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<![CDATA[Dree added 'The Wild Wild West']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81203858
to: The Wild Wild West (Geronimo Stilton 21)byGeronimo Stilton bookshelves: 2009-reads-childrens,
children-s,
library-books-2009
One of the better Geronimo Stilton books.
This one takes place in Cactus City, a wild west town complete with bad guys and a waterway that's been dammed.
The background info--wild west vocabulary, information on horseshoes, western Indian groups, a basic intro into the Homestead Act--all very good.A recipe for black bean soup that we plan to try. The fact that water issues were huge in old west towns is not brought up, though it is big in the story, was disappointing.
Most disappointing parts:
p.5: "The tern Wild West began to be used in the 1800s to describe the regions of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, which extend west of the Missisippi River to the coast of the Pacific Ocean." UMMMMM....noooooo. Neither the great plains or the Rocky Mountains extend to the Pacific. The coast ranges are up against the Pacific, and the are NOT part of the Rockies. The great plains don't extend that far at all.
p. 104: "I woke up startled." Yup, it was all a dream. Lame in any book, but in Geronimo Stilton, who can and does do everything? Just stupid. My 7yo was disappointed.
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<![CDATA[Dree
is on page 88 of The Elegance of the...
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http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65059895
Dree
is on page 88 of 325 of
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
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<![CDATA[new comment from Dree]]>
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/239684-schedule-for-january-june-2010
Dree made a comment in the Constant Reader group:
My B&N doesn't have a cafe or music (maybe a small section of music? I don't think so). It doesn't even have a bathroom! And it isn't in a mall. But it is in a shopping center with a crazy parking lot.
I wish there was a good independent nearby--they tend to be very focused on stuff I don't like. There is a military one (got my dad a gift there) and plenty featuring new age-y stuff. There is a great one featuring geography/urban studies type stuff (great if you're my husband ;) ); and 4+ college bookstores within 10 miles. But no place loaded with fiction and great for browsing. Not that I really have the time to browse any more. And I won't drive more than 10 miles (note: 10 miles during business hours is 30 minutes at least, an hour + during rush hours, so I don't feel unreasonable on this).
This novel was a pleasant surprise. I had never heard of it or Machado de Assis--in spite of the fact that in college I took a Latin American History survey class from one of the Library of Latin America editorial board members. Though it wasn't a good class for many reasons--including the reason that no literature was introduced.
I plodded through the very dry introduction--and it was worth it, since I have no background with Brazilian lit. It was a good choice to do so.
I especially enjoyed the narrative style used. To have one character/narrator, who discusses writing this story in between chapters of the story--and the loops back and forth, and should I or should I not take this out, and discussing his feelings both then and now--makes you all the more aware, when reading, how manipulated you may be. It also shows his personality--his extreme manipulation of people, his arrogance, his spoiled upbringing--which left me wondering, at the end, "Did she or didn't she?" I don't know.
The characters were interesting--the dependent, Cosme, Padua, Gloria, the aunt, Escobar, Sancha. Even the boy who died of leprosy shows a side of Bento's personality in his reaction.
The afterword, by João Adolfo Hansen--is a good example of why I was a history major instead of an English major. Nowhere does he discuss my favorite theme in the novel--Bento's claiming to be religious, seminary studies (and weaseling out), and constant bargains with God (which he readily admits never fulfilling). I would love to know how this reflects Brazilian society when the book was written--or does it reflect Machado de Assis'religious views? Was it a typical upper class view? Or just a joke? Rather, the afterword is about how the narrative style is a "critique" of typical styles--but does not explain why. We are just supposed to believe the author wasn't experimenting, or reflecting another author, or just trying something new. Whatever.
Better than many of the Magic Treehouse books (especially the more recent ones), this book actually adds some real history, features a real person, and briefly (too briefly for me, but I am reading to a kid who is about to age out of these) addresses the legalized racism of c1920 New Orleans.
There is also a small section my son loved--he hid under the covers, but that was in a good way--featuring a group of ghosts. It might scare younger kids or more sensitive kids.
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<![CDATA[Dree added 'Mortification: Writers' Stories of Their Public Shame']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80449056
Mortification: Writers' Stories of Their Public Shame (Hardcover)
byRobin Robertson bookshelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[Dree added 'Serena: A Novel']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80424558
Serena: A Novel (Hardcover)
byRon Rash bookshelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[new comment from Dree]]>
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/253031-target-50-non-fictions-next-year-any-suggestions
Dree made a comment in the Constant Reader group:
What a great idea! I could never go all year with only nonfiction.
I love history and geography, but not military stuff. I read a fair amount of nonfiction (goodreads showed me just how much), mostly memoirs and food-related.