Reading is in Bloom!

Ok, maybe not, but my orange peony tulips are! If you need a break from all the garden work like I do, I have a couple of suggestions for you.

A very light and engaging read, not my typical choice but very enjoyable was Fredrik Bachman's(from A Man Called Ove) My Grandmother asked me to tell you I'm Sorry.

The premise of the novel is endearing. A young seven, almost eight year old who is "different" is given a task by her grandmother who is dying of cancer. It's a story of relationships, and families, that evolves into a quest for Elsa. As in any quest story, it is what she learns along the way that is most important. The plot is fun, with a suspenseful mystery, but sometimes Elza's narration doesn't quite sound right. The author slips from a third person limited at times that does cause the reader to pause, how could Elza make that observation. Even though she is very intelligent, her vocabulary is sometimes a stretch? The other parallel story, of the imaginary world that the Grandmother created for Elza, often coincides with what she is learning in real life. The characters are very well drawn, and Elza makes a great hero. Enjoy.

But here's my kind of writer, Haruki Murakami. Although his language is not as colorful as say my other favorite stars, Marquez and Rushdie, his observations will trap you before you have time to put it down. Yes, I know it came out last year(August 2014). But I couldn't start it just after finishing 1Q84. If you've read that one you will understand my delay in picking up, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his years of Pilgimage. This is my kind of quest story, involving what you know is magical realism, but you buy it all anyway. A compelling mystery involving a man whose four best friends dropped him and he doesn't discover why until he is much older. Again Murakami writes carefully crafted characters into a complex journey, involving self revelation. If you haven't ever read Murakami, I suggest you start with Kafka on the Shore. From 2005. It is a little more accessible and beautifully written. But then, I have liked all his novels. I just wish I could read them in Japanese. A much fuller review of Colorless can be had at NYTimes.

Spring approaches softly

As we all know, Utah does not want us planting yet. Soooo might as well read a good book. Thanks to our own Dr. Chris McGill, I have a classic to recommend. Of course, I teach A.P. Literature and this is the time for Sound and the Fury, no, I'm not recommending that one, although really mind blowing, I would like to suggest Absalom, Abaslom! another Faulkner. I don't know how I missed reading this one over the years, as Faulkner is really my favorite writer. I really like getting lost in his writing, I don't worry much about not knowing what's going on. But of course, that's because I've read so many of them multiple times. But then I started Absalom. Thank goodness, Chris is here in the building to discuss it with. I highly suggest having a partner or two when engaging with Faulkner. What was really great for me was to re-experience that disquietude that one feels when starting a Faulkner work. Everything is spinning, like when I have my spring sinus infection. But as always, being patient and being willing to re-read paid off. It is really Quentin(from Sound and Fury) and his friend Shreve telling the outside story. Then it's Miss Rosa Coldfield telling as well. All adding up to a very mysterious story, and giving background to a famous classic Yoknapatawpha county citizen, Thomas Sutpen. Also, even though most stories of his are after the civil war, this one goes back to before and explains a lot of the transformation. "Faulkner fights out the moral problem which was repressed after the nineteenth century(yet) for all his concern with the South, Faulkner as actually seeking out the nature of man."(Ralph Ellison)I don't suggest this one for your first time out with Mr. Faulkner, but boy is it cool and well worth the effort.

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Back to contemporary. Back to easier/faster reading. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout. This too is an interesting read and a little disquieting as well. It really is as if you are in her life and she is telling you some, but importantly not all of the secrets. You are left, really, at the end with a mystery. You will read very quickly at the end, trying to get the answers to many questions. But she only tells you what she wants. This style is engaging and we question, why. NY Times Review.

Winter Reads?

The air we breathe around here should be our inspiration to stay inside and read a good book and I have a couple new ones for you. Most recently breezed through and thoroughly enjoyed The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende. However, one warning, I didn't love it. I wanted to though. After all, it's Allende and it's a love story. I agree with the New York Times review, the characters didn't grab me. The idea of the plot grabbed me, it's set in a rest home with multitude of characters and ties to historical events(Japanese internment). I just wanted it to be so good. However, don't let it stop you from picking it up. It is well worth the read, and much better than going outside!

But here's one I really liked, and it's a fast read as well. Although I didn't love Life of Pi(I know that may sound ridiculous to you) I really loved Yann Martel's new book The High Mountains of Portugal. There are really 3 different novellas here but Martel weaves them together powerfully in an artfully drawn setting far from our inversion. This one is gripping. You will have a hard time letting it go. It is really about grief, but somehow he uses humor to reach in to us. All three are wonderful, but my favorite was the last one. There you will meet Odo, the ape, and what really does human mean? Martel will make you believe that we are all part of the same creation and humans benefit when they realize that.

Now, for those of you who need to improve your attitude!-a little non-fiction power talk from Caroline Webb. January, February, they just drag on. Dirty snow and bad days at work? Could it get worse? No! it can get better! at least with Webb's advice you can feel somewhat empowered over how you feel at work-try it and see. At least read the review and get some tips.