Candycandycandycandy....

It seems as though, like many things, reading has taken a bit of a backseat to all the other stuff going on. In the throes of an attempt to minimize the clutter in the house and at the same time strapped with overtime at work that is at once both very welcome and nearly as much dreaded, I've barely been able to pick up a book, much less actually read the damn thing. Usually, my saving grace is work, where I can read on breaks, but the last few weeks have found me trying to get caught up on some of the other writing I've been working on. Go figure, right?

So, last night, the little wife says to me, "honey, you haven't posted your book challenge blog in a while," and she then proceeds to look up at me with those big, adorable, "i'm gonna whup your ass if you don't do what I tell you to" eyes, and what do I say? Duh. I'm not THAT dumb. 

Needless to say, the conversation turned quickly from fun-loving to a whole lot of work really quick, and here I am, but it's not a Pulitzer book on my mind tonight. On our last trip back home, someone (not me) had the brilliant idea to listen to "candyfreak" by Steve Almond. Needless to say, we spent pretty much the whole trip listening to the author talk about candy, and candy bars, and a few of his personal reminiscences, and pretty much fiending for sweets. Thanks, babe. I could hardly pass a gas station without wondering if they had the chocolate I was so desperately wanting right then, but not NEEDING, of course, since her other, latest request was for me to lose some weight. (15 lbs and counting Ahthankyou!)

Well, when we got back home, we made a short trip to a local candy store (one of a dying breed, to the lament of the author) and bought some of the brands he had mentioned. Some weren't all that great, but do yourself a favor and look for the valomilk cups. They're great! I included the link here to the company website so you can check them out. 

It was a good book for the trip, fun to listen to, kept us awake most of the time, but at a few places, it did bog down and get a little gooey. It does present an interesting picture of the candy industry, though, and how cutthroat it can be. I'd say it's worth the read.

Anna Karenina- a review of movie and audio recording nightmares.

So I am finally finished with Anna Karenina.  It only took me 3 months to listen to it in the car!  Why you may ask?  Because HE found it boring, and I could only listen the 10 minutes between his work and mine most days.  It was a book that he had always wanted to read, in fact we even have a copy of it here at the house.  But when we put the first disk in, he lost interest.  I can only hope that the reason he had such a hard time listening to it was that the narrator was just so monotone that he couldn't stay focused. To be honest, this is one of several books I have listened to that were like that.  There is so little inflection or character voicing in so many of the recordings from Recorded Books that there have been a few books I have finished without really knowing what happened in the story.  There is definitely something to be said about being a good storyteller.  

Oh, and while I am on the subject of storytellers, we watched the movie with Kiera Knightly the other day. Dear Mr. Joe Wright, producer of the film, what was the purpose of the stage?  I found the entire stage and backdrops distracting from the real story. So many movie producers nowadays think that they can tell the story better than the original authors. Why?  These books have sold millions of copies because the original story was good.  *end rant.*

Anna Karenina is the story of a society wife in 19th century Russia who married for position but then later found love and took a lover.  Some say that this book is Tolstoy's spiritual manifesto, but that train of thought only really appears in the last chapters of the book, after Anna's death.  

While I would not count this book as one of my favorites, I did find it to be a good story, although a bit long and drawn out. Maybe next time I will go for the abridged (gasp) version.

A Second Helping of Updike...

When I got started on this reading list, I can honestly say that there were more than a few that I thought, "gee, that one's gonna suck!" As I've whittled down the ones I've done with, though, I'm finding more and more that I'm compiling not just a list of Pulitzer prize novels that I've read, but a list of my own personal favorites, books that I can say seriously that I'd like to read again.

That being said, anyone who knows me knows that a book has to be pretty bad in my estimation before I'll consider getting rid of it. Boring, dry, dumb. Yep. Off to Goodwill with them. There are a few that I'm finding are not just keepers, but perhaps books that I'll someday look for in nice hardcover editions for my "Library."

John Updike has become one of those authors. I never had time to think anything about him until Em got me started on this list, but he's rapidly become one of my favorites. True, it can be argued that when you start out reading what is considered the author's "masterpiece," chances are you're going to be a bit biased. The second of Updike's books that I'm in the process of right now is "Rabbit at Rest," a story that really seems to personify the end of the 1980s, waking up to the 1990s. I really can't say enough about the entire series, but I won't, because you'd be bored.

Truth is, what I really think about as I read through this list, and come across books like this, is the sort of literature that our kids are reading in school. Did you look forward to the reading lists that your English teachers tossed at you the first week of September? I never did. You see, I ended up stuck in a wide variety of basic English classes through high school. I had one teacher in 10th grade who asked me why the Hell I was in her class, and not the CP or AP course, and all I could do was shrug my shoulders and say, "I don't know. This is where they stuck me."

Something to do with poor grades in earlier grade levels, I'm sure, as though that were of the slightest importance...

But it has got me thinking - Maybe kids are being introduced to the wrong kinds of books these days. Perhaps high school reading lists are a bit too mundane. What if we actually let the kids read the work of John Updike, Junot Diaz, or Annie Proulx, where yes, there is sex, and drugs, and violence, but also along with those things are real consequences of those choices. AIDS, addiction and death, as well. As I recall high school, it was anything but innocent, so why do we, as parents (or they, as school boards) insist on prescribing the same stuff that was really only avant garde in 1969? Who knows.

The thing about "kiddie lit," is that though I make fun, its important that these kids read something for fun, but for crying out loud, once we're done assigning them homework on discussing the merits of Mark Twain's work in today's society, let's at least point them toward writers like Updike, Hell, even Willa Cather, or Pearl S. Buck when they graduate, so that once they're done reading what the state says is literature, they can see for themselves what REAL literature is all about.

Circus Days

The other day I was browsing the shelves at my Grandfather's house and came across The Circus Fire.  The title caught my attention after reading Water for Elephants a few years back. 

The Circus Fire is a compelling true story of the great Ringling Brothers fire in 1944, where 167 people were killed when the big top caught on fire.  As gory as the tragedy was, Stewart O'Nan wouldn't let me put the book down.  I found myself cheering on the crowd, hoping against hope that they would all get out, even though I knew they wouldn't.  I would encourage anyone who is interested in history to think about reading this book.  

But, to talk about one of my favorite books (and no, this one is not kiddie lit...)

Water for Elephants is the story of Jacob Jankowski, a nonagenarian in a nursing home who is looking forward to an outing to the circus that has set up down the street.  The story is told as events in the home trigger flashbacks of his youth in the circus.  The juxtaposition of joy in youth and longing for the past in old age was poignant; even more so in the audiobook where two distinctive voices traded with the scenes. I found myself sympathizing with 90 year old Jacob in a way that I would have never thought about before, and mourned with him as he reminisced about the life that he had lost.  

I have passed this book on to many people already, and encourage all of you to read it as well, this blog post can hardly do it justice.  Will you read it if I guarantee that it's not kiddie lit?

Punk.

So, speaking of "speed reading,"  I just got finished with "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" by Thornton Wilder. At a whopping 130-odd pages, it was a bit of a barn burner itself. It won the Pulitzer in 1928, and was the subject of a couple of movies. Good read all in all, but (and I'm just learning this, so give me a break here) It's considered a novella rather than a novel. What's the difference you ask? Well, as if you haven't figured out, I'm gonna tell you. A novella is intended to be read in more or less one sitting. It's not divided into specific numbered chapters because you're not really supposed to stop when you start reading it. It's sort of like an expanded short story.

That being said, it would have been an easier read had I actually had the time to swallow it in one big gulp. The narrative would have felt more cohesive, and I wouldn't have had to think back as often once beginning to read again to figure out what was going on. Huh. Whaddaya know, right?

It got me thinking that maybe some of these "pop" fiction novels are simply extensions of this somewhat Victorian-era ideal of being able to digest a book in just one day. Sure, Charles Dickens isn't exactly novella material, but by the same time, most of the folks who could and did read regularly probably didn't have a whole lot else to do with their time (the idle rich)

Like "Hunger Games" for example...

Now, I'm not going to knock my lovely wife for reading "Hunger Games" at all. Ok, maybe a little. This IS a competition, after all, and whereas my diversion was into "The Great Gatsby" last week, (which I'll go into later on...) hers was into the kind of teenie lit that publishers are churning out left and right with no sense of whether they'll carry or not. It just seemed like the sort of book that could be easily made into a movie for people too lazy to actually pick up such an immensely readable book.

I'm delving into imagery here, so bear with me... You know how when you read a really good book, and you're into it, and the story is carrying you along, when suddenly you realize that you've been "seeing" what's happening in the book in your mind's eye? That's imagery. Your brain turns the words into pictures, and it's one of the strengths of the written word - why books are so often more powerful than the movies. It's because our own imaginations supply the setting and the characters, and even the characters' voices. Cool, huh? (except I'm not sure what that's called...) Anyway, It's what makes "Hunger Games" so good. You're there with Katniss (sp?) as she goes through her trials.

The thing is, that sort of imagery is also available in a book written nearly a hundred years ago. Or two hundred years ago, but there's a backlash against literature in our society - sort of an "anti-renaissance." As high schoolers, we're taught to dread the assignment of novels like "David Copperfield" or "The Bridge of San Luis Rey," when really they provide a glimpse into life that history books can't provide on such a personal level. Our attention has to be grabbed at the outset, or we're not interested. Well, "Bridge" can still grab your attention, but are you afraid of it because it was written in 1927 and is called "literature?" think it won't grab you?

How about five people falling a thousand feet to their death? Does that grab you? Then "Bridge" might just do the same.  But, hey, at least you won't be reading Kiddie-lit, right?

Speed Reading The Hunger Games

A few years ago I was handed a copy of the Hunger Games, and out of curiosity for the newest fad I started to read it.  I was so enthralled with the story, and curious as to how Katniss would survive the games, I just couldn't put it down. 

The Hunger Games is a scary look at what could happen if a government has too much control and wants to keep the public under submission through fear.  The residents of Panem- the new nation in North America must submit 2 children between the ages of 12-18 from their region each year to the Hunger Games, a death-match that is televised, and the last child standing is determined the winner.  

(Don't knock me for spoiling the ending, there are three books in the series, do you really think she would kill off her hero in the first book?)

I enjoyed the book so much I tried to borrow the next book from a "friend" on my e-reader, but no one was willing to share.  

Skip forward a few years to last month, when my brother-in-law shared his books with me.  I picked up the second book in the series, and just could not put it down.  There were several nights that I only got a few hours of sleep between the baby getting up early and not being able to put the book down until well after 12.  

I am trying to be patient and wait until this summer to read the last book in the series, but don't know that I can wait that long to hear about what happens next in Panem.  Unlike my loving hubby who thinks it's OK to leave the last book in the series so that the story will last longer, I just have to have the situation resolve.  I mean, how fair is it to the citizens of Panem that I am even making them wait until this summer for their freedom (cause I am pretty sure that is what's going to happen!)

Now listen here Donald Everett, I think you better go help Frodo and all his friends save the world, stop making them sit in limbo, I think several years have been enough.

The Book Nerd and "So Big" by Edna Ferber

So, I come home today, and what do I find to my surprise? The table is packed with books. Lots of books. Someone decided to do a "photo op" on the kitchen table with a bunch of books from her list (Here's a hint: It wasn't Audrey!) Now, before I can get down to business with the hot dog I planned on eating after work today, I have to go put those books away. Great. Happenstance? I don't think so. Let me tell you, people, It ain't easy being married to a book nerd. Sure, I polished one off the other day that was pretty quick, but no sooner did I finish that one, but little miss "read it in one sitting" decides to wipe out another of her books! I may be in over my head here...

About the book, anyway...

Getting a peek into a time period that you didn't live through isn't quite as easy as elementary school text books would like it to seem. Sure, they look at the industrial revolution, and (with regards to the 1920's,) at prohibition, organized crime, immigration, blah, blah, blah. Sure, that stuff's historically relevant, but is that how people really lived? And by people, I mean common schmucks like you and I. Rare is the book (even on the Pulitzer list) that has much to say about everyday folks.

So Big is a great novel that, even when it was published, had a finger on the pulse of what life was really like (albeit in the all-too-common upper echelons of society) in the pre-depression era. As we take the time to think about what's coming next in our own time period, the next big leap, it can't hurt to take a look back at something that today seems as provincial as that moment when humanity realized that the automobile was going to replace the horse-drawn cart soon. Our next big leap could be just as provocative.

Of course, I'd be happy right now with a damn kitchen table that cleared itself so I can eat my hot dog.

Speeding through Half-Broke Horses

I was very impressed with the speed with which Donny read the last book. Honey, I can't recall him ever reading something that fast before.  It must have been a one time thing, whereas I have done it frequently. I must be a much better reader than him. ;)

I just finished Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls, reading in only 3 days. (Pre-baby it would have been sun-up to sun-down done in a day, mind you.)

Half-Broke Horses is the story of Jeannette's grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, told from Lily's point of view.  Jeannette told as much of the story as she could with facts, but remembering her grandmother's voice, told it the way she imagined Lily would have told it.  Telling the story from her grandmother's point of view allowed Jeannette to use the same blunt truth that so captivated me as I read The Glass Castle, her own memoir.  If you have read The Glass Castle, I am sure that you will love Half-Broke Horses as well. If you haven't read either one, try them.  They both have earned a place on my top 100 list.

So Big (And by the way...)

Now you listen here, little missy! SOMEONE has plenty more opportunity to do HER reading- In the car, while I"M driving, ... Uh... OTHER times that have now slipped my mind. Yea. That'll show ya. Besides, I'm the one who's trying to do the writing, as well. Very muchly harder, I assure you indeed. :)

Picked up "So Big" the other day, and I've been reading it on some of my breaks at work. So far, it doesn't really stand out as being phenomenal, but it is enjoyable. Sort of gives a glimpse into daily life in the 1920s as well as the late 1800s, when the book is set. By that, I mean that there's one scene in the book that so far is really noteworthy and a little humorous given the morally ambiguous state of things these days. (No, I'm not going to give anything away... You'll see what I mean in a minute.) The main character is a 19-year old schoolteacher who has a "grand adventure" among the Dutch settlers of a small farming community. She gets married with the usual literary pomp and circumstance, but then... The wedding night approaches... (Mind you, this novel reads up to this point like a romance...) And she slips into her (long-sleeved) nightgown... Crawls into his (their) bed... Hears him clomping in from the fields...

And that's it.

They wake up the next morning, and like two paragraphs later, she's pregnant.

Hrmph.

See what I mean about giving something away? There wasn't anything to give away! What the heck? No smooch? No "Good evening wife, 'bow-chicka-bow-wow!' How was YOUR day?"

Nope. I suppose that's 1924 for you. So, digging was in order. OFF TO WIKIPEDIA!!

Did you know that once upon a time, a book was put on trial? (1) Sort of shows the depths of censorship, huh? Oh, well. It's a good book, and I'm enjoying it, even if it is a nearly 100-year old romance with nary a steamy scene in sight. Again I say, Hrmph.





(1)"Fanny Hill", written by John Cleland c. 1760, was judged to be obscene in a proceeding that put the book itself on trial rather than its publisher.

We Need to Talk About Kevin

So the other day I told you about the book Defending Jacob.  It reminds me of a book I picked up at the Borders clearance sale We Need to Talk About Kevin.

This is one of those books that will always haunt me.   We Need to Talk About Kevin is a story from a mother's perspective about her son Kevin.  Eva feels that from an early age Kevin is different, conniving, and manipulative.  The story has a sinister edge to it, as you wait for the other shoe to drop, to find out what makes Kevin tick, what causes him to do the unimaginable at his high school.  Kevin is a fantastically intelligent boy who plotted for months how to carry out his heinous crime. His punishment? (That he planned as well, by the way,) Nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

With all of the school violence going on right now, this book really gets me thinking, not only as a teacher, but as a parent as well.  Where is the line in the sand going to be?   Who is really to blame for children murdering children?  Is it the parents who suspect that their child may be violent who do nothing, or is it actually the child who was born this way as Eva feels Kevin was?  Most likely a combination of both.  What will the answer be?  Armed security guards at each door?  Thats a lot of manpower for a maybe.  Arming the teachers?  Really?  Putting the gun right in the classroom so that the child doesn't have to bring it?  I don't think so.

By the way, even with all of the books I am reading not included on my list, I'm still winning.  He has only read 38% of his list, whereas I have read 48% of mine!  Who is getting spanked now?!?!?!

The Brief, Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao

I had never thought much about the Dominican Republic. I knew a Dominican girl or two back when I worked in Akron, and I always thought they were a little too intense, you know? Like they had a chip on their shoulder that no amount of "killing 'em with kindness" could remove. Turns out they probably had a reason to be that tough.

The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is one of those books that surprised me. It wasn't about what I thought it was going to be about. (To be honest, I thought it was going to be another "gay lit" book until I took in the first chapter. Sorry, but The Hours scarred me.) It had the presence of mind to be entertaining while it was somewhat educational - shining a spotlight on what went down in the DR during the first half of the last century. Not good, and to be honest, Junot Diaz glosses over or doesn't mention some of "El Hefe" Rafael Trujillo's more heinous activities, ostensibly to keep the reader's focus on Oscar and his family.

Although a curious footnote in history, and nothing at all to do with this book, except to display how racially motivated Trujillo was, is that in 1938, he went against the popular grain at the time and accepted up to 100,000 Jewish refugees into the DR, eventually setting aside some 26,000 acres of his property for settlements. Turns out, the Jewish were white enough to accept, but the Haitians who lived next door (and a good number of dark-skinned Dominicans) weren't good enough, and as many as 20,000-30,000 were killed in the "Paisley Massacres" in 1937.

If you ever start to lose faith in the life you lead in the United States, though, (or wherever you might hail from) Take a minute to read about the failed cattle thief. That'll snap you right out of it and get you back to singing "Stars and Stripes Forever" again, that's for sure.

Surprisingly, "Wao" was a quick read for me, briefly dipping into my wife's territory of polishing off a book in three days. (yea. She actually does that a lot.) I just couldn't put it down, and to be honest, I might have been able to digest it in two if I hadn't been finishing up reading "Cell" at the same time. (Another that was practically impossible to put down, thank you, Mr. Stephen King!)

Some of the books on my list have been a bit of a curiosity as to why they ended up getting chosen, but others definitely deserve the honor. Oscar's Brief, Wondrous life is one such story. Great from beginning to end and leaving me feeling a bit more enlightened when I finished, I can honestly say that I loved it, and will look for Junot Diaz's other work. Eventually. Once this list is done, and my wife has been soundly spanked.

 Wait. That sounded bad, didn't it?

Ah. Yes. The Hours.

Ok, yea. She's got me there. "The Hours." I just didn't get it. Gay guy throws himself off a balcony. The end. Yea. She's explaining it to me right now, and I'm still lost. HOWEVER, I did read it - through to the end. Suffering and bitching the whole time. I will not pick it up again for a re-read. Sorry, but I'd rather have a pink Easter Bunny tattooed on my back with the words "Born to Hop" stenciled in gold glitter paint on my ass by a drunken Jackson Pollock. :p

So, someone wants to "commune" with some hobbits, elves, dwarves and other assorted "fantastical" critters, eh? We can do that. DragonCon 2013 will be taking place from August 30 - September 2 this year, and someone just guaranteed herself a ticket. Audrey can dress up as a fairy, Em can have her choice : Either Slave Girl Princess Leia (Bow chicky-bow-wow!) or Arwen, and me? I'LL be taking pictures!

Defending Jacob and Defending my reading

Alongside the large list of books that I am trying to read ahead of Don, I am also reading selections for a monthly book club.  Our February selection is Defending Jacob by William Landay.  I downloaded it early to my e-reader so that I could have time to read it before our meeting, but I just couldn't put it down, and finished it in 3 days.

Defending Jacob is the story of Andy Barber, an ADA in a small town.  The town is rocked by the murder of 14 year old Ben on his way to school.  Andy takes on the case, until his own son, Jacob, is charged with the murder.  I had to keep reading, I needed to know if Jacob actually committed this crime.  I can't tell you, you will have to read and figure out for yourself!

Now, about the drama surrounding the fact that I am reading The Lord of the Rings.  No, I don't care for the book, but I don't think Don understands why.  I have enjoyed other science-fiction and fantasy books (Harry Potter, Twilight, Ender's Game).  The big difference: Humans.  Where are the humans in The Lord of the Rings?  Where in my daily life am I going to stumble upon Hobbits and Elves and Dwarves?  I like to get lost in my books, being side-by-side with the characters, but in these imaginary lands, there is no place for me.  

So, no, I don't HATE the book, but I am having a hard time connecting with the characters, and that my dear love, is why I am not ENJOYING this book as much as everyone thought.  

Now you, talk about hating books, what about The Hours?  I enjoyed that one.  Beloved?  I am looking forward to it too.  Who  is the one who hates books? Hmmmmm?

She's "Trying" Lord of the Rings... (reading outside the box)

So, I've never thought of myself as any sort of fanboy, of fantasy, sic-fi, or any "speculative literature." Sure, I like Star Trek as much as any guy should (because isn't that pretty much the pinnacle of guy tv programming, aside from Baywatch, of course) but I've got to make a confession about what might be one of the most important cultural phenomenon of the last 75 years - I never read "The Lord of the Rings" until after I had seen the movie, and I still haven't gotten around to "The Hobbit." Criminal, I know.

That being said, I did love LOTR. Awesome. Unforgettable. Can't wait to read it again. Might actually be able to put "Hobbit" into perspective... finally.

Now, I'm loving that Em has "Lord of the Rings" on her list, in no small part because she HATES that type of story. No, let me rephrase. She

HATES!!!

that sort of fiction. But she's gotta do it. It's on her list, so she knows there's no getting out of it. Being that the series has been a cultural phenomenon, there's no way it's coming off the list (since some of the titles rotate off and on from time to time.)

 It's a sort of a preconceived notion she's got about that kind of fiction. Here's the thing- for all you fanboys out there, she's got to read "Dune" as well. Wait till she gets a pageful of Paul Atreides, right? I'm not sure if it's the torture she's facing reading a genre she really doesn't like, or just the way she kvetches about it while she's doing it, but I, being the hubby, am loving it.

Here's the thing, though- turnabout is fair play when it comes to reading outside the box. My list of Pulitzer winners has more than a few titles on it that i would NEVER have picked up were they not on the list. Chick lit, African-American lit, that sort of thing. "A Thousand Acres?" Never. "Beloved?" Hell no! (Come to think of it, I didn't much care for "Beloved" anyway, so let's not count that one, K?" 

Most of us tend to read what we're comfortable with - westerns or romance, all that sort of thing, but it's good now and then to step outside our comfort zone and check out some literature that we wouldn't ordinarily check out. "The brief Wondrous life of Oscar Wao?" Lovin' it. Anything by John Updike? Awesome. 

More than anything, I would challenge you to try out a book you might not ordinarily pick up. Love Sci-fi? Grab a romance novel next time you're in a bookstore and give the first chapter a once-over. Got a thing for romance? Try out just about any book that's been on the Pulizer prize, Man Booker or National Book Award List. You might just be surprised by what you never thought you'd enjoy! As for the little wife, she's grudgingly enjoying Lord of the Rings. At least, that's what she tells me...

Life of Pi and other things

So I see he beat me to the first real post. :/  Of course, you know he did that on a night that the baby and I were out of the house. (Lucky dog had a night to himself!)

Anyway, I am currently in the middle of 3, yes 3, books on my list, Anna Karenina (Audio book in the car), Life of Pi (around the house) and The Lord of the Rings:The Two Towers (reading on my breaks at work).  

Between the three, I am most enjoying Life of Pi, the story of a young man who was a passenger on a cargo ship with his family and several of their former zoo animals when it sinks, leaving Pi alone with a tiger, zebra, orangutan, and hyena in a small lifeboat. His struggle to stay alive and keep the tiger alive as well has proven to be a wonderful work of fiction that is keeping me up way past my bedtime.  

I think the rascal is going to beat me to finishing another book, he is within a few pages of finishing The Known World, maybe it is time to distract him with the baby again.  :)

Happy reading everyone!

ME FIRST! "The Known World" by Edward P. Jones

She may be good at getting in the last word, but I'll take the first word on this one - I've been reading "The Known World" by Edward P. Jones. It won the Pulitzer prize back in 2004, and though it is one of the "slavery" novels on the list, I'm taken by it. Jones' writing is complicated, but woven together in a way that brings the story's many characters into a sharp focus that might not have been possible had another author attempted to write it. 

The story - Its premise is one that makes pundits salivate - is one that should make people of all stripes sit up, put down what they're doing, and take notice. In fact, I would have thought its premise would have caused more of a stir when it was published. Apart from its awards and acclaim, though, it seems to have been little more than a popular "blip" on the national radar.

So, what is this great premise? Nothing less than the idea that free black Americans, former slaves and free men who came to the United States as immigrants could, and did, own slaves themselves. Huh. Whoda thunkit? 

While the book is a fictional account of slavery in the commonwealth of Virginia in the early 1800s, it makes you want to learn more about what exactly really happened back then- makes you almost want to take that time machine back to see if what we've been told all these years is real. Was this possible? As it turns out, the answer is yes, and there are historical accounts to back it up. While it's true that the actual percentage of black slaveholders in the 1800s was so infinitesimal as to be nearly not worth considering, (~2% according to the 1830 federal census, or 3,777 individuals) it does shed some light onto the way people thought two hundred years ago, after removing the "20/20 vision" goggles that so many of us wear when we look back at what has come to be resoundingly seen as a great smudge on the reputation of the United States of America.

What the book brings to light is that slavery was not in itself a wholly one-sided affair. When you begin to dig deeper, you begin to realize that there were slaves throughout the founding of the United States that fell into every category of race. Some were simply called "indentured servants," a slightly more P.C. way of saying "slave." Of course, the lesson best taught by "The Known World" is that slavery is a part of all of our history, so long as we call ourselves Americans, and to claim it from all sides of the issue, not just the sides that the media and (ridiculously) biased history textbooks tell us we should be  is to finally accept that part of our past, and move forward a stronger nation because of it.

And she thought I couldn't be an adult about this! :p

The Rules of the Game

For those of you who care, Don has been reading books from the Pulitzer Prize winning list for a few years now, and I have been reading books from a list I found at www.thebest100lists.com and we recently decided to make it into a game.  I think he has the unfair advantage of having a shorter list. (P.S. if you go to the site and see the list of novels, I know it is not the same list I have here, I am working off of one of the old ones.  When I finish this, then I will go back and read the new ones that have been added.)

I have the sneaking suspicion that this is some kind of "marital bliss" thing that one of her friends came up with. Possibly something she found on Pinterest. Have you noticed yet? Chicks are drawn to it like it was Fun Dip in a Kindergarten class.

Emily will always post in one font.

Don hates this font. HE wanted the one she grabbed. dammit. Shouldn't have got up for that beer.

I'm sorry.  I thought you would have picked Verdana.  That is what I envisioned when I picked this one.  Boo Hoo to you!

"Verdana" sounds like something you catch from a dirty French prostitute. "Verdana" can kiss my lilly white ass.

I want this to be a family friendly blog, please watch your language buster!!!!

Oh. Oops. "ass" how's that?

Slightly better.

Can we get on to the reason we are starting this blog?  Would you like to explain to our family and friends, or will you have too hard of a time keeping your emotions under control?

Huh. Huh-huh "hard" time... Huh. huh-huh. You said "hard."

I have created a monster.  I think it is time for Beavis to go to bed.

Yea. Ok. So, while she's off in the other room, here's the arrangement: I'm not supposed to erase anything she writes, and she can't erase anything I write (she's so hosed!) Yea, I'm reading off the Pulitzer prize list, (what about it, punk?) but she's got an edge because although my list is shorter, hers comprises titles that were published more recently. That means I get a good dose of more obscure titles that, while they did win the prize, pretty much no one has heard of recently. And no, James Patterson ain't on my list. My ace in the hole, though? "Ulysses." It's on her list, but not mine. ;)

Yeah, Ulysses.  Mine's not all fun and games over here mister!

Wah. I'm gonna win. 

We'll see about that...

Typical. Gotta get that last word in, don't you?

Yep.