Just a couple more.

I read 2 books this week, both juvenile/young adult selections, which explains the speed with which I got through them. I started the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix with the book Sabriel. It was a very intriguing book, but very full of magic, both good and dark. Sabriel, the title character, is the last line of defense between the world of the dead (or more accurately, the undead) and the world of the living. She's young and ill-prepared, but has both a strong heart and great courage. Some very good lessons here, but a rather dark world in which the story takes place, full of evil, violence and fear. Because of the dark tone, I'm not sure whether I would want my kids reading this quite yet, but I was glued to the book for most of the day. Second book on request at the library, so we'll see if the series continues to intrigue.

The second book, although still involving magic, is quite a fun retelling an old fairy tale. The Thirteenth Princess, by Diane Zahler, is the story of the twelve dancing princesses, with a twist. Very fun, and a good read even for the younger independent readers, provided they enjoy action, adventure, and beautiful princesses. My favorite part of the book came when the heroine, Zeta, is trying to read her sisters to sleep.

"'You've been reading too much,' I scolded her. 'I'll read to you tonight for a change.' I took up the nearest book and began reading the story of the Goose Girl, who held conversations with the head of her dead horse. It was a gruesome tale, but it's nastiness wasn't enough to keep my sisters awake. Before long, their gentle snores make me look up from a gilt-edged illustration of a horse's head, mounted on a wall, and I saw that all twelve of them were asleep."

How fun to have one children's book reference another relatively new children's book. I loved it. A very enjoyable read.

Funny Kids

I was shopping with Sarah today and she pipes up and asks, "If I was sick, what parts of me do you have medicine for?" (I think she asked because I've told the kids in the past that there are some things I don't have medicine for, like upset tummies. Some stuff you just have to suffer through.) I laughed and told her I thought that perhaps that wasn't the best way to do things, finding out what medicine was available and then choosing your illness. She thought about this for a minute and then told me, "I think my hips are sick." Funny.

My mother, my self.

Years ago I swore I would never, EVER have a leftovers container collection like my mom had. The bottom shelf of her cupboard was filled with assorted yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, and various and sundry other containers. They did not nest well, and therefor the entire cupboard was a little chaotic. The lids were almost as bad, although they were contained in a larger bowl. Finding a lid could be a challenge, because sometimes lids from different brands didn't fit the container you were trying to use. In that case you either had to just accept it (but loose lid = big mess when someone bumps it in the jostle of looking for something to eat) or find another container that fit the lid you found, in which case you had to transfer the food into the second container and re-wash the first. I eventually learned to find the lid before filling the container, but it still irritated me to no end. And can we just talk about finding something in the fridge? A dozen assorted cottage cheese/yogurt/sour cream containers, any of which might contain the leftover funeral potatoes you want (leftover gold at my house.) They might also contain the leftover creamed spinach experiment from last month, slimy and fungus-ridden. No way to tell. How much would it cost to have a nice, matching set of containers from some lovely name brand company like Tupperware or Rubbermaid? Containers that would all nest neatly, stack nicely, look neat and organized in the fridge as well as in the cupboard. Containers that actually allowed you to see the contents at a glance. They are not that expensive. Really. "This will not happen at my house," I swore to myself a million times, eying my mother's messy cupboard with a jaundiced eye. "Never."

So I grew up and moved out of my mother's house. For many years I didn't have a household, so no issues. In college I used roommates dishes and contributed some of my own. Plastic containers were indeed plentiful and cheap. The few I had matched. In NYC, I had no kitchen whatsoever, so no problem. When I moved to St. George, I used the Tupperware my grandmother had in the trailer. I rarely had leftovers anyway, so I don't remember it being an issue. When I got married we were given some rather nice sets and we have used those for many years. But they are slowly falling apart and going by the wayside. The time had come to put my money where my mouth was, lo those many years ago. But I've learned a thing or two in the intervening years. One: There are many places for the money to go each month. Worthy places, like soccer, and Barbies, and food. It's hard to turn down a free source of containers so that I can spend money on containers that nest. Two: We are a society drowning in plastic refuse. Our landfills are full of it, and will be for thousands of years to come. Our oceans contain vast swaths of plastic, floating lifeless islands of the stuff. I cannot in good conscience throw plastic containers in the trash while going to Target and purchasing plastic containers that match. I will not contribute to the destruction of my budget nor my earth by demanding the production of more plastic to satisfy my vanity. Surprisingly, it is way too expensive. Really. I have invested some money into a couple of sets of nice glass containers for things I know I will be warming up in the microwave, but for the most part, I have a leftovers container collection worthy of my mother. Yogurt and sour cream containers fight for space alongside the various and sundry others that have come my way, some brand name, some not, but almost all second-hand one way or another. And I feel great about it. I find myself a little frustrated at times, that little OCD corner of my brain rearing it's ugly head, but I wait until it passes. It always does.

Just another thing about which my mother was right. And I'm not ashamed to admit it.

What I've been reading...for a long time.

All right, it's about time. I keep thinking I need to blog all the books I've been reading, but I've been too busy reading to blog about reading. I've decided that's not a bad thing after all. Except for the part where I want to share these books with you and it takes me a very long blog full of very short reviews. So here goes.

I took a couple of books on vacation to CA with me. At a suggestion of my cousin, Michelle, I read A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton. I had dreamt of a child drowning, and she mentioned this book, which is about the aftermath of an accidental drowning of a child in the protagonist's care. The book was poignant and upsetting, yet to me, vaguely unfulfilling. I was given a glimpse into the psyche of the protagonist and her husband, very ordinary people in extra-ordinary circumstances. I never really felt connected to the main characters, so I sympathized with them (especially in regards to the horrible emotions associated with the drowning) but I never really empathized with them. I felt like I was reading their story looking through a distorted window. I could see the actions and emotional journey of the characters, but I never felt I had a clear picture of them. They always felt fuzzy and indistinct. I think the writing was so full of description that the prose distracted from the continuity rather than clarifying.

The other book I took on my vacation was far more fun for me. Bitten: True Medical Stories of Bites and Stings, by Pamela Nagami, is more my cup of tea. This book is sort of a compendium of all the creatures that can kill you with a bite (usually through envenomation, although there are a few chapters about bites that can kill by becoming infected.) I found it fascinating. For example, I didn't know that cone snails were extremely venomous, nor that tick bites can be harmful beyond Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. True stories, medical sleuthing, animal information... I love this stuff.

The next book I began turned out to be one of a rare breed for me - that is, a book I intend to purchase after having read it. It's called The Story of Stuff, by Annie Leonard. If you are familiar with Ms. Leonard's Internet film, The Story of Stuff, then you already know what this is about. The subtitle of the book tells it all, "How our obsession with stuff is trashing the planet, our communities, and our health - and a vision for change." As I said at the top, no long reviews here. I'll just say please read this book. I think everyone should. When my copy finally comes in the mail, I will be reading it to my husband. He doesn't read very often (too busy) but he loves to listen to me read to him. I get to choose the books, and I will choose this one. It's that important.

The final installment of The Hunger Games series, Mockingjay, came out. I read it. I loved it. My friend gave an excellent review here, and I will defer to her. I would recommend The Hunger Games series to you, if you are an adult. If you have kids that want to read it, you may want to review it to decide when they are old enough. The books contain violence and some mature themes regarding government, war, revolution and sacrifice. A little parental discretion may be advised.

On the recommendation of the same friend whose review I linked above, I began a series she liked with the book The Thief, by Megan Whelan Turner. Then I had to go straight to the library and get the other three in the series, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, and A Conspiracy of Kings. Very enjoyable. In the young adult section when you go looking for them, and I highly recommend you do. My current literary crush is Eugenides. (I made the picture big because I loved these books so much. I may have to buy them as well.)

Moving down the list, I recently finished Burn, by Nevada Barr. Ms. Barr is my favorite action murder mystery writer. I have loved her series about heroine Anna Pigeon. Anna is a real person, and I mean real in that although she doesn't exist, she could. And you would never notice her. She's like an actual person whom you might meet on the street (or in the National Parks, as it were.) She's not Hollywood young, nor movie star good-looking; not rich, impressively witty nor savant-gifted in any way. She's just smart and perceptive and cautious. I like her. And I love the books. The latest one, Burn, is a mystery that involves child prostitution, though, and that made me incredibly sad as I read it. It's the only unlikeable thing about a great book. If you want to read this series (currently of 16), start at the beginning with The Track of the Cat. They can each stand alone, but you're going to want to read them all anyway, so why not start at the beginning? My personal favorites - Firestorm and Blind Descent.

Now to tell you what I am reading and enjoying now:

The Fallen Sky: An Intimate History of Shooting Stars, by Christopher Cokinos. The author (who, according to his jacket, lives along Blacksmith Fork River in Cache Valley. Hello!! I probably drive by his house every summer when I go up to the old stomping grounds! Anyway...) weaves a very interesting book out of scientific meteorite information and historical accounts of meteorite hunters/discoverers, with a little bit of Mr. Cokinos personal journey thrown in for flavor. I'm reading this one a little bit slowly, but savoring as I go.



The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain: The Surprising Talents of the Middle-Aged Mind, by Barbara Strouch. Thank you, Barbara, for writing this book. I blogged recently about losing my mind. This book tells me I am, in fact, NOT losing my mind. I am just learning to think differently. Although it is true that the middle aged mind loses speed and agility with recall (as in names and facts), it is also true that as you age, the brain becomes far better at gathering information and them making correct choices based upon that information and years of experience. That's right, kids. You can remember people's names better than I can, but I am showing forth wisdom. Hear that? Wisdom. Over all, I will make better choices than I did 15 years ago. Thank you very much.

Spider Bones, by Kathy Reichs. The latest in her Temperence Brennan series. Tempe (as her friends call her - of which I am one, of course) is a forensic anthropologist who splits her time between Quebec, Canada, and her home state of North Carolina. Just like the author. Which I find truly amazing. This fascinating character is based upon a real life person who has the same skills, abilities, and experiences (except probably the death threats, etc. that follow the literary character as she figures out the mysteries. But the real life character is a New York Times best-selling author, so you get to pick which is cooler.) The books are very interesting and engaging, but you know that I love all things forensic. At least on paper.

In the bull pen: The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, by Nicholas Carr.

So there's an accounting of many hours of my life. Hours that could (perhaps should) have been spent cleaning the house, balancing the checkbook, organizing the bedroom closet, or even landscaping the yard. Jobs that needed doing, and worthy causes all. I read instead. And I'm not sorry. Well, not very.