January Book Club: The Invisible Man

Book Club night!  We discussed The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells.

My thoughts about the book were right in line with everyone else's.  We agreed that for its time, it was an important book.  It was one of the first to explore science fiction and therefore granted its permanent place in our literary canon.  But we also agreed that it was a somewhat lackluster story.  The characters weren't developed enough or likable enough and there seemed to be something missing.  I felt that it could have done better in exploring the human psyche when faced with extraordinary situations, and was left feeling that there was a missed opportunity to do so.  It was like a brainless action movie that just moves from car chase scene to car chase scene and the people are just the props.  I'm glad I read it though.  It's one of those books that help you understand the history and development of our literature and culture.


Book for February:  The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara.  I picked it up a few minutes ago to start reading only to discover that the first 13 pages are missing!  Ai-ai-aiiiiii.  It's a novel about the Civil War.  I'm not a big fan of war fiction, but this won a Pulitzer Prize, so I'm hopeful this will be an exception.  Has anyone read it?  How did you like it?

Freedom from Freedom!

I started reading this book oh, about 4 months ago:

Jonathan Franzen's Freedom.

I wanted to love it.  And I did at first.  But about half-way through, I started disliking the characters and stopped caring about what happened to them.  It became extremely difficult to read the rest, hence the months-long trek.  

I suffered through it though, because this book was heralded as the Great American Novel by just about every book reviewer out there and I figured by the time I finished, I'd get it.  (And I must admit, that little cat-fighting session between Franzen & Jodi Picoult intrigued me.)  But I don't get it.  I was elated to say good-bye to the unlikeable Berglund family.

What am I missing?  Did any of you read it and like it?  If so, write me and tell me why.  

Clairemont Library Book Club Book of the Month...

...is The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells.


I received a phone call from a Maxine a few days ago passionately requesting that I return to the Clairemont Library's book club because numbers are dwindling and they're trying to keep it alive.


So I'm reading The  Invisible Man.  At first, I was skeptical and didn't think I'd enjoy it, but it's actually a very easy and pleasant read.  The most significant thing about reading this book, though, is the way I'm reading it.  


For the first time ever, I'm reading a book on my computer!  (And no, I don't mean that I have an actual book propped up on my computer, hee hee.)  And it's actually enjoyable!!


I don't have a Kindle or a Nook or an iPad or etc. (hint, hint for future birthday present.. ;) so I'm reading it on Blio which is a pretty cool e-reader for folks like me who haven't bought the latest technology yet.  Blio is a free e-reader program that you can download and install onto your computer and its library of books, both free and non-free, is pretty extensive.  The Invisible Man was a free download.


Here are a couple of (very poor quality... sorry!) screenshots:

 I like how it simulates actual page-turning.

If the commute to the Clairemont Library isn't too far for you, come on and join me on January 5th!  The book club meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 6:00 PM at The Same Old Grind coffee shop on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard (by Keil's).  

Simple Pleasures

The campus library had a Holiday Cookbook Sale last week.  I went expecting to shop new books, but duh!  It's a library!  They were selling used cookbooks from their shelves.  I was pleasantly surprised by this, partially because it meant I could buy more.  That's always a good thing.  Here's what I got for $9.00:

Four of the books are by MFK Fisher.  I hear she's one of the best food writers out there, so for $1.00-$2.00 per book, I figured I'd decide that for myself.  I also got Isabel Allende's food book, Aphrodite.  I loved her book, Eva Luna and Aphrodite had been on my to-read list when it came out, but I forgot about it somewhere along the way.  A quarterly food journal and a book called Apples & Man round out my purchases.  I bought Apples & Man for the title alone.  Sounds like an epic battle or something.  APPLES & MAN (read in a serious, doomed voice).

I made croutons tonight:

I don't know why, but I get a supreme sense of satisfaction when I make something that I always used to buy pre-made.  All growing up, I never thought about where my food came from or how it was made.  But now, with my interest in food and cooking  growing with each passing year (pun oh so intended :) I'm discovering how everything is made, from potato chips to ketchup to croutons, and I'm absurdly fascinated by how easy it all is, and how much better it tastes and how much better it is for you.  I think this will be a hobby that I'll never tire of (of which I will never tire?).

Today, I'm thankful...

...for one of my most favorite daily moments:  The moment I walk through my front door after being out all day.  I experience this feeling every Monday through Friday at about 4:35 PM.  If I could capture that feeling in a bottle and rub it on like lotion throughout the day...smiles.

Sanity in check.

(Regarding yesterday's post, replace "November 1st" with "January 1st".  Common Sense... check.  Sanity... check.  Let the holidays begin!)

Today, I'm thankful for really good books that I can't put down and end up getting sleep deprived, but it was so worth it at the time.  Speaking of which.... Good night y'all!