Fables

A good friend of mine from college was visiting from California yesterday, and since we often share the things we've been reading or watching with each other, I found myself telling her all about Fables. At first she thought I was referring to actual fables as in Aesop's or Grimm Brothers, but when I explained that it's a graphic novel series, she was little more intrigued. When I finished my monologue about the greatness of Fables, she said,"I want to read these!" So I thought since I'd convinced one person to read them, maybe I should recommend them to others.

Several months ago, a couple of friends recommended that I start this graphic novel series, created by Bill Willingham, and it sounded interesting; fable and fairytale characters kicked out of their fairytale lands and exiled to New York City. I read the first one, and I liked it, but couldn't get myself to pick up volume two. One of those friends even let me borrow volumes two through four, but I still just couldn't get into it. However, a couple months after giving the borrowed comic books back to my friend, I was suddenly in the mood to continue reading them. Don't ask me why my brain works that way.

So I'm currently up to volume six now and completely addicted! Lunch time has turned into Fables time. I get so excited to go on my lunch break because I know the next chapter is waiting to be devoured! (Along with my lunch.) It's fascinating to see how all the characters from the different stories interact with one another when confined to Fabletown, the small corner of New York City they have built up for Fables only, away from the prying eyes of the Mundys (Mundane, non-magical humans.) I don't want to say too much about the characters or plot because there are so many surprises! I would hate to give anything away.

But, if you have a slightly darker sense of humor, like I do, or have any kind of interest in the original fairytale and fables, then I would recommend reading these somewhat darker and more twisted versions of the characters and stories. Fables will keep entertained for sure and keep you guessing about what will happen next!

Autumn Reading

Summer is beginning to wind down. The summer reading program at the library has been done since July, and I made a pretty good dent in my summer reading list for this year. I am waiting on one last book to come in-transit, but all in all I did pretty well. But I got to thinking... why does my list making have to stop? It really helped to have a list to follow. When I have a goal in mind, it keeps me reading. So... I'm making a new list for the fall. And since I read a lot of nonfiction this summer, I will indulge in some YA literature and graphic novels this fall.

Beginning with...

1. (The book I'm currently reading...) A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray (And I will most likely follow that up with the rest of the Gemma Doyle series.)

2. Fables (I've been meaning to read more of these for a long time. I'm currently reading Volume Two. It's a graphic novel series about characters from all kinds of fables and fairy tales who have been exiled to modern day New York City. I really like it so far... it just took me a while to get into it. But watching episode after episode of The Big Bang Theory tends to put you in the mood to read comic books.)

3. Going Bovine, another YA book by Libba Bray. Her books are really quirky, and this book in particular was nominated for an Abe Lincoln YA Book Award, so I thought I'd give it a shot since I'm enjoying the Gemma Doyle books so much.

4. Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood. This is not a YA book, but it's one of her science fiction books, and seems as though it would fit in with the Autumn Reading theme I've got going on so far.

5. One Day, by David Nicholls. This does not go along with the theme, but I saw the movie, and got the feeling the book would fill in a lot of the gaps. The movie was good, but I still felt some pieces had to be missing.

That's all I've got, so far. But there are probably 16 or more volumes of Fables, so that will take a while. (Not to mention, I'll be running book club this year, so that adds an extra book each month on top of my own personal lists.) But I hope you, too, have some good books lined up for this fall. Happy reading, everyone! :)

Little Princes

Every adventurer at heart should read this book. Anyone who has felt even an ounce of compassion for "the least of these" (Matt. 25:40) should read this book. It is a wonderfully written account of a young man who begins a whirlwind, round-the-world trip by first volunteering at a children's home in Nepal. He starts out seeking adventure and ends up finding his true calling.

This book came to me as I was processing books at the library one day. (Ocassionally, if a book strikes my eye, I will stop labeling and covering long enough to read the jacket description.) I was drawn to the story because it seemed similiar to the time I spent volunteering with children in Thailand. However, as I began to actually read the book, I realized right away that Conor Grennan's story was going to be radically different from my own experience in a developing nation.

He did much more than just volunteer for three months: He rescued trafficked children, started his own children's home and non-profit organization, and reunited trafficked children with their families after years of seperation. And in the midst of telling his readers about all these incredible things he did in Nepal, he still manages to remain open and honest about his shortcomings. His humility and grace are truly inspiring!

And he never loses his sense of humor! This book will have you laughing out loud, when you are not gripped with suspense over what happens next. There were times when certain scenes got so intense, I felt like I was reading an adventure novel. I had to stop and remind myself that this story actually happened to a real person.

So I encourage everyone to read it! Even if you've never had the itch to travel around the world or volunteer in Southeast Asia, you'll walk away from this book inspired to do something good for others. (Even if that just means showing a little more kindness to the people you interact with on a daily basis. ) Read it... I guarentee you'll love it!

Midnight in Paris

I saw this movie several weeks ago, but I've been pretty busy lately, so it's been a while since I've posted. But I wanted to recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it yet! It was directed by Woody Allen, and has a stellar cast: Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams... how could one go wrong? Right? I've been a big fan of Woody Allen's work since college, but Midnight in Paris--I can say without hesitation--is my favorite by far! It is full of humor and wit and a touch of magic. After the movie was over, I couldn't wipe the goofy smile off my face for almost the entire ride home. It is a wonderful film, and being filmed in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it is also wonderful to look it! And, of course, the soundtrack was also perfection, as most Woody Allen soundtracks are. Watching it made me want to go back to Paris and take it slower this time around... instead of racing from tourist attraction to tourist attraction. I want to take slow walks through the Parisian streets, and take in every detail. Midnight in Paris is definitely a movie for dreamers and hopeless romantics. Go see it! You won't regret it!

The Reading Promise, by Alice Ozma

The first thing that struck me about this book was the author’s name: Alice Ozma. Why did that sound so familiar? It turns out her name comes from two female protagonists in two classic pieces of children’s literature: Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Princess Ozma from L. Frank Baum’s Oz books. Right away, the author’s name alone makes this book incredibly interesting!

The Reading Promise tells the true story of a father and daughter who make a pact to read with each other for one hundred nights. After they meet their first goal, they decide to go for 1,000 nights. Eventually they decide to just keep going. They read every night—never missing a night—until the day Alice leaves for college.

This book had me laughing so hard I was in tears when Alice described her crippling and somewhat unusual fear of the ghost of JFK at the age of twelve. And it had me tearing up at the more touching moments between Alice and her father. (I don’t want to give away too much, so I’ll stop there.) But it also made me think of how lucky I was to grow up in a home where books were not only respected, but cherished. My brother and I had a mother who read to us before we went to bed at night. Books were given as gifts for birthdays and major holidays. Reading was never turned into a punishment, or forced upon us. It was always something we were taught to enjoy. (I have to take a moment right now to thank my mother for this. If it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t be working in the library today.)

After working with public school kids and then later in the public library, I realized that the love of books and reading is not common in all households. That’s what I think makes The Reading Promise so incredible! It challenges the reader to get back to books, and to practice the art of reading out loud. So if you love books, or need some inspiration, read The Reading Promise. You’ll finish the book with a great excitement and enthusiasm for books, and you’ll want to make a reading promise of your own.

Somewhere, Written and Directed by Sofia Coppola

On a Saturday afternoon--not long after I started college--I was sitting alone in my dorm room watching The Virgin Suicides. It was my first Sofia Coppola film experience. I didn't realize it then, but that one quiet afternoon turned me into a Sofia Coppola fan for life.

A couple of years later, I saw the trailer for Lost in Translation--Sofia, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johanson? How could this possibly disappoint?? And, of course, it didn't. It exceded my expectations and then some! I went to see that movie in theaters at least three times (if not more) because I not only wanted to see it again and again for myself, but I wanted all my friends to see it as well. I knew while purchasing the DVD on the day of it's release that Ms. Coppola had earned a permanant place in my heart.

The summer Marie Antoinette came out in the theaters just happened to be the same year I had gone to France and saw the Palace of Versailles up close and personal. The movie Marie Antoinette was different from Sofia's first two films, and some of my friends were not as impressed with it. But I have always loved it! Whenever I watch it, I always think of my trip to France.

This post, however, is not about her previous films, but about her most recent release Somewhere. I was unable to see this movie in the theater which greatly disappointed me. But I recently purchased the DVD because I have enough faith in Sofia Coppola to pay full price for one of her movies without a preview.

Somewhere is about an actor in Los Angeles living a rock-staresque lifestyle; inviting poll dancers to his hotel room for private shows, racing around in his flashy sports car, and coming home to wild parties that he didn't seem to plan or anticipate. But when he unexpectedly has to look after his eleven year old daughter for an extended period of time, he begins to reexamine some of his life choices.

This film moves more slowly than her other films, but if you're patient, it's well worth the wait! It's beautiful how the story unfolds. We get a small glimpse into the everyday lives of these characters, and witness a gradual change for the better. It's a wonderful story of redemption, and those are always my favorite kind!

A Jane Austen Education

Ah, Jane Austen. Of course my first pick for summer reading would be about my favorite author of all time… Ms. Austen. After reading the first chapter of A Jane Austen Education, by William Deresiewicz, my first thought was: A man who loves Austen… be still my beating heart! As I kept reading, however, my thoughts became much more reflective because the book became increasingly challenging. I love the subtitle: How Six Novels Taught Me about Love Friendship and the Things that Really Matter. Because that is exactly what Jane Austen teaches in her novels: the things that really matter.

Each chapter of A Jane Austen Education teaches an important life lesson from what it means to be a good friend, to really listening to the people around you and allowing them to tell their stories. The author shares Austen’s belief that it is our duty in life to be kind and useful to the people around us, even when we don’t feel they deserve it. He also came around to Austen’s ideas about love. Love does not hit us suddenly or feel like falling. It comes on gradually and more closely resembles growth. I happen to agree with that notion whole heartedly.

My favorite chapter in the book was the chapter on friendship which also happened to be the chapter on Persuasion, my favorite Austen novel. (Maybe my favorite book, period.) I have always loved Anne Elliot, and looked up to her as someone who should be emulated, as much as humanly possible. She always put others before herself, even when that meant being torn away from the man she loved because her family disapproved.

But even though I love Persuasion and Anne and Captain Wentworth, the reason I loved this chapter so much was not because Deresiewicz seemed to share all my opinions about my favorite novel. It was the story he shared about his life I found most appealing. During this chapter of the book, the author was remembering a time in his life when he felt displaced. I think many people in their late twenties/early thirties are familiar with this feeling. We have finished college--the core groups of friends we spent so much time with and took for granted have dispersed to other parts of the country (or world) to start careers or families or other kinds of adventures. Deresiewicz gives an account of his own life: living alone in an apartment, a little gray cat being his only constant companion.

This seemed to parallel my own life not more than a couple of years ago, except I didn’t even have a cat to keep me company. I was in desperate need of a community. I eventually found it in a good church and also in a young couple from the library I work at. I made friends in the community in which I live. But the chapter reminded me how important it is not to take your true friends for granted because life can change in an instant.

He ended the chapter with a description of the friends he had to find after his period of solitude and loneliness: “There were about eight of us sitting around the kitchen table that night, smacking our lips over some dessert she had made. The candles were burning low, her cats were nosing their way among our legs, someone had just cracked a joke. I leaned back, I looked around, and I thought, Yes, I’ve found my family.” I knew exactly what he meant because it is exactly how I feel every time I sit in church, and it’s exactly the feeling I experience when I visit the house of the couple from the library I mentioned earlier, and it’s exactly what I felt when my good friend raced to my house in the middle of the night after learning the bad news I’d just received.

As William Deresiewicz put it, “Your friends are the family you choose.” I think I’ve chosen pretty well, and I never want to take them--or anyone else I care about--for granted.