Ever since I got a sewing machine for my birthday at the end of September, my reading has slowed and my crafting has increased, especially with my knitting class at the library being such a big success. I needed to devote more time to knitting and building that expertise that the students have come to expect.
I’ve also been reading Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, and I just feel downright guilty for evening thinking about reading another book at the same time as this one. This book is such a throw-back to the classics I loved as an English major: Dickens, Balzac etc. It written in a very classic and Victorian style of writing that really draws you into a fantastical world of magic, betrayals and fuddy-duddy characters. Reading this book reminded me of why I love reading in the first place. Reading isn’t just about racing to finish a book just to know the story. Its about knowing the characters, and understanding their motives. As much as I love to read, I have to admit that I have rushed through the last few books that I read/listened to, only to finish them and move onto the next book. That’s not fair to the book and and its not fair to me either. I’m going to take it slow with my reading, pace myself and really let myself enjoy the book. I’m going to stop accepting review books for a while. Although review books do introduce me to new authors I wouldn’t pick up on my own, I really want to explore different genres on my own, without feeling any pressure to post a review by a certain time.
I also want to devote more time to my crafts. I’m such a newbie at sewing, its really sad. But most of what I am learning is self-taught, so I can’t expect to be an expert overnight.
Although I want this to be my New Year’s resolution, I’m going to start early. I’m starting something called Project 52.
Project 52:
The goal: Read 1 book a week, finish 1 craft a week for a whole year.
By the end of the year, I should have 52 books and 52 projects completed. Its an easy enough goal, but it will keep me occupied during most of my free time and I won’t feel pressured or guilty if I don’t read enough books.
Filed under: Books | Tagged: life, Project 52 | 2 Comments »
Fool is my first venture into the very popular world of Christopher Moore. Christopher Moore is able to really break about the story of King Lear and develop the characters more fully. I’m really at a loss for how to describe this book. I listened to it on audio cd, which I think is the best way to enjoy this story. The narrator, Euan Morton does a fantastic job with all the characters. The pacing is just right, the comedic timing in his voice is perfect. I’m typically not one to laugh out loud when reading, even comedies, but Morton’s high pitched voices for the female characters makes it impossible not to. The only other book that had me laughing hysterically was Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris.
Wills Holloway was only three years old when he was first diagnosed with Severe High Autism. Mother Monica, did her best to help her son navigate his way through the intricacies of autism and the real world. Before turning to doctors, psychologists and other specialists to help Wills transition, Monica would stop by a local pet store to purchase small pets, (hamsters, turtles, hermit crabs). Each animal, in its own small way, helped draw Wills out of his shell and overcome very small battles in his life. It wasn’t until Cowboy, the lovable puppy golden retriever was introduced to their lives, that Wills really began to evolve from an introverted boy with autism, to a young child, playing and laughing with friends. Small experiences, such as saying a name aloud, or taking a bath, were battlegrounds for the Holloway family, but Cowboy was a friendly beacon helping bring Wills into a seemingly normal life. Wills would transfer his fears and doubts onto Cowboy, and in turn, help her overcome a fear of hiking, or a fear of swimming or whatever else Wills was fearing at the moment. This form of projection helped Wills feel in control of his life. As therapeutic as Cowboy was for Wills, he still had a full time aide as a school for kindergarten and first grade, a therapist he saw twice a week, an occupational therapist once a week to help him with his motor skills and a specialist trying to diagnose Wills autism and issue a final report. With all the pets the family has collected over the years and two incredibly loving and devoted parents, and Wills has one of the strongest and well built support systems I’ve ever encountered. Although his mother kept discussing how much of a financial strain the therapy and vet bills put on their family, I never got the sense that it was that much of an issue. Monica is a stay at home mother and writer, and her husband Michael is a writer for a sitcom in Los Angeles.
TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
The stories are short, simple and each one carries a special message or lesson learned by Aram. His book teaches the simple morals of understanding, not stealing, loyalty and the joys of learning. Aram is an adorable boy, with a mind full of questions and a routine full of seeking out new experiences and facing the consequences. I want to compare Saroyan’s work to Steinbeck, the two are most frequently compared to one another. Both write about small town life of the immigrant worker, but Saroyan’s work is more upbeat than Steinbeck’s.
This is the start of Puttnam Douglas Steward, his first entrance into the world. From his birth and well into adulthood, Puttman has struggled with his father. Due to a lack of ability to communicate, the two men have a very strained and dysfunctional relationship, even though Carl Steward is able to be the fun loving dad with Putt’s older sister Mary. With a perfect sister, a disapproving father, and an alcoholic mother, Puttnam had to really struggle to create an identity for himself. Despite his questions about his gender identity, Puttnam still manages to achieve academic success in college and further military success when he enlists for the Vietnam War. Being a college graduate and war hero are two dreams his father held, but that never came to fruition for him. Instead of being proud of his son, there is only jealousy and resentment.
I listened to this book on Audiocd, and it was a lot of fun. The four children are smart, funny and each has their own personality. Reny is the automatic leader, the quick thinker. Sticky memorizes everything he reads in an instant, but is shy and fidgety. Kate is a girl who carries around a bucket of tools and has a keen sense of perception when it comes to judging distances. Constance is incredibly short, stubborn and falls asleep a lot. The four of them work together well as they navigate their way through the LIVE and try to uncover the truth. They survive through the infamous waiting room, discover the whisperer and still have to deal with bullies at their school, all the while transmitting their findings in morse code to their partners on the shore.
This urge for knowledge was stunted by the many obstacles in his life. Having suffered through the tragic famine that struck Africa in 2002, William’s parents became desolate and unable to pay for William’s secondary school tuition fees. Although a dropout, William was determined to continue with this education by frequenting a small library near the school. There, in the small room where three shelves filled with books in no logical order, not by subject, author or genre. While digging through these books, William managed to pull out the books about science and soon began his studies for the biggest project of his young life.
