Bonjour, Tristesse

So, I have decided to continue my blogging even though it's no longer required for class since I'm now a GRADUATE! It's rather a strange feeling no longer being a student, but I'm hoping that it will allow for me to read more as well as give me the freedom to choose any books I want (not based on required reading). How exciting!

And now, I will give my first review as a college graduate. The book is Bonjour Tristesse, meaning in French "Hello Sorrow." It was written by Sagan at the tender age of 17 and published by the time she turned 18. Despite her youth, Sagan produced a well-written, somewhat existential work about a 17-year-old French girl named Cecile and the carefree life she leads with her widowed and rich father.

Then Anne, an old friend of her mother's, comes into the picture and steals Cecile's father's heart, causing him to leave his young mistress (of which he's had many) and decide to marry Anne. This leaves Cecile confused as she thought that she and her father would continue with their "not a care in the world" lifestyles forever. She begins to plot with her summer love Cyril and her father's jilted mistress Elsa on how they can subtly get rid of Anne. Too late though, Cecile realizes that she has gotten herself too far into something that she can't turn back from now.

At about 180 pages, this was a very quick and enjoyable read. The plot intrigued me, despite being fairly predictable (at least to me). Every once in awhile, I would read a line and think to myself, "I can't believe a 17-year-old wrote this." Sagan grew up in almost identical conditions to Cecile, which is probably the reason why her characters are so believable. She convinces her readers thoroughly in the way she portrays Cecile's thoughts and motives that this is a girl who honestly just doesn't know what she wants. And who can say they've never experienced the same thing? The harsh yet universal truths about mankind and its selfishness are portrayed perfectly in this book and are what has made it into Sagan's most successful novel out of the thirty-plus she wrote.

Marriage Books

 Today is the one month mark until my wedding! It's so crazy! I still can't believe that in four weeks I will be marrying the sweetest guy in the world who is also my best friend.

I've been reading a few books about marriage, but so far have not been very impressed. They all state what seems to me very obvious truths about relationships and men and women in general.

This book Each for the Other was recommended to my fiance and me by the associate pastor of our church. I'm ordering it on Amazon today and am hoping to be impressed!

Sick Day

Yes, I got sick my last few days of Thanksgiving break. Coming back to school has been even harder than usual because of this. I really wish that I could just lie in bed all day reading a good book and/or sleeping. But there is work to be done!

When I was younger, my favorite sick day book was Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. It's a fun, quick read that is still one of my favorites. If you haven't already read it, check it out today!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving, the time to spend with family and friends stuffing yourself full of lots of good food!

There are so many things I love about this holiday, but (besides taking time out to be thankful for all I have) my favorite part is eating! My grandma always made some wonderful food when we went to her house for Thanksgiving, but this year, my family is staying at home. That means we have to cook ourselves!

Any favorite Thanksgiving cookbooks? I'd love to hear what your family makes each year for the holiday!

Stumped!

Alright, it's that time of the year where I am completely unmotivated and braindead. This makes it hard to come up with original ideas for my blog. Is there a certain topic you think I should bring up, or a particular book you'd like me to read and review? I'm open to suggestions! Heck, I might even subject myself to reading a Twilight series book if you asked me to.

Anyone out there?? Please help me!

Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?

Today, I want to highlight one of my favorite book bloggers, Trish at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? She always has interesting posts and reviews lots of good books, which, of course, she reads a lot of (64 so far in 2009). I'm waiting for her review of "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro, which she recently tweeted that she loved. It was shortlisted for the 2005 Booker Prize so it must be pretty good!


But one of my favorite of Trish's posts didn't actually have to do with books, but with "bookish" wedding invitations and business cards. They are absolutely adorable! I love my wedding invites, but if I had had tons of cash/time to spend, I would have really enjoyed having invitations like these. Check out the post and let me know what you think!

So Many Books, So Little Time

What title better evokes the feeling of voracious readers everywhere than So Many Books, So Little Time?

Sara Nelson's work is a book about books, one of my favorite genres. This is a wonderful read, not only because she recommends some amazing novels, but also because she relates the books to experiences in her own life.

Nelson's writing is relatable and funny. Reading "So Many Books" is sort of like talking to a friend about favorite books as well as literature in general.

I have it on my shelf and will definitely be reading it again some time. It's that enjoyable.

Live Alone and Like It

Since I've recently been talking about fairly lengthy and serious novels, I thought today I'd feature a fun, little read that I find rather hilarious. It's called Live Alone and Like It by Marjorie Hillis.

It was originally published in 1936 and holds advice for single women on how to live by oneself stylishly. It contains chapters with titles such as "Pleasures of a Single Bed," "A Lady and Her Liquor" and "Solitary Refinement."

I recently lent this to a friend who loved it so much that she immediately ordered two copies, one for herself and the other for her sister.

So ladies, if you're in need of a Christmas present for a single friend or just a pick-me-up for yourself, I highly recommend this book. I guarantee you'll love it!

Annette Vallon

So, I am still reading "The Peabody Sisters" which is no surprise to me since 1) it's a hefty book and 2) I have not had much time to read recently. I am thoroughly enjoying it so far though, and it brought to mind another book about an extraordinary woman that I wanted to share with you.

It's called Annette Vallon: A Novel of the French Revolution by James Tipton. It is another long one (528 pages) but it is such a good read that it doesn't matter.

The book is a historical fiction based on the life of Vallon, a lover of the poet William Wordsworth as well as a worker with the underground revolution fighting the Reign of Terror in France. As I was reading Tipton's work, I kept thinking to myself, "How did I never know about this amazing woman?"

"The Peabody Sisters" and "Annette Vallon" have both caused me to appreciate the fact that I am a woman living in the 21st century. Although still many injustices are done to women around the world today, the challenges women faced up until the 20th century were incredible. Annette and the Peabody sisters all went against the grain and fought for their right to education, life and love, and, for this, they should be commended.

Christmas List!

Yes, it's only mid-November, but I am beginning to think about what I want for Christmas. This could also be attributed to the fact that my grandma wants my list early this year to get a head start on shopping!

I was looking at the Bas Bleu catalog the other day (see my last post for a full description) and just couldn't stop marking up the pages with books I want for the holidays.

I am still looking for more suggestions though. Any of you have any ideas of books I absolutely must ask for?

Bas Bleu

OK. I am going to tell you all about one of the best kept secrets in the literature world, for which you should be eternally grateful to me. It's called Bas Bleu.

Bas Bleu is a book catalog as well as Web site that has one of the best selections of literature I've ever seen. The books that they feature are always interesting and, for the most part, relatively unknown.

It is well worth checking them out!

Can you match the author with the book?

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Missing home..

About this time every year, I begin to get really homesick. Even though I now consider Pittsburgh my home, I do miss my hometown and family a lot sometimes.

One of the things I miss most about back home is our cute little bookstores like the Doylestown Bookshop. It's literally a few blocks from my house and has a great selection.

Another favorite of mine is a used bookstore that's in this huge, old townhouse and is divided into two parts. The first part has a lot of contemporary fiction, biographies and such and the other specializes in older copies of classics. I've got many a book there, and for a great price, too!

Although I love the smell of new books just off the press (yes, I know I'm a nerd), I don't think anything can beat the worn appeal of an old novel. In my new apartment, I have lots of bookshelves and plan to fill them to the brim with old books.

Do you have a favorite used book?

What fictional character from a novel are you?

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Controversial Religious Debate Books

I just read a review for this book called The Case for God and it intrigued me. Recently, there are has been a trend of books being written by atheists and agnostics about God, such as "The God Delusion," "God is Not Great" and "The Evolution of God."

"The Case for God," however, is written by a former nun who, unlike most of the authors of the books mentioned above, believes that there is a higher being. Looks worthy of checking out.

And here is a cartoon that I just had to share because it made me chuckle a little:

"Where the Wild Things Are" Interview

It's Halloween!

So, I decided to feature a spooky story today in honor of the holiday! My selection is "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. Although this is one of the classics everyone should have read, I still haven't to my shame. But, of course, it's on my ever growing "to read" list.

Happy Halloween!

Eating: A Memoir

When I saw this article on the New York Times Web site, I couldn't pass it up. Especially not when it's about a book entitled "Eating: A Memoir." I love books, and I love food, so this is just my cup of tea.

Jason Epstein's novel may have to wait a little bit though until it finds itself on my bedside table since I'm still working on "The Peabody Sisters." It's fantastic so far and I'm only about one-fifth of the way through! I already know I'm going to love it.

A Confession..

Well, I have done what all book-lovers fear (possibly) most: I have lost a book. The said book was All in the Dances: A Brief Life of George Balinchine by Terry Teachout.

I had only gotten about a third of the way through, so I cannot give it a full review. I will say that, being a dancer myself, I found a lot of the information to be common knowledge, but that may not the case for all of you non-ballerinas out there. If you're interested in getting a brief overview of one of the most celebrated choreographers the dance world has ever known, I would suggest you check out the book. Personally, I wasn't heartbroken not to finish it because it read a little dry and contained a lot of facts I already learned in my dance history class.

Now, I get to read "The Peabody Sisters" by Megan Marshall, a biography that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Don't expect to see this review for awhile though since the book is 602 pages (which includes more than 100 pages of footnotes).

Life According to Literature

So, I just found this quiz on Stuck in a Book's blog and thought it'd be fun to try. You have to answer the questions only using books you have read this year (2009) and have to try not to use the same title twice. Feel free to leave me comments on what your answers are!

Describe yourself: Same Kind of Different as Me (Ron Hall and Denver Moore)

How do you feel: Fire in the Blood (Irene Nemirovsky)

Describe where you currently live: A Moveable Feast (Ernest Hemingway)

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Paris to the Moon (Adam Gopnik)

Your favorite form of transportation:

Your best friend is: Everyman (Philip Roth)

You and your friends are: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Jonathan Safran Foer)

What's the weather like: Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad)

You fear: 1984 (George Orwell)

What is the best advice you have to give: Annette Vallon: A Novel of the French Revolution (James Tipton)

Thought for the day: Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

How I would like to die: Foreign Affairs (Alison Lurie)

My soul's present condition: An Irresistible Revolution (Shane Claiborne)

Favorite Book?

I knew eventually I would get to broach this fun subject, and the day has finally come to discuss our favorite books! Above, I listed a few of my favorites: Wuthering Heights, The Last September, Little Women (also a wonderful movie with Susan Sarandon, Claire Danes, and Christian Bale), and The Great Divorce.

I've always had trouble pinning down what book is my "most favorite." I actually think that might be impossible for me because my favorite book would just keep changing. How about you? Do you have a favorite book, or just a lot that are favorites?

I'd love to hear your comments!

Where the Wild Things Are

My fiance and I just saw Where the Wild Things Are based on the children's book by Maurice Sendak. Although "Where the Wild Things Are" was never one of my favorite books as a child, I thought that the movie did an excellent job of telling this story.

The actual book is only ten lines of text, so the director Spike Jonze (who also directed "Being John Malkovich," one of my favorites) was presented with a challenge in making it a full-length movie. Although he took some liberties with the plot to fill out the length, Jonze still stayed true to Sendak's bizarre story. Sendak apparently loves the movie, saying in an interview that it "enhances, enriches my book."

Despite some poor reviews, I think that "Where the Wild Things Are" is worth seeing. It kept me entertained for the entirety of its hour and a half, and I especially enjoyed the soundtrack, which was an original score by Karen O (from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and the Kids.

And hey, the author's stamp of approval is enough for me.

Gawker

A little disclaimer before I begin- I am not a fan of gossip. Not in the form of tabloids, Web sites, Access Hollywood, whatever. But Gawker does occasionally amuse me.

After reading two of Foer's books (as I said in my last post), I decided to find out what other people had to say about his work. I knew some people didn't like the author but I figured it might just be because he had two bestsellers and they were jealous.

This article by Gawker shed some light on the situation. I was really surprised by the fact that he's bought a new 6.75 MILLION dollar home in NYC with his wife (and fellow author) Nicole Krauss. Is that really necessary for two people??? Gawker followed up with another piece claiming that Krauss explained they needed this new place because they were planning on having two kids and "...obviously we all need our own floor."

Um, actually, that's not very obvious. In reality, Nicole, kids share rooms and parents are lucky if they get a floor to themselves. Welcome to the real world.

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A Novel"

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A Novel"
by Jonathan Safran Foer
2006
368 pages



Anyone who has read "Everything Is Illuminated," Foer's debut novel, knows to expect amazing work from this young author. He has a style all his own and truly is one of the most unique writers of the 21st century. Through his innovative work, Foer has redefined how we read and relate to novels.

"Extremely Loud" is about a precocious nine-year-old boy named Oskar whose father died in the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11. Soon following that tragic day, Oskar discovers a key in his dad's room inside an envelope with the word "Black" written on it. He then makes it his mission to find out what the key belongs to and if it is somehow connected to his dad's death. Along the way, Oskar makes new friends and discovers unrevealed family secrets.

Although this book really is centered around Oskar, the parts I enjoyed most were letters scattered throughout the book titled "Why I'm Not Where You Are" addressed "To my unborn child" from a mysterious man whose identity and reason for writing these letters is later revealed. It is obvious immediately that this man has experienced great pain in his life, which causes him to lose his ability to speak. At one point, he writes, "It's the tragedy of loving, you can't love anything more than something you miss."

"Extremely Loud" is filled with photos from Oskar's book of pictures that he calls "Stuff that Happened to Me." This makes for a different kind of reading experience. I am not used to reading serious books with large pictures taking up pages and pages so this was a rather novel yet fun idea for me.

Overall, "Extremely Loud" was a very good book, but not an equal to the brilliance of "Everything is Illuminated" in my opinion. I remember finishing "Everything" completely taken aback by its beauty and simple poignancy. After finishing "Extremely Loud" though, I was left feeling somewhat disappointed. It is hard for me to pinpoint exactly why this is as hard as I have tried. I am going to have to read "Everything" again to really figure out the difference between these books.

On another note, the similarity I found between Foer's two works was his excellent use of developing a believable backstory. The characters I found the most intriguing were not the "main" characters but those whose lives shaped the outcome of the protagonists. It was these sections of the novels that I looked forward to the most.

Now, I'm curious to hear the opinions of people who've read both of these books. Which is your favorite- "Everything is Illuminated" or "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"? Let me know!

Kindle

Riding the bus, I see all forms of entertainment for commuters: iPods, newspapers, magazines, books, and now- Kindles. It is still a rare sight to see someone with this expensive electronic reader in tow (starting at $259), but it is definitely becoming more prevalent.


Which leads me to the question: Is Kindle going to cause the death of print books?

Amazon now offers almost every book imaginable in Kindle form with hundreds of thousands of options on its online site. Soon, every book that was ever printed will be available on your handy Kindle. Does that mean people will turn in the printed word for an electronic screen?

Personally, I will read books, REAL books, until I die. I will never replace the weight, smell and feel of the pages of a book for a generic computerized screen. Yes, Kindles may be efficient (as my fiance says). But I agree with a woman I heard on the bus commenting on a fellow commuter's Kindle when she said, "I think I would miss holding a book."

Man Booker Prize

The winner of the Man Booker Prize has been announced and it is Hilary Mantel for her book "Wolf Hall" set during the time of Henry VIII's reign of England.

I used to be practically obsessed with this time period, reading anything about Henry VIII and his wives that I could get my hands on. Although this book seems to be more about the court and the king's advisors than about Henry himself, it still intrigues me. Another one to add to my extensive "Want to Read" list!

Closure of Libraries and Bookstores

Libraries and bookstores aren't doing too well in Pittsburgh. According to this Post-Gazette story, the Carnegie Library is now going to have only 14 branches instead of its original 19 after its funds have been drastically cut. This also means that the hours of the branches will be changed and there will be a 30 percent cut in the staff. The story says that this is the first time in the history of the Carnegie Library that branches have had to been shut down.

As far as bookstores go, they continue to shut down as well. Barnes & Noble closed its Downtown location in early 2007 when I was a freshman. Having just moved to the city, I was surprised by the lack of bookstores in Downtown Pittsburgh. In my small home town, there were two bookstores within a block of each other, but Steel City still doesn't have ONE in the downtown area. And Barnes & Noble just announced another closure, but this time for its Squirrel Hill chain.

What is happening? How can we let our public libraries just close? And why are big chains like Barnes & Noble shutting down locations? Could it be that people are losing the love for the written word?

I hope not! I believe that when libraries close, that is a sign that we as the people aren't doing enough to make it clear that they are necessary components of a healthy society. No state budget can ever change that. I encourage you to write to your state representatives and let them know what you think about this. At most of the Carnegie libraries, they have paper and pens available for just that and all you have to do is write what you think and put it in the designated bin.

For all of you book-lovers out there, I made a map of a few of my favorite libraries and bookstores in the Pittsburgh area. Enjoy!


View Pittsburgh Libraries and Bookstores in a larger map

September 11, 2001

I am currently reading "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer, author of the excellent novel "Everything is Illuminated" (which I highly recommend).

So far, the book is about a nine-year-old boy who lost his father on September 11. He loved his dad so much and it really is heartbreaking to read some parts. It got me thinking about that day and all of the people who were directly effected by it. At the time, I was 13 years old so I understood what had happened but I don't think it emotionally registered in me. Since then, I've come to appreciate even more the preciousness of life and the fact that it can end at any moment for any of us.

We will never forget.

"Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad

"Heart of Darkness"
 by Joseph Conrad
 Originally published 1902
 132 pages




I have to admit that this book was a struggle for me. Yes, it exposes universal truths about mankind. Yes, it is written by a man who didn't learn English until he was 21 years old and amazingly wrote this masterpiece of the English language. Yes, it is a classic. But I still struggled. The reasons for this I will get to later.

"Heart of Darkness" is told from the perspective of Marlow, a man about to travel the seas to work on a riverboat in Africa. The book is highly auto-biographical, based on Conrad's own experiences traveling as a seaman. The entire time that Marlow is in Africa, he continues to hear about this man named Kurtz who is respected and feared by all for his shrewd business tactics and ability to relate to the natives. But when Marlow finally meets Kurtz, he is not as he expected him to be.

The book is broken into three parts, the first two of which are slow-paced with the plot only really thickening in the last section. Conrad's writing style is descriptive, using long paragraphs that are easy to get lost in. I found myself having to reread the same few sentences over and over. Don't let the brevity of this story fool you. It is quite dense and definitely not easy reading.

I feel as though I missed out on most of the meaning in this book just because I was bogged down by trying to understand the plot and where it was going. I have heard that this is the sort of story you must read more than once to fully appreciate. Even though I didn't completely comprehend most of it, "Heart of Darkness" did leave me with a sadness for the people of Africa in the time period this was set. Colonialism robbed Africans of their rich heritage and resources with white men coming and taking everything as if it was inherently theirs. Conrad exposed something that must have been shocking at the time.

In the introduction, there is a quote from Conrad that struck me. I will leave you with this:

"Art itself may be defined as a single-minded attempt to render the highest kind of justice to the visible universe, by bringing to light the truth, manifold and one, underlying its every aspect."

Sarah Palin's Book

I know you all have been waiting with bated breath for Sarah Palin's new memoir but now you don't have to wait much longer. Her new book "Going Rogue: An American Life" is being released November 17 instead of its original release date which was spring of next year.

I especially enjoyed looking at people's comments to the above New York Times beat story. Quite amusing.

Rainy Days

Another rainy day in Pittsburgh. Really makes me wish I could stay home in bed with a steaming cup of my grandma's hot cocoa and finally finish this book..

"Heart of Darkness"

Well, I am about halfway through Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" and don't really know what to think of it yet. It's very slow-moving and can be somewhat hard to follow, at least for me. Don't do too well with long paragraphs and lots of description..

I know it's a classic and I'm supposed to like it though. What are your thoughts on this book, or classics in general? Do you always love classic literature as much as you should?

William Fiennes's "Music Room"

This review by the New York Times caught my eye. I know that memoirs are all the rage right now, but this one seems to be a truly thought-provoking look at living with a disabled brother as well as growing up in an English castle. Interesting? I would say.

"Everyman" by Philip Roth

"Everyman"
by Philip Roth
2006
182 pages




This was my first time reading Roth and I have to say that I was not disappointed. At first, I wasn't sure which of the author's many works to start out with but was attracted by the stark cover and familiar literary title of "Everyman." The original "Everyman" was an English play from the 15th century that I remembered from high school literature as being about a man who has a conversation with Death. Interesting, I thought.


"Everyman" is told from the perspective of a man who has lived through a lot: three marriages and divorces, the birth of children and grandchildren, and the death of his parents and many friends. What's strange about the book though is that the first page tells you about this man's funeral, starting at the end of his story. As this short novel progresses, you learn more and more details about his life and begin to understand the inner workings of this character who is never named.


Roth's book is a masterpiece of a metaphor. Anyone can read it and identify with some small part of this man's life, whether it be in his complicated love life or his fear of dying. The main focus of the novel is death and how everyone must perish at some point. A part of the book I particularly liked was when the protagonist related something his father, a jeweler, had told him and his brother when they were young:

"It's a big deal for working people to buy a diamond," he told his sons, "no matter how small. The wife can wear it for the beauty and she can wear it for the status. And when she does, this guy is not just a plumber-- he's a man with a wife with a diamond. His wife owns something that is imperishable. Because beyond the beauty and status and the value, the diamond is imperishable. A piece of the earth that is imperishable, and a mere mortal is wearing it on her hand!"

Isn't it true that all most of us are looking for is something imperishable? Something that appeals to our infinite natures? This was the struggle of Roth's everyman, and it was evident right up to this excellent novel's last page.

Movies vs. Books

Have you ever looked around on the bus and tried to notice what your fellow commuters' reading material was? I did that the other day and, lo and behold, practically every woman with a novel in hand was reading The Time Traveler's Wife.

I might be the only one who thinks like this, so bear with me, but it pisses me off when the only reason people will pick up a book is because it was made into This Year's No. 1 Movie! Almost always, the movie version does no justice to the novel (with the exception of Wuthering Heights starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche).

What's your opinion? Are there lots of movies based on books out there that are better than the written version and I've just totally missed out on them?

And the journey begins...

Hello all! Well, this is my first blog as well as my first post and I have to admit that I'm a little nervous. I've already rewritten that first sentence about ten times. I'm hoping this gets better as I go along..

But that's besides the point. The point is to tell you what Scenic Pages is all about and what you can expect from it. So, first off, Scenic Pages is a book review blog which is all from the perspective of a 20-something-year-old who just loves to read. I'm that nerd you see reading a book while she's walking across the street about to be hit by a semi and as oblivious as can be. You can expect my opinion on all sorts of books as well as possibly articles about literature from other sources which I happen to find interesting or relevant.

Please let me know if there's a book that I just HAVE to read, or if you think I haven't covered enough of one genre, or if you just plain don't agree with my opinion. I would love to get feedback!