Tuesday Book Club
[I'll report on my wonderful, crazy, exhausting afternoon and night appearances in San Francisco later. For now, let's just talk about books.]
Thank goodness for airline travel, because it means I actually got to finish a book this week.
There are those Writer writers who seem to understand how to use the English language in ways we writer writers never think of. I’m not jealous, just admiring. Laila Halaby is one of those Writers. Her novel is Once in a Promised Land, and its already gotten all sorts of fancy literary attention, like a killer review in the Washington Post, selection by Barnes & Noble as part of their Discover New Writers series, etc., etc.
Once in a Promised Land is about love, betrayal, suspicion of a national security kind (as well as a nosy receptionist kind), heartache, and lies, all set against the backdrop of an immediately-post-9/11 world, which matters more than a little since the couple in question are Jordanians living in the U.S. Read it for the drama of a marriage in crisis, read it for the cultural lesson, or just read it for the pleasure of seeing someone making art out of words. It’s not quite as diverting as my last read, Party Princess by Meg Cabot, but we all need to balance dessert with protein.
That’s my report. And you?
Technorati Tags: Tuesday Book Club, Reading Groups, Book Clubs, Book Reviews, Reading Recommendations, Book Recommendations, Laila Halaby, Once in a Promised Land, Books, Reading
March 20th, 2007 at 6:18 am
Ooh, that one sounds right up my alley, Robin, and I’ve been looking for a great “adult” book recently. I’ve fallen back on Jodi Picoult, ’cause NOTHING good is out. And while Picoult is okay, she’s not life changing. (Good, clear writer, though!)
I’m on my own with the kids this week, so my reading has been slow. I really enjoyed the new Graphic Novel by Cecil Castellucci (ill. Jim Rugg), “The Plain Janes.” It’s unexpectedly complex and interesting.
March 20th, 2007 at 6:23 am
Two re-reads and 1 new.
Coraline — Gaiman
The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe — Lewis
Queen of Sorcery — Eddings
March 20th, 2007 at 6:36 am
That’s interesting, Kelly. I was just talking about “The Plain Janes” last night with one of the booksellers, who knows the author. I need to get that book. It sounds like just the kind of thing I enjoy. You read “Kiki Strike,” right? I LOVED that book. Is “Plain Janes” like that?
Patrick, what an interesting combo. “Coraline” was so creepy I couldn’t read it again if I had to. But I’ll go see the movie that they’re making of it. Creeeeepy.
March 20th, 2007 at 7:05 am
The thing to remember is that it isn’t creepy to children, only adults.
I’m not sure I understand why the combo is interesting. It actually felt right reading them all together - Coraline being the odd one, but it links from an age oriented perspective to LWW.
I actually had God Emperor of Dune on the list before QOS, but IT didn’t feel right and I wasn’t there mentally.
Or maybe you were saying that all three books are interesting.(You haven’t read Queen of Sorcery, have you?)
March 20th, 2007 at 7:09 am
Robin, Plain Janes has the spirit of Kiki Strike, but it’s more real world. It’s a post 9-11 tale (though 9-11 isn’t named) and the main Jane moves with her parents who want to get out of the city. In the burbs she meets 3 other Janes–a nerd, a jock, and a drama girl. Together they create anonymous street art projects. People, post-terrorist event, are scared of the art because it’s secret or often unexpected.
What I really liked about the book, though, is that people don’t act according to stereotype. I often had to go back and think about something I read. Unusual.
March 20th, 2007 at 8:04 am
I read and LOVED the memoir Come Back by Mia and Claire Fontaine. I don’t have a teenager (yet), but the book was so fascinating, about how low a troubled kid can go and why, and the distance this particular mother went to get her daughter help. It was SO good, highly recommended.
March 20th, 2007 at 8:24 am
It was great to meet you yesterday! But I don’t have time to write about it as I’m late for work (I blame Random House for keeping me out too late.)
Here are some links that you might find interesting:
Wikipedia entry on Rumspringa
Documentary on Amish Teens Gone Wild
Not Your Mother’s Book Club interview with Barry Lyga, in which he gets pedantic about monsters.
Off to work!
March 20th, 2007 at 8:24 am
Well,I finished The End Of The World As We Know It by Robert Goolrick(so damn sad but beautifully written)and still reading Heyday. At the moment,I’m devouring another great nonfiction title,Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez. KBS is Deborah’s story of how she helped to found a couple of beauty schools in Afganistan,which are about the only female run businesses in that country,giving these ladies a chance to earn money without men breathing down their necks and gain some independance.
In doing some Googling on this subject,I found out there’s a documentary about the school called Beauty Academy of Kabul as well. Netflix had it in stock and I’ll be seeing it soon.
March 20th, 2007 at 8:35 am
Patrick! I *love* Coraline! I had to read it for class a couple of months ago! The whole time I read it, I thought about Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Someone in my class also mentioned that Coraline was like a creepier version of The Phantom Tollbooth. That was a favorite of mine when I was younger. I should probably re-read it!
And for this week…
#22. Napoli’s Beast. Eh… it wasn’t really my thing. It wasn’t bad, I just couldn’t get into it. Oh, and I still laugh whenever I think about the line about the lioness who “presented her rear”!!! =)
#23. Yolen’s Briar Rose. Wow! This was the retelling of Sleeping Beauty. In this version Briar Rose wasn’t rescued from a castle, but a concentration camp. I really loved this story!
#24. Napoli’s Zell. This was my favorite of the three and it retold the story of Rapunzel. I actually read it all in one sitting!
I’m so close to being halfway to 50 I can taste it!!!
March 20th, 2007 at 9:06 am
Only two books this week; daughter #1 is trying to buy a house-not easy when you are a single teacher. Daughter #2 is moving into her first grown-up apartment & is collecting things on her list.
Two mysteries; Gourdfellas and Briga-doom, both were well written and I will be happy to read the next in the series.
Next week is Spring Break and I am off to Buffalo-long plane ride-do I have room enough in my suitcase for all the books I could read?
March 20th, 2007 at 9:26 am
Coraline is in my TBR pile, Patrick. I love creepy.
This week I read The Little Black Book Of Tarot by Nannette Stone.
Don’t ask.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:55 am
oh, and PS - I have an extra copy of PLAIN JANES, I can send it to you if you like.
March 20th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Jennifer, thanks for those links. I enjoyed my afternoon and evening with you, too, but what we were all thinking staying out so late?
All the rest of you, BRAVO!!! Love to see so many words getting devoured. You all inspire me to read more and more and more. Thank you!!!
I just got to Seattle, I’m all ragged and unkempt, I just wolfed down some excellent apple and butternut squash soup from Whole Foods, and now it’s time for a massage in lieu of sleep. More later.
March 20th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
I loved Coraline. That was the new read for me. It was only creepy for a moment for me. Only one thing really bothered me, but since some people haven’t read it I won’t say. Just one scene.
I don’t really do creepy all that often. Gaiman rocks though.
March 20th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
Jennifer:
Pedantic? Pedantic? Why I oughtta…
Well, OK, yeah. I was pedantic. [hangs head in shame]
March 20th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
I forgot to read. Okay, that is not true, but I started a few things and didnt like them, so I stopped. So I didnt actually read an entire book. Oh well.
Not to totally hijack this thread, but Devils Playground is one of my favorite documentaries ever. I heart renegade Amish teens.
Robin, do you want to bring your book to Amish country? I know some crazy people from the Lancaster County Library System…
March 20th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Two new (not “new new” - I’ve had them around for a while, since I buy in spurts like at Christmas with Amazon GCs): “Dragonseye”, and a book of 4 short stories by Anne McCaffrey; and a reread: “Exile’s Valor” by Mercedes Lackey.
March 20th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Molly, you bet. Hook me up.
March 20th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
I am so behind! It’s been a crazy couple of weeks and I haven’t read much. I am halfway through Sense & Sensibility. If I’m lucky, I’ll be finished by next Tuesday;-)
March 20th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey two of my favorite authors. Talk about re-reading I have read both of their series as they came out, in historical order and chronilogical order. I love them. Many years ago I got to go to an author signing of Anne McCaffrey’s.
Mercedes Lackey has not made a visit to the great Northwest that I know of. I’d drive to Seattle if I had to.
I hope you enjoy those books.
March 20th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Barry, I would love you even if you started correcting my grammar.
(Umm… try not to, though.)
Molly, I forget why it seemed so important for Robin to know all about the Amish and their curious customs. It was important enough for me to make a note of yesterday.
But the original reason doesn’t matter, I’m just glad she knows now. And yes, that movie was excellent!
March 20th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
It was great meeting you on Monday!
I enjoyed the stories - very funny and interesting especially the church stories. Growing up religious is foreign to me since my parents are not religious nor my close friends. Anyway, have fun for the rest of your tour.
March 20th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
Connie, it was SO much fun to hang out with all of you and eat too many chips and salsa and talk about boys and books and other things I never get to talk about enough. Thanks again for participating (and for reading the book!).
Jennifer, the reason I needed to know that about the Amish teens was because you blew my mind with the stuff you were telling me, and you learned most of it from that documentary you saw, and so that’s the link you sent. So thanks again for remembering to send that to me.
Vc and readerdiane, I sense a book taste sisterhood! It’s fun to see the overlap in people’s reading choices.
Kimmy, don’t feel bad–I let two or three weeks go by without finishing a book, so I was really happy to get one in this time. The year is long. We all do what we can.
March 21st, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Yes, the other 100 of my actual reading total on any give year encompasses Tolkien (ALL OF THEM), Anne and Todd McCaffrey (ditto!), and Misty Lackey (ditto!!) - and includes the McCaffrey/Eliz. Moon series too.
I’d drive a lot farther than most to meet any of them….
March 22nd, 2007 at 6:16 am
On Tuesday, I completed the forthcoming Louisiana’s Song by Kerry Madden, sequel to Gentle’s Holler.
March 22nd, 2007 at 6:20 am
Nice to be able to keep up with you through the virtual world. My reading has taken me into the non-fiction world being concerned about our good old US of A. Whether you like or really dislike Donald Trump, he writes a great story “The America We Deserve.” Thought provoking about who gets the big seat next (and all the littler seats) in 2008. The other is “The World Is Flat.” Just starting this. Will tell you if it ends as well as it begins. Take care.