Checking Out

I'm off on a Peruvian adventure for a few weeks.

Delivering school supplies and exploring.

1% Well-Read Challenge

I came across this challenge the other day, and was so very nerdily excited to join. The challenge is based on the list from 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. All you have to do is challenge yourself to read 1% of the list, which... is 10 books! The challenge runs for 10 months, starting back in May and going through February '09. So very manageable. (1% Well-Read Challenge)

When I came across this challenge I immediately downloaded the list so I could highlight the books I have already read, and mark potential titles. (See what I mean about my nerdy excitement?) Turns out I've already read 5.9% of the list, so 59 books. I was feeling pretty good about that until I noticed how many books other people have already read! Oh well!

Potential Ten Titles:
1. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
2. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
3. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
4. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran
5. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
6. Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey
7. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
8. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
9. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
10. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

I'm almost certain this list will mutate over the next few months.

Six of One

Six of One by Rita Mae Brown was actually the first book I read for the Numbers Challenge... way back in January. I've been putting off reviewing it for months... and months. No real reason. Since the details are no longer fresh in my mind, I'll share the bits I liked the most and therefore remember.

1. The novel includes the stories of several generations of women. It bounces back and forth between 1980 and the memories of Louise and Julia, two women who grew up in the early 1900s.

2. The novels portrays sexuality as fluid and natural during a time when it was not considered so. I like thinking about this little pocket of people in the south who are so caring and accepting of women's sexuality and homosexuality, when the same could not be said of the country at large.

Recommendation: It took a few chapters to draw me in but overall was an enjoyable read.

How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas

As someone who often feels like she's in that quarter-life crisis mode... you know, you graduate college and the world just won't stop handing you swift kicks to the gut? Then there's the bounce between..."I'm only 23 and I'm supposed to decide these things?" and "I'm already 23 and I haven't decided these things!" Needless to say, I've been exploring options.

How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas by Josheph Collins, Stefano DeZerega, and Zahara Heckscher definitely offers food for thought when thinking over the possible adventures to include in life.

Basically, the book is the combined research of 3 well-traveled and experienced international volunteers. It provides numerous thought provoking questions for the potential volunteer. For example, it suggests thinking about your views on development and making sure they are compatible with your volunteer organization and their projects. Seems simple, but that honestly had not crossed my mind.

The book also includes an extensive overview of the Peace Corps (confirmed my suspicions, more bad than good), as well as profiles over 100 volunteer organizations.

The best tip I gleaned from the book to aid in my upcoming trip to Peru: If traveling with a partner, pack half of your clothing in your partner's pack. If the airlines lose your luggage, you won't be left with nothing. Smart.

I decided to substitute this book into my selections for the Non-Fiction Five Challenge.

Recommendation: If you've ever wanted to go somewhere to do something, this is a good book to help you clarify your goals and put your "adventure" into perspective.

Holes

I've been curious about the story of Holes by Louis Sachar for quite some time. It was published after I passed through the middle reader/young adult genres. And yes, I admit, I didn't know much about it until the movie. I didn't see the movie, so I still didn't know much other than that the Newbery committee thought it was pretty good. The Young Adult Challenge gave me a reason to give it a look.

Holes is the story of Stanley Yelnats, a boy who is accused of stealing the sneakers that fell out of the sky. Turns out they were a famous pair of sneakers. The debacle leads Stanley to a stint as a hole digger at Camp Green Lake, a corrections facility for juveniles.

The story introduces some interesting storylines. It mentions interracial relationships, race relations, Old World/New World philosophies, homelessness, and identity, to name a few.

I could have done without the derogatory remarks towards Girl Scouts, and the stereotypical use of cosmetics regarding the Warden and Kissin' Kate, but maybe that's just me?

Recommendation: A book that feels all over the place becomes nicely packaged in the last few chapters. Delightful.

Slaughterhouse-Five

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut is one of those books that I can't believe I didn't read sooner. Luckily, the Numbers Challenge gave me just the motivation I needed to jump it to the top of the To-Be-Read list. Not to mention, a friend had "So it goes." tattooed to his arm. I had to figure out what that was all about!

Slaughterhouse-Five is the great anti-war novel with a sci-fi twist. I never read sci-fi. This was a stretch... but I'm glad I did it. Billy Pilgrim is a veteran of World War II and a witness of the bombing at Dresden. He is also at the mercy of the aliens of Tralfamadore who have gifted him with the ability to travel to different points in his life (although he cannot control it!). The story is told by whipping around to different stages of Billy's life, a very effective and surprisingly not confusing technique. The repeated refrain of "So it goes." helps to move the novel forward, despite the many tragedies it details. (However, at each "So it goes." my mind would automatically reply, "Kevin...Kevin's tattoo...")

One of my favorite bits of this book, is the alternate title. "The Children's Crusade: A Duty Dance with Death"

Reccomendation: Now is the perfect time for a classic anti-war novel.

Ex Libris

I first heard about Anne Fadiman while listening to Nancy Pearl on NPR. Pearl was actually reviewing a different work by Fadiman, At Large and Small: Familiar Essays. However, when Pearl was asked which Fadiman essay was her favorite, she referenced a piece from Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader. The essay she spoke of sounded so charming (the moment she officially felt married was when her and her husband merged libraries), I added it to my choices for the Non-Ficition Five Challenge.

Now, I like to read... but I made the fatal mistake of comparing my reading habits and knowledge to Fadiman's. No contest. Reading this book made me feel like an ignorant novice. Many of the anecdotes were cute and thoughtful... but others left me thinking, "Now I'm sure I've heard of that book before...or have I?" Fadiman assumes her reader has read it all... at least twice.

Recommendation: Unless you are a fanatical reader, don't choose Ex Libris as your first Fadiman selection. That being said, the cover is adorable.