Copy of Booklist 2010

I finished 2 new books, A Big Little life and Smoking Mirror. I started another book, a reread: The Prodigal Summer. I am about 1/13th of the way through. I am LOVING IT! I forgot how much I loved it. It's the audio book--I read the paper one years ago. The thing about the audio book is that Barabara Kingsolver HERSELF is reading it and has a wonderful voice!!!

BIG little is about Dean Koontz's dog, a golden retriever that had been a helper dog. It's pretty good, if you don't mind pooping and peeing and barfing and a little religious stuff. Of course, it made me cry.

Smoking Mirror is about Gauguin and is interesting but a little strange. I liked it.

I am probably, after I do some errands, going over to Roalndale--I am writing this from google docs, becasue I have hurry, I have not been to gmail and don't know when I will get a chance, not for a while. It is sunny and nice--did I tell you the aconites are coming up out front, and tiluips are up, and daffies now 4-6 inches. And justs ince yesterday, the Hellebore (Easter Rose) double bud is up another couple inches.

I have still NOT started The poet and the Lady. It's a hardcover book.

Booklist 2010

1. The Blue Roan Child, Jamieson Findlay, Jan 2, 2010
   
2. The Indian in the Cupboard, Lynn Reid Banks, Jan 2, 2010
3. Summer on Blossom Street, Debbie Macomber, January 3, 2010
4. Angel Rock, Darren Williams, January 4, 2010
5. Angel City, by Tony Johnston and Carol Byard, ch, Jan 7, 10 (read twice)
   
6. I Can Make You Thin, by Paul McKenna
7. A Passage to India, E. M. Forster, Jan 12, 2010
8. The Lacuna, Barbara Kingsolver, Jan 15, 2010
9. Back on Blossom Street, Debbie Maccomber, Jan 19, 2010
10. Home, Marilynn Robinson, January 20, 2010
11. Housekeeping, Marilynn Robinson, January 25, 2010
12. Where Angels Go, Debbie Macomber, 1-31-10
13. Muggie Maggie, Beverly Cleary, Children's, 2-1-10
14. Animals in the Snow, Margaret Wise Brown, children's, 2-2-10
15. The Sunday Philosophy Club, Alexander McCall Smith, 2-3-10
16. The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath, rr, 2-10-10
17. Gilead, by Marilynn Robinson, 2-18-10
18. The Big Six, by Arthur Ransom, 2-21-10
19. 74 Seaside Ave, Debbie McComber, 2-25-10
20. Tears of the Giraffe, by Alexander McCall Smith
21. Dust for Dinner, Ann Turner & Robert Barrett, children's
22. Twenty Wishes, Debbie Macomber, 3-10-10
23. Morris the Artist, by Laure Segal, children's, 3-13-10
24. A BIG little life, Dean Koontz, 3-15-10
    
25. Smoking Mirror, Douglas Rees, 3-16-10
    

rr = reread
ch = children's

Unfinished books 2010:

1. Pirate Latitudes, Michael Crichton, March, 2010--read half (UGH!) :-( too much graphic violence for me. The story line would have been interesting if it weren't for the overdone violence. I would guess this is probably a book intended for those "Men are from Mars" men.
   

Movies 2010--Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (read first, much earlier)

The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath

Today, I finished The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath. I read it before, many years ago, and really liked it, but this read through, I found it fairly depressing, though I liked it better and better as I went through it. I didn't really remember much of it at first, but the more I read, the more I remembered. I was listening to the audio book version, and the CDs were out of order. I didn't realize it, so they came up all disjointed and I had to start over--it was pretty disturbing.

The Bell Jar is fairly autobiographical of Sylvia Path--she calls herself Esther Greenwood in the book--and she tried to commit suicide (which, of course, later she succeeds, Sylvia, I mean). I used to believe I was like Esther (and Sylvia), but now I don't think as much. She ends up in an asylum and has electroshock therapy. The details in her book are very well-written.

I had been doing quite well reading lots of books, early, but we've had health issues and the computer's been on the blitz taking lots of time trying to get it working again. :-(

I haven't been writing many reviews because I've been too darn busy, and this isn't really one, either.


Booklist 2010

1. The Blue Roan Child, Jamieson Findlay, Jan 2, 2010
   
2. The Indian in the Cupboard, Lynn Reid Banks, Jan 2, 2010
3. Summer on Blossom Street, Debbie Macomber, January 3, 2010
4. Angel Rock, Darren Williams, January 4, 2010
5. Angel City, by Tony Johnston and Carol Byard, Jan 7, 10 (read twice)
   
6. I Can Make You Thin, by Paul McKenna
7. A Passage to India, E. M. Forster, Jan 12, 2010
8. The Lacuna, Barbara Kingsolver, Jan 15, 2010
9. Back on Blossom Street, Debbie Maccomber, Jan 19, 2010
10. Home, Marilynn Robinson, January 20, 2010
11. Housekeeping, Marilynn Robinson, January 25, 2010
12. Where Angels Go, Debbie Macomber, 1-31-10
13. Muggie Maggie, Beverly Cleary, Children's, 2-1-10
14. Animals in the Snow, Margaret Wise Brown, Children's, 2-2-10
15. The Sunday Philosophy Club, Alexander McCall Smith, 2-3-10
16. The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath, rr, 2-10-10

rr = reread

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley, by a 70-year-old-first time novelist who want to retain his "youthful enthusiasm" and has succeeded admirably. The book is the winner of the Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger Award. A "stranger" dies in the garden in the wee hours of morning and Flavia, and eleven-year-old chemistry enthusiast discovers him just as he is dying. With his last breath, he says, "Vale!" Flavia's father is arrested for the murder. Flavia tries to confess, but no one will believe her, so she must find the real murderer and save her father.

The action is swift, engaging and humorous. It is written at two levels. It could be read and enjoyed as a child, and it could be read and enjoyed as an adult. There are many allusions that would fly over the head of a child-reader, but not so many as to ruin it. I hate book reviews that contain spoilers, so I will not tell you how it ends. I will simply say I enjoyed it very much, and you probably will, too. It is charming and entertaining. I have a tendency to read multiple books at one time and found myself often choosing to pick this one up rather than any of the others. Note of warning: other than several murders, there is no sex or violence. Readers may find themselves learning about stamp collecting and chemistry.

(I also finished Jane Eyre. It had a good story, but used too many words in the telling.)

View all my reviews >>

Here is my updated booklist, which is still think is missing some books:

1. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradly
2. Jane Eyre, by Emily Bronte, August 7, 2009
3. A Little Book on the Human Shadow, by Robert Bly, July 27, 2009
4. The Painted Drum, by Louise Erdrich, July 26, 2009
5. Acorna, by Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball, July 20, 2009
6. The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbs, by Bill Watterson, July 13, 2009
7. The Actress, by Elizabeth Sims, July 11, 2009
8. A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
9. Marley: A Dog Like No Other, John Grogan
10. Goodnight, Gorilla, Peggy Rathmann
11. Bad Dog, Marley, John Grogan
12. The Highest Tide, Jim Lynch
13. Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens
14. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
15. Dream When You're Feeling Blue, Elizabeth Berg
16. We didn't mean to go to Sea, by Arthur Ransome
17. Tara Road, Maeve Binchy
18. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
19. The Worst Witch at School, Jill Murphy
20. Saving Fish from Drowning, Amy Tan
21. The Nick Adams Stories, Ernest Hemingway
22. The River King, Alice Hoffman
23. The Probable Future, Alice Hoffman
24. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
25. Lucifer, A Hagiography, Phillip Memmer
26. It's a Magical World, Bill Watterson
27. Pigeon Post, Arthur Ransome
28. I Claudius, Robert Graves
29. Peter Duck, Arthur Ransome
30. The Kite Runner. Khaled Hosseini

My 15 Books

My 15 Books—I cheated and used authors instead of books, and only the ones the popped quickly to mind which means recent reads and old favorites.

1. Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Cree, Teaching a Stone to Talk, etc
2. Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, etc
3. Louise Erdrich, The Painted Drum, etc
4. Arthur Ransome, Swallows and Amazons, etc
5. Amy Tan, Saving Fish From Drowning, etc
6. Ann McCaffrey, Dragonsong etc
7. Joan D Vinge, The Snow Queen, Psion, etc
8. Alice Hoffman, The Probable Future etc
9. Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
10. Patrick Lawler, Reading a Burning Book, A Drowning Man is Never, etc
11. Linda Pennisi, Suddenly Fruit etc
12. Barabara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible, The Prodigal Summer, etc
13. Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan etc*
14. LL Montgomery, Emily of New Moon, Ann of Green Gables etc.
15. Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

*Yes, I know it's "fake," consider it as fiction.

This is supposed to be a meme, but I'm not taking anyone-it took longer than I expected or wanted, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. If you WANT to play along, that would be fun, but not required or expected.

OH, and also, note: they are not in any order other than how they popped to mind.

Book Review, The Painted Drum, by Louise Erdrich

The Painted Drum: A Novel by Louise Erdrich


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Painted Drum, by Louise Erdrich 10/10 (5/5)

I know I say this about many of the books I read, but I REALLY liked this book. I liked it so much that I intend to reread it sometime soon, after it has a chance to settle somewhat. Like many of Erdrich's books, this one is about Native Americans, and the voice feels authentic and human. It is divided in four parts. In the first, we meet a mother daughter team who deals with people's estates after they die, or go in a nursing home, etc. We also learn about their personal lives, and the personal and work intertwine in compelling ways. I hate reading reviews that give away the plot of the book or what's going to happen, but it is difficult to write about a book without mentioning an specifics. The daughter steals a painted drum, a Native American ceremonial drum, from an estate. She wants to return it to where it came from, to the Anishinabe people. In the second part, told by a native elder, we learn the story of the drum and all the events that lead up to the making of the drum and what happened to it afterwards. It's a multi-generational story with deep impact. The effect of the drum touches many people and their lives are enriched (or impoverished) as a result. The book is full of pain, tenderness and magic. Erdrich looks calmly at what it means to be human in all our imperfections, and raises our humanity up of few notches. It is melancholy in a bitterweet and somehow joyous way. I want to take nothing away from the telling of the story, all I can say is I hope anyone who might love it as I did will read it.

View all my reviews >>

I started reading Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James. The beginning section was horrid, lots rambling on and on about process. They should put it at the end for anyone interested after reading the book. The story itself seems interesting so far. (I haven't gotten far with the actual sotry after all that crap at the beginning.)

Here is my new book list (though I am fairly certain it is incomplete):

1. The Painted Drum, by Louise Erdrich, July 26, 2009
   
2. Acorna, by Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball, July 20, 2009
3. The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbs, by Bill Watterson, July 13, 2009
4. The Actress, by Elizabeth Sims, July 11, 2009
5. A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
6. Marley: A Dog Like No Other, John Grogan
7. Goodnight, Gorilla, Peggy Rathmann
8. Bad Dog, Marley, John Grogan
9. The Highest Tide, Jim Lynch
10. Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens
11. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
12. Dream When You're Feeling Blue, Elizabeth Berg
13. We didn't mean to go to Sea, by Arthur Ransome
14. Tara Road, Maeve Binchy
15. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
16. The Worst Witch at School, Jill Murphy
17. Saving Fish from Drowning, Amy Tan
18. The Nick Adams Stories, Ernest Hemingway
19. The River King, Alice Hoffman
20. The Probable Future, Alice Hoffman
21. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
22. Lucifer, A Hagiography, Phillip Memmer
23. It's a Magical World, Bill Watterson
24. Pigeon Post, Arthur Ransome
25. I Claudius, Robert Graves
26. Peter Duck, Arthur Ransome

Two new books read:

I've been so busy I haven't had time to report on my reading.

A little while ago, I finished Winter Holiday, by Arthur Ransome. It's a children's novel, and it's wonderful. I loved it. It revisits characters from Swallows and Amazons, Nancy Blackett and her sister, Peggy, and John, Susan, Titty and Roger of the Swallow, and introduces two new characters, Dick and Dorothea. Unlike Swallows and Amazons, it is not about sailing, because the lake is frozen, though they do manage to ice sail and sailing does enter their vocabulary. But the kids manage to have all kinds of adventures, so much so that the reader wishes she could join them!! While the story starts out feeling a bit random, it steadily builds to an exciting climax. It's also educational, as many of Arthur Ransome's books are. The reader learns (or has an opportunity to learn) the semaphor alphabet and how to build and ice-sailboat. If you enjoy children's literature the way I do, or have any children ages 6-11 or so, this is a tremendously worthwhile and fun book.

Yesterday, I also finished The Simple Secret to Better Painting by Greg Albert. It is subtitled, "How to immediately improve your art with this one rule of composition." The book is interesting and a worthwhile and informative read. Its premise is that in art, "no two intervals should be the same." The author applies the principle to not just obvious things like intervals between trees or fruit, but also to the size of items, their general placement on the page, the use of color, tone and value, visual weight and energy, rule of thirds etc. He has little helpful sayings like "Mostly, some and a bit." However, he had the annoying habit of contradicting himself which I found confusing, upsetting, and off-putting. But there was enough good information in this book that I will 1)probably read it again, 2)study it to some extent and 3)keep it around as a reference. * * * My poetry teacher at the Scarab Club, Dawn McDuffie, asked us last night what we were reading. (I am reading a number of other books, including Herman Melville's Moby Dick and Sonja Lyubomirsky's The Hows of Happiness and Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and others.) She wanted to know how our reading was affecting our poetry. She had just written a "War and Peace poem" that was quite nice. I didn't mention how my books were affecting my poetry; I wasn't sure they were. Poetry books usually have an effect on my poetry, even if only to make me want to write, to jump-start my process. But I will comment very briefly on how these two books might affect my poetry. 1)Winter Holiday is full of fun and adventure. It also constantly references and alludes to other famous books. Those are three qualities that could contribute to a good poem. (Or a good story). While not all poems are fun in the classic sense, poems should be fun to read in some way. And well written poems are an adventure to read. They can also contain adventure in the subject matter. Making the poem an adventure to read requires careful attention to details of language, syntax and poetic devices. And alluding to other work is also a good poetic device (or can be). 2)The Simple Secret to Better Painting is, according to author Greg Albert, that "No two intervals should be the same." Poetry thrives on repetition of sound (rhyme, alliteration), stanza length, rhythm patterns and so on. But a poem that repeats without variation is numbing and boring. It might be interesting, as a poet, to revisit this book and look at the various suggestions for painting to see how they might apply to poetry--just as an exercise in curiosity.

Newberry Challenge

Newberry challenge

I am borrowing this directly from Nattie Writes. Even though it's an old challenge, it's a good one and others could join in if they want. Like Nattie, I've read more Newberry books than Pulitzers (though I've certainly read some of those, too.) I love young adult fiction (and I write it). It reminds me of curling up on my bed or out in the sun and reading the afternoon away. So here is the challenge...

1. Pick 6 books from the Newberry list. (Or if six is too many for your schedule, pick ONE). Try to pick Newberry books you have not yet read, if possible.
2. Comment here or email me that you are in the challenge and list to your blog if yr a blogger.
3. Post your picks on your blog (or email me).
4. add any comments you'd like.
5. There's no deadline--it's an ONGOING challenge. I'll have a link to it in the sidebar so you can find it later, under tags.
6. If you really want to challenge yourself, add 6 Pulitzer fictions you haven't read too. And while you are at it, how about 6 Pulitzer poetry books? Or even one?

I will have multiple posts on this topic, so they will all be tagged for easy retrieval.

Here are some I have already read, all of which I really liked (this is a partial list). I may reread some of these:

1995: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (HarperCollins)
1994: The Giver by Lois Lowry(Houghton)
1984: Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (Morrow)
1983: Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt (Atheneum)
1973: Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George (Harper)
1972: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (Atheneum)
1971: Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars (Viking)
1970: Sounder by William H. Armstrong (Harper)
1969: The High King by Lloyd Alexander (Holt)
1968: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (Atheneum)

And, here are the first 6 that I have not read and am going to read. First I have to obtain them. This will be a long process.

2008: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (Candlewick)
2007: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, illus. by Matt Phelan (Simon & Schuster/Richard Jackson)
2006: Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins)
2005: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster)
2004: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press)
2003: Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (Hyperion Books for Children)
OK, so, if you want to play along, 1st tell me which 6 (or even ONE that you're going to read) and then come back with a comment about it when you finish. If yr a blogger, blog about it, if you have time.

I just finished reading Winter Holiday by Arthur Ransom, which I loved and intend to blog about it later. No time now. Currently reading MOBY DICK!!! It's amazingly better than I expected, I've been putting off reading it for a long time--40 years--because I thought it would be really boring, but it's not! It's good--so far.

Book and Movie List 2008 update

2008 Book List:

1. Holes, by Louis Sachar, 5/5. Finally finished another book, and it was really good; I loved it. It's a young adult novel from which a movie was made. I have not seen the movie, but I hope to.
   
   Stanley Yelnats is falsely accused of stealing a pair of sneakers and set to Camp Green Lake, for criminal boys. To build character, the boys get up at 4:30 every morning and dig holes--big holes. If they find anything unusual, they are supposed to report it. But the warden isn't looking for fossils or pretty rocks. Something is going on other than character building, and Stanley wonders what they are looking for. The story is at once whimsical and dark, horrifying and funny, heartrending and heart-warming. There are rattlesnakes (one boy was been bitten and rushed to the hospital. He never comes back.) and many highly poisonous eleven-spotted yellow lizards with red eyes, black teeth and white tongues. We also learn about Stanley's no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great grandfather and the curse put on his family by the gypsy woman who was missing one pig, his grandfather who found refuge on God's thumb after being robbed by Kissing Kate Barlow, Kissing Kate herself and her handyman, Sam the onion man and how history does and doesn't affect the lives of living people. This many generational multiple story-lines slowly merge in unpredictable but delightful ways. We, the readers, meet a famous basketball player and an inventor and, of course, learn that bad boys are human, just like the rest of us, and sometimes even better than those not so confined. And we encounter inspiring courage fortitude and strength. 2/4/08
   
2. The End of the Alphabet, by CS Richardson. 4/5. Finished 1-21-08; read what I wrote, not much in this case.
3. The Dolphins of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey. 3.5/5 Finished 1-14-08; read what I wrote about it.
   

2008 Movie List:

1. Note by Note, the Making of Steinway #L1037 . (9/10) Read what I wrote. 1/31/08
   
2. Meet the Spartans , 0.5/10. Read what I wrote. 1/29/08
   
3. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi, 5+/5, Pictures in another blog of mine are here. Read about the book here. Read what I wrote here. 1/27/08
   

I decided to add a writing list, because I don't just read books, I also write them!

2008 Writing Accomplished:

1. How Geraldine became a Famous Frog Tamer, third draft 2/4/08, not posted yet
   
2. How Geraldine became a Famous Frog Tamer, first rough draft 2/2/08, for the Chapbook Ms, Counting Fingers
3. Chapter 6, What the Rose Said and what the Fish said. 2-1-08, first rough draft
   
4. Chapter 5, The Underground Sun and a Trip to the Moon," of Waking up; Spies in the land of Dreams. Finished first rough draft 2-1-08
5. chapter 4, Danger, Feb 1, first rough draft
   
6. chapter 3, Persephone's, January 28, first rough draft
   
7. chapter 2, Detention, January 24, first rough draft
   
8. chapter 1, prologue, It was all a dream, the thugs, January 23, first rough draft
   

2008 Art accomplishments: (Unfinished--earlier works from 08 aren't added and links aren't either)

1. four rough draft illustrations for Waking Up, 2-4-08, 1, 2, 3, 4, 2-4-08
   
2. Milkweed blossoms by moonlight, 2-4-08
   
3. self portrait of the artist reflected in an Autumn Pond, first draft 1-29-08

I figure at the end of the year, I can separate these back out onto book list, movie list, art list, etc., if they become cumbersome.

Here's my Good Reads book list (also posted in the sidebar.) One thing I don't like about it is that if you add a book you read a long time ago so it will be on your life list, they show it as having been read recently, based on when you added it. Also, there is an image for Dolphins of Pern. So why can't they use it? Hover for name of book and rating, click images for more info.

Book and Movie List 2008

Tuesday, January 28, 2008

Nope. I haven't finished reading any more books. I have written another chapter (Chapter 3 ) in my young adult novel called (at this point) Waking Up, Spies in the Land of Dreams. (See Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 ) And yes, I AM working on my other books as well.

What I did do is see a new movie which was made from a book I now hope to read: Persepolis (BB read it and said it was great!). I really liked the movie. I decided to add movies to my list for the year. There probably won't be that many, there usually aren't.

2008 Movie List:

1. Persepolis, 5+/5, Marjane Satrapi, based on the Graphic novel, directed by Marjane Satrapi, winner of the Golden globe and a long list of other awards. A feisty Iranian girl grows toward womanhood during times of war and strife and witnesses terrible things. She escapes to Vienna because her feistiness is getting her into dangerous trouble. But there is more trouble ahead for Marjane. The movie is animated and the illustrations are are very different than Disney-style animated films. They are lovely, well done, mostly in black and white, sensitively rendered. The story is touching and important. Striking, emotional, but humorous and understated. A fabulous film, I thought. A few pictures in another post of mine are here. Here is a link to the movie website. Read about the book here.
   

2008 Book List:

1. The Dolphins of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey. 3.5/5 This was not her best book ever and had some serious flaws, in my opinion, but we still enjoyed it. One of the things that I did not like about it is that it left the story to talk about ongoing Pern business without good background, so that it doesn't stand alone and the thread of the story was broken. It would be a much better story if those parts of the book were removed or woven in much more skillfully. The main story was good but had many of the elements of other stories, such as Dragonsong, which I really liked, but Dolphins seemed to be a bit of a rip-off of that story-line. One of the things I liked about this book is the intelligence of the Dolphins, their kindliness, and their willingness to help people even when people fail them.
2. The End of the Alphabet, by CS Richardson. 4/5. This little book is a wonderful read-aloud. The language works well. It is a sad book, and not terribly realistic, but beautiful and romantic and worth the read. It is personal, human, vulnerable, sweet fun, and tearful. Finished 1-21-08
   

Booklist 2008

Tuesday, January 23, 2008

One more entry for my yearly book list. Also been reading The Sun and enjoying that.

1. The Dolphins of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey. 3.5/5 This was not her best book ever and had some serious flaws, in my opinion, but we still enjoyed it. One of the things that I did not like about it is that it left the story to talk about ongoing Pern business without good background, so that it doesn't stand alone and the thread of the story was broken. It would be a much better story if those parts of the book were removed or woven in much more skillfully. The main story was good but had many of the elements of other stories, such as Dragonsong, which I really liked, but Dolphins seemed to be a bit of a rip-off of that story-line. One of the things I liked about this book is the intelligence of the Dolphins, their kindliness, and their willingness to help people even when people fail them.
2. The End of the Alphabet, by CS Richardson. 4/5. This little book is a wonderful read-aloud. The language works very well. It is a sad book, and not terribly realistic, but beautiful and romantic and worth the read. It is personal, human, vulnerable, sweet fun, and tearful. Finished 1-21-08
   

Booklist 2008

Monday January 14, 2008

I used to read a LOT, but lately, I haven't been reading that much. I am reading The Sun regularly, and other magazines, but that doesn't count as reading BOOKS. Just finally finished the first one of 2008. I am also reading how-to books for my new Mac and for Photoshop, but they are not the kinds of books I generally read cover-to-cover, so I can't list them as "read" in my booklist.

1. The Dolphins of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey. 3.5/5 This was not her best book ever and had some serious flaws, in my opinion, but we still enjoyed it. One of the things that I did not like about it is that it left the story to talk about ongoing Pern business without good background, so that it doesn't stand alone and the thread of the story was broken. It would be a much better story if those parts of the book were removed or woven in much more skillfully. The main story was good but had many of the elements of other stories, such as Dragonsong, which I really liked, but Dolphins seemed to be a bit of a rip-off of that story-line. Finished 1-13-08.