Sunday Knitting

In my excitement at finishing two sweaters in such a short period of time I wanted to cast on for something new immediately. Now that my beloved Windsor Button is gone and purchasing yarn isn't quite so instant, this means working with what I have on hand already. Ages ago I queued the Geodesic Cardigan from Knitscene, bought the yarn, and put it with the magazine into a ziplock bag to await casting on. A year or so later, the time came. One evening at around 8pm, after a relaxing glass of wine, I grabbed my swift and ball winder and pulled out the hanks of yarn to wind them.

Mind you, the state of my house right now is such that I can't wind yarn on my sewing table where I usually do it. My ball winder is kind of like this, which means it needs to clamp onto a table, a very thin table. I forced it onto the edge of my kitchen table, and optimistically put the first hank of yarn on the swift. Soon, this is what I had.

Don't be distracted by the brilliant color. Look more closely. 

First, the stupid ball winder came off the edge of the table, which really was too thick. I had to hold it awkwardly in one hand while turning the handle with the other. Usually, this would work ok, and I'd just have to occasionally stop winding to straighten out the yarn or remove it from the swift arm where it is caught. But this isn't usual yarn. Malabrigo Lace is clearly the work of Satan and was wound into this hank by his evil minions.

There were eight ends, which was extremely confusing. They weren't even knots, as you sometimes find, just ends. This made it a little easier though, when it came so impossibly tangled that I couldn't undo it, hence the ball winder sitting uselessly aside with its partial ball while I began winding by hand with another end I found. I couldn't even take the partial ball off the ball winder and continue with it because the yarn feeds through that small eye and I'd have to undo the whole ball to feed it back through, which would be pointless. 

Occasionally, a ball of yarn will be a tad tangled. You put the hank on the swift and it seems one piece is looped around strangely, so you need to make a minor and obvious adjustment. This one, though, defied all explanation. As I began winding by hand, I regularly had to feed the whole ball through a weird tangle in order to continue. Sometimes the yarn inexplicably looped back and started coming off in the opposite direction. 

At 10:30pm - two and a half hours after I started - I finally finished up the fourth ball (and there should never be a fourth ball) of the hank, bits of bright blue lint coating my kitchen table, and me mad with exhaustion. I couldn't allow myself to even think about the second hank.

A few days later I was recovered enough from my trauma to tackle the second hank. When I put it on the swift, I examined it thoroughly. It turns out that a couple of feet of one end was woven in and around the the rest of the yarn, guaranteeing misery if you had the misfortune of beginning with the other end. Luckily, the second hank went much more smoothly and resulted only in one ball.

I felt rather betrayed by this yarn after my positive experience with the Whisper Cardigan. Malabrigo Lace, you are a fickle bitch and cannot be trusted.

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra (2013)

In war-torn Chechnya an 8-year-old girl named Havaa hides while her father is taken away. Her neighbor Akhmed, knowing that she is in danger too, takes her to a nearby hospital in hopes that the sole remaining doctor will take her in. The doctor, Sonja Rabina, is suffering the loss of her sister Natasha and remains emotionally distant even as she works to save the lives of the patients coming through the doors. The stories of Akhmed, Sonja, and Havaa are revealed over the five days of the novel as we learn all of the ways in which their lives are intertwined.

There is so much more to this book than I can summarize here. In addition to the three main characters are several secondary characters, who all have their own stories. The novel is about their connections, separations, and disappearances, not to mention the guilt and responsibility some of the characters carry. It is reminiscent of Stalinist Russia or Nazi Germany in its culture of paranoia, torture, and informing on neighbors to save oneself. And when you delve into each character's story, you just can't blame them for the actions they've taken because each person's situation is so desperate and they all feel so powerless.

It is hard enough when someone you care about dies, but in these pages are so many situations in which a family member or friend disappears leaving their loved ones to wonder, possibly for the rest of their lives, what happened to them. It happened over and over again and yet, they all had to keep on going. I don't think I could stand the not knowing, but I guess maybe everyone thinks that before it actually happens and you have no choice but to go on.

What I loved though, is that the reader knows. We are frequently told how the lives of various characters will end up, and sometimes even get a little glimpse of the future of even the most minor characters. It makes it all seem more real. Like, you know how the people in your life are minor characters in your life and it's a whole paradigm shift when you realize they are the stars in their own lives and you are a minor character to them? It's a little like that throughout this whole book.

The writing is wonderful, with vivid descriptions: "A smock of dark evergreens wrapped around the nearest mountain." Other passages were striking for their insight or perspective, and I read them over again: "Khassan was studying the sheet of paper in his hand, where in the fifth sentence of the second paragraph, in the gap of a missing comma, he found the sorrow of his life."

I'll admit that at times I would feel, briefly, like the book was suddenly too long and lacked forward momentum. But then suddenly, with just a few words, I'd again get caught up in the sadness and complexity of the story and be riveted for the next hour. It's not a happy story, but it's a rich and complicated one, beautifully written, that will leave you with a lot to think about.

Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (2013), narrated by Rebecca Lowman

Cath and Wren are twin sisters who grew up sharing a mutual love of a series of books starring a magician named Simon Snow. All through high school they wrote fan fiction together, but eventually Wren's interest began to wane and Cath continued on alone. The sisters decided to go to the same college and Cath was surprised to find that Wren didn't want to room with her. Feeling awkward and alone, Cath moved into her new dorm with a stranger who seemed to hate her. Her roommate's boyfriend Levi was always hanging around too. Cath couldn't adjust to campus life, felt alienated from Wren, and constantly worried about her emotionally fragile father, left at home alone. Even more concerning, the final volume of the Simon Snow series would be published soon and Cath absolutely must finish her version before the official version hits shelves.

This is one of the very best representations of starting college that I've ever read. I love how out of her element Cath felt. I love that she stocked up on power bars and peanut butter so she wouldn't have to face the dining hall. I laughed out loud at the scene in which Levi told Cath about some alpaca mittens knit in Ecuador that he bought outside the Student Union. It's a little thing, but really took me back to my own early college days.

The romance is the best. Where the hell was Levi when I was young enough to date him? I don't think a boy so perfect actually exists, but he is very convincing. Cath, on the other hand, seemed weirdly prudish. I could accept it if there was an explanation, but there wasn't - for us, or for Levi, who continued to be extremely patient. I mean, they barely kissed. Still, experience their romance slowly growing was the most wonderfully satisfying part of the novel.

On a more serious note, Rowell did a great job of handling difficult issues like Wren's excessive drinking, their father's mental illness, and the abandonment of the girls by their mother. That's a lot of serious issues for one book, but they are expertly woven into the story.

The audio was fantastic. At this point I'm pretty sure I could listen to Rebecca Lowman read her grocery list. She's incredibly talented at making subtle differences in the characters' voices, enough to tell them apart but not enough to be awkward or exaggerated. Unfortunately, I found myself drifting off during the Simon Snow excerpts and I don't know why. They were short and interesting, and narrated by a British man (except in those instances where Cath was reading them out loud). I think the change of pace between the regular story and the excerpts was just tough for me on audio.

Another excellent novel from the author of Eleanor and Park. I'm going to go back and read (or listen to) The Attachments, which she published a couple of years ago. If you like YA books, Rainbow Rowell should be required reading!

Sunday Knitting

So here is my finished Cozy V-Neck Pullover. Unfortunately, this is the best picture I have since the thing makes me look like a big grape pudding (and the camera battery died before getting many photos, so there was little to choose from.) It's the same pattern as this sweater, which I love. It's pretty comfy so I expect I'll wear it despite it's unflatteringness. 

The main change from last time is that I used a different yarn in an attempt to make it slightly less cozy (i.e. sweltering.) Previously I used the recommended yarn, Cascade Pastaza, which is a heavy worsted/aran. This time I used Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride, and regular worsted and one of my common go-to yarns. Strangely, the thickness varied greatly through the skeins. Every time I've used it in the past it has been quite uniform, so perhaps they've made some changes in the production of the yarn.

The other small change is that I made this one a little longer, to cover my back more completely even when I'm leaning or bending. Nothing worse then bending over to tie a shoe and exposing my lower back to the chilly winter air and the unwelcome gaze of nearby onlookers.

I'm basically happy with the sweater, which actually looks fine to me when I look in a mirror, so to hell what with the camera says. I'm never especially photogenic. It's comfortable and purple, so what more could I really ask for?

14

14 by Peter Clines (2012)

Nate Tucker has a crappy data entry job and shares a house with a few roommates. When they all decide to part ways, he happens on a great deal for an apartment. It's a little too good. He moves in, starts meeting his neighbors, and begins to notice very odd things. Like, green cockroaches with extra legs. A light fixture in his kitchen that turns any bulb into a black light. Mysterious padlocked doors. As he visits the other apartments in the building it just gets weirder and weirder and soon Nate is organizing a group of newfound friends on a quest to investigate their strange building. They find way more than they ever expected.

I heard about this book last year, when it got great reviews and made some "best horror books of the year" lists. I knew it was about a creepy apartment building, but it is so much more than that. Of course I can't tell you what because that would ruin it. But it just got better and better as the residents tried to solve the mystery of their building, and it goes places that I never expected. A quote on the cover compares it to the show Lost, and I can see why. There are lots of little mysteries that don't seem to relate to each other, but you know that somehow they're all part of something larger. It was just riveting.

One of my favorite things about the novel was that I really felt the characters come together and form friendships through the course of their adventure. And they were good characters who I was rooting for (most of them, anyhow.) Of course it was also a great mystery that was quite creepy in parts, with strong elements of science fiction and even steampunk. Everything about it was very compelling and I found it difficult to put down.

Despite the press it got last year, I don't know that this is very widely read. However, I'll certainly be recommending it. It's like a cross between Lost and the best aspects of House of Leaves, but still unusual and original. Really fantastic!

I just want to briefly mention the publisher, Permuted Press (tagline: "Enjoy the apocalypse.") I'd never heard of them before, but had great fun looking at all the covers and titles featured in the back of 14 and on their website. I would have been all over these books when I was a teenager. Some of them look awesome now. Judging totally on how they look though, I'd say that 14 is of a higher caliber than most of the books. But if you like horror, definitely take a look.

About Book Blogs

I won't have a book review until later in the week, so I thought it would be fun today to talk about book blogs. There are a TON of them out there! How do you even choose which ones to read? In the past few years I've become pretty good at deciding right away whether or not I'll like a particular book blog. I'll talk a little about my likes and dislikes, followed by some recommendations of book blogs that I really love.

Certain things turn me off, and will make the difference between reading and not reading a particular blog. First, I don't read blogs if the author won't take the time to summarize the books. Pasting in a summary from Goodreads or some other source is just lazy. (I wouldn't be as bothered, however, if a post linked to an external summary.) There are a lot of different ways to summarize the same book and the way a person summarizes it provides insight into how they view the book and what they felt was important in the story.

Second, I don't read blogs in which a lot of the content is from memes. If a blog uses one meme per week that they happen to like, that's ok. But far too many rely on memes like "Mailbox Monday" and "Waiting On Wednesday" to fill their posts and frankly, I don't need a list of the books you received from publishers - which seems like bragging to me - nor do I need a weekly list of books you are anticipating. This isn't real content. One of my coworkers attended a conference session on book blogging in which the presenters encouraged exactly this sort of frequent meme-usage. So obviously there are people who really like that sort of thing, but it feels like filler to me.

I also prefer not to see too much non-book content. There are exceptions though. Forever Young Adult posts a lot about tv shows, movies, and even cooking. But there are still plenty of book posts, and I like their style enough that I'm willing to wade through the other stuff.

Finally, too much content in general. I don't know why bloggers think they need to post multiple times a day, but I simply can't keep up with that. If they are very short posts (like on EarlyWord) that's fine, but I will never read that many book reviews or full posts. More than daily and I get a little twitchy.

The blogs I like the most are simple. They talk about books. They are written by people who read and have opinions about what they read. Mostly, their entries are fairly short. I follow a few just for book-related news. My favorite is EarlyWord, though I also really like EW's book blog, Shelf Life. But for the most part, the book blogs I follow are written by one or two people and don't focus on a particular genre; it's just whatever they happen to have been reading.

One of my favorites for a while has been Shelf Love. Jenny and Teresa mostly read different books than I do, though occasionally one of them will post about a book I've read or plan to read. What I love is the way they write about books, and the surprise of seeing what they've read recently. They tend to read a lot of older books, some of them classics, though occasionally they'll write about something new. It's a really great mix. Recent books they've reviewed include Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann, The Bird in the Tree by Elizabeth Goudge, and The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo.

Farm Lane Books is a UK-based blog in which every review begins with "Five words from the blurb:" and ends with a starred rating. It's very organized! The reviews are short but still informative. A lot of new popular books are reviewed here, but still plenty of older or more obscure titles. This is where I heard about Kiss Me First. Other recent titles reviewed include Buriel Rites by Hannah Kent, Night Flight by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and The Last Banquet by Jonathan Grimwood.

Another of my favorites is Iris on Books. Iris is a young woman in the Netherlands who writes about a mix of contemporary books and classics, with a healthy dose of Dutch literature thrown in. She has recently written about My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier, Heaven and Hell by Jon Kalman Stefansson, and Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeannette Winterson.

Tiny Library is also written by a Brit (I'm only now realizing how few American book blogs I read.) Sam reads a pretty interesting mix of classic, contemporary, fantasy, young adult, even graphic novels. She also seems to participate in a lot of book challenges, which are fun to read about. Some of the books she's reviewed recently include The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon, Out of Africa by Karen Blixon/Isak Dinesen, and Blankets by Craig Thompson.

These blogs are my favorites because they're so informal and are just written by people who love books and want to share that love. They're not being paid, they're not doing any tricks to try and drum up traffic, and they're not at all self-serving. Their writing style are key - they're just simple and conversational.

What are your favorite book blogs and why? Please share in the comments!

Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (2013)

The little boy from The Shining is all grown up, but the memories of that one winter at the Overlook Hotel aren't far away. Dan Torrance has turned into an alcoholic like his father and has hit rock bottom. As he starts on the road to recovery, he secures a job at a hospice where his special talents are useful helping the residents pass out of this world. Meanwhile, a group of older folks called the True Knot travel around in Winnebagos seeking out kids with the shining; torturing and killing these kids releases steam upon which the True Knot feeds, but they are growing weaker. However, they soon learn about a girl with an especially powerful gift, maybe even stronger than that of Danny Torrance himself, and decide to go after her next. They don't know what they're getting themselves into.

In his author's note, King says that no sequel is as good as the original and that he's not the same person he was when he wrote The Shining. Maybe he doesn't think it lives up to the first book, but I think it's just a different book entirely. This isn't The Shining; it's another book starring Dan Torrance a couple of decades later and although all the history is there, there's another whole cast of characters and a fresh new plot, not to mention new ways in which the shining powers manifest.

I didn't re-read The Shining before starting this so the details I remember about it really come from Stanley Kubrick's movie, which I've watched several times since reading the book. I know the movie departs from Stephen King's version (and King apparently doesn't like it) but I don't think I missed anything by not having those details in my recent memory. In fact, this novel could probably stand on its own.

I liked seeing how Dan Torrance's life progressed, how he was both trapped and freed by his past. He would make bad decisions and then up and move to another town where he quickly got himself into trouble, starting the cycle again. It was gratifying when he finally began to pull himself together, and meeting Abra - a kid with whom he could strongly identify - helped a lot. We even find out interesting new information about Dan Torrance's family.

The other characters were great too. Abra made a formidable protagonist, her combination of strength and anger a match for any villain. (In an early scene, she predicted 9/11 as an infant. It kind of gave me the chills.) It would have been easy to dislike Rose the Hat even without her supernatural aspects, but with them she was not only cruel, but frightening. Even supporting members of the cast were well-developed enough to feel like people we've met before, a particular talent of King.

I'm not sure if Doctor Sleep was as scary as The Shining - it's been too long since I read it, and I was just a teenager then - but it's definitely dark and creepy. Mostly, it's a great story with characters I liked reading about, and it kept me very interested for its entire 530 pages.