Food Obsession

I may be getting close to a threshold of obsession with food. My current pile of books checked out from the library, excluding two for my fundraising class, is ENTIRELY food-related:

No Impact Man (Colin Beavan)

Organic Manifesto (Maria Rodale)

The End of Overeating (David Kessler)

Food Matters (Mark Bittman)

Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express

Not Great Literature... But...

Over the past couple television seasons, I have become enamored of ABC's Castle, starring Nathan Fillion. He's adorable. Hilarious. So easy to watch...

(This prompted me (along with my friend Sarah) to watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and being watching (through the help of my friends Jon & Christin) Firefly.)

Imagine my delight when my roommate brought home this surprise from the library:

Hilarious, right?

(And, yes, I totally read it. In 2 hours.)

Reading Into Spring

I love reading. I just do. I love words, well-told stories, ingenious turns of phrase, and brilliantly constructed manuscripts. I used to stay up all night, devouring a new mystery or Victorian novel. I majored in literature in college, which had the yin-yang effects of both slowing my reading speed and sharpening my deeper understanding of manuscripts.

Since then, occasionally when the seasons get "too busy," or my television schedule begins to go a little crazy (I am prone to loving reality competition shows), I forget how much I love to read. Thankfully, I have staved off that lapse this year with a steady diet of new books. This winter I finally read "The Historian," Elizabeth Kostova's first, thoroughly enjoyable novel. I was nervous about how long it was, but fell in love with Kostova's attention to detail and crazy amounts of research that obviously went into her writing.

Much to my pleasure, Kostova's second novel was published this winter as well, and I happily devoured it (though it did take me longer than I had planned to read it). This is a pretty long book, but let me tell you: it's worth it.

Kostova's tale of a psychiatrist on a quest to help a troubling (and troubled) patient is compelling and unexpected. There are a few predictable moments, but in a fun way. Reading it made me consider the powerful effects of art and inspiration anew.

I love that books have power like this, and can't wait to pick out the next one to read!

On Being in a Family of Nerds

One thing I love about visiting my family is that I am always inspired to read. We give each other books, we talk about books, we read the classics, mystery novels, great works of literature, and the newest vampire novels. We play board games and video games. We study literature, theology, history, classical languages, law, journalism, computers. We are, as you have guessed, quite happy nerds.

While traveling and then snowed-in in the great state of Kansas over the Christmas holiday there was a great amount of reading to be had. As I traveled, I was delighted to have a loaner book from my friend Jen: HATE LIST, by Jennifer Brown. This young adult lit book is great! Seriously, you should read it. All of you. It's a quick read, but completely engaging, dealing beautifully with a tragic situation.

I also read I AM NOT SIDNEY POITIER, by Percival Everett. Very strange. A bit like watching a crazy movie that you kind of like, but aren't quite sure about.

My "currently reading" list includes an audio book, THE HISTORIAN, by Elizabeth Kostova, FOOD MATTERS, by Mark Bittman, and WHERE MEN WIN GLORY: THE ODDYSSEY OF PAT TILLMAN, by Jon Krakauer.

A Present to Me from Audrey Niffenegger

I like to think of this as a personal birthday present from Audrey Niffenegger to me. Thank you for setting your release date as September 29, 2009. A great book for me as I enter what will surely be a great year!

Thanks to Jen I had the opportunity to read an Advance Readers' Edition of Her Fearful Symmetry and, boy howdy, it was FANTASTIC! I finished it yesterday, though I would have read it continuously for the previous few days if other activities (work, church, etc.) hadn't gotten in the way.

This is the sort of book that renews my love of fiction, and my belief in current-day authors. As one who LOVES Victorian literature, I sometimes fall into thinking that nothing good has been written since 1900. Thank you, Audrey, for proving me wrong again.

Labor-less Weekend

This weekend I had the good fortune of being invited to a friend's family home in Galena, Illinois. Well, more precisely, in the Galena Territory, near the town of Galena, Illinois. We had a lovely weekend of friends, great food, relaxation, seeing some local sites, a farmer's market, board games, a winery, and more food. Plenty of time to sleep and read. Pancakes for breakfast. Not much else this girl could ask for.

While away, I finished reading Julie Powell's Julie & Julia, the memoir that inspired the movie of the same title. It was such a fun book, and quite a bit crazy, as well.

Today I completed the long weekend by sleeping in, watching old episodes of ER, last week's Project Runway, and going to see Taking Woodstock with some friends. Demetri Martin was pretty great, though the Liev Schreiber/Henry Goodman duo stole the show a little bit. All in all, pretty entertaining.

Today I also made an incredibly easy, but simply delicious cauliflower soup. Check it out over at Smitten Kitchen.

I hope your holiday weekend was as great as mine!

The Time Traveler's Wife

Thanks to my friend Jen, I was able to score a pass to see an early screening of The Time Traveler's Wife last night. A very enjoyable night at the theater.

I'm always skeptical going to movies based on books that I loved. And, let me tell you, I loved this book when I read it a few years ago -- Audrey Niffenegger wrote a fantastic story that I just couldn't put down! I thought the film did a great job being true to the novel, and Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana were great. Well worth the viewing time, in my opinion.

A Long List of Books

This is making its way around Facebook:

The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books here.
How do your reading habits stack up?


1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien - x
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - x
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling - x
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee- x
6 The Bible - x
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte - x
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens - x
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott - x
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy - x
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller – x
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien - x
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger - x
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - x
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald - x
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma-Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen - x
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis - x
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - x
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - x
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne - x
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown - x
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving - x
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery - x
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood - x
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley - x
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddonx - x
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita -Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold - x
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding - x
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno – Dante - x
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker- x
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert - x
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White - x
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad - x
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare- x
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl - x
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

I've read 34 of 'em. How about you?

I Love Short Stories

Last week I had a lovely time being off of work and just hanging around the city. I ran some errands, slept in, watched too much television, and reacquainted myself with the short story magic of Jhumpa Lahiri.



I forgot how much I love short stories, and hers in particular. There is something fantastically refreshing in her style of writing. And short stories make one who has lapsed in their love of reading feel quite accomplished.

If you are unfamiliar with Lahiri's work, I strongly suggest you check it out: Interpreter of Maladies, The Namesake, Unaccustomed Earth.

The Bible: Part 3 (What I Really Think)

Yesterday the Bible Illuminated: New Testament, was released, and is now available for purchase in the U.S. I have been thinking about the format and imagery offered in this new publication, and figured it is time to weigh in with my own opinions and initial review.

One week ago I left the blogging worth with this image, which is admittedly shocking, and even more so when considered in the context of the Bible. I would venture to say that it is shocking even for the non-Christians among us, who have at least some cultural idea of what the Bible is and how it is supposed to be used.

Shortly said, I think that Bible Illuminated paints some dangerous pictures -- but I also don't think that the Bible is ever really safe.

As a magazine-design junkie, I am incredibly drawn to the unique devices used throughout the text of Bible Illuminated to highlight passages, add color to pages of text, and force the reader to think about what they are reading. I can also appreciate the depth that unexpected images can bring to a text, forcing the reader to think outside standard box of "I'm reading the Bible." I especially appreciate, for example, the imagery used to introduce the first Gospel (Matthew) - a sonogram of baby in the womb. As a Christian who is familiar with both the Scriptural narrative and some of the theological challenges that the Gospels present to individuals, this is a powerful reminder of the humanity of Christ.

What concerns me most, though, are the instances, like the image I displayed last week, where the Scriptural narrative is ignored. It is like reading a novel, but only flipping through and picking a sentence here and there, and from that "reading" forming an opinion of what the author is trying to say. It is an incomplete picture, and could be misleading. In the theological realm, this type of reading does a disservice to the text that is dangerous and leads to the using of verses in erroneous ways. I would venture to say that this may be a product of publishing a Bible led by no theological convictions; its publishers claim "no religious agenda nor do we support a specific faith. Bible Illuminated is intended to be a unique vehicle for reacquainting today’s reader with one of the most important historical, and cultural texts ever written."

This said, I am looking forward to receiving my own copy of Bible Illuminated: New Testament and flipping through the whole thing.

Book Review: The Best Place to Be

The Best Place to Be
A Novel in Stories
Lesley Dormen
Simon & Schuster, 2008; 174 pages

It has been a few months since I have been able to read something not for a school assignment. I forgot about this part of continuing my education. And I must admit that when it came time to read The Best Place to Be, I was a bit overwhelmed at the thought of fitting it in somewhere between theology and church history and fundraising papers (weird combination, I know). But I am glad I did.

Lesley Dormen, in my opinion, captures the style of "novel in stories" expertly, weaving a cohesive narrative, but letting each chapter also stand alone as a story unto itself. Though I have to admit that I did not quite like her main character, Grace, from the first story, Dormen captured my attention somewhere in "The Secret of Drawing," and Grace became much more heroic than she seemed at first. As Grace's story rounds on itself, I found myself wishing for my own "best place to be."

I think I found a little of myself in Grace Hanford (or a little of what I may find in 20-some-years). The independent, self-determinedness covers all manner of transgressions for this character - not excusing, but explaining in blunt truth. This, I think, is what made the fitting in of the stories not so much a chore, but a welcome escape for a few hours.

Check out Dormen's discussion of her work and this novel here, (I particularly like her reasons for writing a nonlinear story, and her discussion of the story "I Asked My Mother," which was my favorite).

More reviews and tour stops organized by TLC Book Tours can be found here.

Order The Best Place to Be for yourself at Amazon.com here.

a look ahead:

coming soon:

The Best Place to Be (Lesley Dormen)

Come back next week (Wednesday, 10/15) for my review of this new book, a novel in short stories. It's nice to be doing some non-required reading. :)

BIBLE ILLUMINATED:
The Book, New Testament

(From Sweden, of all places. Released in the U.S. in October.)

I, for one, am intrigued by the promise of culturally relevant and provocative images alongside the Scripture I find relevant and provocative.

However, I am a bit skeptical, as the creators and publishers claim "no religious agenda nor do we support a specific faith. Bible Illuminated is intended to be a unique vehicle for reacquainting today’s reader with one of the most important historical, and cultural texts ever written."

Personally, the Bible is much more than just a historical and cultural text. I can't wait to get my hands on this number, with my skeptical (and hopefully theological) eyes ready to dive in.

Banned Books Week Spotlight

My friend Jen, over at Devourer of Books, has been doing an excellent job highlighting books that are being celebrated by the American Library Association's Banned Books Week, which ends on Saturday. In my fantasy world of having plenty of time for all the many things I love to do, I would be right there with her, spotlighting all my favorite banned/challenged books, and waxing poetic on the importance of intellectual freedom. Not to mention generally reading things that are not assigned by a syllabus.

Alas, the fantasy world of books remains a bit out of reach. But, in a few minutes on my lunch hour today, I decided to pay a small tribute to the great work of the ALA and the fight for intellectual freedom by highlighting the most recent "frequently challenged book" I have read: "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." by Judy Blume.

You may recall that I just read this for the first time this summer. Crazy, I know. And I love it. LOVE it. Maybe this is a throwback to my deep connection to truth-telling, and vulnerability. Maybe it is a reclaiming of my love of working in a Children's/Young Adult library (maybe the best job I've ever had). But, whatever it is, it's love.

Why, you may ask, is this particular book to be celebrated this week? Due to its content, both sexual and religious, it is one of top 100 challenged books (requested to be banned) of all time, and Judy Blume is the second most challenged author between 1990 & 2004, according to the ALA. She has earned this status not just for "Margaret," but because five of her books are frequently challenged. "Margaret," written in 1970, is number 62 of the top 100 challenged books of 1990-2000.

Blume is concerned with censorship, if only for the implications it holds for the future of reading. “[I]t's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers.” Her website speaks frankly about her thoughts, here.

The American Library Association has many great resources for seeing what books have been challenged, why, and other ways to celebrate the week (which occurs annually). So check it out and keep reading!

A Weekend's Worth of Book Reviews

This weekend I was determined to get in a lot of reading (by my standards, at least). I was pleasantly surprised that it actually happened in the midst of a lingering work project, a road trip (audio books are so helpful), and family craziness! Thank goodness for three-day weekends!

I woke up early (for a holiday) on Friday expressly to finish The Gargoyle (Andrew Davidson); I had scarcely been able to put it down for about a week, and fell asleep each night reading it. Jen over at Devourer of Books recommended it to me, and even went to the trouble of having a copy sent to me. She promptly scared me off by telling me not to read the opening chapter late at night, due to its fairly graphic nature. But when I finally started, I couldn't stop. As Jen described in her review, in reading this I became one of those people that slow down to gaze intently at the accident or oddity at the side of the road, completely enthralled at what I was seeing.

I was continually astounded that this is Davidson's first novel. Though the genre is not something I generally choose - historical fiction meets fantasy meets something-I'm-not-quite-sure-of-yet - the writing was so engaging that I forgot I wasn't really supposed to get into it. I was never quite sure where the story was going to end up, but was more than happy to ride out the journey. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that feels like getting lost in a fantastic story.

This weekend I also read my first book for the LOST Books Challenge: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume. I can't quite believe that I have not read this before. Seriously. Reading it now was the great experience of fantastic Young Adult literature that reminds me of all the things that I worried so deeply about when I was 11-going-on-12. Though written more than three decades ago, its subject matter still rings true for pre-teen girls all over the world. What is it like to kiss a boy? When will I start to "grow"? Am I old enough to make adult decisions for myself yet?

Blume's timeless story of Margaret Simon is still a must-read for any young girl (or any mother of a young girl, or anyone who remembers being an 11-year-old-girl...).

Finally, during the driving portion of the weekend, I finished listening to the audiobook of Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers. Downloaded from Librivox.org (great place!), this was my first Lord Peter Wimsey detective story, by an author I can't believe I just discovered. Sayers is amazing: she can write pointed, entertaining essays as well as completely engaging detective stories with strong characters and great matters of intrigue.

In this mystery, Lord Peter faces both an unidentified dead man found in a bathtub and a missing nobleman. At first the two do not appear to be connected... but things are seldom as they first appear. After the fun of this novel, I am looking forward to reading more Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries!

Booking Through Thursday: Holiday Reading

It’s a holiday weekend here in the U.S., so let’s keep today’s question simple – What are you reading? Anything special? Any particularly juicy summer reading?

I am still working my way through a few books that have been on-going for a few weeks, now. Hopefully the extra holiday from work will help me get through a couple of them! The list:

• The Gargoyle, by Andrew Thompson
• X Saves the World: How Generation X Got the Shaft but Can Still Keep Everything from Sucking, by Jeff Gordinier
• Ledgermain, by James Heaphey

Of these, I have a hard time putting down The Gargoyle (I have no idea where the story is going!), and always get a kick out of X Saves the World, even though it takes me forever to pick it up again.

I have also recently purchased several of the books for my LOST Reading Challenge, and have high hopes of read Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume, this weekend. I am not sure how I managed to get through my childhood and adolescence without reading it.

Finally, I am driving for a few hours over the weekend and hope to get through the rest of the audio book I am currently listening to: Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers.

The New Classics

I love lists.
I love books.
It only stands to reason that I love lists of books.

A few years ago I stumbled across Time Magazine's top 100 novels written in the English language since 1923, the year the magazine was first published. It was great fun to go through the list and see how I fared against the "best of the best". I have only read 13; at the time I decided that it would be an excellent goal to slowly make my way through that list, and read all 100.

Well, fast forward a couple years; I have not made a lot of progress, but still love lists. Today I came across Entertainment Weekly's "New Classics" list: the top 100 books published in the last 25 years. (Which, coincidentally, is as long as I have been alive.)


Those which I have read:

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)
• Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
• A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)
• The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
• Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding (1998)
• Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
• Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
• The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (2006)
• Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)
• The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)
• The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)
• A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)
• Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)
• The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)

Those which are actually on my To Be Read list:

• Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
• Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez (1988)
• On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)
• The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)
• Naked, David Sedaris (1997)
• The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)
• The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)
• Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)
• Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996)
• The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
• The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)
• Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
• Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
• Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
• High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)

Which leaves 69 others that I know nothing about, or (as of now) have no interest in reading.

Joining Up

For a while now I have been looking at and considering several book challenges. When I stumbled across this one over at Amy's blog, I knew it was perfect for me. [I must be the first to admit that I missed much of season 4, and will spend a large amount of time this summer catching up.] Check out the contest rules to find the lists of books that are connected to the show, and think about joining up yourself!

The books I will read for the LOST challenge are:

• Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (Judy Blume)
• Of Mice & Men (John Steinbeck)
• The Invention of Morel (Adolfo Bioy Casares)
• The Turn of the Screw (Henry James)
• Evil Under the Sun (Agatha Christie)

I will finish these all by the end of 2008... which really means hopefully most of them by the end of the summer, before classes start again. Wish me luck! Or, as Jen tells me, work is what reading is for sometimes. ;)

BTT: Flavor of the Week

Think about your favorite authors, your favorite books . . . what is it about them that makes you love them above all the other authors you’ve read? The stories? The characters? The way they appear to relish the taste of words on the tongue? The way they’re unafraid to show the nitty-gritty of life? How they sweep you off to a new, distant place? What is it about those books and authors that makes them resonate with you in ways that other, perfectly good books and authors do not?

What makes me love a book or an author? This is a pretty excellent question, I think. And one I'm not quite sure how to answer. I've been thinking about this for about 3 hours, and haven't come up with much more than "Can't I just like what I like?"

I talked here about why I love the memoir so much; this is probably the best answer to this weeks' question that I'll come up with. There is something so fascinating to me about honesty, and the bravery it takes to be honest about the less-than-pleasant things in life. Maybe it is voyeuristic? I don't know if it has anything to do with my line of work? But (perhaps) in opposition to what I do, I generally can't stand "Christian" literature, and specifically what I might term "Christian self-help" books.

I still hold a great fondness in my heart for my favorite books of childhood, such as From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. And I do love the Harry Potter series and the Chronicles of Narnia. And I love the verbose prose of English Victorian Literature, like Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, and the Bronte sisters.

Book Review: Admit One

Admit One: A Journey into Film
Emmett James
Fizzypop Productions, 2007; 197 pages

I really wanted to like this book. It combines two of my favorite things in the realm of multimedia: memoir and film. While in college I took as many film classes as possible - production, general study, the relationship of film and theology - the phenomena of Hollywood and motion pictures is endlessly fascinating to me. I am captivated by culture.

And this is what I was expecting to read on the pages of James' memoir. And it is generally what was there... though I was less than inspired by most of it. Perhaps I have been too deadened to the simple memoir by the rowdy likes of Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris, and the politically charged thoughts of Anne Lamott; but in the realm of these writers with some seriously messed up lives that they bare for all to see, Emmett James seems pretty "every man."

And perhaps that is the point? Maybe he wanted to write a story that could be each of our own stories?

There were definite moments within the narrative that made me chuckle with familiarity; I know full well the overwhelming desire to emulate favorite movie characters. I understand the importance, above all else, of getting that Millennium Falcon toy - and the necessity of the Star Wars movies in inspiring this need in young children all over the world.

Overall the narrative is easy to read (proved to be a great airport book for my bookends of delayed flights this weekend), and ends in a fairly convincing, potentially refreshingly simple, "aha" moment of James' life. Certain chapters would have been excellent companions to some of the more dry texts in a couple of my film classes, specifically in the discussions of how people watch movies.

Book Review: Running with Scissors

Picador 2002, 304 pages

Well, I have finally finished this book... and it has made me question my enduring, indiscriminating love of the memoir genre. I think I need to take a break for a while.

What is it about 'memoir' that captures me in an instant? I think it is incredibly brave of anyone to honestly disclose not only true facts, but deep, personal reflections on those truths. The genre of memoir demands honesty that is not masked even by layers of self-deprecating humor. Authors like Anne Lamott and David Sedaris (among many others) have mastered this genre.

Running with Scissors, from the beginning, held potential. Augusten Burroughs lived what seems to have been a hellish life from a very young age, yet managed to survive. What it misses, in my opinion, is an element of humor to mask the horrors. Or, if not humor, the other end of the spectrum in which Burroughs would divulge some great truth learned from it all. He hits neither mark for me. At no moment did I laugh out loud; any laughter was nervous and born out of uncomfortable disbelief. At points I had a hard time believing that what I was reading was truth. Instead Burroughs sits his narrative in this matter of fact world that exudes "chip on my shoulder" in a rather off-putting way. He ends the crazy tales with two sentences that demonstrate this quite well: "I threw the meat in my cart. And moved on."

Which, I think, is what I will do as well.