Seasons Part 1 – Sky Pond
July 15th, 2009
I’ve lived here long enough to get pictures of the park behind my house in all seasons. I’m posting a few comparison shots.
Sky pond
February 2008
June 2008
March 2009
July 2009
You are currently browsing the archives for July, 2009.
Seasons Part 2 – Creek Bed
July 15th, 2009
Creek Bed South
June 2008
July 2008
March 2009
July 2009
Creek Bed North
June 2008
July 2009
Seasons Part 3 – A Small Bend
July 15th, 2009
A Small Bend in the Creek
February 2009
March 2009
July 2009
Creepy Place
February 2009
July 2009
Late Spring Books
July 15th, 2009
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
I don’t normally read [or enjoy, to be honest] YA novels, but this one was timely enough to be interesting. It’s about Homeland Security going mad with power in San Francisco after a terrorist attack and a kid’s fight against the resulting invasions of privacy and attacks on the Bill of Rights. It’s a cool story because it’s very Real Life. The techno-extrapolation and pop culture references are fun, too.
Death With Interruptions by Jose Saramago
Ahhhh Saramago. Too bad I only have 2.5 books left to read by The Jose. This wasn’t my favorite of his but was wonderfully enjoyable nonetheless. It’s about death (the being) deciding not to take anyone’s life for a while and the resulting chaos. It’s full of Saramago’s thoughtful and humorous observations as well as being an engaging story.
The Sirian Experiments by Doris Lessing
This was my second Lessing book and the one that confirmed for me that I LOVE HER. She has this way of including the entire scope of human history in every chapter. I’ve read two other Lessing books since and they were the same way. This one is the story of the human race written from the perspective of an alien race trying to positively effect our evolution on Earth. So, it’s sci-fi, but also clearly literary. The idea itself is fascinating (and well-developed, of course) but that’s not all. The narrator is a wonderfully sympathetic character who learns along with humanity. This book continuously made me think and feel. It rocks. Highly recommended.
Shikasta by Doris Lessing
This is the first in Lessing’s five-book “Canopus” series. I suppose I should have read it before The Sirian Experiments (book three) but, alas, I did not. Didn’t need to! See all the great things I wrote above and apply to this book. Plus more scope and brilliance.
The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing
Again let me state my love for Doris Lessing. *LOVE* This is the story of a monster child born into an otherwise-ordinary family. It explores many aspects of feminism, especially relating to the responsibilities, emotions and desires of motherhood. It’s a complex, layered story that makes you think, but it’s also a page-turner. And it’s sci-fi! Lessing crosses the sci-fi/literary border gracefully.
Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
I saw the movie first, of course, but Proulx’s style is so original as to make this a great read anyway. It’s very short!
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
This book was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize, and I ended up liking it a *lot* more than the book that won (The White Tiger). It’s about a psychiatrist and patient in a mental hospital that’s closing after many decades. The history of the patient and the doctor are revealed with beautiful prose and vivid vignettes. But the present-day story is great, too. This book had a lot of layers and was a joy to read.
The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak
This is a *gorgeous* novel. It’s a set of intertwined stories set in Japan about love and loss. The Amazon review compares it to Haruki Murakami’s work, and I would have to agree. It has the same magic realism feel. I loved this book not for the plot or any particular character but because of the beautiful world it brought to life.