Halfway Through!

Hooray - I am finally past the halfway mark in Brideshead and it is getting better. However I find Sebastian quite insipid. At least he isn't talking about his stuffed bear Aloysius anymore. I am hoping to finish the book by the end of the week.

Booooooooooorrrrrrrred

So I can tell that I am not into Brideshead Revisited because last night I was really bored but decided to aimlessly surf the web instead of reading. That is pretty unusual for me, so either I don't really like the book or I am tired of reading right now (unlikely). What to do - take a break? Or keep plugging along?

Brideshead Prologue

I am having a hard time getting past the Brideshead Revisited prologue - it is just boring to me. Maybe I need read something else and come back to it? On the other hand, I am still reading the Edgar Allen Poe stories and The Murder at Rue Morgue was pretty good.

Go Tell It on the Mountain

Book #517, Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin, is about a boy's spiritual awakening on his 14th birthday in 1930s Harlem. Stories like this always make me sad - a harsh, uncaring father, shattered dreams, rampant racism and violence. I would like to say that the world has changed, but it hasn't - at least not nearly enough. This is a book that I am glad to have read, but am equally glad to be done with.

Decided on Baldwin

I picked Go Tell It on the Mountain to read after Surfacing. It isn't a difficult read, but I tend to dislike characters like Gabriel Grimes (John's father) - those who don't practice what they preach, in a very literal sense. I am about half-way through so it shouldn't be much longer. I think I will read Brideshead next.

Surfacing

Earlier today I finished book #354, Surfacing by Margaret Atwood. It was quite interesting - the narrator returns to her family home on a remote island in Canada to look for her missing father. Her boyfriend and another couple accompany her to film a movie of random events. While there, the unnamed main character discovers the true nature of her friends and the truth about her failed marriage and the birth of her son come to light. The end gets pretty weird, but that seems about par for the course with Atwood's books.

What Next?

I am getting to the end of Surfacing and thinking about what to read next. I have some Bookcrossing books that I am trying to read so I can get them out of the house, so trying to decide between Brideshead Revisited and Go Tell It on the Mountain. Anyone have an opinion?

Up to Canada

I have moved from the South/East hemispheres to the North/West hemispheres with Surfacing by Margaret Atwood. I enjoyed Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake, and am hoping to enjoy this one as much. So far I am just dumbfounded by the narrator's lack of emotional attachment to her family. Even so it is interesting so I shouldn't have too much trouble getting through it. The only barrier (as usual) is time.

Nervous Conditions

Last night I finished book #208, Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga. Even though it took me a while to get started I really enjoyed this book. Young Sisi Tambudzai is sent to school at the local mission after her older brother dies. Tambu's uncle is the headmaster of the school and the family patriarch who basically runs the lives of his entire family. Tambu's father is lazy and unmotivated, so without Babamukuru's help they would all starve. The hardest thing about reading this story was keeping the familial titles straight.

Having lived all my life with my "twangy American accent" and a very female-dominated family, it is hard for me to relate to the issues in this book. Even so I really enjoyed the book. It is one of those stories that makes me realize what I have and how fortunate I am.

Wow

I can't believe it is already September 5th and I still haven't finished Nervous Conditions. Don't get me wrong, it is a good book and worth reading - I just haven't had much time lately for reading. Also, I started reading an Edgar Allen Poe collection in bed, so my small amount of reading time is divided. Time to get cracking.

Really Busy

I haven't had much chance to read this weekend because I am getting ready for my baby's 3rd birthday party. I like Nervous Conditions so far but party prep is taking all of my time. Hopefully after tomorrow I can get back to reading.