Sunday Salon - September 23

Happy fall! I am, for the first time in a long time, thoroughly enjoying fall. I know, I know, it did just officially begin the other day, but it's felt like fall for a while now. I've fluffed the house to change out the decor for fall, football is on the tv almost constantly, I've pulled out the crockpot for something other than steelcut oats, and sweaters are moving back into the clothing rotation.

Friday night the Omaha Bookworms met to discuss Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Having some of our parents there to talk about the book with us was wonderful. If nothing else, it meant that people had made a real effort to read the book so they were ready to discuss it. As always, we did find plenty of time to talk about other things but we also spent more time talking about the book than we have in years. We'll definitely be looking for another book for 2013 that will allow for us to include multiple generations and men. I'll be reviewing the book later this week and will include some of the topics we discussed. Do you have any suggestions that would make good choices for this kind of group? Has your book club ever tried doing something like this?

I found this interesting article at Salon.com about the effects of different kinds of reading on the brain. I'm delighted to see the Jane Austen's Mansfield Park was selected to test brain activity when two different types of reading are being done. The researchers were looking at the difference between pleasure reading and what they call "close" reading (reading for analytical purposed). It just goes to prove what I've known for years, Austen writes books that are fun to read but have great depth.

For all of you audiobook fans, Laura Miller, also at Salon.com, calls Eduardo Bellarini's narration of Jess Walter's Beautiful Ruins the best narration of 2012. Of the narration, Miller says "Ballerini’s handling of this fantastically complex narration is so accomplished you keep forgetting that it’s a performance." Incidentally, Miller also happens to like the book quite a lot, maybe even more than I did.

This week I'll also have a review of The Headmaster's Wager (which, thanks to falling behind on reading last week, I'll be racing to finish in the next couple of days). I've given up on The Little Stranger, for the time being, but will get back to that in a couple of week. Meanwhile, I'll be reading Michael Chabon's Telegraph Avenue and, hopefully working in Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber for R.I.P. VII. What are you reading this week?

Fairy Tale Fridays - The Science Behind The Tales

There never ceases to be new ways to look at fairy tales. This week I discovered the science of fairy tales - who'da thunk it? Well maybe the Mythbusters. In fact, I think the Mythbusters have tested the strength of human hair - they even tested it to see if a prisoner could use it as a means of escape, although not in the same way that Rapunzel did.

Could the prince really have scaled Rapunzel's hair to rescue her? In fact, he could have, although it would have been safer for him if she would have had darker hair and safer for her if she would have tied her hair around something before throwing it down. An average strand of hair can hold three and half ounces, an average blonde has 140, 000 strands of hair, so the prince and a couple of his friends could have climbed the tower. If Rapunzel didn't tie her hair around something first, though, her hair would have ripped right out of her head.

Scientists have also discovered that it is possible to create a material that will bend sound wave around walls or enclosed areas. Sound waves generated in the enclosed area would never escape so if the witch in The Little Mermaid had used the material, she would not even have needed a curse to silence Ariel's beautiful singing voice.

Aladdin's flying carpet? Yes, that's possible, too. Not with Aladdin on it and only if it were a very small, very thin carpet. Scientific calculations show that small waves of air, repeated in fast pulses, could steer a carpet a foot per second.

Might the creators of these original tales have seen something in their lives that gave them the ideas for these tales?

Jocelyn Wildenstein

How might modern science affect the tales if they were written today? With genetically modified crops, it is possible to grown taller, stronger bean stalks than ever before, making the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk more believable. If plastic surgery and botox had existed centuries ago, though, the tale of Snow White might never have existed; the evil queen would just have gone to see her favorite doctor and she would once again have been the "fairest of them all." Assuming she didn't go so often she ended up looking like the Cat Woman!

Broken Harbor by Tana French

Broken Harbor by Tana French
Published July 2012 by Penguin Group
Source: my copy courtesy of the publisher in exchange for this review

From 1994-2007, the Ireland enjoyed unprecedented economic growth. The so-called "Celtic Tiger" resulted in a massive building boom. In 2007 the bottom fell out. All over Ireland, enormous housing developments were abandoned, leaving the few families who had already moved in stuck in empty neighborhoods with homes they couldn't give away.

In Brianstown, one of these ghost estates, the Spain family (Patrick, Jennifer and their two young children) has been attacked and left for dead. Mick "Scorcher" Kennedy, the top detective on Dublin's Murder Squad, is called in to solve the case and solve it quickly. Teamed with rookie, Richie Curran, Kennedy moves into action, playing by the rules, putting in the hours, and convinced that the answer lies with the simplest solution.

But there are so many things that just can't be explained by the simplest solution: five baby monitors stationed all over the house and focused on holes in the walls, erased files on the family computer, and a missing weapon in a case that keeps pointing to one of the parents as the perpetrator. Jennifer has miraculously survived but she doesn't have any recollection of the attack and Kennedy is convinced that she is lying to them.   When a suspect is taken in, it appears that Kennedy is right. But things aren't always what they appear to be and Curran and Kennedy soon find themselves with very different opinions on the case. Kennedy's further stressed by the untimely breakdown of his sister, Dina, and his own personal connection to Brianstown. Growing up, Kennedy and his family had vacationed every year at what was then known as Broken Harbor. It was the one place his mother was "right" and happy. It was also the place where she walked into the sea.

"Broken Harbor was nowhere, back then. A dozen scattered houses full of families named Whelan or Lynch who'd been there since evolution began, a shop called Lynch's and a pub called Whelan's, and a handful of caravan spaces, just a fast barefoot run over slipping sand dunes and between tufts of marram grass to the cream-colored sweep of  beach."

Broken Harbor is the fourth book in French's Dublin Murder Squad series, but my first (doesn't everyone start there?). While the stories don't build one upon another, each book ties back to another through a character. In Broken Harbor, Mick Kennedy returns from French's Faithful Place. It's not necessary to have read Faithful Place first, although there are repeated references to a previous case that may have been in that book.

I've been reading raves about French's books for years now so when I was approached to review Broken Harbor, I couldn't pass it up. Thank you, blogger peeps - you were so right about French! Broken Harbor is brooding and atmospheric, building slowly, pulling readers into the Spains' story. The selling point for me, though, was Kennedy. In an unusual move for an author, French focuses character development almost exclusively on Kennedy, giving the reader the rare ability to focus on one character. Not many authors could make this work - French does, never losing track of the rest of her characters and the murders they are all drawn into.

Now the question is, where is my copy of In The Woods, French's first book in the series?

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Bookish People You Want To Meet

My first time participating in Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish - how is it that I've never participated in this before? Thanks to BBAW for leading me to the blog! This week we're asked to list the top ten bookish people we want to meet (authors, bloggers, etc).

1. Jane Austen - I'm assuming I can bring people back from the dead, here, but I would just love to meet the person who wrote the repartee between Elizabeth Bennett and Darcy.

2. Thrity Umrigar - I have such a fan crush on Umrigar. Her books challenge me to think and her characters speak to me.

3. Caitlin Hamilton Summie - publicist for Unbridled Books, because she gets me. She is always bringing books to my attention that bring something new to the table and broaden my mind.

4. Jennie Nash (The Threadbare Heart)  - I love her books, it's that simple. Her books, her characters always ring so true.

5. Alexandra Fuller (Cocktail Hour Under The Tree of Forgetfulness) - her stories about growing up British in Africa at the end of British rule are funny, shocking, sad.

6. Michelle (The True Book Addict)  - because I would love to see her book collection. Seriously, the woman has over 3000 books! Plus she balances more than anyone I know - I could use some tips.

7. Chicks On Lit - my Goodreads peeps, the first people who started reading my blog, and some of the people I still talk to the most online.

8. Trish (Love, Laughter & A Touch of Insanity) & Lisa (Books. Lists. Life)  - I suppose it's cheating to put two people together but if I'm meeting one, I'm meeting both. And their kids. I've loved watching their kids grow up and am amazed by the way they both balance so much in their lives.

9. Linda (A Rich Tapestry) - She lives in England. And Italy. Both, yes. And so if I was going to meet her, I would totally go visit her at her place. Both of them. And if you follow her blog and see her pictures, you will want to come with me.

http://bkclubcare.wordpress.com/

10. Care (Care's Online Book Club) - because she recommends interesting books, has a great sense of humor, gets Omaha, AND she has the boat. You know - the one that a dozen of us on Twitter were suddenly going to cruise on with vats of wine, leftover party food, and rye whiskey. With our theme song (which, if you don't mind massive amounts of profanity, you can find at Fizzy Thoughts - Jill does the best bookish lyrics!). Also Care rates by slices of pie. Yum!

Sunday Salon - September 16

I can't read. There, I've said it. For the past couple of weeks, I've been making excuses to myself as to why I haven't been doing much reading of late. Yesterday I came to the realization that I'm not getting much read because I have just not been able to make myself sit down and read. I'm reading good books and mostly I'm reading things that I've chosen to read (as opposed to books I need to read for reviews on a set date). I've never had a reading slump before when I'm getting to read whatever I want. I'm very frustrated by it!

Had something odd happen last night. I was playing catch up with my blog reader. When I clicked on Misfit Salon, a blog I've been following for a couple of years, I got the message "Blog Not Found." Not found? Must be a glitch, I thought. Tried again. Nope, same message. I emailed the blogger to let her know something was wrong. But that came back with a message that the email account does not exist. So I have two questions: does anyone know what happened to Stephanie? and has this ever happened to you? After spending so much time talking about community last week, it feels so odd to have someone I've been talking to just disappear. Bloggers, I have a favor to ask. If you're going to be leaving us, please, please give us a chance to say goodbye!

This week I'm reading Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken for the Omaha Bookworms September meeting. We're very excited to be doing something different this month; we had gotten the idea that we wanted to find a book that would appeal to multiple generations, men and women. One of our members suggested this book and I think it will make for great discussion. I'm really looking forward to having some of our parents join us!

I'll also try to work in some more of The Little Stranger for the R.I.P. VII readalong hosted by The Estella Society. Of course, I'm behind already, what with my reading slump. What are you reading this week?

Even with my reading slump, I've been enjoying planning what I'm going to read. I can't wait to get to the other things I've planned for R.I.P. and for Fall Feasting. That means that I'm going to come out of this slump soon, right? Are there things that have worked for you when you've been in a slump?

BBAW - Pimp That Book!

Today's Book Blogger Appreciate Week prompt asks bloggers to "pimp" a book we think needs more exposure.

This was a tough one for me - so many great books I've loved but I've talked about so many of them, a great many of them are classics you're all aware of, or they're well known to the world. I couldn't settle on one, really it's like asking me to pick a favorite child. Instead I'm just going to refresh your memory on some books I blogged about a long time ago that I think need to be mentioned again and a couple I love but never blogged about.

The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish by Elise Blackwell, published by my beloved Unbridled Books

It's been almost three years since I reviewed this book but it's one that has stuck in my memory. Beautifully written, vivid imagery, and a unique story combined to make this a winner. I loved the blend of historical fact and fiction and Blackwell managed to pull together a number of threads effortlessly.

The publisher's summary:

Set in southern Louisiana in the weeks preceding the great flood of 1927, this novel depicts a place and way of life about to be forever changed. On the verge of manhood and a stone’s throw of the rising Mississippi River, Louis Proby is pulled between his love of the natural world and the glittering temptations of New Orleans, between the beautiful Nanette Lançon and a father who no longer seems larger-than-life, between the simplicity of childhood and the complicated decisions of adulthood.

Louis comes of age at a time when the country is coming of age. In Louisiana, it’s a time when the powerful prove themselves willing to sacrifice the poor to protect their position. As the people of Cypress Parish go about their daily lives, bankers in New Orleans are plotting to alter those lives irrevocably. Like so many calamities, the one that befalls Cypress Parish has both natural and human causes.

In The Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White, published by HarperCollins

Just a few months after reading The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish, which introduced me to the leper colony of Carville, I picked up this book, White's memoir of his time in prison, in a compound at Carville that also housed the leper colony. White's memoir is unflinching and honest and heartbreaking. 

I wasn't alone in my opinion of this one. My mom enjoyed it every bit as much (and you know how much I value her opinion). SouthernLitReview.comColorful characters provide a fast pace throughout this soul-searching tale, and White weaves a story that will stick with even the most judgmental reader. had this to say: "Colorful characters provide a fast pace throughout this soul-searching tale, and White weaves a story that will stick with even the most judgmental reader."

The Birth House by Ami McKay, published by Knopf Canada

I never reviewed this book (I read it before I started blogging) but I've mentioned it many times. It is the book that convinced me that the Omaha Bookworms was the book club for me. We had what still stands as the greatest conversation about this book we've ever had about any book. 

Publisher's summary:
"The Birth House is the story of Dora Rare, the first daughter to be born in five generations of the Rare family. As a child in an isolated village in Nova Scotia, she is drawn to Miss Babineau, an outspoken Acadian midwife with a gift for healing and a kitchen filled with herbs and folk remedies. During the turbulent years of World War I, Dora becomes the midwife's apprentice. Together, they help the women of Scots Bay through infertility, difficult labors, breech births, unwanted pregnancies and even unfulfilling sex lives.

When Gilbert Thomas, a brash medical doctor, comes to Scots Bay with promises of fast, painless childbirth, some of the women begin to question Miss Babineau's methods - and after Miss Babineau's death, Dora is left to carry on alone. In the face of fierce opposition, she must summon all of her strength to protect the birthing traditions and wisdom that have been passed down to her."

Amazing characters and a unique plot in a book that takes the reader through the gamut of human emotions. Really, you will laugh and cry. Chrisbookarama felt the same way.  Booking Mama said " I read the entire book in less than 24 hours because I couldn't put it down -- I was hooked from the start." 

If you've read McKay's The Virgin Cure and enjoyed it you absolutely must pick up The Birth House. As much as I liked the former, the later is even better. I only wish McKay wrote books faster - except just as well researched and wonderfully written!

What Book Blogging Means To Me

Today's prompt for Book Blogger Appreciation Week asks us to tell you what book blogging means to us. I'm pretty sure I've covered this before in a serious way, in a post where I wrote about how much I love being exposed to so many books, having the chance to make friendships, and having the chance to take about something I love with other people who love the same thing. So I'm going to skip that bit today and think about this in a more light-hearted way.

What Book Blogging Means To Me - The Bullet Point Version

1. Twitter - yeah, I know I'm not all that active on it but seriously people, where else could I go from mentioning that I'm having a party where I might end up with a massive amount of leftovers and wine to a boat load of bloggers, vats of wine, rye whiskey and our own theme song. And to think that all happened while I was supposed to be working!

2. Midnight book reviews - all of you bloggers know what I'm talking about (at least I hope you do)! I can't tell you how many times I've been racing to finish a book the night before I'm scheduled to post a review only to have to write the review at midnight. My dad used to send me emails to let me know when I'd overlooked a typo or a "wood" instead of "would." Somewhere along the way, he gave up. Clearly I write too many reviews too late at night!

3. Books in the mail - I really do still get giddy when new books arrive in my mailbox, even after three years. I certainly don't blog because I get free books - but it's sure a great perk. Plus there's the added bonus of getting to watch The Big Guy roll his eyes every time a new book arrives!

4. Challenging myself - in oh so many ways! There are the usual annual reading challenges, the readathons and readalongs, the chance to read out of my comfort zone and even the Pin It And Do It challenge. It can all get a bit overwhelming, even stressful by the end of the year, but I really do love it. As I work to take the stress out of some areas of blogging, I hope that it frees up more time to do these fun things.

5. Imaginary road trips - I am not kidding when I tell you that one of these days, many of you are going to get a call from me letting you know that I'm heading your way. Many's the day I've planned a trip south, stopping along the way to meet Tami in southern Nebraska, Molly in Kansas, Lori in Oklahoma and Trish, Holli and Andi in Texas. Or a trip west. Or a trip east. Maybe even a trip to Europe. If you would have told me three years ago that I would feel like I knew any of you well enough to even think of this, I would have laughed. Just like I used to do when my daughter talked about her "imaginary" internet friends.

Once in a while, I beat myself up a little about this blogging business and wonder if I need to take a break. Then I get in involved in a great Twitter conversation, or one of you leaves a particularly lovely comment, or I go into Barnes & Noble and realize how many of the books I've read or own now because of blogging. Then I know there's no way I'm going to be giving this up any time soon.