Apt. 11D

Where the Wild MILFs Are

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Book Porn, Part One

This video is perfect because I'm majorly into book porn right now. More posts soon.

Book Review: Girl With a Dragon Tattoo

I've had the The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo sitting by the side of my bed gathering dust for about a year. I tried to read it three times, but never got past page 30. It was just too boring. But then the movie came out and it has Daniel Craig in it, which means I definitely have to watch it, which means that I definitely have to read the book first. (My son has OCD tendencies. Where oh where does he get the genetic code for that?)

Looks like this is shaping into a sex and violence sort of day. Let's keep going. The Girl with Dragon Tattoo is all about sex and violence and violent sex. 

The Dragon Tattoo starts off very slowly. When I was whining about the slow pace of the book, friends advised to keep going; things pick up after page 100. It did get better.

Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who was convicted of libeling a wealthy industrialist, is hired by another wealthy industrialist to solve a family mystery. He later joins forces with a highly damaged girl, Lisbeth Salander, who is a genius at digging up info on the Internet. 

Stieg Larsson very successfully creates two complicated, likable characters. They are both raped. Lisbeth with an anal plug by a sadist case worker. Mikael by a corporation who humiliates him in the court room on national television. They are both outsiders who smoke a lot of cigarettes and sleep with the nearest body. In short, they are likable people. 

As I stayed up until 1:30 on Christmas night finishing off the book, I got swept into the whole dark Swedish vibe of the book. The small villages on the edge of sea. Laconic neighbors eating herring and drinking coffee on IKEA stools. It's an austere landscape. 

The plot was disturbing. It's all about sex-crazed Nazis. There's some very graphic, disturbing scenes of sexual violence. Despite his little notes about the horrors of violence against women, you get the feeling that Larsson is kinda into it. Yes, yes, sexual violence is a horrible thing. Now, let me write a three page description about a torture cell for prostitutes. I wonder how many of the readers of the book got off on those scenes. 

The writing is so-so. It's a translation, so I don't know if I should blame Larsson or his translator.  

I liked the book, despite the manipulation, and will probably pick up the second book at Barnes and Noble today. Now, it's time to book the babysitter, so I can see my boyfriend, Daniel Craig. (Though I heard that the movie is tanking. They might not even make the second film.) 

The Sybil Myth

Via Andrew Sullivan, it appears the Multiple Personality Disorder or Disassociative Identity Disorder may not actually be a psychiatric ailment. It became popularized at a time when society wanted a way to repress women who were beginning to show independence. 

 

Gift Guide 2011 #6: Steve's History Book Selection

by Steve

Laura tells me that you folks can’t wait for my picks for the year. Well, I hope the wait is worth it, because this year was a great one; I had a really hard time coming up with five books to recommend. So many top-notch works out there; I’ve done my best to select those which may appeal to the general, educated reader (that means YOU!).

This year is a bit unusual because three of the five are primary source materials. You’ll also notice that I went on a US history bender. This is perhaps the first year with no Classical stuff. Why, you may ask? Probably because this year our fair land made so little sense that I had to hunt the beasts lurking deep within our collective subconscious psyche. What the hell is going on down there? You kids shut up and go to bed! Unfashionably Jungian, I know, but I needed understanding.

Howe, Daniel Walker. What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848

The best book I’ve read this year, and that says a lot, considering the strength of this year’s set. You can thank Laura’s father for this one; he highly recommended it to me, and I pass that recommendation to you.

I never had all that much interest in early 19th century US history (funny clothes and goofy hats, runnin’ around barefoot and drunk all the time, fightin’ and praisin’; fifteen miles on the Erie Canal and so on). True that, but so much more. This was an era of social, economic, and political revolution, all accelerated by world-historical technological change. Swap telegraphs and railroads for computers and the internet, and you realize that plus ça change . . . Religious revival, political agitation, anti-immigrant feeling, an unpopular and legally questionable war, regional politics, politicized media,the debate over the federal role in internal development and the national economy. And of course, overshadowing it all is the most wrenching issue in US history: slavery. You see what’s on the horizon, and it’s not pretty.

Prof. Howe is a superb and imaginative writer as well as an outstanding historian.Yes, a historian is a product of his times, and his argument may be subconsciously rooted in the recent past, but he does not deliberately draw parallels between then and now (I only caught one off hand reference to the Iraq War). Five stars. You won’t regret this one.

Chernow, Ron. Washington: A Life

As thorough a biography of George Washington as you will ever read. The more I learn about this man, the more amazed at our splendid good fortune to have him in charge during the Revolution. I’m not sure that you could call him modest or humble,but he certainly had the awareness and understanding that events were much bigger than he, and that he had awesome responsibilities to shoulder. Lesser men would have succumbed to temptation or descended into pettiness; Washington had his flaws and Chernow doesn’t hesitate to point them out. Many at the time did succumb to one of more of the deadly sins, but many more did not, which is all the more astounding. Puts some perspective on our present lot of leading Americans.

Grant, Ulysses S. Grant. Ulysses S. Grant: Memoirs and Selected Letters

An American Caesar without the Caesar. In other words, masterly writing from the mind of a career soldier, but without any acknowledgement of his great accomplishments. Grant’s writing is clear and concise, each sentence to-the-point, each paragraph crafted logically, each chapter leading the reader to the obvious and well-known destination. The entire work is lucid and self-deprecating, describing his first-hand experiences in the Mexican and Civil Wars without the political spin. Don’t get me wrong; he is as fervent a Republican (as in the Party of Lincoln) as one could find, but what is most amazing about Grant is that he is extraordinarily magnanimous. He does not have an unkind word for anyone. Again, puts our present crop in an unflattering light.

Sledge, E. B. With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa

Narrating his experiences in another brutal war is E. B. Sledge. In 2010 HBO broadcast The Pacific, a mini-series following three young Marines across the Pacific,hopping from one nasty island to the next, fighting tenacious Japanese soldiers and slowly devolving into savagery. Horrible tales. So after viewing the series, I turned to the memoirs. E. B. Sledge is a fine writer with a keen eye for detail, a talent for describing unusual characters, and intelligent and observant enough to have thoughtful opinions on his situation. The image of the old marine scrubbing his privates in the shower with a wire brush sums up all we need to know about the Marine Corp. A heroic yet modest figure who did what was expected of him and tried to retain his sense of decency and humanity in extremely difficult circumstances.

de Castaneda de Najera, Pedro. Narrative of the Coronado Expedition.

I rediscovered this one last year: a first person account of Coronado’s expedition in 1540 to Northern Mexico and the American Southwest. In search of the Seven Cities of Cibola, Coronado and his men explore difficult terrain and make contact with the natives of the region, with predictable results. I first read this account years ago for a history course on early modern Latin American history. I spent days with this book in my right hand and an atlas in my left. Fascinating reading and truly a first-class historical document, written by an average Joe on an extraordinary journey.

Believe it or not, I liberated this from somebody’s desk at the firm. The poor fellow was no longer with us (or “pursuing other opportunities”, as we are told), and this book was destined for the trash heap. His neighbors shrugged their shoulders, not caring about the great importance of this work. I tried hard to convince them but my arguments fell upon deaf ears. Philistines more interested in the call of the Horn of Mammon! If they read this book they would realize that it’s all a fantasy!

I’m a popular guy at the firm.

So, I hope you enjoy this year’s readings. For bonus points, I suggest you checkout Alan Taylor’s The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, & Indian Allies and Liberty’s Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World by Maya Jasanoff. More good stuff, and makes me realize that I don’t know enough about the Great White North. Canada and the U.S. have always seen each other as alternatives to each other, going back to the Revolution and further defined by the War of 1812. And honorable mention goes to a jolly fun book, Twain’s Life on the Mississippi (which I didn’t finish because I lost it on the bus. Arrgh.)

Happy Holidays!

Gift Guide 2011 #3: Young Adult Books -- Mystery and Adventure

My smart and beautiful sister in law, Tammy, put together a list of great YA mystery and adventure books. Tammy teaches seventh grade at a private school, so she knows what works for both kids and grown ups. 

Here are her tips and reviews:

Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book I by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis

Thirteen-year-old Prue and her baby brother Mac are enjoying a day at the park in their hometown of Portland, Oregon when a murder of crows swoops in and carries Mac off into the forbidden wood on the edge of the city known as The Impassable Wilderness.   That begins this fantastic and adventurous debut novel from Colin Meloy and fantastically illustrated by his wife, Carson Ellis.  Meloy, best known as the front man for the band The Decemberists, has crafted an intriguing and a bit off beat book for early teens.  Younger readers should not be dissuaded by its length, 541 pages.  Meloy knows how to keep his readers entertained, and Ellis’ illustrations are fantastic.  The book is packed with adventure and danger as Prue begins her quest into the Impassable Wilderness to reclaim Mac.  Tie ins: The Mysterious Benedict Society Collection ; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ; The Sixty-Eight Rooms.

The Name of this Book Is Secret (The Secret Series) ;by Pseudonymous Bosch

Like the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events but not as dark and depressing.  I can’t keep these books on my classroom shelves.  6^th and 7^th grade boys seem to be drawn to them.  Mystery, magic and humor are all rolled into one.

 

 

 

 

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill

I keep referring to this book as Children of the Corn for preteens.  Jack’s parents are getting a divorce and decide that it is best if he goes to live with his aunt and uncle at their farmhouse in the middle Iowa.  Hazelwood is not a normal town, and as soon as Jack arrives things start to get even weirder.   Jack befriends a local girl named Wendy, her twin brother  who disappeared for years and suddenly returned mute and disfigured, and a boy who can see people and things others cannot.  The story is engaging, thrilling, endearing, and, at times, a little scary.  It will appeal to kids who like mysteries and adventure stories.

 

 

 

The Cherub series by Robert Muchamore

The Recruit  is the first in this series which follows James Adams as he is recruited into a secret arm of MI 5 and a life of mystery, danger, and intrigue.  This will appeal to boys who like The Alex Rider books by Anthony Horowitz or James Bond.  There are currently 12 books in the series.  I literally had boys begging to have free reading time so that they could read.

 

Feminism and the Hunger Games

I'm ignoring the firestorm of snark and outrage on my Twitter feed about OWS. Sorry, but I just don't give a shit any more. 

What I do care about is the new trailer for the Hunger Games. 

Noah Berlatsky writes that grown ups like me, who wrestle with their teens for these books, love them, because Katniss is embodiment of Second-Wave feminism.

And then there's Katniss: an extremely competent, tomboyish young woman who is athletic, focused, responsible, and able to take care of herself. She's not especially interested in boys and doesn't have sex, or even really think about sex for almost the entire series. She's also politically engaged, especially as the story moves on. She is, in other words, the ideal second-wave feminist daughter; smart, fierce, independent, and sexually restrained.

Laura Miller of Salon thinks that Katniss is actually a very weak character, who pretends that she is not interested in power and ambition. 

Underlying Katniss’ unacknowledged mixed feelings is the trilogy’s own profound ambivalence about desire and power. In some ways, Katniss is more passive than Bella, allowed to have all kinds of goodies but only if she demonstrates her virtue by not really wanting them in the first place. 

I never read the Twight series, so I can't weigh in on the comparisons between the two characters. I am thrilled that a popular book series features a strong, kick-ass-and-take-names female character. I am thrilled that boys are reading a book where the main protagonist is a woman.

In era of Kim Kardashian and the bimbos of the Bachelorette, I think that there's a hunger for strong, athletic women who would rather run through the forest, than spend two hours flat ironing their hair. 

NaNoWriMo

Who's doing NaNoWriMo? What's your word total? 

Some writing advice from actual writers. 

Book Review: The Hunger Games Triology

The best books of recent years have all been Young Adult (YA) books.

Serious fiction books have become bogged down in self indulgent language and inside jokes. Chick lit has segued into the Chick Memoirs. A young hip New York girl discovers true happiness and love by working on a farm, cooking fancy dishes, or joining a harem. If I read another book about how a woman finds true meaning in life through yoga, I will puke up my organic, locally grown, fava bean salad. 

 YA books aren't bogged down by pretensions of great literature or by formulaic memoirs. The best writers of our generation have decided to follow J.K. Rowling into the world of great plots and action and big advances. 

This week, I plowed through two of three books in the Hunger Games Trilogy. The first in the series, The Hunger Games, was so good that I read it twice. 

The Hunger Games is part Shirley Jackson's lottery, part Thunderdome, part Survivor, and part Sparta and the Helots. After a series of terrible natural disasters, North America is controlled by the Capital. The Capital uses terror to keep control over the territories and the people who provide the natural resources for them. One of their means of terrorizing the territories or the Districts is make each of the 12 Districts pick two children's names from a hat. Those 24 children then must fight each other to the death in an arena. The drama plays out on television screens across the country. The story follows the story of Catniss and Peeta as they enter the Hunger Games. 

The second in the series, Catching Fire, isn't as good. It suffers from The Two Towers syndrome. Too much of the book is a set up for the final fight in the third book. Still, the set up was excellent. I have the third book hidden up in my closet to give to Jonah as a Christmas present. Would it be terribly wrong,  if I read it first? 

Writers' World

For the past nine months or so, I've been working on a book. It's been an off and on sort of project, because I'm not really in control of all the chaos in my life. I would sit down at the computer and then somebody would scream up the stairs demanding dinner. (Those high maintenance chidlren want food. Can you believe it?) Or some annoying real estate would text me to get out of the house in ten minutes, so a picky buyer can sneer at the paint colors on my walls. Lots of stuff happened in those nine months, and I don't often get those big blocks of quiet time. 

Just because you know how to write an academic paper or a blog post, it doesn't mean that you know how to write a book. A shocker, I know. So, I have had a major learning curve there. 

While writing itself can be a bitch at times, throwing myself into the writers' subculture has been a joy. In order to figure out what the hell I am doing, I've been going to Meetup groups of writers and working with agents. This Friday, I'm going to the BlogHer/Penguin conference. I've learned a lot about the craft of writing from all these people. I've also learned that there are a lot of wonderful, kooky people out there. 

Check out my new friends, the Book Doctors.