A Good Dusting Off

So, yes. It's been a while. I don't want to hear it! Just kidding! But, seriously, I know its been forever. First, there was that whole moving to college thing. Then, there was the whole trying to get adjusted to college life thing. Then there was the whole falling in a very love-esque type thing the guy next door, confessing my love to him drunkenly, and then being rebuked. All in all, its been a rough...however many weeks its been since I wrote last. On the book front, however, things have remained largely stagnant.

There have been a few reads for my English 205 class, which is entitled Home: Your Place or Mine and has focused largely so far on experimental literature and Australian literature, all of which deals largely with the idea of home as a transitory state of mind, less of a place. It's a very interesting idea, however, the professor doesn't necessarily handle it in the best way. Most of the books we've read have been...lacking in quality. Here follows a brief description. Bare with me...

Snow Geese by William Fiennes: The book is about a man who hates his home. He leaves, follows geese, realizes he loves his home, and goes back. The end.

Eucalyptus by Murray Bail: Its a book about trees. Enough said.

Home by Larissa Beherendt: This book was, shockingly enough, surprisingly well written and a very striking story line. Almost a frame tale, the story follows the main characters Candice's family history, beginning with her grandmother Garibooli, who is an Aboriginal child removed from the Aboriginal tribe and placed in to “English” society, made to work as a maid in an English home. The story then goes through must be two or three generations of failed marriages, happy births, botched careers and maybe even an adultery or two. It's an interesting look at, specifically, the history of Australia, particularly in the context of the darker side of things. The Aboriginal relocation movement really does closely mirror what was done to the American Indians, as far as the move to the reservation and the “civilizing” of the nation. As far as the class goes, its going to get my greatest review thus far.

Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexi: This is another one that I'm going to have to give the so-so. The story itself wasn't necessarily bad, it was actually a rather interesting story. The problem I had with it was when Sherman Alexi began to blur the lines between fantasy and reality to the extent of sacrificing comprehension of the plot. I was totally on board when it came to the Devil-possessed guitar. I was totally down when it came to Big Mom and her magical healing powers, her past of mentoring both Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. I began to loose help for the book when the lines between Victors dreams and Junior's reality became almost non-existent. It was, however, another interesting look at a more reservation-oriented literature, especially because this book dealt with more modern issues within reservation life – alcoholism, gambling, unemployment, love between tribes. Really, all things considered, its going to have to go second on the in-class list.

Of course, even in college, I haven't been reading just for class. I'm not quite THAT lame. Yet. Then again, thats not to say that I'm reading books of the highest quality, either! Lets recount the all-too-short list, shall we?

Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty: Alright, alright. I admit it – it really isn't anything but semi-frivolous, overly verbose teen angst literature. But, in all honesty, I couldn't care less. It was the fourth book (although I've learned now, not the final! Eek!) in the McCafferty series, and really wasn't at the caliber I was hoping it would be at! Perhaps its because it didn't end the way I wanted it to end. Perhaps its because there wasn't nearly enough of Marcus in it, which, to be honest, is really one of the main reasons I love that series so much. Maybe its because I really am feeling as though the books really are beginning to drag on for much too long. I don't know. In all honestly, I say that I love it because I love the rest of the series. However, I'm not sure how long the book could stand on its own.

The Darfur Diaries by Jen Marlowe, Aisha Bain, and Adam Shapiro: This book is actually back to more of the autobiography/memoir genre that I got so in to in the spring of last year. Three mid-twenties kids decide, at the break of the Darfur genocide, to sneak over the border from Chad in to Darfur to investigate the effects of the genocide on the people living there. It's a very powerful story, told in a very powerful story. The book apparently goes with some kind of documentary movie of the same name. I never saw the movie, and probably never will. It was a short read, and really fantastic, considering the horror and atrocity of the subject. I won't say, however, that it'll become a top favorite of mine.

The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenger: Alright, let me clarify! I've read this book before. I promise! I wouldn't have gone this long without reading this fantastic book! And, truth of truths, I was completely out of things to read when I saw this one of my bookshelf and remember just how much I loved it! And, of course, I was right in remembering such. I really, really do enjoy almost every part of this book. Having gone through a rather unfortunate (and hard to admit to) phase of reading romance novels (in all fairness, you try to put them down when you're a hormonal twelve year old and fascinated with the half-embracing naked couple on the front!) this is the best romance in any book I may have ever read. Not only do Henry and Clare interact like a normal couple, but there is always a certain sense of underlying humor, a kind of sarcasm and wit that just gives the whole book a certain...air. This, more than any book I've read recently, has been the kind of laying-in-the-sun-on-a-grassy-hill-with-warm-coffee-and-good-music book that I love more than all the others.

That, unfortunately, recaps the reading list up to date. It is far less impressive than I wish it to be! Which brings me to the next subject – reading lists and reading challenges for the rest of 2007/2008. The list of reading challenges I plan on at least attempting to participate can be found to the left. I'm most nervous about the 888 challenge (8 books in 8 categories in 2008). Thats 56 books – a lofty goal by any means. I'm hoping to do more than just a little bit of cross-over work between challenges, of course. Also to the left you will notice a list of books I'm currently reading, a list of books I want to read shortly, and a list of classic books that I've yet to read (shocking, I know, for a reader like myself) that I wish to read for the rest of the year. There is also a list of book blogs that I've fallen in love with since the last update. I encourage you to go and pay them a visit – they really are fantastic! In short, there really has been quite and update/overhaul of the site, and I couldn't be more happy about it!

Consider your lovely book-maven signing off!
BM