Time Out - For Things To Do

One of the gifts my husband gave me last Christmas was a subscription to Time Out New York. It's a weekly magazine of things going on in New York City that week. Time Out apparently has a magazine for some other big cities in the US as well. I got my first copy yesterday...he forgot to mail in the subscription :) He also told me that as part of the gift I have to find at least one thing to-do every week. I told him that was fine as long as he doesn't complain when I drag him out to events.

Oh...and I'll be better at posting photos of our New York excursions. The weather is finally cooling of here (it was in the 100s earlier this week) so it'll be more bearable to sit in front of my computer at home :)

Book Update - The Yiddish Policeman's Union

A few months ago I got the summons...jury duty. Ahhhh!!! Haha...just kidding. I actually don't mind jury duty so much. I think it's pretty exciting and interesting. They were picking juries for the New York State Supreme Court Civil cases. After sitting around, reading, and waiting, I actually got picked for trial. Thinking that I definitely needed a good book for the days at trial, I stepped into a nearby bookstore called The Mysterious Bookshop (just south of Chambers St on Warren St.). If you are ever in New York City, check out this store and walk nearby to City Hall and see all of the cool architecture in the area.

After perusing the entire store, I finally picked up Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policeman's Union. What a book!

Here's the synopsis. Suppose after World War II, instead of the creation of Israel, the Jewish people were forced to settle somewhere else. Suppose that place was Sitka, Alaska. But just like the term limits to British-ruled Hong Kong, the Jewish population was only given fifty years in Sitka. The story takes place around that up-coming anniversary when the population of Sitka will soon be forced to move. The story centers around a typical down-and-out, recently divorced detective with a drinking habit. With just a few months left he stumbles upon an interesting homicide case.

The book was by far one of the most original books I've read in a while. I did have a hard time stumbling around the Yiddish language/slang and often had to re-read sections to figure out what was going on (there is a little dictionary in the back). At first the book didn't hook me because I didn't really care for the detective or the homicide victim. I also couldn't grasp the location because I've actually been to Sitka and couldn't imagine millions of people residing there. But as the book unfolded I started to cheer the detective on and hoped he would resolve the case. It's a great read but don't expect it to be an easy one.

Other reviews:
The Jewish Literary Review
Shelf Love
In the Shadow of Mt TBR

1001 Books Update - The Woman in White

I absolutely loved The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. It takes place in England in the mid-1800s. The book was published in 1860 but it is easy to read so don't let
that turn you off. I loved the writing which was sometimes just plain hilarious.

The plot is centered around two half-sisters. One is gorgeous Jane and the other is sensible Marian. Jane is scheduled to be married to Sir Percival Glyde. However, before the marriage is to occur, the guardian of Jane and Marian hires an artist, Walter, to give Jane and Marian art lessons for the season. Obviously the artist is young and handsome and falls in love with Jane. But who is the woman in white Walter meets one night on a lonely road who gives dire warnings? Does she have anything to do with Sir Percival Glyde? Will Jane marry Walter or Sir Percival Glyde?

Wilkie Collins writes the story through various viewpoints of most of the characters in the story. Marian is by far my favorite character with wit, insight, and sense. And wait until Jane's uncle, Count Fosco, shows up. He is such a character. Obviously the story is part love story and part mystery with a little comedy thrown in. It's a tad long but well worth the read.

Good tip...books like The Woman in White, which are past their copyright terms are sometimes available online to read for free. Two places I tend to go are Project Gutenberg and Google Books. I read The Woman in White with Google Books...and make sure you find the version in Full-view. A lot of Google Books are just partial-view which just lets you read a few pages from the book.

Oh...and I didn't know Andrew Lloyd Webber made a Broadway play from The Woman in White. I could see how it would make a fun play.

Also Reviewed By:
Library Queue
Books I Done Read
Book Nut
The Book Nest
Musings of a Bookish Kitty
The Book Smugglers
Trish's Reading Nook

1001 Book Update - The Light of Day

If you visit New York City, a great place to go is the Strand. It's a chain of used/new bookstores here in the city. Their logo is bright red (you can't miss it) which proudly proclaims "18 Miles of Books". Nice!

For some reason my husband and I were out on 59th Street on the south corner of Central Park. The Strand was doing a sidewalk sale of books so I had to check it out. I found Graham Swift's book, The Light of Day and had to pick it up because 1) it's on the 1001 to-read list and 2) he wrote one of my favorite books. Graham Swift is a British author and he won the Booker Prize for his book The Last Orders. I read The Last Orders for a class and absolutely loved it. I definitely recommend The Last Orders. It's about a group of older men, friends for years and years who always meet up at a Pub in England. When one of them dies, the rest are left to carry out the last orders (last wish) of their friend. A wonderful book.

I guess that's why The Light of Day wasn't my favorite book. It wasn't bad, just not great. And I was expecting greatness. The book's central character is a private investigator who used to be a cop but was disgraced. He now investigates spouses who are cheating. (Hasn't this plot been done just one too many times?) I will give it the Graham Swift that the plot did swerve to the original. The story telling was not linear but took place on the two year anniversary of a fateful day. The P.I. had taken a case and had gotten too emotionally involved. The case obviously takes a tragic turn. I have to admit that while the first half was a struggle to keep reading, I was a bit hooked to read it through to the end. In it's non-linear format I wanted to fill in all the gaps in the story and had to finish the book.

If you are going to read a Graham Swift book I definitely recommend The Last Orders over the Light of Day. If you are wanting a good detective book, The Light of Day isn't too bad. But I was expecting great.

Other people's reviews:
Placemats Galore

Happy Anniversary Mom!

Happy Anniversary Mom!!!

Today is my mom's second wedding anniversary. Two years ago today, the whole family got together to celebrate my mom's wedding. My husband and I flew in from Las Vegas, my sister and her family flew in from Alaska, and my brother drove in from another part of Colorado. My mom and her new husband first met in a park near where they live. They both love to walk around the pretty lake in the park. He is originally from Hawaii so for their wedding they had real Hawaiian Lei's sent from Hawaii for the wedding party. They smelled so wonderful.

Here's a family photo of my new family (and yes...the freakishly tall couple on the right is my husband and I):
Here's the whole extended family with his beautiful daughters and adorable grandkids. My mom loves having a ton of grandchildren nearby:

And here's me and my husband. I have to add this one because we're not in a whole lot of photos together. Two years later I am starting to finally get him in more pictures.

So here's to my mom and her new husband. I am so happy she found a wonderful person to spend this chapter of her life with. Happy Anniversary Mom!

1001 Books Update - The Handmaid's Tale

During Memorial Day Weekend, my husband and I roamed the city for a few essential shopping items. We went to Macy's and Best Buy among others. For some unknown reason, we ended up in Greenwich Village near Washington Square Park. I found this to be the best place on a weekend to find cheap books. There are books stands on every sidewalk and street corner with great used books for sale. I was in heaven. Obviously bring lots of cash. I'm assuming the plethora of books was due to the area's proximity to NYU. Who knows. But I snagged a copy of Margaret Atwood's book The Handmaid's Tale along with a pristine Hardcover edition of The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Yay!

My husband bought Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck. I've been wanting to read it since the book is about Steinbeck's travels around the US with his dog Charley. I love traveling and my dog is named Charlie. I know...a bit sentimental.

I then proceeded to abandon all other books I was reading and read Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Wow...what a book. It is one of those books that stick with you and make you think. It is justly compared to Orwell's 1984. The premise is that in a future not too far off, cash has become obsolete and everyone has CompuBank accounts. All of the sudden, women are no longer allowed to have bank accounts (the money is transferred to the nearest male relative), are no longer allowed to have jobs, and their basic job is to procreate. This is a back-lash from the decadent and lavish times where pornography is available everywhere and birth rates are on the decline. Women are forced to give up their proper names and some (like the handmaid's) are forced to become walking wombs and that is all. The government has completely taken over, even in the bedroom, and has become the all seeing all knowing "The Eye".

It was an amazing book but if you are looking for a light read, this is not it. However, Margaret Atwood's writing style is amazing and the book hooks you in to see how it all could have happened and what is going to happen next. There is an 1990's movie version out but I'm not sure I could handle some of the scene's on film. A definite must-read though!

Also reviewed by:
Age 30+ A Lifetime of Books
So Many Books, So Little Time
Things Mean A Lot
The Luscious Literary Muse
Dog Ear Diary
The Boston Bibliophile

Enter June

Well I am happy to say that this weekend I successfully completed TWO books on my Amanda's In-the-middle-of-too-many-books Challenge. I only have five books left in this challenge. What's even better, they are also both on my 1% Well-Read Challenge and I only have six books left in this challenge.

For those interested, my husband did not buy the Jeep we went to Virginia to look at this weekend. However, we did have a great weekend had a surprise trip to a historic site. I'll post photos of our trip soon.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!!