Happy Birthday, Mr. Poe!!!

Let us raise our glasses today to Edgar Allan Poe, who is 202 years old today!!! I lurves me some Poe, who today remains the master of gothic poetry and prose, and is considered the father of the detective story and the grandfather of Science Fiction.  Cheers, Mr. Poe!!!!

Some Poe Trivia....

The Baltimore Ravens are named after Poe's famous poem, The Raven.  (I had to memorize The Raven in the 8th Grade, and I still remember the first two stanzas-even when drunk.  Mr. Poe would be proud.)

While attending West Point, Poe told his classmates that he was the grandson of Benedict Arnold.  Not even close to the truth.

For 60 years, from 1949 thru 2009, on the eve of Poe' birthday, the infamous Poe Toaster has a bottle of cognac and three roses at Poe's grave.

Just Finished: Hawaii by James Michener

Hawaii... For as long as I can remember, my best dreams are the ones that had me landing on one of the islands, and heading straight for the sandy beaches, the beautiful water and the warmth of the sun.  When we were deciding our honeymoon location, there was no doubt where I wanted to go, and was thrilled when Jason booked a condo at Ka'anapali Beach on Maui.   When our plane touched down at Kahului Airport, it was like we were landing on another planet.  I know I'm doing nothing but holding you hostage and giving you a verbal slide show, so I'll spare you the rest.  But we loved our little bit of paradise, and even though we are glad to be back at home with friends and family, it's hard not to daydream and wish for every day to feel like Hawaii.

Lahaina Harbor at Sunset

Four months later, on the cold and miserable weekend leading up to Thanksgiving, I was feeling those winter blues coming on full force. I was wandering through Borders with a steamy latte, trying to warm up, when a single word, bold and white, jumped out from the shelves: HAWAII.   

The novel itself is sizable, and is divided into five books, but it's the second book, "From the Sun Swept Lagoon", where the action truly begins. A power struggle between the King and the High Priest divides the people of ancient Bora Bora, and the King and his brother lead a group of people by boat  to the fabled islands beneath the Seven Little Eyes to begin anew. They bring with them only the Gods who don't require a blood sacrifice, and you guessed it, these people became the first inhabitants of  Hawaii.

The next book, "From the Farm of Bitterness", flashes forward to the early 1800's, when a group of missionaries from Yale Divinity School journey to Hawaii to civilize the "heathens".  Aboard their ship, the Thetis, the missionaries and their wives find an eager leader in Abner Hale, a pious, self righteous man that you'd love to smack across the chops, a total Dwight Schrute. Abner's beautiful wife, Jerusha, comes from a more secular family, and while Abner is busy trying to protect and guide her gentle soul, Jerusha tries to soften the brimstone and fire of his message, to redeem him with his fellow men.  Ultimately, the Hales, along with the Hoxworth, Whipple, and Janders families that begin a dynasty in Hawaii that lasts several generations.

The fourth and fifth books chronicle not only the leading families descended from the missionaries, but the Kee family, from China, and the Sakagawa family, from Japan.  Michener's guide to Hawaiian history through the eyes of his characters is stunning, and his attention to detail and phenomenal storytelling make this a must read. This book was published in the obviously pre-internet 1959, so Michener must have spent years researching Hawaii, poring over books and articles, in museums, libraries and archives.

This wasn't my first rodeo with James Michener.  In high school, I picked up Alaska at the used book store near my house (my hometown is in the sticks, I have no idea how this place is still in business!), but Hawaii is a much grander epic.  I can't wait to get back to Maui- hmmm.... I think a trip to Hawaii may be in my future... paying bills with the tax return is no fun!!!

LOVE IT: Bookshelf Porn!!!!

OK kids, I know not everyone likes to live their life in the shelves like I do (hahaha, funny, I know) but for those of you who get a thrill from books and books and books, check out Bookshelf Porn.   Pics of the coolest libraries, bookshops, shelves and stacks, this is definitely for those who can't get enough!!!  Don't hate, just click.

Mea culpa...

MI have been a horrible blogger, but I have been reading! And since I have been stuck on the couch thanks to a nasty Boxing Day ankle sprain, it's about time I wrote about it!  Here's a list of the books I read in the last three months of 2010:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. This book is my Number One, Super-rific, Hallelujah Book of 2010. Set in England just after WWII, it's the story of eleven year old Flavia deLuce, aspiring chemist, detective and foil to her older sisters. Flavia has quickly become one of my favorite characters, and I even named my new Schwinn after her trusty bike, Gladys. If you only read one book in 2011, read this one.


Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon. This is a fantastic travelogue. I started reading it on the flight to Maui, and finished it on one of our post-honeymoon fishing trips.  Got me itching for a good road trip... maybe next weekend when we have our mini trip with the Bakers, Mr.Smith and Ang,   I'll document it, Least Heat Moon style, since we'll be taking one of those Blue Highways up the Peninsula.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.  Oooooohhh, who knew that the Scots could be so sexy?  A little bit of time travel, a smattering of romance, and a whole lot of Scottish history makes for one heck of a novel.  One of the best books I read in 2010,  the story of Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser is really enchanting.  Oh, and did I mention the sex?

Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins.  Just after coming home from Maui, I was missing Ka'anapali and Lahaina so much, I googled books set in Maui.  I was excited to discover that Tom Robbins had a book set in both Seattle and Lahaina; it was like coming full circle.  You can always count on Robbins to write wonderful characters (I can never look at a Can of Beans the same way again), and Woodpecker is no exception.


A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg.  A mishmash of meals and memories, it's an ultimate read for the Seattle Foodie Crowd. The recipes are amazing!!! I made Bouchons au Thon  for Jason, and it has quickly become a family favorite, served with linguine and asparagus.  Check out Molly Wizenberg's blog, if you get a chance.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.  I wasn't really hip to the whole True Blood craze, but this first book in the Sookie Sackhouse mysteries was so highly recommended by several friends, I had to give it a try.  It is the ultimate in Guilty Pleasure Summer Reading, and I can't wait to start reading the next book in the series.  I'm just waiting for a warm sunny day.  May have to wait awhile.

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry.  So intriguing!!! I don't even know where to begin, and I hate to give too much away.  The story of Towner Whitney and her eccentric family, set in Salem, Massachusetts, is sometimes magical, and sometimes terrifying.  A true mind bender, I couldn't put it down!

Squirrel Meets Chipmunk by David Sedaris.  A modern take on Aesop's Fables, these animal stories are not for the morally superior!  I absolutely ADORE David Sedaris, and this is one of the few books that made it into the Doty Family Book Club.  Although I was far more impressed than Jason by Sedaris' subversive wit, we both chuckled out loud more than once. And the illustrations are delightful. 

Bite Me by Christopher Moore. The third installment of the Bloodsucking Fiends books brings back my favorite vampires, Jody and C. Thomas Flood, but the real reason I heart this series are the pot smoking Safeway night crew nicknamed The Animals.  I worked on a night crew at Safeway in college, and no one believed me about turkey bowling, naps in the cages, and ice skating behind the floor waxer until Christopher Moore introduced us to The Animals.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger.  This book, for me anyways, was like seeing a horrible accident unfold before your eyes, and you are unable to do anything about it.  Elspeth, the main character, passes away after a bout with cancer, and finds herself haunting her London flat.  When her twin nieces move into the flat per Elspeth's will, she finds herself doing everything she can to get their attention.  The book, which is already very dark, has some horrifying twists and turns, and it felt very awkward in some places.  It made me wonder if the author had to edit quite a bit out of the story for publishing, because the end left me quite cold.  But maybe it was supposed to?

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote.  Ashamed to say, I hadn't read Breakfast at Tiffany's before last fall.  I had heard that the book was a bit different than the movie, and I was afraid I would be disappointed by the discrepancies, and would wind up hating either the book or the movie.  I am glad to report that I still love the movie; but the book is so beautifully written, it reads exactly as it should, a love letter to the enigmatic Holly Golightly.  I had always thought, growing up, that if I could have the traits of any fictional character, it would be Scarlett O'Hara, and her fiery will to survive.  But Holly Golightly's survival instincts are much more subtle, and so much more innocent and kind, I think I'd rather be a Holly than a Scarlett.

Just Finished: The Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris

I actually finished this post several months ago, but forgot to publish it!!! This much awaited sequel to Joanne Harris' breakout Chocolat, finds Vianne and Anouk in the neighborhood of Montmartre in Paris.  If you haven't read Chocolat,  go and buy a copy.  Although the movie adaptation is great, please don't think you can skip reading the novel and jump right into the sequel.   Even though The Girl With No Shadow can be enjoyed as a stand alone book, you really need to see where Vianne has been, to appreciate how the story unfolds.

Joanne Harris, as usual, delivers a novel that delights the senses, full of magic and subtle playfulness, and of course, chocolate.  If you haven't read Chocolat, don't read further, because the end of Chocolat truly influences the tone and direction of Girl.  

At the beginning of Girl, Vianne has reinvented herself as the widow Yanne Charbonnau, and runs a small chocolate shop in Paris.  It seems that Vianne has truly given up her old life, giving up her old identity and practices to ensure the safety of her children, Anouk and Rosette.  Vianne truly believes her life is on the right track, but the deliciously bohemian Zozie D'Alba pushes into their life like a force of nature, and Vianne is drawn slowly back to the old ways.

The Girl with No Shadow is an interesting continuation of Chocolat, but I'm still not sure how I feel about it.   It lacks some of the obvious sparkle and fun of Chocolat, but it has a dark, almost sinister charm to it.   The tone of the book seems to directly reflect not just the inward changes in Vianne, but also the change of setting, from a small village to a bustling neighborhood in Paris. Not my favorite of Joanne Harris' books, (that goes, hands down, to Coastliners) but a good read, overall. 

 

Summer Reading List!!!

I have been super busy the past few months, and will be until the wedding in July, but that hasn't stopped me from buying books.   I have nearly a WHOLE shelf of books to catch up!  No worries, though... after the honeymoon, I will have the entire month of August with nothing to do but read!
In no particular order, my summer reading list is as follows:

1. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith (I've actually read the first third of this one, but haven't had time to finish it!)

2. House Rules by Jodi Picoult (Love Jodi Picoult!!!)

3. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (Looks sooo creepy!)

4. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris  (mmmm, Vampire soft-core porn!)
5. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (Steampunk, post-Civil War Seattle? With Zombies? AWESOME!!!)
6. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (I know, I know, it's been out FOREVER!!!)
7. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver ($5 at Costco... we'll see how it goes...)
8. Passing by Nella Larsen (Recommended on the NPR Books podcast, sounds like an oldie but goodie)
9. Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee ($3.99 on clearance at Borders...)
10. The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman (I love Alice Hoffman, but I am skeptical about this one)
11. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (looks intriguing...)
12. Beloved by Toni Morrison (Have never read anything by Toni Morrison before, looking forward to it)
13. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (recommended by several friends)
14. The Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton (If David Sedaris says to read a book, I read it.)
15. Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier (mmmm, gothic gloom and doom)
16. Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin (Jason bought it, and I've been meaning to read it for over a year, but it keeps getting pushed further and further down the list...)

I'll try keeping up with the postings.  Hopefully I will find some time to finish the Lincoln book, I'll keep ya posted!

Hiatus from the blog...

Been UBER busy with wedding planning, I haven't had much time to read or post, but I have a huge pile of books at home waiting to be read.  Hopefully I can post more soon!

Recently Revisited: "Rat City" by Curt Colbert

Short post today:  If you are from the Seattle area, put Rat City at the top of your required reading list.  This gritty crime noir from Curt Colbert is a favorite, and it's the first of the Jake Rossiter mysteries. The series isn't just engrossing, it's smart, funny, and rich in the history of Seattle.  It may be a tough book to find (I found a copy on Amazon) but it is well worth it.  

All I have to say: Curt Colbert, if you are listening... I have been waiting for book four in the series for a loooong time... when will it be published?

Also in the series:

JUST FINISHED: "Under the Dome" by Stephen King

For starters, I am not a Stephen King mega-fan.  I enjoy reading his books, but I don't regularly search them out.  That being said:
Holy cow!  What an awesome book!

The people of Chester's Mill, Maine, are going about their business on a run of the mill Saturday, running errands, working, playing, commiting felonies.  But suddenly, without rhyme or reason, an invisible dome appears (think like The Simpsons Movie) that isolates the town from the rest of the world. 

King does a fantastic job of introducing the townspeople on Dome Day, layering their points of view with style and twisted humor.  At first, the cast of characters seems overwhelming by sheer number alone, but every character has a purpose in the story, and more importantly, they all have a voice.  Each character introduced is integral to moving the story forward, which is really important because there are 1074 freaking pages. 

As the story unfolds, there is not a soul, whether from military intelligence or leading scientists, that seems to know why the dome has dropped, but the people of Chester's Mill quickly realize that no one and nothing can cross the invisible barrier.  Big Jim Rennie, the town's Second Selectman, imposes makeshift Martial Law to keep the town under his thumb, but all hell breaks loose.

Characters to keep your eyes on (besides Big Jim):
Dale "Barbie" Barbara- a former Army Captain on his way out of town just before the town was isolated.
Junior Rennie- Big Jim's son, nasty in so many ways...
Joe McClatchy- 13 year old genius, an absolute kick in the pants.  "Scarecrow Joe" has made it into my top 5 fictional characters of all time.
Julia Shumway- editor of the local paper.
Eric "Rusty" Everett- Physician's Assistant and the token level head.

Stephen King is masterful in creating the town of Chester's Mill, which is like Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon crossed with Alfred Hitchcock's Bodega Bay, with hints of George Orwell, Shirley Jackson and Ray Bradbury.  I was so wrapped up with this book,  I spent over 5 consecutive hours reading the last 400 pages or so, an honor previously bestowed only upon the final two Harry Potter books. 

This book isn't just a snack, it's a seven course meal; every course tastes so good, but you can't wait to try the next one.

TITLE: Under the Dome

AUTHOR: Stephen King
Copyright: 2009
For more info on the world of Stephen King, visit http://www.stephenking.com/

Just Finished: Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl

As a foodie, it was only a matter of time that I discovered this book. While shopping this last December, I found it at a local bookstore, and feeling so full of masochistic holiday spirit, halfheartedly added it to my Christmas list the minute I arrived home that evening.  Of course, I knew Ruth Reichl by reputation from Gourmet magazine and from a few TV specials, but hadn't realized she had written a memoir of her early years. 


Tender at the Bone is an engaging read, overflowing with love of life and food, and a hint of humor.  From discussing her unconventional family to boarding school in Montreal on thru her college years, the chapters read more like stand alone short stories, but the "moral" of each is a recipe or a special meal that is linked to a turning point in Reichl's life. 

This is the book I wish I could have written.  I don't want to be Ruth Reichl, (although I do envy her career like nobody's business)  but I envy the way that she managed to write such an amazing culinary love letter. 

Tender at the Bone is a literary Moussaka; it could be a disaster in a lesser cook's kitchen, but made with a master's hand it's rich, velvety layers are something to be savored.  And this book should definitely be savored!

What a Crazy Time!!!

Moving and settling in to our new house has taken more time than I anticipated, especially since we moved in the middle of the holiday season.  I have read some great books, but haven't had time to update my blog, so here's a quick list of the books I have managed to read since my last post:

Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde (Awesome!)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Gripping!)
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (Intriguing, ready to read the sequel)
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (Whoo!  Go get yourself a copy today!)
My Life in France by Julia Child (A re-read, but I lurves me my Julia!)
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Last read it in high school, re-reading as an adult, I realize it's not so much a romance, more a horror novel.  Yeesh!  Oh yeah, and Cathy is a BIG Bitch.)

I received about 15 books for Christmas, and also have a few Borders Gift Cards, so there will be a ton of reading, and hopefully, more posts!

Be Back Soon!

Sorry for the hiatus! We just moved, and I have had enough time to read, but not enough time to write about it!  I have several posts I need to make... stay tuned...

Just Finished: Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

This is the sexiest book ever written.  Ever.

I can't even think of where to begin. Glamour simply oozes from every page. 

I was given a copy of this book in a Birthday Basket by one of my closest friends; she hadn't read it, but the basket had a pink theme, so she added it last minute when she saw it matched the soap and bunny slippers.  The book has been sitting on my bookshelf for about a year, and I finally cracked it open a few weeks ago.

I am not one to go GAGA over Chick Lit (in fact, I try to make a point NOT to read it), but Valley of the Dolls is to the 60's what Sex and the City is to my generation.

The story chronicles three young women, making their start in New York City just after World War II: Anne, a native New Englander breaking out on her own; Neely, a vaudeville actress trying to make it on Broadway; and Jennifer, a model turned actress.  These women become fast friends, and the book follows their own separate ascents to stardom. 

As usual, I don't want to give too much away.  But this book is easily one of the best I have read all year.  Go out and get yourself a copy.

This book is a literary Chocolate Truffle. So decadent, a totally calorie-ridden guilty pleasure.

TITLE: Valley of the Dolls
AUTHOR: Jacqueline Susann
Copyright: 1966

Just Finished: The Life You Longed For by Maribeth Fischer

TITLE: The Life You Longed For
AUTHOR: Maribeth Fischer
COPYRIGHT: 2007

I found a copy of this book in the markdown rack at Borders for $2.99, so I thought, why not?  I began reading it about four days ago, and I gotta tell ya, I still don't know what to make of this book, even though I'm finished. Maybe writing about it will help me process it!

The Life You Longed For is the story of Grace Connelly, a mother of three who finds herself being investigated by Child Protective Services for abuse of her youngest son, three year old Jack.  Jack has a rare mitochondrial disease that affects the way his organs function, and Grace had been by his side from the beginning, bringing him from specialist to specialist hoping for a definitive diagnosis, trying her best to be the best mom she can be, given the circumstances.  So, when Grace finds out she is being investigated by CPS for Munchausen Syndrome by proxy, she finds her life spiralling out of control. 

My knowledge base of Munchausen syndrome by proxy before reading this book was limited to an episode of ER where a mother kept bringing her son into different hospitals. If memory serves me, she was injecting him with something to keep him sick.  The ultimate gist of the episode was the mom was psychotic and making her son ill to gain attention from the hospital staff.  The main character of the book, Grace, didn't seem to fit into the psycho mom profile, but slowly, you start to think, what if she is that crazy?  A stressed out mom with a medical background, an "inappropriate sense of humor", and an affair with an old boyfriend?  Doesn't seem so far fetched, but the author keeps drawing not so subtle parallels with the Salem Witch Trials, and the story started to fall apart for me. I started to get pretty sick of Grace and the whole situation long before the last page of the book.

Ultimately, the only thing that kept me going, kept me reading the book was wondering if the author was gonna pull something over on me, if there was going to be a twist.  But there really wasn't.  I think there was too much going on with the book.  There were so many directions the plot could have gone, the author's real message got kind of lost. Life is complicated, and my feeling, walking away from the book, is that was what the author was trying to portray. 

I don't have children.  Maybe I should revisit this book later, after I have a few of 'em, to see how I connect with the story at that time.  I honestly think that would help me appreciate the book, to view it in a different light. But there are other books out there that deal with mothers losing their children that have made me cry like a baby (think Handle with Care or Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult). 

The Life You Longed For is literary Salt and Vinegar potato chips.  You think it's a good idea at first, but after a few chips, you wish for Sour Cream and Onion.

Recently Revisited: Persuasion by Jane Austen

After watching Becoming Jane for the first time a few weeks ago, I decided to revisit my second favorite Jane Austen novel, Persuasion, which is a strong contrast from Pride and Prejudice, her most beloved (and my all-time favorite) novel.  Although both books deal with the everyday lives of genteel society in early 1800's England, there is a light-hearted tone throughout Pride and Prejudice,  that is lacking in the more serious Persuasion. 

Let's think for a moment, on Jane Austen's life, and when she wrote the two novels.  Although Pride and Prejudice wasn't the first manuscript that Austen wrote, she began writing the drafts for it in 1796, when she was just 20 years old. Austen was still relatively young and optimistic, and it is evident that some of this worked it's way into the feisty and playful heroine, Elizabeth Bennett.  Elizabeth flies in the face of convention, and still manages to catch the man of her dreams.

Austen too, had flown in the face of convention, but instead remained unmarried, and living with her mother and sister Cassandra, fell ill in 1816 while completing Persuasion.  The story, although fantastic, just doesn't sparkle the way that Pride and Prejudice, or her other earlier works seem to do.  The last two chapters had been re-written by Austen, perhaps hastily, just eight months before her death when she was noticibly ill. You can almost feel the urgency of the final two chapters, and ultimately, the last minute redemption.  It is the only time, in any of Austen's books, that I have noticed a disjointedness.  Maybe, Austen was looking out for Anne Elliot, the heroine of Persuasion, and just wanted to hurry up and give her the happy ending that Anne deserves, or perhaps, the happy ending Jane Austen longed for in her own life.

I believe that the love story of Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth is fantastic in its own right, standing alone from Austen's other works.  It's the kind of story I love to read as Fall approaches, bittersweet and reflective, full of insight, and if you look closely enough, a mirror into the author's own heart.

Persuasion is like literary Hot Chocolate, the kind made from melted chocolate bars and milk, not that powdery stuff.

                   

  

For more information on the life and times of Jane Austen, please visit: http://www.janeausten.org/

JUST FINISHED: Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke

Being the foodie that I am, I was instantly drawn to Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen Mysteries.  Her first book, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder was a kick in the pants. Hannah Swensen, the feisty red haired heroine, is the owner of The Cookie Jar, a bakery in her hometown of Lake Eden, Minnesota.  Hannah instantly winds up in the middle of a murder investigation, and with some twists and turns, solves the who-dun-it. Fast paced, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder was fun, and included some great recipes, so I ordered the next book in the Hannah Swensen series, Strawberry Shortcake Murder, for a little light Summer reading.

Strawberry Shortcake Murder brings us back to Lake Eden, and this time, Hannah finds herself at the grisly murder scene of Lake Eden Basketball coach, Boyd Watson.  Determined to clear his widow's name, Hannah juggles baking and investigating, and always manages to stay one step ahead of the police.

All in all, I like the Hannah Swensen mysteries, but Strawberry Shortcake Murder falls a little flat.  Not enough action, too much character development. The story felt like it was missing something, as if it was attacked by a sloppy, slash happy editor.  (I like Joanne Fluke too much to discredit her- besides, the recipes she wedges in between the chapters are phenomenal!).

I would have to rate Strawberry Shortcake Murder as Literary Tuna Casserole: a little predictable, but will still make you feel warm and cozy inside.

TITLE: Strawberry Shortcake Murder

AUTHOR: Joanne Fluke

Copyright: 2001

For more info on Joanne Fluke and the Hannah Swensen series, visit http://www.murdershebaked.com/

  

JUST FINISHED: Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz

Confederates in the Attic is one of those books that played a cat and mouse, Enemy at the Gates-type game with me.  I first noticed it when I was wandering through the US History section at the local Borders.  I'd just laid down the last of my monthly book budget at the checkout, and was looking for my fiance when it caught my eye.  After flipping through a few pages, it looked good and entertaining, but was it purchase worthy, or should I pick it up from the library? The internal debate waged, and I waffled back and forth every time I hit up the bookstore.  It wasn't until a few months and one B&N gift card later that I finally bought it. 

Confederates is a look at the Civil War and its aftermath through the people of the Modern South.  Horwitz begins the book by introducing us to a rag tag group of Civil War Reenactors that are so hardcore they starve themselves before a reenactment to look more like POW's.  Horwitz seamlessly intertwines the hilarious with more serious issues that still plague the Southern States, like race relations, the rebel flag and even more scary, curriculum taught at the schools. 

The greatest thing about the book was that Horwitz, a Yankee transplant living in Virginia, enthusiastically throws himself in the deep end, so to speak, and opens a window to a world that outsiders often don't get to see.  Some of the people he comes in contact with would make me run straight for the hills in real life, but he digs deep and shows the humanity in even the craziest crackpot, in the "Oh, don't mind him, that's just crazy Uncle Joe" kind of way. (C'mon, everyone has a crazy Uncle Joe, right?)

History is always written by the victors, but sometimes you need to look at it from another (and this time, more amusing) angle.  I give it two thumbs up.  OK, forget that, I'm not Siskel and Ebert.  I am a foodie, though.  I would equate it to Literary Banana Nut Muffins. Yummy and distinct, with some unexpected crunch.

Title: Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War

Author: Tony Horwitz

Copyright: 1998

For more on Tony Horwitz's adventures with the CSA Reenactors, visit the Random House website.

Books, books, and more books!

Welcome to my new blog, "My Life in the Shelves".  I love a good book, and also love to share them, but don't like the hassle of a monthly book club meeting.  So, this is my new outlet!  As I finish a book, I will post a little something about it, and also try to revisit some old favorites.

Happy Reading!