Book Room

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty.


Call me weird but I loved this book. It got me thinking about life, death, our healthcare system, and our "I want to live forever," youth obsessed, death denying society. Meet Caitlin in the video below.

And,,,,Done

Finally finished  Doris Goodwin's book , Team Of Rivals, today. I've been reading it at bedtime for the last 6 months and  was about halfway through it when I realized I needed to up my game.  Today I finished the last 100 pages.  This is a book you are either going to love or hate.  It's long, it's detailed, it's well researched, and it's a fascinating story.  It is the story of Abraham Lincoln and the cabinet he put together consisting of  his political rivals.  Men he felt could help him  grow into the job of President  and run a war.  I did not know  anything about the men Lincoln picked and, after reading the book, I also see that I did not understand just how great a president Abraham Lincoln  really was. Doris Goodwin brought them all to life.

Return With Us Now To Those Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear

-The Lone Ranger radio show

 
I'm reading The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio when my husband walks into the room.

He: Are you reading that encyclopedia like a regular book?
Me: Yes.
He: Why?
Me: Because it is that interesting.

Radio was TV without pictures. This means there was great shows, good shows, and just plain dreck back then; just like TV today. The great shows are easy to recognize because they have longer entries  explaining the history of the show and the people connected to it. The most interesting thing about this book is discovering how rich and varied radio really was before TV came along to almost kill it. The second most interesting thing was finding out that radio had already done most of the types of quiz shows, court shows, sitcoms, dramas and even some of the reality shows we watch on TV today.

So I guess we could actually say that television is just radio with pictures.

(BTW- I found out most of shows I am interested in listening to are on the Internet Archive (archive.org) under Old Time Radio.)

Anno Dracula

What if "The Prince of Darkness" won at the end of Bram Stoker's Dracula? What if he goes on to marry Queen Victoria and becomes prince consort? What if a segment of the citizens of London choose to become vampires? What if Kim Newman sprinkles his book with characters from other vampire books, movies and TV shows? You get a fun, and because Newman is a great storyteller, creepy ride. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I'm Sew Very Happy

My copy of More Fabric Savvy arrived a few days ago and I spend an hour this afternoon perusing it.  Each fabric discussed takes up two facing pages and gives you information about the fabric, what to make with it, sewing tips, which thread, needle, and presser foot to use, cutting layout directions, and other useful information.

Did you know silk and linens are washable but  many care labels on store bought garments say "Dry Clean Only?  Why?  Because neither the linen, the silk or the interfacing  used were prewashed before being made into the garment.

Did you know that  clothes made from Rayon should be machine-washed in cold water on gentle cycle because too much agitation distorts the fabric?

Did you know Rayon is made from wood pulp?

Did you know matte rayon jersey garments should be stored flat instead of on hangers because matte rayon jersey garments stretch when hung?

Did you know you shouldn't over-pack Linen in a washing machine because it absorbs twice its weight in water?

Did you know you should use liquid fabric softeners and not dryer sheets on garments made from microfibers?  Dryer sheets leave oil spots.

Did you know wool jersey wasn't used for women's wear until Coco Chanel started using it.  Before her wool jersey was only used to make men's underwear.

I did not know any of this before reading the book but I do now.

Book Room

If you want to call Deadwood a Western, you might as well call The House of Mirth chick lit.
-Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections

  I agree,  Deadwood is brutal, profane, violent and beautifully written.

Books To The Ceiling

Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.
-Arnold Lobel (Children's book author and illustrator.)

My reading pile right now.

The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt, A Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History

Theodore Roosevelt's interest in natural history began at eight years old when he saw a dead harbor seal in the window of a grocery store near his home. The animal so fascinated him that he ran home to get a notebook and a ruler so he could measure the animal and write about its appearance. At twelve he donated a snowy owl he had stuffed to the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

This book is not only a history of Roosevelt's work as a museum naturalist but a short history of the creation of the field of natural history in this country and an introduction to the other naturalists who influenced, worked with, or were rivals of Roosevelt. Engrossing story written by a modern naturalist whose insights adds much to the story.

Clementine:The Life Of Mrs. Winston Churchill by Sonia Purnell

One of Winston Churchill's generals said about him, "He is 50% genius and 50% fool."

Clementine Churchill was the one person Winston Churchill would listen to and she kept that 50% fool part of him in check. A great women who helped a great and difficult man become all that he could be and who, in her own right, inspired a nation at war.

New Books I Want To Read

Interestingly, all the cover are black and white.

Waiter Rant

"Hell is other people."
- Jean-Paul Sartre

Waiter Rant, the view from the server's side of the restaurant. I sat down to read a chapter and before I knew it I was about 70 pages into the book. Fair warning, people, you screw over your waiter and she/he will pay you back.

Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography

 Half Pint's autobiography (which The Little House series is based on) with notes explaining the changes she made while writing the children's books. Great photos of the real people in her life and of the people she based some of her characters on, like Nellie Olson who is a combination of three girls in young Laura Ingalls life. Very enjoyable book, especially if you are a Little House fan.

More about the book here.

That's About Right

What Are You Doing?

 I am in an 8+ crew racing shell rowing in the 1936 Olympics.  The Boys In The Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Book Room: the annotated Sandman

I've decided to remove the section Book Room from my page sidebar and instead put it under post labels. Blogger has made it more complicated to make title links- so much so, I haven't listed books I've read in months. From now on I will just do a post on any interesting books I've read whenever I feel the urge to do so. Like today.

Neil Gaiman started writing The Sandman graphic novels in 1989 and last November I discovered the annotated Sandman volume one at my local library.  I liked it so much I went straight to volume two.

And then after I finished that book, straight to volume three.

What is the Sandman series about?

What do you need to know to enjoy the series? Only that there are seven brothers and sisters who have been since the beginning of time, the Endless. They are Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, Delirium who was once Delight, and Destruction who turned his back on his duties. Their names describe their function and the realms that they are in charge of. Several years ago, a coven of wizards attempted to end death by taking Death captive, but captured Dream instead. When he finally escapes he must face the changes that have gone on in his realm, and the changes in himself.
-Neil Gaiman

Why did I enjoy these annotated books so much?  Mainly for the stories and the way Neil Gaiman weaved folk tales, fairy tales and ancient mythology throughout the books but also for the many annotations which note the who/what/where/when of the tales and/or mythological beings and creatures mentioned.   I love well done fantasy and Neil Gaiman has created a disturbing real fantasy world.   If  I  am going to be creeped out by a story,  I prefer it be done with some panache.  These stories certainly have a lot of panache and I appreciate the fact that they do.