My girls
circa 1995
circa 2009
I know, horrible picture… better ones will come throughout the weekend.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
I had planned to read Edgar Sawtelle ages ago but then Oprah selected it for her book club and I am so anti-Oprah, I put off reserving the book. Then we moved and I just kept putting it off.
I saw it on the just returned shelf at the library and picked it up only to have TW take it away from me because it was a rental. She put it back and ran to the large print area and pulled the LP copy for me instead. She’s a good woman. Why pay for a book when you can read it for free?
I put it off again once it was in the house. And then when I picked it up, I found it incredibly slow and almost put it down again. But I didn’t. I stuck with it and found myself enjoying it. Until the end. I hated the end. Hated it, hated it, hated it. I saw a review on Amazon that says the author just “burned it all down” rather than tie up the loose strings and the story lines. And yea, that’s pretty much how I felt about it.
I don’t need a happy ending. I like a good tragedy. But that ending must go. When someone makes this into a movie, and they will – they must improve the ending.
**side note, for book tracking purposes at the end of the year** finished The Red Tent on the Kindle for iPhone. Next up, The Woman in White. Heh.
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Some more Cybils
First, graphic novel Emiko Superstar, by the author of Skim. Loved Emiko, more than I loved Skim. I’m looking forward to Liz reading it. I think she’ll like it. Also hoping there’s an Emiko sequel.
Next, On the Farm, listed in the Cybils under poetry. Errr, well yea it is, I guess. Mostly I really liked the woodcuts and ink (TW did not like them at ALL – she said the animals were creepy.)
After that, How to Heal a Broken Wing – didn’t expect to love it. Loved it. Great story. Great drawings. But, if I had a small child I would be worried that my small child would find it perfectly acceptable to pick up a dead (or injured) pigeon and eww. no. those things are dirty!
Last, but not least, a book I loved and hated. More than Friends, a YA poetry anthology written by a man and a woman, from his perspective and hers. Really interesting and pretty stereotypical – which was what I both loved and hated about it. I can’t decide if my teen girls (or young adult girls) should read it or if I should hope they never see it.
Some books that aren’t Cybils
Let’s see… I read Yellow Elephant because the Cybil Imaginary Menagerie was so interesting. Yellow Elephant was wonderful. If my daughter ever has a child, she will have to own it. She may need to own it even if she does not have a child.
Then, RJ showed up with a book that she was SURE I would love. And I did, sort of. But not for reasons she thought I would love it. is a sarcastic or maybe humorous take on the puppies and dogs in pop art, from what just happens to be my childhood. I loved flipping through the pages of those dogs that I have known and loved but I did not love the “humor” attached, in most places.
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Savvy
I think Savvy was maybe mis-categorized in The Cybils. I think it should have simply been a middle grade fiction book because then it might have had a chance to win. Or, probably not but I’d like to think it would.
The writing isn’t exceptional. A good bit of gratuitous use of silly words and descriptors but I get why it’s written that way. It’s a fantastic story. Really excellent. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we all got our “savvy” at 13?
I love, love, love Mibs’ “savvy” (but I do NOT want to have that “savvy” for myself. I’d never be able to spend time with my big kids!) Brilliant. I don’t think there are many children’s authors who’d have taken that direction.
I think Liz will love this one, if I can convince her to read it.
Jellicoe Road
Another good Cybil YA book, Jellicoe Road but there are a couple of problems with it.
First, it’s Australian. And while I like Australian books, the more modern of them can be difficult to wrap my head around. The characters confuse me – they some times seem American and other times seem European and I need them to seem Australian, whatever that means.
Second, it’s a YA problem book, which is enough to make you crazy. And the damn problems are all related to just how stupid adults can be when it comes to raising children.
OK another problem, the confusion of the characters makes for confusion in the book which causes confusion for the reader.
Once I settled into the confusion, got my bearings a little bit – I liked the story, though it was a wee bit predictable. I liked all of the characters from the beginning – except maybe the original five (which makes sense because they are the adults who screwed up the main characters in the story…)
The Acme Flea Circus
I know, I know, it’s been a whole week since we went to the flea circus and y’all have been dying to hear about it. I’m sorry. I’m a busy woman. And, I felt a little uncomfortable about blogging something like the Acme Flea Circus after hearing about Chuck’s family. So, it’s been a week and I’m still too darn busy but I have had a bit of blogging fever so… yea, the Acme Flea Circus…. omg… awesomeness.
Consider this a public service announcement. The following post contains use of the word freak in a way that might make some people uncomfortable. Your uncomfortableness is not my goal. In my household, the use of the word freak is not a negative or derogatory thing. We, the Flamingo House inhabitants, have embraced all things freaky and all people who society currently or has been known to label as freaks. We like the freak. More freaks should exist. Everyone should embrace their inner and outer freak and strive to become more freak-like. If this makes you uncomfortable, you might simply choose to stop reading. Or you may continue reading at your own risk.
Before I tell you why the Acme Flea circus gets an “omg…awesome!” from me, I have to tell you a couple of little stories. First, the story of TW and the fleas.
Several years ago (we’ve been together eight years, for goodness sakes!) we were laying in bed talking about who knows what when TW informed me that SHE invented fleas.
She was eight or 10 or some such age (she swears she was not a teenager.) She was in her room, reading after dark with a flashlight or a small reading light when suddenly – little black things started hopping across the page of her book. What were these things?! She investigated in some scientific manner that makes sense only to TW or to scientists or both – some manner that makes absolutely no sense to me since I am neither TW or a scientist. Some unknown never before discovered insects! She would be famous! And also probably rich! And these new fascinating creatures would be named after her!
I know, right? TW was a nutty kid. We in the Flamingo House tease her quite about about this invention of fleas. We also have been known to curse her when Florida flea invasions were at their worse.
Now if that wasn’t enough of a story for you to understand why we would be drawn to the Acme Flea Circus show… there’s also Liz.
When we moved to Chicagoland, her father signed her up for a “Circus Arts” program. Weird right? Interesting, too. But, the Figlio children being who they are, the “Circus Arts” program quickly became referred to as the “Circus Freaks” program. And Liz is often referred to as the family circus freak. (see above public service message)
So yea. We have the woman who invented fleas and her daughter the circus freak. God or some higher power was paying attention when he influenced me to open a Daily Candy newsletter (something I never ever do) to discover the Acme Flea Circus would be performing in the Intuit, just a few short miles from our home. Fate! Cosmic something or other. I purchased six tickets.
At this point, I have to say that not all Flamingo House inhabitants were thrilled with the idea of the Flea Circus. RJ was not unhappy about the idea, she just wasn’t enthusiastic. Prince J, however, was downright bitchy about the idea and there was much “it’s not fair! why do I have to go!” all of which lasted right up until the moment we took our seats at the Flea Circus.
Prince J and RJ sat in the second row with me. TW, Liz and TW’s mother sat in the front row in front of us. As people came in and found their seats (sold out show with people turned away who thought they could buy their tickets at the door!) the ringmaster wandered around with a little tray selling the tiniest programs for a dime a piece. TW bought six and we all sat down to read them. But the print was incredibly small and it was a little dark. Luckily, the ringmaster had thought of that and he had tiny little magnifying glasses for sale, and he walked around selling those too.
Which of course led him to sell flea tattoos, postcards, photographs and the much coveted bumper sticker. The “flea market” before the “flea circus”. It was incredibly amusing and both of the previously disgruntled teens were fascinated by the showmanship of the ringmaster.
And then the show began – with Midge and Madge, the most brilliant and talented fleas ever. They even have their own Airstream! (sweet!) Midge and Madge had a race – our side of the room rooted for Midge, the other side for Madge. There was much cheering and jeering and in the end…Midge! The winner!
There was a brief stop in the flea action for the ringmaster to read us a very informative book about the history of fleas.
And then Midge walked the tightwire, something our little circus freak enjoys (though not as much as she enjoys the Spanish Web.)
Another brief stop for some “Flea Verse” and uh oh… Madge escaped from the Airstream or was flea-napped! Thankfully, the ringmaster found poor Madge hiding in a woman’s hair.
Did I mention both teens were amused by this performance and could not keep from smiling, even though they tried – when they realized both their mother and I had noticed them actually enjoying themselves.
Then, the finale – Midge and Madge would be shot from a cannon, through a ring of fire, into their Airstream!
Ohhhh scaryyyyyy! Very tense moment…. they made it! Much cheering ensued.
We all, and I do mean all, had a fabulous time.
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links for 2009-03-05
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Those who are interested in following the progress of Tiffany and Hunter Davis can find updates here. Donation information for the family is also available here.
links for 2009-03-05 Read More »
2 more Cybils
I finished Duel! a few days ago but didn’t feel like blogging it by itself. It’s ok but boring. In fact, I cannot figure out how you can make a duel between Burr and Hamilton boring – but after reading this… well it’s possible. Yes indeedy.
And then there was graphic novel Three Shadows. Oy. Liz read this and she really liked it. I had high hopes. And then I read it and OY! She liked this? I mean I get why a 10 year old would like a story about a father who turns into a Golem but… man… this thing was deep. And depressing. And drawn in dark dark colors, not pretty at all. And not really a happy ending, in the sense that 10 year olds generally understand happy endings.