Book Review: Book of Air and Shadows

When I spied a gently worn copy of Michael Gruber’s The Book of Air and Shadows sitting on my mother’s bookshelf, I was giddy. I had spied the book quite a few times at work and had seriously considered picking it up. Happening to find it by chance (and for free!) seemed like a sign like this was a book meant to be read.
Now that I have read it, I am not so sure.
I am not here to say that the book was bad. On the contrary, it had all the trappings of a wonderful novel. A secret Shakespeare manuscript, a dastardly plot, the greatest literary find in history, and a nice smattering of reviews that lauded it as “better than the DaVinci Code”.
The Shakespeare aspect of it was the biggest draw for me, appealing to my literature degree and the fact that 16th and 17th century British literature happens to be my favorite period of literature. Yes, I very much heart the Bard, and I love a good thriller. So it was with great anticipation that I sat down with the book and opened to the first page.
The plot is marvelous. A man named Richard Bracegirdle (which is a Tolkien name! It was the family name of some of the hobbits that lived in the Shire. Again, appealing to my nerdiness) was caught up in a plot to expose Shakespeare as a papist, a Catholic supporter in the time of James Stuart when the Protestant religion was the “One, True Religion”. The entire basis of the story is driven by letters Bracegirdle wrote in the early 1600s, discovered in the backs of old books damaged in a fire. (A very cool point on this is that Gruber actually uses the correct 17th century spelling, where “gonnes” is used instead of “guns”. This was something that was quite delightful to me.) He convinces Shakespeare that a his lord wants the Bard to write a play exonerating Mary, Queen of Scotland (also known to history as “Bloody Mary”) that will infuriate the people of England and, hopefully, keep the heir of England from marrying a Catholic Spanish princess.
The found letters send two modern-day men --- Jake Mishkin and Albert Crosetti --- on a mission to find the lost manuscript and rewrite Shakespearean history as we know it. This serch takes them from New York to England and back again. Along the way they encounter beautiful women, Russian gangsters, and a bevy of other colorful characters (including Jake’s brother Paul, a Jesuit priest with a storied past and some interesting connections).
As I stated earlier, this book has all the elements of a great novel. Like the DaVinci Code, it’s the reimagining of something that we have been taught about since we were small schoolchildren that really draws you to it. And it contains a nice conspiracy theory full of mobsters and professors alike who will do at nothing to get their hands on this manuscript.
But that is where the similarities with Dan Brown’s novel ends. When I read the DaVinci Code, I was up until two a.m., unable to put it down. It gripped me from the beginning and held on all the way to the end. The Book of Air and Shadows didn’t really pick up until the last fourth of the novel. When Jake and Al finally meet, and there is the spectacular gunfight in the Crosetti home, I wanted to keep reading. Before then, it had been a chapter here and a chapter there, and maybe this will pick up soon and I can get through this book. And the conspiracy theory is , well, lame is a kind word for it, really.
Also, the characters are kind of weak. While Crosetti is funny and believable and great to read, Jake is just… There’s really nothing about him that makes you care. He’s just a pathetic asshole. Gruber writes Jake’s first person narratives in a way that seems like he wants you to feel sorry for him, but I can’t. He’s not the type of asshole that you say ‘Okay, he’s a jerk, but you have to feel sorry for him’ in a Frank Castle sort of way. He honestly has no attributes that make you feel sorry for him, but you don’t completely hate him either. He’s just a pathetic man that you really can’t find a reason to care about.
The writing style of this book is amazing, it really is. And I am substantially impressed by the fact that Gruber is a marine biologist who has a much better writing style than many ‘writers’ I know. This book’s biggest downfall --- and it’s ultimate defeat --- is how disjointed everything it. You have three different accounts --- the Bracegirdle letters, Jake’s first person account, and Crosetti’s third person views --- that really just don’t jive. When the two men finally meet very late in the book, and you are getting two sides of the same events, it makes it flow much more smoothly. (For an excellent demonstration of writing a book told totally in first person from multiple sources, check out Elizabeth Kostava’s The Historian. It is easily one of the best books I have ever read.) This disjointed writing also accounts for the many, many questions that just aren’t quite answered, or answered in a way that makes you scratch your head. Is the manuscript real? It must have been. Then why did he add the little bit about it being a fake? What reason did he have for throwing Jake’s father into the mix? It really made no sense. Did Gruber really expect his readers not to figure out that Mickey was involved? And that Carolyn and Miranda were the same person?
In the long run, the book was disappointing. Not bad, just not quite what I had expected or hope. But I wouldn’t mind picking up some of Gruber’s other works. I rather hope that he took the mistakes he made with this novel and made sure to correct them later on.

Book Review: The Shack

So I resisted for quite a long time reading this book. All I heard was "God" blah blah blah "religion" blah blah blah. Now, while I have no problem with books abut God and religion, when they're THIS popular, they're usually the type of books that only those really hardcore fanatics like. But when someone came in to return the book because, and I quote, "God is not a large, black woman", I knew this might be something I should check out. I sniffed around a bit, read an excerpt online, didn't think I'd like it, let someone co-workers talk me into it, and sat down to read it.
It was soooooo slow. Like, I just stopped reading for awhile and read a whole other book. (You can check out my review for that book, Dave Cullen's "Columbine" on an earlier post.) Then I finally picked it back and up and forced myself to continue reading.
I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. While I am not religious, I do enjoy studying theology. And this book is very theological and not very religious. For example, Mack, the main character, marvels at the fact that none of the three --- Papa (God), Jesus, and Sarayu (the Holy Spirirt) --- are white. That made me happy. And, of course, God is indeed a large, black woman. Jesus does not believe in the institution of religion, another brownie point int my eyes, nor does he want to turn people into Christians. As he points out to Mack, he himself is not Christian.
There are many points throughout the book that made me quite happy to see. But there was one little gem that I just couldn't stop beaming about.
In his journey towards healing, Mack encounters a character known as Sophia, a woman who is described as the embodiment of God's wisdom. Now, I don't know how many of you have studied other facets of religion, but Sophia as wisdom is not a new concept.
The Gnostics, an ancient, religious sect that are supposedly responsible for a vast number of the books in the Apocrapha, held a slight different belief than Christians about the order of creation. In their tradition, God was created by another being: Sophie (or Sophia), who was wisdom. And seeing the character of Sophia play the role of wisdom in this book just made me delieriously happy.
Unfortunatly, the book was rather a long bore, with only a few good things sprinkled throughout. For the most part, it was the writing that killed me. I know, I know. I've had a bit more experience in what is supposed to be good writing than most people. So I tend to judge books a bit harder. But honestly! When was the last time this guy had a grammer class? And who on earth edited this thing?? No one seemed to have checked it for readablity. I guess they were too excited about having a religious piece of fiction to make sure it was well-written.
Another big turn-off was the way he had Papa, Jesus and Sarayu explain things. Some of it was great and wonderful and made perfect sense. But it seemed as though a vast majority of it was simply a rehash of another question that had already been asked pages before, just with another --- although equally as confusing --- way to answer. A good portion of the time I had to re-read entire pages, and still felt just like Mack, whose favorite saying was "Huh?"
In simple terms, the book had a great idea. It was probably one of the most original books I have read in a long time. And the parts of it that I did understand were great. While it doesn't want to make me run out and join the local church, it did help me have a better Scriptural understanding of God. But the execution was very, very poor. Will I read it again? Probably not. Will I recommend it? Only to people who have an open religious mind. But hey. Any book that portrays God as a large, black woman is, without a doubt, something worth looking into, if only for the novelty of it.

HAPPINESS!!

Yes, folks. BioWare has made their first blog concering Mass Effect 2, which is slated for a December 31 release. Am I happy? Hardly. Estatic is more like it. I know! I'm just such a well-rounded person. Books, knitting, video games... there is no rhyme or reason to my life.
Adding to my estatic happiness is the fact that Mass Effect 2 will be shown at this year's E3. SQUEE!!
For those of you who have never had the honor of playing the first Mass Effect... WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?? Go buy (or borrow, just not steal. I don't endore stealing) an XBOX 360 and the first ME, lock yourself in your home, and play. You'll see what all the fuss is about within the first ten minutes of the game. Increadible customization, stunning graphics, one of the best storylines I've ever seen in a game... It's just amazing. It's an RPG, it's a shooter, it's everything anyone could ever want in a game.
Probably one of my favorite things about the game is the customization I mentioned above. At the ver beginning, you can customize everything about your character, including your own personal history. Throught the game, people will come and talk to you about whichever history you chose for yourself. For example, I was the orphan. So, later in the game, a man approached me who was part of the same gang my character ran with when she was younger. I think that was just increadible.
Another awesome thing is that, just like in Fable (but way better!) every choice you make has a consequence. And, just a hint, be careful about how you speak to certain people. Let's just say that I did enjoy baiting Kaidan and then sharing that special moment. *wink wink* Which is somethign I hope they carry over into the next game.
But enough of my gushing. to check out the blog here: http://blogs.ign.com/BW_MassEffect/2009/04/30/119240/
Oh, I can't wait for this!!!

Why Me?

Ah, yes. The age old question. There has never been a person to walk this earth who hasn't uttered this question at one point in time during his or her exsistance. Most of us ask this quite often. We've never figured out the answer, and probably never will. But tht doesn't stop us from asking.
I've been asking this question quite a bit in the last year and a half, but today it just seemed to really hit home. It's no longer a question. It's a demand.
I'm sure you've all heard the whole adage of "one step forward equals two steps back". In my case, it reads more like "one step forward equals twenty steps back". Perhaps this might sound a bit angsty, but it's the way I absolutely feel right now.
Here's the breakdown of the last year or so: I graduate from college after four and a half years, ready to take the world by storm as the best music writer in history. I'm more than willing to start at the bottom and work my way up. I want to be a success story. I want my biography to fly off the shelves in a few years. But this proved to be problamatic. No one seemed to want to hire me, despite my awards andexcellent refrence letters. I was dumbfounded. I had done everything right. I should have employers knocking down my door!
Then i watched the news and realized the horriable truth: Tribune Corp. was filing for bankruptcy. Newspapers were having to lay people off. And if you wanted to get hired on, you had to a) know someone high up, or b) fight with a ton of other people applying for the same job and pray to whatever God will listen that you are more qualified than they are. And, as a fresh-faced college graduate, there was no way in hell I could hold my own.
I swalloed my pride and took a job in retail. After all, a paycheck was a paycheck. And, after a few months, I was moved up to a manager position. Things were looking up! Even when my husband lost a shift at work and got bumped down to part time I never batted an eye. We were going to be fine.
Then my District manager called me in. (Warning! Anyone who has read my previous logs will find this oddly familier.) The company was in a tight bind. They needed to cut back. Therefore, my position was being eliminated. I was still hired, but my pay and hours were cut.
That stung. But I held firm. There were teaching positions open in my hometown. I was marektable, thanks to the new Operation Diploma. I was signed up to take me PRAXIS in June. I could find a teaching position, no problem.
Then I turned on the news, again. 4,000 teachers were losing their jobs in Los Angeles. At work, a local teacher told me all first year teachers hadn't been hired back at one local school. And on the news last night, Putnam County, TN is in such bad shape that, after cutting a numerous amount of teaching positions, they still might not be able to open this fall. Getting a teaching a job was looking a lost less certain.
Now, I am not a religious person. But I do believe in karma, and that there is a reason for everything. I am not a bad person. I have done great things with my life thus far. I am going to be rewarded for all of my hard work. And whatever that is, I'm just going to have to keep suffering for awhile before I get to it.
But I still can't help but ask: Why me?

Book Review: Columbine

I'm sure everyone has had a book at one point in time that you just pick up because this little voice in the back of your head says 'Hey! This looks kinda interesting!' And I'm sure that 9 times out of ten it turns out to be a really good book. In my case, the book in question turned out to be something way different.
It's turning out to be phenomonal.
The book, simply titled 'Columbine', is an exploratory, ten-year-in-the-making story told by Dave Cullen, one of the first journalists to invade Littleton, Colorado on April 20, 1999. Throughout the years, he has stayed in touch with the families of the victims, the survivors, the police, and many others who were involved and affected by the shooting. What he has recorded is amazing: insight into the motives of the killers (Eric was a classic psycopath; Dylan was a depressive who had talked of suicide for years), truths behind myths that still resound to this day (Cassie Bernell wasn't the martyr people have made her out to be. Another girl was asked if she believed in God. She said yes. Dylan let her live. Eric ducked under the touble where Cassie was, said "Peekaboo" and shot her before she could say a word), and how the aftermath has played out over the years.
What drew me to this book was the fact that it was written by a journalist, an award-winning one at that. And as soon as you open the book and read his prologue --- he keeps himself out of the story, refering to the press in third person --- it automatically makes you feel like this guy is serious. You know that this is truth he is sharing.
Also, I remember quite vividly Columbine. I was 14, still in 8th grade. And I remember how trench coats were no longer allowed at school. The outside doors had to remained locked at all times. And young men who had ever cuased so much as a peep of trouble at school were yanked aside and questioned for hours day in and day out. To see how this one event, many of it a myth (Eric and Dylan wore dusters, not trench coats, and were in no way associated with the Trench Coat Mafia) affected a small town hundreds of miles away is increadible.
Last but not least is Cullen's delievery. This book reads as well as any Dan Brown novel. I have found it nearly impossiable to put down. And when he details the actual shooting, step by step, I was so engrossed I was nearly late for work. Not only that, but I couldn't help but cry. The emotions were so raw, so real. It's just... amazing.
I highly recommend this book for anyone. The writing style really keeps this book from reading like a boring nonfiction, play-by-play true crime book. Just seeing a lot of the first hand accounts from victims and families of victims really drives home the reality of this tragedy, despite the fact that you may have been thousands of miles away. And finally learning the truth about what happened that day is what keeps you glued page after page.

This is SOOOO Not What Makes It Worth It

So when I graduated college, my whole life lay open before me. I was going to have a career, a GOOD one. Money wasn't a big factor. I wanted enough to be comfortable, sure, but what really drove me was finding a career I was passionate about. A career that felt more like fun than work. I knew it might take some time, but I was willing to wait.
That was in December of 2007. It is now April 10, 2009. And as I sit here, just three days away from my 24th birthday, the cruel hand of Fate has dealt me yet another blow in my qust to be a productive person instead of the failure that has always been my biggest fear.
In July of 2008 I was hired at a brand spankin' new Books-A-Million in the very chic town of Spring Hill, TN. Sure it wasn't the glamourus job I had envisoned for myself, but it was the first job that I could actually get. And hey, it was a bookstore. So it was sort of like using my English degree, right?
I'll admit I've had my ups and downs at this store. And I know I've caused more than a few headaches myself. But I have tried to do my job to the best of my ability. In December of 2008, it seemed that dilligence had paid off. Our Cafe Manager was leaving due to health complications and I was approached to be her replacement. Again, not quite what I wanted --- I wanted to talk to people about books rather than coffee --- but it meant that I was a MANAGER!! And the pay wasn't too bad either.
And so it has been for the last few months. Again, I've had the days where I've gone home and cried and wailed about how much I hated my job and how deamining it was for someone like me, with a double-degree from a well-respected house of education to be yelled at beacuse I couldn't mop a floor right. Truth be told, I was just happy to have a job. And while I did take a peek here and there at other places of employment, I was content to stay there until I could figure out what direction I wanted my life to head in next.
And then it all came crashing down around my head.
The District Manager of my store called me in yesterday, and when he began with the words "This is the type of conversation that is difficult to have" my heart stopped. All I could think was "No, I CAN'T be getting laid off! My husband's hours just got cut at his work. We NEED the money! And besides, I do more work than certain other individuals in this place. Why aren't THEY getting laid off?"
Turns out, I wasn't getting sacked. (Whew!) But the news was almost as bad. Here I will try to quote verbatim what I was told:
"You know that times are tough. It's affecting everyone. We thought we were immune because we've been doing so well. Turns out we're not. And due to that we are having to cut the position of Cafe Manager in all low-volume stores. You will now become a Cafe Specialist instead, have your hours cut and your pay cut by .70, plus lose your five hours of overtime a week."
He went on to say that he wished it hadn't come to this, that the company had spent two weeks negototing this and that he wished he hadn't hired a new store Co-Manager so that I could have it. Also, there was a possiability of a manager position open at a nearby store if I were interested.
Of course, I didn't pay much attention to that. All I could think was, now what?
So here I sit in this nearly abandoned laundry mat, listen to the new garble in the background (we had some horriable tornados today. No damage in Columbia, thank God. Although we did have some rotation in Spring Hill today, which was kinda cool!) while I scroll through pages and pages of Tennessee schools, praying that one of them while hire me, even after I went back to my own home town, that needs teachers like the desert needs rain, and was basically shoved out the door.
Sorry about this long rant. The idea that I am about to turn 24 with absolutely nothing to show for it has kinda been weighing heavily on me this last few days. So I decided to rant. Hopefully, this will get it out of my system and I can get ready to boogie down on my b-day!

It's Hip to be Square!

So I decided to try out a pair of Kollage's square knitting needles. After all, I do love funky things, and what could be more funky than square knitting needles? And, to be honest, they do look like an Art Deco piece. But I LOVE them! As a tight knitter, these are like a dream come true. I don't have to fight with the yarn to get my needles through the stiches after I first cast on. And, just like they advertise, my hands don't cramp at all when I use them. In fact, when I had to switch from my square size 8s to my round, bamboo size 7s, I noticed the difference almost immeaditly. My only gripe is how limp the wire is. If you're knitting a smaller piece, then you're going to have to push the stiches along the wire, cause they won't slide. I mean, I'm very happy that it's not all kninky and makes loop-de-loops when you put the needles together. But still. A happy medium would be nice here. And my BIGGEST gripe? Now I'm going to have to go out and change all of my needles! But it's totally worth it.