On Kent Haruf

Kent Haruf February 24, 1943 – November 30, 2014

One of my favorite living authors is unfortunately, now one of my favorite deceased authors. Kent Haruf, was quietly mesmerizing in each of his five published novels (I can't wait to read the sixth which will be published this Spring.) Haruf's books take place in fictional (but based on his decades of living in Eastern Colorado) Holt County. Haruf has the same quality of many of our greatest writers of taking characters and turning them into complex beings.

The following article published by Granta this fall is a beautifully written article by Kent Haruf.  If you get a chance, please read this too.

Haruf's Novels were:
The Tie That Binds (1984)
Where You Once Belonged (1990)
Plainsong (1999)
Eventide (2004)
Benediction (2013)
Our Souls at Night (to be published in 2015) 

Quote of the Day

"To recognize our bias toward error should teach us modesty and reflection, and to forgive it should help us avoid the inhumanity of thinking we ourselves are not as fallible as though who, in any instance, seem most at fault. Science can give us knowledge, but it cannot give us wisdom. Nor can religion, until it puts aside nonsense and distraction and becomes itself again." Marilynne Robinson from "When I was a Child I read Books."

Quote of the Day: Colum McCann

"I think a good novel can be a doorstop to despair. I also think the real bravery comes with those who prepared to go through that door and look at the world in all its grime and torment, and still find something of value, no matter how small."

Colum McCann

The best laid schemes o' mice an' men*

Thanks to Garrison Keillor's, "The Writers Almanac," I learned that one of my treasured books (read it when I was 12 on a drive from Moab to Vernal in the shell of our pickup truck, finished it, and then immediately read it again), "Of Mice and Men," was published on this day in 1937. Steinbeck's puppy, Toby, chewed up half the manuscript.  Check out Steinbeck's reaction to his pup making confetti of his manuscript.

*Reference to the poem Steinbeck took the title of this book from

a crazy kind of love

A couple of years ago, I happened across the book below.  The title made me laugh out loud. Love, really?  I've been meaning to pick up a copy of this book to read, maybe this fall.  That title maybe lost in translation, but the author is Russian, so maybe not.

Amazon Link

May Books Part 2

"Odd and the Frost Giants" is classic Neil Gaiman.  Gaiman wrote Coraline and many other fabulous, creepy books.  This book is a retelling of the Norse legends.  If you've seen the movie "Thor," you'll do just fine with this book.  What I loved about this simple story is that the protagonist doesn't use violence in the climax.  The book is well-written and I quite enjoyed the story.  Plus, be sure to read the "About Author" page at the end.  I laughed out loud.  Three Stars.

Remember the play, "Pygmalion," which "My Fair Lady" is based on?  Well, Pygmalion is actually based on this very true, incredibly weird story and the Greek legend.  An eccentric, wealthy Englishman who had little luck with the ladies adopted two orphan girls with the intent of  raising them to create the perfect wife in 18th Century England.  This book which is very well researched, tells this story of both the bachelor, the orphans, and the friends of both.  The story is fascinating and is a fast read.  Four Stars.

Walter Kirn is a favorite author of mine and this story does not disappoint.  The story, actually an essay, is about the Bible Kirn finds when cleaning out his mother's house shortly after she passes away.  He intertwines the notes that he finds in her bible with his own interpretation of scripture passes and the life he shared with his mother.  Four Stars.

 

Like many baseball tales, the actual baseball history of Ron Guidry and Yogi Berra was fascinating.  However, I found the author using a lot of filler in this book.  The book kind of meandered in one direction and then in another direction with no real rhyme or reason.  However, I found the friendship between the two interesting and the reconciliation between Berra and Steinbrenner fascinating.  I wasn't a real fan of the author's voice however.  Three Stars.

I really can't believe I hadn't read this book before.  I believe my parents had a copy of this laying around the house (and I read most of their books at one point or another) but this was the first time I read this classic completely.  Much of the book is absolutely fascinating.  The stories and Frankl's logic is astonishing.  I really wish I would have read this book a few years ago, but I still enjoyed the book a ton now.  Four Stars.

May Book Wrap-up Part I

Every year I challenge myself to read 50 books.  I usually read more books than that, but that way if I'm stuck on a book for a couple of weeks or longer, I won't feel guilty about reading something longer or slower than my usual pace.  Because I was sick for much of January and February, I was something like 6 books behind in the middle of April.  I'm now several books ahead.  Why?  I read 11 books this month.  So, let me tell you about them.


"Going Underground," is the story of a seventeen year-old convicted felon.  Del, the protagonist of the story works at a private cemetery because its the only business in town that will hire him.  He was convicted because of "sexting" charges with his consenting (but slightly younger) girlfriend when he was 14.  The story talks about his future as a felon and Del grappling with life and his sentence.  I think I gave the book 3 or 4 stars because it was well-written.

"The White Queen" tells the tale of Elizabeth Woodville, who was the spouse to the King of England in the 15th Century.  She's a widow but ends up marrying the King of England.  However, although they have quite a few little heirs, the validity of their marriage and the heirs is called into question.  Her husband dies quite suddenly, her young boys go missing and another King of England is named.  I really thought the first third of the historical fiction read like a poorly written romance novel, but the story picked up once Elizabeth went to London when she was revealed to be the Queen.  Three Stars.  Book Club Novel.

"The Shoemaker's Wife" is a fictionalized account of the author's grandparents.  Her Grandparents hail from villages in the Italian Alps just a few miles from each other.  When both are in their early twenties they both move to New York separately.  They are reunited in New York and eventually get married.  The first two thirds of the book is fascinating.  The author is able to create a world that leaves you wanting to turn pages rapidly.  However, I thought the last 1/3 was clunky.  The author is too close to the characters and the writing is off.  Three Stars. Book Club Selection.

"Salvage the Bones" takes place a week before Hurricane Katrina hits Louisiana and Mississippi.  The protagonist, a young, pregnant black girl, and her brothers live with their disinterested, alcoholic father in the bayou.  The kids pretty much take care of themselves, but the father is interested in Hurricane preparation.  I enjoyed this novel a lot except for the heavy handed use of symbolism.  4 Stars.

"Ham on Rye" is a semi-autobiographical novel by the author.  The book follows the main character from a three year old to adult life.  The story isn't for everyone.  There's no love ever shown between anyone and many of the stories told are both humorous and horrific. The novel is written by a (beat) poet and when you read it, you find that there's a rhythm to the novel that is missing in most prose.  Five Stars.

"Fever 1793" is not the story of a jaundiced vampire, as that cover would lead you to believe.  No, the story is about a teenage girl in Philadelphia during the Yellow Fever plague of that year.  The book is based on true events, and really starts moving after a slow 1/3 of the story.  I found myself enjoying the novel and the historical details, but only gave this book 3 stars because of the clunky 1/3 of the book.

Quote of the Day

From an Interview with Margaret Blair Young on "A Motley Vision":

"I believe in dealing with hard issues.  If we don’t learn to deal with them, we will almost certainly lack empathy when others are hitting them.  We need to train our minds and magnify our faith as our children grow in this internet age.  They will come to us with questions to bridge what they learn in Sunday school and what they read online.  Our answers will need to reflect our knowledge and the example of who we are in this age and place of Mormonism; what we cling to as our essential and inviolate morality.  This is a dynamic religion.  We may still stand in holy places, even while acknowledging that many in the past became detached from their “better angels.”"

http://www.motleyvision.org/2013/questions-for-margaret-blair-young/

Margaret Blair Young has been someone I've looked up to for the past couple of years.  She's a published author, BYU Professor, President at AML, very involved with the African (and American) Mormon Community.  

#42-How to Hepburn*

I picked up this book because it was a Kindle Deal of the Day, and I've always been more of a Kate than an Audrey fan. Oh, I like Audrey just fine, and I admire's Audrey clothes, but I've always gravitated towards Kate-even her "horrible" films in the 30's. So, I thought this book would be fun. Well, jogging my memory about Katharine Hepburn's life story was fun. I didn't learn much about Kate's history having read her memoirs and the biography written shortly after she died but it's been several years so I enjoyed re-reading about her. However, The author gets in trouble though with the basic premise. It's extremely hard to write a "self-help" book about someone who defies categorization and didn't live a flawless life. The author flounders almost immediately and the book turns into a dis-jointed mishmash of anecdotes from K. Hepburn's life. That being said, the author does write pretty well. She has a decent voice but fumbles and borders on being preachy when she tries to prescribes a life like Kate. However, by the end of the movie I yearned to watch The Philadelphia Story, Bringing up Baby and The African Queen again (okay, for probably the 100th time).  






*The Title to this blog isn't a reference to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. No, I'm going to attempt to write a paragraph or two about each book I've read so far this year. Yes, this was my 42nd book this year. Trust me, I'm not bragging about that. I hope this project doesn't bore my 5 readers to death. I really hope I'm able to complete it. 

The Hunger Games Trilogy as a Venn Diagram

Often, a book-a movie, or an album is greater than the sum of it's parts. However, in the case of the Hunger Games Trilogy (HGT), I'd argue that the book's greatest influences are comparable (in the case of Twilight) or far better (Spartacus and 1984).

Why the Twilight parallel? Well, both series feature a heroine in a love triangle. Now, on one side you have a clutzy, damsel in distress who has to choose between a werewolf and a vampire. HGT has a kick-grass archer (Katniss) who chooses between a dreamy (he's a day-dreamer) baker or a handsome hunter who helped Katniss learn how to provide for her family.

Okay, but Spartacus? Well, Spartacus was the most famous slave leader in a major slave uprising against the Roman Empire in 80 BC or so. In HGT, Katniss leads a revolution against a totalitarian empire* called "The Capitol" of 13 states* The citizens of the Capitol all have Roman names.

Last but not least, is George Orwell's 1984-the book that originated the phrase "Big Brother Government." In both books, the individual is the subordinate to the state and not the other way around.

Anyway, literature isn't an island, in most books, the influences are noticeable. The idea however is to take those influences and create a seamless work of his/her own. Unfortunately, the "Hunger Games Trilogy" comes off as pretty clunky and inferior to other books in it's genre(Sci-Fi) which it's trying to emulate. That being said, the trilogy is addicting, and gets people reading-which is great.

Compared to "Twilight," though, "The Hunger Games Trilogy," is the better series. But, that's kind of like saying that the University of Utah Football program is better than BYU's Football program this year. Although both are lucrative and have huge fan bases, you can't deny the mediocrity of both.

"The Hunger Games Trilogy," however, can be compared to the Harry Potter series, which is a compliment. Both series of books are gateways for young readers into other more mature books of their genre. The Twilight Series however, are a gateway into, well, Harlequin books maybe? Supernatural Jack Weyland?

*Yes, there's a US history parallel.

Werner Herzog Reads "Where's Waldo"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvWh6PMi9Ek

A Picture Book Report

So, guess the book! I admit, I stared at this a second before a smile came to my face recalling the source material.

A Picture Book Report

Here's another one from the same blog that is a quietly beautiful illustration from a classic American novel. If you're not sure, check out the little dream as illustrated by his reflection.
Original Post

Books I've Read in 2009: Part 1

"Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West," by Cormac McCarthy

Out of Cormac McCarthy's books (even The Road), this book is often called his masterpiece, and perhaps the most difficult to read. One of Cormac McCarthy's themes is kindness juxtaposed with violence, but this book takes it up a notch. One reviewer admitted that McCarthy is a genius, but wondered if McCarthy was mentally sane after reading this book. And after reading it, it's a valid thought. Blood Meridian is a Western, and tells the story of a 14 year old boy thrown into a gang of scalpers on the Mexican Border. His main antagonist is Judge Holden, a 7' tall man who is a murderer, child molestor, and..you get the idea. The story follows the two main characters through a period of several decades-juxtaposing pure evil with humanity.

I can't say I'd recommend this to anyone, in fact I'd tell anyone to be sure they can handle violence.


I enjoyed this book. The author is a cousin of my mom's, and he writes pretty well.

"Cold Train Coming" by Larry Barkdull

Cold Train Coming is the story of two boys living in a small western railroad town. They end up taking care of a dog who lives at the train station who has been there since his owner's body was taken away to family back east several years before. The dog waits for every train, waiting for the owner. The boy's story becomes entangled with the dog's and it makes for a quick, enjoyable book.

"The Partly Cloudy Patriot" by Sarah Vowell

Essays by Sarah Vowell, there's a lot of history and commentary in this books. The type of fun, random, obscure history that makes you go huh, that I didn't know.

I like Vowell, definitely better than Sedaris and maybe almost as well as Klosterman. This book has some great essays, but is dated.

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson Book 1)by Louise Rennison

Bridget Jones ruined chick-lit (and I liked Bridget Jones). That being said, it was actually a pretty cute lil' book. I just couldn't get into this story.

"God a Biography" By Jack Miles

Finally finished this one. Great, thought-provoking literary critique of the God of the Old Testament. This book was eye opening and changed my perspective of God.

Pulitzer Prize Winners: An Update

I've mentioned on this blog before that I made the goal of reading the Pulitzer Prize list. I was curious to see where I'm at since I last made the update and well, I've got a lot of reading to do before I'm going to finish this before I'm 45. That gives me 13 years. I can totally do it.

Pulitzer Prize Winners for Fiction by Year
2009 Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
2008 The Brief Wonderous World of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
2007 The Road by Cormac McCarthy
2006 March by Geraldine Brooks
2005 Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
2004 The Known World by Edward P. Jones
2003 Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
2002 Empire Falls by Richard Russo
2001 The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
2000 Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
1999 The Hours by Michael Cunningham
1998 American Pastoral by Philip Roth
1997 Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer by Steven Millhauser
1996 Independence Day by Richard Ford
1995 The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
1994 The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
1993 A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler
1992 A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley*
1991 Rabbit At Rest by John Updike
1990 The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos
1989 Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
1988 Beloved by Toni Morrison
1987 A Summons To Memphis by Peter Taylor
1986 Lonesome Dove by Larry Mcmurtry
1985 Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie
1984 Ironweed by William Kennedy
1983 The Color Purple by Alice Walker
1982 Rabbit Is Rich by John Updike
1981 A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
1980 The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer
1979 The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever
1978 Elbow Room: Stories by James Alan Mcpherson
1977 No award was given.
1976 Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow
1975 The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
1974 No award was given.
1973 The Optimist's Daughter (large Print) by Eudora Welty
1972 Angle of Repose by Wallace Earle Stegner
1971 No award was given.
1970 The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford by Jean Stafford
1969 House Made of Dawn by N Scott Momaday
1968 The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron
1967 The Fixer by Bernard Malamud
1966 The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter by Katherine Anne Porter
1965 The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau
1964 No award was given.
1963 The Reivers: A Reminiscence by William Faulkner
1962 The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor
1961 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
1960 Advise and Consent by Allen Drury
1959 The Travels of Jaimie Mcpheeters by Robert Lewis Taylor
1958 A Death in the Family by James Agee
1957 No award was given.
1956 Andersonville by Mackinlay Kantor
1955 A Fable by William Faulkner
1954 No award was given.
1953 The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
1952 The Caine Mutiny: A Novel of World War II by Herman Wouk
1951 The Town by Conrad Richter
1950 The Way West by A B Guthrie
1949 Guard of Honor by James Gould Cozzens
1948 Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener
1947 All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
1946 No award was given.
1945 A Bell for Adano by John Hersey
1944 Journey in the Dark by Martin Flavin
1943 Dragon's Teeth I by Upton Sinclair
1942 In This Our Life by Ellen Glasgow
1941 No award was given.
1940 The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
1939 The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
1938 The Late George Apley by John Phillips Marquand
1937 Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
1936 Honey in the Horn by Harold Lenoir Davis
1935 Now in November by Josephine W. Johnson
1934 Lamb in His Bosom by Caroline Miller
1933 The Store by Thomas Stribling
1932 The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
1931 Years of Grace by Margaret Ayer Barnes
1930 Laughing Boy by Oliver Lafarge
1929 Scarlet Sister Mary by Julia Peterkin
1928 The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
1927 Early Autumn by Louis Bromfield
1926 Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis
1925 So Big by Edna Ferber
1924 The Able Mclaughlins by Margaret Wilson
1923 One of Ours by Willa Silbert Cather
1922 Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington
1921 The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
1920 No award was given.
1919 The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington
1918 His Family by Ernest Poole

*I'd highly recommend any of these to most people except for a Thousand Acres, which I hated. But in fairness, I read that book 13 or so years ago. Many of these are treasured reads.

Best Book Blurb ever

"Two women—one a bishop's wife, the other a vampire—find the desperate courage to bet it all."

Angel Falling Softly by Eugene Woodbury

Jerry Johnston's Op-Ed on the "Great Mormon Novel"

On Friday, my mom shared with me an op-ed by Jerry Johnston. Mr. Johnston declared that the "Great Mormon Novel" written by an active latter day saint is a pipe dream and will never exist. Now, he's right on one point, the "Great Mormon Novel" has never been written before. In the fiction category, I can't think of any novel that comes close to being the "Great Mormon Novel." Now, the term, the "Great Mormon Novel" is obviously a variation of "The Great American Novel which according to Wiki is :

The "Great American Novel" is the concept of a novel that most perfectly represents the spirit of life in the United States at the time of its writing. It is presumed to be written by an American author who is knowledgeable about the state, culture, and perspective of the common American citizen.

So, by simply simply substituting "Mormon" for American, you get a pretty adequate definition of the "Great Mormon Novel" and one that is align with the definition that Mr. Johnston is using in his op-ed piece.

Mr. Johnston contends that the "Great Mormon Novel will never exist because:

• Great Novels Need Doubt as a vantage point
• Devout LDS writers don't have a lot of areas of gray to explore.
• Mormonism requires devout members a complete surrender of one's ego, ideas and ambitions.
• A devout Mormon will want to promote the Mormon Faith.
• "Devout Mormons don't have the luxury of Great Catholic writers (O'Connor and Greene). Catholic writers could stay in the "bosom of the church" and still could give us all kinds of flawed and distorted character. They could write graphically about sin, reel off heretical theological speculations and even lampoon Catholic authority figures."
• An authentic literary masterpiece would make Mormons feel uncomfortable, exposed and betrayed

Because of the points above, he then goes on to say that a grand and glorious literary novel heralded by both the LDS faithful and the literary world could never exist.

I agree with him that great literary masterpieces use doubt as their "vantage" point. Doubt in the LDS church isn't exactly encouraged. In fact, I'm honestly thinking about how I would describe the role of doubt in the LDS church and in my own experience as a Latter Day Saint. That being said, there are so many gray areas in the LDS church that can be explored.

I personally rarely see the world in black and white, and often Mormonism to me is no different. There's gray areas all over the place in the church. Yes, I have a strong testimony of the gospel, but there's many gray areas in the church that are ripe for exploration in a literary context. There's history, some doctrine, and then there's this-we don't have a perfect understanding of God's plan for us. If we don't have a perfect understanding, there's room for doubt-and because we are not perfect, there will be gray areas because we don't have perfect knowlege. Granted, I've had quite a few friends who explored the gray areas so much that they ultimately left the church.

I understand why most LDS fiction writers portray the church in a favorable light and want to promote the church. However, there's a voice in my head that wonders what if someone were to portray the religious culture, the warts and the glorious parts of itl. What if a fiction writer were to lay bare how they see the church in a novel? Mr. Johnson alludes in his essay that the writer would be ostracized by the church. I'm not sure if that's true. But then at this point, both Mr. Johnson and myself are purely speculating.

I almost see Mr. Johnston challenging a generation of aspiring and published LDS writers. He says it can never be done, but I'm sure there's more than one person out there saying, "it can never be done? I'll show you."

Update: Today I found a quote in "By Common Consent" that resonated with me and relates back to this op-ed,

"The restraints that Mormonism places on our behavior and our comportment should be viewed as the rhyme scheme in a sonnet or the censors in Iran. The pain is in using the limits to force yourself to look inward and work harder with the available material. If we accept the limits, and the necessity of the limits, that should inspire us to find ways to transcend them. So much Mormon literature is about the maintenance of the limits; so little seems to find the value that comes from the struggle with them (that’s what they are there for, after all)."

Jerry Johnston's Op-Ed

Great novels need doubt as vantage

By Jerry Johnston
There are perks with this job -- perks like the chance to spend quality time with quality people.
And a perk I'll always cherish is the afternoon I spent with Wallace Stegner talking about Montana, Mormons and modern writing.
Stegner was the guru of all things Western. And he understood Mormons about as well as someone not of the faith can. Yet even then, he missed things. He told me that in his novel "Recapitulation," he had a chaste, young Mormon couple getting married in the backyard of a friend. Someone had to point out to him that chaste, young Mormon couples get married in the LDS temple.
He didn't know.
And he didn't know when "The Great Mormon Novel" would show up. He said he'd been reading Levi Peterson's "The Backslider," but didn't think that was it. Then he said, "Maybe you'll write it."
He was joking, of course.
"I don't have the scope or range to do it," I said.
"You don't have to make it large," he said. "Just get things right."
He said he thought the "Great Mormon Novel" would eventually be penned by someone who was born in the church, left the church, then made it "part way" back again. He seemed to think that would be a perfect vantage point. Being away from the church would give the writer perspective, while coming part way back would guarantee his empathy for the culture.
Since that day with Stegner, I've thought often about LDS novels. And I've reached the conclusion that Stegner hadn't found the Great Mormon Novel because ... there can never be one.
I have known some marvelous Mormon wordsmiths. But being a Mormon is not like being Catholic or Jewish. There is precious little wiggle room for devout LDS writers. There aren't a lot of gray areas to explore.
The Mormon religion demands a lot of people. At its core, Mormonism demands all of one's talents to the furthering of the Kingdom of God. That means a complete surrender of one's ego, ideas and ambitions.
A true LDS writer would not want to be on the outside looking in. He wouldn't want to be defiant.
He'd want to promote the faith.
Great Catholic writers, like Flannery O'Connor and Graham Greene, could follow their muse and stay in the Catholic fold. They could give us all kinds of flawed and distorted character. They could write graphically about sin, reel off heretical theological speculations and even lampoon Catholic authority figures, yet remain in the bosom of their church.
Mormons -- card-carrying temple Mormons -- can never have that luxury.
In the future, I'm sure LDS writers will produce wonderful novels.
But a grand and glorious literary novel that is heralded by both the LDS faithful and the literary world?
I don't think so.
Without the blessing of the church, it would never really be a Mormon novel -- anymore than "Angels in America" is a Mormon play.
The Great Mormon Novel is a dream held by literary types in the church.
It is also the Great White Whale pursued by devout Mormons who can't understand -- in this day and age -- just how uncomfortable, exposed and betrayed an authentic literary masterpiece would make them feel.

MormonTimes.com is produced by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Copyright © 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company

A couple of other blogs about Jerry Johnston's article:

William Morris and S.P. Bailey at A Motley Vision makes some interesting points, most I don't agree with-but his piece is thought-provoking.

Dallas has a fun piece about this essay

Kent Larson at Times and Season has a thought provoking piece on the article.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: An Excerpt

Excerpt: 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'
by Seth Grahame-Smith

As Mr. Darcy walked off, Elizabeth felt her blood turn cold. She had never in her life been so insulted. The warrior code demanded she avenge her honour. Elizabeth reached down to her ankle, taking care not to draw attention. There, her hand met the dagger concealed beneath her dress. She meant to follow this proud Mr. Darcy outside and open his throat.
But no sooner had she grabbed the handle of her weapon than a chorus of screams filled the assembly hall, immediately joined by the shattering of window panes. Unmentionables poured in, their movements clumsy yet swift; their burial clothing in a range of untidiness. Some wore gowns so tattered as to render them scandalous; other wore suits so filthy that one would assume they were assembled from little more than dirt and dried blood. Their flesh was in varying degrees of putrefaction; the freshly stricken were slightly green and pliant, whereas the longer dead were grey and brittle – their eyes and tongues long since turned to dust, and their lips pulled back into everlasting skeletal smiles.
A few of the guests, who had the misfortune of being too near the windows, were seized and feasted on at once. When Elizabeth stood, she saw Mrs. Long struggle to free herself as two female dreadfuls bit into her head, cracking her skull like a walnut, and sending a shower of dark blood spouting as high as the chandeliers.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance — Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!by Seth Grahame-SmithPaperback, 320 pages Quirk BooksList Price $12.95

Rough Stone Rolling

I finished "Rough Stone Rolling" today, and the thing that struck me the most about it was how many people were interested in what I was reading! I usually read on my commute to and from work, and have never been asked what I was reading by fellow commuters until I started reading this book. Over the course of a week, several people on the train asked me what I was reading, and several others were reading the book over my shoulder. One gentleman appeared to be as into the last 30 pages as I was. I was trying to finish reading the book, so I read a few pages at work during lunch, and a couple of co-workers asked me about it. Needless to say, "Rough Stone Rolling," drew more attention than the rare occasion I read the Scriptures on the metro.
As for the book, I enjoyed it. Here's what I said about it on goodreads.

Comprehensive thorough biography of Joseph Smith and touches upon the basic
tenets of Mormonism. I appreciated how the book put doctrine J.Smith taught into
a context I hadn't thought of before. I also liked the way the author laid out
the life story of J.Smith. Fascinating book-doesn't gloss over the controversial
parts of J.Smith's life, but is somewhat sympathetic. In my opinion, it's
impossible to be completely objective when talking about J.Smith.

This Intrigues Me.

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/02/monster-mash-up.html

2008 Books I Read

Marley & Me: Love and Life with the World's Worst Dog (Hardcover)
I appreciated this book, but the author's writing voice grated on me. That being said, I enjoyed reading the story for the most part and several antecdotes of Marley made me laugh out loud.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Hardcover)
I would recommend this book to a lot of different people. This book unfolds through letters and tells the story of the Nazi occupation of Guernsey Island during World War II. Well written, easy read, and fun. Reminds me a bit of LM Montgomery's writings actually.

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto (Paperback)
For the most part, I loved this book, and the collections of essays by Chuck Klosterman. The essay on Billy Joel was pretty much brilliant, loved his critique of love and John Cusack.

Crocodile on the Sandbank: An Amelia Peabody Mystery (Book 1)
Perfect for Tricia Jackson if she hasn't read it already. Kind of a dumb book, but hilarious and I found myself really enjoying the read.

The Last Lecture (Hardcover)
I pretty much loathed this book. There were a few good points, but really? A shoddy book. However, his kids are pretty much set for college, and that I respect.

Living Well with Asthma (Paperback)
I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 12, but this book was still very beneficial.

Deception Point
So, uh, I pretty much despise Dan Brown but I read and enjoyed this thriller about a meteorite at the north point that may or may not prove the evidence of extra-terrestrial life.

The Thin Man (Paperback)
The way Dashiel Hammet writes dialogue is brilliant. This is the first Nick and Nora detective story I've read, and is supposed to be the best. Personally, I found myself in awe of Hammond's mastery of the english language.

The Dirty Girls Social Club: A Novel (Paperback)
The first ten pages in I pretty much hated this book. But, by the end, it was a decent read. I enjoyed the stories albeit a little predictable and stereotypical.

Mary, Called Magdalene (Paperback)
Historical fiction accounting (and speculating) the story of Mary Magdalene. The book was interesting, especially from a non-mormon point of view and I find myself thinking about it occasionally.

Freedomland (Mass Market Paperback)
Thank you to the person who introduced me to Richard Price. Although not quite as good as Clockers, Freedomland comes close. This is a crime drama that takes place in '98 I believe and is a haunting crime thriller about a kidnapping in New Jersey. Reading Price though write genre fiction is like reading Cormac McCarthy write genre fiction. Both are such skilled writers that their book eclipses the category. Well done.

Playing For Pizza: A Novel (Hardcover)
Grisham isn't a great writer, but this book isn't half bad. Entertaining, light fluff.

The White Rock
What a great book. The author strikes up a conversation with a guy in a bar in England and soon finds himself in the jungles of Peru looking for a lost archaeological site. He brings great insight in the ruins around Cusco and in Peru.

Holidays on Ice (Paperback)
Sedaris does nothing for me, but I really like his sister Amy. I also enjoyed the essay about the washing machine.

Oliver Twist (Penguin Classics)
I'm glad I waited until now to read Oliver Twist because I'd probably think that Oliver is a whiner. That being said, I find Dickens funny, and really found myself enjoying this story of little Oliver.

Wild Life (Paperback)
I still can't decide if I love or despise this book. Perhaps Gloss's strongest book, but there's something about it I can't put my finger on that unsettles me about this novel. The story of a feminist widow raising five boys who lives in Oregon at the turn of the century. She accompanies her housekeeper to a logging camp when the housekeeper's granddaughter goes missing and embarks on a great adventure.

Hoot (Paperback)
I liked it until I realized it's just Huck and Tom retold.

Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission (Paperback)

Hampton Sides is a great writer, and this book is no exception। I was a little bothered with no footnotes in the book, but the notes in back assured me the documentation and research was legit. A harrowing, emotionally draining, ultimately rewarding true story of one of the most difficult episodes of WWII.

Beginner's Greek : A Novel (Hardcover)
This book is a light romance, but well-written। A debut novel, but a great read throughout. As I was finishing the book about "love at first sight," a friend I trade books with approached me. I was asked by the book and am sure had a big goofy grin on my face. I gave it up, and this is one I'll be sharing with others too.

The Jump-Off Creek (Paperback)
Molly Gloss is rapidly becoming one of my favorite living writers-I'd equate her to Haruf, probably। This book, a tale of a widower who settled a neglected homestead in a remote part of Oregon sticks with you. Although Hearts of horses is probably a better written book, this book is worth the read. Towards the end of the book, I flipped to Gloss's bio and found a kindred spirit when she said she admitted to find a shamefaced love in westerns and especially the tough women in L'Amour's novels.

Contract With God (Paperback)
The stories and images are powerful।

Road to Perdition (Paperback)
My neighborhood public library has a graphic novel section right by the front desk so I've been checking out a few graphic novels at a time। I really wish I would've read this before seeing the movie, but it still is a powerful book and the illustrations astound.

American Pastoral (Paperback)
Philip Roth's masterpiece. Not for the faint of heart.

Thunderhead (Mass Market Paperback)
Nothing more than popcorn entertainment, but because skinwalker myth scares me like none other, it was intriguing. The story of a lost Anasazi colony.

Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began (Paperback)
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Hardcover)
The author of the Maus books uses cats, mice, dogs, frogs and pigs to retell the story of his father's imprisonment during World War II.

The Complete Persepolis (Paperback)
Graphic novel by the author recounting her childhood and young adult years in Iran.


Princess Academy (Paperback)
Good, not great. The book fell flat.

The Blue Star: A Novel (Hardcover)
Not quite as good as Jim the Boy, but still a worthy sequel.

Jim the Boy: A Novel (Paperback)
A simple, spare book for all ages. The story of a 10 year old boy with no father during the Great Depression. One of the themes about family resonated with me.

The Book of the Dead (Diogenes Trilogy, Book 3)
I loathe Dan Brown, but I had fun reading this book. Normally I struggle with this genre, but this was a mindless page-turner.

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen (Hardcover)
Julie, the author, decided to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in her tiny apartment in New York City. She does it, she learns life lessons.

March (Paperback)
Normally sequels of beloved classics don't win Pulitzer Prizes. This one did however, and merits its own page on the shelf of great Civil War Literature. This book chronicles the story of the father of the March girls from Little Women and tells what happened to him during his year as a Chaplain during the War.

Assassination Vacation (Paperback)
Sarah Vowell rocks and is one of my favorite essayists. She's also very educational and you learn a lot about the assasinations of various U.S. Presidents by the time you finish this book.

The Hearts of Horses (Hardcover)
I adored this quiet, unassuming book about a young girl who rides into Eastern Oregon to break horses to saddle during WWI. The book's descriptions of the horses, the people in the county she encounters and befriends is priceless.

The Reader (Oprah's Book Club)
This book recently came out as a movie and tells the story of a young boy who embarks on an affair with a woman who has a secret.

Goodnight, Nebraska (Paperback)
Reminds me a lot of Haruf--The first 50 pages are set in Salt Lake which was fun to read. The book is more or less about loneliness in small town America.

The Street (Beacon Paperback, 699)
The story of an African American woman who wants to give her young son a better life by leaving WWII Harlem. Poignant, straight forward, but the "street" is described in such a way that is almost suffocating to the reader. Petry writes in such a way that the reader experiences the desperation and hopelessness the protagonist and other characters feel.

Amended 11/08

This is one of those books that haunts you far beyond when you finish it. I still think back to this book in random conversations I have with people, when I am reading something else. This is one of those books that shapes your world-view. At least it has shaped mine.

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan (Mass Market Paperback)
Better than Confessions of a Shopaholic, but I would have never read these except for they were given to me.

Rhett Butler's People (Hardcover)
I liked this book and it gave me an excuse to reread Gone with the Wind, one of my all-time favorite novels. Rhett Butler's People tells the story of Gone with the Wind (but starts before and ends after GWTW) from Rhett's point of view. The author does a good job actually of retelling a timeless, beloved story.

Child of God (Paperback)
The simple, spare prose is wonderful to read, but prepare yourself for this one. This book is just as affecting as McCarthy's later work.

Cat's Cradle (Paperback)

The Natural (Paperback)
This is the novel the Robert Redford movie is based on, the difference between the two is night and day however. The first 50 pages of this book is very similar to the movie and then the book veers off into a different story. Loved it.

The Tie That Binds
Kent Haruf has made a name for himself writing about characters in a fictional town in Eastern Colorado. These stories are haunting, especially this one about a former high school football star.

Where You Once Belonged
Another Kent Haruf novel about how ties to a farm can destroy a family.

Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West (Paperback)
Mesmerizing, well-told fascinating story of the Conquest of the American West.

Gone With The Wind (Paperback)
If you haven't read this story, please do.

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn
I reread this masterpiece while I was getting better from the flu/asthma complications last month and I was struck again about how brilliant this book is.

The Secret Life of Bees (Paperback)
Not brilliant, but decent.