Friday, June 29, 2007

62. From the Gound Up


By Amy Stewart
Rated: ★★★★

Since I'm one of those people who can happly get their complete gardening experience by browsing through seed catalogs and visiting the local farmer's market on Saturday mornings this was just the book for me. I get all the vicarious thrills I need by reading about someone else's hard work.

And in the same spirit of piggy backing on someone else's hard work I have copied this review from amazon.

"When the author and her husband bought their first home in California, she was eager to grow the bountiful, colorful garden she had so long envisioned. With much enthusiasm and little knowledge, she began her weekly trek to the local nursery to stock up on all varieties of seedlings. Why, she wondered, did they not flourish after being planted in the bare backyard? Only after many mistakes, much expense, and worrisome encounters with weeds and bugs was she able to transform her little plot into "a garden with soul," jumbled and luxuriant. Along with a witty description of her mistakes, the author shares her solutions. She gives other beginning gardeners tips on making earthworm manure, improving the soil by sheet composting, encouraging beneficial insects, and sharing excess produce with neighbors.
"

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

61. Dreaming Suburbs


By R. L. Delderfield

Rated:★★★★★

Set in the period between 1919 and 1940 this is Volume 1 of "The Avenue" an
old favorite and another step along the path of my Great Reread Adventure.

The story which follows the residents of a middle-class suburban road begins shortly after the end of World War I with the return of one resident, who finds that his wife has died in the Spanish Flue epidemic and left him with several children to care for and ends shortly after Dunkirk.



Friday, June 22, 2007

60. Plain and Simple


By Sue Bender
Rated: ★★★

A had problems deciding what rating to give this book. I hovered between a two star and a three star and finally decided to be generous and give it a three. It's a very fast read and while it was nicely written I felt like this was one of those "all about me" books instead of giving the reader any real insight into the alleged purpose of the book - to better understand the Amish and their culture. Either way, this book wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it is still a nice, quiet little book that discusses the Amish lifestyle and its effect on the author.

Sue Bender says became fascinated with the Amish way of life when she saw an Amish Quilt on display back in her adolescence. She eventually wheedles her way into an Amish home in order to "experience" their culture. She is pretty upfront about describing this as a personal spiritual journey in order to bring real meaning t to her own life. Lord I hate that phrase. Why do I care? I guess I really was expecting to find more about the daily life of the Amish instead of the daily life of Sue Bender. However when she did get around to describing their life and culture (filtered through her eyes) it was sort of interesting.

It was a quick read and I'm glad I almost finished it before I gave up. Would I recommend it? I don't think so.

Tim - Movie


Based on story by Coleen McCoulough
Rated: ★★★★

This is a wonderful movie starring a very, very young Mel Gibson as Tim Melville, a slightly mentally retarded young man who is hired to do yard work for Mary Horton, played by Piper Laurie in the role of a well-to-do, but lonely, business woman. Mary is also much older than Tim is.

While he does work around her house, Mary gets to know Tim, as well as his working class family. As time goes on, a deep fondness that ripens into love develops between the two. He brings her out of her shell, and she teaches him to read and explains concepts that will enable him to function better in the world around him. Based upon Colleen McCollough's book of the same name, this is a very well acted-film, with fine performances by the supporting cast, as well as the leads.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

61. Exit the Rainmaker


by Jonathan Coleman
Rated: ★★★★½

A true story of a college president and a government consultant who one day just walks away from everything, job, wife, friends and disappears leaving a few cryptic notes behind.

The book goes into the events that led up to his taking this drastic step (no crimes, no affairs) and the effect it had on all the people he left behind. It also tells how he built another life for himself that was truer to his real self. The real self that he, rather unfairly I thought, concealed from his wife and friends. How can you punish people for failing to understand you and what you want from life if you never let on what it is you really want. While I had little sympathy for his wife it bothered me when he just walked away and refused to ever explain himself to her.

In spite of it being slow in parts I am finding it interesting because I think that all of us have entertained at least brief thoughts of throwing up our hands and walking away from their real life.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Outlander


By Diana Gabaldon
Rated: Could Not Finish

The is the first book on my Great 2007 Reread Adventure that I found to be a huge disappointment when I tried to read it again. I seem to have moved way on since the time I found these books to be so good. I will admit that my frustration with this book is colored by my frustration with the series as a whole.

I think that I am just worn out with the story. Apparently it is not going to have an end in my life time and while that the main characters, have gotten older they haven't matured much. They are still crashing around like a couple of oversexed 20 year olds from misadventure to misadventure.

After six or seven books (how many has it been?) I am weary of the whole business. It's a real shame that I feel this way because I was really looking forward to a nice leisurely reread of these books.

Friday, June 15, 2007

59. Consequences


By Penelope Lively
Rated: ★★★★

This story begins in the 1930s as Lorna and Matt meet on a park bench in London. They soon fall in love and over her families objections they marry, and move into a rural English cottage, where daughter Molly is born.

Matt, who does wood engraving is just beginning to become know when he is called up in WW2. When Matt dies in battle the shattered Lorna moves back to London to live with Lucas, Matt's business partner and friend. When subsequent loss occurs, the narrative shifts to Molly, now a smart, independent young woman looking out for her younger brother and stepfather while making her way in the working world. Later, as Molly negotiates midlife, the narrative shifts again, settling on Molly's daughter, Ruth, a journalist who is married with two children and yet yearns for happiness.

I really loved this story. All the characters were likable people that I wished well. Sadly, real life doesn't always work out that way but in the end this story comes full circle. Sort of.


Friday, June 8, 2007

58. The Wonder Worker


By Susan Howatch
Rated: ★★★★½

This is the first book in the St. Benet's series but I think of it as the seventh book of the Starbridge series because it ties up a lot of loose ends for me.

The story
is set instead in St. Benet's-by-the-Wall, a small church and healing center in London's inner city. It would seem that Nicholas has finally found a way to use his psychic talents in a way that doesn't compromise his religious calling.

A lot of the Starbridge characters come wandering through the story, including Lewis Hall who is Nick's associate and mentor at St. Benet's. The mystery of Rosalind, Nicks wife is finally answered for me. I never understood the reasons that they married and my questions were pretty much answered for me as the marriage begings to fall apart in this book.

Venetia seems to finally be getting her act together. She is a character I worried a lot about in earlier books. The characters from these books have become very real to me so I was glad to get some closure on some of them.

At the very end of the book Howatch starts to get very weird and that was the point where I lost interest in them. Fortunately she goes off on her paranormal tangent with mostly new characters I hadn't bonded with.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

57. Absolute Truths


By Susan Howatch
Rated: ★★★★★

This very busy book is the sixth and concluding book of the Starbridge series. It is narrated by Charles Ashworth, Bishop of the Starbridge. By this time in the series all the characters have become real people to me and all the events have actually happened. I am very involved.

Events almost happen faster than I the reader can absorb them. Lyle, the much loved but somewhat stand-offish wife of Charles dies and when her journal comes to light Charles discovers that she had a much richer inner spiritual life than he had ever imagined. Added to his almost overwhelming grief Charles also has to contend with the insecurity of his oldest son, the rebelliousness of the younger son, a cathedral that is sending out bad vibes, the suspicion that it's Dean, Neville Aysgarth, is playing fast and loose with the cathedral's assets, an apparent ghost who has recently taken up residence in the cathedral, a controversial divorced priest who wants to set up a Healing Center in the diocese, a pushy archdeacon, and another priest who has been collecting pornography.

Jon once again rides to the rescue in spite of now being 88 years old and manages to pick up Neville and set him back on his feet spiritually, and helps he and Charles to come to a meeting of the minds regarding the operation of the cathedral. The controversial priest Lewis Hall methaphorically airs out the cathedral and rids it of the bad vibes, confronts the ghost who turns out the be a former Bishop who is just trying to be helpful and sorts out the priest with the dirty pictures. In the end everything works its self out just like a good novel is supposed to.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

56. Mystical Paths

By Susan Howatch
Rated: ★★★★

Set in 1968 this fifth book in the Starbridge series is narrated by Nicholas Darrow, the late in life son of Jon Darrow from Glamorous Powers.

The main characters, Nicholas and his father Jonathan Darrow, both possess rare psychic gifts, and their inability to see situations clearly in relation to one another stems from the mutual belief that the son is a replica of his father.

They are not just alike of course. Nicholas' psychic gifts are drawing him toward a ministry of healing and Jon, who had some bad experiences in the past when he tried to establish a healing ministry does everything he can to discourage Nicholas from going in that direction. Added to that NIcholas is a teenager who is desperately trying on one hand to distance himself from his father and on the other hand terrified to do so because sometimes he feels overwhelmed by his own psychic powers and needs his father to feel safe.

Things threaten to get out of hand but a new character, Lewis Hall a priest who has been called to a healing ministry takes him in hand and helps him to find the confidence to stand alone without his father and also helps Jon realise that he can safely finally turn loose.

Also, Nicholas contemporaries, the so called "popular crowd" who form secondary characters in the book deteriorate rapidly from a privileged and party-loving group into addiction, mental illness, suicide, murder, or desperate, even pathological, promiscuity. The full consequences of the tragedy involving Venetia Flaxton, which is set in 1963 in Scandalous Risks, are sadly clear in this 1968 setting.

The conclusion of this book is the first time that I felt that Howatch got "really weird," a theme she enlarges on in her St. Benet series and this is the reason that I eventually stopped reading them after the first book in that series. I do not do the occult well.



Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End


I loved this movie but I sure did miss a lot of it that went by so fast that I was unable to catch it. Old ears I guess. It's definately on my to buy list and I plan to watch it with the subtitles on when I get it. I figure it might end up being a whole different movie once I figure out what was actually going on.

What I did catch that really surprised me was the direct quotes from our Military Commissions Act of 2006 in the beginning where the British Government was hanging not only men but women and children. I did not find it surprising that Johnny Depp would be responsible for this very subtle but very snarky dig at the government but I was surprised that Disney allowed it.

There was a lot more verbal humor in this movie than in the two previous movies. Or at least it seemed to me that there was. I have heard several criticisms that it was too long but for me the time just flew by. I loved Keira Knightly, she of the bee stung (can you say botoxed?) lips. She swashed and buckled with the best of them in spite of the fact that for part of the fight scene she only had a half of a right eyebrow.

The one criticism I have is that I thought that Calypso was a major disappointment once she became a monster. All that build up and the best she could do is create one maelstrom? I guess they are setting up for movie number four. They better be because they have sure left poor Orlando hanging out there in the wind or maybe I should say in deep water.

But overall, I highly recommend this movie. It had a bunch of laugh out loud moments.

Monday, June 4, 2007

55. Scandalous Risks

By Susan Howatch
Rated: ★★★★½

This is the fourth book in the Starbridge series and is narrated by Venetia Flaxton, a young woman of intellect and means but no direction, and centers around her strange affair in 1963 with 61-year-old Neville Aysgarth, dean of Starbridge Cathedral.

This book had me grinding my teeth in frustration with Neville. Everything Jon did in the previous book to help him get back on a correct spiritual path seems to go down the drain with his obsession with Venetia. Marrying Dido was the worse possible thing he could have done both for himself personally and also for his children. Because he doesn't love her but feels guilty for marrying her he overcompensates by doting on her while suppresses his own needs and desires. This conflict ends up being a recipe for a disaster for not only himself and his family but has disastrous consequences for Venetia as well.

To compound his problems Neville also indulges in high risk behaviours managing the cathedral. Much is made in this book about his alcoholism but personally I thought his addiction to adrenalin and to living on the edge of disaster was a bigger problem.

In the background of all this drama we see the return of Charles and Lyle Ashworth, the main characters in Glittering Images. Charles is now the Bishop of Starbridge and represents the conservative wing of the CoE, a position which puts him into conflict with Neville over the cathedral management.

Meanwhile, the offspring of the older characters are romping though the 1960's putting additional grey in their parents hair and courting disasters of their own.

Saturday, June 2, 2007

54. Ultimate Prizes


By Susan Howatch
Rated: ★★★★★

The third book in the Starbridge, Ultimate Prizes is for me, the most moving and profound book in the entire series. It's the one that I think sort of lays out what Susan Howatch was trying to accomplish.

Narrated by Neville Aysgarth, an ambitious archdeacon it is the story of his lifetime quest for the "ultimate prizes." He is by far the most fascinating character of the series for me. Just when I think I have him all nicely figured out he throws me a huge curve ball. I love the way Howatch describes the different facets of his personality as individuals, i.e. Neville 1, Neville 2 and Neville 3.

The time is set at the beginning of WW II Neville's marriage to Grace, the perfect wife and mother, is cracking under the pressure of being worthy of her perfection. After Grace dies, Neville marries socialite Dido Tallent, but when their first child dies at birth, his faith in both God and his own motives is rocked. In crisis, Neville asks his colleague Jon Darrow (narrator of Glamorous Powers ) for spiritual first aid and, guided by a wise abbot friend of Jon's, is forced to an honest appraisal of himself and his ambition--which has its roots in his early life. He struggles back to spiritual health and eventually emerges a wiser man, more honest and loving toward his family and his flock.

Neville and Jon are such opposite ends of the spectrum spiritually that I find their battle's very illuminating. I never realized before that the Episcopal Church had "catholic" and a "protestant" factions and I am very impressed that the CoE allows them both to coexist. Then it makes me wonder why having women and homosexual clergy is such a problem?