The Turn of the Screw ~ Henry James

Three out of five

This book was much quicker than I expected.  It is definitely fast paced, but I did find my attention wandering at times.  James does love his commas and for much of this I had to reread sentences trying to hear the pauses to make sense of it.

The story itself is very good.  I was surprised to see so much of other books I've read in it.  Either this is a "typical" story, or James has been ripped off repeatedly by modern writers.  The premise is of two ghosts haunting children.  I can't say too much or I'll ruin the story.  The ending is very abrupt and does leave some to the imagination.

All in all, not a knock your socks off read, but something creepy to pass a day or two with.

Miss Manners' Basic Training, Eating ~ Judith Martin

Five out of five!
Another wonderful how-to!  If there's any doubt how to eat, both in public and private, after all you owe your family at least as much as you do strangers, then read this book.  From how to hold a fork and cut up food, to which fork to use this book lays out in style and with plenty of humor everything you need to know.  There's even a section on family dining, at home, with children.  I've found this series to be so enlightening and my friends, family and neighbors have noticed a big difference.  I recommend this, even for those that believe they know what they're doing.

Favorite quote:

Wimpiness, along the lines of "Oh, do whatever makes you feel comforable," is part of what was destroying the very notionof etiquette's importance before Miss Manners charged in, armor clanking, to rescue it.

I really can't recommend this highly enough.  There is so much wisdom here, so many "rules" that can keep from having to pull your foot out of your mouth.  And there's the simple idea that manners are there as consideration for others.

There is even a section on children, how to teach them, how to treat them, and how they should behave in the cafeteria.

Wuthering Heights ~ Emily Bronte

Five out of five

An incredibly rich story of love, denial, hate, badly mended hearts, and redemption.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Once I got passed the beginning, which is a little bit dry, and into Mrs. Dean's narrative the story poured out.  I ate this up in two days.

It's hard to have complete sympathy for any character in the book, although towards the end the lovers do manage to dredge out some good will from all, after really beastly behavior.  If there are lessons here, they are manifold.  Favorites, among children, does no one any good.  Revenge is a dish that should be left for God, as its repercussions are visited on both the server and the diner.  Don't judge a book by its cover, first impressions are often false and a person is much more than their obvious parts.

I highly recommend this.  It's a heavier Alcott or Austin.  Darker, with a more modern taste for human nature, much more true than the lighter more trustworthy views of the aforementioned ladies, whom I adore but do find niave.  If you love Alcott or Austin, but want something a little less sugary and a little more substantial then try this one!

13 Things That Don't Make Sense ~ Michael Brooks

4 of 5
A pretty well-written book outlining the abberations faced by science today.  From gravitational issues to free-will, no topic is off limits.  Many of those things that people see today as simply being, are laid out for review and question.  Today's issues may be leading up to a new scientific revolution, on par with the discoveries of the a round Earth and one that revolves around the sun.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book.  It was incredibly interesting, every one of the 13 things taught me something new.  My only issue came, with the one issue the author was obviously impartial on.  That's where I got hung up.  While the gravitational anomolies, life in space, the craziness of water, and even the questions of life, death and sex were treated without definitive answers; one issue, that of free-will, is written as a foregone conclusion.  He believes we are at the mercy of our body and any free-will we percieve is an illusion.  I wonder how someone that wrote a book, had it published, ended up with it on a library shelf until I came along to read it, could possibly believe that it all happened because of chemical reactions.

My favorite part, the one that I will be quoting far into the future, is Philip Anderson's "More is Different" essay.  Simply put, more is different.  "In fact, the more the elementary particle physicists tell us abot the nature of the fundamental laws, the less relevance they seem to have to the very real problems of the rest of science."  The scientists, according to Anderson, are missing the forest for the trees.  Rather interesting that there are already numerous sayings warning against this behavior.  It took another scientist to remind the others of this.  According to the author, "the idea that a whole new branch of science is opening up is certainly inspiring and exciting...  we might not merely solve the enigma of life but also discover the true nature of dark enery and from whence come the variations in alpha."

To expound upon "variations in alpha," let me add that there are issues with the constant "omega" and most of the unanswerable issues in science are those covered in Genesis.  To my Christian friends, you may get a few good giggles out of this book, when you realize that those things still confounding scientists are the things that pose little question to readers of the Word.

13 Things continued...

This is an incredible book.  The ideas, the exceptions to our scientific laws, the unanswered questions...  My brain is spinning (not exploding, though).  The constants, alpha, mu, gravity, are all found to be...  inconsistent.  Really, I can't even form the words for how terribly exciting this book is!

Just had to gush somewhere ;)

Ooooh! I've found an excuse for all my reading!

52 Books in 52 Weeks!

This sounds just great and I can't wait to start.  I'll just have to keep my mind off it somehow...  I guess I'll have to focus on 13 Things That Don't Make Sense.

To read the rules and sign up, click on the first link posted.  Here's to a year of reading (hip hip HOORAY)!

13 Things That Don't Make Sense, The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our Time ~ Michael Brooks

I've just started this, but wanted to post, because it's much more interesting than the title might lead one to believe.  While the subject matter is somewhat heavy Brooks is both funny and gentle.  I have not had one single brain blow out yet and I'm all the way on page 18.  Maybe it is a little early for a judgement call after all.

I am pretty excited, though, by what was already covered.  Brooks has already convinced me that a scientific revolution is impending.  Too many things don't make sense.  Too many theories have too many holes.  Now, scientists have pased beyond denial and are starting to look at the universe differently.  That, in my opinion, is a wonderful thing.

There will be another post, once I've finished reading.  For now, you might want to try this one out, if only to read the one about the Nobel Laureates that couldn't open an elevator.

Odd Botany ~ Thorpe Moeckel

A surprisingly good collection of poems.  The subjects vary from a "Shout Out" to "the only rap show this side of the Susquehanna" to Alzheimers, from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the equator.

Normally, I'm more of a tried and true poetry lover.  So far, the only poetry books I've finished were "The Hunting of the Snark" and "One-Hundred Best Loved Poems."  However, Moeckel has managed to be both readable and touching without the pretention or snobbery of many other modern day poets.  His words are beautiful, his view human.  He is not excessively dark, angry, dramatic, or joyous.  One poem may be angry, "Shout Out" for instance, and another draws tears, "Ropethrows."

I'm posting part of my favorite, to give you a taste:

FREE SAMPLES (just the last stanze)

snuffaluphagi of kudzu, shudder of sedge;

silent but deadlies in the back seat,

and alphabet races, B-bridge, C-grace.

I'm not a big poetry love, but I send this out with with a hearty, you should read this!

Regarding Stiff

"Eat Me"

A chapter on cannabalistic practices, this one has proven to be rather shocking.  I was aware that the Chinese held the unborn in low esteem, but there are some really shocking practices over there.  This chapter is not as difficult for me as the crucifixion chapter, but it is pretty hard.  Especially once you get to the use of human remains today as restorative meals/concoctions.

Blech.

Stiff ~ Mary Roach

This was meant to be my 'Science' reading for the week.  It's actually pretty compelling stuff.  I'm not done yet, but I'm enjoying it so much that I want to share.

Mary Roach used to write travel novels, but there's only so many places to go.  She decided to start investigating things closer to home.

For the most part this book is rather respectful.  She starts up describing her own experience with the death of her mother, and her own belief that cadavers are not people.

The only really objectionable chapter, for me, was the beginning of Holy Cadaver (Chapter 7).  It describes a French scientist's attempts at proving the shroud of Turin.  I found that chapter to be too much.

Otherwise, I am loving this book, learning plenty of random facts (did you know that some cadavers are used in plastic surgery...  never knew 'organ donation' meant donating to the bulking up of some man's organ, iykwIm), and keeping my husband on his toes while I fire out tidbits here and there.

I'm not sure if you'll recognize her name, but you may recognize her face.  This is Mary Roach.  I've read so many articles by her, and I did not realize it was the same Mary Roach until I saw the author's picture on the back.

The Inheritance ~ Louisa May Alcott

It's Jo's book.  "My first novel written at seventeen" was at the top of the first page when this story was found deep in the bowels of Houghten Library at Howard University.

It's a wonderful read, incredible considering Alcott's age at its writing.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, but don't want to give a single plot piece away.  If you love Alcott, you just have to read it.

Miss Manners' Basic Training, Communication ~ Judith Martin

If you're as big a dunce as I am in social situations, if you constantly say the wrong thing, if you're always wishing you had the ability to vacuum the words back into your mouth, then you should read this book.  There is a whole series, I started with "The Right Thing to Say" and have built up to "Communication."  This one has much more on the correct thing to send and when to send.  Not just 'thank you' cards, but emails, interoffice emails (not that I need that), and even how to act in a forum!

I've really enjoyed this series so far and I've noticed I'm not nearly as embarrassed going out in public with myself as I used to be.

The Jane Austen Handbook ~ By Margaret C. Sullivan (or, how I checked out one thing and thought it was another)

This is definitely a cute find.  I plan on lending it to Jocelyn, I think she'll like it.  It was in the biographies section of the library and I picked it up.  Turns out it is "A Simple Yet Elegant Guide to Her World" meant for younger ladies than myself.

This book uses bits and pieces from Austen's novels to teach young ladies such important skills as:

How to Write a Letter

How to Keep House

How to Marry off Your Daughter

How to Converse With Your Dancing Partner

Okay, I did peruse the book.  I found it quaint, and it's definitely something I would have loved when I was around twelve.  A good read for pre-teens, or not quite young adults.

Help Your Child Excel in Math ~ Margaret Berge & Philip Gibbons

Three thumbs down.  Yes, three.  After reading this I feel like a complete moron, and so I'm turning down three thumbs.  Take that Berge and Gibbons!

I don't know why I'm linking this.  Perhaps, if I didn't homeschool I could've liked this book more, but the patronizing attitude, coupled with "check with your student's teacher" was really too much for me.  There is no picture, because I can't find one to link.

There are some interesting little games to play and things.  They list, and explain in painstaking detail how to teach, concepts like near-far, greater-less, tall-short, etc.  For parents of preschoolers, that is very useful, especially if you haven't been able to find a list online.

I think their levels are very wrong.  They don't recommend teaching counting to ten until first grade.  The book was published in 1992, but I really can't believe that things have changed that much.  There's more along those lines (I'm not sure they believe any parent capable of simple math), but no sense in listing it all.

If you're willing to wade through text that seems to discount the notion of any parent teaching anything at a school level, then there are a few good ideas in here.  Ignore the levels, they're rediculously low.  If you want to rage against people that do not believe in the worth of homeschooling, don't touch this book with a ten foot pole.

The Sound and the Fury ~ William Faulkner

I read the "corrected" version and I'm wondering if that was the problem.  I simply disliked this book.  For one moment I became engrossed, thinking it was finally getting somewhere.  That moment was short lived when the book ended a few pages later.

This is written, for the most part, as a stream of thought.  The last chapter, and some of the dialogue elsewhere is written in standard English with a nod to grammar.  The rest of the book is done at various times without punctuation, capitalization, or even adherence to any understandable time line.  While that itself does not render the plot completely unfollowable, it does make it difficult.

There were a few different story lines playing out.  The book was written from four different point-of-views.  The first being the mentally handicapped brother, the second being the confused and internally tortured older brother, then we heard from the cruel and bitter younger brother, and finally in the third person.  At no point were any of the question that arose answered.  At no point was there any closure of any type.  There was cruelty, incest (possibly, although it's never explicitly clear), and enough family issues to make for a two hour Jerry Springer special.

I've read the review, all rave, and I wonder what I've missed.  I do not see this as a glimps into "the nature of man" and I certainly do not see where the "moral purpose" claimed by Ralph Ellison can be found.  The story was dark, depressing, and without redemption.  That does not, in my opinion, equate the nature of man.  Perhaps it was the Godlessness of it all?

Finally, this novel reads like an unfinished work.  However, I've read the "corrected" version and after reading the notes on that it appears they dug through Faulkner's papers and just added in everything from the original unedited version, and it very well could be that they, in essence, unedited it to the point where it WAS the unfinished work.  There was no real beginning, no real ending, and I have to wonder if dumping out the work of the editor was the best idea.