- I really need to buy that pickup truck...)
P.S. His shirt says "I'm listening to Led Zeppelin with my Daddy"

Graphic novels in the news.

I finished "The Quitter" and probably won't be reading many more graphic novels. It DID leave an impression, and I DID love flying through the story, such as it was. But I don't think these glorified comics will ever replace words on a page for me. I was surprised to find out last night, after I finished the book, that the Post ran a very long article yesterday about graphic novels (in the "Style and Arts" section). It helped, sorta, explain the phenomenon of graphic novels, but it didn't make me any more likely to read others.

Sorry that I've hijacked the book blog but my attitude is that it's here for the hijacking. And bless Paula's heart for at least chiming in from time to time.

Pam

Finished the Rimington book. What's everyone else reading?

Let me know if you read "At Risk" Paula. I finished it today and will probably forget everything about it in a few weeks, certainly a few months. But it was just what I wanted for August. Some of the amazon.com reader comments were interesting, especially those that pointed out the book's surprising factual errors.

In the meantime, and trying to ignore how pathetic this sounds, does anyone want to start reading a novel in the next week? I'm up for anything under 400 pages.

I'm half-way through my first graphic novel: "The Quitter" by Harvey Pekar. Interesting. Not sure I'll read more of these but I'm glad I'm reading this one.

And I also started reading "The Great Derangement" by Matt Taibbi, which I'm loving. Mostly because the author makes me laugh.

Doug and I ran into Larry and Camy last night just as we were going into the Greenbelt theater to see "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." (We actually talked only to Larry b/c by the time Camy appeared we were being whisked into the theater.) They had just seen the movie and liked it, as did we. Amazing that we're still getting good Woody Allen movies after all these years.

Pam

I have been totally out of this link and I'm sorry I missed it. It's been insane around here; I've barely been at home. Since the blog seemed to have been abandoned, I thought that when we started posting again, someone would send an email first. Glad I checked back. Sorry my post will be old news but here goes. First, Pam, thank you for telling us about the Rabb article. Remember I was so confused about the young adult classification of TBT? That article and response to it was very helpful. Glad to know that even the authors are nonplussed ;-)

I never heard of The Risk -- was it nominated? Sounds like a good book and I love mysteries -- I'll get it, maybe today, and start reading. I'll get back to you when I get into it.

I read Barbara Walters Audition and enjoyed it. What an amazing life she had, not always happy. And what wonderful insights she gave about just about every "important" person in the world.

So, are we all going to get together when Ed and Hagit are here?
Paula

Started "At Risk"

Easy to read, except for all the references to places in London and the UK in general. Very straightforward read so far.
Pam

Anyone out there?

I'm going to read At Risk by Stella Rimington and hope maybe someone else wants to join me. I heard Bob Edwards interviewing Rimington and it got me interested in her. I don't normally read mysteries but I want to change that. A few friends are avid mystery readers and they always seem so eager to read everything written by a particular writer. Sounds like a healthy addiction. Years ago I got hooked on the "Rabbi" mysteries -- you know the series -- "The Rabbi Ate Too Many Bananas on Thursday" or whatever -- and I read them all in one big rush. I've also read a few P.D. James novels, but nothing in the past 15 years. Stella Rimington was the first woman head of M15, the UK's counter-intelligence and security agency, so she has impressive credentials to write such a book. I don't have the book yet but will order one tomorrow (if I can't find a copy at the library) so I may start reading as early as next week.

If anyone wants to start any of the other books nominated for No. 3, just let me know and I'm in. (Wish I could say that applies to Atlas Shrugged but I just can't. It's too long and I'm too slow.)

Hope someone reads this. I'll probably report on the book even if I'm talking to myself.

Love to all, Pam

More about TBT in today's NYT

On July 20, in a comment to the post below, I mentioned an article by Margo Raab in the NYT book review section about Y.A., Young Adult fiction. Today, the Times ran four letters to the editor about the Raab article, including this one:

To the Editor:

Rabb’s essay clearly illustrates one of the challenges that we booksellers face every day in helping books to find their readers. My favorite example is Markus Zusak’s “Book Thief,” a gorgeous novel to which everyone should have access, but which is relegated to the last shelf (Z) of young adult fiction. Our in-store book group reluctantly agreed to read it and fell in love, but the casual reader won’t find it or won’t consider it because of the Y.A. classification. Special “book group editions” of selected Y.A. titles would greatly increase the audience for those special books that cross the age divide.

Kristine Williams
Encino, Calif.
The writer is the community relations manager of Barnes & Noble Encino.

Pam