Thoughts While Watching TCM

After moving into our new house we signed up with a satellite providers for subscription TV. One of the channels we receive now is Turner Classic Movies (TCM). In the last few months that has become our default channel, and we've enjoyed several old favorites and discovered many movies we'd never seen. 

Yesterday was Hitchcock day on TCM, and one of the films was "Shadow of a Doubt," starring Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotton. We came in about halfway, but a quick check of the plot on IMDB got me up to speed. 

My favorite scene was where the Teresa Wright character wants to get to the library so that she can check the newspaper to see if her uncle, Joseph Cotton is a murderer.  The library closes at 9 p.m., and it's five minutes before 9. As she walks up to the library, the lights go out, and the door is locked. She pounds on the door, and finally the librarian (a stern looking older woman) tells her that the library is closed. Teresa begs to be let in, and the librarian relents and tells her she has three minutes. 

This is where Hitchcock's genius is apparent. How did he know that my recurring work dream is where it's closing time, and people keep coming into the library and won't leave?  I just had that dream the other night, and it's been almost six months since I've worked in a library. It's like he knew everyone's worst nightmare. 

This morning we watched "Between Two Women," one of the Dr. Gillespie series starring Van Johnson and Lionel Barrymore. I find those entertaining as it gives me an insight as to how the medical profession, or at least the Hollywood version of the medical profession has changed in 70 years. Case in point: in today's movie, Van Johnson is treating a woman who refuses to eat by using psychoanalysis. To try to learn what trauma is causing her condition he goes to the nightclub where she works and gathers all the employees together to see if they had any insight into her condition. So much for doctor/patient confidentiality.  Thanks to HIPPA, we'll never see that scene again.  Unless Dr. House makes a return. 

Saying Goodbye

It was an emotionally draining day as I walked through the rooms of our house one last time. After 7 years, we are leaving Maine and heading west to be near our son and his family in Colorado. And while I know that I'm going to love being close to our adorable two-year old grandson and his parents, it's still hard to say goodbye. 

When we moved to Maine in 2007 it was a difficult adjustment. The job I took here turned out to be much more stressful than I could have imagined, and the stress of being far from family and friends was almost more than I could bear. But through all the difficulties, this house was my sanctuary. While sitting on the deck or in my backyard or in the den, I was able to put aside the drama of work, and feel a deep peace. I've always felt that it was a gift from God, a place for rest and sanctuary. 

The deck in autumn

Enjoying the backyard with friends

Once we decided to sell it, we embarked on a flurry of activity that allowed me to not think about the consequences of the process. Even after we accepted an offer back in April, it still didn't feel real. Over the past two weeks I've been saying goodbye- to co-workers, friends, and our wonderful church family. And as hard as that's been, I know that I'll see many of these people again, and will be able to stay in touch. But leaving the house, that was tough, because it's like leaving a part of me behind. 

Today at the closing, we met the new owners. They are delightful, and totally in love with this house. The moment they walked in, they knew they loved it. The wife is of Swedish heritage, and when she saw my Swedish-style kitchen with the Swedish cookbooks and trivet, she knew it was right. Then as they walked through the house, and saw the color scheme we had done, they were sold. As I sat through the closing, I was assured that my house is in good hands, with people who will love it as much as I do. 

Now I know that a house is really just a shell, and it's the people who live there who create a home, and I know that God will provide a home that will be just what we need in our lives right now. But I will always be grateful for this gift for the last seven years, and how it helped nourish and replenish my soul. 

I'll also be eternally grateful for the people who were put in my life here in Maine. There were so many of you. I already miss you, but know that you'll always have a place in my heart, and in our new home. Thank you for your kindnesses, your grace, and your friendship. I appreciate it more than you could ever know. 

Life Interrupted: Trafficking Into Forced Labor in the United States by Denise Brennan

For the past year I've been interested in the efforts of those who are fighting to end human trafficking around the world. It's a serious problem, and there are no easy solutions. Earlier this year I read Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade- and How We Can Fight It by David Batstone, the founder of Not for Sale.  In it, he described the ordeals of specific individuals who had been enslaved. It is an eye-opening work, and I suggest that everyone should read it. 

Thus it was with great interest that I discovered   Life Interrupted: Trafficking Into Forced Labor in the United States by Denise Brennan in the Net Galley list. Brennan is an anthropology professor at Georgetown University whose research focuses on human trafficking and immigration reform. In Life Interrupted Brennan outline the experiences of several women and a few men who were enslaved here in the United States. The experiences of these people were different; some were forced into the sex trade, some were farm workers, and some were domestic workers. However, despite these differences, the one thing they all had in common was the lack of freedom. Eventually all the people Brennan describes were able to achieve freedom, but for many that was not the end of their difficulties. 

Once they were freed from servitude, they then faced the bureaucratic and legal issues experienced by many immigrants who do not enter this country legally. Many are able to receive a special visa for trafficked individuals, but many remain in limbo. Once those hurdles are overcome, they then have to adjust to life in a totally alien country with no means of support. For many, the circumstances of their past make it difficult to reach out to others from their home countries, and many lack training and skills that would enable them to find jobs. 

Brennan outlines these problems and describes many of the organizations and individuals who are reaching out to those who were trafficked. At the end of the book is a lengthy appendix with sources of information on how we can get involved in the fight to end human trafficking and how to help those who have been freed.  

While I found Brennan's accounts of the trafficked individuals compelling, I felt that this book is a bit too academic to appeal to those who are just becoming aware of the issue.  There was extensive footnoting, and in many places the narrative became bogged down and a tad repetitive. I do think, however, that anyone who is passionate about ending trafficking and has a good grasp of the issues should read this book, especially for the appendix. For those just learning about the cause, I would suggest David Batstone's Not for Sale.

 

My 2013 Reading LIst

Something happened to me this past year that I thought would never happen.  I hit a reading wall. The year started out with such promise, reading-wise.  I read 10 books in January, and I thought for sure that I'd surpass the number of books I'd read in 2012. But then last summer I got to the point where I just couldn't read another book.  This is something that's never happened to me, and I found it quite discouraging.  

So, I took a bit of a reading vacation.  I decided that I would only read the books that I wanted to read, and would not worry about how much I read, or about reading the books everyone's talking about.  I started this at the end of June when I was going to be spending a lot of time in airports and on planes.  I'd been wanting to read Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall for some time, so I decided that would be a perfect  book to bring along.  I got about halfway through when I returned from all my traveling, and managed to finish it over the next month.  For the rest of the year I've continued to read, but have slowed down the pace. Now I'm focusing on the books I need to read (or re-read) for book discussion, and the books I really want to read.  

As much as I love being a librarian, I think that one of the problems inherent with the job is the danger of losing the joy of reading.  Keeping up with the reading interests of our patrons is an important part of the job, and can become a chore, rather than something done for pleasure. So my  goal for 2014 is to not worry about how much I read, but to slow down and savor each book. 

With that introduction, I'm presenting the list of books I did read in 2013.  Feel free to ask me about any of them; despite my sluggish attitude this year, I do still love talking about books. Happy New Year, and Happy Reading.

Books Read - 2013

1.      Smith, Amy - All Roads Lead to Austen

2.      Martel, Yann - The Life of Pi (Book Discussion)

3.      Hoffman, Beth - Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

4.      Evans, Rachel Held - A Year of Biblical Womanhood

5.      Manzano, Sonia - The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano (Juvenile Fiction)

6.      Dallas, Sandra - The Persian Pickle Club  (Re-read for Book Discussion)

7.      Bradley, Alan - Speaking from Among the Bones

8.      Donovan, Jeremy - How to Deliver a Ted Talk

9.      Taub, Patricia - The Mother of My Invention

10.  Kidder, Tracy and Todd, Richard - Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction

11.  Pym, Barbara - A Glass of Blessings (Re-read)

12.  Martin, Demetri - This Is a Book

13.  Grissom, Kathleen - The Kitchen House (Book Discussion)

14.  Wodehouse, P.G. - Right Ho, Jeeves (Re-read)

15.  Patchett, Ann - Bel Canto (Book Discussion)

16.  Crombie, Deborah - The Sound of Broken Glass

17.  Jennings, Ken - Because I Said So

18.  Fuller, Gary - The Trivia Lover's Guide to the World

19.  Haruf, Kent - Benediction

20.  Clayton, Meg Waite - The Four Ms Bradwells (Book Discussion – skype with author!)

21.  Haruf, Kent - The Tie that Binds

22.  Beaton, M.C. - Death of Yesterday

23.  Moore, Edward Kelsey - The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat

24.  Close, Jennifer - The Smart One

25.  Fforde, Jasper - The Eyre Affair (Book Discussion)

26.  Lipman, Elinor - The View from Penthouse B

27.  Sloan, Robin - Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

28.  Semple, Maria - This One Is Mine

29.  Fowler, Therese Ann - Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald

30.  Arsenault, Emily - The Broken Teaglass

31.  Wein, Elizabeth - Code Name Verity (Young Adult – audiobook)

32.  Barnes, Julian - The Sense of an Ending ( Book Discussion)

33.  Hainey, Michael - After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story

34.  Koppel, Lily - The Astronaut Wives Club

35.  Sedaris, David - Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls (audiobook)

36.  Potok, Chaim - The Chosen

37.  Cullen, Lisa Takeuchi - Pastor's Wives

38.  Ryan, Tom - Following Atticus (Book Discussion)

39.  Gaffigan, Jim - Dad Is Fat

40.  Salzman, Mark - The Soloist (re-read for Book Discussion)

41.  Grabenstein, Chris - Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (Juvenile Fiction)

42.  Mantel, Hilary - Wolf Hall

43.  Lethal, Mac - Texts from Bennett

44.  Lutz, Lisa - The Last Word

45.  Moran, Johanna - The Wives of Henry Oades  (Re-read for Book Discussion)

46.  Goolrick, Robert - A Reliable Wife (Re-read for Book Discussion)

47.  Paton, Alan - Cry the Beloved Country (Re-read)

48.  Steinbeck, John - Travels with Charley: In Search of America (Re-read for Book Discussion)

49.  Thompson, Jean - The Year We Left Home

50.  Bradley, Alan - The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

51.  Skloot, Rebecca - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Book Discussion)

52.  Mantel, Hilary - Bring Up the Bodies

53.  Pullman, Philip - Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm

54.  O'Flynn, Catherine - Mr. Lynch's Holiday

55.  Steadman, M.L. - The Light Between Oceans (Book Discussion)

56.  Faulks, Sebastian - Jeeves and the Wedding Bells

57.  Zierman, Addie - When We Were on Fire

58.  Smith, Alexander McCall - The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon

59.  Setterfield, Diane - The Thirteenth Tale (Re-read for Book Discussion)

60.  Semple, Maria - Where'd You Go, Bernadette (Re-read for Book Discussion)

61.  Attenberg, Jamie - The Middlesteins (Re-read for Book Discussion)

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley

I'm a huge fan of the Flavia deLuce mystery series by Canadian author Alan Bradley.  At the

end of the fifth book in the series, Speaking from Among the Bones, there was a major cliffhanger, and I  could not wait until the next book appeared.  

Several months ago while browsing NetGalley, I saw that I could request the advanced ebook of The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches.  I did so, and quickly downloaded it.  When I downloaded it there was a note that reviews could not be published until closer to the release date, so I'm just now writing the review, but actually read the book several months ago.  I was afraid that I might forget key elements, but I have to say that this is a book that's sticking with me.

Often in a long-running mystery series the author starts to run out of steam.  At the end of the 5th book I was a bit concerned that this might be the case, but I was pleased to find that this is not so.  

I don't want to give too much away for those who read the previous book and are eagerly anticipating the resolution of the cliffhanger, so I'll try to be careful.  The story starts with the entire deLuce family at the train station waiting for the return of Harriet, Flavia's mother who disappeared when Flavia was a baby.

At the station a stranger gives Flavia a cryptic message, then is immediately killed by an oncoming train.  Long-lost relatives with secrets also make an appearance.  Flavia discovers a home movie that may provide clues to these events, as well as answer some questions about Harriet and her family.  Flavia's Aunt Felicity is also on hand to fill in some parts of the family story.

By the end of the novel, Flavia is ready to face a brand-new adventure, and I look forward to joining her.  Bradley has taken a series that was starting to become a bit stale and reinvigorated it by resolving many questions and taking it in a different direction.  I wish that more mystery series writers would take this approach.

How to Make an Apple Pie

1. On a nice sunny day in October, visit a local apple orchard and purchase a bag of Cortland apples with the intention of making pies in the next few days. 

2. When you get home put the apples in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. 

3. Whenever you open the refrigerator tell yourself that you really do need to get those pies made. 

4.  Repeat number 3 several times over the next month. 

5 Around Thanksgiving, bring your fancy apple peeler/slicer up from the basement and tell yourself that you will definitely make apple pies for Thanksgiving. 

6.  Decide to bake a Mrs. Smith's Pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. 

7. Whenever you open the refrigerator check the apple to make sure they're still good. Notice that they're starting to get a bit soft, and tell yourself that you really need to get those pies baked. 

8.  Twelve days before Christmas, when you have 17 other projects to finish in the next two days, take time to make 3 pies.  Bonus points if you do this immediately after scrubbing the kitchen floor. 

Texts from Bennett

As the mother of a 28 year-old son, I've heard my share of rap music. 
 Mostly when he was in

high school and I was driving him back and forth to his various activities.  I'm not a huge fan, and I especially have issues with the misogynistic aspects of the medium.

Now that I'm stalking following him on Facebook, I'm still aware of where his musical tastes lie, and from time to time he made mention of a rapper named Mac Lethal,a white rapper from the Kansas City area.

One day while browsing the new ebooks for review on NetGalley, I saw that Mac had a new book coming out, and I decided that I had to read it.  

Texts from Bennett is the story of Mac, and how he opened his home to his opiate-addicted aunt Lillian, her conspiracy theorist boyfriend Tim, and her 17 year-old gangsta son, Bennett, who claims to be 13% black (he's not).

The story unfolds through Mac's narration, interspersed with texts between Mac and Bennett. As might be expected, the arrival of his family causes no small amount of disruption in Mac's life, especially in his relationship with new girlfriend Harper.   But Mac begins to see another side of his family, and when he learns more about his Aunt Lillian's (and his own mother's) dysfunctional family he begins to appreciate them more.

There's a lot of really offensive language in Texts from Bennett, as well as a lot of drug use.  But if you can get past that, it's really a good story.  Mac learns to see another side of Bennett, and both Mac and Bennett grow from the experience of spending time together.  So while I don't think any friends my age would enjoy reading Texts from Bennett,  I think young adults who share my son's enthusiasm for hip-hop culture would like this book.

A Glass of Blessings

 I don't remember exactly when I read my first Barbara Pym novel, but I think I was in my 20's. I eventually read all 12 of her novels (here's a complete list of her published novels), but it was a long time ago.  In the past few years I've suggested her novels to friends and fellow Anglophiles,  but no one to whom I had suggested them fell in love with them as I did.

I'd been thinking that I'd like to read them again when I learned that A Glass of Blessings was about to be reissued in an ebook format.  I  vaguely remembered that this was my favorite of Pym's novels.  Along with the Pym's characteristic bittersweet tone I also picked up on a strain of humor that I enjoyed. I received an advance galley through NetGalley, and started reading it on my nook.  

 A Glass of Blessings is the story of a young English woman, Wilmet Forsythe, who lives with her husband Rodney and his mother Sybil in London.  With nothing to occupy her time, Wilmet becomes involved with the parishioners of the neighborhood church she has started to attend.  This colorful cast of characters includes elderly Father Thames, a collector of fine art, mild and dumpy Father Bode, and the newest assistant, Father Ransome, who cuts a rather dashing figure. Rounding out this group are Mary Beamish, a young woman devoted to good works, and Wilf Bason, the new cook for the Clergy House.   In addition, Wilmet also feels drawn to Piers Longridge, the ne'er-do-well brother of her dear friend Rowena.  When Piers seems to take an interest in her she is flattered, but Piers' secretive life complicates the relationship.

Like all of Pym's works, A Glass of Blessings is a quiet slice-of-life story about a specific class of people in post-war England. Nothing too serious ever happens, and the characters are interesting, if not particularly deep. What I appreciate about these stories is that they take me to another time and place where I can spend an enjoyable few hours.  I'm looking forward to re-reading more of Pym's novels, and hope that more will be reissued in digital format.  

Speaking from Among the Bones

As an Angolphile and mystery lover, I'm an avid fan of British mysteries.  A fairly recent author to my list of favorites is Alan Bradley, the Canadian author of the Flavia deLuce mysteries.  Speaking from Among the Bones is the fifth in the series, and when I saw that it was available in an ebook galley through NetGalley I eagerly requested it.

And I was not disappointed.  Flavia is a young girl who lives on an estate with her father and two older sisters.  Flavia's mother, an adventurer named Harriet, disappeared while mountain climbing in the Himalayas when Flavia was a baby.  To escape the torment of her sisters, Flavia has staked out territory in an unused portion of their mansion, a fully-equipped chemistry lab, which was the pride and joy of a previous deLuce.  Despite her tender years, Flavia has become quite knowledgeable about chemistry, and is particularly skilled in the creation and use of poisons.

Flavia also has the uncanny luck of stumbling upon dead bodies.  While attending the unearthing of the bones of Saint Tancred, for whom the local parish is named, the body of the missing choir director is discovered. Flavia uses her sleuthing abilities to find his killer, and uncovers some long-held secrets of her small village in the process.

The Flavia deLuce mysteries are intriguing, fast-paced stories filled with interesting and complex characters.  This one was especially interesting given the surprising cliff-hanger at the very end, and I will be anxiously awaiting the next installment.

How to Deliver a Ted Talk

I'd like to start out by saying that I know I'll never deliver a Ted Talk. For those of you unfamiliar with Ted Talks, I'll direct you here. Ted stands for "technology, entertainment, and design," and the Ted Talks are from two annual conferences that " bring together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes or less)." The talks are available online for viewing, and cover a wide variety of topics.

While I'd like to think that I have words worth imparting to the world, I'm enough of a realist that I know this isn't the case. One day a colleague and I had just been discussing Ted Talks and the unlikelihood of our ever being asked to present one. Later that day I was browsing through the NetGalley list and found How To Deliver a Ted Talk: Secrets of the World's Most Inspiring Presentations by Jeremey Donovan. I jokingly told my colleague that I should read it so that I would know how to deliver my talk when asked. We laughed, but then I decided I wanted to see what the author had to say, so I downloaded the book.
At 111 pages (in ebook galley form), it's a quick read. Chapters cover how to select a topic, how to build your speech, how to master your delivery, and how to overcome your fear. Donovan is also a realist, and knows that most of his readers will never deliver an actual Ted talk, but encourages anyone who may ever need to address a group to use the book as a guide to more effective public speaking.

As a former member of my college forensic team I've long enjoyed public speaking, and I appreciated Donovan's book for succinctly laying out the design for how to prepare a speech. How To Deliver a Ted Talk by Jeremey Donovan would be a useful addition to any public library collection.