"My Art Book"

My children love art.  My five-year-old is especially artistic and interested in art, and we try to take her seriously and encourage her.  She does, after all, come from a family with a lot of professional artists in it.  Lately when we go to the library, she heads straight for the bookshelf with the children's art books.

Some of these books, we've discovered, have been pretty awful.  Sometimes, though, she finds a book that is a little treasure.  The best book she's found so far is "My Art Book" published by DK.  If you have kids, this is a great book both to start informing them about art and to try out some great art projects of your own.

There are some really good ideas and clear instructions for making your own artwork.  My kids preferred reading and looking at the book for ideas, and then pulling out our art supplies so that they could work on their own "inspired-by" project.  This book led to a lot of entertainment.  I'm not sure how many hours my daughter spent thumbing through it or working on ideas inspired by it, but it was a lot.  After having the book out from the library for a full month they still weren't sick of it and still looked at it regularly.  This is a definite winner for an art book for kids.  We used it at home, but I think it would be a great resource for art teachers as well.

For more about why my family loved DK's "My Art Book", click here.

"Mansfield Park" by Jane Austen

If you remember, I set a goal to read (or re-read) all of Jane Austen's novels.  So far I've managed:
"Pride & Prejudice"
"Sense & Sensibility"
"Northanger Abbey"
and now "Mansfield Park".

(In case you're wondering about the order I'm reading them in, it's a simple system.  I just pick up whichever Jane Austen novel happens to be available at the library when I visit.  Next up are "Persuasion" and "Emma".)

 I'll just start out by admitting it.  "Mansfield Park" is my least favorite of Jane Austen's novels.  It is obviously Austen; you could pull out any single page, read it out of context, and just know that it is from one of Austen's books.  Yet it never reaches quite the level of the other books.

What is it that's lacking in "Mansfield Park"?  Or what is perhaps there that's not in the other five novels?

First of all, Fanny Price just isn't as good of a main character as Austen's other heroines are.  She doesn't have the wit or warmth of most of her counterparts.  When we think of Jane Austen, we normally think of strong women leads.  Fanny Price, however, is mostly characterized as being weak and sickly.  Yes, she has moral integrity, but she's also known for being "persuadable".

Also, the love story just lets the book down.  I know that in Austen's time it was acceptable for cousins to marry each other.  Even as a modern reader I could have probably handled that they were somehow related.  What makes the relationship between Fanny and Edmund disturbing is that they have grown up together like siblings.  They refer to each other in family terms, like "brother" and "sister".  Perhaps most disturbing to me is how completely malleable Fanny is to Edmund. 

Their relationship is not one of equals.  Although Edmund confides in Fanny, he is not actually influenced by her.  Proof of this is offered again and again (for example, when he takes part in the play after her confirming counsel that he should not; his continued high opinion of the Crawfords despite Fanny's better judgement).  Fanny, on the other hand, has formed most of her life and opinions around Edmund's advice, approval, and love.  Even when they are approaching marriage, this is how their relationship is described:
"a regard [Edmund's feelings for Fanny] founded on the most endearing claims of innocence and helplessness, and completed by every recommendation of growing worth, what could be more natural than the change? [from "warm and sisterly regard" to "wedded love"]  Loving, guiding, protecting her, as he had been doing ever since her being ten years old, her mind in so great a degree formed by his care, and her comfort depending on his kindness...what was there now to add, but that he should learn to prefer soft light eyes to sparkling dark ones..." -"Mansfield Park", Vol. III Chap. xxii

In the other novels, you really want them to get together.  Who doesn't savor every moment of misunderstanding in "Pride & Prejudice", for example, yet long for Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy to have their happily ever after?  In "Mansfield Park", conversely, you just don't really care.  Or, if you do, it's because you don't actually want them together.

"Mansfield Park" is also the most moralizing of Austen's novels.  Many of them show the consequences of certain actions or personality traits, and even have almost fable type elements to them.  "Mansfield Park" is the only one that feels moralizing rather than just moral though.  In accordance with this, the novel is much less ironic than many of her others.  Yes, there are moments of irony in the novel (like Mrs. Norris constantly contradicting her words by her actions), but the tone is different.

I'm glad that I read "Mansfield Park", but it's not one I'll keep revisiting for pleasure reading.

"The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury, I take my hat off to you sir.
Then I consider putting on another hat just for the sake of taking it off again.

The man is a genius. 

"The Martian Chronicles" is lyrical and beautiful, concise and profound, science fiction without being scientific.  It is more than entertaining; it is relevant.

I think everyone should read it.

It may be called "The Martian Chronicles" and set primarily on Mars, but it is an intensely human book about human nature and humanity.

"Kiss of Death" by Rachel Caine

I recently mentioned that I read "Fade Out" by Rachel Caine.  After that I moved on the next book in the Morganville Vampires series, "Kiss of Death". 

"Kiss of Death" is the 8th book in the Morganville Vampires series, and it's the first time that it's set (at least primarily) outside of Morganville.  Unfortunately, the series is called the Morganville Vampires, and it really does work better in Morganville.  This was probably my least favorite book in the series so far.

For more about "Kiss of Death", click here.

Jane Austen Manuscript

I've been reading a lot of Jane Austen lately, so when I saw her name in the headlines, I was intrigued.  Jane Austen is a literary legend and often used in Hollywood, but an author who's been dead for almost 200 years doesn't normally make the headlines of today's news.

Apparently one of Jane Austen's original manuscripts was just sold at auction for almost a million pounds!  It had been given an estimate value of only about £200,000, but in the end it sold for over £990,000.  (Click here for the BBC News story.)

The manuscript is in Jane Austen's handwriting and is apparently full of her notes. 

Wouldn't it be great to be able to have a leaf through these pages and see Austen's own handwriting and editing notes?  As a writer myself, I'd love to see Austen's writing process and how the novel evolved.  The manuscript is of "The Watsons", which Austen never finished.  To read "The Watsons" on-line, click here.

"Goddess of Legend" by P.C. Cast

I've been reading the "Goddess Summoning" series by P.C. Cast lately (I've already posted about some of the other books in the series).  I'm really enjoying the series, especially the basis in mythology.

So far "Goddess of Legend" (using the Camelot legends) is my least favorite book in the series.  If you're interested in the series, I'd recommend reading any of the others over this one.  I still love P.C. Cast, but this is my least favorite book of hers so far.

To read my book review of "Goddess of Legend" by P.C. Cast, click here.

"Fade Out" by Rachel Caine

You've probably noticed by now that I have a weak spot for fantasy/paranormal fiction in general, and especially vampires.  I also really like young adult novels.  The end result is that I've read a lot of vampire books ranging from the horrific to cheesy.

"The Morganville Vampires" is a young adult series by author Rachel Caine.  The basic premise of the series is that a seemingly ordinary town (Morganville) is actually controlled and partially inhabited by vampires.  The main characters are:
Claire (teen genius and newcomer to Morganville)
Shane (brawn over brains and Claire's boyfriend)
Eve (both bubbly and ironically goth)
Michael (boy turned ghost turned vampire, guitar god and Eve's boyfriend).

They live together at the Glass House and have lots of life threatening adventures.

"Fade Out" is the 7th "Morganville" book.  (If you enjoy it, look for the next three books.  The 11th "Morganville" book is due to be published this November.)  In it, life seems to have found a new normal and calmed down.  In Morganville, though, normal and safe never last.  Eve becomes infatuated with a new friend.  In fact, everyone seems to just love the new girl and Claire must battle with jealousy and suspicions.  Throw in some vampire attacks, a vicious steampunk vampire computer, and reality TV references, and you have "Fade Out".

To read my review of the book "Fade Out" by Rachel Caine, click here.
To visit Rachel Caine's official website and find out more about all of her books, click here.

"Brisingr" by Christopher Paolini

I admit that I'm a little behind the times when it comes to Christopher Paolini's books.  Everyone was talking about Eragon when it came out way back in 2003.  Even my dad read and loved it and recommended it to me.  I put it on my mental list of books to read, but somehow never actually got around to it until recently.

The good news about procrastination is that I didn't have to wait for the next book in the series to be published.  I read the first three books of the "Inheritance Cycle" one right after the other, and the long awaited fourth book is due out in a few months.

"Brisingr" is Paolini's third book.  It continues the story of Eragon and his dragon Saphira.  (You could debate whether she's his dragon or he's her person; I think it's some of both.)  I enjoyed the book and thought it was probably the strongest in the series so far.  It tied together and explained a lot of points from earlier books.  Also, I really liked the moments of fierceness  that came out coupled with very quiet scenes.  There were a few things that I personally was disappointed by, but overall it was a good read and I'm looking forward to the last book in the series.

"Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen

I decided to continue my Jane Austen kick and read (or reread) all of Austen's novels.  I've recently read and blogged about "Pride and Prejudice" and "Northanger Abbey".

I tackled "Sense and Sensibility" next.  I had read it before, but not for probably a decade.  I've also seen several adaptations of "Sense and Sensibility" (my favorite is this one: Sense & Sensibility (Special Edition) ). Right now is a particularly good time to enjoy "Sense and Sensibility" as it's the novel's birthday.  The Jane Austen House Museum is currently celebrating the 200th anniversary of the publication of "Sense and Sensibility".

With Jane Austen novels, I know what to expect and I'm never disappointed.  I really enjoyed revisiting "Sense and Sensibility".  The novel is a story of parallels and we see how two very different sisters (Elinor and Marianne) cope with very similar circumstances.  There are many other parallels that are created in the novel, so that the story almost becomes a complicated set of mirrors with each event and character reflecting or echoing something else.  Because of this construction, the reader is constantly making comparisons and drawing conclusions.  No one exists as a stand-alone entity and no judgements are made on their own.  Instead we are invited to compare characters and events, and everything is judged in context or compared in reference to each other.  Indeed, sometimes we are shown how different things are, and sometimes this system shows surprising similarities.

If you're not familiar with the story line of "Sense and Sensibility", it's pretty standard Jane Austen stuff.  Two sisters fall in love (obviously not with each other), complications arise, and eventually they're both happily married (much to the delight of their mother). 

For me, "Sense and Sensibility" is not the most romantic of Austen's love stories.  I find far more satisfaction, for example, in the eventual union of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice".  However, the novel itself is a great literary creation.  It is subtle, carefully and beautifully crafted, clever, historically informative, and ultimately entertaining to read.

Austen's other novels are "Emma", "Mansfield Park", and "Persuasion".  In addition she wrote some shorter works (many of them pre-date her novels and are collectively known as her "Juvenelia"), some unfinished fiction, and many letters.  I'll read and write about more of Austen's works soon.

"Random Acts of Heroic Love" by Danny Scheinmann

I was given the book "Random Acts of Heroic Love" by Danny Scheinmann through the Secret Post Club.  I enjoyed it and have since passed on a copy to Pants With Names.  If I had enough copies, I'd pass them out to you too.

"Random Acts of Heroic Love" is an interesting novel that ties together a lot of different elements and styles.  It could have gone horribly wrong, but instead it formed a nice narrative that you enjoy reading and that is thought provoking.

For more about "Random Acts of Heroic Love", click here.
To visit the author's official website, click here.