101 Books to Read This Summer -- A Flow Chart

I just found this amazing flow-chart of book recommendations thanks to Teach.com. I guess they are recommending that teens find a book to read on here, but I am sure they won't mind if a 29 year old uses the flow chart instead! I have already read a handful-- and our book club has even read at least two! I can't wait to find another one off the list.

Via Teach.com and USC Rossier Online

18th meeting: Stone Butch Blues

On Sunday, the 18th meeting of Eat, Drink, and Be Literary was hosted by Tana-- it also marked her last meeting since she is graduating (color me jealous) and will be moving to Boston to start a post-doc.  For her last book, Tana chose Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg.

Our meeting was small this time-- only five people-- but we had a great discussion of the novel. It is the story (seeming based loosely on Feinberg's life) of a young butch lesbian, Jess growing up in the 1950's-60's in Buffalo as she struggles with her her gender identity and finds a place in the world. It was brutally hard to read at times (emotionally, I mean), but I am so glad I got through it. This book helped me to really take the perspective of a group of people that I haven't ever before.

The struggles that Jess faced as a child and young adult were horrific, and while this story was fictionalized, I assume that it s representative of so many people's stories. The entire group mentioned how glad we were to be living in a time where women can't be arrested and beaten and raped simply for dancing with one another. While the fight for equality in this country is far from being won, I am thankful that we are closer now than we were 50 years ago.

As happy as I am that I read this, I didn't love all of it. I thought that the first hundred pages were incredibly powerful and eye-opening, but the middle of the book just dragged for me.  A huge part of the novel dealt with the formation of unions and other social movements of the 60's, and while I find this whole era incredibly important and fascinating, I almost thought that there was too much going on in certain points of the book. Too many characters, each with so many struggles I almost became desensitized to them. I guess I just think that the plot could have been streamlined somehow.

Deadlocked... no, really

The latest book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, Deadlocked, is very aptly named as I find myself in a virtual deadlock with the series. While Charlaine Harris' world of "supes" and lusty vampires enticed me for at least seven or eight novels, I'm just over it now. The last two books have lacked any sort of cohesive story line or plot, and I feel like instead I am just "checking in" with all of the characters down in Bon Temps.

So, why am I in a deadlock? I need this series to end; I'm waiting for it to tidily wrap itself up so I don't have to read it anymore. As I have explained in this blog before, I am somehow incapable of quitting a book. I will stop reading it, sure, but I won't ever admit that I'm done, and will keep the never-ender on my bedside table, taunting me every night when I get in to bed and yet again choose something else to read. Well, as it turns out, I am also incapable of quitting series.

So, Ms. Harris, please quit writing these books because I can't quit you! Oh, and p.s., please do not have Sookie end up with Sam because the Sam portrayed on True Blood has ruined his character in the books for me. Okaythankssssss. And while I am on the subject of True Blood... what the heck is going on in this season? Have we abandoned all worthwhile story lines from the books? I'm just not happy with the state of vampire affairs right now, obviously. I just want Eric to wear blue sweaters (see below) and be in love with Sookie. Is that so much to ask?

you are welcome

17th Meeting: Rabbit, Run

The 17th meeting of Eat, Drink, and Be Literary was hosted by one of our newest members, Kelsey. She made her official mark on our book club with a bang, by selecting John Updike's classic Rabbit, Run. Our whole club remarked that while knowing John Updike's name, that we had never actually read anything by him. We were very glad to have righted this obvious wrong!

This novel, the first of the Rabbit series, follows a young man nicknamed Rabbit suffering what we would now refer to as a quarter life crisis. He is 26, married to an alcoholic, has a toddler and a baby on the way, and impulsively decides to leave his home and his life. He runs away from all responsibilities, searches for an identity, and leaves a nothing but uncertainty and destruction behind. 

While I am sure this novel was groundbreaking and scandalous (hence being a banned book) when it came out in the 1960's, for most of us in the book club, it felt like a tired story. We have actually read quite a few novels lately about men suffering crises of virtue and identity, and it is really only palatable in small doses. 

Updike's prose were incredible, though, and it was apparent to all of us why he is a household name. While I didn't love the book, and I especially didn't love Rabbit, I think I might be interested in reading the later books in the series in hopes that I see some actual growth in the character. 

Because of the symbolism of Rabbit's nickname (as a creature without much foresight, and with too much fight or flight instinct), Kelsey suggested that we bring "animal" themed food. I brought radishes from my garden (that's rabbit food, right?), and we had other goodies such as puppy chow, ants on a log, and monkey bread. It was probably the cutest theme yet!

16th Meeting: Love Creeps

Never have I laughed as hard at a book as I did for the April book club book, Love Creeps by Amanda Filapacchi. (Yes, I said April, and yes, it is late June. I'm a little behind. Sue me!) I had high expectations for the book, since my friend Beth picked it, and her last book club pick was our only unanimously liked book-- Willful Creatures.  Luckily this book did not disappoint (well, me anyway-- the rest of the group was mixed, as usual). It was one of the most odd books I've ever read, and riotously funny. 

The book follows a successful New York art gallery owner, Lynn, who is suffering from a "lack of desire". Lynn tries to take a note from her stalker, a schlubby guy named Alan, and stalk someone. Lynn's thought process was that if she pretended to desire someone, the desire would eventually turn real. So, she selects the first man she sees, a tall, dark, and handsome man named Roland, and starts following him. She tries to copy everything her own stalker does, and ends up just forwarding all of Alan's notes (and even some nude photos) without even changing the signatures. While this sounds twisted and dark, it was written in such a matter-of-fact way that the silliness of the situation was the only thing that came through. 

The rest of the novel followed this bizarre love triangle-- the stalked, the stalked-stalker, and the stalker-- through a number of adventures, including an eventual reversal of the stalker chain. Some of the high points of the book for me were the passages told from the point of view of Ray, a homeless former psychologist. Apparently, Ray suffered from "excessive curiosity disorder" and while a therapist, he became so enthralled with his clients' problems that he would call them repeatedly to ask how their relationships were going. This ridiculous condition eventually lost him his job, and landed him in jail on harassment charges. So, once he was out of jail, he lived on the street, and watched the stalk-train walk past. As each of them would stop to give him change, he would whisper advice to them-- "you are being followed" or "get a hobby". It. Was. Hilarious. I clearly cannot do Filpacchi any justice by trying to describe this book, so instead I will just say read this book as soon as possible. Buy it, borrow it, or read it over someone's shoulder on the bus. Just be ready to laugh! As mentioned, the rest of the book club was a bit mixed in their reviews. While everyone agreed that it was funny, a few people didn't think that was enough, and were searching for some sort of meaning behind the silliness. There may have been a point to it, and there may not, but for me, it didn't really matter. I was entertained, and that was enough!

Mudbound

Well, I am officially two book club meetings and approximately 6 books behind in blogging. I am going to blame a combination of things including deadlines for writing manuscripts at work and beautiful sunny weather for the last several months. How is a girl to get anything done? Sheesh.

Anyway, my review of Mudbound by Hillary Jordan is a long time coming. My mom originally ordered this book for me close to a year ago after she read and loved it. After Amazon managed to send it to my college apartment (which I have not lived in for over 7 years now) not once but TWICE, a copy finally found its way to me in good old Coralville. I really hope the Loyola student who got the book in Chicago enjoyed it, that's all I can say! Maybe they gave the second copy to a friend...

I read this book at the same time as Wise Blood, and as I've previously mentioned, I managed to get confused on the names quite a bit. But, looking back at the two books, I realized they have much more in common than two syllable titles. Both novels take place in the south post WWII, both deal with soldiers struggling to understand life upon their return, and both have plenty of racial tension. 


Mudbound was a much easier read than Wise Blood, in my opinion, and perhaps more emotional. Whereas Flannery O'Connor made me think and scrutinize and look for symbolism in Wise Blood, Hillary Jordan pretty much spelled every emotion out for me in Mudbound... and I'm not sure if that is good or bad.

Mudbound is one story told from the point of view of multiple narrators, and comes across at times like a collection of short stories. I've read numerous books of this format lately  and while I really enjoy it, I'm also wondering if it is being over done. Mudbound is mostly told from the point of view of Laura, a city girl who finds herself living on a remote and rustic farm with her husband, children, despicable father-in-law, and the Jacksons a family of black sharecroppers. When Laura's brother-in-law, and the Jacksons' son return from WWII, they become unlikely friends. Throughout the book, there are chapters from every character's perspective, and Jordan really manages to bring the emotions and racial tensions of the time. I enjoyed the book a lot, and would definitely recommend it as an easy summer read.