Books Read in 2016

I want to blog more about books and reading in 2017, so why not start and try to remember the books I read in 2016? This post will have to be a work in progress because I cannot remember most books I read.

The last week of the year was a great time for reading, since we were mostly hanging out in my youngest brother-in-law's house and it was very cold outside (it's Montreal after all!), so I read three books there, first I finished Feed by M. T. Anderson which I had bought together with the The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing books I and II for my son (I am yet to read those).

Feed is crazy and gave me a bit of a headache. It's all too real even though it was written BEFORE we were completely glued to our cell phones 24/7 and to our facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds. I picked it up after a friend and children's lit scholar (and former blogger) mentioned in passing that the president-elect (a creature whose name shall never be mentioned in this space except by titles) sounded like the few quotes from the president in Feed.

Then I read a Brazilian book, Desde que o Samba é Samba by Paulo Lins, the author of the now famous novel then movie Cidade de Deus/ City of God. It's a supposedly historical fiction book about the history of samba music and it's pretty interesting, but way too full of sex and red-light district skirmishes to my liking. Sigh... and it was pretty repetitive in its structure, not well edited at all. It was interesting to learn more about how "Umbanda" -- one of the Brazilian African inspired religions -- originated. Lins had a few well-placed (if coming out of nowhere) cameos of famous people such as Carmen Miranda and the Brazilian poets Manuel Bandeira and Mario de Andrade (not very flattering portrayal of the sexual life of those two, probably the reality, though).

And I began, but not finished until Monday Jan. 2, another Brazilian novel, Azul Corvo this one available in English translation (Crow Blue) which I imagine must be good -- I'd recommend this book if you're interested in the experience of immigration/migration and knowing a little bit about the guerrilla movements in Brazil during the late 60s early 70s. Adriana Lisboa is an extremely talented novelist, I need to read all her books (I have read and taught another one, Symphony in White -- pretty heartbreaking tale of two sisters, trigger warning: sexual abuse & incest. It's masterfully written, though, and oh, so poetic!).

That was it for the last week (I've read two more books since Sunday)

Other books I read in 2016:

Between the World and Me. Wow, this book is a must read for those who want to know what it feels like to grow up Black in America. A tour de force.

Books I re-read: Sense & Sensibility back in February.

Then, before I watched the movie version of Lois Lowry's The Giver (precisely this beautifully illustrated edition), I re-read the book (which I'd read for the first time last year and never got to blog about! ;-(

And around the time of the election, I re-read the three sequels, Gathering Blue, Messenger -- very relevant for today, especially the whole thing of building a wall and shunning immigrants and refugees, and Son (which I didn't love when I first read it, but now think it's pretty good). I heartily recommend this quartet if you haven't read them!

I'll edit the post when I remember other books I read -- they weren't that many, unfortunately!

To Kill a Mockingbird

... or, as my son Kelvin, a Hunger Games fan, says, he'll always want to call it "To Kill a Mockinjay" :-)

I didn't grow up in his country. Yes, I majored in in English, but this was not one of the books I read in my 20th Century American Lit. class.

So I hadn't read it until now, until today. I bought it after I became aware of the brouhaha and excitement caused by the upcoming publication of Mockingbird's "sequel."

WOW, what a book! I really knew nothing about it or about the author, which is such a gift nowadays. In an age of pervasive information overload, ignorance is not bliss, it's a rare gift.

So I was delighted when I found out that Dill was modeled on Capote, Harper Lee's childhood friend, and that I was 100% right in realizing that that fascinating little boy was gay. (I still need to watch Capote with genius Phillip Seymour Hoffman -- still sad about his death. Fame is often perilous). I also had no idea that her father had been a lawyer and that there are many other autobiographical traces in the novel

In any case, what a joy to read such a masterpiece! Makes me long for reading and teaching literature. Oh, if I could just get the job! I think it would be a most welcome career change. Sigh...

And how relevant to read a book about racism and lopsided race relations after the past few years' deaths of young black men at the hands of police or vigilantes. This country has come a long way, but it has not overcome racism.

I'd love to talk more about this book some other time! Now I want to see the Gregory Peck movie and watch the documentary (I'm all about linking to The Post today! ;-).

Food (for Thought)

Three weeks ago, on March 18, I shopped at two places, a book "outlet" and a grocery store, and I had to take these photos to share on the blog. My husband is used to me taking photos of everything with the excuse of posting to the blog, but he did think I was crazy when he saw this when he got home from work (click on photos to enlarge beautifully):

We're trying to be mostly vegan at home and the grocery shopping reflects that. Some weeks (like this week), I buy yogurt [which you can actually see in the photo!] and cheese and, to my husband's chagrin, we don't stay "plant strong" (as the folks from the Forks Over Knives facebook group like to say).

I went to the book "outlet" because my son and I are about to start reading The Giver and I knew they had two of the three sequels. Then I bought some poetry, a few classics and some non-fiction/realistic fiction for my young son who doesn't like fiction. As for the audio-book [book on CDs] up top, it was on clearance and I'm absolutely loving it (I'll blog about it separately).

OK, more about both food and books later!!

Eleanor & Park (comments)

Last year at the children's lit association conference I heard a lot about Eleanor & Park (by Rainbow Rowell), so I simply had to check it out.

Friends gave us all B&N gift cards for Christmas back in the December, so E&P was one of the books I bought (as you may have seen in this post).

Some random, maybe unrelated thoughts on the book (oh, J, please don't read this until you're done reading the book, if we don't have time to talk about it, this post will be one half of a conversation, OK?):

• It just occurred to me while typing the title that it reminds me of Jane Austen & her titles (and how an early title of Sense & Sensibility was Elinor & Marianne, wasn't it?). Other than that, the book doesn't have much to do with Austen at all (and maybe, in a tangential way, with Romeo & Juliet).

• What I liked the most about the book was its development of E&P's relationship, coupled with the development (or the slowly revealing and unfolding) of the characters. The most important thing to me is that Rowell depicts very realistically how they are drawn to each other because they have or develop interests in common and become/realize they are "kindred spirits." The physical aspect of the relationship (related to the hormonal teenage years) is important and relevant, but it's not the key aspect of their relationship and I thought that was great. 

• Obviously, I liked, no, loved that the characters are so geeky and misfits. And that Park is half-Korean, leading to discussions of racial identity, prejudice, etc. (and Eleanor's only friends are African-American girls).

• The most moving moment of the book for me (I actually sobbed aloud a few times and my husband checked on me from the other room) was when P's mom finally identifies, in a visceral way, with E and accepts her. That brief scene is one of the few moments of the book in which we get some insight into P's mom Mindy's (Min-Dea? Didn't seem very authentic) expatriate experience. When faced with the reality of E's family Mindy recalls her own experiences growing up poor in Korea. 

• Considering many young people's dramatic real-life experiences of abuse I appreciate how the book treats the situation of E's family fairly "delicately." Because it obviously could have been way worse, more dramatic and explicit (although it is pretty explicit through the characters words, at times, if not actions). 

• I like the relative diversity of the book, although most characters are still white. and its focus on poverty, marginality and immigration. It's not really centrally discussed, but apparently Park's family only lives in that run down neighborhood because they'd be misfits elsewhere given that his dad married a Korean woman. Maybe I'd need to learn more about Omaha, NE in order to understand this part of the story.

• Last, but not least (and I know there were tons more things I wanted to say, but it's just hard to remember them all, especially because I started writing this post last night & am finishing it today), I like Rainbow's (what a great name, I think it fits her well!) writing a lot. I don't know exactly why, but I do.

• ... and I thought it was absolutely awesome that she had Eleanor mom humming one of my favorite and also one of the saddest songs ever (Clouds by Joni Mitchell) in one of the few scenes mother & daughter have together. This author knows her music and has great musical sensibility!! I wish I had found out her "mix tapes" or playlists for the book earlier and had read the book listening to all that music. I'll need to re-read the book to that soundtrack someday.

I'd love to read other people's thoughts on this book and I'm thrilled to discover that Rainbow Rowell has a blog. I also want to read all her other books.

It's Finally Here! (Pre-Ordered Oct 25!)

I posted this from my phone last night at 11:11 pm (actually got out of bed to take these photos!!! see my pajamas there?) but my phone never published it until I fiddled with the blogger app this morning! BOOO!

Too bad I can't spend 3 days reading it and then, immediately writing the "definitive" comparison between Wilder and a Brazilian writer with whom she has in uncanny connection (can't say much more! It might lead to readers finding my name!)

I'm thrilled it's finally here. May all who ordered get theirs soon too!!

Speaking of books, look what else came in the mail today! 

Can't wait to read them all!! I love books!!! (particularly children's & young people's literature)

Summer Reading

I've bought way too many books in the past few years that I haven't yet read, so today I got started on one of them:

That way I can see the film adaptation when I'm done.

I'm a relatively fast reader, but I wish I read even faster, because this book is LOOONG! I wonder if I should try War & Peace and then Dostoievsky next. :) Only after I read the other books in my collection that I have yet to read. Sigh...

I need to read more poetry...

... in fact, everyone should read more poetry. I think we'd have a better world if more people read poetry.

I'm going to teach my "next to last" class in a few minutes. The almost last class in the very first literature class I get to teach in my own language, of the literature of "my people." I don't know if the course was that great, but I'm glad we're ending with poetry.

I need to read more poetry. I bought three anthologies in São Paulo's fascinating, sprawling used-book stores, we call them sebos, a weird name, since "sebo" means excessive fat (in people's skin or animal fat too). I bought Mário de Andrade, Manuel Bandeira (my favorite!!) and Carlos Drummond de Andrade. But I need more. Much much more! Ferreira Gullar is glorious!

Sigh...

I also need to write more poetry. When I read it, my entire being yearns for it, both reading and writing, but the latter is very difficult. Because when you really know literature, when you really know and love art, calling yourself an artist is a very difficult, nearly impossible, thing to do.

If there's one thing I've always wanted in my life, ever since I was thirteen years old, was to be...

... dare I say it? It's so hard!

... a poet.

Wimpy, Degonflé, BANANA! ;) (plus dork & moron)

My parents spoke French to each other a lot when I was growing up and after a while I understood quite a bit! (and I later learned French right before and during graduate school)

There are a few words that my parents always say in French because they think they conveys what they're thinking and meaning better than Portuguese. A big one is courant d'air (for a draught, wind coming from an opening window and blowing through the house) and another even "bigger" for them is gonflé (proud, "puffed up").

I was happily surprised to find out yesterday that the title for The Diary of a Wimpy Kid in French is Journal d'un degonflé!

Now, the title in Brazil makes lots of sense, but it's pretty derogatory, almost annoying: Diário de um banana !! :-) (a "banana" in Portuguese means a weak, useless person).

My oldest son (he'll be 11 in a week, isn't that crazy?) is a huge bookworm and he has read all the books (except for the 7th) a long time ago, but my youngest (who is 8.5) had never been interested in them... until now!

He is a good reader, but very particular in his tastes. Despite the fact that he's perfectly capable of reading longer chapter books, he's been sticking to reading and re-reading his beloved Berenstain Bears books and a Boxcar Children book once in a while.

Last Sunday he spent hours reading the first Wimpy Kid  book and he has been re-reading various passages ever since. And today I realized that this reading had unexpected consequences.

My very sheltered and innocent son had never encountered the words dork and moron before, but now he knows them. :(  He obviously knows not to use them, but I guess a new "universe" has now opened up for him, he's no longer my naive baby -- which is normal, I know. But still, hearing your child say "What does dork mean?" "What is a moron?" is not fun.

Good thing their school (K-8, small, private) and his classmates are nothing like those he's reading about. Phew!

Have you/your kids read this books? What do you think of them? At this point, I value reading so much that I'll have my sons read whatever will get them excited about reading. Hopefully it won't harm them too much. ;)

Ci & Li Take Sampa, or Lovely Day with a Dear Friend

Last night and this morning were awesome! I stayed in São Paulo (or dear Sampa) -- the city where I lived the longest in my life, 13.5 years -- with my friend Ci.

OK, before I keep on going, a video of Caetano Veloso's "Sampa" with images of the city:

Last night we ate some delicious pizza (and a risotto al funghi) and this morning, after a brief business meeting  that Ci had, we headed to downtown São Paulo. Talking like crazy the whole time. Some pics:

 These guys represented Fernando Pessoa and Mário de Andrade, two awesome poets, the first Portuguese and the second, Brazilian, from "Sampa."

 Here we are at the largest used bookstore in Brazil (they claim Latin America):

I bought "only" 21 books, here and at another store across the street. Ci had never been there and she loved it! My trusty backpack* fit all but four of the books and after my purchase I had lunch and headed straight to the subway and bus station and then to my parents' house (2h30 hours away). It was an amazing day!

* My Vera backpack looks totally weird in Brazil, it stands out like an eye-sore because nobody uses anything like that. I'm sure it looks very "American." But I don't care!!!!!

Enid Blyton: Sharing my childhood readings with my children

I have a feeling that this day took too long to come since a lot of my favorite books as a child were written in Portuguese and my boys don't read Portuguese very well (though they can speak it mostly fine). And obviously, since I didn't grow up in the U.S. I didn't read most authors and books that people read growing up here and that my boys love, such as Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and others. I only read a few "classic" that were translated into Portuguese such as Laura I. Wilder's "Little House" books and Alcott's Little Women (I really want to try to get the boys interested in Wilder's books, but I haven't been successful so far).

One of the authors I enjoyed for a couple of years when I was growing up was Enid Blyton, particularly her Secret Seven books. I was thrilled when I found them at our city library about a month ago and I checked a few out. Kelvin started reading and he loved them, so I had to check out more and now Linton started reading them too (he's in the second book) while Kelvin is devouring two or more books a day (they had three days of break this week). Children their age love mysteries and Kelvin is already a big fan of the Box Car Children so I guess the Secret Seven books fit in well with his tastes.

This afternoon the boys and I went to the library to return the first Secret Seven book and get some more. After that, I took the boys to the children's museum and while we were there, I found out that I had read one of the books we'd checked out when I was a child. It was fun to read it again nearly three decades later -- too bad I already knew the end!

Maybe it's just me, but I am wondering... why do I take such comfort from the fact that my children are reading some of the same books I enjoyed when we were kids? Do you feel that way too? Which are some books you read growing up that your children love?