Books

Bob Dylan's birthday. Spending the day listening to him as I write. There are geniuses -- Mozart's, Beethoven's -- among us. Amazing output.***** Three out of four people who have read the first chapter don't like the insertion of the werewolf viewpoint at the end. Only Linda likes it. Thing is, I do the same kind of insertion throughout the book, so it establishes a pattern early.Then again -- three out of four.*****Heard one explanation for why there is a housing shortage and rising prices. That people are so underwater they can't leave their houses, can't get enough money for the downpayment to the next house.So bad news is good news, eh?*****Gardening is suffering because of the writing. I thought I could do both, but it's more like one or the other.*****Meanwhile, Led to the Slaughter isn't just coming to me. It's a struggle. I have a good story here, I have the plot in mind, but my subconscious isn't producing without some nudging.So I'm nudging. I'm nudging.***** My store is really worn around the edges. Carpets, lights, beaten up fixtures, and so on. Living with it, because I don't see how I do anything about it without spending a fortune, and losing money at the same time if I were to close for renovations. So I concentrate on squaring away and cleaning what I have, as much as possible.Most people don't care, and the inventory is so overwhelming it sort of disguises it. I'm not expected to be pristine, but funky.*****Even if I was inclined to take on the hard work and risk of doing a new bookstore, there is one overwhelming reason not to do it. I couldn't sell it at the end of the project. Without that possibility, it's just a sinkhole.If I was ten years younger, I'd gamble the cycle will come around again and bookstores would be desired.If I had the room, I could carry twice as many book that I know could sell. There are tons of standards, and I'm surprised existing bookstores don't concentrate on those more.*****

I somehow have found myself three books behind on book reviews, and all three were excellent books. I have them all posted now with this review for The Big Thirst. One of my office mates came back from Spring Break and told me that this was a book that I had to read. He gave me a summary and told me it was all about one of my favorite subjects, water. I am an environmental engineer / water resources engineer. Water is my career and is now what I am teaching about to the next generation. Would this book enthrall a lady of water like me? The answer is yes. I was fascinated by The Big Thirst, and what is even better, it was written in such a way that you don’t have to be a water expert to enjoy it. Fishman wrote the book at a down to earth level that can easily be understood, while including enough facts and figures to keep someone like me interested.Fishman tells the story of the importance of water to human beings and how the use of water was revolutionized one-hundred years ago when cities began to pipe clean water to each household in the United States. The problem is that now most Americans take this water for granted.Fishman explored how the driest city in the United States, Las Vegas, uses innovative means to make sure that their fountains are flowing and guests are supplied with plentiful water in a wonderfully named chapter “Dolphins in the Desert”. I was fascinated, but “water czar” Patricia Mulroy also made me nervous when she stated that she thought Great Lakes water should be piped to places like Las Vegas. I take Fishman to task for not further exploring this idea and why it is not the same as the mining of oil. Water is a replenishable source. If you take it away from the Great Lakes to an outside watershed that far away, it is never coming back. Meanwhile the Great Lakes (which are already at historic lows), would not be able to provide the habitat for its native species, water for the people that live in the many cities that surround them, water for the boats that haul freight, iron ore, etc. on the lakes, and water for tourism which is a large part of the economy of most cities along the great lakes. I believe that if people want Great Lakes water, then they should move to the Great Lakes region. End of story. I will get off my soap box now and politely put it away.Fishman also examine water uses in other countries – in particular Australia and India. I was amazed about the story of India’s water. I had no idea that the major urban cities do not have 24/7 water service and laugh that the idea is even possible. The water quality in India was distressing. I hope with all of the technical expertise and knowledge that India has, that they will soon tackle and solve this very pressing issue. It was also sad that lower income girls are not able to attend school in India because they spend their time either hauling water home for their families or waiting for the water truck in urban cities. Very sad.I could go on about this book all day, but I will curb myself. The book did repeat some information towards the end, but Fishman was using it as points to wrap up his conclusions. Overall, this is an excellent book and a must read for everyone who drinks water and would like to continue to do so in the future. This book had MANY great quotes, but I will pick only a couple to share:“By 1936, they conclude, simple filtration and chlorination of city water supplies reduced overall mortality in U.S. cities by 13 percent. Clean water cut child mortality in half.”“The problem is that bottled water is a wacky, funhouse-mirror version of the real world of water. Bottled water subtly corrodes our confidence in tap water, creating the illusion that bottled water is somehow safer, or better, or healthier. In fact, tap water is much more tightly regulated and monitored than bottled water.”“Just in India, forty children an hour under five years old die from contaminated water. One Indian toddler, not even old enough for kindergarten, d

...Review: "Strange Stones: Dispatches from the East and West," by Peter Hessler

No, sadly, I have not seen the new movie. I do have the soundtrack and have been vastly enjoying it. I decided to reread the book before the release of the new movie.I loved The Great Gatsby in high school, and when I had to read it in college. I read it after college and enjoyed it then as well. I love the language of the novel and how I get something different from it each time. I love F. Scott Fitzgerald’s fabled life and his short stories. This knowledge has always deepened my love for The Great Gatsby. My review is going to be on my feelings on reading the novel this time around and not a full synopsis.This time as I reread The Great Gatsby, I really noticed Tom Buchanan much more than I remembered. He is not a nice guy, but he is more than just a mustache twirling villain. As I read it this time, I noted that he became unfaithful to Daisy very early in their marriage. He of course took Daisy for granted until he discovered that she was Gatsby’s object of desire. He also had his tragic girlfriend Myrtle. At the end of the novel, when Nick confronts Tom about Gatsby, Tom says, “he ran over Myrtle like you’d run over a dog and never even stopped his car.” He also talks about crying after her death. While he was brutal to Myrtle in life (broke her nose!), he was devastated by her death and to him, his actions to Gatsby were warranted.What were not understandable were Daisy’s reactions. How could she so coldly never tell anyone it was her driving and cause Gatsby’s death. She never even went to his funeral and was never seen again after Gatsby returned her home and stood guard outside her house to make sure Tom didn’t hurt her. That is the real tragedy of the book to me. Gatsby may have made some unsavory deals to become wealthy, but he truly felt for his ideal woman, Daisy. Sadly, she was his ideal, and the reality of who Daisy was would never match it. One of my favorite quotes in a book full of quotes is when Gatsby says, “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” He wanted to return to his version of the past where there was a perfect Daisy that loved only him. Sadly, there never was a perfect Daisy.I could wax on about The Great Gatsby for quite a while, but needless to say, I vastly enjoyed my reread of it and I look forward to watching the movie. I also read the book as part of Colbert’s Book Club, which if you didn’t see the episode of The Colbert Report on The Great Gatsby, you should!I also love that this is a novel that is loved by many. I had students tell me that this is one of the only novels they enjoyed in high school. I like that it is loved equally by both men and women. A book that can get everyone to enjoy literature is always a wonderful thing.Book Source: My Personal Library

...THE CURSE OF READING AND FORGETTING

...Ok Glass, Take A Picture

As the end of the semester speed up to its final conclusion, Thinking of You by Jill Mansell kept me sane. Jill Mansell is one of my favorite “chick lit” authors. She is a British author and writes wonderful books about entire casts of characters that I would love to meet. I would also love to visit them in the United Kingdom. Their communities sound wonderful.In Thinking of You, Ginny has a case of empty nest syndrome with her daughter Jem off to college. After a misguided adventure trying to visit Jem, Ginny returns now looking for a new roommate, a new job, and a new love. Much adventure ensues with Ginny having many mishaps along the way. Poor Ginny ends up with a bummer of a roommate after a grave misunderstanding. She also ends up with a bummer of a boyfriend. Meanwhile Jem is having adventures of her own. Sharing a flat with the handsome and rich (yet arrogant) Rupert and one of her good friends, Jem begins an ill-advised affair with Rupert. Things do not go well and Jem has much character growth during her first year of college. There are a lot of wonderful characters in this novel and a plot that finds our heroines making mistakes, but also finding out some wonderful things about themselves. I don’t want to give away more about the plot and ruin the novel. Needless to say though, it is a very well written book, and highly enjoyable. I love to read any new books by Jill Mansell, she is a gifted writer.Overall, Jill Mansell wrote another winner with Thinking of You and I highly recommend it. It is a perfect “beach read” for the summer.Book Source: Review copy from Sourcebooks – Thanks!

Novels from Matt Beaumont and Niall Griffiths and a poetry collection from Gill McEvoy are among the books under review this week.The great feature of our newly improved user profiling system is that you can find out more about where reviewers are coming from (critical authority, as AggieH has pointed out, accrues over time). The downer, for anyone compiling this reader reviews blog, is that it can become too fascinating, dragging one across virtual mountainscapes and down digital rabbitholes. This week's reviewers included a newcomer with the intriguing name thankstoMrsWard, who filed five short reviews in quick succession ranging from Hugh Howey's self-publishing sensation Wool, to John Grisham's The Last Juror. ThankstoMrsWard doesn't tell us much about him/herself beyond the fact that "Mrs Ward was my school librarian. An amazing woman who made a difference. I'd like to thank her."What is clear from this first batch of reviews, and from ThankstoMrsWard's website, is that this is an enthusiast who's not afraid to point out a shovel where others might see a silver spoon (and then to forgive it its shovelishness).Take this review of E Squared, by Matt Beaumont:Oh, this is trivial nonsense. If you've read it, you'll know that. If you haven't, what are you waiting for? Everyone needs a bit of comforting ephemera in the bath now and then. This doesn't disappoint if you keep your expectations at that level. Don't speak French? Me either! I found completely skipping past the sub plot did no harm to the story. Don't like swearing or naughty drugs? It's not for you.So, a warm welcome to Thanksto... and ...MrsWard.Elsewhere, there was a perceptive review from the aforementioned AggieH of Niall Griffiths' A Great Big Shining Star.Though she had reservations, she felt that:Griffiths' dramatic cautionary tale is so strong that it compensates for the book's literary weaknesses. He is excellent at dialogue, at voices, at natural conversation. He is observant and has a nice turn of phrase (the stress of a phone 'bleeping like a small animal crying to be fed'). Finally, in a week in which we learn that one of the UK's leading poetry publishers is ceasing to publish individual collections, an invaluable review of a collection from one of the valiant smaller presses, North Wales-based Cinnamon. Though the subject matter seems tough – "There are a number of poems, written with sensitivity and courage, that explore the world of serious illness" – Novamarie makes such a strong case for Gill McEvoy's Rise that I think I'm going to order it right now. And that's it for this week. If I've mentioned your review, drop me an email on claire.armitstead@guardian.co.uk and I'll send you a book from the cupboards.Claire Armitsteadguardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

... Illuminated Manuscripts on AbeBooks.

… Edward Hopper's Inspirations in New York City : The New Yorker. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.) “In New York, you can look into people’s lives. That’s the feeling I’m interested in. You don’t get that in Iowa.” Has he been to Iowa? I have. More than once. And I've been to to New York City a lot. And I don't see his point.