Rebecca Reads

Now, I know this isn’t a family blog or a mommy blog. I try to keep my personal life out of it to some extent and instead focus on the books I have been reading. But I’m very excited, so I have to share: My son has sat on the toilet three times successfully already today, he’s wearing his first pair of underwear, he’s been dry for three hours (since we put it on), and I’m thinking he really is more ready for toilet training than I’ve been thinking! I really wasn’t going to start today (I was thinking “March”), but he’s acting all excited about the underwear, so here we are. Maybe the fact that he’s been toilet training his doll for the last few weeks should have been a sign. (I kid you not: the doll is very good at using the toilet.) Of course, I’m expecting there will be many accidents, but this sure is a good start, I think.

Beyond that, I’ve been busy the last few days, so I haven’t read a lot. Last week, I finished my reread of Cather’s Archbishop for prep for my book club. I reread Herland for Women Unbound and I have so much to say I just have to find time to write a proper post of that slim little volume with lots of issues in it. And although it wasn’t a favorite, Sunday afternoon I really enjoyed reading Toni Morrison’s Jazz, given the setting is one I’ve been learning about (the Harlem Renaissance).

In terms of the Classics Circuit, the schedule for the February Harlem Renaissance Tour has been posted (I cannot express how excited I am about this!) and sign up is open for the Georgette Heyer March tour.

Beyond that, my son and I have read 75 books together already (since December 12, 2009). This was the easy portion of my 1000 Books Project because it’s the books he already owns. Now it’s going to be harder as I find new books from the library every week that he wants to read. I look forward to sharing some of those favorites with you!

In the coming week, I want to finish my read of Sir Gawain. It really is a one-sitting read, so the fact that I have only read 60 pages should tell you I just started too late at night and fell asleep. I am enjoying it very much! I also started The Housekeeper and the Professor, which will be fast. Other than that, there are a number of books due at the library in the next week that I can’t renew, so I don’t know which to read first, next, and last. I may just have to pay overdue fines. At 5 cents a day, I think it would be okay in the long run. Read the rest of this entry »

I first encountered Sei Shonagon in a college course about the personal essay. We talked about her tone in the essay “Hateful Things,” and I wrote about the credibility of her critique.

“Hateful Things” is an interesting piece when considered as an essay because it doesn’t read like any other essay I read for that class. Like the rest of her The Pillow Book, it is partly a list, partly a personal journal entry, and mostly a personal ramble. Yet, Shonagon writes beautifully. It has an interesting organization to it, and from the beginning until the end, “Hateful Things” progresses from generic to personal in a beautiful way. Much of The Pillow Book is similarly personal, and the vibrant personality of the woman who wrote it makes The Pillow Book a delightful, fascinating, and important book to read. Read the rest of this entry »

In Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf captures a woman’s joys and frustrations in a single day by revealing her thought processes. Although some other character’s thoughts are captured as well, it was Clarissa Dalloway that I related to.

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Willa Cather’s Death Comes for the Archbishop profoundly moved me.

Perhaps it was Cather’s perfect capture of New Mexico: while I have never been to New Mexico, I feel I now can perfectly imagine the place, the pain, and the joy that the setting evokes. Also, while there are religious elements in the book (after all, it tells the story of the first Roman Catholic Bishop of New Mexico), Cather’s emphasis seems to be the human connections, the legends, and the memories of those living in a challenging yet beautiful era in American history.

Archbishop was a different classic to read: in some respects, it is a collection of stories, not a novel. When early reviews complained that book was hard to classify, Cather herself said “why bother?” She at times calls it a “legend” or a “narrative” (from the introduction, Everyman Library’s Edition).

Because of its loose structure and subtle plot, it tells of the Bishop Latour’s life and that of his friend, Father Valliant at a leisurely pace. In fact, my first read (three weeks ago) surprised me: I found myself struggling to be motivated to read it. (It was also during the Christmas holiday, so I was busy and probably not in the mood for a thinking book.) Because I’m preparing some discussion questions for my infant book group, I decided to reread it this week. (I was feeling horribly nervous about keeping a discussion going. Unfortunately, this is how I feel every month when I go to prepare for book club!)

So I reread Archbishop, knowing that it is slow, thoughtful, and not so much a novel but more a series of vignettes. And I loved it. The last 75 pages last night had me in tears as I pondered the life of the priests. While I loved My Antonia, this is my new, absolutely favorite Cather (of those two, at least). It has far more depth to the characters, the language, and the setting , and I was emotional moved as I read it. I may add it to the “Books Read in 2010 That I Love and Want to Reread Someday” list I’m starting in my head.

Note: Because I don’t believe Death Comes for the Archbishop can be “spoiled,” I discuss the book in below without hesitating to reveal some details. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been intending to review books in the morning, before my son awakes. I’d have to wake up at 5 to have time to do so. But so far this is not working very well. Since he has not been napping anymore, the evening and afternoon are often just plain exhausting (think: CRANKY boy). I have been sleeping in. Then I’ve been doing Classics Circuit stuff. That’s why there have not been writing posts this week.

As a result, I feel rather behind on blog writing. I did get about 10 hours of Bloggiesta-ing over the weekend, but that barely put a dent in all that I “need” to do. And chances are, the coming week will find me reading, not writing reviews for the blog. And I think that’s okay. It’s all about balance, right? And this exhausted feeling is somewhat mitigated by a good book. Read the rest of this entry »

2009 was a great reading year. Although it was the first year I kept track of my reading completely, it was also a year that I found myself reading more than I ever have.

I should begin this post by saying that I read for enjoyment and learning. I don’t read for a certain number of books or pages or anything. But I certainly had fun capturing the statistics!

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I’ve been procrastinating on blog maintenance issues for a week now, saying that “I’ll do that during Bloggiesta” so I really should get started on doing something now that Bloggiesta is here! I’m back from work at the library and ready for a weekend.

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Harold Bloom dedicates a section of How to Read and Why to poetry, because, he says, “Poetry is the crown of imaginative literature.” (How to Read and Why, page 69). I don’t feel Bloom’s insights actually are helping me read poetry, but I’ve decided to read the poets he suggests because it’s a broad introduction to some good poetry (I hope).

I’d never heard of A.E. Housman and in some respects I wish I still hadn’t. While Housman’s poems are easy to read and “lyrical,” the collection A Shropshire Lad (written in 1896) is horribly depressing and seems to me to capture the poet’s deep-rooted depression. Read the rest of this entry »

My son is only 26 months old, but he’s beginning to learn at the speed of light (from my perspective). After twenty minutes of a Sesame Street “two” episode, for example, he knows he has two hands, two eyes, two feet, and that there are two apples, two spoons, and two bowls on the table. He learned circles just as fast and loves finding circles everywhere we go. “Look, Mommy! Circles!” is a frequent comment.

Because he’s so ready to learn, I’ve been pondering how to introduce him to the world of letters, the world of reading, and a pre-preschool world of him and me. I know he’s not ready to learn to read, but what can I do now to help him be ready in another year or two?

I decided to seek out some books that might help. While I checked out dozens of books, I only read two in the past few weeks. Growing a Reader from Birth by Diane McGuinness was fascinating, but I was disappointed that the majority of the book focused on baby language learning rather than learning to read (as the title would suggest). The ABCs of Literacy by Cynthia Dollins, on the other hand, was just what I was looking for, and I’ve even ordered my own copy I loved it so much. Both books were geared toward parents and childcare givers, and the second is one every parent of a toddler should read. Read the rest of this entry »

Although the New Year is already six days old, I have yet to finish my first book of the year. I blame it on the fact that I’m reading some longer books.

Churchill’s History, my project book, is going well. I think it’s written in an easy to read format, not at all textbook like. That said, it is rather like Dickens’ children’s history in that it’s obviously a bit biased (although Churchill is obviously more scholarly than Dickens). Besides, there are few references so I wonder how “accurate” much of it is. Despite those flaws, I’m glad I’m reading it and I’m enjoying this immergence into the history of England, as I know nothing.

The Pillow Book has become delightful. It was hard to get in to it at first, as I know nothing about the lifestyle at court in 1000 A.D. Japan. But by referring to the extensive notes in my translation, I feel I know a bit more and I’m not fascinated and interest in reading more about Japan. Can you imagine living in a world where you have to write poems to communicate with people? If you get a poem note from someone and don’t respond properly, it’s a bad thing. Talk about pressure!

Swiss Family Robinson is interesting. It’s a typical 1800s didactic text but I can see why it’s so entertaining for kids. I’ve been listening as we do our home improvement projects but I may finish by reading the etext as it takes forever.

I started reading Toni Morrison’s Jazz, as it’s about people during the Harlem Renaissance, but I haven’t made too much progress. Mrs. Dalloway is my nemesis for the week. I started the etext, but I felt I didn’t know what was going on. So I’m going to start again when I can focus on it, with the physical copy, and I hope I can really get it. I’m a bit afraid now.

The other books are ones I really want to read, but I just haven’t had time for. Maybe in the coming week!

What was your first finished book of the year? Did it bode well for you?

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