Olive Kitteridge: a reflection on perceptions

I finally finished Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge yesterday while I was waiting for Puck in the after-school car line.

It took me much longer to finish it than I expected, but was by no means due to the story. Our autumn has been chaotic, and I wasn't able to make time to read as I expected I would be able to.

But I kept reading when I could, and as we settled into a better routine after the wedding, I was able to find much more time. Like in the after-school car line.

I'm really glad I did, too.

As I started Olive Kitteridge, I didn't really know what to expect. It was recommended to me by a writer because of how I described the coffee house book; they thought it would be helpful in writing and revising my draft. (It has been.) But once I really got into it, I was much more pleasantly surprised than I thought I would be.

The biggest surprise to me was in the revelations about the titular character through each chapter. As I read, I thought I knew who Olive was, and then, later, in one chapter, everything I thought I knew about her shifted, and I saw her in a completely different way. That revelation impacted my reading of the rest of the book, and left me in a very different mood than I expected I would be in by the end.

Sorry for the vagueness of this reflection. I really don't want to give anything away because you should read the book yourself. Truly.

Since I finished Olive Kitteridge, it's been sitting on my heart. I'm torn between wanting to keep my experience of reading it just where it is because of the surprise, and wanting to reread it in a few months to see how my reading changes now that I know what I know about Olive.

I had a wonderful literature professor tell me that "literature rewards rereading." I believe wholeheartedly that Strout's novel falls into that category. I believe that if I read it again in a few months, it will be like an entirely different book. I'll see things I didn't see before, and Olive will, indeed, be a different person. Maybe I will be, too. And maybe that's the point.

You can't unread this book....

Yesterday I finished reading Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (aka The Bloggess).

And there's a hole in my life in the shape of an enormous metal chicken that I think can only be filled by a deranged-looking taxidermied raccoon.

The Bloggess posts frequently on her blog that she has found her tribe, thanks to the Internet. She's found people just as strange and broken as she is, and has been able to connect with them and make friends and feel not alone, especially when depression is lying to her. I have found that through her blog and memoir, too.

Everyone is broken. And when we find somewhere in which we can be broken and still magical, we win. Not only does Lawson's memoir show people that they can be broken and magical, but she does it with the same brilliant, acerbic style that brings me back to her blog with every new post.

She manages to talk about the very serious, scary things she has experienced wedged between absurd comedy that makes the overall memoir feel much lighter than it actually is. When you get finished, it's as if you've read a comedy, not a book that talks about rare medical problems, mental illness, miscarriage, and traumatic experiences with all the seriousness those topics deserve.

Lawson's memoir proves that she is more than the sum of her parts. Yes, she has had these experiences and difficulties and an incredible weirdness in her life, but she cannot -- and will not -- be defined by any of them. Or even all of them. Because, in the end, we're all just stumbling around until we find our tribe. She found hers.

If you're still looking for yours, or want confirmation that you're not nearly as weird as you think you are, or need a reminder that depression lies, please pick up her book. Read her blog. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter. Reach out in some way and know that you are not alone.

We're all a little mad here. Jenny Lawson just manages to talk about it in a way that makes you laugh.

Aura by Carlos Fuentes

As part of a project for a client, I got the opportunity to read Aura by Carlos Fuentes. It's a novella written in second-person point of view (present tense).

I've had this review in my drafts for a few weeks now. Because this book is different from a lot of what I've read, and because I read it for work, I've been struggling to put my thoughts about it into words. But I need to, so here we go.

The point of view and tense was difficult for me, at first. But once I got used to it (a few pages in), I think it's an effective use of the point of view, especially for this particular story.

Aura is the story of a man who accepts the job of finishing the memoirs of a deceased man, at the request of his elderly widow, near death herself. He is at the house for three days and, during that time, uncovers a strange situation, particularly in the relationship between Consuelo (the widow) and Aura, a young woman at the house.

I'm reluctant to say more. I'd rather encourage you to read it for yourself.

Aura is one of those books that rewards rereading. While I was working with it for my work project, I read it about three times cover to cover (being a novella, that was possible in this case). Each time I read it, I felt like there was a layer to the story that had been staring me in the face, but I'd missed until that moment.

It's a dark story, and one that draws the reader in to the dreamlike (nightmarish?) world of Consuelo's house. I think that's why the point of view and present tense of the story work. It puts the reader in the middle of the action, rather than being an observer, and adds to the blur between reality and imagination that occurs.

I'll be honest, I had an idea of what was really going on in the story with some of the first clues, but I attribute that to my usual wibbly-wobbly entertainment tastes. My mind goes to the most convoluted solution, and I work backwards from there. However, that's not to say I didn't enjoy the story. I enjoyed it quite a lot.

I think, overall, the imagery was effective, the story was well-crafted, and it was just the right amount of creepy for me.

I think I'll likely read Aura again sometime in the future, when I'm not reading it for work. Now that I've (sort of) studied it, I'd like to read it again for pleasure and see if it comes across any differently to me.

I definitely encourage you to read it for yourself. It's a quick read, and definitely worth it, in my opinion.

My rating:

The Woman Who Died A Lot by Jasper Fforde

Saturday night I finished reading Jasper Fforde's latest book in the Thursday Next series, The Woman Who Died A Lot.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a Fforde Ffan. I found his books accidentally. When I was in college I was at a large, well known bookstore and saw a book called The Eyre Affair on the bargain book rack. I'd read Jane Eyre many times, so I was intrigued. When I read that the basis of the story was that Jane had been kidnapped out of her book, I snatched up that book and haven't looked back.

Though this latest TN book has been out for a while, and I've had it for a while, I didn't get to reading it until last week. I won't make excuses. It just didn't happen. Still, it was worth waiting for.

The story begins in 2004. After surviving an assassination attempt in One of Our Thursdays is Missing, Thursday Next has been forced into semi-retirement from SpecOps, is unable to bookjump due to her leg injury, and is encouraged strongly by husband Landen to slow down.

Trouble seems to follow Thursday, though, and despite her attempts at a quiet life, Jack Schitt is up to something at Goliath, Synthetic Thursdays are popping up, Aornis Hades has given Thursday a daughter who doesn't exist, her son Friday is mourning the career he would have had (or did have, or will have) in the ChronoGuard, and her daughter Tuesday is struggling to get the Anti-Smiting Shield up and running before Swindon's scheduled smiting on Friday.

It makes more sense if you've read the other books in the series, I promise.

This story reminded me a bit of The Eyre Affair in some ways. Because of the gap between TN6 and TN7, it sort of feels like the first book in a new series. So there is a bit of a ramp up before things really get going. Fforde has to introduce new characters and update the reader on what's been happening and where we are in Thursday's life. Although, I will say The Woman Who Died A Lot did not feel as exposition-y as The Well of Lost Plots did. That one felt slower to me.

Still, Fforde does not disappoint. Like his other TN books that take place outside the BookWorld, Fforde creates a parallel world to what we know as reality for Thursday to live in (and protect). This time one major aspect of the story is the smitings that have been occurring since God has revealed Himself to the world (unifying all religions under one and changing the minds of atheists).

In Lost in a Good Book, Thursday's father offers to sideslip his daughter to another reality. (His description sounds remarkably like our reality, by the way). This reference to another dimension is expanded in The Woman Who Died A Lot, since it is proven that there are other dimensions and universes, and they work together in some aspects, particularly in trade. Some are quite different (one dimension is very much like reality except everyone has two heads), and some strange aspects of our reality are explained through this multiverse theory (for example, Aldi is the result of a multiverse trade, which is why you don't recognize any of the brand names).

As is the expectation with Fforde, the crazy and confusing threads of the story seemed to pull themselves together as the story progressed. Through much of the book I was saying, "What the frak?" when something would happen, but by the end, it made sense. And not in a cheesy way, in my opinion.

However, another aspect of the story that can't be ignored is that Thursday is a different person now. Not only is she older (55 years old, to be exact), but she is the mom of two teenagers and one young girl of dubious existence. Her allegiances are to her community, to the written word, to the continuation of humanity, but also to her children, who are finding their own ways in the world. She's realizing she's different, and is trying to hold on to who she once was while still trying to make who she is work. She's hard on herself because of it.

I think I enjoyed the book more because of the time in my life that I'm reading it. I'm not retiring, and I'm not the mom to teens, but I'm going through a major transition in my life, finding my new place. And that's what's going on with Thursday in this book. She's sort of retired, she can't do what she did before due to physical limitations, and her children are much more important to her than anything else. I can relate to that.

In addition to the Thursday Next series, Fforde is the author of the Nursery Crime books (The Big Over Easy and The Fourth Bear), Shades of Grey, and his young adult series (The Last Dragonslayer and Song of the Quarkbeast). He lives in Wales.

Thursday will return for her next adventure in Dark Reading Matter.

My rating:

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Earlier this month I read Watership Down by Richard Adams. It was assigned by a client, but being a novel, it counts toward my reading for the 100+ Books in a Year reading challenge.

This was the first time I'd read the story, and I knew a little about it prior to picking it up.

I have to admit that I didn't like it as much as I expected to. I thought it was a good story, and I'm glad I read it, but I'm not gushing about it.

For those who don't know, the story is about a group of rabbits who leave their home warren in search of a new home because one of the rabbits senses danger is coming to their warren. The story follows the rabbits and the adventures and challenges they encounter along the way to their new home. It is a hero story, and by the end wraps things up nicely.

I like the way Adams sets up the rabbits as a culture. For the most part, he tries to write the story through the lens of a rabbit culture (as best as can be imagined) rather than adapting what would be a rabbit culture into the human experience. These rabbits are not humans in rabbit bodies.

Adams also incorporates a rabbit language into the story, peppering the words throughout the book. This helps show the reader what is important to the rabbits based on the words used frequently, and what phrases and experiences are given their own words in the language.

If you haven't read it, Watership Down is a good story. It can also be a good story for adolescents who like adventure stories (with a little war thrown in). I'm glad I read it, but I was glad to get to the next story.

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

The first book I completed for the 100+ Books Reading Challenge 2012 is Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. Originally I was going to start my reading challenge with Sula, but a freelance opportunity presented itself that allows me to read fiction, so I jumped on it, and Song of Solomon was my first title.

Toni Morrison's work is not unfamiliar to me. In a college literature course I read/studied The Bluest Eye, so I was excited to have the chance to read Song of Solomon.

The story centers around the Dead family in an unnamed Michigan town. Specifically, the protagonist of the story is Macon Dead III (called Milkman from childhood). It is a coming-of-age story in which Milkman goes in search of a stash of gold that may or may not exist from his father and aunt's youth, and ends up finding out about his family history and his own identity instead.

I had high expectations of the story when I started reading it, and I wasn't disappointed. I did have trouble connecting with the character of Milkman--I found myself connecting more with his mother, Ruth, and his aunt, Pilate. I know part of that is because they are female characters, but I found their life experiences more closely resembling my own, and I found myself rooting for them more than other characters in the book.

Pilate does play a large role in the story, and is also considered a protagonist in some ways. More than that, she is a connective thread among the characters, and provides a link for Milkman to what he is seeking, even when what he is seeking changes. In fact, it is Pilate that helps connect Milkman to his own father.

The story is told chronologically and includes flashbacks to fill in exposition when needed. The use of flashbacks helps reveal the story to the reader in the same way it is being revealed to Milkman. Not only does this help build suspense, but it puts the reader in Milkman's shoes as he is on his journey, tracking down clues and figuring out who he is.

I was not disappointed when I finished Song of Solomon. I enjoyed the story, I enjoyed the characters and their relationships, and when I put the book down, I found myself thinking about it for a few days afterward, still putting pieces together and processing the story. That's usually a good sign, isn't it? Of course, I didn't expect less from a Nobel Prize winner.

Whether you've read Morrison or not, Song of Solomon is worth taking time for. Morrison is an outstanding author, and this story will help you see why. Song of Solomon is my favorite of her works so far.

From Foliage to Flakes: a Writing Review of Fall 2008

This fall has been an interesting one.  It was my first full season as a full time writer, and I was able to concentrate my full attention on the business.

I spent a good deal of time tweaking my work schedule.  Being a new full time writer, I had to figure out what works for me, and work my writing projects into it.  At some points I felt better writing early in the morning, and at other points I felt better writing late at night.  I think, though, that I've figured out a pretty good schedule for me.

I've also spent some time building industry contacts (aka building my client base).  When I started writing full time, I didn't have any clients and applied for gigs as I saw ads for them.  At the beginning, I had some leads here and there, but nothing that really panned out.  Beginning in September, though, things started picking up, and now I feel much more confident about my skills as a writer, as well as my contacts.  As the days and weeks progressed, I found myself with busier and busier weeks, and with more things popping up during the week.

I'm happy to say that things are going well, and I have great hopes for the future.  As the year ends I'll be getting my financial records in order for tax season, and writing my 2009 business plan.  Then I'll be ready to start 2009 with specific goals, some wonderful clients, and a cozy office in central Florida!

Have fun with your snow, everyone else!  I'll be the one writing by the pool if you want to send me anything for Christmas.

When the Leaves Change: Summer 2008 in Review

This has been an eventful summer for me. I left my teaching position, started a business, became an auntie, and adopted two new kitties (Azshara and a boy kitty whose name is to be determined). I've read (though not as much as I would have liked), written (more than I expected I would), and made a breakthrough in the writing of my book. Overall, it's been a good summer. Sure, there are things I wish had happened differently, but I don't regret anything. I did what I thought was best at the time.

On Starting a Business
When I quit teaching to become a full time freelance writer, I expected to spend the bulk of the summer seeking clients, building relationships, and doing almost anything to build a portfolio. Shortly after "opening," a kind fellow freelancer passed my name to a client who needed projects done on a tight deadline (too tight for her), and I picked up some projects for a few months. I was a paid writer!

A month or so later, I applied to a writer's assistant position working for another freelancer who had too many projects and needed help 15 or so hours a week. It was a little shaky, but I got the position, and it has been the best thing for my career so far! The woman with whom I work is a wonderfully sweet woman, and we have a lot in common. We work well together, and write well together. It's been a wonderful experience already, and my portfolio has gotten so big I had to start a couple of extra file folder to contain the hard copies!

I'm not making very much money yet, but I already consider myself a successful freelance writer. There is quite a bit more I would like to do (and expect to do) in my writing career, and this summer has been a wonderful start to it. I'm already doing better than I thought I would, and if this summer was any indication of how things will be in the future, I may have to start posting less frequently!

On Becoming an Auntie
I'm so excited my little sister is a mama! Ashlie Elizabeth is a beautiful, beautiful baby girl, and she is going to be spoiled with love for the rest of her life. It's a bit strange. I always assumed I would have children before her, so I thought that, by the time Sis had kids, I'd be able to sit back and chuckle at her stories, empathize with her pains, and share (unsolicited) advice about everything. Instead I'm an auntie and I get to spoil Ashlie and give her candy (when she's old enough, obviously) before sending her home to Mommy and Daddy wired and unable to sleep.

I'm not going to lie: I'm a little jealous. I love babies, and I'm looking forward to when Hubby and I are able to have children of our own. Until then, though, I'm going to enjoy peppering my personal blog with pictures and bits of information about my darling niece.

On a House of Fur Babies
I've always loved cats, and when Hubby and I adopted Jaina back in October 2007, I couldn't imagine a home without animals. This past June, Hubby suggested we get another kitten as a playmate for Jaina and though I was unsure, we found Azshara and fell in love with her energy and friendliness. So we brought her home. Jaina wasn't so sure about having another kitty around, but after a few days they became best friends.

Just prior to Tropical Storm Fay hitting Orlando, a stray cat started hanging around my in-laws' house. Since Mom-in-law is allergic, we agreed to take care of the stray at least through the storm so he wouldn't be out in the weather. When we brought him home (and cleaned him up) we thought Azshara would take to him immediately but that Jaina would be a bit standoffish as she was with Azshara. We were surprised that, instead, Jaina started mothering him right away, and for several days, Azshara hissed and growled anytime he went near her. Everyone is friends now, though.

When we first brought the stray home (we originally called him Thrall, but we settled on Warrington after the Cheshire Cat in Fforde's Thursday Next series), I couldn't believe we had three cats at our house. Three! That seemed so many! But each of them has such different personalities, now I don't know how we could have less than three cats in our home!

I love all our fur babies, and I'm thankful we took Warrington in to rescue him from the storm.

On Expectations for Autumn 2008
As eventful as the summer has been, I know the fall is going to be even more eventful. In addition to freelancing, I plan to finish the first draft of my coffee house book (hopefully prior to the insanity that will be NaNoWriMo 2008), read more, and achieve some of the goals I've set for my personal life.

I'm optimistic about the rest of the year. There are things I'm greatly looking forward to in the near future (including visiting my family for Christmas this year), and it will be a good way to close 2008 before starting a great 2009.

I think things are looking better.

Mint Mocha Frappuccino Review

Recently, Starbucks revealed a new frozen drink: the mint mocha frappuccino (also available as an iced coffee). Being a huge fan of chocolate/mint combinations, I had to try it to see if it stood up to the Mint Meltaway I came up with while working as a barista. Besides, who better to try out a new drink than the coffee-stained writer herself?

So I ordered it recently and sat down in the relaxing atmosphere of a local Starbucks to try the drink. The drink is made like a mocha frappuccino with the added shot of spearmint, and is topped with chocolate whipped cream and mocha sauce (as pictured).

The preparation time seemed average for other frappuccinos I've ordered. I don't know if there's a separate mix for this drink or if it's simply the mocha frappuccino with a shot of spearmint added by hand. Either way, preparation time was negligible. The frappuccino I drank tasted as though it used dark chocolate for the chocolate flavoring, but I don't know if that's the standard (or if it was just my imagination). It surprised me initially, but I enjoyed the flavor. It prevented the drink from tasting too sweet.

I enjoyed the frappuccino when I first began drinking it. The blend of mocha and spearmint was balanced, leaving just a hint of minty flavor afterward. As the temperature of the drink rose and the ingredients began to separate, the flavor didn't mix as well. Mixing it with my straw helped a little, but that mixed in the chocolate whipped cream, which began to make the drink a little too sweet for my taste.

Overall, it was a good drink, but I think I would like it better over ice instead of blended ice (which I'll try next time). If you like chocolate/mint combinations, I recommend you try it either as a frappuccino or as an iced coffee.

Let me know what you think!