Book Association: Brave New World - Modern Library

We're in our second week of Brave New World. Last week's BA was about dystopias and we went pretty obvious. Did you think of more? This week we grabbed 5 of the 100 best novels of the 20th century according to Modern Library.

Ulysses - Often this one gets a bad rap, readers either love it or hate it. I prefer to make my own decisions about books. What did you think?

Catch-22 - The source of the phrase "catch-22," this one has been called a keystone work in American literature as well as an insane journey. What did you think?

To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf marked her place in history with this novel. A story ultimately about change as seen through the eyes of the Ramsay family.

A Handful of Dust - One of the first satirists, Evelyn Waugh describes a society where the inhabitants want for nothing, except maybe morals. What do you do when the characters haven't any redeeming qualities whatsoever?

The Grapes of Wrath - As Steinbeck describes the journey of the migrant workers from the Dust Bowl to California, you can't help to be on the journey with them. The pivotal theme of people coming together no matter how dismal their lives are at the moment rings throughout the story.



Any others on the Modern Library list that you enjoyed? 

Next week we take on William Shakespeare. 

Kevin Smokler

Hey CWAtCers. We have got wonderful news and it actually fits the title of the blog (I know we confuse you with that one). If you've been with us from the start, you know we started as a book group on Goodreads that specializes in classic books, both traditional and contemporary. On the blog, we decided we wanted to cover a lot more of the literary world. It's still a big part of our goal, but there are so many books out there that it's hard to leave them out. 

This is one of those times we delve into our roots. We've gotten our first author booked for the podcast. Kevin Smokler, author of Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books You Haven't Touched Since High School  will be joining us for the mid-May episode. I have some questions of my own, but here's your chance to get a few in as well! Add your questions here and I'll try to get them in during the interview.

I'm really excited about this and hope you guys are as well. More info about Kevin and his book can be found here. 

P.S. while we were in SF on April 4th, we ran across this at Books, Inc on Van Ness. 

Tator Tuesdays

Now that you've met our Tators, we want you to get to know us a bit. Every week we'll answer book/reading questions.

This week: What is the first line of the book you are currently reading?

Angie

"On the pleasant shore of the French Riviera, about half way between Marseilles and the Italian border, stands a large, proud, rose-colored hotel."

Jared

"A squat grey building of only thirty-four stories."

Jeane

 “The Prisoner stood with his hands tied in front of him, tired, beaten, and filthy, but with a proud back befitting his royal Indian heritage.”

Karena

"I must have been a nightmare in high school English class."

Laura

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

This is from Anna Karenina. It is for CWAtC's book club selection for May. Since it's a long book, I am starting it early and reading a little bit at a time, about 70 pages per week.  I believe anyone can eat an elephant a little bit at a time. 

What is the first line in the book you're  currently reading?

Literary Loot: SF edition

We have a ton of pictures to sort through from our trip in San Francisco this Saturday, traversing a few of the most popular bookstores in the city. While I do that, I thought I'd share my Literary Loot because who can resist that many bookstores without walking out with some souvenirs?

Source: Karena Fagan

Did you pick up any treasures this weekend?

Review: Life After Life

Kate Atkinson's Life After Life is the story of Ursula Todd, who dies minutes after she's born then on that same day is born to live a life that is full of "do-overs." She lives only to die, only to live again. The book takes place from 1910 to the end of the First World War, to the trials and tribulations of the Second, and all the years in between, with Ursula making decisions that have incredible consequences.

As my mother-in-law likes to say "there is more than one way to live a life" and in this case, it's showcased in Ursula's never-ending deja vu. It also fits my husband's favorite phrase "Life is about choices." Every time Ursula lives again and comes to that moment that would take the path it did previously, she chooses to take another route.

I admit to being intrigued just by the very synopsis. Really? She dies? Kind of? How is this going to work? Atkinson handles the story very well. I enjoyed seeing how one simple event could change Ursula's life for better or for worse. I do wish her "deja vu" moments had been explained a bit each time she lives again, just so we know why she just doesn't do the same thing she did the last time. It's toyed with a bit during her childhood, but later in adulthood there seems to be very little "ah ha" moments for the character to take the other road.

I found Ursula's family to be very realistic, especially for the time period. I really loved her father Hugh.  He was a father and husband who generally just wanted a peaceful household so ignored a lot, but loved his family. Ursula also a great character. With each decision and event, I couldn't help, but empathize with her when I took into account the time period, her social class, her family. How no matter how dramatic the choice and its outcome, you still saw her core and understood her motives.

The Verdict
Bookshelf: If you ever wonder about the what-ifs in your life, this is your book. The paths we could all take in our lives and where they could ultimately lead up.

Review: From Frazzled to Focused

Courtesy: Goodreads.com

In From Frazzled to Focus by Rivka Caroline, the author shares many organizational philosophies and techniques on a room by room basis.

By reminding you that you do not to achieve perfection to become focused, she presents the concept of becoming organized as something achievable instead of a daunting, intimidating undertaking.  In fact, she says that perfectionism and procrastination are "evil twins."  Her philosophy is to simplify and de-clutter your life and home.  

In the book, which can be read in parts or cover to cover, Ms. Caroline shows how what you don’t do can actually be more important than what is actually on your to do list. She encourages you to make a TO DON’T list of activities that make you feel overwhelmed and can sabotage your schedule. 

When you feel overwhelmed, you often do nothing.  She encourages the frazzled person to do something instead of nothing.  "A good plan executed now is better than an excellent plan executed never" (Location 105).  

The first section of the books discusses her philosophy of simplicity.

Ms. Caroline then takes you into each room of the house and gives many practical techniques for maintaining order. For each room, she reviews:

1. What is your vision?

2. How can you achieve that vision?

3. How can you remember the system? 

4. How can you keep the system alive?  

Her philosophy in these sections of the book is rooted in a simple concept - routine. the more of a routine you get into, the less decisions have to be made because you are now completing your tasks automatically.  For example, brushing your teeth every night is routine for many people. They don't need to give it any thought or make decisions about something so simple that is done so frequently. Therefore, why not have this same approach with making dinner or cleaning the kitchen counter? 

The Verdict

Bookshelf for busy people who feel overwhelmed and are ready to just get it done and become organized with some quick tips, tricks and techniques.  

However, for those who are disorganized due to a deep seated issue, this book may only be a starting point. The author does not deal with the root of a deeper problem, if one exists. For example, in the case of hoarders, there are more psychological reasons for being disorganized rather than simply needing to get into a routine. For those individuals I would recommend books by Julie Morgenstern.  Even so, this book is a good resource with a lot of good takeaways. 

Library bag for those who have a good handle on organization but need a refresher or some inspiration.

I know I will be reviewing some of her techniques...just in time for spring cleaning.  

*Mrs. Hoffman was provided with a free copy of “From Frazzled to Focused” by Netgalley.com.*

Review: Cruel Crazy Beautiful World

Cruel Crazy Beautiful World takes place in both Zimbabwe and South Africa. Troy Blacklaws writes about two different characters by using third person during one chapter while writing about Jabulani, a Zimbabwean man trying to make it into South Africa, and then switching to first person in the next chapter while writing about Jerusalem (Jero), a young man, half Muslim/half Jewish, in South Africa. Blacklaws continues this back and forth between chapters throughout the novel, exposing the harsh conditions of living in post-apartheid South Africa.

Jabulani is trying to run from Zimbabwe to South Africa because his family is poor. He hopes to make it to South Africa so he can find a job and relocate his family. However, traveling from Zimbabwe to South Africa can be dangerous because illegal marijuana growers hunt for male refugees to enslave and females to force into sex slaves. Jabulani’s journey to South Africa soon becomes a nightmare that includes slavery, murder, and revenge. Eventually, Jabulani’s story converges with Jero’s story in South Africa.

Jero, on the other hand, struggles with racism between whites and blacks in South Africa, but also between blacks from different African countries. His father, Zero, tasks Jero to sell small animal trinkets while Zero acts as vigilante across the country, exposing those who illegally eat monkeys, sell and rape women, and enslave others. Jero’s mother is an empty shell, lost in memories of her daughter, who was kidnapped, raped, and killed years prior. As Jero falls in love with a white English girl living in Hermanus, he must deal with the racism in his country, the disappointment his father feels for him, and an absent mother. Finally, he must learn that there is good in South Africa, and there is something to live for.

While there was much to enjoy in the story-line of this novel, there were a few issues I had with the writing. Blacklaws regularly uses African terms and exposes them with the use of italics. However, they are never truly defined. Normally, in these circumstances, one would expect to gain understanding through future text, but oftentimes enlightenment did not come. I found myself distracted by the colloquial language because I had to continually look words up, which interrupted the story. In addition, Blacklaws often uses poetic language while writing. In other occasions, I might find this tactic entertaining. Nevertheless, I found his habitual use of alliteration exhausting and elementary at times. For example, “Poor tiddly tortoise, tuts Phoenix.” I had a difficult time understanding if this statement is supposed to understate the situation at the time or to blatantly make me laugh. Finally, occasionally, I felt like Blacklaws gave up on trying to find descriptive words for things he was trying to describe. “Jaggy-tooth things” is hardly a way to describe what a character is seeing.

The Verdict

Library Bag: Even though I was often disappointed with the writing style, I felt the story-line was engaging and worth reading. Check it out at the library and read it.