bookinthroughbooks: Tom Sawyer

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bookinthroughbooks: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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bookinthroughbooks: "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time...: Princess Layla Irish lass My wife is getting our youngest daughter Maggie (16 months) ready for bed, sitting her down on her lap re...

bookinthroughbooks: "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time...

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bookinthroughbooks: "2001: A Space Odyssey" By Arthur C. Clarke

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bookinthroughbooks: "Saturday" by Ian McEwan

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bookinthroughbooks: "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath & "The Virgin Suici...

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bookinthroughbooks: "the Black Dahlia" by James Ellroy

bookinthroughbooks: "the Black Dahlia" by James Ellroy: I've read my share of crime-solving mystery novels to the extent that they all started to run together. The Michael Connelly's, Tom...

bookinthroughbooks: "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

bookinthroughbooks: "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel:  I read "The Life of Pi" last spring so much of this blog is written from that time perspective... The start of another spring...

bookinthroughbooks: "The Shipping News" by Anne Proulx

bookinthroughbooks: "The Shipping News" by Anne Proulx: I must've taken a wrong turn in Albuquerque! Both girls are taking their late morning naps, wife in the garage attempting to clear o...

bookinthroughbooks: "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Sir Arthur Cona...

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bookinthroughbooks: "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden

bookinthroughbooks: "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden: Good Morning, day and evening. 10 days till Christmas. This year we have been busy doing little fun craft things with the kids. Like...

bookinthroughbooks: #14 "Dracula" by Abraham Stoker better known as Br...

bookinthroughbooks: #11 "Dracula" by Abraham Stoker better known as Br...: "A skillful reader asks themselves questions before, during and after reading" according to TeacherVision.com. Writing a blog abou...

#14 "Dracula" by Abraham Stoker better known as Bram Stoker

"A skillful reader asks themselves questions before, during and after reading" according to TeacherVision.com. Writing a blog about books has required me to respond with a little more than "Good Book" or a general summary which I can find on the back of the book or just by typing in a Google search. I have to do some homework, take notes and hone my reading skills especially for the classics such as "Dracula", "The Picture of Dorian Grey", "Crime and Punishment" and "War and Peace" which are written for more than just to entertain.

For many avid readers they are already proficient at these aforementioned skills. I, on the other hand, never enjoyed English growing up. The thought of writing brought nightmares to me. Lines through sentences, red marks everywhere, brackets covering whole paragraphs with comments, "Don't know what you mean here". When I began college it was recommend that I take a spelling class, reading class and developmental writing. The latter I didn't even get a grade but a "P" for pass. This helped my ego out immensely- receiving a grade that's given to second graders. I would quit, not withdraw, from a class when they announced a writing assignment that would be 30% of my grade. My wife was surprised to see my transcripts. I believe my GPA was a 1.5. On PROBATION. Amy you didn't know you married an idiot, did you?

At this point you are asking yourself a few questions. Well, you're learning. Asking questions while reading. I am so proud of you!! Why is this guy writing if he hates it so much? Why am I reading a blog about a guy who is clearly as smart as my 7 year old trying to read grown-up books? Believe me I ask both questions every day but I just remind myself that I enjoy reading more now, this is a fun blog for me to jot down my thoughts and feelings that these books have invoked of me and I like to share all this and a little of myself with you all.




"DRACULA" the novel is a collection of personal journals and letters written describing the details about a vampire who desired to relocate to England where he was less well known to the populace and could live his life with less hassle than in Transylvania where his exploits were more well known. By feeding off of Lucy Westernra, whom was dear to a few friends, Dracula inadvertently revealed himself via Lucy's mysterious behavior and other odd events which elicited the help of Romanian Dr. Van Helsing. Van Helsing was familiar with the stories of "Dracula" and could make sense of these unusual happenings. With the help of these friends and Van Helsing they sought to kill this monster to rid others of the burdens received by the hand, or teeth of Dracula.

Question: What was the intent of the author while writing Dracula?
I recall a time when I was unexpectedly chosen to lead a bible study, freaking out because I didn't know what to talk about. The advice given was, "talk about what you know." The author Bram Stoker did just that. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland a very superstitious country, I can only imagine the amount of folklore he had to listen to which probably included vampires. The talk of vampires existed before his time but Bram created an icon of which the obsession continues today. What we know about vampires is all documented in a chilling story told in the novel "Dracula".

Vampires need for blood to sustain their undead state, sleeping in coffins, white fang canine teeth, the avoidance of exposure to sun, only out between dusk and dawn, fear of garlic and crosses, pallid skin with a great deal of hair on the back of the hand and temples, red eyes, ability to create mist, transfiguring to a bat, wolf, and a rat, death by severing of the head and the stake through the heart, the need to be asked to enter a place before entering, the bite to the neck to feed, YGTP (you get the point) is all due to the writing of "Dracula". Amazing right?? Without Bram we wouldn't have "Twilight", "Interview with a Vampire", "True Blood", "Fright Night", "Underworld", YGTP. A great deal of the novel is to describe these facts in a storybook fashion.


LOVE and DEVOTION
The other theme which encompasses just as much of the story as the characteristics of a vampire is the relationships between John Harker, Van Helsing, Mina Harker, Arthur Holmwood, Quincy Morris, Dr. Seward, and Lucy Westernra. What initially brought everyone together was the love and friendship of Lucy Westernra. Arthur, Quincy and Dr. Seward were all vying for her romantic love, and John Harker's wife Mina was her dear friend. (Spoiler) Lucy's death united them all in one cause. To kill whatever it was that did this to her. Assembling all the letters and journals written by each individual and the prior knowledge of Van Helsing they were able to come up with plans on how to accomplish their mission. Love and devotion to each other was what carried them through the arduous journey especially after Mina Harker herself got infected by Dracula.

STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER
I liked the change of pace from the dominance of strong male characters. Here Lucy's femininity created the connection but Mina's strong will and hard work unified the Van Helsing team. Min and John pouring over the documentation gave them the information they all needed to capture and kill Dracula. Also her slow transformation to becoming a vampire after being infected was a constant reminder of how important their job was and the limited amount of time they had to accomplish their task. In the end they all had their stakes of claim to the demise of Dracula. Pardon the pun.

To answer my question earlier question: Bram Stoker wanted to write a story about a group of people's love and friendship towards one another while telling a fascinating story about something he
was familiar with- vampires. Perhaps vampires are a symbol of the demons we encounter in life and the only way we can face them is through the love and support of close relationships. As we walk along the path of our life we run into tough terrain and there are times we make it to tops of mountains and stay there to bask in splendid view of which we came and from where we must go.

Other times we are tired and disheartened. The thought of climbing another mountain seems daunting and staying in the valley sounds so appealing. This is when we need loved ones to sling our arms over their shoulders and help carry us through those mountains. We don't need someone to tell us that they believe we can do it or to LIKE US. Sometimes when we ask for advice on how to battle the difficult roads we will take it gladly. Other times we just need someone alongside us pushing, holding, loving, cracking jokes all the way up the mountain. Does this make sense?


I know this is a classic written in a way foreign to the style we are used to but its worth reading just because this is when the obsession of vampires took root. It's history! If you find history boring think when you get older whatever you say will be historical. Talking about the old times. Anything leading up to present time is history. So if we flip the table on you anything you say about the past will be considered boring.

#13 "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden

Good Morning, day and evening. 10 days till Christmas. This year we have been busy doing little fun craft things with the kids. Like cutting out a tree and ornaments made out of felt, tape it to the wall and let the kids go crazy. Since my wife and I have been married our Christmas tradition is to watch a bunch of Christmas movies. Yes, besides the normal Santa Claus, snowmen, and zany comedies that take place during this holiday season we include others such as "Die Hard" 1 and 2 and "Gremlins". We are open to try other movies which take place during the Christmas Holiday if there are any suggestions. I would like to hear from others if you wish to mention your family traditions.

Argentina lamp lighting

It's interesting if you care to take time to look at http://www.whychristmas.com/ , the website is dedicated to the various Christmas traditions of other countries and cultures. For instance, in Australia Santa Claus uses kangaroos instead of reindeer and this time of the season it's actually summer so Santa is geared up in more of a summer attire. In Haiti children put their cleaned shoes filled with straw on the porch where their tree sits in hopes Santa will take the straw and replace it with presents. In Argentina on Christmas Eve they light paper objects resembling Chinese paper lanterns and decorate the sky with them. Kind of like in the Disney movie "Tangled".


G'day Mate!

If we were to travel to one of these countries we would be amazed by the diversity in our ways of living. My wife traveled to Ireland for a summer to study and she mentioned to me the contrast in the sizes of our refrigerators. Ireland's are much smaller and do not include a freezer as all of their foods are eaten fresh. Also, the pubs in Ireland are much more of a place for discussion and social interaction versus American bars which tend to be a place to "hook up" or wallow silently. When reading "Memoirs of a Geisha" I was thrust into a way of living I wasn't familiar with. The information in this somewhat fictional memoir was foreign to me so my brain immediately tried to latch onto something that would help me understand what I was reading. Our use of preconceived notions and memories can distort our attitudes to new ways of living and thinking. God calls us to be somewhat empathetic. It's ok to have opinions but if we were placed in other people's shoes how different of a person would we be?

"Memoirs of a Geisha" is a story about a young girl named Chiyo who's father gave her away along with her sister to a geisha house to become one of the most well known geisha's of all time. Possessing dazzling eyes her "Mother" saw great potential in her future. Facts about geisha's. They are employees of the house where they live and they make money by being hired to entertain men at bars, sporting events, parties, etc. Money is also made when a man becomes a Don, which means a man makes a substantial purchase of a specific geisha for her to become his very own mistress. He will lavish her with gifts, money and a better way of life. Her house, the place she lives and is trained, have invested money and time into training someone like Chiyo will get a portion of this money earned. Geisha's wear large robes to cover up a great portion of their body so that only their Don will get to see what's hidden. Whatever makes you more appealing and sell at a higher price, right? If everyone has seen the goods then your stock goes down. How different that is to living in the United States. Also, the face is painted to hide the skin- how important the eyes become.

With this said there is so much more going on in the memoir. Arthur Golden describes more about the culture they lived in during the 1940s-50s and the role of women and men in this society. He includes an entertaining story about how Chiyo initially wanted to escape back home, to embracing the benefits of being a geisha as a better way of life than the other options, and enduring the hateful manipulative "Sister" geisha named Hatsumomo and Hatsumomo's plot to prevent Chiyo from becoming a geisha. If you didn't make the connection the story takes place around the time of Japan's involvement in WWII. Not only is the content enthralling, it was difficult to put my headphones down, but Golden is well articulated in his storytelling and at the same time easy to follow.
If you enjoy reading a good story with a little history and details of a life you may not be familiar with I think this one will be worth it.

Everyone have a Merry Christmas!!(American), Feliz Navidad!!(Spanish), 'Juullimi Ukiortaassamilu Pilluarit'!(Greenlandic), 'Nollaig Shona Dhuit'(Irish)! Well you get the point.

#11 "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and #12 "Casino Royale" by Ian Fleming

As a child I grew up around sports. Some of my earliest memories were of me and my brother playing soccer and baseball in the tropical climate of Honolulu, Hawaii. I also remember going to the Pro Bowl stadium to watch the NFL All-Star game and the minor league baseball team, THE RAINBOWS play. How would you like to tell people that you play for THE RAINBOWS? However watching these games I knew I wanted to be a professional athlete. I wanted the popularity, the fame, and most of all I wanted to be liked. I always try to be the nice guy that doesn't make waves because I don't like it if someone doesn't like me. Unfortunately this abnormality prevents me from being my true self out of fear of saying or doing something that would not be received well. I've always looked up to my younger brother because he possesses qualities that I wish I had. He is funny, intelligent, clever and likable. Perhaps it's all in my head but I felt like I was in his shadow. This isn't his fault at all but people tend to gravitate towards the more charismatic people. Whenever I spoke my words just came out sounding like Foghorn Leghorn. So annoying for my mouth to move faster than my brain. No matter how hard I tried not to be me genetics and previously learned behavior would win out eventually. Frankly it also just felt unnatural. I, like many, turned to hero's at a younger age who possessed abilities I idolized or who've battled through their handicaps to become more than what life has dealt them.

London in the 1890's

Both Sherlock Holmes and James Bond became iconic symbols. Both, for lack of a better term, were idolized for different reasons. During the time of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle there were numerous unsolved crimes deemed to be of supernatural origin. Someone you knew murdered while walking home from work. Must have been the Boogeyman or Spring-heeled Jack check this character out.
Imagine the time in the 1890s when the industrial revolution was exploding and multitudes emigrated to London in search of employment. Not enough jobs for everyone. Countless people unemployed living in slums resulted in crimes of theft and murder. I've read that New Orleans was the London of America if that gives you a better picture. At least that is what was said by the protagonist in "Interview with a Vampire". Onto the scene comes the neurotic and intelligent private investigator Sherlock Holmes who is known to solve any mystery sent his way with the assistance of Dr. Watson. Holmes popularity came at a time when Jack the Ripper was just beginning to make his mark on the prostitute population of London.

Fast forward to the 1950s less than a decade after WWII. Men have settled down to their mundane family life. BABY BOOM!! Feminism was beginning to take root since women held down the fort while the men were off protecting the country abroad which resulted in women and men working side by side. My own grandmother had to endure some harsh criticism and injuries fighting for her right to work at a Seagram's factory in Kentucky. The smooth, debonair, and clever James Bond appears to the mass bringing a chauvinistic excitement to the humdrum life of a family man who's workmates now consist of women in skirts and nylons. WOW!! I like working next to Shirley a lot more than Moe! Fancy cars, crazy gadgets, hot women, and unique villains while working as a spy to foil his foes plans. 007 is all a guy wanted to be and women desired to have.

Don't get me wrong now. I didn't know much about these novels initially. I didn't know "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was actually a Sherlock Holmes story. I've heard about it before and have seen parodies of it on "Duck Tales" and "Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers"; to me, the hound was no more than a sinister glow-in-the-dark dog that could give "Cujo" a fight.


Rescue Ranger episode

"The Hound of the Baskervilles" centers around multiple generations of Baskerville estate heir's and their mysterious deaths. Due to the recent unexpected death of the previous owner of the establishment and the coming in of the new inheritor, the current overseers of the estate enlisted the help of Sherlock Holmes to bring light to this presumed curse before another man falls victim to the same fate. Holmes' keen attention to detail and the masterful way he organizes all the facts to come up with a logical solution is evident from the start as he confers with Dr. Watson to find out who is the owner of a cane left at their office.
Sending Dr. Watson to the Baskerville estate alongside the new inheritor the former was to write to Holmes about his observations of people's behavior and happenings at the estate. Doyle has a Scooby Doo style of problem solving- gathering of information and at the end a long monologue reveals the truth behind the mystery. Doyle's style allows the reader to "be on the case" with Sherlock Holmes. As clues are revealed, we take part in solving the mystery as opposed to having it laid out for us.


Ian Fleming's "Casino Royale" is more action packed. Here agent 007 James Bond, works for the secret service and is assigned to bankrupt a man named Le Chiffre who works for SMERSH. A woman named Vesper Lynd and Bond are hired to work together for this task. They develop a love connection which is very James Bondish with it's own twist in the end. All in all there isn't much to say about this book. A lot of action, mind games, and Baccarat and sexually tame. This book made it on "The List" but really, you could save yourself the time and watch the fabulous Daniel Craig version on DVD or Blu-Ray. I will say, however, that reading these two books was a nice respite from the other depressing books.

#10 "The Shipping News" by Anne Proulx

I must've taken a wrong turn in Albuquerque!

Both girls are taking their late morning naps, wife in the garage attempting to clear out space that was once allotted as a scrap booking room for her. Now it's just been a collection for plastic grocery bags, garage sale items, and other decorations that need to find a new place. As I look outside at a gloomy November day, a couple weeks away from Thanksgiving, our second favorite holiday, I am not happy looking at this 15 foot long mound of earth protruding out of what is now our front yard. We
had plumbing issues and now it looks like Bugs Bunny has burrowed through our yard. Anybody still remember those cartoons?

I won't take too much time writing my thoughts on this novel.



This is a story about a man named Quoyle and his journey from his abusive home living in New York to his new home in Newfoundland, Canada where he begins to rectify his life. In the company of his 2 teenage daughters and with the assistance of his aunt and a close friend he is hired on with a local newspaper in Killick-Claw to report on traffic accidents and, you guessed it, the shipping news while helping to repair his aunt's childhood home that's been abandoned for decades which will become their new house.


I won't lie, I had a dictionary and my iPhone handy for much of my reading. The main setting is on Newfoundlands' coastal regions and I am very unaware of nautical terminology and frankly the variety of words we have in our English language to describe basically the same stuff. She liked to compare one thing I've never heard of to another thing I've

Can you see the boat?

never heard of. It was infuriating! Anyone know what an Eskimo knife looks like? She compares a ship to an Eskimo knife in appearance. Instead of calling it a ship, its a skiff or the actual names of vessels that I've never heard of. Reading this reminded me of when I was reading a "An Army at Dawn" a WWII book. It was geared towards those that know an advanced working of military terminology. It wasn't fun having to look up words in every sentence. Forget about it!!



Boats!

Boat by iceberg

Besides my ignorance of the sea life I was very surprised with the style of Anne Proulx's writing. I was led to believe in correct sentence structure as the only mode of writing. In high school and college I was hounded by my teachers to correct my punctuation and run on sentences to the point when I had to write a paper in college I would avoid it at all costs. So reading "The Shipping News" I was surprised about the amount of incomplete sentences. Sometimes just one word sentences. Besides all these unfortunate surprises I trudged along and found the novel to be slightly entertaining. If it was boring I don't think I would have finished it but put it on hold for later in hopes that someone would buy it for me in audio form. Even with her unusual writing style I enjoyed many parts of it. Her abrupt sentence structure was a quick way to describe the environment these characters were a part of. For instance, I walk outside. Trees blowing. Limbs appear to be playing a tune. Sun hidden. Gloomy. This is somewhat of what it was like to read it but much more beautifully done.

A Skiff

I think this novel is on "The List" and that it won a Pulitzer Prize for Anne Proulx's creativeness in describing life's experiences, her unusual writing style, the amount of detail of the life of a Newfoundlander living by the sea, and the intriguing story of Quoyle's life. For some people this could be a great read but for me it was long. I gather that many great books have an element of educating the reader and this one certainly had that but it lacked character development. Dialogue, relationships, and the overall story were placed on the back burner to the description of other components in the novel. The life living on the cusp of the sea in Newfoundland. Although it was interesting at times I just hoped there was more about Quoyles transformation and his job working at the newspaper. There were a few times of possible excitement such as a possible investigation into a murder on the sea but it faltered into more talk about boats. Oh well.

#9 "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

 I read "The Life of Pi" last spring so much of this blog is written from that time perspective...

The start of another spring. Although it's still a week away I can feel it in the air. A slightly warmer moist breeze passing over me. I take a deep breath inhaling the rejuvenating gases. It's like the air entering into my body sends messages to all the cells that a new season is near. No longer do they have to work so hard keeping me warm. The cells cheer giving me that feeling of excitement. This is the season of new beginnings.

This is what I felt stepping out of my car towards another day of work. As I trek across the long expanse of the GM parking lot, a punishment for driving a foreign car, I see the residue of a season passing away. Can't wait for shorts and tee shirts. To shed the confining garb of the bitterly cold winter. I punch in and enter my cubicle-like work space where human interaction is frowned upon. 'If you have time to talk then we have more work for you to do.' "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!"

Any escape from the monotony of my job is through the spoken word. Literally!! However the same stories, previously mentioned in my blog "The Black Dahlia", started to become monotonous as well. I needed something new, fresh. I tried listening to Nicholas Sparks' "Dear John" but I think I popped a blood vessel preventing the tears from gushing out. A man working on a truck on the assembly line a sobbing mess would just be embarrassing. No more of that thank you. My wife loved all the mushy love letters the book aroused though.

Yann Martel, Tom Hanks look-a-like!

My search for something different led me to "The List" as I will call it from now on. Scanning slowly
down the list with my right index finger at the title's I've never heard of by author's I've never heard of becoming a little discouraged I finally came upon a familiar title. "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. Never heard of the author but I, being somewhat of a movie buff, did connect the book with the new movie which won an Oscar for best picture. All I knew was it was about a boy from India in a boat with a big tiger. The Academy Awards panel choose such obscure movies to make their list. Why don't they pick something normal? Is this book going to be over my head leaving me feeling stupid? Stick with the Harry Potter books even kids have no trouble following and leave the big boy books for the intellectuals.

As this thought swirled around in my head I place my headphones over my ears, the season of new beginnings looming, about to embark on a journey that "The Life of Pi" will eventually inspire.

"The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel is about an inquisitive boy named Piscine "Pi" Molitor. Growing up in India circumstances led him and his family to be taken from his home, during his late teens, on a ship towards Canada for his dad's new job. During this voyage the ship had an accident causing it to sink abandoning Pi on a small life boat containing a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger until "hopefully" a rescue party or land come to save him. Are you asking yourself "Where did the animals come from?" This isn't exactly a place where you usually find these sorts of animals. Well, they were on the ship with him and his family. I like this game ask me another one. "Why were they on the ship with his family?" Because Pi's dad was a zookeeper while in India. I believe I've had too much coffee. I am starting to sound like Robin Williams. That's not good.

Moving along. Why is this novel on "The List" and why did I enjoy reading it? There were a few elements involved in the story that were easy to follow.  The spiritual element: Pi's curiosity and naivety drew him to adopt Christianity, Muslim and Hinduism as his faith at the same time. Yann's humor in spite of the controversial topic of religion made this issue a light-hearted affair. One instance in particular was an altercation between a leader of each faith who battled in a debate over the valid and absurd points of each faith. It left me desiring to see this discussion in real life. It would be like Reverend Lovejoy, Rabbi Krustofsky, the various Hindu deities of Apu's faith, God, Jesus, the Devil, and Ned Flanders all in a round-table discussion.

The educational element: Pi is in the company of a variety of animals due to his father being a zookeeper so he knew a lot about them. While living in India and his adventures on the life boat he explains to himself as well as the reader specific characteristics each animal possessed. This information would be helpful for his survival. I came to appreciate the intrinsic quality these animals possessed that I really never gave much thought to. It was delightful to read something so beautifully told by a person who seems to really take appreciation in these creations.

The story element: Yann's story telling was at times funny and captivating but always entertaining. It is a work of art how he intertwines the spiritual which all of us have some familiarity with, the educational which many times we like to shy away from these learning experiences, and the overall originality of the story, with its humorous and yet serious elements makes the "The Life of Pi" a pleasure to read. The movie was good but it mostly captures the element of the story but leaves out the other 2 that leaves you feeling just entertained. If this is all you look for then the movie will suffice but if you desire something more then read the book.

#8 "the Black Dahlia" by James Ellroy

I've read my share of crime-solving mystery novels to the extent that they all started to run together. The Michael Connelly's, Tom Clancy's, James Patterson's, Janet Evanovich's, Harlan Coben novels are all fine and good mystery novels. Very entertaining but ordinary. I have never walked away thinking, "Man that was a great story! I can't wait to tell others about it." If I were to ask you what's your favorite book I am guessing it wouldn't be these types of stories. Why? Because they are all the same. None of them stand out alone. I understand crime solving author's are not trying to create a great work of fiction that would blow our minds. Their publishers signed them up to make so many books per year. This isn't a conducive setting for great works of fiction but the authors have to pay bills just like the rest of us.

I've recently discovered something about myself. I like a variety in my life. When it comes to food, music, movies, books, family and friends I want it to be like a sampler platter. A taste of everything. A night out at a restaurant with me could be entertaining especially when it's time for the server to take my order. 10 minutes of deliberation on whether to go with my usual or to venture out with something new. I wish more restaurants had a top selling list to go by. That way I could avoid THAT item in the menu nobody else is brave enough to try. It's all a risk, isn't it. That's why we stick to what we know. I will go with the Stephen King even though afterwards I know I will end up with a upset stomach. What I usually do is ask the server what's the most popular dishes and if one of them is on my narrowed down list of 2 or 3 I go with that or just order a burger with fries. Can't screw that up right? I use this method when my wife and I pick out a movie in our collection to watch. I call it, "let fate decide." I narrow it down to 5 movies, number them and have my wife eliminate each number until only one stands alone. Of course if it's one we are not really crazy about watching we go with the burger and fries. You see how indecisive I am? Does it make sense more of why I am reading "1001 Books to Read Before You Die"? I am that indecisive. I am surprised I finally got married after 29 years. It took that long to figure out what I wanted. I am totally happy though.

The movie



I'm ready for my close up Mr. Deville.

"The Black Dahlia" is very much like any other crime solving
mystery novel. It's a respite from my past 2 books about suicide...sort of. Based on real events, the book is about an investigation by a detective named Dwight Bleichert into the grisly murder of a 22 year old woman, Elizabeth Short. It had its fair share of twists and turns alongside other mystery novels but the story never stood apart from other crime novels with 2 exceptions. 1: the nonfictional part of the novel is disturbing especially if you look up the real details of what happened (pictures painful to see) 2: the final twist which I never saw coming is James Ellroy's inspiration for writing "The Black Dahlia". His relationship with his mother filled in many of the holes of the plot absent from the original story. If you ever read it this knowledge will give you the chills on top of the chills already present just from real facts of the murder. When reading any book we are not just entering the imagination of the author, but their actual life experiences. Behind the veil of plots and fantasy is a piece of the author etched onto the pages of his/her work. Each book in a way is like a Horcrux. My

Creepy!

blog is like a Horcrux. BEWARE!!

My last question for you all, and I think I know the answer, is why is this murder still being talked about? We hear about killings every week. Some devastating but I doubt we will be talking about it 60 some odd years later. Feel free to comment. I believe the media has played a big role. Checking out the background of the investigation I read about how the police and media were working side by side during the search for the killer. Gory photos were broadcasted to the public, which I might add was in Los Angeles. Imagine the circus that caused. More than 50 people confessed to the murder. The only information they had was what they read in the paper. Only in LA. Whatever can get you on TV. Not only the media, but the way in which she was killed has left a lingering effect. Nothing I have ever seen before. Given the fact they never solved the murder, there was a movie and book about it, and well "The Black Dahlia" is a catchy name. This is my reason for its popularity among people today.

#6 "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath & #7 "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides

With the existence of blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc...our censorship has found no bounds. Maybe you guys can relate but I have a great deal of nerve when I am in the safety of my car to scream obscenities to other drivers. What would I do if right after the confrontation we pulled into work at the same job. I don't think I would behave the same way. In fact, I would be more pleasant. My wife was unpleasantly surprised to be introduced to Ohio's drivers way of saying your a bad driver. We don't honk, we give them the bird. I thought that was universal! My point being when writing about these books I will only say what I would have no problem saying to the author's face. I hope to be more of a Nigel Lythgoe in my statements than Simon Cowell. We find harshness to others entertaining but these behaviors are not to be mimicked. We all have feelings we desire to express. I have a great deal of anger on occasions and it's ok to feel that emotion but we need to work on how we handle the anger. Ok so I will get off my soap box now.

I decided to write in one blog about two books because both have to do with the same moral issue. Suicide. Each novel, "The Bell Jar" and "The Virgin Suicides" depict the same issue but in very different perspectives. The first story is told in first-person, the other in third-person. The first, a description of Esther Greenwood's personal journey towards this devastating outcome, the second, an investigation by a few neighbor boys to discover what really happened to the 5 young girls they new from childhood that led them to take their lives. Both stories are sad and depressing but it is an unfortunate occurrence we see often in our lives, whether on the news or personal experience. The most common statements I hear about suicide is that it's selfish. I agree, but can I tell a girl who was kidnapped into sex trafficking, having to endure such vileness, that living through that is better than death? Or a child locked in a cage starving and neglected that her life is worth living and that suicide is not an option? I thank God I haven't been in a situation bad enough to look at death as a sweet friend. Our beliefs are molded by our life experiences and upbringing. There are other cultures that view suicide for a good cause worthy of great praise and honor. I don't agree with their motives at all but these cultures look at us with the same criticism. I just say sometimes we need to set aside preconceived notions and allow ourselves to look at these issues from a different perspective. Saying to someone who tried to commit suicide that they are selfish doesn't really help anybody does it?

"The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath is a novel about Esther Greenwood's life told from her point of view. Both Sylvia's and Esther's lives parallel each other to the point "The Bell Jar" in essence is considered an autobiography. Sylvia's early fame in winning a Pulitzer Prize for poetry and Esther's early achievement chosen as a guest editor for a fashion magazine; all expenses paid and in the company of other bright and successful men and women. The joy Esther assumed she would feel from this achievement didn't bear fruit. The feelings she had suppressed: fear, doubt, insecurities, all floated back to the surface. Thoughts she never wanted to revisit again, buried for good.

I remember senior year of high school, ready to move toward the next stage of life. Being an ADULT. This means making decisions for my future. What college will I attend? What career will lead me down the path of ultimate happiness? My future was like a blank canvas. I heard others talk as though they knew exactly what they wanted. Their canvas had already formed a clear picture. I looked at mine and felt fear. Scared of where each decision will lead. Will I make a wrong choice and BAM stuck at a dead end, lifeless job.

The example I loved in Sylvia's story, "The Bell Jar" was of a fig tree that bore fruit. Each fig on the tree represented a path in life. Every moment she waited to make a decision a fig would fall to the ground and decompose. A path that will never be fulfilled. Can you imagine the anxiety she felt? Sometimes the fear of failure can lead to inactivity. Others jump into a decision too hastily which may result in a bad decision too. Both can lead to a potential satisfied or dissatisfied life. This dilemma was what Esther faced. She commented that she was stuck in between what she should do and shouldn't do. She chose to do neither. When we usually say pick between A or B and we choose C. Hmm...Perhaps suicide is for some "Option C" like Sylvia Plath whom eventually did take her life.

What I got from reading this story is I should decide to be content with whatever direction I choose for myself. To not fear the future but to welcome it like a newborn baby. It's ok to dream and have hopes but recognize they may never come to fruition, so I need to be joyful in the few that do become fulfilled.

"The Virgin Suicides" movie

"The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides however isn't just about the 5 girls suicide as much as how it has affected those around them. The story begins as it ends, with the girls' suicides. The authors, "Let's get this investigation out in the open right away, the girls killed themselves." Now what?? This isn't a CSI episode figuring out who did it. We know. It's all about what compelled these girls to commit suicide. Jeffrey ushers the reader through multiple theories. If you have any preconceived notions of the role parents, society, friends, neighbors, and ourselves have on events like this he brings that bias out of you.  It interested me while reading how I immediately pointed at a specific target as the cause. However in the end the author's goal was to show that everyone plays a role in the quality of another's life. A parent's idea of sheltering their kids early on to prevent outside influence isn't full proof. As a child we should hold ourselves accountable to our actions regardless of our previous experience. As neighbors and society in general we are partly responsible for the way the world is today. Our major concern is for our own well being and to take care of our stuff and to accumulate stuff while our neighbors endure suffering. We like to say that this world is the way it is because we have taken God out of the picture, but I believe Jeffrey points to the fact we failed each other first. Does our involvement in each other's lives change the suicide rate? Jeffrey does recognize that some people are predisposed to suicide. That each of us may already have one chamber loaded in the gun. These girls had the whole gun loaded with each element contributing to their ultimate death.

The topic of both novels has been sad and depressing to examine, but I have learned something valuable after reading them. I'm glad it's over though.

#5 "Saturday" by Ian McEwan

Hello, it's been 8 days since I started blogging and I have posted about 6 novels. My blog title did state "Bookinthroughbooks" and that's what I plan to do. "Booking" is a term I remember from the 80s which means moving fast. If I read 1 book a week, 52 weeks in a year, I should be done at the beginning of the year of 2032. I will be 55 years old. That means I have completed 0.00599401% of my objective thus far. I can't wait to complete a whole percentage, that will be a reason to celebrate. Right now I am a long way away. Hopefully I still have all my faculties in working order. Who knows, maybe one day we will be able to download all that information into our brains like in "The Matrix" and this feat will be null and void.

Looks like a military thriller

The point of this whole post besides rambling is to talk about "Saturday" by Ian McEwan which is a story of a day in the life of a neurosurgeon. If any of us were to write about one day in our life we wouldn't write about that day we laid around in our pajamas and watched old movies while we ate a pint of ice cream.  Perhaps if that ice cream were chocolate moose tracks, mmm...I still wouldn't want to read it. Well, Henry Perowne the neurosurgeon's day however was more exciting. Besides doing some surgery, playing, as I could tell, racquetball, running into some thugs, and seeing a protest of the Iraq war his day was like any other day.

Ian McEwan

I like the idea about writing about a day in a person's life but I don't think I would want to write about a neurosurgeon playing racquetball or doing surgery. Just not that thrilling. I can however see why they included this novel on the list of, "The 1001 Books to Read Before You Die". The concept of the novel and the details of the inner workings of the brain while Henry was working on his patients were interesting, however the rest of the story wasn't enough to make this a great book for me. Running into some thugs sounds exciting but it was toned down. "Hey, give us your money!", "No go away!", "Okay, have a good day!". Not exactly as it happened but that's how I felt while reading it. Where's the panache?



They will eat you alive!

I did enjoy reading his thoughts when he was doing surgery. I won't bore you with the details though, but since I have a daughter with a neurological disorder and have taken 2 anatomy and physiology courses (that I did well in) I am familiar with the neurological terms used in this novel. The neuro part of the story wasn't over my head but the part discussing poetry did lose me. I don't get poetry. It's beautiful like when I've read "The Song of Solomon" in the Bible. I would love to tell my wife her hair is as beautiful as a donkey's and stuff like that but I just like to tell her, "Your hair looks gorgeous today!"

What I've noticed about these types of novels is the focus on providing the reader with intellectual information with a story to entertain. One of the authors objectives I imagine is to kindle a fire to the point that the reader will desire to learn more about it's subject matter. In this attempt the novel failed. The flame was doused with gallons of water to never burn again. That sounded kind of harsh. Sorry Mr. McEwan!! 1 1/2 thumbs down, 1/2 up because I like your last name.

#4 "2001: A Space Odyssey" By Arthur C. Clarke

Scanning the seemingly never ending list of "1001 Books to Read Before You Die", I will admit my decision initially is based on familiarity with the title thanks to Stanley Kubrick's film version. "2001: A Space Odyssey". It is on both my book list as well as "1001 Movies to See Before You Die" but I have never actually seen the movie. Going into it I know the setting is in space. DUH!! I know it was a movie made in the 1960's. The story depicts where this world would be technologically in the future. I guess I pictured something like "Back to the Future II" but more in the weird style of the 60s-70's.  The 70's science fiction movies like "Blade Runner"and "Logan's Run" are just weird to me. I guess you just had to be there. Lastly, I recall Hal, the mind of the spaceship, and how he created many problems for the travelers as if he was plagued with a computer virus. I suppose what I knew about "2001: A Space Odyssey" could be gleaned from a movie preview.

Why won't you die?!

Movie Previews!! They are so funny sometimes. Every movie looks like a blockbuster in previews. There's BIG explosions, people getting KILLED, funny lines, and if that's not interesting enough- a little sexy make-out blurb giving the fellas that thought maybe there will be some BOOBIES in this!! Come on guys, if this wasn't true the marketing guru's wouldn't keep making previews like this. When we finally choose to see one of these movies we are flabbergasted to find out that what the previews sold us on was a sham!! The only funny scene in the movie, the only skin shot, and the mass carnage we hoped for consisted of what was shown in the previews.

This is how I felt when I finally finished the novel. So this is it? Hal wasn't even a blip on the screen. It was interesting but it lasted 10 pages maybe and the rest was weird psychedelic details only Sheldon Cooper and his gang (The Big Bang Theory) would appreciate. Ok, so the story is a big black monolith sent down to Earth by aliens or some greater power in the beyond looking to experiment on the minds of Earth's inhabitants. Why? I have no clue. Interest? Boredom? It manipulated the minds of a few apes that eventually spurred on the advancement of the new race to what we see now in humans. It caught my interest initially. The story continues to the present time where humans found a black monolith on the surface of the moon and the rest of the story basically was trying to discover what the black monolith was. The story of Hal was just a side story. What else can I say about the novel. I would much rather have wasted my time watching a bad movie than enduring this novel. On this list I suppose I will run into quite a few stories that are not up my alley. Oh well. C'est la vie!!