Teaser Tuesday 8-31

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine comes from The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. pg 20

"They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing- these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight."

 Really good book so far. I keep picking it up thinking I'll just read a chapter or two and then end up reading for an hour or two.

# 32 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

So last week I headed down the path of mental illness with Slyvia Plath's The Bell Jar. I decided I would head a little further down that path and started One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey.

For those of you who haven't read or heard of the book or seen then the movie, this book is about the residents of a mental health facility. The residents in the ward have a fairly structured existence ruled by the iron-fist of Nurse Ratched. Of course, this is only the case until a new patient by the name of Randle Patrick McMurphy arrives. McMurphy is a big, brawling, drinking, gambling trouble maker. Almost as soon as he arrives, McMurphy sets about shaking things up and declares war against the domineering Nurse Ratched.

This book took me much longer than I anticipated to finish, though I'm not sure why. It's a good story, very funny in many places. It's compelling as well, I spent most of the book wondering if McMurphy is really crazy. They hint at the fact that he may be faking it to get out of working but that begs the question. If you'd rather be locked up than go to work, isn't that a little crazy? Sometimes I thought McMurphy was a psychopath and other times, I thought he was just an asshole. In fact, by the end of the book you start questioning whether the rest of the inmates are really crazy or just misunderstood, especially the supposedly mute narrator. Maybe I was just drinking the kool-aid.

I did feel a little bad for Nurse Ratched. I know she's supposed to be a massive dictator but I saw her a woman just trying to do her job. She's just trying to keep order and keep everything under control, something that is rather important for someone in her position.

Overall, it was a fun read and I rather enjoyed it. I've never seen the movie, with Jack Nicholson, and I was lucky enough that Netflix has it available to watch instantly, so I am watching it as I type before I move on from the crazies for awhile.

Friday Book Beginnings

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

Mine this week comes from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey.  The first sentence was awfully short so I'm giving you two.

"They're out there. Black boys in white suits up before me to commit sex acts in the hall and get it mopped up before I can catch them."

I like this sentence. It lets you know off the bat what kind of story you're getting into. Clearly, we are not dealing with someone who still has all their marbles.

Think About It Thursday 8-26

 Think About It Thursday is a tiny little meme that I host, mainly to amuse myself by asking whatever silly question pops into my head. If you'd like to play along with me just answer the question on your own blog (or in the comments) and leave your link below so I know who I'm playing with.

This week's question is:

Is there a character that reminds you of yourself or someone else. Why?

This question came to me while reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen a few weeks ago. Elinor and Marianne totally remind me of my sister and I. My sister would be the Elinor of our relationship. She's the responsible one, the dependable one, and the one who thinks things through before doing them. I am so Marianne, flighty, over-dramatic, over-emotional and I jump in head first and deal with the consequences later. I believe my mom would love to splice us together to make one perfect daughter as I need more of her responsibility and she needs more of my laid-backness (yes, I made that word up). Unfortunately we're not as close as the Dashwood sisters but it's harder as we haven't lived together for quite sometime.

 Ok your turn! If you have a suggestion for a future question, shoot me an email using the contact link in the right sidebar.

Teaser Tuesday 8-24

 Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly  meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine this week comes from Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest   pg. 67

"As near as I can tell I'm no loony, or never knew it if I was. Your nurse don't know this; she's not going to be looking out for somebody coming at her with a trigger quick mind like I obviously got."

Fun teaser this week. What's yours? 

#31 The Bell Jar by Slyvia Plath

For the 1 or 2 people who don't already know, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is about one woman's struggle with mental illness. At the beginning of the book, the main character, Esther, has just received a prestige award. She gains a month long internship at a New York magazine along with 11 other girls. The girls are taken out to dinners, parties, lunches and given all sorts of gifts but Esther is rather blase about the entire thing.

When she comes home her mother immediately lets her know that she has not been accepted to a prestigious writing course that she'd had her heart set on. Esther decided to spend her summer writing a novel but gets discouraged by the belief that she hasn't had enough life experience to write well. This coupled with the memories of what she feels was a betrayal by her unofficial fiance Buddy helps to send Esther into a downward spiral of depression and insomnia.

Her mother convinces her to see a psychiatrist whom Esther immediately dislikes and who preforms electro-shock therapy incorrectly on her. Eventually, Esther is sent to a private facility where she meets a new doctor and receives treatment for her depression.

While the book has a reputation for being very popular with the angry feminist set but I didn't see it like that. I saw it as just a disturbing voyage through the mind of a woman who is losing hers. Yes, Esther struggles with what is appropriate  for her as a woman in that time period. However, I just saw someone who is unsure what her place in the world, who she is and what she is supposed to do. I think that is a feeling that is easily relatable to so many people, both men and women. I do totally see why this book is so popular with the young adult women though since I had many of the same thoughts when I younger.

Though I've never personally dealt with serious mental illness, I have suffered through bouts of postpartum depression after the birth of each of my children. I felt like I'd lost control over my own impulses, thoughts and feelings and it was the scariest thing I've ever dealt with. This book brought back some of those feelings for me and I didn't like that at all. I can't say I enjoyed the book as it wasn't exactly a fun read but I am glad that I read it and would recommend it to anyone.

#30 Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres

Wow, I've reached 30 already. I feel accomplished. One more and I'll have 3% completed. It's a small number but each tiny percentage gets me that much closer to 100%. I love milestones and while every 10 books maybe a small milestone, it keeps me going. Makes me feel like I'm chugging along.



Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres takes place on the Greek island of Cephallonia during the time of WWII. The story centers on a handful of characters, most importantly the Italian Captain Corelli, the Greek Dr. Iannis and his daughter Pelagia. Corelli is a fun-loving, musician who joined the army because it allowed him plenty of time to practice his music in between drills. He leads a group of young soldiers, known as La Scala, in song at any and every opportunity. Corelli is placed at the home of the no-nonsense Dr. Iannis and Pelagia during the Italian occupation of Greece. Despite being forced into their home, the Captain is able to befriend the doctor and falls in love with the beautiful Pelagia, who is betrothed to another. Then the war moves in, full force, and turns everything upside down.

Image by Eelke de Blouw via Flickr

This book has funny moments, horrific betrayals, and stunning acts of loyalty and heroism but at it's heart it is a beautiful love story.It was both heartbreaking and perfectly romantic. The writing is fluid and so descriptive that I could almost smell the ocean and feel the island air. I've always wanted to see Greece but I've now added the island of Cephalonnia to the list of things I'd like to see if I ever go there.I mean, just look at the picture! Who wouldn't want to go?

FYI, there is a movie with the same name based on this book and I had seen it before reading the book but they changed so much, particularly the ending that it's almost a different story. It had Nicolas Cage as Corelli and he captured the Captain's silliness but not enough for me to forgive his ridiculous attempt at an Italian accent. My husband watched part of it with me and asked if he was supposed to be Irish. (Yeah, it's that bad.) Once you get past the accent and the complete rewrite, it's not a bad movie. The mandolin music alone makes it worth watching, it's just gorgeous music.


My favorite quote from the book. It's a bit lengthy but it's a beautiful bit of advice.

"Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion, it is not the desire to mate every second minute of the day, it is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every cranny of your body. No, don't blush, I am telling you some truths. That is just being "in love", which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident."

Friday Book Beginnings and Blog Hop

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

Mine, this week, comes from Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres.

"Dr. Iannis had enjoyed a satisfactory day in which none of his patients had died or got any worse."

I am a little ambivalent about this particular sentence. It's a little funny, which fits with the character of Dr. Iannis, who is quick witted and often makes me laugh. So, I guess I lean a little more towards liking it than disliking it.

~~~~

The Friday blog hop is hosted by Crazy-for-Books and is a weekly opportunity to find fun new blogs to follow and maybe attract a few new followers of your own.

Every week she asks a new discussion question. This week asks

How many blogs do you follow?

According to Google Reader I follow 115, though I don't actually read every one every day. In the morning I skim through the new posts and check out the ones who catch my interest. I check again in the afternoon or evening.

Happy Hopping!

Think About it Thursday 8-19

Think about it Thursday is a little meme of my own that I started last week for kicks and giggles. Every week I'll ask a bookish question, something you'll have to 'think about' a little. Ah, see what I did there? Then you just post your answer on your own blog or in the comments if you'd rather go that route. Be sure to share your link so we can check out your answer.

This week's question is one I've been contemplating lately as I've been trying to encouraging more reading among my own kids.

What is your earliest memory of books or reading? Was it a positive or negative experience?

I have been reading or been read to for as long as I can remember. My elementary school had a ice cream/Popsicle stand every Friday where you could buy treats after school. They also had contests every year and whoever read the most in their grade won free popsicles for the next year. I remember winning practically every year and getting free ice cream every Friday. I even got a trophy one year. Some kids have soccer or dance trophies, I have a reading trophy. I suppose that's a positive experience. :)

So what are your memories of reading?

If you have a suggestion for an interesting question, shoot me an email via the 'contact me' button in the upper right sidebar. Please leave a  name and/or blog addy so I can properly credit you.

Library Goodies

Image via Wikipedia

Oh public library, how do I love thee? Lots and lots! Especially when you have a lot of the books that I need. Since I started working from the list I've learned to double check the availability of the books I want before heading over.

My library website allows me to ensure whether a book is checked in at my local branch before I get there. I like to make a list of 8-9 books that claim to be checked in before I go and usually only end up walking out with 4-5 of those. I blame it on myself checking the website too many hours before actually driving over to the library and thus allowing someone else the chance to beat me to it.

I learned my lesson today and double checked right before and was totally rewarded. I walked out of there with 7 books.
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by  Ken Kesey
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Of course, now that I'm looking at this stack, it's quite intimidating. Luckily, the longest book in the pile is 380 pages so hopefully I can get through most of them before my three weeks is up. I do see a handful of renewals in my near future though.

So, I'll be finished with Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres in the next day or two. Let me know which of these should I tackle after that?

Teaser Tuesday 8-17

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. It's easy to play along! Just:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine this week comes from Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres pg 281.

 
"Love is not breathless, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day, it is not lying awake at night imagining he is kissing every cranny of your body....That is just being 'in love', which any fool can do. Love itself is what's left over when being in love has burned away, and it is both an art and a fortunate accident." 



Happy Tuesday!  Hope you are not all melting in this heat like I am.

#29 The Cider House Rules by John Irving

The Cider House Rules by John Irving is the story of an orphanage and it's inhabitants. Focusing mostly on the aging Dr. Larch and the orphan Homer Wells. Dr. Larch is the only doctor at the St. Cloud's orphanage in Maine which has a small secret. They don't just deliver babies at St. Clouds, they help prevent them too. The story takes place from the early 1900's to the 1950's, a time when abortions are very much illegal no matter the circumstances. Dr. Larch is haunted by a memory from his past which drives him to the help the women that no one else will do.

Homer Wells is an orphan, born at St. Cloud's, who repeatedly proves that he belongs there. The Dr. and nurse of the orphanage keep trying to find him a new home but Homer always finds a way back until they just quit trying. Dr. Larch decides then that Homer would make a good doctor and sets about training a teenage Homer in the ways of the orphanage. Mainly, ensuring each woman who comes gets an "orphan or an abortion". The more Homer sees of the daily operations of St. Cloud's the more disillusioned with becoming a doctor he becomes. When a young couple comes to St. Cloud's and offers a means of escape, Homer readily takes it.

Over the next several years both Homer and Dr. Larch struggle with Homer's absence. Homer struggles to find his place in this new world while the Dr. struggles with his absence. Even at a distance the two fall into a father-son type relationship with the 'son' wanting to go his own way and the 'father' wanting him to follow in his footsteps.

I really enjoyed the book. I was afraid, going in, that the main theme of abortion and a woman's right to choose would be hard to read 500+ pages over. However, while abortion may be prevalent in the book, I didn't feel that the issues was beat over your head. By the middle, it's just an underlying theme while the characters interactions and personal growth take center stage. Each character is clearly developed and you get a good sense of each one. I could easily picture each and every person mentioned and their personality is clearly defined. When someone talks you don't even need a clarifying "Homer said" or anything like that because their 'voice' is so easily distinguishable.

Overall, it was a compelling story, an interesting read and I would recommend it. A word of caution though. I am not a big fan of abortions, though I try not to judge anyone who may choose to get one for their own reasons, and the subject matter didn't really bother me. However, if you have very strong feelings on the matter, this book may be a bit harder for you to read. You have been warned.