November Book Reviews

Changes:
December 16, 2008
After writing the review of all the November Books Read, the feedback I was getting was mainly "WOW, that was way too long to read". I think the general feeling was I was writing a book about the books..!! So, I've decided to pare down, and do a Cliff Notes version of the books instead, which is what anyone else from today on will read.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I thought I would end the month with a review of the books I've read. It's quite a cross-section of genres, from "teenage chick lit" to scary short stories and lots of stuff in between. I'll start from the bottom of the list, with the book I read first and work my way to Stephen King, which I just finished.

MATT RUFF

Fool On The Hill
The story is about a student named Stephen Titus George, who goes to Cornell University. The book takes place mostly at Cornell, and particularly on The Hill overlooking the campus. There is a surreal, hidden world of fairies, a meddling mythological being named Mr Sunshine, a wonderful dog named Luther who is looking for heaven, along with his long-suffering traveling companion, a Manx cat named Blackjack. It's a strange, bizarre, lovable book that I enjoyed immensely.

Set This House In Order
The most convoluted novel I've read in ages. Andrew Gage has a Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), though has it under control by consigning all his personalities to a "house" in his mind. They all live in the house, which is their world really, with their own rooms, communal dining, group meetings; everything you would expect from an actual large family. There were some shock revelations along the way, an evil personality trying to escape the "house" and psychological discourse about the proper treatment for MPD. I can't imagine having my head filled with a bunch of other personalities, opinions, and/or behaviors, though after reading this book, at least I feel I have a better understanding of people who might.

Sewer, Gas and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy
This book was a funny, thriller/mystery/sci-fi story set in New York in 2023. The NY sewer crew is battling a mutant great white shark, a mega-billionaire is building his version of the Tower of Babel, Ayn Rand is a ghost in a hurricane lamp, constantly harping in biting commentary about the merits of capitalism, there are eco-terrorists, and a murder mystery to solve. I'm hard pressed to explain this book, other than to say, it's well worth the read, if totally unconventional.

Bad Monkeys
This story is about a girl named Jane Charlotte, who has been arrested in Las Vegas for murder. She claims she works for a secret organization called the "Department for the Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons", or Bad Monkeys; people who for whatever reason have managed to get away with murder and mayhem. She's really a secret government assassin, she says, and the story is about how she got involved with the organization, what she does, and how she does it. The ending was a surprise, in a Matt Ruff way: twisted, bizarre and very...well...surprising.

What I find the most amazing about Matt Ruff's four books: All these stories were in his head..!! The twists and turns, the disparity of plot, the fun, the serious, the weird. Wow.


STEVEN HALL

The Raw Shark Texts
This novel is Steven Hall's first. I read a review on Amazon where someone said this book was like Marmite: you either loved it or hated it. I can't begin to describe what an odd, totally original book this was. Ultimately it was a love story, though that seems too trite when I sit and think of the whole plot. It's very wacky as a story, though it's also compelling. I have to say, the ending floored me. Honestly, I might be missing a few brain cells or something, but the end really made me think: What...?? Still, it was worth reading, for no other reason than to stretch my mind.


STEPHENIE MEYER

After several books requiring major participation of my brain, I thought it was time to lighten the load. I saw a large display at Waterstones for Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga, and though I figured it was "teen lit" thought I would read the first book in the series until something better caught my eye. Maybe a story about a teenage vampire would at the very least be diverting. What a shock to get totally hooked..!! I mean seriously, I couldn't believe it. I'm not sure if this is because I was reading about a place where I've actually been, or if once a teenage girl it's so easy to be one again in my imagination, or if it's just simply that I could fall into the plot and not have to dissect meanings or concepts.

Twilight
This is the first book of four. Bella Swan, 17, the main character, moves to Forks, WA to live with her father, the sheriff. She meets Edward Cullen at the local high school. She's intrigued by him, and his five "siblings", though initially he seems to have a real aversion to her. She meets a friend of the family, a Quileute named Jacob, who tells her some Native American folklore, which includes vampires. She eventually puts two and two together, and confronts Edward. One thing leads to another and the whole story comes out: he is a vampire as are his five siblings, and his foster parents. They are not vampires who prey on humans, but rather have a more civilized approach. There is a interesting plot to this book involving Quileute legends and their purpose in protecting humans from vampires; there are rogue vampires who come to Forks and want to have Bella for lunch, a father with feelings that Edward is not who he seems, and a very interesting family of vampires: the Cullens. The relationship, building against all the odds, between Edward and Bella is really good, and by the end of Twilight, I truly had to find out what happened next.

New Dawn
The story picks up in Bella and Edward's senior year in high school. She has become friends with Alice, one of Edward's "sisters". Alice is planning a big 18th birthday party for Bella. Of course, things go terribly wrong. Most of this book is about dealing with love and loss and pain. Bella eventually finds a true friend in Jacob, and spends a great deal of time with him, and other Quileutes. This book is full of suspense, bittersweet romance, rescues and reunions, and the continuing difficulties of a human girl in love with a vampire.

Eclipse
Bella is torn between her love for Edward and her love for her best friend, Jacob. The two guys are bitter enemies, but both want what's best for her. A character from the first book returns, bringing danger and death to Seattle, Forks, Bella, and the Cullens' way of life.

Breaking Dawn
The last book was the biggest: a great 754-page, wonderfully thick book...my favorite kind. The conclusion of the series begins with Bella and Edward graduating from high school. She is now adamant to become a vampire (for various reasons), but Edward has placed one major condition before he will grudgingly agree to this, one which Bella is hard-pressed to comply with, and a chain of events begun in Twilight comes to a thrilling finale. It was a tremendous finish, though parts were pretty graphic. On the cover of my book there was a large sticker which said "Not suitable for young readers" and boy, did they mean that..!!

I really loved this whole saga. If I have any complaint at all, it would have to be Bella's constant appraisal of Edward's beauty. She just couldn't fathom why he would want to be with her, a plain ol' human, and brought it up on a regular basis. She couldn't understand that for Edward, she was the beautiful one. Still, I suppose sometimes that's part and parcel of being in love. I read all four books in little over a week, and when I finally raised my head, I was stunned to realize I wasn't in Forks, WA. Regardless of the books being written for teenagers, I found myself totally captivated.


STEPHEN KING

It took me at least a week, after reading the Twilight series, to get back into another book. I had pre-ordered the new Stephen King, Just After Sunset, so when it arrived at my door unexpectedly, I was very happy to have found something new to read.

Way back in the day, when Jan (BFF) and I worked at the same publishing company, we used to read Stephen King and compare notes. Since I was not totally into scary novels, Jan would read the books first, then tell me if they were too creepy for me. The only two I've never read are Misery and The Dark Half, which Jan said would NOT work for me at all. I also lost track of the Dark Tower series, having read three then losing interest when the remaining books in the series were taking years to be published. I love Stephen King's writing style, hence why, when he's being truly scary, he can totally creep me out. I was anticipating, with relish, his new book of short stories.

Just After Sunset
All the stories didn't grab me, though each had something. The Gingerbread Girl would definitely have been the one, of all of them, that Jan would have said: don't read..!! I think Stationary Bike was my favorite. Imagine a work crew in your body, taking care of the culverts and drains and various washed out roads, and what would happen if you got healthy and didn't need them so much anymore. It was a great story. The Things They Left Behind was sad and poignant; Harvey's Dream, Rest Stop, Mute, all good stories. The last one, A Very Tight Place was a story Stephen King wrote because, as he says in his Notes at the end of the book: "...I wrote this story, for the same reason I have written so many rather unpleasant tales, Constant Reader: to pass on what frightens me to you." All I will say is: I will never go into a portapotty again...!!!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

So, there ends my reading for November. It was a strange, eclectic bunch of books, but that suits me just fine. I don't know what I would do without my books, and how odd I find it that e-books are becoming so popular. There's nothing like opening a new book, the feel of turning pages, the smell of paper and ink. You can't begin to feel the heft of worlds in your hands with a computer book. No thanks, I'll keep doing things the old-fashioned way...that's part of the joy after all. And, as I already have a pile stacked up for my December reading, I will finish this now and go get started.

The Dentist

I know there are worse things in the world than The Dentist...though not when you're sitting in the chair, white-knuckled, with freezing air and ice cold water blasting into your mouth by the sadistic dental assistant, the drill whining in your ears, and agony ripping through your head thanks to The Dentist. And that was just yesterday's experience..!!

About 3 weeks ago, while walking Ozzy on a very bitter, windy day, I had one of those inexplicable moments: one minute I'm just going along, no worries, and with the next breath I'm nearly brought to my knees with that horrible hot/cold sensation in one of my back molars. As it was truly cold, my nose had already started running (never do I have a tissue..!!), so breathing through my mouth was not an option once the stabbing tooth pain started. I tried breathing through just one corner of my mouth (opposite the pain side), but after several odd looks by other dog walkers I decided looking like the Joker with a stroke was not going to work. Eventually I wound my wool scarf around my head, which helped, though for the rest of the walk all I could think about through the pain was the dreaded call to The Dentist.

I got an emergency appointment (a miracle in itself), but my regular dentist was on holiday, so I saw someone else. She was very nice, though all she said was I appeared to have a fracture in the molar and would have to see my regular dentist next week. I spent that waiting week living on Ibuprofen instead of food. It was just astounding how quickly I went from totally fine, to absolute misery in just one breath..!! At one point my husband was hiding the pliers as I was crying and moaning, and seriously considering DIY dentistry.

So. The next week I get in to see my dentist, who is a credit to the profession and someone I like very much. She finds not one fracture, but two..!! One in each of my back molars. Cripes. I have a major tolerance for Novocaine, so 4 shots later, I am barely numb when she starts drilling. Honestly, I could have ripped off both armrests with my superhuman strength, born from the pain of it all. She gets all the filling material out of both teeth, puts in a temporary, and tells me to come back in two weeks for the real fillings, though she said within a few days I should feel better. HA. Bits of the temporary fillings fall out within a few days, and I am again reduced to Ibuprofen rather than food. No relief in sight, constant pain, and I'm starving to boot..!!

Yesterday, my appointment finally arrives. I was very much dreading the whole experience, though wanted to get things fixed in a major way. I went in early to get the Novocaine, sat in the reception area for half an hour waiting for the shot to work--and don't even get me started on how much I hate that gigantic needle coming at me at eye level, looking like something from a horror film...eewwwww. You could get people to confess to anything just by waving that wretched syringe in front of their faces. The Inquisition has nothing on modern dentistry..!! 45 minutes, and much white-knuckled agony later, I finally have two perfectly repaired molars. They look beautiful, like two brand new teeth, and though I was in a daze from the Novocaine and laying down in the chair, and trying--and failing--to meditate myself away from the experience, I had such a sense of relief that the whole trauma was over, I floated out of the office and home.

I would love to say I am now pain free, and feeling like a million bucks with my two new teeth, but as soon as the Novocaine wore off last night, I was back to throbbing pain and misery. I really expected this, of course, considering how my jaw was torqued, my mouth stretched, and my teeth tortured. I am just crossing my fingers that once everything settles down, I'll be good as new. I live in hope. And now, excuse me, but it's time for my lunch: two more Ibuprofen...sigh.

Life in Scotland

I have some moments where I miss my old life in America. I miss graham crackers, Saltines, a really juicy hamburger and milkshake, good Mexican food, my mother's home cooking, and myriad other things too numerous to mention.

Then there are the other times when I realize what a wild, wonderful, ancient land Scotland is, and how much I love it here. But, with Thanksgiving approaching, I always get nostalgic for my first homeland, so I thought I would change my perspective today, and look at all the beauty around me here.

I live in a little area of Edinburgh called Cramond. The village of Cramond is about 4 blocks from the house. This is a picture of the local pub in the village. Honestly, could it be more picturesque..??

This is the actual village of Cramond, and dates back for centuries. The pub (in the previous photo) is behind this block of dwellings. The cafe in the foreground serves wonderful food, and delicious coffee. The view from the cafe is outstanding, with river and mountain views, though I don't seem to have a photo at the moment to show the view. Course, any view in Scotland also depends on good weather, which is in short supply most days.

One of our "walking Ozzy" paths, which leads eventually to the village, and to the waterfront. Cramond has the River Almond, which moseys into the Forth, which leads to the North Sea, so lots of water abounds. And that's not counting the rain, smirr, haar, rainy fog, lashings, torrentials, etc. Like the Inuits have 28 words for snow, I'm sure Scotland has the same for rain...

The bottom of the path (above) leads through the grounds of the Cramond Kirk. The church sits on Roman ruins from the 1st century. This was the farthest outpost for the Romans, and it must have seemed like the end of the world for them; they never went north of this point. The kirk has been on this spot since the 15th century. It has a Norman tower on the other side (not visible in this photo).

Edinburgh Castle, my most favorite castle in the world, and that's saying loads in a country filled with stunning castles of all kinds. I definitely have a Top 5 list (Edinburgh, Tantallon, Dunnotter, Urquhart, Drummond), but Edinburgh is somehow, I don't know, so mythical, I always have it at the head of the list. Nearly anywhere you go in the city, you can see it, rising above everything. It's beautiful.

Another view of the city, with the castle in the background. Photo taken from Calton Hill, looking across the city.

You can't come to Edinburgh and not see Greyfriar's Bobby. To the left of his statue is the church where he's buried. His little grave is always covered in flowers.

Well, I think that gave me a good shot in the arm...and the attitude. I have barely scratched the surface of Edinburgh, of course, but each of these photos remind me of other things around my house, the village, and the city. I will next have to refresh my mind by exploring the Scottish countryside, the abbeys, and other castles I've seen. Soon the Christmas Fair starts in Princes Street Gardens, with all kinds of events, crafts, gifts, food and music, so I will definitely get some new photos, and memories of my second home.

First Day...

This is vaguely intimidating, for no reason I can explain..!! Still, the first day of anything is always the worst. I'm not too clear yet on all the blogging ins and outs, though will no doubt get things sorted eventually.

I spent 3 hours today talking to Jan, my BFF. I don't know what I would do if we didn't have our Wednesday phone chats..!! It not only keeps me connected to America, but there's always something that gives us a real laugh. I wish Priest River, Idaho was closer to Edinburgh (though not when she gets her 6 months of snow..!!)

Today we were talking about living under the radar, and if that's really possible. I was telling her about this experience my husband and I had at this coffee place in Edinburgh on Monday. We hadn't ordered coffee from this particular barista in ages, and yet she knew immediately how we wanted our coffee..!! I don't consider myself "rememberable" and yet here was someone who no doubt makes hundreds of coffees for a multitude of people on a daily basis, so either she had a most amazing memory, or somehow, for whatever reason, we registered on her radar. Jan had a similar experience not too long ago, though we figured she was memorable due to her very blonde and spikey hair which is truly unforgettable..!! . (And, cripes, how many "ables" can one person use in a paragraph...??) Still. You go along thinking no one really notices you, and yet they do. We decided it was sort of creepy, in an undefined way, that you can just go about your life, and yet be seen. Or, was the creepy part being remembered by strangers..?? Or, did we have self-esteem issues thinking we were not worthy of being noticed..?? That's when the laughing started and we spent the next 10 minutes coming up with more and more farfetched ways to NOT be noticed or remembered. Ah, there's nothing like talking to someone you've known for 25 years, through thick and thin, is there..??

So, while I was talking away with Jan, poor husband Alan was outside starting the garden clean-up. He managed to get all the nasturtiums out (hundreds of them all over the garden area), and filled several huge bags to take to the dump. Tomorrow it's my turn, unfortunately. I have to prune about 50 rose bushes, trim down the dahlias, and mulch everything...ugh. ugh, ugh. I love Spring, hate Fall. Everything looks so bare and dreary when all is said and done. To say nothing of all the scratches and blood loss I have to look forward to with the rose pruning. Once it's all done, it will be hunker down time. Reading, knitting, baking things I shouldn't be eating, and being cosy in the house until sometime in the Spring, when it all begins again---and so will the diet....

So there. That wasn't so hard to do. It's much easier than trying to write in my journals since I can type WAY better than I can write. Cool.