Babies!

Waiting for Daisy - Peggy Orenstein

Reminded me how lucky to we were to conceive a child, no hassles. I have mixed feelings on the advent of technology. It seems like the process of conceiving a child can become an all-encompassing battle of hope and failure, with no guaranteed good outcomes. I can't imagine life without Maille, but I am not sure putting a strain on my relationship with her father would have been the way to start off all those stressful sleepless nights either! A good read, but it made me apprehensive. I guess it is good to stretch and sympathize!

The Double Bind

The Double Bind - chris bohjalian

GREAT book! twists and turns - a clever link to the great gatsby as well. i never saw the end coming - but that is all i will share so as not to ruin it.

Baby love - rebecca walker. the struggles to conceive, and come to terms with having a child. motherhood does indeed change you. interesting to see it in print, another's thoughts, yet so close at times to my own.

i got messud's first novel today, i guess i am back into a "fiction" mode, and it is good! =)

HEAVEN'S GATE

Heaven's Gate - (DVD) Errol Morris. quirky, odd. not as great as i expected - a little slow at the start. but a good look at the quirky world of a mighty particular pet cemetery.

The Emperor's Children

The Emperor's Children by claire messud. great book. couldn't put it down. i wanted to know more about the characters, who slowly emerge as connected, ties strong between them, until they suffer their surprising fates. i loved messud's character development - i like to read "good fiction about people" but am often bored with a modern work. messud is reading at the newburyport literary festival next week, and i will try to see her. i also just ordered her other novels from the library - she is a local, and lives in somerville.

Dickens World!

Proof that you can make a theme park out of anything....

Dickens World is a brand new, innovative and exciting indoor visitor complex themed around the life, books and times of one of Britain’s best loved authors, Charles Dickens. It will take visitors on a fascinating journey through Dickens’ lifetime as they step back into Dickensian England and are immersed in the urban streets, sounds and smells of the 19th century.
With a host of captivating attractions, Dickens World features one of Europe’s largest dark boat rides, the Haunted house of Ebenezer Scrooge, a state-of-the art animatronic show, Victorian School Room, 4D high definition show and Fagin’s Den. Offering a unique showcase for one of the world’s best loved storytellers, Dickens World will truly offer visitors the ‘day out of a lifetime’.
Dickens World is based on a credible and factual account of Charles Dickens works and the world in which he lived. Working with The Dickens Fellowship great attention has been paid to the authenticity of the time, characters and story lines. It offers a new and entertaining way to enjoy Dickens and his characters as well as gaining an understanding of the times and conditions people experienced living in England in the early 19th century.

You Don't Love Me Yet

You Don't Love Me Yet - Jonathan Lethem

I really liked this book, and i have no idea why. of course, i loved The Fortress of Solitude, so i was eager to read this. i like lethem's characters, i want to know more about them, and the plot seems to be interspersed with mere descriptions of them. the plot, however, despite a quirky twist or two, was not that engaging to me. but i still like the overall read, and was interested to keep reading to see how it turned out. i plan on reading his other works soon.

fashion!

The Devil Wears Prada had a few cute moments. once again, proof of my lack of enjoyment of the mainstream movies.... Tim Gunn recommended this, so it went on my list. small town girl makes it big, loses her values, can she gain them again and save her soul????? fairly predictable. nice role of stanley tucci, and nice and true fashion bits.

First Amendment

The First Amendment Project (Sundance) this was a great film. the first part is a recap of the o'reilly franken issues from a few years back. reilly should have just kept quiet - i don't think al franken is that great a writer, or even that funny for long periods of time, but everyone bought his book after o'reilly sued. not a day goes by when fox news isn't mentioned in some negative light in many things i read and see. yes, i guess proof that my preferred media outlets are biased too? perhaps. but a good "fair and balanced" look at the debate, i thought!

also a debate on the poetry of former nj poet lauriate baracka, and his long poem re:9/11. i think he was just doing what artists do, stirring controversy and discussion, and we all need that. however, NOT if you are don imus? i've been thinking a lot about how we view speech in terms of that recent scandal. speech may not be regulated, but i do not think it is ever just plain "free".

wordplay

wordplay (DVD) i loved this film. it reminded me of those about scrabble, and other games - this one's about crossword fanatics, and the creation/challenge of the pinnacle of games - the new york times sunday crossword. bill clinton, jon stewart, the indigo girls, ken burns - all crossword fanatics. also footage of the yearly crossword competition held in stamford ct. - an interesting look at the top contenders and how (why?) they are there. a must see for those intrigued by wordy academic pursuits!

DVD's Galore!!!!!

a HUGE pile of DVD's from the library.... good thing i can watch them while playing with maille during the day! i have a huge list on order, but rarely do they all come in at once.

Many by Werner Herzog (see Grizzly Man)
the one i watched today: Where the green ants dream. wacky. about an oil company infringing on aboriginal territory in australia. i loved one of the aboriginies, he had this funny look about him, was very quiet, just kept blinking in comment to the antics of the crazy white men. good commentary on who "owns" the land - those who lay claim to it, or those who have always protected it and preserved it for others and their future generations? i kept thinking of global warming issues, not that they were adressd here, but certainly preservation of the land, and understanding of the land played a huge role in this film.

within the cubicle

(it took me five tries just to SPELL cubicle)
Then we Came to the End
Ferris, Joshua

about an office and its life. a bunch of zany ad execs, and how their daily lives are slowly affected by a series of layoffs, and impending unemployment doom. an accurate portrayal of company life? perhaps. and why i never want to work in a cubicle. my job has its drawbacks - but there are three things i am glad for:
1. no name tag
2. no weekends
3. no cubicle

i never got the overall feeling that i particularly liked this book, but i read it in one day. i guess it moved along then. a good read if you like humor and current fictional characters.

Lists!

I came to this blog wanting to keep track of my reading/viewing habits, and i wanted to make mention of the greatest books of late 2006 that i have read. i may have time to review them here!

fiction:
brookland
terrorist
absurdistan
black swan green
special topics in calamity physics
water for elephants

nonfiction:
consider the lobster
eat, pray, love
the greatest story ever sold
heat
mayflower
the omnivore's dilemma
state of denial
the united states of arugula

i seem to gravitate to the nonfiction side of the aisle. i currently have a rather large stack of fiction on my nightstand. with fiction, if i dislike a book, i just put it down. if i dislike a nonfiction work, i am more likely to keep reading, if only to keep learning about the topic until i finish the book, and then banish it back to the library!