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Bad Books, Great Books and Working Through a Quartet

On December 1, 2014

My Week in Books

Normally the holidays don’t allow much time for reading. Being off work takes care of that problem! Even though we travelled back and forth to three Thanksgiving dinners, there was plenty of time for books.The first book I read for the week was The Mill River Redemption by Darcie Chan, which I mentioned in an earlier post. I struggled to write one pleasant post about the book so I am going to leave it at that.

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Even though The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton has only been out a few months, I feel as if it’s been on my list of books to read forever. That said, I had no idea what to expect from the book and was very pleasantly surprised. The Miniaturist is historical fiction but, unlike so many of the books in that genre that I read, focused much more on the storyline and than the history, which I think gives it a broader appeal.

Burton writes of Nella, a young bride who goes to her husband’s town and has every expectation she had of married life dashed. Her husband isn’t interested in her physically, her sister-in-law runs the home that Nella thought she herself would head and the household servants take liberties that don’t seem proper. What starts off as feeling like a horrible twist of fate gets more interesting when Nella orders items for the miniature house (dollhouse) her husband gave her as a wedding gift. The items for the tiny house, made by the local miniaturist, are too good … too accurate. The miniaturist has a gift.

I read this very quickly and am excited to pass it on to friends and family.

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The Messenger by Lois Lowry is the second companion novel for The Giver and proves me a little wrong from last week. The books aren’t standalone – the story lines are starting to connect!

I’m trying not to do any research into these books until I finish the quartet, but I do have some questions. I like how each novel has a definite lesson it’s teaching (preaching?). I’ve admired how the stories seem straight fiction and it takes some interpretation to see what the moral of the story is. For The Messenger there seemed to be lots of parallels to the immigration discussions occurring here in the United States and that had me kind of laughing as I read. But at the end … did it get kind of Jesus-y? That’s what I want to read up on, and I will after I’ve completed the last book.

I’m not against books with religious connotations. I love the Narnia Chronicles and conversely, His Dark Materials. But, admittedly, I’d prefer a book that can be a little more agnostic in its teaching.

The Mill River Redemption by Darcie Chan; The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton; The Messenger by Lois Lowry.

Fighting and Forgiveness

By Kate

On November 27, 2014

In books

I fight dirty. Ask my siblings and they’ll regale you with stories from my youth where I hit them, yelled at them and was generally pretty mean. Usually I had quite a bit of help, from said siblings, to achieve my angry state, but nonetheless, I wasn’t always nice.One of the best things I’ve learned from marriage is how to forgive and how to ask for forgiveness. I know I still have a mean streak in me, but I try to control it. When I can’t, I walk away from the situation so that I’m not talking to people while in an angry place. Specifically with Wonder Boy.

At first, this act of walking away was confusing to Wonder Boy, who likes to talk through things. I think he gets it now, though. I want to process my feelings on my own first. Then I can talk. If I don’t process things, then the words that come out of my mouth… Well, they don’t necessarily represent anything I really feel and they probably aren’t all that nice.

I’ve come to this point because 1) I don’t want to screw up a good thing and 2) I don’t think hitting Wonder Boy with a hairbrush would be very acceptable. (Refer to those stories from my siblings…)

I recently read The Mill River Redemption, by Darcie Chan, and while I struggled with much of the book (basically, the entire premise and then the conclusion, so…), I do think it offers a good representation of what happens when you don’t forgive someone or when you fight dirty. It was one instance where I was pretty grateful not to relate to anything the characters were experiencing.

This post was inspired by the novel The Mill River Redemption by Darcie Chan, about two estranged sisters who are forced to work together in order to uncover the hidden inheritance by their mother. Join From Left to Write on December 2nd as we discuss The Mill River Redemption and enter to win a copy of the novel. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

Peculiar and Fabulous

By Kate

On November 17, 2014

In books, reviews

I’ve been intending to write a review of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and the follow-up, Hollow City, for some time now. I enjoyed the books so much but I don’t know how to adequately describe them.I enjoyed the stories in part because they were not at all what I was expecting. Even the genre was different than I had anticipated. I’m fascinated by how the author, Ransom Riggs, used old photography throughout the books. I couldn’t help but wonder what came first – the images or the stories. I hope it was the images because it makes his creative process so much more unique to me!I think I could make some attempt here to describe to you what Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Hollow City are about. Or, I could do you a bigger favor and just instruct you to go read the books. Learn nothing about them beforehand. Dive headfirst into the story and be prepared to be transported to a wonderfully peculiar place.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Hollow City by Ransom Riggs.

A Letter to the Many Cats in My Life

By Kate

On November 8, 2014

In animals, books

To Adagio and Notorious B.I.G.,There are so many reasons I should not like you. Addy, I regularly wake up to your nose being about an inch away from mine, your hot cat-food-smelling breath in my face. I know you’re just checking to see if I am awake because that’s the only acceptable reason for my hands to not be petting you, but it’s a little creepy. Biggie, you’re brain must be the size of a peanut because you do so many dumb things, such as the recent dental-floss-hanging-out-of-your-butt incident and your insistence on still looking for more dental floss to eat.

And yet.

I am filled with joy when it’s my lap you choose to sit on while we watch TV or my chest you want to sit on at night. I love watching you chase after invisible bugs or that red dot you will never catch. I apologize excessive for the hugs and for loving to dress you up so much, but you both look so darn cute in a necktie or band t-shirt.

Pretty soon and I am going to be spending some time at home recovering from some medical stuff and I’m already plotting ways to make it so you can still be by my side. This afternoon I’m heading out to buy a bed tray so that 20 pounds of cat can’t jump on me, but can still curl up alongside me. I know cats get a bad reputation for not being as loving and as attentive as dogs. But Addy and Biggie, I’ve seen you be both and I’m expecting you to step it up over these next several weeks!

Love,
The Big Lady

Adagio is a rescue cat that's turned into the sweetest old man.

Adagio used to be quite ornery but he’s turned into the sweetest old man.

We adopted Notorious B.I.G. several years ago from a rescue. He’s full of personality!

To the series of outside cats living in our yard, currently including Bolt and Winston Churchill,

I don’t know how you survive outside winter after winter. You’d know I’d bring you inside! But that has failed too many times. So me and Big Man put food out for you and watch in awe as you chase off raccoons to protect your turf and your dinner.

I wish you would see my garden as a beautiful patch of flowers and not as a giant litter box, but it warms my heart when I see you belly-up in a spot of sunshine.

This winter sounds like it will be a cold one. You’re already bulking up (do you ever stop bulking up?) so I think you’ll be okay, but know that there will be plenty of food and a warm Snuggle Safe waiting on the back porch for you.

Love,
The Lady Who Terrorizes You By Periodically Bringing You Inside

This is Bolt, so named because when he sees you, he Bolts.
Winston Churchill is a new addition and has not yet been agreeable to a photo shoot.

To All of the Cats at the Rescue,

When I met Wonder Boy eleven years ago, I was not a fan of cats. Then I met his two guys and started to change my opinions. In 2005 when I started volunteering at the animal rescue, I was completely won over and now qualify as a crazy cat lady. I’m happy that for one day a week I get to have 50-100 cats. I’m also relieved that I don’t have to carry too much guilt about not taking you all home with me because you all either find your way into wonderful forever homes or have a squadron of volunteers giving you more attention than a lot of people receive.

Since volunteering at the rescue, I’ve met some of my best friends, human and animal, and learned a lot about caregiving. I no longer flinch, too much, at getting poop on me. I know the terror of bathing a kitten and giving cats medicine but can do those things relatively easily now. I’ve also learned about the collective power of a group of people all dedicated to the same mission and that’s pretty amazing.

Volunteer night is my favorite day of the week. It’s the only time I know I can expect to hold an entire litter of kittens on my arms, get head butts and pet the seemingly stand-offish but gloriously soft Reba.

Love you all,
Kate

Some of the cats from the animal rescue at which I volunteer.

Some of these cats have been adopted since their photos were taken.
See all of the cats looking for forever homes from the animal rescue at which I volunteer.

This post was inspired by A Letter to My Cat by Lisa Erspamer, a collection of letters penned by celebrities to their furry friend. Join From Left to Write on November 10th as we discuss A Letter to My Cat. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

The Most Important Question Facing People

By Kate

On October 29, 2014

In books

In Looking for Alaska by John Green, one character, Alaska Young, says the the most important question facing people is, “How will we ever get out of this labyrinth of suffering?” After her death (sorry for the spoiler!), a teacher asks students, “How will you – you personally – ever get out of this labyrinth of suffering?”I sort of love the question. It’s like, “How will you survive?” Or, more nicely, “How will you live?”

As to survival, my answer is by one bit at a time. I will focus on what is before me because sometimes that is enough. Sometimes that is all that is possible.

I think about when I got to ask Tig Notaro a question on Huffington Post Live and I asked her what her advice would be to people going through rough times. She essentially said to make your world small. Make the people around you only the people you love. Limit what you’re concerning yourself with to only that which really matters. And I think that’s it. That is how you make it through this labyrinth of suffering.

It is not, however, how I choose to live. It’s only how I survive hard times, of which there are many. I want to live during the rest of my time by saying yes. By opening up my heart and mind to new experiences, people, cultures. etc.