holiday reading...

my reading, at times, comes in binges. and the reading decisions i make are often random and unsystematic...

this month has been a binge, beginning with reading a book during our new york trip to glorious pre-christmas days with no work and no school--reading with michael for hours at a time.

without further ado, the four books i read this month.

'freedom' jonathan franzen. 'freedom' is a sprawling, epic of a novel. it took franzen 9 years to write the book after his last blockbuster, nyt bestselling 'the corrections' spurned the oprah book club and went on to sell millions of copies. ironically, i read the book because my mother in law brought it by and set it on our counter and said i could read it if i wanted. i started without knowing a thing about franzen or the novel itself and was hooked. i wasn't hooked in the mystery, suspense variety but in a 'wow, this is unique' way.

franzen writes in a very frank, at times ironic and always poignant way regarding surburan life. his characters are compelling, rich and interesting. the story is at times heart-wrenching and at times repelling.

here is an example early on in the book of the way he skewers yet nails the suburban experience as he gives examples of the concerns early on in walter and patty's neighborhood, "Was it true that the glaze of old Fiestaware contained dangerous amounts of lead? How elaborate did a kitchen water filter actually need to be? Did your 240 sometimes not go into overdrive when you pushed the overdrive button? Was it better to offer panhandlers food, or nothing? Was it possible to raise unprecendently confident, happy, brilliant kids while working full-time? Could coffee beans be ground the night before you used them, or did this have to be done in the morning? Had anybody in the history of St. Paul ever had a positive experience with a roofer? What about a good Volvo mechanic? Did your 240 have that problem with the sticky parking-brake cable? And that enigmatically labeled dashboard switch that made such a satisfying Swedish click but seemed not to be to anything: what WAS that?"

in the end, the book was compelling. it laid out the lives of its main characters in a way that required me to re-examine my own life and the reasons behind the major decisions i've made.

the politics in the novel were intriguing and eye-opening for me. it was interesting to read the character's take on contemporary politics as the book was based in 2004. the politics and opinions of the characters were intriguing and forced me to think about several topics in new ways.


'pathfinder' orson scott card. some of orson's recent novels have seemed preachy and political, but this book was a return to form for him. the story and characters were classic orson. smart, snarky, compelling, unique, inventive, intriguing and fun. it is the story of a young boy with the ability to see the paths of people after they have passed through an area. he teams up with a youth from his village who can slow time. together they wend their way upriver and grapple with increasingly perilous dangers and intrigues. it was a page-turner and i read 2 and 3 hours longer than i should have on several evenings to finish the book.

don't be a hater stephen. try it.



'fablehaven--grip of the shadow plague' brandon mull. this is book three in the series and i am reading it outloud to michael. the girls sit in occasionally, but are often not engaged because of the vocabulary and story. michael loves it. the story is based on two siblings, kendra and seth, who's grandparents are the caretakers of a perserve for magical creatures. they are collectively battling the 'society of the evening star' to prevent destruction of good in the world. this book in particular was compelling for the re-introduction of several very interesting characters with whom we'd interacted with in previous novels. the children in the book are increasingly given greater roles to play in the plot because of their innate qualities and those qualities and gifts bestowed upon them by the magical creature with whom they interact. great story. great ethics. great topics to discuss with my growing son...


'the promise' jonathan alter. yes, thank to peter for recommending this book. the title would seem to portend propaganda and fawning on the annointed one, but it is a great read. the insider status allowed alter gives an intimate picture of the power players in the obama white house. if just for a look at the work of the president it is worth the read--regardless of your politics. i loved reading about obama's handling of the transition and the financial crisis. i remember distinctly listening to POTUS on XM in yosemite when mccain 'suspended' is campaign to confront the financial crisis. the insider details of this moment in the campain that sunk mccain's chances were one example of the delightful details in the this book.

the other great thing about reading this book, was that i did the bulk of my reading during our trip to new york and can you think of a city who would be more approving of a white male reading about obama on the subway..? aren't i such the hipster?