Book Reviews

The Help by Kathryn Stockett: Stockett's debut novel is phenomenal. Set in Jackson, Mississippi on the cusp of the civil rights movement, this novel tells the story of three very different women (1 white, 2 black) and the lengths they go to stand up for what they believe in. My favorite aspect was the way Stockett so vividly captures life in a small southern town. Her characterization is superb, giving strong insights into women and our behavior. Her language reminded me of Zora Neale Hurston in Their Eyes Were Watching God (also fantastic.) The novel is serious in nature, but Stockett infuses it with such rich observation and sly humor that I found myself laughing out loud at parts. Best of all, Stockett illustrates our underlying commonality and humanity and shows that, despite our differences and mistakes, our future is hopeful. A-

Beloved by Toni Morrison: My Grandpa once told me to give every novel 50 pages. After 50 pages if you still can't stand it, put it down and find another book. Since this novel won the Pulitzer, I gave it 150. Then I put it down and found another book. (I willingly and happily attest to the incredible calibre of Morrison's writing, and would recommend it to anyone trying to understand the mentality of "emancipated" ex-slaves. For me, the darkness of the novel bled from the pages into my mind and I was having difficulty shaking off the depression I felt. Maybe I'll finish it later in Summer when it's not perpetually gray outside, making me already predispositioned to be sad.)

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: This novel was pretty much exactly how I thought it would be. Charming, wealthy, brilliant guy and charming, wealthy, brilliant girl team up to outsmart the bad guy. They have a series of interactions where no one important dies, until the grand finale where good conquers evil. The end. On the bright side, the history is tremendous. This is why Brown has such a great following, and why I think Brown should be a historian, not a writer. The negatives: His plot is obvious since it never changes in any of his novels, his characterization is cliche at best, his theme is widely used and much more eloquently given in other novels. It's entertaining enough though, I suppose. I'm just not a fan of Brown's formulaic style. C-

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant: Most people I've talked to either hated this book, or liked this book. No one loved it though. I can see why. The story is intriguing and the characters are compelling, but the novel was too uncomfortable to love. This discomfort has two parts. The first is her focus on menstruation. I know a lot of a woman's worth in those days was based on her fertility, but seriously? Did she really need to focus 200 freaking pages on menstrual cycles?? Why did she name the novel after the area where women went to bleed? Does she really think there are no other means besides menses that define women, even in that patriarchal age? It was way over the top and kind of grossed me out. The second part that I had a problem with was Diamant's portrayal of certain historical figures, namely Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. I believe in prophets, both in ancient times and today, and while I know these men are just people with faults and weaknesses like the rest of us, I do not believe God would have called them to be prophets unless they were worthy. Not perfect, but worthy. So I had a problem with Diamant's inclusion of such things as masturbation. To be fair, Diamant skillfully infused her characters' thoughts and actions with the familiar biblical tale. Plus, Diamant did an excellent job of aging the language of the novel with her characters, until we ultimately hear the words of a wise old women who has finally found peace. I have to give kudos to Diamant's imagination. It was well written and makes you wonder about the lives of the women who walked along side these ancient prophets. So there were definitely redeeming features. Not my favorite though. B-

Half the Sky: Turning Oppresion into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn: Every woman (and man, for that matter) should read this book. I started writing a review, but then it became too long and I realized the issues discussed in this novel deserve their own post. Stay tuned. A

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: All I have to say is, do NOT under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES even ATTEMPT to do the following: Pick this book up about a half hour before bedtime on a Sunday night. You will be up far too late and then be a complete zombie at work the next day, useless since what brain power you have left is entirely devoted to returning to this book until you can finish it. This novel is supremely enticing and wildly suspenseful. The main character, sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, is strong, spirited, and determined. The premise is dramatic with it's cold government, starving citizens, and a deadly game wherein the "tributes" fight to the death. It's a sort of post-modern Survivor meets Communism meets the Apocalypse. This book, while fitting in the YA category, asks challenging questions about the nature of entertainment, exploitment, and humanity, and the cost of love. Addictive and satisfying, I highly recommend it. (Just don't expect closure.) A

Next on my list:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Clearly I'm on a Suzanne Collins binge.)

Any other suggestions?

This post has no title. Or coherency.

So we finally decided to spend our Christmas money and got an ipod touch. It's been our favorite toy these last couple of weeks. Our favorite apps include Risk, Mobsters, Scrabble, and Pandora. I'm not sure we've done much else with our lives lately. It's been great.

We do have one bit of news: Mike got a job! He'll be a law/econ professor's research assistant over the summer here at Notre Dame. We feel pretty lucky since jobs of any sort are hard to come by these days. It will be fun to both be working on campus all summer. Good job Hot Buns.
And my lunch hour is now over.

I'm Melissa Wilde and I Approve of These Products.

I don't actually have much to blog about. I just wanted to write a new post so that I didn't have to see Vienna's face every time I looked at the bloggity blog. (In an ironic twist of events, that post garnered more comments than any other post I've ever done... Closet Bachelor (un)fans unite!)

ANYWAY. I guess this post has to be about something... So here are some products that I endorse:

1) MILK. Milk ranks up there with Michelangelo's David, Shakespeare's Hamlet, the Bible, and Mike's kisses in my book of perfect things. Milk is happiness. I love milk. Cold, tall glass, fat free please. In college I would keep 2 gallons in my fridge, and 1 at my sister's house a few blocks away. It's the perfect drink. Not only does it go with everything, but I'm convinced that it makes whatever you're eating taste better. For real. Try it. I love milk. 2) Dove. I am a big fan of Dove products. This affinity is twofold. First, I like Dove for practical reasons. They have high quality products without being costly. Their products always smell good- Always a good thing. Second, I am a huge fan of Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty. It's about time a company took a stand and stopped promoting unrealistic and unhealthy body images as the ideal to women. I am impressed and encouraged with Dove's desire to promote self-esteem, self-respect, and confidence instead of bleached hair and size 0 waistlines. Dove has earned my allegiance with this campaign, and I happily support them.

3. Spicy Cilantro Hummus. This is a new addition to my life and I love it. Sooooo good. Seriously. My favorite dipping tools are pita bread and whole wheat crackers, but you could just as easily use tortilla chips. I'm still in the honeymoon phase with this one, but I suspect it will become a regular item in our home, like the above two products. Check it out. Your life will never be the same.

And that's it.

Her?

(What? Don't judge me.)

Insomia/Chicago

So I can't sleep, and the camera happened to be right next to me, so I decided to undertake my first real blog post. The subject of this illustrious first-ever blog post: the evolution of the common-law doctrine of promissory estoppel.

Haha! I bet you believed me, right? I didn't think so. Chicago was the real answer. Both Belle and I are the type of people that naturally hate fake holidays like Valentine's Day, which is fine when you are single, but doesn't work so well when you are married and have a built-in Valentine. So instead of chocolate or hearts, we decided to give each other what we really wanted: a vacation. We went to Chicago for the weekend! Belle really likes cities, and I really like excuses to spend money, so this had success written all over it.



I've always wanted to take the train to Chicago for no apparent reason, so we did it! We got on the train Friday after work, and took it to Chicago where we spent the night and then saw everything we could see in a day.

We started out day at this little bakery, and this was the view from where we ate.

After that we went to the Chicago Art Institute, which to our great delight had free admission for the month of February. I'm not really into art things, but we all know Georbes Seurat’s famous pointillism painting, “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.” Or as I know it, the cool painting that is just little dots. For those of you that care, we took a close-up picture of it so you can see the detail.

After the museum, we went the Chicago bean. Which I just found out is really called Cloud Gate. We thought it was really fun, and I ran into this handsome man in the reflection...

Back to spending money... I love oysters. The fresh ones, on the half-shell. I went through all of the trouble of finding a place that had half-priced oysters only to find out once we had sat down that the deal didn't start for another hour. Oh well. When we got married, I made Belle promise me that she would eat at least one oyster in her lifetime. She is off the hook for the next 60 years because she did it this weekend!

They really aren't that bad, and even my fish-phobic wife said that the taste was good, but the texture was weird. Great job babe! It only takes once to get hooked!

We also went the Shedd Aquarium. In case you hadn't guessed yet, it is an aquarium.

There is a great view of the skyline just outside of it, but we asked a stranger to take a picture of us, and this is what we got...

I think together we make up a whole head. Now just mentally photoshop a beautiful skyline behind us. Yep, that's it... perfect!

It was a great weekend. Love ya babe.

And finally, a tribute to my mother.

(forgot to take it off of video...)

Grumpy

A snow storm hit last night for no other reason than to irritate me.

Come find me in Spring. Until then, I'll be busy cursing the heavens.

Book Reviews

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: This epistolary novel was most excellent. The quirky characters, witty prose, and extraordinary plot were wonderfully enrapturing. The last chapter/letter wrapped things up a little too neatly for me- it seemed out of place with the rest of the novel. The characters seemed to have a few too many personality traits in common with each other, if I'm being honest. But for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s hard to find a light-hearted novel that isn’t written in a light-handed way. This book, however, was delicious from its inception to its conclusion; From its defense of humanity in postwar Europe to the quiet love story it reveals. It felt very human (read: not contrived.) Very well written. It was a welcome reprieve from the more heavy books I’ve read lately. A-

Stalin's Children by Owen Matthews: Speaking of heavy, I now bring you to Russia. This family memoir traces the lives and stories of three generations: How they were liberated, betrayed, freed, inspired, broken, and ultimately survived. Owen Matthews is a wonderful storyteller. Really magnificent prose. He does a good job of painting the various shades of Russia, depending on which decade/social class/ethnicity you happen to belong to. He gives a remarkable account of Russia's political history in the 20th century, and clearly shows how those politics affected the people, a remarkable feat considering the vast decades the novel covers. Matthews captures these changes, and shows the heart of Russia with insight and intelligence, all while portraying the resilience and instinct for survival that Russians have garnered through their experiences. Now for the less than stellar aspects: His family certainly has impressive stories, but I couldn't shake the feeling of sadness I felt while reading, even when reading of undying faith, fortitude, and determination. This novel was just as much about loneliness and loss as it was about courage- which is not necessarily a bad thing. Russia certainly has seen dark days. I just thought the tone was a little too heavy. Matthews tells an extraordinary story, and then seems to wonder if it was worth it. I finished the novel glad that I had read it, but equally glad that it was over. B

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner: I'm a little late on reading this one. It was "the book" about 5 years ago, and I only read it now because it happened to be in Mike's backpack while we were traveling and I wanted something to read. So this is probably not new to you, but here goes anyway. With only cold logic, Levitt turns economics into something illuminating and interesting, and invites his readers to dare to ask questions and look for connections in the world around us. I appreciate his goal- I generally like books that urge people to think more. I didn't agree with everything he said, but I still enjoyed reading his insights on tough subjects (abortion, crime, cheating, racism, and parenting, to name some.) It's not often that an author will take these difficult subjects and compare them to say, sumo wrestling. But Levitt does, and manages to do so without coming across as a complete idiot, so I guess that deserves praise. Applaudable and interesting, despite being a little pretentious. B+

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: This book broke my heart. Narrated by Death in World War II, this novel tells the story of a young girl named Liesel. I won't get into specifics because if I do I'll start bawling my bloody eyes out (which would be awkward since I'm at work right now.) Incredibly touching, poignant and painful, mesmerizing and compassionate. This novel reminds us of the power of words- the good they can do, as well as the evil they're capable of. What would Hitler have been, after all, without words? As this book reminds us, what would any of us be? This novel is about as close to perfection as it gets. A+

Next on my list:
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Beloved by Toni Morrison