No, I've not gone illiterate...
Oh my goodness! After poking around the blog I realized that I haven't updated "books to be read" since the end of April! My goodness! That would probably explain why I have a whole stack of books next to me waiting to be reviewed.
Currently being Read: "Hopi Kachina Tradition: Following the Sun and Moon" by Alph H. Secakuku in cooperation with the Heard Museum. Written by a native Hopi from the Second village this book is a combination of Katsina pictures from the Heard Museum collection and descriptions of what they are and their function (as much as they can be told) in Hopi sacred ritual. The photography has really been well done and the descriptions, though limited, allow you to get a rough understanding of the tradition and the place of the particular doll in history.
Finished Just Prior: "Seventh Son" by Orson Scott Card. This is the first book in the "Tales of Alvin Maker" series of books. Orson Scott Card has been a perennial favorite of mine and this book, like so many of his others, does not disappoint. It's a bit short and it feels prematurely cut-off but, to be fair, it is the start of a series. So far, one of the most compelling characters introduced is that of "Taleswapper." This character makes his living by traveling and trading work and stories for food, lodging and more stories. He allows people he meets to write one sentence, their most important deed, into his book. One of the people he met was Ben Franklin. There ensued a rather nice discussion of the word "American" and just what it means to be an American. I thought it was really one of the niftiest descriptions I've ever come across to describe the spirit that bound the first settlers together just enough to fight against the British and form a nation of their own. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
And Just Before That: "Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul" by Tony Hendra. Yes, this is the same Tony Hendra who was an editor for National Lampoon magazine. The same Tony Hendra who played "Ian Faith" in "This is Spinal Tap." Yes, the Tony Hendra whom one would never believe is a Catholic. But, amazingly enough, he is. This story takes the reader through the life of Tony from his first meeting with Fr. Joe to the bittersweet end. It was absolutely poignant and, more than once, brought a tear to my eye. The quality of the relationship, the duration of the friendship, the many things that were taught; truly this is a book from which many lessons can be learned. Both about friendship and what it means to come back after a long time astray. I truly hope that the author is happy with his current life and circumstances. It certainly was a long road. Oh, yes, and I borrowed this book from Amanda. She left lots of little footprints throughout the book. They both enriched the novel and broadened my understanding. As enjoyable as the footprints were, I still can't bring myself to scribble in a book.
And Just Before That: "Star Wars: The Truce At Bakura" by Kathy Tyers. This was a rather nice and fun read and I definitely like finding out how the Star Wars story continues. It was a fast read (2 days) and that's ok too. So, yes, for a nice quick fun read, these books are definitely worth it.
And Before that Yup: "Cities of Destiny" edited by Arnold Toynbee. This collection of essays deals with the growth and placement of cities throughout human history. It's a rather large book that was originally published in 1967. I found it at an old bookshop near my grandparents house. This book was a rather long read, but it really was fascinating. The amazing thing is to see is the history of humanity as told 40 years ago and how they perceived the future. Cities such as Islamabad and Baghdad were held up as models of urban design and city planning. The amazing thing is how spot-on they were for predictions dealing with the binding-together of individual cities into Megalopolis and then, worldwide, into Ecumenopolis. They make many good points about how insane it is that people live so far away from where they work, spending increasing amounts of time traveling to and from from where they work to where they live. They're right, it's quite a waste. I got quite a kick looking at the old pictures of New York and other cities around the country and world. Amazing, just amazing, how far we've come from 40+ years ago.
While reading "Cities of Destiny": "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling. I loved reading this book. I was in a race to read it with Amanda. For awhile I was 100+ pages ahead of Amanda. Then I fell asleep on the floor in the basement of the Newman Center. When I woke up, 'manda was 100+ pages ahead of me, eek! After some solid blocks of reading I managed to pull past and just barely win by like 2-3 chapters. It was one of the most fun times I've had reading with someone in awhile. Nope, I'm not going to really comment on the story other than to say that, yes, all my questions were answered and, yes, all that I was hoping for occurred too. I'll be re-reading it soon enough and, until then, life is good.
Just Before "Cities of Destiny": "Carpe Jugulum" by Terry Pratchett. Terry Pratchett is one of my favorite authors. I love his sassy writing style, his irreverence, and the jolly humor that packs his novels. This one certainly does not disappoint. Although my favorite trip to Discworld is still "Small Gods" I really do like this one quite a bit. If you like punchy wit and clever satire, then this book is definitely for you. Once you start to read beyond the lines, the story only gets that much more hilarious.
Until the next time, read on!!
Currently being Read: "Hopi Kachina Tradition: Following the Sun and Moon" by Alph H. Secakuku in cooperation with the Heard Museum. Written by a native Hopi from the Second village this book is a combination of Katsina pictures from the Heard Museum collection and descriptions of what they are and their function (as much as they can be told) in Hopi sacred ritual. The photography has really been well done and the descriptions, though limited, allow you to get a rough understanding of the tradition and the place of the particular doll in history.
Finished Just Prior: "Seventh Son" by Orson Scott Card. This is the first book in the "Tales of Alvin Maker" series of books. Orson Scott Card has been a perennial favorite of mine and this book, like so many of his others, does not disappoint. It's a bit short and it feels prematurely cut-off but, to be fair, it is the start of a series. So far, one of the most compelling characters introduced is that of "Taleswapper." This character makes his living by traveling and trading work and stories for food, lodging and more stories. He allows people he meets to write one sentence, their most important deed, into his book. One of the people he met was Ben Franklin. There ensued a rather nice discussion of the word "American" and just what it means to be an American. I thought it was really one of the niftiest descriptions I've ever come across to describe the spirit that bound the first settlers together just enough to fight against the British and form a nation of their own. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
And Just Before That: "Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul" by Tony Hendra. Yes, this is the same Tony Hendra who was an editor for National Lampoon magazine. The same Tony Hendra who played "Ian Faith" in "This is Spinal Tap." Yes, the Tony Hendra whom one would never believe is a Catholic. But, amazingly enough, he is. This story takes the reader through the life of Tony from his first meeting with Fr. Joe to the bittersweet end. It was absolutely poignant and, more than once, brought a tear to my eye. The quality of the relationship, the duration of the friendship, the many things that were taught; truly this is a book from which many lessons can be learned. Both about friendship and what it means to come back after a long time astray. I truly hope that the author is happy with his current life and circumstances. It certainly was a long road. Oh, yes, and I borrowed this book from Amanda. She left lots of little footprints throughout the book. They both enriched the novel and broadened my understanding. As enjoyable as the footprints were, I still can't bring myself to scribble in a book.
And Just Before That: "Star Wars: The Truce At Bakura" by Kathy Tyers. This was a rather nice and fun read and I definitely like finding out how the Star Wars story continues. It was a fast read (2 days) and that's ok too. So, yes, for a nice quick fun read, these books are definitely worth it.
And Before that Yup: "Cities of Destiny" edited by Arnold Toynbee. This collection of essays deals with the growth and placement of cities throughout human history. It's a rather large book that was originally published in 1967. I found it at an old bookshop near my grandparents house. This book was a rather long read, but it really was fascinating. The amazing thing is to see is the history of humanity as told 40 years ago and how they perceived the future. Cities such as Islamabad and Baghdad were held up as models of urban design and city planning. The amazing thing is how spot-on they were for predictions dealing with the binding-together of individual cities into Megalopolis and then, worldwide, into Ecumenopolis. They make many good points about how insane it is that people live so far away from where they work, spending increasing amounts of time traveling to and from from where they work to where they live. They're right, it's quite a waste. I got quite a kick looking at the old pictures of New York and other cities around the country and world. Amazing, just amazing, how far we've come from 40+ years ago.
While reading "Cities of Destiny": "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling. I loved reading this book. I was in a race to read it with Amanda. For awhile I was 100+ pages ahead of Amanda. Then I fell asleep on the floor in the basement of the Newman Center. When I woke up, 'manda was 100+ pages ahead of me, eek! After some solid blocks of reading I managed to pull past and just barely win by like 2-3 chapters. It was one of the most fun times I've had reading with someone in awhile. Nope, I'm not going to really comment on the story other than to say that, yes, all my questions were answered and, yes, all that I was hoping for occurred too. I'll be re-reading it soon enough and, until then, life is good.
Just Before "Cities of Destiny": "Carpe Jugulum" by Terry Pratchett. Terry Pratchett is one of my favorite authors. I love his sassy writing style, his irreverence, and the jolly humor that packs his novels. This one certainly does not disappoint. Although my favorite trip to Discworld is still "Small Gods" I really do like this one quite a bit. If you like punchy wit and clever satire, then this book is definitely for you. Once you start to read beyond the lines, the story only gets that much more hilarious.
Until the next time, read on!!