February Wrap-Up

Read:

Non-fiction:
*In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom by Qanta A. Ahmed, MD (World Citizen Challenge, 21 Cultures Challenge, Diversity Rocks Challenge, Countdown Challenge, 999 Challenge, What's in a Name 2 Challenge)
*The Complete Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby (Countdown Challenge)
*That's Life: Finding Scrapbook Inspiration in the Everyday by Nic Howard (Countdown Challenge, Dewey Decimal Challenge)

Young Adult Non-fiction:
*Dictatorships: Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe by James R. Arnold and Roberta Wiener (homeschool)

Middle Grade Non-fiction:
*Children's Miscellany Too by Matthew and Samantha Barnes (for fun)

Graphic Novels (Fiction):
*The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman (Graphic Novels Challenge, The Dream King Challenge, What's In a Name 2 Challenge)
*Amulet: Book One The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi (Graphic Novels Challenge, Countdown Challenge)
*Rose by Jeff Smith and Charles Vess (Graphic Novels Challenge, Countdown Challenge)
*Castle Waiting by Linda Medley (Graphic Novels Challenge)

Graphic Novels (Non-Fiction):
*The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation by Jonathan Hennessey and Aaron McConnell (homeschool, Graphic Novels Challenge, Countdown Challenge)


Picture Books:
*Comic Adventures of Boots by Satoshi Kitamura (Young Readers Challenge)
*Cat and Fish by Joan Grant (Young Readers Challenge)
*Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (Young Readers Challenge)
*Circle of Cats by Charles de Lint and Charles Vess (Young Readers Challenge)

Plays:
*"Appointment With Death" by Agatha Christie (homeschool)
*"The Mousetrap" by Agatha Christie (homeschool)
*"Witness for the Prosecution" by Agatha Christie (homeschool)

Short Stories:
*"Herbie" by Mathias B. Freese (100 Shots of Shorts)
*"Alabaster" by Mathias B. Freese (100 Shots of Shorts)
*"Juan Peron's Hands" by Mathias B. Freese (100 Shots of Shorts)
*"Little Errands" by Mathias B. Freese (100 Shots of Shorts)
*"Arnold Schwarzenegger's Father Was a Nazi" by Mathias B. Freese (100 Shots of Shorts)
*"Echos" by Mathias B. Freese (100 Shots of Shorts)
*"Chicxulb" by T.C. Boyle (100 Shots of Shorts)

Essays/Articles:
*"Immoral Advances" by Dan Jones, NewScientist: Jan. 10-16, 2009 (homeschool)
*"Zimbabwe: Statistics and Country Report," Global Studies: Africa by Thomas Krabacher, Ezekiel Kalipeni, and Azzedine Layachi (homeschool)
*"Toppling a Tyrant," The Economist: March 17, 2007, reprinted in Global Studies: Africa by Thomas Krabacher, Ezekiel Kalipeni, and Azzedine Layachi (homeschool)
*"The Pony Problem" by Sloane Crosley, They Said There'd Be Cake (for fun)
*"In Defense of Globalization" by Abbis J. Ali, Competitiveness Review: Winter/Spring 2001, reprinted in Globalization: Opposing Viewpoints edited by Louise I. Gerdes (homeschool)
*"Refuting the False Gospel of Globalization" by Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, The Other Side: Nov./Dec. 2002, reprinted in Globalization: Opposing Viewpoints edited by Louise I. Gerdes (homeschool)


Watched:

On TV:
*House (for fun)
--"The Greater Good"
--"Unfaithful"
--"The Softer Side"
*Eleventh Hour (for fun)
--"Minamata"
*NOVA, "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial" (homeschool)
*American Experience, "The Lobotomist" (for fun)
*NOVA, "Rat Attack" (for fun)

On DVD/Video:
*Criminal Minds (for fun)
--"Extreme Aggressor"
--"Compulsion"
--"Won't Get Fooled Again"
--"Plain Sight"
*Inside the Living Body by National Geographic (homeschool)
*10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America by History Channel (homeschool)
--episode 4 "Antietam"
--episode 5 "The Homestead Strike"
*Apollo 13 directed by Ron Howard (for fun)
*Promises by Justine Shapiro, B.Z. Goldberg, and Carlos Bolado (homeschool)--thanks Eva

Created:

Card-making:
*6 Valentines, 3 birthday, 1 anniversary







Scrapbooking:
*1 layout




Knitting:
*1 scarf

In the Land of Invisible Women...random thoughts

In The Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom by Qanta A. Ahmed, MD.

I first heard of this book while listening to the Diane Rehm Show one day. Dr. Qanta Ahmed was Diane's guest, and her story fascinated me. She had completed her residency and further studies in medicine in New York. And though she had hoped remain in the U.S. after her training, she was unexpectedly denied renewal of her visa. Oh a whim, she accepts a position at the King Fahad National Guard Hospital in Saudi Arabia. Naively perhaps, she expects to feel at home there. She is after all a British-born Muslim doctor. But the world she lands in is unlike anything she's ever experienced. This book tells the story of her two years working in Saudi Arabia.

Let me say right off the top that I really loved this book. But I have to admit that I had problems with the writing. It was a bit too flowery for my tastes. Maybe flowery isn't the correct word, but each sentence seemed to contain eight adjectives and four adverbs all wrapped in a metaphor. Obviously that's an exaggeration, but I swear at first I just wanted to keep yelling, "Stop. You're trying too hard." That said, the book was never hard to understand in any way, and honestly I sort of found the writing more amusing than annoying.

So what did I love about this book? It transported me to a land that is so utterly different from anything I have ever experienced. I knew very little about Saudi Arabia before reading this book, and while I can't claim to truly understand the land now, I learned so much. A bit about the history, but much, much more about the culture. Or should I say cultures. For Saudi Arabia is a land of contradictions. And it was interesting to discover the Kingdom through the eyes of someone who was just discovering it firsthand for herself.

I would learn that Saudi Arabia was many things to many people: to the rich, a land of boundless wealth; to the poor, a prison of abject poverty; to the expatriate worker, a land of contrasts and inconsistencies, an ever moving labyrinth of contradiction, not wholly one nor wholly the other.

Abbayahs, Hajj, Mutawaeen. Dangerous, high-speed highways. Gender-segregation. Forbidden dating. Hymenoplasty. Arranged marriage. Polygamy. Divorce. Domestic violence and child abuse. And many, many strong women.

While in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Ahmed develops feelings for a colleague. And I have to admit, at first it seemed rather annoying the way she spoke about it. Here she was an extremely well-educated doctor, acting like a preteen girl in throes of a crush. But there truly was a point to her including all of this, as it showed the realities of a society where mixing of the sexes is prohibited, where dating isn't permitted at all. She didn't even realize how she was acting until she was attending a party for a friend who was about to enter an arranged marriage. The grown women at this party were all acting like schoolgirls.

They giggled coquettishly and girlishly. The atmosphere was at once innocent and deeply saddening. The women, starved for meaningful contact with the opposite sex, fell into two camps before marriage; panicked promiscuity on threat of dishonor or even worse, and adolescent, girlish fantasies that would never lead to a real relationship. I failed to see my own fantasy weaving in my daydreams about Imad. I was no more immune to the artificial climate of Riyadh myself, no matter how Westernized I thought myself to be.

Dr. Ahmed's time in the Kingdom was coming to an end at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She doesn't sugarcoat the reactions of some to horrendous events of that day. She is dazed and confused and dismayed and saddened beyond words. The chapter she devotes to this is a very difficult one to read, and yet had she not included it, the book would not have portrayed the whole of her experiences there.

Today, Dr. Ahmed is a quadrupled boarded physician practicing in South Carolina.

*****

Other viewpoints:

Sarah at Behold, The Thing That Reads A Lot

I'd love to include your two cents if you've read this book, so please feel free to leave me a link and I'll add it here. Thanks.

*****

I plan to give this book away eventually. Unfortunately I can't do it right now...I'm afraid I talked so much about it while I was reading it, that Rich now wants to read it. :) But I do have another book to give away, if anyone is interested. 50 Reasons to Buy Fair Trade by Miles Litvinoff and John Madeley, which I babble about here. (I think Annie and I have pretty much indoctrinated Rich on the whole Fair Trade issue, so he doesn't really need to read the book anymore.) It is a used book, of course. If interested, just say so and I'll draw a name in a few days (if there's more than one person interested, that is).

And speaking of giveaways, I actually remembered to draw the winners of That's Life: Finding Scrapbook Inspiration in the Everyday. Yep, I said winners, plural. It dawned on me after I wrote that post that I really don't need to keep either copy, so I drew two names instead. Wish I had a copy for everyone! Anyway, Trish and Bookworm are the winners. If you could just send your snail mail addresses to rdagmstevens at frontiernet dot net, I'll try to get the books in the mail sometime this coming week.

so much blame to go around

There was a time in my life when I actually had my act together. Seriously, I was organized, and I accomplished the things I set out to do. Now, I'm afraid chaos reigns supreme, not only in my home, but also inside my very head. As I said, oh back on Sunday or Monday, I acquired a massive load of books during the previous week. And I also said that I would post a few each day, assigning blame as I went. And I did start out okay, but then somewhere along the line, I just forgot about it. How the hell could I forget about it?!! There are three piles of books sitting beside the bed. They've been in the way numerous times. I've had to move them to open my nightstand. And still I somehow forgot about posting them.

I don't know. It's kind of scary realizing what's happening to my brain. So really I just try to ignore it. I'd appreciate it if you did the same.

Black Hole by Charles Burns. This is the book that jogged my memory that I'd never awarded blame to start with...thanks to Nymeth's great review yesterday. She surely would have earned herself a point had I not already bought this one.







Bone: One Complete Edition by Jeff Smith. No one to blame for this one. Chalk this one up to total lack of self-control. Immediately upon completing Rose, I got right on the computer and ordered this one.









Fables (Volumes 2-5) by Bill Willingham. Rich gave me these four for my birthday. I added them all to my wish list after I read the first one. I almost feel like I should still award dozens of points on these ones however, because every time I would read one of your awesome reviews of these I would mention them again to Rich. Pretty much assuring that he'd get them for me just to shut me up. :)




The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon. Picked this one up in a used book booth when Rich and I were antiquing.









A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I am thoroughly determined to finally read this book this year. I know, I know, I should probably be fined a large sum of money or something for not having read it before now. Anyway, I also picked this one up at the antique mall. The cover shown isn't the one I bought, however. The one I bought is old enough to not have a picture on the cover. And it's that lovely "oldness" of it that probably made me buy it...I didn't need to as Annie already owns it. Damn lack of will power strikes again.


The First Patient by Michael Palmer. The Alibi Man by Tami Hoag. These were both gifts from a friend of mine.






Man, I can't believe I've gotten this far and still haven't awarded any points. There are points coming, I assure you! This next batch I bought with a gift card the kiddos gave me:













In the Time of Madness: Indonesia on the Edge of Chaos by Richard Lloyd Parry. 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa by Stephanie Nolen. "A Problem From Hell": America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power. These were all pure impulse buys, but I think they might work for Eva's World Citizen Challenge. Of course, that would require actually getting around to reading them.

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. How could I possibly resist after Kara's comment?!! Point for Kara.










20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill. Very likely would have bought this one anyway, but Stephanie's reviews assured it! Point for Stephanie!










Go With Me by Castle Freeman Jr. Total whim, just sounded good.











Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler. Yep, you all knew that Nymeth couldn't possibly come through unscathed, didn't you? This review left me quite intrigued. Point for Nymeth!









And finally, Rich bought me the rest of these from my wish list (looks like he definitely had some residual guilt going on there, huh?):

Attica by Garry Kilworth.








Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Even before I fell head-over-heals in love with du Maurier's short stories, I'd added this to my wish list...thanks to this review. Point for Chris!









Nervous Condtions by Tsitsi Dangarembga (because I'm currently on a Zimbabwe kick).











Among Other Things, I've Taken Up Smoking by Aoibheann Sweeney (for the Lambda Challenge).











Oracles by Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel (because).











Paper Cities edited by Ekaterina Sedia.












Eclipse Two edited by Jonathan Strahan. Care to guess? Yes, of course, point for Carl.











Cut by Patricia McCormick. Thanks to this review...point to Rhinoa.











No Sweetness Here by Ama Ata Aidoo.












The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.











The Orange Girl by Jostein Gaarder. After Melody's lovely review, no way I could resist. If Rich hadn't bought this for me, I would have bought it myself. Point for Melody!









Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson. Just read this review and tell me you don't want this book, too. Go ahead--I dare you! Point for Nymeth!








Renfield: Slave of Dracula by Barbara Hambly. And he has the nerve to be calling other people "Bad Bloggers"...sheesh. This review. Point for Chris!









Against Medical Advice: A True Story by James Patterson and Hal Friedman. Simply had to have this one after Joy's review. Oh yes, had to. And I bet I wasn't the only one...after people read her quote in the New York Times ad! Point for Joy!





Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. And finally, last but certainly not least, there's Becky's review. Am dying to start this one! Point for Becky!

Warning: Read at Your Own Risk

(Seriously, we're talking gross here.)

Hmmm...I'm not sure what this says about me...

I just took the cushions off the couch to vacuum it out, and I discovered that Max has acquired a rather disgusting new habit. Seems he's been picking his nose and then wiping his bounty between the cushions. And how did I react to this discovery? I laughed! There was a day long ago, when I probably would have cried instead. Yeah, but laughing is so much better.

And yes, I then proceeded to clean up his dirty little secret.

Oh, and we will have a private little chat when he gets home about more appropriate means of disposal.

a mommy post with some book stuff thrown in, or vice versa

First of all, let me tell you all how very lucky you are that I was "on blog break" last week when I read this book. Seriously, it's just one of those books that you want to talk about something on darn near every page. Since I already gushed away once, I'll skip it this time around. Instead, like Nymeth and Chris, I'll share the damage this damn book (and I mean that in only the nicest way) did to my wish list:



*How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
*George and Sam: Autism in the Family by Charlotte Moore
*How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World by Francis Wheen
*True Notebooks by Mark Salzman
*Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
*What Narcissism Means To Me by Tony Hoagland
*This is Serbia Calling by Matthew Collin
*We're in Trouble by Chris Coake
*Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman
*Early Bird by Rodney Rothman
*How to Be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward
*A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
*Citizen Vince by Jess Walter
*Pure Pleasure by John Carey
*What Good Are the Arts by John Carey
*Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov
*Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje

Yeah, isn't that pathetic?!! He also had me wanting with greater intensity books already on my wish list, had me wanting to pull books I already owned immediately off my shelf, and had me wanting to reread books I'd already read! He's a menace, I tell you. A menace. ;)

*****

***Many thanks to our lovely hostesses, Eva and Alessandra.***










George and Sam: Two Boys, One Family, and Autism by Charlotte Moore. See above for blame on this one. :)










Fax from Sarajevo by Joe Kubert. Whim. Looks really good.











Circle of Cats by Charles de Lint and Charles Vess. Chris, you've not only earned yourself another point, but you've earned an enormous thank you from me! Oh my gosh, this book is so wonderful! And beautiful, oh so beautiful! Both to look at and to listen to. Basically, it's the story of a little girl who is bitten by a venomous snake and how she is saved by a group of cats who use magic to save her.

As if the book itself weren't special enough, the experience of reading it to Max was one of those truly cherished moments of motherhood. He's gotten so big that he rarely crawls right into my lap anymore, but he snuggled right in for this one. He was completed enchanted by this story. And after it was over, we had one of those melt-your-heart mommy moments. In fact, when he went running off right afterward, I immediately had to write down our conversation:

Max: If I was her, I'd tell Aunt that I was that kitten.

Me: Do you think Aunt would believe her?

Max: I don't know. She probably doesn't believe in magic.

Me: Do you think people stop believing in magic when they grow up?

Max: Do you believe in magic?

Me: I don't know. I think I do. Do you?

Max: Yes. And that means we both have magic in our hearts. 'Cause that's where magic lives.

*****

And I had a couple more "great mommy" moments in the last few days, too. Yesterday we received an invitation in the mail. An invitation to "the opening" of the 2009 Youth Art Month Show. Each year the school district puts on a show of student art. The art teachers from each of the eight schools in the district choose a handful of art work done by students in their particular school to be featured in the show. And the art teacher at Gray's school chose one of his pieces. I can't tell you how teary-eyed this makes me, because if ever there were a little boy who could use some self-confidence, it's Gray. Even he didn't know about it until we received this official invitation yesterday. I'm not sure if I can stand waiting these few weeks until "the exhibit" opens. :)

*****

And then there's Annie. I know I talked before about how she took her first college course last semester, and she did very well. But I'm not sure if I mentioned that she was taking another one this semester. Spanish 101. And I admit, I worried about her a little bit. It's a much bigger class, and it's not in her normal comfort zone of writing. Turns out I needn't have worried though. She just got back her first test...not only did she get an A, but the professor said she was the only one in either of his two sections of this course that did. Needless to say, she was very happy. Ummm, and yeah, I was pretty proud of her. :)

paying for my "week of lazy"

I just made myself do the dreaded deed...click the "mark as read" button. I tried so hard to catch up, but it was keeping me from getting all the things I need to be doing done. Seriously, you people are as addictive as any drug known to humankind! So, while I thoroughly enjoyed my "week of lazy," I am definitely now paying the price.

And because I have so many other things demanding my attention, I'll make today's book babble short and sweet. One of the books I managed to read last week a scrapbooking book. I used to buy just about every scrapbooking book printed, but I've been a bit better lately. Rich bought me a few for Christmas, and I thought last week was the perfect time to sit down and indulge myself with one.

That's Life: Finding Scrapbook Inspiration in the Everyday by Nic Howard.

To be perfectly honest, I was a little disappointed with this book. But not because it was a bad book or anything. Instead, it was just that Nic Howard's philosophy of what memories are worth saving is pretty much identical to mine. We both seem to be firm believers in the idea that while it's great to record the big events (holidays, birthdays, etc.) in scrapbooks, what's really even more meaningful is the everyday. Recording the personalities, the quirks, the passions, the frustrations of those we love. So like I said, it's really not that I didn't like the book, it's just that she was preaching to the choir here.

All that said, I believe this would be a great book for anyone somewhat new to scrapbooking. It would certainly be perfect for someone who tends to be an events-only scrapper, but would like to spread their wings a bit. And this book does include a lot of gorgeous layouts. And one can never have too many layouts to look at, can one?

And hey, guess what! I've got a spare copy to give away! I really shouldn't embarrass Rich by mentioning this, but he accidentally bought me two copies of this book for Christmas. And he wrapped both and put them under the tree, never realizing. :) Anyway, if you're interested, just say so. If more than one person speaks up, I'll draw a winner over the weekend. (Well, over the weekend, if I remember...hopefully shortly thereafter if I don't.)

babbling about graphic novels

Amulet: Book One The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi.

This was one of those total impulse grabs from the library. Had never heard of it before, but it looked fun. And it was fun, but certainly won't make my top ten reads of the year or anything.

The story begins with a terrible accident in which Emily's father is killed. A couple of years later, Emily's mother moves the family (herself, Emily, and Emily's brother, Navin) to an old family home. She claims that she's just still trying to give them a fresh start. But we come to wonder if, unbeknownst even to her, there's something more going on with this move. The family arrives at the home, and on the very first night, events spiral out of control. The children find an amulet, their mother is kidnapped by a strange tentacled creature, and they all find themselves in a world completely foreign to them.

The downside: The story just doesn't have a lot of depth. But I would like to hope that maybe that will come as the series continues. (And there are hints that this may well be the case.) I realize that this is a series aimed at younger children, but I don't believe that means it needs to be overly simplistic. (I'm actually hoping that I can convince Gray to read this, so I can get him opinion.)

On the positive side: I love the art! I found the "creatures," both the good ones and the bad ones, to be utterly adorable. And I don't quite know how to explain it, but I love the coloring of this novel. I hesitate to use the word "pretty," but I honestly can't think of a better word. It is both subtle and vibrant all at the same time. Oh crap...I'm making no sense at all here. Suffice it to say that I really enjoyed looking at this book.


Rose by Jeff Smith and Charles Vess.

I've actually had this on my wish list ever since I read my first graphic novel, Alice in Sunderland. (Talbot spoke of a number of books in Alice in Sunderland that got added to my wish list.) Anyway, when Rose was finally available at the library, I of course, snatched it right up.

It's a beautiful little fantasy story. Just read it's beginning words:

When the world was very, very new, and dreams had not yet receded from the waking day...

The first dragon was a queen named Mim. And Mim was the keeper of all who dreamed.

She cared for the dreaming by encircling the world and holding her tail in her mouth...

As long as Mim held her tail in this way, balance was maintained.

And balance is most important, for the dreaming is a thing of great delicacy.

I don't want to give any of the story away, but I'm sure you can easily guess that something happens to this balance. A balance is regained, but again disrupted. And it eventually falls upon Princess Rose to right things. I love Princess Rose...she's young, a bit naive, a bit impulsive...and who wants a princess that is too perfect, right? It's a story about dreams, and growing up, and hard choices. I really, really enjoyed it.

And hey, it doesn't hurt that Charles Vess created the artwork, huh? It is stunningly beautiful.

I didn't realize until after I'd finished the book that is a prequel to BONE. From the little I know about BONE, I believe this prequel is a bit darker in nature. But I plan to find out for sure...after finishing this book, I had to immediately go and order BONE: One Volume Edition.

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley.

Oh my, what can I say? This is easily my favorite of the three. I absotively, posolutely adored this book! Delightful. Beguiling. Captivating. Enchanting. (O.K., O.K., I'll stop now before I feel the need to dig out the thesaurus.) This was a book that just made me happy. The only other recent book I've read that I can remember making me feel this way is The Goose Girl. Not that the two books are alike, they just made me feel the same. I wish I was better with words so I could explain what I mean. It's just sort of a happy innocence. A being fully transported away into a land of pure magic. Of course, that's not to say that either book is all lightness and fluff. Anyway as I said, the two books really aren't all that similar, other than the fact that a review of each would likely contain the words "fairy tale" at some point. Castle Waiting has much more depth. There are layers upon layers, stories within stories. And OMGosh, is this book funny! And bottom line, it's about how anyone can come together and become a family.

Ahhh, I seriously want to read it again already!

*****

Other viewpoints:
*Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot (Castle Waiting)
*Eva at A Striped Armchair (Castle Waiting)
*Susan at You Can Never Have Too Many Books
*Kailana at The Written World (Rose)

I'd love to add your two-cents, so if you'd reviewed any of the above, please feel free to leave me a link in the comments. Thanks.