DNF 2009

Here is my list of the books I could not, would not, or refused to finish in 2009. There is still December to think of but as I am on a Miss Read kick combined with other Christmas reads, I seriously do not think I will run into any more books I won't be able to finish this year.

1. Why We Hate by Dick Meyer - On an every day basis I have to deal with people who irk...those who think everybody else wants to listen to their music; people who don't even know there is such a thing as cell phone etiquette; people who have forgotten to use words like hello, good-bye, thank you, you're welcome, have a nice day, excuse me; and so on and so forth because Lord knows I could go on forever. Since I have to live it, I choose not to immerse myself in a book about it...too frustrating (especially if I do not agree with the author on some of the causes and the cures). (p.22) I wrote this DNF note at the beginning of the year and have since moved to a town where I haven't encountered these same frustrations but I still won't be reading this one...too negative.

2. Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov - Just can't do it and believe me I tried...65 pages of trying but here is the thing, I have a thirteen year old daughter and I can't turn off that mother part of me when reading a book...just can't. I chose Lolita for one of my mini-challenges where you are asked to read a book outside of your comfort zone and this has always been that book for me...and I guess it will continue to be so. (p. 65)

3. Thirteen by Lauren Myracle - My daughter began this series with Eleven and it has become a tradition for me to buy the latest installment on her corresponding birthday. She loved Eleven and Twelve but had a hard time finishing Thirteen. I decided to give Thirteen a try for my YA challenge but couldn't get into the story. Maybe I should have started at the beginning but I can tell when a book/author just isn't the right fit. (Chapter 2)

4. Writing Home by Alan Bennett - This book is a good read but at 600+ pages it is too much Bennett all at once. I will return and finish this at some point.

5. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen - Janzen is very funny and there was one part in this memoir where she describes what it was like to go on camping trip with her family that I was laughing so hard I had to put the book down. But I couldn't get past the feeling that under the layer of humor she was jabbing members of her family and the community she had grown up in in a mean-spirited way. There were also two too many incidences of TMI which as my age progresses my tolerance for decreases. (p. 61)

Going over this list has got me thinking about the books I did finish but couldn't stand. On some occasions I finished because I was reading for a challenge. On others, my curiosity to see how the book ended sustained me through my disdain. But the first question asked when I say I didn't like a book is 'why did you keep reading' and, looking back, whatever the reason it wasn't good enough to justify the time and the frustration. I should have moved on and, if I have any reading resolutions for 2010, to move on will be at the top of my list.

Read the Book, See the Movie

1. Cranford

2. Great Expectations

3. Sherlock Holmes

4.

Gratitude

The leftovers are put away. The dishes are clean. A piece of pumpkin pie awaits. My annual viewing of Home for the Holidays has concluded. The house is decorated and the presents are wrapped for the youngest's birthday tomorrow. Amidst the bustle and moments of chaos, I finished Time Remembered by Miss Read. Lamentably, it is too short a work, as is her A Fortunate Grandchild which I finished about a week ago. Both are autobiographical volumes that cover her childhood years, respectively, those that tell of her move to the countryside and her attendance at a village school, and the earlier years of living in London and her interactions with her two grandmothers. Reading both of these works gives a glimpse into some of the real life experiences that influenced her fiction. If you have read Miss Read, these two works are just as delightful. If you haven't read Miss Read, I believe they stand up wonderfully on there own merit.

I am thankful for these two books as well as all the other fabulous reads I have enjoyed in 2009. I am thankful for the book bloggers that led me to a lot of these books and authors. I am thankful for books, friends, family...I am thankful for this day.

A Man and His Cat

Cynthia Rylant writes the wonderful Henry and Mudge series about a boy and his lovable dog. My youngest and I have been enjoying the books since the summer but it was only last week that I spied her Mr. Putter & Tabby Catch the Cold. To think they were sitting there the whole time and I, for whatever reason, overlooked them.

Mr. Putter is getting older and when he begins to wish for a companion to share a cup of tea with and to tell his stories to, he sets out to find a friend just like himself...with creaky bones, thinning hair and with hearing not quite as good as it used to be. He finds Tabby and they suit one another perfectly.

After finishing Mr. Putter & Tabby Catch the Cold, my youngest and I looked at one another and we were wearing the same wide, goofy grin that comes with instant book love. Since that first read, we returned to the library and grabbed up all the books in the series we could find. Rylant's fantastic stories accompanied by Arthur Howard's charming illustrations make for great reading at any age. I have counted eighteen different adventures ranging from the quiet scenes of writing a book to the rascally Zeke (Mr. Putter's neighbor's dog) raising a raucous on his daily walks...I just hope our library system has them all...or I will have to use that as an excuse to add them to our personal library.

Today...

...is the last day to sign up to for Persephone Secret Santa. So far we have three participants who will be receiving their very first Persephone...so exciting! And our Santas herald from regions other than the North Pole...the UK, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, Portugal and the US.

Tomorrow (probably later in the day since my daughter will be assisting), you will be receiving all the information needed to hit the workshop. Please don't hesitate to email me at slaven614@gmail if you have any questions.