Friday notes

Just a note to say my dad is being released home next week. This is good news, of course, although there is a long road ahead for him, my mom, and my whole family.

Breathing hopeful breaths and staying positive. Thanks again to everyone who sent their good wishes!

Thoughts for Thursday - What your books say about you ... and a link

Following up on yesterday's post...what does your big pile of books say about you? Pay attention to not only how they are ordered or displayed, but how many do you have? What are the titles? Which titles do you read and which do you buy (maybe guiltily) with the best of intentions but somehow never manage to crack open?

These are the questions that can reveal what your books have to say about you.

I took a brief look around, and this is what I discovered: My books, once arranged by broad subject (nonfiction, history, biography, writing and reference, fiction, short stories) are a bit more in disarray since I moved five years ago. I never quite recovered! I didn't really think about that until now. Five years, and I only moved from the bottom floor to the top floor, but I just haven't regained my footing - guess I need to devote a few solid vacation days to serious household organization.

Judging from the sheer number and how much space I devote to them, my books say that reading is very important to me. Not only "reading" in general, but literature in particular: My fiction titles include many classics, a wide breadth of short stories, great geographical representations from Russia and Spain to America and England, and a smattering of contemporary fiction of generally the highest caliber. Combined with my series of "how-to-write" books, I'd say this makes me a writer, dammit.

I also am a person very interested in current events and history. I may be reincarnated from Tudor England or Revolutionary Russia. I dip in and out of the spiritual realm (particulary Buddhism) and have shunted the few relationship books (even a Dr. Phil book, heaven help me) into the darkest recesses of my closets. (I don't think I like what my books have to say about me in THAT regard.)

Generally, I like what my books have to say about me. I'm endlessly curious and a perpetual student. And that's okay in my book.


Looking for that special gift?

A friend of mine offers lovely, personalized messages (perfect for sharing your favorite literary quote with a special someone)...check out her website.

Your books and what they may say about you

Borrowing a page from Dorothy W., I read this article debating the etiquette of having unread books on your shelves.

The author cites Ezra Klein from the American Prospect as saying:

"Bookshelves are not for displaying books you’ve read. Those books go in your office, or near your bed, or on your Facebook profile. Rather, the books on your shelves are there to convey the type of person you would like to be."

Now, I think it's a bit pompous to purposely dislay books you've read in your office (uh, don't have much room in a cubicle for THAT) or bedstand (isn't that where you keep books you are reading?) -- and I don't much care for boasting via Facebook or on a blog as much as I do recording it for yourself and for the possible reading pleasure of other bookworms.

But I do like the idea that books on your shelves convey the type of person you would like to be. Take a look at your own stacks tonight -- what kind of person do you want to be? I will do the same and report tomorrow.

Oh, and here's a takeaway from that article for you, a quote from Francis Bacon, which beautifully encapsulates my feelings about owning and hording hundreds of books:

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.”

Brideshead Revisted (and Library Revisited)

Heading into a very busy time at work -- and before I do, wanted to mention that I finished Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. The only other Waugh book I've read was The Loved One (very long ago), but this book seemed intimidating to me, and I thought it would be a good choice for My Year of Reading Dangerously. I really enjoyed it! I want to post some passages later this week, but for now, I will say the descriptions, characterizations, plot, theme -- all subtle, beautifully observed, and complex. The second book fell apart a little for me: Seemed too hurried and unbelievable, and didn't hold up as well against the first book which was stunning.

About the library book snafu: Well, although I turned the books in, they don't have a record of them! So, I still can't get my library card. I must admit, I feel like I deserve this one! I am supposed to call the Library Supervisors. I feel like I'm being sent to the prinicpal's office! (Bloglily, you indeed have all my sympathies!)

Now, off to big-time web updates...Cheerio!

Daily Lit

I am sure I am among the last to know about this: Daily Lit.

They email you a page of a book a day. Some are free!

I picked a shortish Agatha Christie to start. I am not sure how I'll like the experience of reading via email, but I am willing to try.

Mitford Letters, Book Sale & A Borrower's Tale

I am a little frantic today. No time to write the hilarious post that came to me at about 3 in the morning about the "Three Thangs I Learned the Hard Way" challenge that Snacky Wombat tagged me on.

So, I share some fun stuff:

The Mitfords: Letters between Six Sisters. Doesn't that sound like a fabulous collection? BoldType has links to myriad reviews. (Oh, and if you haven't already done so, sign up for BoldType. It's a nifty little e-newsletter.)

NYRB Moving Sale. It's your chance to get a huge discount on some great titles.

"How A Recovering Bookaholic Recovered Borrowed Books: A Tale of Literary Redemption," by LK: Once upon a time, depending on how you look at it, a Recovering Bookaholic Kitten took the first step in giving up to a Higher Power: She marched virtuously to her local library, intent on getting a library card just in time to close up Library Lovers Month. She presented her neatly printed application and proper ID, only to be told by the librarian that she had four books outstanding...since 1997! Ms. Kitten didn't even remember setting foot in the library in 1997, much less checking out (and not returning) four books. She ducked her head, and disguising her tucked-tail between the legs as a daring fashion accessory, slinked out with great consternation and even sheepishness (which is difficult for a kitten to pull off). As soon as she returned to her lair, the kitten somehow managed to locate the outlaw books. Within 10 minutes. It was like she had a homing radar. This kitten has about 600 books all told), on six bookshelves, in absolutely no order. Our heroine triumphantly deposited the quad and tonight will return to the scene of the crime to get her library card. After all, she is a taxpayer. And it is amnesty week. (In reparation, she plans to donate a slew of books. This may divert some of the bad book karma to Barnes & Noble.) We hope she and future borrowed books may co-exist happily together. The end.

Blogger belched

I think Blogger had indigestion this weekend; my 3 most recent posts seem to have been passed.

Ah, well. Nothing lasts.

Your brain on books

From Laura Miller, in a Salon book review of Susan Jacoby's new book, The Age of American Unreason:

"I believe that reading fosters a particular mental stamina, discipline, creativity and flexibility that can't be acquired from other media. In a future dominated by complex social systems, technology and science, only people who can think in this fashion will have enough understanding of how the world works to actually run it. And to remain truly democratic, America should be made up of citizens who are able to think that way."

and

"As Jacoby astutely points out, reading does not "constitute a continuous invasion of individual thought and consciousness ... printed works do not take up mental space simply by virtue of being there; attention must be paid or their content, whether simple or complex, can never be truly assimilated." Unless you make a point of turning off the TV and putting the computer to sleep, they can easily fill up your day and mind, gradually atrophying the mental muscles uniquely exercised by reading. Abstaining, for many people, turns out to be as easy as bypassing a cupboard stocked with chips and cookies and snacking on carrot sticks instead. To hope that the American public will pick the nutritious but difficult over the easy and tasty is to bet on a losing horse."


Related links:
Twilight of the Books, New Yorker
Staying Awake: Notes on the alleged decline of reading, Harpers (by Ursula K. LeGuin; subscription required)
How Reading is Being Reimagined, Chronicle of Higher Eduation

From "Living Without Regret"

Happy Friday, everyone! Thanks again for all of your good thoughts and energy -- it means a lot. My dad is now out of the hospital and back into a rehab center. I think it will be more of the same for a while. Meantime, my mom is pretty much in meltdown. She is not visiting my dad, she lashes out verbally at everyone, and she is sinking into paranoia. Very difficult situation.

In the midst of all the struggle, there is reading. I am so grateful to have it in my life! (And you too, dear bloggers!) I am so grateful that people who have gone before me were courageous and strong and generous enough to put their words on paper.

Here are some excerpts from a painful yet helpful book, Living Without Regret: Growing Old in Light of Tibetan Buddhism by Arnaud Maitland. What makes this painful is the book's genesis: Maitland wrote it as a way to come to terms with his beloved mother's descent into Alzheimer's. He offers the wisdom of his own Buddhist practice as a way to readers to cope with the aging process (and life in general).

We can foster an attentive and interested mind by asking ourselves neutral questions, free from hidden prejudices or emotions: “How can I do my work better?” “Is there something we still need?” “What would benefit (the situation/person)?” Neutral questions like “what,” “why not,” and “how else” awaken awareness.

*****

The capacity for compassion is inherent in every human being, but it lies beyond the domain of the I. In the same way as egocentrism is a feature of the small mind, compassion is characteristic of the great mind. When we practice compassion, the boundary between self and others begins to dissolve, and the grip of I relaxes. We feel clear and at ease.

******

Change is the dominant flavor of reality. What if we could take taste change as if it were a delicacy? No longer would be have to cling to the illusion that ignoring time lets us hold it at bay. We could let go of the need for control, knowing that it serves only to mask fear of the uncertainty inherent in change. Instead, rejoicing in the fact that nothing is fixed, we could allow ourselves to yield to transformation. Change offers wonderment and vitality. Since everything is open, things can always improve: we can take refuge in that knowledge. Time is our partner and our teacher.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me

Emily Dickinson

Thoughts for Thursday - It's Thursday?

Oh, my, February is lurching by, and I'm struggling. Earlier this week, my father was readmitted to the hospital; he is weak and in ICU but most likely will go back to the skilled nursing facility in a few days. My poor dad! He must feel like a punching bag, what with all the moving and PT and tests and IVs.

This, plus the latest learning cycle on my relatively new job, has rendered my brain matter into kibble.

With a mind of mush, I'm in the pick-up-put-down mode of reading. Having picked up and put down several other books, including Chabon's Yiddish Policement's Union (fantastic writing, but too difficult for kibble-head), I decided to focus on books that I can read in chunks. And I'm trying to find books to make myself understand or come to terms with old age. Happily, there are books just made for that purpose! I'm delving into:

At Seventy: A Journal by May Sarton. She gives a special spin to the mundane and makes 70 look enviable.

Living Without Regret: Growing Old in the Light of Tibetan Buddhism by Arnaud Maitland. I'm 3/4 of the way through. This is great stuff. I will share some pearls of wisdom soon.

The Gentleman from San Francisco by Ivan Bunin. Short stories are great for short spurts of reading. I have been meaning to dip my toes into this one. Will also focus on the reading at A Curious Singularity.

Was it only last year I read my second volume of Proust, plus Henry James and Cervantes and Hugo? Wistful sigh.

Voting

Tomorrow is Super Duper mcWhopper Tuesday in California and the states. And I don't know who I'm voting for in the presidential primary. I formerly was an Edwards supporter -- I can't resist those populist messages. Now that he has dropped out, I don't know which Democrat to support (it goes without saying that I've never voted Republican, and I would never vote for John "Stay in Iraq for 100 Years" McCain). But between Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton -- geez I don't know.

But, I will get out the vote. I have 24 hours to figure it out!

Thoughts for Thursday - none!

I have been wanting to post here, but find my mind is not cooperating. This is usually when I go for the "tried and true" :: A List.

This time, I am listing my top "survivor" story categories. I like stories of people overcoming hardships, disasters, war. It gives me courage to face my own troubles, and it gives me great faith of the human spirit in the face of adversity. I tend to revisit these types of books when I'm dangerously close to feeling sorry for myself.

So, here's my list, definitely not definitive -- add your own! I'm always looking for new survivor stories!

LK'S TOP SURVIVOR CATEGORIES

1. WAR STORIES: The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank, Gulag: A History by Anne Applebaum, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, This Way for the Gas Ladies and Gentlemen by Tadeusz Borowski, and Kolyma Tales by Varlam Shalamov. I probably have more of these kinds of books than any -- could there have been any more suffering than what people went through during the two World Wars? Man's inhumanity to man, especially in light of technological developments, is disturbing and horrifying and depressing. But, as these books show, some men truly rise above it. The abilities of these writers to overcome the unthinkable, through their lives and through their writing, are neverending lessons in courage.

2.DISASTERS AT SEA: Titanic by Wyn Craig Wade and The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger. I guess it's one of the most terrifying scenarios humans can imagine: Being stranded at sea. Titanic is endlessly interesting, because it is so unbelievable. Unsinkable ship strikes iceberg, sinks in less than 2 hours and kills thousands, including many captains of industry. The Perfect Storm is compelling because of the way Junger tells the story; swordfishing never was so fascinating.

3. TRIAL BY ICE (3-way tie) Ordeal by Hunger, George R. Stewart, Alive!by Piers Paul Read, and Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. I guess the moral of these tales is don't get caught in the snow. Seriously, the first two books, which I've read multiple times, are harrowing but really amaze me in terms of what humans are capable of when it comes to survival. Into Thin Air is more of a cautionary tale rather than a survival story, but it has its elements of heroism and endurance as well.

4. FAMILY MATTERS: Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, A Shot in the Heart by Mikhail Gilmore, The Roosevelt Women by Betty Boyd Caroli, Nicholoas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie, Cheaper by the Dozen by Ernestine Gilbreth, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I'm sure there's more, but I'll stop here. These tales range from tales of complete dysfunction (Shot in the Heart) to healthy families pulling together in times of trouble (Cheaper by the Dozen)to crumbling dynasties (Nicholas and Alexandra. Nothing like reading about another family's dysfunctions to make you feel all smug inside! (Just kidding.)

World Lit Resource

Here's a terrific list of World Lit resources from Eva at A Striped Armchair.

Thank you, Eva!

Just a quick note: Got back from the 3-day flyback to my home to visit father and family. Very productive. I'm exhausted! Dad is making progress, but most likely will need to remain in some sort of skilled nursing care. Tough to get him and mom to grasp that. But, it's really a day at a time at this point...

Thanks again to everyone for their good wishes.

We'll be back to book blogging soon, I hope. Will I be glad when my brain can handle Proust again!

Any very rare men out there?

Your Personality is Very Rare (INFP)

Your personality type is dreamy, romantic, elegant, and expressive. Only about 5% of all people have your personality, including 6% of all women and 4% of all men You are Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

Thanks to SFP at Pages Turned!

Austen Power! On Masterpiece Theatre

Time to lighten things up.

Have you seen this? PBS is running a Jane-a-thon, featuring ALL of their Jane Austen adaptations this month. Okay, it's too late to see Persuasion, but there is plenty of good programming left.

This is a fun site -- check out the men of Austen and the newsletter sign-up.

A loss for words

I've been wondering what to post here. It's only proper Netiquette, in my view, to follow up on my last blog post; I couldn't brush off a reply anymore than I could refuse to answer a sympathy card. I just am not clear about what to say.

I can and will thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes. Somehow, I feel there are many unseen hands strung all over the world for me, like invisible prayer flags. So comforting.

Beyond that, the news is uncertain. My father is in a skilled care facility (read: nursing home), where he will receive physical therapy to see how much mobility can be restored to him. At any moment, but no later than the next three weeks, he will need to be moved...somewhere. He will need care, and my mother can no longer help him by herself at home. His care may suck up every vestige of their combined savings, which would leave mother in the lurch for the rest of her life. It is not clear how long he will live. With skilled care, he could live another year or two. Or his heart could fail tonight.

I'm flying home to do what I can. My main goal is to say goodbye to my father.

Needless to say, most of my planned reading has screeched to a halt. I did find a book that provides some solace: Living without Regret.

I also find a measure of comfort in reading about how other people overcame difficulties in their lives: Isak Dinesen's bio by Judith Thurman and Maxim Gorky's memoir about his childhood are good company in this respect.

Thanks again, dear readers, for your thoughts. My life is teeter-tottering right now, but at some point it will tip upright and steady again. Words seem useless bits of flotsam right now, torn paper tossed into a wind.

Tough times

Dear Blogfellows,

I am having a bit of a time, I'm afraid. My father is very ill, and the family situation is rough. Blogging may be sporadic and fitful.

Please send positive thoughts and prayers our way.

A look back...and a look ahead

Happy 2008, everybody. I don't know about you, but I'm very glad the holidays are over and done with for another year. Frankly, 2007 was stressful. I switched jobs, for one thing -- and as I reread my journal, I realized that the year as a whole was riddled with anxiety. I took a major trip to Spain and Morocco -- a stress, yes, but a positive one. (Although getting traveler's sickness added a debit on the negative stress side.)

I thought I'd take a look back for myself at what I read this year. Although I lost my list when I had that Blogger sidebar snafu, I've recreated a fair proximation, give or take a few books. I am really impressed at what I managed to read in 2007, both in quantity and quality. One of my "reading resolutions" last New Year's Day was to read nightly -- and to read more classics. I can rightly say 'Mission Accomplished' on both counts. (Sans the aircraft carrier, of course.)

As for 2008, I have joined the Year of Reading Dangerously Challenge which, with Carl V.'s RIP Challenge, will probably be the most I will be able to manage. I'm straggling through Don Delillo's Underworld (I'm not finding the characters or story very interesting or progressing, but he's one of my "challenging" contemporary authors to read) -- as soon as I'm done (if I ever am!) I'm starting in on the third Proust volume, The Guermantes Way.

Below is my list of Books Read in 2007. Boldfaced titles are the ones I enjoyed and remembered most. The only "classic" that I did not enjoy was I Am Legend. I did not boldface Trilby -- it wasn't horrible; simply not in the same league as the others. All the rest were superb -- there is a reason they call them classics! Other thoughts on Reading in 2007:

* Joyous discoveries: Dracula -- a complete revelation. I didn't expect to enjoy this one as much as did. Runner-up: Hunchback of Notre Dame. I really struggled with the long detailed passages that took me out of the story. But the ending pulled everything together marvelously -- it took my breath away. Not many contemporary writers do that, you know!
* Authors to read more of: I just finished Murakami's After Dark -- it blew me away. I can't wait to read more of him. Alas, I cannot get my hands on my copy of Kafka on the Shore. Runner-up: Falling Man by Don DeLillo. I was intrigued by the fact that many DeLillo fans didn't like this book, and I admired it a lot. It seems that this book is not representative of his writing. So, it's time to read more...
* Best nonfiction: American Bloomsbury was a delight to read. On the other end of the spectrum, Imperial Life in Emerald City was disturbing to read...but worthwhile nevertheless.

As for this year, I just have one resolution to fulfill: Must*renew*library*card.

Cheers to reading great in '08!

Books read in 2007

Classic fiction
In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower, Marcel Proust
Trilby, George Du Maurier
Portrait of a Lady, Henry James
Dracula, Bram Stoker
For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway
Persuasion, Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen
Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo
Love in Excess, Eliza Haywood
Don Quixote, Book 1, Cervantes
Voyage in the Dark, Jean Rhys
The Subterraneans, Jack Kerouac
Miss Lonelyhearts, Nathanael West
I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
A Child’s Christmas in Wales, Dylan Thomas


Modern/contemporary fiction
My Uncle Napoleon, Iraj Pezeshkzad, Azar Nafisi, and Dick Davis
Cat’s Eye, Margaret Atwood
Falling Man, Don Delillo
Slow Man, JM Coetzee
Memoirs of a Muse by Laura Vapynar
After Dark, Haruki Murakami
Windows on the World, Frederic Beigbeder
The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Nonfiction
Assassin’s Gate, George Packer
Imperial Life in the Emerald City, Rajiv Chandrasekaran
A Strange Piece of Paradise, Terri Jentz
Jane Austen, Claire Tomalin
The Beautiful Cigar Girl, Daniel Tashower
9/11 Commission Report
Sleeping Where I Fall, Peter Coyote
Dark Ages America: The Final Phase of Empire by Morris Berman
The London Scene: Six Essays by Virginia Woolf
The Autobiography of Margaret Oliphant
American Bloomsbury, Susan Cheever
Ghost Hunters, Deborah Blum
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Dee Brown

Happy holidays everyone!

Wishing you and yours a merry Christmas and happy New Year!

Thanks to all of my fellow bloggers and readers -- you have enriched my reading life immensely, and for that, I am grateful.