Vacation

I'm heading on a much-needed vacation to Hong Kong, so expect some blog silence for the next couple of weeks. I'll certainly be reading but I can't promise to post anything until I return. When I do, expect a flurry of book reviews and vacation photos!

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (2010)

It's Christmastime, and Dash has told each parent that he's spending the holiday with the other. They haven't spoken to each other in years, so it's a pretty safe plan. Content to be alone, Dash goes to the Strand where, hidden on the shelves, he finds a red notebook with a message inviting the finder to follow some clues.

Lily is spending Christmas without her parents as well. They are vacationing in Fiji, leaving Lily at home with her older brother who is pretty much ignoring her in favor of his new boyfriend. In an attempt to keep Lily occupied, Langston decides to map out some clues in a notebook to potentially find Lily a romantic companion.

Passing the notebook back and forth without meeting, Dash and Lily send each other on fun and daring tasks all over New York City, building up to a (perhaps) inevitable meeting.

I like the premise of this book. It was fun to see Dash and Lily playing this elaborate game, while philosophizing about what they'd actually feel if they met in person. It's kind of like online dating. You never know how much of what you know about the other person is real, how much of it is what they want you to think, and how much is your own projection. That's very much what this novel was like. There was a lot of tension in this fun little adventure.

I feel like I've met these characters before, in many many YA books. They are super-smart, self-aware, delightfully quirky....these personalities have become fairly standard. I like them though, which I suppose is the point. I just couldn't get too super-excited about them.

It was a fun book and I flew through it. I just don't think it's a book I'll still be thinking about months from now. But for a cold winter weekend when you're at home looking for an engaging diversion, it might be just the thing.

Health Care Reform

Health Care Reform: what it is, why it's necessary, how it works by Jonathan Gruber (2011)

 I know, it sounds like a crashing bore doesn't it? But this will change your mind: it's a comic! I knew the only way I'd read a book about the health care system was in this format. Jonathan Gruber is a professor of economics at MIT and a key architect of the Massachusetts health reform. In addition, he consulted extensively on the Obama plan, which is what this book is primarily about. He starts by explaining what is wrong with our system (which is hardly necessary) and goes on to explore various aspects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the predicted outcomes and benefits.

When I first heard of this book I didn't realize it was written from this perspective or that it was about the ACA in particular. Rather I thought it was a more general and objective overview of the problems in our system and ideas for alternatives. Obviously Gruber is a champion of the new health care plan, so I took it all with a grain of salt. I should also mention that I haven't been a proponent of the plan myself, not because it's socialized medicine, but because it's not. In my opinion ANY system of health care based on private insurance companies is inherently flawed and will not work in the interests of our health.

In this short graphic work Gruber was only able to touch on all the aspects of this vast piece of legislation rather than exploring them thoroughly, so I am left with questions. For instance, he mentions that there is an exemption from the mandate for people who cannot afford insurance, but I thought one of the aims of the plan is to ensure that everyone can afford it. So that is a little confusing.

I'm also a little confused by the definitions of "affordable" in the plan - "up to 8% of income" can be a hell of a burden if you have a small income. People are being forced to spend a big chunk of income on what is essentially peace of mind, rather than more immediate concerns like rent, car repairs, or heating oil. But that is a criticism of the plan, not the book.

Reading this was quite educational for me, as I've only vaguely understood the most general aspects of the plan until now. It's undoubtedly better than the so-called system we have now, and better than the Massachusetts plan (I live in MA, and am not a huge fan of the system, though it's true that more people here have health insurance than anywhere else. Huge fines help.)

I should probably also mention the graphic aspects of the book. I found it clear and easy to follow, with appealing illustrations and a nice touch of humor. This digestible format is exactly what I needed to get a good overview of something complicated and a bit dull. I feel a bit better about the whole plan having read this. Though Gruber discusses the intended outcome of various pieces, he acknowledges that it's not a certainty. However, if even part of this works the way it's intended to, it will be a vast improvement.

At Home

At Home: a short history of private life by Bill Bryson (2010)

In Bill Bryson's latest book, he takes a tour through his house exploring the history of each room, the objects found within it, and the aspects of life most closely associated with it. This ambitious work encompasses many more subjects than I had supposed it would, including architecture, building materials, energy sources, sewer systems, fashion, burial and cremation, household accidents, and medicine. Just a handful of the particular topics he touches on include the discovery of the neolithic village of Skara Brae in the Orkney Islands, child labor, mice and rats, the origins of electricity, sumptuary laws, vitamins and minerals, bras, and the Library of Congress. You could say there is something for everyone.

Although most of the book is only loosely related to the house and the objects within it, I didn't mind. Despite the meandering nature of the book, he always brought it back to the room at hand and put each history in a household context. This is the kind of history I like reading - it relates to people and how they live. Most histories are fairly abstract and focus on nations and governments, and I never feel that I get a sense of anything concrete, or what it was actually like to live during those times, which makes it seem less real. But this is something I can wrap my mind around. I can picture what people's lives looked like, felt like, and (unfortunately) smelled like during different parts of history. It really puts everything in context when you have this kind of information.

Though lengthy, I found this book easy to read though I frequently had to set it aside to look something up that I wanted to read more about. There were many little factoids and subjects he touched on briefly that made me curious to learn more. (I also appreciate that this book has an index!)

Bryson's engaging writing style and sense of humor are exactly what a non-fiction-challenged person like me needs. I've already read A Walk in the Woods, but I'm looking forward to reading more of his books. I'm thinking that next I might tackle "A Short History of Nearly Everything." Similarly ambitious to "At Home," its focus is on the larger history of the world and civilization.

Have you read anything by Bill Bryson? What do you recommend?

Sunday Knitting

One of my spontaneous projects I began recently are the Grown-up Booties from Whimsical Little Knits. I don't have any slippers right now so I picked up a skein of Rowan Purelife, which is this awesome undyed wool in sheepy colors, and started the pattern.

The construction is very clever, but apparently only works of your gauge - including row gauge - is spot on. Mine apparently was not. The first bootie came out boxy, almost completely square. Not cute. (By the way, the other projects on Ravelry are all adorable, so it's not an issue with the pattern.) It didn't occur to me to take a photo - sorry.

On the next one, I thought it might be clever to just sew up the toe differently. So instead of folding up that piece in the manner prescribed, I just sewed up the diagonal decreases edges, making it a pointy-toed elfin-style slipper. 

 

It looks kind of cute until I put it on and it becomes misshapen and odd.

On my third attempt, I thought "to hell with this clever toe idea" and joined the slipper in the round after the foot-hole part and continued in the matter of a traditional sock toe. This is much better.

I should have joined it into the round sooner though, so that may need to be corrected.

Just to recap, I have now knit 3 booties and still don't have a pair and, in fact, may still need to knit at least 2 more before I have a matching set that I'm happy with. And by the way, the skein only makes 2 (and barely!) so this involves undoing my work to make more. The yarn is holding up very well through this process.

The experimentation is a bit cathartic, and I think will be worth it when I end up with something I actually wear. I guess this is what designers do - experiment - but much more and frequently on a larger scale. Perhaps I'll learn enough patience for experimentation with more complicated and time-consuming projects such as sweaters.

The Piano Teacher

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee (2008)

 In anticipation of my upcoming trip to Hong Kong, I've been seeking out books that take place there. I recently read The Train to Lo Wu, and now I've just finished a very different book, The Piano Teacher. Will Truesdale, a newly arrived Englishman in Hong Kong begins a relationship with a notorious socialite named Trudy Liang just as World War II reaches their shores. During the Japanese occupation, Will is sent to an internment camp while Trudy remains outside and must forge alliances with the enemy in hopes of surviving. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton arrives in Hong Kong with her new husband Martin, and is hired by the Chen family as their daughter's piano teacher. She soon meets their chauffeur, the very same Will Truesdale, and begins an affair with him. Long-buried secrets begin to bubble to the surface and Claire finds herself in the midst of a crisis that has been brewing for the last ten years.

I'll admit I began this novel with a bit of trepidation. The description I read of it began with "In the tradition of The English Patient...." a novel which I failed more than once to make it through. While the Piano Teacher is also quiet and slow-paced, it is certainly not boring. Hong Kong is itself a character in the novel, the descriptions are so vivid. It was also fascinating to read about the occupation of HK by the Japanese, a dark period about which I knew almost nothing.

Life in the internment camps, as well as outside of them, was quite horrific. Loyalties were tested and life-changing betrayals occurred. The relationship between the English and the Chinese - and their commitment to remaining in HK and making it home - was a compelling part of the story as was the class structure. The Chens were very rich, both educated in the West, and quite influential. Trudy, the most enigmatic character, was part Chinese and part Portuguese, claiming not to be accepted by anyone, but confident enough to at least appear not to care. Though she, Will, and Claire were all deeply flawed, I found that I liked them all a great deal.

The most surprising part of this novel was my success with the audio version (downloaded to my phone!) I'm wondering if I'm getting better at listening to audiobooks, because this is a huge departure from my usual audio fare of young adult or chick lit. Or maybe it was just the quality of the recording. The narrator was very good, her British accent and soothing tones a pleasure to hear.

However you choose to experience it, I hope you like it as much as I did.

Ready Player One

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (2011)

In the not-so-disant future, the reality of living in the United States has become extremely unpleasant, especially for Wade Watts, who lives in the Stacks in Oklahoma City. The Stacks are a trailer park in which trailers are stacked upon each other in what is basically a vertical ghetto. Luckily, like many people, Wade spends most of his time in an online world called OASIS, a virtual reality game created by the legendary James Halliday. A few years back, Halliday died, leaving behind the ultimate game with the ultimate prize. Using just a few cryptic clues, players must find three keys that open three gates before they can find the Easter Egg hidden in the game. The first person to reach the egg wins Halliday's entire estate, including a controlling share of stock in Halliday's company, Gregarious Gaming Systems. But in addition to all the individual egg hunters (known as "gunters") a company called IOI - the world's large internet service provider - has channeled all its forces towards winning the quest so they can take over the OASIS. Wade, known online as Parzival, pins all his hopes on winning, as the only way out of the Stacks and his miserable existence there.

Integral to the quest is a vast knowledge of 80s pop culture, because Halliday grew up in the 80s and was obsessed with the tv shows, video games, and movies of that era. So the gunters also adopt this obsession, memorizing everything about that decade, including the lines to all Halliday's favorite movies. This encyclopedic knowledge is not only important to the gunters' mission, but is also makes this an incredibly fun book (especially if you're a child of the 80s.) Wade knows way more about 80s pop culture than I do, and I lived through that decade.

Ready Player One was so different from anything I've read in a long time. Admittedly, I stick to domestic fiction with a side of YA dystopias, and it was so fantastic to read an adventure! It was fast-paced, funny, and just generally well-written. I am not a video game person (except Tetris, which I just have to stay away from for my own good) but this actually made me want to play video games. The whole quest was very creative and pulled in so many fun tv shows, songs, movies, and even breakfast cereals that I remember from my childhood. Wade and his friends are all decent, even admirable, people that are totally worth rooting for.

Ready Player One is by far one of the best books I've read recently. Now I want to read more books like it, but I have no idea if there's anything similar out there. (If you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments!) I'm very happy to hear that the day after the book sold, so did the film rights, with Cline as screenwriter. I think this could be a fantastic movie. I wonder if there will be a video game?

I'll just leave you with one more Ernest Cline tidbit: "Dance, Monkeys, Dance." He didn't make the animation, but the words are all his. If this doesn't make you want to read his book, I don't know what will.