Daphne Grab

2009 was such a good year for books!  I read so many things I loved which is a great thing but also makes it hard to pick my favorite book of the year.  But because I love lists and favorites and the tradition of picking a favorite book of the year, it must be done.  So here we go. 

Oh, but first a caveat.  My absolute favorite book of the year is Rebecca Stead’s WHEN YOU REACH ME.  But I actually read it at the end of 2008 and Rebecca is a friend and a friend’s book can’t be my favorite because that breaks the rules, so it is mentioned as my top book but another, that meets all the criteria, must be chosen. 

And in the end it’s not even that hard.  Friends told me about this book, how much I’d love it, but it wasn’t until my book club decided to read it as our January book that I actually picked it up and discovered the reading bliss that is MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD.  I fell deeply into this book, carried by sweet Marcelo who is on the autistic spectrum so sees and feels the world slightly differently (my favorite of his quirks is how he refers to himself in the third person) but is pushed into the “real world” by his dad, who wants Marcelo to work in his law firm for the summer.  But just explaining the plot of this book doesn’t do justice to the beautiful voice, the risks the author takes that pay off in spades, the truth the book speaks which is moving and profound.  Honestly I could gush about it all day.  It was the kind of book I am always seeking, the kind of read that makes me feel more connected to the world, to myself and to the things that really matter.  It’s true and it’s beautiful and it made me cry more than once.   

So that’s my pick.  What are yours? 

So, yeah, I’m like the worst blogger ever but I have a good excuse!  While I have been letting things get dusty over here, my friends and I in my writing group, The Longstockings, have been plotting a bit of a blogging come back.  We started with a super snazzy new website www.thelongstockings.com , a super cool contest (see the website for details) and a few more fun blogging surprises to come, one of which, Writing Tip Wednesdays, I am writing about today.  So while I will cross post my writings from there here too, I encourage you to make http://thelongstockings.blogspot.com/ part of your daily blog roll so you can hear from all of us!  (and us is me, Coe Booth, Lisa Greenwald, Caroline Hickey, Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian).   

Have a great Wednesday!

The first semester of my MFA at The New School I took a lit class taught by the fabulous David Levithan.  We read some terrific books and my absolute favorite was CUT by Patricia McCormick.  I loved her style of writing, the way she crafted a plot and the powerful voice of her character.  So I was thrilled the next year when my (also fabulous) writing workshop teacher, Sarah Weeks, invited Ms. McCormick to be part of a panel that spoke to our class.  As is sadly typical for me, I got overly excited when meeting Ms. McCormick and made a complete blathering idiot of myself, and she honestly could not have been more gracious.  She listened to me babble, found things that made sense to comment on and said wise things that are still useful to me in my writing. So in those two years I became a huge fan both of her and her books.

In the years since I’ve read everything she’s written and just this past weekend finished PURPLE HEART.  And can I just say wow?  I think it’s hard to follow up something as powerful as SOLD but this book is up to the job.  Told from the point of view of Matt, a soldier who has just been injured in the war in Iraq, the story is both a slice of the life of a soldier and a gripping suspense story.  Matt has a brain injury that has made it hard to remember exactly what happened right before he was hit in an explosion but the image of a young boy he knew being killed is haunting him.  His friend Justin has told him a version of the story that doesn’t quite jibe with what Matt is slowly remembering and as the truth comes out, Ms. McCormick delves deeper into what it is to be a soldier in this war.   The conclusion is ultimately extremely real and satisfying- one of my pet peeves is a great build up that fizzles but PURPLE HEART has true payoff.  It also has the luscious language, strong voice and well paced story that hooked me on Ms. McCormick’s writing years ago.  A truly great read that I recommend very highly!

Have a great Tuesday!

One of the most awesome things that can happen when you read a book you love is to discover that the author has written others.  I discovered Sarah Dessen after she’d written five books so I was in hog heaven reading them all in a row.  And when I read What My Mother Doesn’t Know I was overjoyed to learn there were more Sonya Sones books out there.  And just last week, when I picked up Take Me There by Susane Colasanti and got about fifty pages in, I was thrilled to discover she has other titles out there. 

Take Me There is told from the perspective of three different narrators, all friends living in NYC, over the course of a week.  One character narrates a few days, then it goes back in time, the next character narrates the same days and you get all these blanks filled in and new perspective on the events that took place.  It’s a great structure. 

 The book also has all the things I consider essential in a good book: strong characters who angst authentically, real issues (break up, love, pressure of life), fresh dialogue and a story that is gripping and relatable from start to finish (few things are worse than a story that starts strong and then fizzles).  Colasanti has it all covered.  Plus it has great romance, an always welcome bonus. 

Next up for me, When it Happens.  Have a great Wednesday!

I am really bad at waiting which is rough because publishing books means endless waiting.  And being on the other side, as a reader, is just as rough.  The wait for Catching Fire was wretched and honestly I don’t know how I am going to make it to September 2010 for the third in the series.  But sometimes I get lucky and I get something I can’t wait to read a little early, and this was the case with Fire by Kristin Cashore.

It’s not a coincidence that I mention Catching Fire and Fire together because Hunger Games and Graceling are connected for me.  I read Hunger Games last fall and was beside myself with adoration for it.  I stayed up late to read the second half in full and could barely sleep I was so lit up and excited about it.  It’s the best feeling when you get that kind of bliss from a book, but I was then stuck with a terrible problem: whatever I read next was going to suck in comparison, no matter how brilliant it might be.  I went a few days not reading anything, then realized my library copy of Graceling was due and that I needed to get started on it.  I was prepared to find it disappointing and so was utterly delighted on page 30 or so when I realized I actually liked it.  Like turned to love, love turned to adoration and I had my best reading streak of the year. 

So this year, when I finished the ARC of Catching Fire, I was lucky enough to have in my possession an ARC of Fire and I knew I’d be in good hands.  And Kristen Cashore did not disappoint.  I love her writing!  She uses language in such a subtle, graceful way, weaving worlds and conveying powerful feelings with just a few sentences.  Her female characters rock.  I think this is what I most love about her books.  Katsa and Fire are strong, vibrant, vulnerable, and complex, deeply engaging characters you feel lucky to spend time with.  And her guys- wow, are they sexy!  The relationships between them sizzle, in large part because of the deep emotional connection they have. 

Fire brings up issues of beauty that had me thinking about it in new ways.  The story is gripping, the action satisfying and I can definitely say this was one of my favorite reads of 2009, which has been a great year for books.  Now that it’s out I’m going to be picking up a copy to go on my bookshelf right next to Graceling.  I want copies on hand for my daughter when she is ready because these are some of the books I am most excited to share with her when she is older. 

Have a great Monday!

Yes, this is the most recent movie I've seen in a theater.  Pre-kids we went to the movies almost every week but now I'm lucky to swing six times a year.  So I savor that experience when it comes my way!  And try very hard to choose the movie wisely.  I first read about this movie being a non-romantic romantic comedy and it pretty much lives up to that billing.  It’s told from the perspective of Tom who falls for Summer, a girl who doesn’t believe in love.  Tom believes and after agonizing excessively (this is pitch perfect) he gets it together, they get together and the movie chronicles their relationship.  Mild spoilers ahead, though nothing that doesn’t happen in the first five scenes. 

Although I had a few problems with it, overall I loved this movie.  What I most enjoyed was the story structure which was not linear but instead hopped around to different days in the relationship and the aftermath of the break up (we don't know if they will or won't get back together).  It made an already compelling story that much more engaging and there was something about it that rings true to life.  Well, not how we live life but how we think about it.  Thinking about things, especially a relationship and especially a relationship where you get dumped, is not always linear.  You hop around in your mind from good to bad, anger to despair, feeling over it, not feeling over it.  So this structure for this story felt very true. 

The structure also cut out certain tropes of the romantic comedy genre, most pleasantly the musical montage of falling in love.  I hate musical montages of falling in love!  I want the guts of the falling in love, not some shiny veneer.  (500) Days gives you guts and is a much richer movie for it. 

Last note on the structure: something I struggle with in my writing is those draggy points in the story between climaxes.  They tend to happen to me in the second act and I’ve noticed this is often true on movies too.  You’re going along watching, all sucked into the story and things bog down and suddenly you’re aware of the time, of the person next to you who’s breathing loudly and the fact that your seat sags.  Or whatever else is going on in the theater, not what’s going on in the movie.  A well plotted movie avoids that and (500 Days) not only avoided it but did so creatively, with its totally radical act structure. 

So the one thing I didn’t love was how the character Summer was more an object than a person.  I mean, I think part of the point of the movie was that this was how she existed for him in his mind.  And a person does become less real in your mind, with the highs higher and the lows lower.  So it did fit in.  But it still bugged me. 

My very favorite thing: in the second half of the movie there is a scene where Tom goes to a party at Summer’s with the hope that they might get back together.  The scene is shown with a split screen, with one side being what he hopes will happen, and the other being what actually happens.  It was brilliant.   

Final word: totally worth seeing.

So, yeah, books, movies, chocolate.  And maybe some TV if the urge strikes.  Here are the caveats:

*I rarely make it to the movie theater so I may discuss movies that have been out for a while.  I’ve decided this is a good thing because I can include spoilers and not worry about ruining the movie for others.  I will always give warnings before spoilers though!

* I review books for Publishers Weekly but as that is anonymous, I will never mention books I review there over here. 

I think that’s it!  So as soon as I think of a new name for the blog, I’ll start posting and I hope to get your thoughts as I do- discussing things you love is so much funner when it’s, you know, an actual discussion.

Have a great Monday!

Our second vacation stop was Mount Desert Island in Maine.  It's really gorgeous, with rocky mountains, sweet pine forests and stunning cliff beaches.  We did a lot of hiking which is more my husband's thing than mine but these are the things we do for those we love.  It wasn't exactly bad for me to get some exercise since I am pretty hopelessly out of shape.  And the kids got into it.  Our kids are good walkers, being NYC kids who walk everywhere, so we did some pretty major hiking.  Honestly there were places I had trouble keeping up, which is embarrassing to admit since they aren't even 5 yet, but then they don't have my neuroses about heights, steep inclines and bugs.  I hope they never get them! 

The big flaw in the Maine trip was that my husband was in charge of booking our place and he opted for rustic which is just not my thing.  I think he secretly hopes I will one day realize I love camping and roughing it but I think we all know that day will never come.  I like my creature comforts, including AC in a hot cabin when there is 90 degree weather, a comfortable mattress to sleep on that does not have loose springs and internet access.  I know I'm kind of a princess but it is what it is.  There are times I've roughed it with the best of them, particularly when I lived in China and Colombia, but I feel like when you get an amazing cultural experience the quality of toilet cleanliness isn't what you're going to focus on.  On vacation for fun my standards are different.

But uncomfortable mattresses aside, it was a really nice trip and I kind of fell in love with Maine.  Not exactly original I know but it's just so beautiful it kind of stays with you long after you return home.  Which is a very good thing! 

Have a great Monday!

We're back from much vacationing!  I'm going to be pretty bad about blogging until my kids are settled into school, which will be mid-Septemberish, but I wanted to write a little about being away since by the time it's mid-September vacation will be a distant memory. 

But before getting to vacation I want to give an update on Beloved Kitty who was super sick in the weeks before we left.  Things were looking pretty grim that last week.  He hadn't responded to meds and it had gotten to the terrible point where he was no longer feeling good.  He was spending most of his time under the bed, not wanting affection which is totally unlike him, and his eyes had this scary, distant look.  I was pretty beside myself.  But then the last ditch meds kicked in and he started to feel better and it was about the greatest thing ever.  The prognosis isn't great- he most likely has lymphoma and will be in remission for a few months to a  year.  But honestly, we were thinking about having to put him down in August so any extra time is a true gift.  It was really hard to leave him for vacation but we got great reports on him while we were away and it was so terrific to hear about him being more playful, more affectionate and more his sweet kitty self.   He was in good spirits when we returned.  I am so happy to have my beloved buddy for a little longer.

So, vacation.  Our first week was in Provincetown, Cape Cod which is pretty much my favorite place on earth.  I think the beaches there are extraordinary and the dunes take my breath away.  Plus I love the community there, both local and tourists.  There were so many interracial adoptive families!  I'm spoiled because we see lots of families like us at home in NYC but here there were possibly even more which was so neat.  Some families were two moms, some a mom and dad and a few were two dads.  A lot of the books we read our kids about adoption stress the idea that there are all kinds of family and what binds isn't biological connection but love, so it was neat to see that in action in different ways.  The kids took it in stride since it's what they're used to at home but in a few years I think it will mean a lot more to see all kinds of people and all kinds of families when we travel, not just at home.  That won't happen in a lot of places so it makes Provincetown even more special to me now.   It's so important for kids to see themselves, their family, their circumstances mirrored in the world around them, as well as to see a rich variety of people and since that isn't what we get a lot of on TV or in movies (books are better though there’s definitely room for more), it's great to have places that will do it. 

Final words on Cape vacation: much time walking on beaches, swimming in cold ocean water and basking in the bliss that is the Cape.  Two big thumbs up!

And now I'm off to catch up on blogs and news from the weeks I've been gone...

Have a great Tuesday!