oh, no, she didn't... (oh, yes, she did)

A few months ago, Chuck and I were at the movies (I could end this post right there as that is such a rare occurrence) when we both had a good laugh at a preview highlighting an upcoming movie entitled Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter.  While not offended by the concept, we did find it ridiculous at best.  A week or so later, however, something reminded me of the preview, and I did some digging which revealed that the seemingly laughable movie was actually based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name. 

I'm not gonna lie; I was intrigued.  

Typically, I am one to stick to my genre (I'm a sucker for historical fiction).  While this fell in that category, the apparent abundance of blood and gore certainly did not.  However, in recent years, I have found myself on that bandwagon of those who quickly "judge books by their covers."  In many cases, I  opted to read those books (despite my own self-imposed resistance) and was almost always surprised at just how wrong my snap judgment was.  You see where I'm going here?

I did it.  I read Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter.  And I'm glad I did.  It was everything I did not expect it to be.  

I expected a farce.  

I expected gratuitous violence.  

I expected the darkness to be glorified.  

I expected graphic passion.

I expected a national hero to be made into a joke.  

None of those things were in this book.

Now, that being said, do I think everyone should read it?  No, probably not.  But, if you do read it, you may be surprised what you discover.

You will discover surprising historical accuracy.

You will discover a (fictional) accounting for Lincoln's (actual) brooding nature and struggles with depression.

You will discover an interesting twist on the nature of good vs. evil in our nation.

You will discover an amazingly tasteful description of what could be a rather gory account.

You will discover an author who took the time to weave fiction into a very real and very important part of our nation's past.

I read this book because I knew that if I didn't, I would join the hoards of people naysaying it without an informed, educated opinion.  Yes, it sounds ridiculous.  Yes, it clearly did not happen that way.  But, come on, people - It's fiction!!  That is what fiction is.  It is a verbally artistic attempt to remove us from our reality so that we can glimpse a world that is not.   And, for a time in our nation's history that has probably been the most studied, the most researched, and the most exposed, this author did an impressive job of incorporating a purely fictitious, fantastical element without really changing that historical element that makes our 16th president who he is.

In no way do I feel that this story undermines Lincoln's reputation or the nation's deep reverence for him.  In fact, as many works of fiction do, it has almost made him a larger-than-life hero - someone who went to great lengths to save our nation from the evils of slavery and inequality.

Go ahead.  Add it to your summer reading list.  I won't tell.

"she is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain."

thank you, louisa may alcott, for that bit of truth.  i'll be the first to admit that my brain has been turned by books... more often than not.  i'm sure i'm not the only one.  still, people ask me all the time, "when in the world do you find time to read??"  i guess that's a fair question.  and there have been phases of my life where i have not picked up a book for months at a time.  really.  but if i were to be perfectly honest, i am happiest when i am in the middle of some book - so, i make time to read.  i see it as an investment in my mental health.  reading can be a great escape... and sometimes a mental escape can be just as effective (and affordable) as a physical retreat.  however, with four children and a busy household, my approach to reading has changed a bit.  there was a time i could lose myself in between the pages of a novel for hours at a time.  lately, i don't do anything for hours... except maybe sleep - and even that isn't always completely dependable.  now, i keep a book handy and read during those "in-between" moments of my day:  waiting at the bus stop, waiting for water to boil, waiting for the dryer to finish, waiting for the commercials to be over...  you'd be surprised how much reading you can get done during 5 minute intervals all throughout your day.  sunday afternoons still offer a nice chunk of reading time... if you can resist that sunday afternoon nap.

i just finished reading Sarah by Marek Halter.  i love historical fiction of any kind - and i think i've read books from all eras.  lately, i've really enjoyed fictionalized accounts of biblical characters, especially women.  halter wrote a trilogy in which he tells the stories of three such women.  what i like best about this book is that the author does not pretend that just because the people are from the Bible they are refined and polished.  rather, the story tells of characters who are barely civilized - very raw and uncultured by our standards.  and yet, they are real and relatable.  i look forward to reading the remaining two books in his Canaan Trilogy.

today, i'm planning on starting the Harmony books.  i had heard them compared to Jan Karon's Mitford series which i loved.  i read this entire series (plus several other books) during the first trimester of my pregnancy with tucker.  seriously, i think i cleared 11 books in less than 3 weeks.  talk about an escape from reality - i have tried every anti-nausea medication known to man but nothing gave me a break from morning sickness as much as sitting perfectly still with a good book (and a belly full of protein... when i could keep it down).  but i digress...  the mitford books are charming and entertaining and endearing and so well written.  i loved them so much that i also listened to the audio books last year (enjoying audio books while running errands can make your most mundane tasks so much more bearable) and was able to introduce them to my children.  patrick, especially, loved them and i think he'll enjoy reading them one day, too.  i am in the midst of collecting the series (ie, looking for them cheap in various and sundry places) and think that by the time i have all of them i'll be ready to read them again!  so.... i'm really hoping that the Harmony books are just as good.  i'll let you know.

and, lest you think i am purely a self-indulgent reader of fiction, i also have at least one non-fiction book i'm reading at any given point.  i just picked up She's Gonna Blow by Julie Barnhill.  i find that parenting and marriage books keep me reading, since they are most applicable right now.

so, what are you reading these days?

what i read

i know that there are bad books out there... but i'm getting annoyed at how frequently i seem to be reading them. generally speaking, i find that an author who is listed as "bestselling" will be worth reading... on some level. not so in this case. in fact, i decided that if this particular author is a bestselling author, that holds out a lot of hope for anyone who wishes to be the same. and that, my friends, is about the only good thing i have to say about this particular reading experience.

the story is simple... kinda. a 20-something girl on her way back to her childhood home for christmas discovers a man in the middle of the road dressed as a Revolutionary War soldier. the man claims to be from that era, somehow lost in time. after much doubt and confusion, the girl and her family decide to try to get the guy back to his time. of course, in the meantime, they discover that their home just happens to be his childhood home. and then, coincidentally, they discover secret diaries that belonged to his sister in the attic (even though they'd lived in the house for 30 plus years. good grief). on top of that, the father (a mad scientist-type) and the mother (a hippy, anything's possible Catholic Wiccan - what the heck???) join forces to come up with a potion and radio frequency that will transport the lost soldier back to 1776.

the ridiculous story would have possibly been more palatable had the writing not been so trite and cliched. about a quarter of the way through, i knew i did not like the book but refused to stop reading simply for curiousity's sake - i wanted to see how much more ridiculous it could get. the snow storm of rose petals at the end sealed the deal.

i thought christmas fiction would be a nice "feel-good" addition to the holiday season. i'm not doing trying, but i really hope my next pick is better!

what i read

laugh all you want, but i am that person who actually reads books on how to properly raise a dog.

cesar millan is also known as "the dog whisperer" and can be seen on the National Geographic Channel on friday nights (or every day at 2:00 pm). i had seen enough of his show to know that he was the one i wanted to emulate with our next pet. chuck and i have had several pets, but i really wanted to know as much as i could this time around. and, honestly, this is just me. i love to research... anything. if it's something i'm interested in, i will read and research til i feel properly educated. so, having a new puppy, it made sense that i'd try to find a good book on getting her started on the right foot... or paw.

this book is a fantastic one to read when you are ready to introduce a puppy to your family. his techniques may not seem to be what most people would want to do with their pet, but cesar's approach is to not treat your dog like a human member of the family (which is what most people tend to do) but rather a pack member with you as the pack leader.

just as with raising children, raising dogs is all about consistency. we've now had Parsley for one month, and i have to admit that there were days when i though, "oh my word, what have i gotten myself into. this dog is crazy." but, now, four weeks later, i am happy to report that, no, she's not crazy. she's a puppy! and with very consistent and (usually) patient instruction, she is really making great progress. she is completely crate trained (meaning she will not pee or poop when she's in her crate) and she uses the pee pads with some accuracy while penned in the kitchen. she's even starting to master he walk on the leash with minimal tension (and this is a big deal...). i'm really proud of her and of our progress.

the kids are doing exceptionally well, too. i've been able to instruct them with what i've learned, and they are all doing a great job becoming mini-pack leaders. each of them can say "no" or hold their hand out and she will respond by sitting or stopping most of the time.

thank God for resources like this book!

what i read

well, i guess cleaning sinks doesn't thrill everyone else as much as it does me. better luck next week.

since i've been posting what i'm reading, i thought i'd try to give a quick review of what i've read. i just finished Cecilia Ahern's There's No Place Like Here.

i had read PS I Love You and really liked it (and not just because i loved, loved, loved the movie), so i thought i'd give another book by her a try. i did not love it. in fact, i'm not really sure i liked it. but you know that feeling when you're reading a book you don't want to put down and you eagerly wait for all your work to be done and the kids to be in bed so you can go read that book? yeah, well, i wasn't feeling it. in fact, i was feeling something more like, "i gotta finish this book so i can move on with my life." i know, i know, i'm allowed to not finish but i refuse. because sometimes books like this surprise you and then you're glad you stuck with it. i kept waiting for it to get good... but it was just too far-fetched for me.

i'm not a big fan of fantasy... and i think she was trying to combine contemporary chick-lit fiction with fantasy. the protagonist, Sandy Shortt, has an obsession with finding lost things and somehow ends up in this alternate universe where all the lost things go. i guess that sounds interesting, but there were too many loose ends left "undone" by the end. and i really never felt like the main character learned or grew through the challenge of the story.

oh well. i think i'd still like to read another of Ahern's books... just to give her a chance to redeem herself. if any of you have read her stuff, do you have suggestions?