Tea and a Good Book

Review: A Memory of Light

2013-03-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

Read: A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Stars: Five

Drinking: Irish Breakfast Tea, Twinings

A Memory of Light is the final installment of The Wheel of Time. I've been reading the series for 15 years, and it's hard to believe it's over. The book is a long wrap-up of the series - we learn the fates of major and minor characters, a few characters come into their potential, and a few lingering mysteries are solved. The final battle between the Dragon and the Dark One played out quite differently than I expected, but it was fantastic. The whole book was a heartwarming (and heartbreaking) farewell to characters that had become close friends.

I'm in the process of going back and re-reading the series, now that I've finished the whole thing. Jordan's brilliance is coming out in each book - events in the final installment are foreshadowed as far back as the first book! Every time I re-read, I get more out of the series, and now that it is complete, I am noticing even more than ever. Things that seemed strange or out of charcter are becoming suddenly clear (i.e. that character was evil all along! The evil plot is so clear now!). I love a well written book or series that can be so new every time it is read. Maybe I can never have the magical experience of reading it for the first time again, but I am enjoying the magic of uncovering secrets I never saw before.

Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

2013-02-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

Read: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Stars: Five

Drinking: English Afternoon Tea, Twinings

In this collection of short stories, published by Oxford University Press, the famous detective is outsmarted by The Woman, Irene Adler, discovers the secret of the five orange pips, and investigates the Red-Haired League. Each adventure is narrated by Dr. Watson, Holmes' former flatmate and friend.

If you haven't read any of Conan Doyle, you are missing out! Even stories I had read before surprised me with Holmes' reasoning and deductions. I like this Oxford edition because it includes detailed notes that really enhanced my understanding of the stories by explaining references to current events and terms that are no longer used.

Comparing the stories to the BBC's Sherlock TV show was also quite fun. They manage to slip in a lot of details that I only realized while reading the stories. I am also amused that the short story involving Adler, "A Scandal in Bohemia," has been taken by fans to imply some sort of romantic attachment between her and Holmes. While he admired her for outwitting him, there is no hint that Holmes was romantically attached to her, especially given the ending of the story.

I've always enjoyed Sherlock Holmes, so rereading the stories was very fun - I picked up some new nuances I hadn't noticed before. I highly recommend any of Conan Doyle's Holmes stories (and BBC's Sherlock needs to get back on air. Seriously.)

Review: Fortress Europe

2013-01-23T10:00:00.001-05:00

Read: Fortress Europe: Dispatches from a Gated Continent by Matthew Carr
Stars: Five

Drinking: Pinot Noir

Fortress Europe gives readers something they may never see: a view of Europe from the perspective of undocumented migrants trying to enter the continent. Carr looks at different entry points to Europe and between European countries. He looks at how the Shengen agreement changed Europe's borders, and how it made some border countries into migrant traps.

Although Carr does his best to present his tale in an unbiased, journalistic nature, it is clear he feels sympathy for the migrants and see the border guards and European governments as antagonistic. Many of the policies and officials quoted in the book are unguardedly racist and worried about the "darkening" of Europe by African, Asian, and Middle Eastern immigrants. The stories Carr collected from migrants attempting to enter Europe, attempting to stay in Europe, or who had been deported from Europe, but were willing to try again, are haunting.

Fortress Europe was published in 2012, and it's message that Europe is becoming more racist, insular, and discriminatory against immigrants has only been highlighted by the recent murders in Athens. The book is timely and important for anyone interested in international affairs.

Review: So Good They Can't Ignore You

2013-01-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

Read: So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by Cal Newport
Stars: Five

Drinking: Cranberry Blood Orange Rooibus, Bentley

I absolutely loved Newport's take on career advice. This is not your ordinary book on how to find a job or how to break into an industry: this is about having a different mindset about careers. Our generation - Generation Y - has been told all our lives to "follow your passion" or "do what you love." We are floundering, however, in figuring out how to succeed with our passions. Newport argues that it is skills, not passion, that create an atmosphere conducive to a great career that one loves. It is a simple, but seems like a revolutionary concept: become skilled in something rare and valuable, then use those skills to leverage the life you want.

What I love most about the book is that Newport started from the same place most of us start - finishing a degree and wondering where to go with his career. He decided to find out what it is that makes a compelling career - is it the conventional wisdom that we do something we are passionate about, or is there something else? He interviewed people who have great careers - start ups, Harvard genetics research, Hollywood writing - and came up with a toolkit that anyone can use to build the career of their dreams.

The best part about the book is the end, when Newport takes his toolkit and applies it to himself. He acknowledges that he has not yet reached his full potential, and in fact has somewhat backed away from it. He lays out his plan for becoming even more skilled - developing rare and valuable talents in his field (computer science) and how his new job as a professor will allow him to do so.

I highly recommend this book to anyone - whether you feel adrift in your career, are unemployed, or have been in a satisfying career for years, there is something for everyone.

2012 Reading Challenge Wrap- Up & 2013 Challenges

2013-01-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

For 2012, I entered 3 challenges for which I would read a minimum of 28 books. I read far more than 28 books this year, but I fell far short of the challenges! For challenges this year, I read:

2012 TBR Challenge:
What Is The What by Dave Eggers
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

Sci-Fi Challenge:
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Agatha H & the Airship City by Phil & Kaja Foglio
Old Man's War by John Scalzi

War Through the Generations WWI Challenge:
One of Ours by Willa Cather
Alfred & Emily by Doris Lessing

For 2013, I'm setting an equally ambitious goal, with 3 more challenges. This time, however, I'm going to try to be a bit more strategic about it!

The British Book Challenge

Since my boyfriend is in love with Jane Austin, I'm hoping to read at least one of her books - I'm leaning towards Sense & Sensibility. I'm also hoping to finish Northanger Abbey, which I think I've been working on for at least a year. Also on my British challenge list:

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (since BBC is making us wait for Series 3)

The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

The Casual Vacancy by Joanne Rowling

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (a re-read in anticipation of the miniseries!)

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

The Professor & the Madman by Simon Winchester

Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir

I'm going to retry War Through the Generations' challenge, this time with Revolutionary War books at the Dip level:

1776 by David McCullough

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson

Finally, I'll be doing the 2013 Woman Challenge at Peek A Book at the Girls Power level -6-10 books. Ideally, I will read books for this challenge that aren't overlapping with the above two! Authors I'm planning to hit up:

Margaret Atwood

Octavia Butler

Doris Lessing

Phillipa Gregory

Are you doing any challenges for 2013? Care to join me in any of these?

Review: Alfred & Emily

2012-12-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

Read: Alfred & Emily by Doris Lessing
Stars: Three

Drinking: Pumpkin Spice Chai, Twinings

Alfred & Emily reminded me a lot of Atonement. In the first half, Lessing creates an alternate history for her parents in which World War I never occurs. Instead, England slips into a long period of peace, in which Alfred and Emily never marry, although they are friends. Alfred is a farmer with a kind wife and two sons. Emily is a successful nurse, then hostess, and finally supporter of education. The strange alternate world that Lessing creates is almost more interesting than their lives - a Serbian rebellion and a longing for the young men of England to "have a good war" are just two of the details that appear. It is an interested, but not necessarily satisfying, story.

The second half is a series of essays about Lessing's real parents, damaged by the first world war and jaded by the realities of living in Southern Africa. Emily, the socialite nurse, becomes a clingy, desperate mother. Alfred is a farmer, but not the idyllic British farmer. Farming in Rhodesia is difficult, they have no training, and Alfred's wounds from the war have made him very ill. Both spend most of their lives wishing for the time before the war. Alfred wishes he could have died with his comrades at Passchendale.

The best essay is not about Lessing's parents, but about her brother, Harry. Harry was on a ship in the Pacific that was sunk by the Japanese, but he survived to be an old man living in South Africa. The entire second half of the book - their parent's lives since World War I - can be summed up by Harry's comment about his life after the ship sank" You see, Tigs, it's most of my life: I simply haven't been here at all." Alfred and Emily hadn't been those people who survived Passchendale or had a lover shot down over the Channel. Those people were gone. Lessing comes to terms with the absence of the people her parents really were through the alternate history she created for them, where ultimately, they are perhaps happier.

I enjoyed the book, but I'm not sure it really achieved Lessing's goal. I think that perhaps if she had used a different format - a short introduction to her parent's lives, followed by the alternate history - it would have been more effective. The essay format does highlight the regrets of her parents and how the war affected them, but it is piecemeal.

Review: The Defining Decade

2012-12-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

Read: The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter-And How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay
Stars: Five

Drinking: Earl Grey Classic, Fortnum & Mason

The Defining Decade is one of those very interesting books that could only be popular because culture has made it necessary. Our culture has, in Jay's opinion, made the 20s into an extension of adolescence - not children anymore, but not really adults either. She uses case studies of 20something and 30something clients to remind the reader that the 20s are actually an important time in our culture to set up for career, relationships, and health. Yes, we need to find ourselves - but we need to do so in a structured way, so we don't wake up in 10 or 20 years and wonder where our lives went.

The book is divided into three parts. Career, the first, is also the largest. Jay notes that most of her clients are career-focused in their 20s, and may not even think about relationships in a serious way. In the second section, she explains why that is not necessarily a good thing, as people end up in toxic or just non-functional relationships that can turn into failed marriages or regretful attempts at conceiving in late 30s and early 40s. In the final section, she discusses how the brain is still growing well into the 20s, which is why it's such an ideal time to start a career and learn how to function in "the real world."

I enjoyed The Defining Decade, but as a woman rapidly approaching her late 20s, it also made me more stressed out and depressed. There are many things that she recommends, particularly in the career section, that I have heard before. Yet the advice remains untaken. reading that section made me feel both guilty and defensive - how can I find a career if I am stuck making as much money as possible to pay off the amazing amounts of student loan debt accrued while getting a degree I now don't even use? Ultimately, these questions remain unanswered. I feel that her book is for those who are truly lost - the 20somethings living at home, working retail or in coffee shops, or living with the boyfriend or girlfriend they are just "meh" about. I feel that, despite my career issues, overall, I'm on the right track with my 20s, and Jay's book helped me to remember that.

If you are a 20something, I highly recommend you read this book. It will help put things in perspective, if nothing else.

Review: Dangerous Games

2012-12-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

Read: Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History by Margaret MacMillian
Stars: Five

Drinking: Pumpkin Spice Chai, Twinings

Dangerous Games should be required reading in high school history classes or by the first year of college at the latest. MacMillian's series of essays on history, based on a lecture series she gave, is an excellent overview of how it can be used not just to uncover hidden narratives and analyze our human nature, but to create narratives that can be used to exclude people or justify atrocities. She looks at various examples from the past and the current era.

I found her most interesting point to be that the history that we learn today says less about that particular event or time period than it does about what our current priories and views are. For example, the histories of women, non-white, non-European peoples, and LGBTQ people are emerging as society becomes more open to realizing the roles that they have played. Heroes are recast as more complex people with less-than-heroic motivations. Or the role a country played in genocide can be wiped out, only to be "rediscovered" when a later generation investigates.

It's not the most in-depth, analytic book about history. But it is a useful tool to remember that the history you read is not always the whole story.

Musings: Libraries

2012-12-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

Drinking: Pumpkin Spice Chai, Twining's

Libraries are a magical place, full of portals to other worlds. I can't remember the first time my parents took me to visit a library, but I do remember getting my first library card. I had it for about 10 years before it snapped in my back pocket and I had to replace it. As a 5-year-old, getting a library card seemed very grown up. I no longer had to ask my parents to check books out for me - I could do it myself. As soon as I was allowed to bike to the library, I spent long afternoons there selecting piles of books. Over the summer breaks, I read hundreds of books from our local library.

My earliest memory of our local library was when its two branches were located in shopping center stores. They were small, cramped, and full of books. When I was 8, a new main library was built and opened. Volunteers from all over town made a long line from the shopping center, down the road, and into the new library to pass books from one location to another. The new space is open, full of light, and, of course, still full of books. The branch near my parent's home is smaller, a bit more cramped, but has a wonderful space for children and young adults. I had a very book-filled childhood as a result of our wonderful public libraries.

However, once I went to college, I discovered the wonders of the academic library filled not only with fiction, but with analyses, thoughts, and facts that I could devour when I was supposed to be studying for tests or writing papers. The small public library in town was not much use to me, since I lived in the beautiful, old school library. It was an old, renovated brick building with skylights, balconies, comfortable couches for napping between classes, and hidden corners for private studying. After four years, I reluctantly said goodbye and headed for graduate school, where the library was an ugly, florescent lit modernist building that I hated studying in. Luckily the public libraries in that city were wonderful. My local branch was small and inviting. The library system had thousands of books, CDs, and DVDs that I could order and pick up easily. I became a volunteer to read with HeadStart classrooms to share my love of books and the library.

Now I live in Washington, DC. The public library system is alright. It is connected to the surrounding cities, though, which makes it a much better network to find books. However, my branch just reopened it's remodeled building, and I must say, I'm disappointed. It's lovely and light-filled, but there are hardly any books, even on the floor reserved for children. It's nice to have a library as a community space, but it's primary function is as a place for books and media. Without those, it is just another building.

What is your library like?

Review: Persepolis

2012-11-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

Read: The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Stars: Five

Drinking: Organic Throat Coat, Traditional Medicinals

Persepolis is Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel about growing up in post-revolution Iran, with a side trip to Austria for school. With a quirky, whimsical tone and drawing style, Satrapi covers everything from protesting as a 9- year- old, to the horrors of Iranian jails during the 1980s, to life on the streets of Vienna. Her story is a raw coming-of-age in a time of great difficulty not only personally, but in her home society as it settles into the post-revolution suppression.

I loved Persepolis. The stark but entertaining graphics highlight the horrors that Satrapi and her friends and family faced. Yet through it all, her parents and grandmother steadfastly supported her, which reminds the reader that even in the darkest of times, there is still light.

I highly recommend the novel to anyone. Although it is about a different culture, it has many themes of growing up and learning to think critically and question establishments to which anyone can relate.

Review: Parable of the Sower

2012-11-07T16:29:00.001-05:00

Read: Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Stars: Five

Drinking: Pumpkin Spice Chai, Twinings

Parable of the Sower is set in the not- distant, not-too-unlikely future, where global warming, economic collapse, and drugs have come together to ravage the United States. Lauren Olamina, a teenager growing into a young woman throughout the novel, is determined to create a better future for humanity out of the ashes of civilization.

Although Olamina's new religion is the focus of the novel, it is really a coming-of-age story. She is 15 when she begins her journal about the religion she has been developing and about her survival ideas. When, at 18, she is finally forced to put her ideas into practice, she is much more aware her apocalyptic world and how it works. The journey that she takes with her friends and followers is where she grows the most however, from an idealistic teenager into a realistic woman who is ready to put her ideas into practice.

Like Kindred, Parable of the Sower introduces uncomfortable ideas about the world we live in and how easily it could all change in less than a generation.

Spooky Read: Dracula

2012-10-31T11:00:00.000-04:00

Read: Dracula by Bram Stoker
Stars: Five

Drinking: So Much Coffee!

Dracula is quite possibly the scariest book I have ever read. It was assigned to my 11th grade English class, and I foolishly stayed up all night to read it. I have reread it many times since, but I will never forget my feelings from that first reading. Stoker brings suspense and outright fear to this thriller, the original vampire novel.

The story is told as a series of journal entries by our hapless narrator, who finds himself in Romania at the home of a mysterious count. As the action moves to England, and our narrator learns the truth about his friend, the tension rises. There are no sparkles or true love here. It's a well-written, suspenseful book. If you read it, however, make sure it is daytime. Or have a crucifix handy...

Review: One of Ours

2012-10-10T10:23:00.000-04:00

Read: One of Ours by Willa Cather
Stars: Four

Drinking: Cranberry Blood Orange Rooibus, Bentley

Willa Cather's novel of World War I was published in 1922. It is an immediate reflection on the war and America's role, but more than that, it is about the young men who found their place in the world on the battlefields of France.

Claude Wheeler, our protagonist, is a dissatisfied young man, the son of a wealthy farmer, as the story opens. Although he is in college, it is a religious college, where he chafes at the poor quality of teaching. Claude is a misfit in his quiet farming town. He longs for more from life than farming in Nebraska and buying new gadgets.

Honestly, I really disliked Claude. I loved Cather's descriptions of Nebraska and Colorado, and Claude's more sophisticated town friends, the Erlichs, but I found him to be a whiny and annoying mama's boy. He is easily offended by minor things - usually something one of his brothers says that is harmless, but sometimes they intentionally wind him up. It is clear that Cather has strong dislike of businessmen based on her descriptions of Claude's older brother Bayliss, but it is unclear what professions she does prefer - besides soldier, which comes up much later. None of the men in the first half of the novel are portrayed with much sympathy.

Once Claude enlisted, however, the story picked up. He was still an annoying mama's boy, but he matured somewhat. By the end of the novel, I quite liked him. I thought his character developed well once he got to France and was an officer. He was still offended by strange things, like anther officer joining his company, but it was muted by his clear enthusiasm of finally finding his place in the world.

The other downside to One of Ours is the clear romanticism of the war and of the French civilians whose homes and lives were destroyed by it. Cather describes the destruction and death casually. Dead bodies in trenches are not treated with the disgust one would expect for the first few battles. The civilians are all friendly, kind, and don't seem to mind that they have lost sons, daughters, homes, and had to house military officers. The Germans were universally despised, of course.

Overall, it is not a bad book, but I do wish I had an annotated version. I may see if I can get some Cliff Notes to see if I missed any obscure references. The novel is worth reading not for Claude, but for the smaller pictures Cather paints of landscapes and people that he encounters.

WWW Wednesdays

2012-09-26T16:00:00.000-04:00

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

One of Ours by Willa Cather - It's pretty interesting although I find the main character to be a tedious brat!

• What did you recently finish reading?

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris - Perfect relaxing book after a hectic week. Sookie's powers keep getting more...special?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - I have the "complete" version from the library. I expect it to be very good.

Review: The Last Centurion

2012-09-12T09:30:00.000-04:00

Read: The Last Centurion by John Ringo
Stars: Five

Drinking: Pomegranate Blood Orange Rooibus, Bently

I am a huge Doctor Who fan (and an even bigger Rory Williams fan!), so when I saw this book at the library I immediately grabbed it. While it does not have much in common with that particular BBC story arc, The Last Centurion combines a dystopian alternate reality with warfare involving impossible odds, all while examining our society and the consequences of failed paradigm shifts.

The protagonist and narrator, known as Bandit Six, is a military man who has survived the semi-apocalyptic combination of deadly plague and the advent of an ice age against all odds. The story is written blog-style and represents Bandit Six's retelling and analysis of the events leading up to and after the dual catastrophes hit. Over the course of the narration it is revealed that his odds of survival were actually significantly smaller than the general population because his company had been abandoned in Iraq when the disasters hit and severely hampered governments and the chain of command. He decides that they cannot stay at the base they have been ordered to guard indefinitely, so they set out to repeat the journey of the ancient Greek Ten Thousand - only with tanks.

While the book is definitely heavy on military discussion, Bandit Six's recollections stray from strict narration into analysis of why the crisis hit, and why it was so devastating when it did. His attitude towards politics and society can best be described as right-wing, anti-socialist, and pro-gun. Ringo's presumption in setting the novel - written in 2007 - is that Hillary Clinton was elected for two terms. The crisis hits partway into her second term. Bandit Six ruthlessly eviscerates what Ringo presumed her policies of socialized healthcare and agriculture would be. To some extent, this theorizing is definitely taken to an extreme - but it is an extreme situation that went sour very plausibly due partly to incompetence at higher levels. If you have very strong left-wing views, you should avoid this book for the sake of your blood pressure.

A highlight of the novel is the discussions of people coming together after the disasters and the reasons for communities to come together to support one another or to continue to live in suspicion. It's "live together, die alone" in a stark picture.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Centurion. It's a sobering and engaging addition to the post-apocalyptic dystopia genre.

Review: Old Man's War

2012-09-05T10:30:00.000-04:00

Read: Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Stars: Five

Drinking: Pomegranate Raspberry Green Tea, Stash

I am a huge fan of Scalzi's blog, but I had never read any of his books. So, given a 12-hour round trip car ride this past holiday weekend, I decided it was time to dig in. I tried reading it aloud to Boyfriend while he drove, but he wasn't that interested - which was good, because then I got to read it when he wasn't around! Although the story set-up was a bit slow, by the second chapter I was hooked on Scalzi's war.

Protagonist John Perry is seventy-five years old as the novel opens, and it is time for him to join up with the Colonial Defense Force and leave Earth forever. He is eager for the chance to be young again, offered by the CDF, and for a new life, since there is really nothing left tying him to Earth. He gets a bit more than he bargains for, as the CDF has technology that is leaps and bounds better than anyone on Earth could imagine. It leads John and his compatriots to ponder the meaning of humanity.

This is not just a war story, however. While the war drives the plot, the novel is also a love story. John's wife, Kathy, died several years prior to the opening of the novel. Yet her presence, and John's love for her, permeate the story. His memories of her and of their marriage offer a balance to the horrors faced by the soldiers throughout the universe.

I loved Old Man's War. I am excited to read more of Scalzi's fiction.

Character Competition: Harry Potter vs Percy Jackson

2012-08-29T17:01:00.003-04:00

Drinking: Pomegranate Raspberry Green Tea, Stash

Welcome to the very first Character Competition! Today's contestants are skinny, dark-haired teenagers with special powers. How does newcomer Percy Jackson stack up to the internationally-renowned Harry Potter? They are more alike than you'd think.

Harry Potter		Percy Jackson
Dead: witch & wizard	Parents	Both living: moral woman & Posiedon
Voldemort & Death Eaters	Foes	Greek Gods, Kronos & the Titans, Polybotes
Hogwarts	Educational Center	Camp Half-Blood
Hermione	Clever female friend	Annabeth
Ron	Funny, bumbling male friend	Grover
Ginny	Love interest	Annabeth
Master of Death	Major magical strengths	Controls water, speaks Horse,clairvoyant

On the surface, it seems that the two are merely different iterations of the same character - they even both have black hair and green eyes! But as the discerning reader digs deeper, subtle but important differences appear. Harry is very clearly modeled on the Campbellian hero: orphaned, wise mentor who dies so that he can fulfill his destiny, and so on. Percy, on the other hand, has a less obvious heroic arc, more clearly modeled on the Greek myths - many of which are more tragedy and irony than success.

Vote for your favorite in the comments!

Review: Bossypants

2012-08-21T16:46:00.000-04:00

Read: Bossypants by Tina Fey
Stars: Five

Drinking: Artisan ChocoLatte Black Tea: Hazelnut Mocha, Kalahari Cafe

Tina Fey is hilarious. Bossypants is her memoir of growing up and becoming a famous comedian, and all the bumps in the road that come with her chosen path. Fey's series of essays on everything from summer theater to succeeding in business to turning 40 are quirky but also inspiring for women everywhere.

You don't need to be a comedian or an aspiring actor to appreciate Fey's advice. In my opinion, her best advice is "Do your thing and don't care if they like it." This applies not only to the perennial debate of "are women funny?" but to any career or path that you choose to take. It doesn't matter if it's "ladylike" or palatable by a certain segment of the population. Follow your passion. Fey's entire message is boiled down into that sentence. She's spent most of her life doing what she wants - not following "the rules" or doing what she is "supposed" to do. And to show for it, she has a loving husband, an adorable child, an amazing career that she loves, and now a bestselling, hilarious book.

I'm inspired all over again to pursue my passions. Read Bossypants, laugh, learn, and go out and succeed.

Guest Book Review: Earthen Vessels

2012-08-20T09:20:00.002-04:00

This post is cross posted from Meg of Capitol Comment. You can read more awesome thoughts by Meg over at http://meggoestowashington.wordpress.com.

How should Christians approach tattoos and exercise, pornography and yoga, fasting and worship music? For Matt Lee Anderson, no topic is off-limits in his book, Earthen Vessels, because all them involve the human body.

Anderson is the prolific blogger behind MereOrthodoxy.com, but his first book reads more like an academic essay. That is, perhaps, its strength: it is a thoroughly-researched look at many aspects of society that involves the body and the Christian faith. Nearly twenty pages of footnotes suggest so.

My only frustration was Anderson’s constant carefulness in covering this range of topics. Again, I give him credit for being so well-prepared in citing his sources, but it was hard to tell in many areas how HE actually felt about the topic. He makes this clear in his preface, entitled “In Which I Clear My Throat.” He explains his purpose for the book: “My goal is to explore, to raise questions and provoke the reader, and to propose a path for living in the body in our late-modern world.” I suppose, then, it just my desire to find out what the author thinks that causes me this minor annoyance.

Anderson’s take on the practice of yoga made me pause. If I’m being honest, I really enjoy yoga, but I view it strictly as exercise for my body. I feel more relaxed, more “open” and I focus on clearing my head of distractions. If one yoga student directs her “oms” to Buddha, couldn’t I turn my “om” into a silent prayer to God? As Anderson points out, it’s about the motivation behind the pose:

“Two people can perform the same yoga pose, but to very different ends — and potentially with very different effects on their lives. One might empty himself and his mind and connect with the divine, while another might direct his consciousness toward stretching muscles he may not have felt in years…it is the understanding of it and the manner in which the form is practiced (190).”

And he also warns, “…awareness of the body is good, but it can easily lead to a sense of self-indulgence” such as when we take joy from the way our bodies feel, or the desire we have to sculpt them, such as in exercise (191). Again, Anderson’s analysis gave me another opportunity to think about the why behind my own actions.

Anderson references the cadence in which we carry our bodies, something I reflected on this spring during a personal retreat. How we hurry – or slow – for certain activities says something about what we find important. Take, for example, Anderson’s approach to shaving:

“When I shave in the morning, my goal is to hurry through it so I can move on to the important tasks of reading and writing…but shaving could also become a means of slowing down, of opening myself to restful thought rather than subordinating the time to a list of tasks I feel I must accomplish (100).”

Slowing my “pace” is one way I am focusing on my word for the year: “listen.” Slowing down gives me time to think, reflect on God and His wonder, but it’s a daily decision.

Finally, I enjoyed Anderson’s foray into the idea of virtual worship. Is it, in fact, possible to experience church from a computer screen? And if that is the case, do we run the danger of keeping pastors immortal as we cycle through their archives of sermons, Anderson asks? I believe there is something real that we encounter when we are physically present, worshipping God IN community — and I believe true “social networking” is the kind that happens when two people are in the same room experiencing and sharing something together.

Earthen Vessels is a solid read — there’s no fluff here. It’s chock-full of things that have made me realize that everything I do, how I fill and feed my body, who I interact with, and how my facial expressions are shaped, and how it all ties back to God, my creator. The question is, how will I use by body in all that I do to glorify Him?

About Meg Biallas

Thoughts From A DC Intern Turned DCist. A twenty-something goes beyond traditional tourism to achieve Washingtonian authenticity.

Review: A Random Walk Down Wall Street

2012-08-14T16:55:00.001-04:00

Read: A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing by Burton G. Malkiel
Stars: Three and a half

Drinking: Constant Comment Green Tea, Bigelow

Malkiel's seminal investment work is interesting, accessible, and thought-provoking. He looks at stock market trends and analyzes different investing strategies. The conclusion is that over the last hundred years or so, buy-and-hold of index funds is the best method to earn money and minimize costs. Malkiel uses economic and financial data to prove that most "beat the market" strategies or hot financial managers do not actually come out on top in the long run, though they may for the short run.

A "random walk" in mathematics is a data set that has no predictable pattern. According to Malkiel, stocks are a random walk because despite what people want to believe, the price of a stock tomorrow has very little bearing on the price it has held at any time in the past. While Malkiel concedes that sometimes new information can change a stock, for the most part the market is efficient at absorbing new information and having the price reflect that information almost instantly, especially since the internet has become such a great source of information. Thus, any "hot tip" is unlikely to make one rich by giving enough of a head start to act on it.

My only real quibble with the book is that the most recent edition was published in 2006. While I think the principles behind Malkiel's theory still stand, it would have been interesting to see his take on the financial crisis -particularly since he heavily recommends buying real estate as investment. (He does include the caveat that one should only do this if one can truly afford such a purchase).

Overall, A Random Walk Down Wall Street is an interesting resource for anyone wishing to learn about investing - which should be everyone. However, it does not replace extensive research and the possibility of speaking to a professional about your needs and risk levels.

11 Reading Questions

2012-08-07T16:25:00.001-04:00

Drinking: Soy Latte, Starbucks

1) What is your favorite genre, and has it changed over time?

Fantasy. I've always loved fantasy and getting lost in a completely different, made up world.

2) Do you create a reading list for the year, and if so, how well do you stick to it?

No. I used to, but I'd never stick to it. I like to be impulsive about my reading. If I see a fun cover in the library or read a great review of a book, I'll grab that next.

3) Do you have a reading goal for the year, such as xxx books? Why or why not?

I do - my goal for this year is 30 books. I'm tracking it on Goodreads. I do it more for fun and to see how many I actually read rather than as a hard-core line that I must cross. It's a fun thing to do.

4) Who is your favorite living author?

Do I have to pick just one? Ummmm....Brandon Sanderson, John Scalzi, Tamora Pierce, and Joanne Rowling?

5) What is your experience with reading challenges?

It took me more than a year to do the 30 days of books challenge. I've got three challenges for 2012, but I"m not doing very well with any of them. I haven't read any books about World War I, I've read only 1 of the 10 TBR pile challenge books, and I've not been reading all that much science fiction, surprisingly. We'll see how the next few months go, though.

6) How do you organize your books on shelves - alphabetically (by author or title), by genre, by publication date, or by some others method?

I try to organize alphabetically, but with my current bookshelf, some of the books are too tall to go on the upper shelves, so they go on the bottom, totally out of order. I've given up on organizing them for the time being.

7) Do you read ebooks or audiobooks?

Yes - I love that I can get both from the library! And I have a nook, which is great for commuting with or taking on long trips when I want to read a 1000 page book but don't want to carry it around.

8) How do you choose what to read next?

It depends. If I just finished something that got me really going, I might read another of that author's works. I might read whatever I come across at the library. I am trying very hard to read the books on my shelves that I haven't read yet, with minimal success. Essentially, I just start reading whatever I come across that strikes my fancy. This has contributed to my eclectic reading list over the years.

9) Do you read books in parallel or in serial?

In parallel. I always have at least 2 books going at one time, if not more.

10) Which books have had the biggest impact on your life?

The Bible, the Chronicles of Narnia, The Song of the Lioness series, The Lord of the Rings, all of Harry Potter, everything by Madeline L'Engle...I think most of the books I've read have had an impact on my life in some way, even if just to make me think differently or look at the world in a slightly different way.

11) Which characters have you felt are the most real or believable?

Any character is real or believable if they have the flaws and foibles that people outside of books have. Nothing is a bigger turn-off in a character than impossible skills that are unrealistically easy to deal with, "flaws" that are really assets, or admiration from other characters for no real reason. A certain amount of Mary-Sueism is alright for a fun read, but when it is overwhelming and relentless, it pulls the reader out of the world of the story by breaking the suspension of disbelief. A real or believeable character to me is one who has real problems - even if I can't relate to disguising myself as a boy to learn to be a knight, I can sympathize with working hard at something I really love. And if he or she conquers their problem, I am inspired to conquer my own problems.

Review: What is the What

2012-07-26T16:57:00.000-04:00

Read: What is the What by Dave Eggers
Stars: Five

Drinking: Earl Grey Classic, Fortnum & Mason

What is the What is Dave Eggers' novelization of the life of Valentino Achak Deng, a Lost Boy of Sudan's civil war in the 1980s-early 2000s. This is not a happy book, by any means. Deng was one of tens of thousands of "unaccompanied minors" who walked from their home villages and towns in South Sudan to refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. He spent three years in Ethiopia, another year traveling among refugee camps in Sudan, and then ten years at a refugee camp in Kenya before he was finally selected to come to the United States. Even after his arrival in Atlanta, Deng's life did not become any easier as he navigated new challenges of getting a job, driving, and dealing with African-Americans who resented his presence in their city.

This is not a happy book by any stretch of the imagination. Every time it seems things are looking up for Deng, another unfortunate, terrible event occurs. He frequently questions why he, and why the South Sudanese, are going through such a horrible experience. However, despite the hardship, there are some good things in Deng's life. His friend, Achor Achor, who he is with from the first camp in Ethiopia through Atlanta, is a strong rock he is able to cling to. Many teachers inspire him to learn rather than join the South Sudan rebel army, the SPLA.

What really makes What is the What powerful is not Eggers' writing, which is alright. It is Deng's voice coming through the writing, telling his story, that makes it work. He reminds the reader that it is just one story out of many, that it is an average story of a Lost Boy.

While I highly recommend this book, please be aware that it contains explicit violence, references to rape, and other issues dealt with by war refugees around the world.

Book Club: The Beat! Go-Go Music from Washington, D.C.

2012-07-24T10:55:00.001-04:00

Read: The Beat! Go-Go Music from Washington, D.C. by Kip Lornell and Charles C. Stephenson, Jr.
Stars: Three

Drinking: Water :(

Go-Go is a musical genre unique to African American culture in Washington, D.C. While it briefly was popular in Europe and parts of the United States in the early 1980s, go-go's home is the District. Lornell and Stephenson attempt to capture the feeling and culture of go-go in The Beat!. They do a great job discussing the D.C. African American culture that sprang up around and influenced go-go. Using interviews and the authors' own experiences, they trace the history of the style from its beginnings in the 1970s through today.

According to Lornell and Stephenson, go-go was created by Chuck Brown in 1976 as a melding of jazz, funk, and disco with a layered, rhythmic beat that is perfect for hours of dancing. They attempt to describe the music, but admit that it is best consumed in a live show. I found some of Chuck Brown's recordings online to try to get a feel for the music, to see the appeal.

Stephenson became interested in go-go from less of a musical standpoint, and more from the view that it was a positive activity for young people to get involved in. He agreed to manage a young band that has been one of the most popular go-go bands for the last three decades. Unfortunately, despite Stephenson and many others advocating the positive impact of go-go on youth culture in D.C., the government of the District, as well as the U.S. Congress, which makes laws for the District, became convinced that go-go and its shows were intertwined with the drugs and violence that marred the city in the 1980s and 1990s. As a result, go-go was much more restricted from clubs.

While go-go is still well known in D.C., it is not as popular as it once was. Lornell and Stephenson note that it is the difficulty go-go has had in gaining popularity outside the District, compared to other urban music such as hip hop, that has led to its decline.

The book club did not so much discuss the book or go-go music itself as we did the cultural and racial divide that it represents in the city. There is a vast difference between the experiences of primarily white, middle class residents and the African American residents in Southeast or Northeast D.C. We, as primarily white women, discussed these differences and if they could be melded.

The Beat! is a fascinating look at the District of Columbia from a perspective that most tourists, and even residents, will never see.

I occasionally participate in a book club that focuses on books about Washington, D.C. and politics.

For the Love of Reading Meme

2012-07-12T16:03:00.001-04:00

Drinking: Green Tea with Mango, Bigelow

What have you just read?
The Other 8 Hours by Robert Pagliarini. You can read my review here.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading What is the What by Dave Eggers and Wind of Hope by Paul A. Smith. I'm also reading the first draft of a friend's novel.

Do you have any idea what you'll read when you're done with that?
The Beat! Go-go Music from Washington, D.C. by Kip Lornell. It is for the book club I am in (I haven't attended a meeting in a few months though!). From the library I also have out A Random Walk Down Wall Street by B. G. Malkiel and two more Sookie Stackhouse books.

What's the worst thing you were ever forced to read?
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. It's a terrible book! The only thing I learned from it is a lot of Spanish curses and slang words.

What's one book you always recommend to just about anyone?
Half the Sky by Nick Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn.

Admit it, sadly the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don't they?
Actually, no. I feel like the librarians rotate around the libraries in the city. On the other hand, I don't have a regular library-visiting schedule either, I tend to go whenever it's convenient.

Is there a book you absolutely love, but for some reason, people never think it sounds interesting, or maybe they read it and don't like it at all?
Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science by Charles Wheelan. I mean, yes it's an economics book, and no, not everyone is a crazy econ lover like me, but it's so fascinating! It takes economics and explains them in easy-to-understand language using real-life examples.

Do you read books while you eat?Sometimes.

While you bathe?Yes, of course! With a nice cup of tea.

While you watch movies or tv?
Not usually, it's too distracting to focus on the book.

While you listen to music?
No.

While you're on the computer?
Yes...ebooks sometimes.

When you were little did other children tease you about your reading habits?
I was the girl with a book in her desk. I definitely got teased!

What's the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn't put it down?
Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris. I have a Sookie Stackhouse problem.

Have any books made you cry?
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Author Love: C.S. Lewis

2012-07-10T16:17:00.001-04:00

Drinking: Mint & Honey Green Tea, SweetLeaf

C.S. Lewis is one of the best authors of the twentieth century. His writing includes the famous Narnia series, fiction and non-fiction religious books, as well as science fiction. Lewis was friends with another top twentieth century writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, and they inspired each other's work. I will admit that thus far, I have only read his fiction works, although Mere Christianity has been on my to-read list for years.

I'm not sure when I first read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the rest of the Narnia books because they have long been a part of my mental library and personal mythology. My family actually owns the Focus on the Family Radio Theater version of all the books on CDs, which I listen to frequently, particularly on road trips. The allegorical stories of a magical land with talking animals, reached easily through wardrobes, train stations, or schoolyards captivated me the way they have captivated many children.

From Narnia, I explored Lewis' Space Trilogy, a nominally science fiction series that is once again allegorical. Lewis and Tolkien disliked much of contemporary science fiction and resolved to write their own. Lewis wrote Out of the Silent Planet, about an Earth expedition to Mars. Frankly, these books are overwritten and more fantasy than scifi. Lewis made no effort whatsoever to include any science. Their only claim to the genre is that they take place on other planets, which bear no relation to the actual planets in our solar system. However, they are a fascinating look at Lewis' ideas about humanity and original sin, so they are worth a read for those themes. His thoughts on the various iterations of humans on the various planets are also interesting.

My favorite Lewis book, however, is The Screwtape Letters. It's a "behind the scenes" look at sin and temptation written as a series of letters between a lower-level devil trying to "win" a soul for his side and a higher-level devil who is telling him the best strategies and tactics "the enemy" might use. It's absolutely fascinating and gives the reader much food for thought.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the place to begin with Lewis' work, no matter what age. Whether you are a Christian or not, you will also enjoy his works for their ideas about life, God, and what it means to be human.

That's why I love C.S. Lewis.