The Secrets of a Fire King by Kim Edwards

I've had The Secrets of a Fire King on my wishlist pretty much ever since I read The Memory Keeper's Daughter (read my post). Now that I've read it, I'm wondering why I didn't try to get my hands on a copy sooner. I loved the varied settings of the stories, Edwards' vivid descriptions, and her sympathetic characters. In this collection, Edwards is subtle and strong. Her words are mesmerizing. And, while there were some stories that I cared less for than others, there were none that I wanted to write off (which is rare in a collection, I think).

The rising price of food is changing practices on Pennsylvania livestock farms.

From "Fields Of Gold", The Guardian, April 16, 2008:

"Call it the revenge of Marie Antoinette. The French queen, who on being told that her subjects had no bread suggested they eat cake instead, has gone down in history as callous, unworldly and fully deserving of the guillotine. Last year, however, farmers in Pennsylvania began following her advice. Since standard animal feed had become too dear, they started giving their pigs and cows chocolate - and banana chips and cashews and yogurt-covered raisins, any of which were cheaper than run-of the-mill corn and beans. One farmer even supplied his cattle a special "party mix" of popcorn, pretzels, cheese curls and crisps. This, he told reporters, saved 10% on feed costs."
________

Ten days left! Have you bought anyone books for Christmas? Planning to? What's on your wishlist?

There are a few book links this week. Here we go!

Title: For the Love of Rachel
Author: David Loewenstein
ISBN: 0979194342
Publisher: Enalan Communications
Pages: 147
Rating: High

In answer to a couple of questions as to why I've been so obsessed with polar-themed reading, it's because I've been working away at a list of Polar themed books since March, the beginning of International Polar Year. I was inspired by all the scientific studies that would be occurring, along with my everpresent fascination with Edwardian explorers and the Arctic/Antarctic.
I haven't read as many as I'd planned, but it's a rather amorphous list, always changing as I go. I'm reading ya and adult fiction, as well as a few non-fiction choices. So far I've found some really amazing work, some by chance, books I've picked up solely because they had some connection to the Poles or arctic regions. But for the next year and a bit (until the end of IPY in March '09) here are some of the books that are on my radar:

FICTION

This second book in Marilyn Sach's Jo Jo and Winnie series begins and ends with a Christmas morning and offers plenty of laughs and fun in the sisters' year in between.

The first Christmas morning finds Jo Jo and Winnie looking forward to the Japanese and French costumed dolls they selected long before Christmas--that is, until they see them. Then each one wants one just like the other has--but NOT the same one the other has! A time-out and some heated negotiation take place before the girls work out a compromise.

Well, here I am on the final leg of my holidays.
Still visiting. Still having fun. Still eating.
But come Monday, it is back to the coal mines for me. Tomorrow I will be boarding a plane and flying back home. Back to my meowing Jack, and the snowbanks I left behind in Ottawa.
At the end of each year I like to reflect upon the books I have read over the past 12 months. I reminisce about each one and see which come to the forefront as being especially memorable and worthwhile.

This Challenge has been on the horizon for a while and I looked at it repeatedly but was quite convinced that I'd taken on enough Challenges for the next year. However, as I see more participants' lists, and realize that double-Challenge books are permitted, I'm irretrievably tempted. There are quite a few books I could use for more than one Challenge, plus this just sounds so random and so entertaining. Besides, it runs the entire year -- there's no reason I couldn't do it, right? So with great humility I will eat my words and I will take on JUST ONE MORE CHALLENGE!

If you've read all 6 Jane Austen novels, you might think you've read all there is to read from the author, but you'd be wrong. Jane started writing when she was a wide eyed youngster and unlike juvenilia from us mortals (like my own magical cats) it's worth reading. Lesley Castle is 3 unfinished works written to entertain her family when Jane was 16.

Lesley Castle: In epistolary* form, the vanities and jealousies of gentrified women are told. Margaret Lesley is bored of her castle in Scotland. She writes to her friend Charlotte who worries include what to do with all the food she prepared for her sister's wedding after the groom dies. The nastiness is not as refined and subtle as her later works but the groundwork is there.

He's one of the more respected coaches in the NHL, yet he had the longest times in purgatory than anyone can remember.
Ted Nolan, the coach of the New York Islanders is one that continues to motivate and bring enthusiasm for the game to his players, providing a keen insight into the game and how it should be played. His team while still struggling to find their skates at times, continue to battle it out game in and game out, never surrendering their lot in a game until that final whistle blows. And you wouldn't expect it any other way, once you learn a little about Ted Nolan.

Title: Babyproofing Your Marriage
Authors: Stacie Cockrell, Cathy O'Neill, and Julia Stone
ISBN: 978-0-06-117354-7
Publisher: Collins-An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublisher/2007
Pages: 273/Hardcover

I received this book fron Collins, which is a part of Harper Collins publisher for reading and reviewing.

A grim future is predicted in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. People watch nonsense on their giant TV's while an unpopular war is waged in another part of the world. People drive too fast and children play violent games. People are told they are happy but suicide rates climb. Any of this sound familiar? I was startled by how much of this 1953 novel had come true and how society seems to be heading in the direction predicted: the loss of intellectual thought.

Things are going to look a little different next year behind the bench of Canada’s national junior squad. When Team Canada takes to the ice in Ottawa next Christmas, the familiar face and voice of Craig Hartsburg won’t be there.

Nor will assistant coaches Clement Jodoin and Curtis Hunt be in their normal locations either, as Team Canada prepares for a whole new cast of on ice supervisors.

The three bench strategists for Canada’s Junior program declined to have their names left in consideration for the next Canadian quest for gold. Feeling that the time had come for some new faces and new ideas behind the Canadian bench, Hartsburg and his assistants felt the time was right to step aside.

Hartsburg leaves the program with a fairly impressive record of three straight gold medals, starting his stint as Brent Sutter’s assistant at the 2006 championship in Vancouver and wrapping up this past Christmas season in the Czech Republic, his second gold medal as the head man.

Thomas Hardy probably wasn't the life of party, if his writing is any indication. Still, he is one of my favorite authors.

Tess of the D'Ubervilles is filled with vivid descriptions of the diary lands of England and the melodramas of a few inhabitants. Tess Durbeyfield is a naive 16 year old girl, the only sensible member of a poor family. After an accident which takes their livelihood from them, her parents send her to a wealthy family whom they believe are distant relatives. Instead of the answer to their prayers, they push her into the lecherous arms of Alec D'Uberville. Tess returns home changed and scandalized.

Illustration © Jeremiah Maddock as seen on:
my love for you is a stampede of horses [via Elly Yap].

Making meaningful the deeds of a famous man or woman for very young children is not an easy task for an author. Here are two outstanding biographies in picture book format which bring the boy Martin and the mature Martin's words to life for young readers.

Tittle: The Blind Assassin
Author: Margaret Atwood
ISBN: 1860498809
Publisher: Virago Press/2001
Pages: 637

After reading The Handmaid's Tale by Atwood, I decided to read all her books. I mooched it from bookmooch long time ago. I started the book in January but somehow or the other, I could not finish it sooner. The beginning is very slow and tends to ge boring too. I have had moments of giving it up altogether. I am glad I did not. Yesterday, I started from page 81 and after reaching halfway through, I just couldn't leave it. I am damn glad I persisted.

Booking Through Thursday

Who is your favorite female lead character? And why? (And yes, of course, you can name more than one . . . I always have trouble narrowing down these things to one name, why should I force you to?)

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

Stars: **1/2

Willie’s Dad is a picture book for children who have parents in Prison. Willie is a five year old boy whose father has been in prison almost his whole life and who will be there until he’s a grown man. Willie and his Mother don’t visit his Father very often and when they do, they go with Duane, who is growing attached to Willie’s mom. His father makes a selfless decision and tells Duane to go ahead and marry the mother because Willie needs a dad and he’s a good man.

The story is pretty good and it’s nice to see a book for children on a subject not often seen. Unfortunately there are quite a few children who have a parent in prison and who could use this book.

In a week's time, I leave this house where I have lived for 14 years. It is my parents house. My dad passed away in 2002 and I live with my mom. Both of us are moving to be nearer to my younger brother. We will stay apart yet near. In India family is important. In a way, I never left home, always living with my parents and then only mom. My three brothers come home, on and off. I am the permanent fixture. Although I am the third child, I am treated as the youngest one by my family.

Enough about that. I had started reading My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk, in January, I think. Somehow it just receded to the background. I again picked it up this week. I am in the middle of it. This is not an easy read. Not by substance or by font.

According to the book Blurb:

Stars: ****

This book was read for the Unread Authors Challenge and because I won it in a contest.

I actually read this a few months ago but didn't get a chance to review it.

I really enjoyed this book, the storyline was very well thoughtout and very interesting. My only problem with this book was it was a little long. I like books that cut to the chase and don't have a lot of insignifcant detail (like Ray Bradbury.) I think a few chapters could have been cut from this book and it would still have been fine.

I came into London today to talk on a local radio show about my book. It was a very strange thing to do. Not only sitting in a dark booth at BBC studios infront of a console with such a bewildering array of buttons and dials that it looked like we were about to take off, but just the talking about the book at all. Writing it was bad enough. It is definitely not a comfortable thing to publicise. I have been psyching myself up for it for weeks, though I was very glad to get it over and done with today, particulary given the cold I have. But the presenter's reaction was so lovely, and in a way unexpected. I assumed like most people his interest would be in the homelessness bit and how I wrote the blog. He did talk about the shame and secrecy of homelessness, and how it had been for me living in the car for those nine months, but he focussed mostly on the earlier part of the book — on some of the childhood stuff.

new prints coming
Originally uploaded by m.Lee My day started off pretty terrible. Worried about my friend (thanks for the supportive words BTW) and then feeling like I got kicked myself not good. I felt like dirt emotionally pretty early on but since blee was being so good instead of wasting away and feeling sorry for myself I dove headfirst into art.

It started with some woodblock printing. The neat thing about this image is that for all these prints I used just one piece of newsprint carefully folded after each run through the press. And then I used that piece of newsprint + one paper towel for cleanup.

At the next clearing Marit stopped and looked back. Godoy and the surrounding islands rose like humpback whales from the sparkling sea. So much had remained the same. The same sea, the same deeply carved fjords, the same towering mountains beyond. Nearly two years had passed since she'd last returned home from skiing in the mountains with her family--two long years since bombs fell and her world collapsed.

Through the cedar's long branches, a man whispered, "Don't move... ." "Help me...finish."

"Finish what?"

"Mission--f-for Norway!"

Trying to read, Child wiggles in my lap.

Me: Can you be good, please?

Child: I was good one day.

Me: One day? In your whole 5 years on this earth?

Child: Well, maybe two.

Stars: *****

I received this book for review. It was also read for the Pub in 08 and In Their Shoes challenge.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
- George Santayana (1863 - 1952)

Lazare Ponticelli was laid to rest in France today after a memorial service with full military honors.

Who was Lazare Ponticelli?

He was the last surviving French WWI veteran.