5 posts tagged “books”
I have to get on an airplane next week. ORD > SFO once again! I really need to start taking vacations, I've only ever flown to San Francisco and back!
Flying is getting less stressful with each trip but don't be fooled, a lot of that is me tossing back some Xanax before I get near the plane. On the last trip out, I didn't take the Xanax early enough and it didn't start to kick in until after the plane took off and was near cruising altitude.
I went from gripping the armrests and counting breaths to being a happy puddle in my seat. Xanax doesn't make you dopey, it just makes you... relaxed. It does make me sleepy if I'm already tired but mostly, it just keeps me from having a series of panic attacks.
One thing is that I can't read while in the air. I can skim a magazine or watch a dumb show on my iPod but I can't concentrate on an actual book. I guess I'm too busy willing the plane to stay in the air, like it needs my help.
I'm determined to read at least a few pages this trip. I went on Amazon and bought FIVE new books to see if any of them are enthralling enough to hold my attention. I'll read them anyway, of course. Here's what I ordered:
They all look interesting but you never really know. I figure that at least ONE of these can hold my attention. I can easily read an entire novel in one day if given the opportunity but I swear, I have the attention span of a gnat when flying.
I read The Dogs of Babel on Sunday night. It's a reasonably good novel - very well written, interesting plot and characters, etc. There's a lot of symbolism and hidden meaning and some pieces to put together. These are things I generally enjoy quite a bit but it gets to a certain point when my brain starts focusing on teensy details instead of just reading the damn book. Plus, the middle section is hard to read because of some mean stuff involving dogs. I actually had to put the book down and tell myself it was fiction and the doggies don't even exist, so it's ok!
Overall, though, it's a fine novel with a unique plot and some surprises throughout. Basically, the narrator's wife dies in a freak accident and the only witness is their dog. He kind of goes a little whacky and tries to teach the dog to speak so she can tell him what happened that day. The way the story unfolds and pieces of info come out is interesting, if a little frustrating. It's gotten rave reviews on Amazon, but I'd only give it 3.5 - 4 stars. It's an engaging but quick read.
I guess you could say that I'm a "fan" of Philippa Gregory's novels. They're historical fiction, which is fun! For me.. cause I'm kind of a dork. My mom likes it too, so there. Anyway, her newest novel came out in December but I just noticed it the other day. I ordered it right away and it's sitting right here with me now. I don't usually buy hardcovers but I had to make an exception this time around. Booklist said:
Just when we think we have heard the last of the Boleyns, after The Other Boleyn Girl (2002), Gregory resurrects the ill-fated family in the persona of Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford. After her damning testimony results in the execution of both her husband and her sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn, Jane continues her ruthless scheming as she serves as lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's reviled Bavarian-born fourth wife, and naive, doomed sixth wife, Catherine Howard. Narrated in turn by this trio of intriguing women, this tale of court politics and treachery unfolds from three equally compelling points of view. Margaret Flanagan
Seriously, what's better than a 16th century cat fight? C'mon!
I'm cracking this one open tonight. I've gotten sucked into Gregory's novels in the past so I should probably start early, lest it keep me up way past my bed time!
I really bought it because well, I like Maggie Mason and isn't that reason enough? But hey, maybe it'll get me to post about things other than furniture and silly videos. I've kind of hit the "so over it" wall with my own blogs so maybe I just need a nice kick in the butt in book form. We'll see.
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. Every fat girl in the world has read this book, I swear BUT I LOVED IT FIRST. Ok, Oprah loved it first. I've read it a few times, 3 at least. Maybe I'll read it again soon.
I'm still trying to finish Wicked. There's also an old, battered copy of The Catcher in the Rye. I'm not sure why it's there though. And probably some back issues of Jane magazine.
Yawn.
