Sunday Salon: A Reading Retrospective (October 2004)

How are you on this lovely Sunday afternoon? Have you recovered from the read-a-thon? From all the posts in my Google Reader it looked like everyone who participated had a wonderful time. I haven't had the opportunity to participate in any of the read-a-thons as of yet, but maybe one day I will get the chance. Despite that, I did spend a good part of yesterday reading whenever I could. At about midnight, I finished reading Push by Sapphire. I wanted to read the book before the movie came out this next month. It is a heartbreaking but inspirational novel about a teen mother who has two children by her own father. Her mother is pure evil. It was a difficult novel to read subject matter wise, but, oh, so worth it. I will be posting my review along with my thoughts on the movie later next month.

I am about to start reading Lion of Senet by Jennifer Fallon. After a good dose of reality, I am in desperate need of a taste of fantasy. Kelly (Kailana) from The Written World and I are reading the book together, and I cannot wait to get her take on the novel.

As I do on the last weekend of every month now, I like to revisit my old reading journal to see what I was reading five years ago at this time. I began blogging in the summer of 2006, and so many of my thoughts about the books I read before then were kept to myself. Reflecting on my past reading each month has been a worthwhile experience. I hope you have found it interesting as well.

October of 2004 was an especially challenging month for me on the work front. Lots of changes were afoot and there did not seem to be an end to them. My husband had gotten back into painting miniatures after taking a hiatus and I was reading up a storm in my spare time. As a result, I read quite a variety during October 2004. Care to travel down memory lane with me?

I started October 2004 off by finishing R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton. R is for Ricochet was a bit different from the previous books in the series. Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone is hired to transport a wealthy man's daughter home after her release from prison and to is help make sure she settles back into the "real" world. In this particular installment, Kinsey is more of a passenger throughout the story, being led along by the various characters and the crime and mystery unravel.

One of my favorite complaints that gets my eyes rolling about Sue Grafton's novels is that she is stuck in the 1980's. Well, of course the series is! The author purposefully chose that time period, a time before people were completely reliant on computers and cell phones. A private investigator was forced to do much more research out on the streets rather than in an office behind a computer. I also love that the series is well grounded in reality. So much of crime fiction today includes over the top crimes (which I very much enjoy too, don't get me wrong). Sue Grafton's series provides the readers with a more down to earth realistic mystery. It's a refreshing change now and then. Besides, I'm quite fond of Kinsey Millhone. She's an intelligent and resourceful private detective. I enjoy spending time in her company.

Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West has garnered much in the way of praise and criticism over the years. I went into the book not really sure what to expect--something light and fun, perhaps. What I found was something completely different. And I loved it. The novel is part drama and part social commentary, touching on a variety of political issues. It was even more about friendship, acceptance, faith and forgiveness, however. Since reading Wicked, I have never been able to look at the Wicked Witch of the West the same again.

October of 2004 was be the month I read my last Patricia Cornwell book. Trace is the 13th book in the series featuring chief medical examiner Kay Scarpetta. I read Trace hoping it would revive the series for me, and instead it was the final nail in the coffin. The writing made me cringe, and I finally accepted that I no longer was interested in the characters or what direction their lives would take them. I expected it to be hard to let the series go, but it was surprisingly easy. It would be the first series I ever gave up on but certainly not my last.

Fortunately, the bad taste left behind after reading Cornwell's novel did not last long. One of my online book groups selected M.J. Rose's The Halo Effect as the monthly read and I was eager to try out this new-to-me author. I was intrigued by the fact that the protagonist was a sex therapist and curious to see how the author would weave a mystery around that fact. I was not disappointed. I was captivated right from the start. I may have given up on a favorite series that month five years ago, but I also discovered a new one.

By far, one of the best books I read in all of 2004 was Khaled Hosseini's novel, The Kite Runner. I read the book all in one day, sitting in the sun room. My husband spent most of the day reading by my side (although I couldn't tell you what he was reading). I was blown away by the writing and the story. My heart ached for the characters. It was one of those books that made me say, "Wow!" upon completion.

Finding a book to read after that proved difficult, but I finally settled on A Breath of Fresh Air by Amulya Malladi. I had met the author in an online reading group and was curious about her books. I hadn't had the best experience with a previous book I'd read by an author I had met online, so I admit to being hesitant even still. However, my worries were for naught. A Breath of Fresh Air was the start of my love affair with India. It is a novel about facing the past, moving on and most especially about enduring love. I have since read more by the author and look forward to reading more by her in the future.

Needing something a bit less serious, I jumped immediately into P.D. James' crime fiction novel, A Mind to Murder. I was again reminded of how much I love P.D. James' ability to put the reader right into the minds of her characters without giving too much away. Next I dove into Jeff Lindsay's Darkly Dreaming Dexter, the first in a series featuring a blood spatter expert working for the Miami Police Department. The catch? Dexter is also a serial killer who only targets those who deserve the fate he metes out to them. The novel was funny at times. Jeff Lindsay never lets the reader forget that as likeable as Dexter may be, he is still a cold blooded killer. The book series has since become a television show which is quite popular in its own right.

After all that death, I thought I would spend a little time with Lynne Truss and her book, Eats, Shoots & Leaves; The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. It was both witty and educational. My favorite part was learning about the history of some of my favorite punctuation marks and how their uses have evolved over time.

It could have been worse. I begin my journal entry regarding Incubus Dreams by Laurell K. Hamilton with the idea that sometimes it is important to know what to expect from a book going in. This is one of the reasons I like reading a negative review of a book that is highly regarded. Not that this book is (or was) praised all that much. Still, having read several other opinions of this book before reading it, I was prepared for less mystery and more relationship issues. Knowing that, I was better able to appreciate the book for what it was, rather than what I hoped it might be. Incubus Dreams is the 12th book in the series featuring Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. It was perhaps my least favorite in the series up to that point. Unlike with Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series, I still cared about Anita and her friends and I was interested in their lives. So even with my disappointment in the direction Hamilton had taken the series up to this point, I still liked it enough to hang on.

While October of 2004 would be remembered as the month I read my favorite book of the year (and one of my all-time favorite books), it did not end on the best of notes. One of my pen pal's husbands had written and published a novel and I decided to give it a try. The novel, The Pariah Stigma, by Howard Selden, is about a group of people who are exiled to another planet because of their religious beliefs. After several years, some of the old leaders of Earth are forced to flee to the planet to make a new living of their own. The two groups must find a way to live peacefully if they are to survive. The novel was optimistic and simple. I found it lacking in suspense and thought it rather anticlimactic in the end.

Looking back over my reading that October in 2004, I can only think of how rewarding it turned out to be. I was introduced to several new authors and revisited old favorites. Out of all the books I read, only two left me disappointed. Out of 11 books, I would say that is pretty good.

Some Discussion Questions:

• I would love to know if you have read any of these books and what your thoughts are on them.
• Are there any movies based on books coming out in the next couple of months that you are looking forward to?
• If you are a series reader, have you ever given up on a series that you had once enjoyed? Or is there a series you continue to read because you are interested in the characters still, even if the story lines themselves aren't quite what you had hoped for?
• What are you reading right now?
  

This Week In Reading Mews:
Reviews Posted:
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
In the Wake of the Boatman by Jonathon Scott Fuqua

Reading Now:
Lion of Senet by Jennifer Fallon

Posts of Interest This Week:
Animals as Teachers: A Guest Post by Ingrid King (& a Giveaway of her book, Buckley's Story)
Wordless Wednesday: A Day in the Life of Anya and Parker

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I am taking a little break from my computer this week. My blog hopping will be down to a minimum, and I will not be posting to my blog. This will give you a chance to catch up on all your other blog reading and maybe read a book or two. I will be back before you know it. Have a great week everyone. Happy reading!

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© 2009, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.
If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Review: In the Wake of the Boatman by Jonathon Scott Fuqua

Alone in the gray living room of their clapboard rental, their four-year-old daughter asleep in bed, Carl's thoughts crudely took him off guard. On this oppressive Norfolk evening, the notion came to him so calmly it almost made sense. He should crack his little boy's neck as gently as possible. It would be like saving two lives. [pg 1]

In the Wake of the Boatman by Jonathon Scott Fuqua
Bancroft Press, 2008
Fiction; 307 pgs


Beginning during World War II and spanning the years through the Vietnam War and well into the seventies, In the Wake of the Boatman by Jonathon Scott Fuqua takes the reader into the life of Puttnam Steward and his family, from his childhood into his adulthood. He is the son of a self-made man, a father who worked hard and expected that others around him should too. Puttnam cannot seem to do anything right in his father’s eyes, try as he might. His mother gets through her days with the help of alcohol. Puttnam goes through life never quite feeling good enough. He is not sure what it is he wants in life. His self-doubts and guilt are compounded by his struggle with his gender-identity. The wrongs he did throughout his life, even as a small child, outweigh the positive in his mind. His accomplishments, such as graduating from the college his father was unable to finish and being a war hero, are lost on him.

In the Wake of the Boatman surprised me. I knew from the description that it was a book I would likely enjoy. I hadn’t realized though how much it would resonant with me on a personal level. I could see myself in both Puttnam and Mary, Puttnam’s older sister.

I most identified with Puttnam. I know what it is like to seek love and approval from someone who is not able to give it and that feeling of never being able to measure up. When it is a parent, it makes it all the more difficult. Puttnam tried for much of his life to make his father proud. Even when he tried to distance himself from his family, not to let his father in, it was impossible to break off completely. The parent/child bond is not easily dismissed. Puttnam is smart and capable. I wanted so much to step into the pages of the book and reassure him.

Puttnam’s sister Mary and his friend Milton are perhaps my two most favorite characters in the novel. Both care about Puttnam and reach out to him in their own ways to try and help him. I like them not just because of the support they offer Puttnam, but also for their own stories. Mary was not a victim to her father’s ill will. She saw what was happening to Puttnam, however, and, in her own way, sought to remedy the mistakes of the past with the choices she made in her own life. Like Puttnam, Milton struggled with the direction his life was meant to take. He joined the service right alongside Puttnam but soon discovered that military life was not for him. His love for nature and birds would eventually guide him to his new career. Even so, Milton had an uphill battle. Mary and Milton are both down to earth characters and anchor Puttnam, keeping him from losing himself completely.

Helen, Puttnam’s mother, turned to alcohol to fill the emptiness in her life. Her life had not quite turned out the way she had hoped it might. Booze numbed her to not only what was going on in her household, but also her own failures and disappointments.

I admit I was not too fond of Carl Steward, father of Puttnam and Mary. I voiced a few choice words about him as I read the novel. He was cold and sometimes cruel to his son, never satisfied with Puttnam and making sure he knew it. I saw in Carl a familiar figure from my own past and that made it all the more personal. It made it harder for me to feel sorry for Carl, even knowing his own upbringing was much like the one he gave his son. Both Carl and his father were hard on their sons who never seemed to live up to their fathers’ expectations. I can’t help but wonder if Carl’s own father had had a similar childhood to the one he gave Carl. Carl was not a heartless man. Just misguided. He always had something to prove, never quite feeling good enough himself. He transferred those expectations and feelings onto his son, Puttnam. Instead of acknowledging his own insecurities, he put them off onto his son.

Carl’s hobby of making boats and his struggle to make one that could float and carry his weight mirrored his own life and his struggles with his son. He did attempt to reach out to his son at times, but his efforts rarely carried the weight they needed and were weak at best.

The characters are fully realized, making them all the more real. I felt Puttnam’s frustration and sadness, his guilt and shame. I could even feel Carl’s internal struggle as he warred with saving face and acknowledging he might be wrong. I have a feeling I will be wondering for awhile to come about where Puttnam would be today if he were a real person.

In the Wake of the Boatman is a study into the human psyche, about how our lives are shaped by our life experiences. Jonathon Scott Fuqua’s novel moved me. In his acknowledgements, he mentioned that he hoped his story would inspire, and I definitely feel that it does; at least it did this reader.

Rating: (Very Good +)


You can learn more about Jonathon Scott Fuqua and his books on his website.

Disclosure: Copy of book provided by publisher for review.

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© 2009, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.
If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Wordless Wednesday: A Day in the Life of Anya and Parker

Hosted by Wordless Wednesday

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© 2009, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.
If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Animals as Teachers: A Guest Post by Ingrid King (& a Giveaway)

I have gotten to know Ingrid King through her blog and am honored to have her as a guest today. Anyone who has spent any time on her blog, The Conscious Cat, knows how much she loves and respects cats. She recently published her first book, Buckley's Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher. Please welcome Ingrid to Musings of a Bookish Kitty!

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Animals as Teachers From the Introduction to Buckley’s Story –
Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher

I have always believed that animals come into our lives to teach us. First and foremost, they teach us about unconditional love. But they also teach us to stretch and grow, to reach beyond our self-imposed limits, and to expand our consciousness. They take us to places we did not think were possible for us to go. I’ve been fortunate to have a number of these animals in my life.

I was not allowed to have pets as a child. The apartment building I grew up in would not permit them, but I would temporarily adopt cats for the duration of almost every family vacation. I grew up in Germany, and in those days, a typical vacation meant that you went to one place and stayed there for two or three weeks at a time. We stayed at small bed-and-breakfasts or rented a vacation condo, and somehow, at every place we stayed, we would either find a resident cat or two, or there would be a number of stray cats hanging around the property. The times I spent with these cats make up some of my happiest childhood memories.

I got my first cat when I was in my twenties. Feebee was a grey tabby cat who was born in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to a cat named Blue, who belonged to a childhood friend of my former husband. Walt and I were living in Germany at the time, but we would be moving back to the Washington, DC area shortly, so Walt’s friend saved one of the kittens in Blue’s litter for us. Meeting Feebee was love at first sight for me. We took him home as soon as we had moved into our new house in Northern Virginia, and for the next fifteen and a half years, Feebee was the love of my life. He saw me through my divorce as well as the death of my mother. He was my primary emotional support during those dark days. If it wasn’t for him, you might not be reading this book.

He was also instrumental in guiding me toward a new career. I was increasingly unhappy with my corporate job but had no clear sense of what I was meant to be doing with my life. Then Feebee took matters into his own paws, so to speak, and developed bladder stones. The time we then spent at veterinary hospitals for diagnosis, treatment, and surgery led me to change careers. I started volunteering and then working part time at veterinary hospitals, which eventually led to a full-time position managing an animal hospital—a position that came with an office cat with a very distinct personality. Virginia, a beautiful tortoiseshell cat, loved me fiercely, and made my dream of a fulfilling career complete. Whenever I had visualized my perfect job, that dream had always included a cat sleeping in a sunny spot on my desk. One of Virginia’s favorite sleeping places was the spot right next to my computer, in front of a sunny window.

Working at various animal hospitals led to many encounters with a large variety of special cats and dogs. The lessons learned from those encounters are enough to fill another book.

Several years later, Feebee lost his battle with lymphoma. Three months after he passed away, Amber came into my life. She was a stray who was brought to the animal hospital with her five kittens. She was emaciated and scrawny, but even then, her eventual beauty was evident. She is a dark tortoiseshell color, with an amber-colored, heart-shaped spot on top of her head, which became the reason for her name. Her kittens were adopted out to new homes in fairly rapid succession, but nobody was interested in the beautiful mommy cat. I did not think I was ready for another cat yet. The wound from Feebee’s passing was still very fresh and raw, but coming home to an empty house was becoming increasingly difficult, so I took Amber home, “just for the weekend.” She never returned to the animal hospital, and for the past nine years, her gentle, loving, wise presence, not to mention her almost constant purr, has been bringing love and affection into my life every day.

Virginia passed away two years after Feebee, and my office felt empty. For the next three years, I did not have an office cat, but there were always plenty of cats boarding at the animal hospital and these cats appreciated getting a break from being confined to a cage all day. I would bring a succession of favorites into my office with me whenever the opportunity presented itself. But it was not the same as having my own office cat.

And then, in the spring of 2005, Buckley entered my life. It seems hard to believe how much one small cat can change your life in just three short years. This is the story of Buckley and the lessons she taught me. Since the lessons are universal, I hope that you, dear reader, will find some of them useful for your own journey. If nothing else, I hope you enjoy the story of Buckley, a very special little cat.

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Ingrid King is a former veterinary hospital manager turned writer. She publishes the E-zine News for You and Your Pet, covering topics ranging from conscious living to holistic and alternative health. She shares her experiences with consciously creating a joyful, happy and healthy life for pets and people on her popular blog, The Conscious Cat. Ingrid lives in Northern Virginia with her tortoiseshell cat Amber. Visit www.ingridking.com.

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The author has kindly offered a copy of her book, Buckley's Story, to one lucky reader in the U.S.A. If you would like a chance to win a copy please let me know by leaving a comment. Be sure and include your e-mail address. The winner will be selected at random and notified by e-mail. The deadline to enter the giveaway is October 30th at 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Thank you to all who commented and entered the giveaway! The winner was selected using random.org. The winner is

Diane of Bibliophile by the Sea!

Congratulations, Diane!

**GIVEAWAY CLOSED**

Review: Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Alice watched and listened to the relentless, breaking waves pounding the shore. If it weren’t for the colossal seawall constructed at the edges of the properties of the million-dollar homes along Shore Drive, the ocean would have taken each house in, devouring them all without sympathy or apology. She imagined her Alzheimer’s like this ocean at Lighthouse Beach—unstoppable, ferocious, destructive. Only there were no seawalls in her brain to protect her memories and thoughts from the onslaught. [pg 156]

Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Pocket Books, 2009 (ARE)
Fiction, 303 pgs

My grandmother was an amazing woman. She was a teacher, a wife and a mother. She was active in both her church and the League of Women Voters organization. She and my grandfather very much a part of my childhood. After my Grandpa John died, the family began noticing little changes in my grandmother. She was forgetful. She would go out wearing her clothing backwards. She left a turkey in the trunk of her car one hot summer night, completely forgotten. She could not do simple tasks and would lose her way home while out running errands. She bought a minivan she could not afford nor needed. She was irritable and defensive. Eventually she withdrew, barely speaking. She stopped making an effort to walk, preferring instead to sit in a wheelchair. She couldn’t remember who people were and we did not know if she really understood what was going on around her. My grandmother did not have Alzheimer’s, however. She suffered from vascular dementia, with many of the same symptoms as someone with Alzheimer’s might have. In my desire to learn more about her illness, I did quite a bit of research into dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease.

My father’s father, Grandpa Willie, did have Alzheimer’s Disease. His was not early onset as Alice’s was in the novel. His came with old age. Being on the West Coast and he on the East, I did not see the impact his illness had on him first hand like I had with my grandmother in California. I heard the stories though. The last time I saw my grandfather in the nursing home, he had no idea who I was.

Earlier this year, my husband’s uncle was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Uncle R is a war veteran, highly intelligent and was successful in his career. It has been difficult for his family, including his wife, children, mother and sister.

Alzheimer’s is hereditary. And that’s a scary thought. As terrible as this may sound, I confess to being more frightened of having that than cancer (although I worry about that too; breast cancer being a real risk factor in my life—both my grandmothers and mother having had it). The idea of losing my mind, piece by piece . . . My memories, including the most basic disappearing. And knowing it is happening. I cannot imagine how frustrating and frightening that would be not only for me but those around me.

Still Alice was not a book I sought out to read before now. It was one sent to me by the publisher for review. Even amidst all the glowing reviews, I hesitated in reading it. I commented on many blogger reviews that I wasn’t ready, that it hit too close to home. When Florinda brought up the idea of a group read-along, I penciled it in deciding I might as well give it a try.

I picked up Still Alice at lunch on Friday and barely spent any time on my computer that night as I jumped right back into reading. I only went to bed at 12:44 a.m. because I could not keep my eyes open any longer. I finished the book Saturday morning. I didn’t rush through the book on purpose with a deadline in mind. I was so involved in Alice’s story, in her family’s story, that I just wanted to keep reading.

In Lisa Genova’s novel, Dr. Alice Howland is a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard University. She has a successful career and is well-respected among her peers. She prides herself on her accomplishments and being the best teacher she can be. She is the mother of three adult children and married to a man she loves very much and who is also successful in his own career.

She loves her children. Her older two are leading successful lives. Alice worries about her youngest though who has chosen a career path that Alice has trouble understanding. She also worries that she and her husband have grown apart. They live under the same roof, but lead very independent lives. She misses their walks to work in the morning, holding hands and stopping at Jerri’s for coffee and tea.

She is extremely busy, always on the go. It is no wonder she occasionally forgets where she puts things and sometimes loses a word. Everyone does that now and then, especially when stressed or overwhelmed. In Alice’s case, there’s also the possibility of menopause setting in. Hadn’t she read that minor memory disruptions and mental confusion could be related to that?

It isn’t until she forgets how to get home one day during a run that she realizes just how serious her problem may be. Not wanting to worry her husband, she sees her doctor and later a neurologist. She never expected the diagnosis she was given: early onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

Lisa Genova’s prose is simple and easy to read even if the story she tells is one filled with sadness and pain. It is not all depressing though. While Alice’s prognosis is poor, her family is just as much a part of this book as Alice, and their lives will go on.

I wasn’t too keen on Alice at first. I immediately identified with her youngest daughter, Lydia. Alice is very opinionated and has difficulty understanding Lydia’s choice not to attend college to pursue an acting career. Alice and Lydia have a strained relationship in the beginning of the book, but as the story progresses, their relationship begins to change. My impressions of Lydia only grow more positive and I came to really care about Alice.

I could understand Alice’s husband’s initial denial and constant search for solutions that might help his wife. It couldn’t have been easy for him. The woman he loved was disappearing before his eyes. Juggling his career and a spouse who was becoming increasingly dependent would not be easy on anyone. I feel terrible for writing this, but he frustrated me at times with the choices he made, one in particular. Was he wrong? Not necessarily. He did what he thought was best for him in his situation. It is hard to know what we would do in any given circumstance without being in that situation ourselves. Still, his choices bothered me.

Alzheimer’s Disease is degenerative and there is yet no cure. There are drugs that help minimally by delaying the progression of the illness but it is still unknown how to stop it. There is DNA testing available which can detect whether a person is likely to develop Alzheimer’s, however, it is not full proof by any stretch. And then the question becomes whether you’d want to know something like that ahead of time. Lisa Genova broached this subject in the novel as well.

The author also addressed the stigma associated with Alzheimer’s. The fear and assumptions people make upon learning someone has the disease. When Alice’s colleagues learned of her diagnosis, they began to avoid her. Her family often would talk about her while she sat right there in the room instead of addressing her directly. Alice could not help but feel alienated and alone, not to mention helpless.

I felt a full range of emotions while reading this novel: fear, anger, sadness, joy, hope, helplessness, and love. The bonds of the Howland family are tested to the limit. Alice is an amazing and strong woman. I couldn’t help but think of my grandmother, grandfather, and Uncle R. as I read. My heart aches for what they must have gone through—and are going through in the case of my husband’s uncle. I hope that a cure for or at least a way to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s will be found in the near future. I cried as I read Still Alice and for a long time after I finished it. It is not an easy read due to the subject matter, but it is well worth reading.

Rating: (Very Good +)


For more information about the author, Lisa Genova, and her book visit her website.

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© 2009, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.
If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.