Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Yeah! I'm finally finished with the Twilight saga!

That is my initial reaction to finally "closing the chapter" on this 754 page novel. By far, my least favorite of the four books, Breaking Dawn opens with the long-awaited marital union of Edward and Bella. Which, inevitably leads to that other long-awaited "union" (heh heh) of Edward and Bella (if you get my drift!). That union, in turn, leads to the unlikely conception of a half-human, half-vampire baby, which we know can't be a good thing...

Right?

Because, of course, a baby that is half-Edward and half-Bella is going to be very unusual, cause a lot of confusion, be complicated to deal with, make some vampires very unhappy, and generate a world-wide commotion of some sort.

Not to mention, there's still Jacob to deal with. (And, in this book, I have to say, I lost a lot of respect for the man werewolf.)

And then there's always that question of whether or not Bella is going to get her way and finally become a vampire so she can live for all eternity with her one true love (Edward... right?).

Well, I won't spoil it for you.

My final thoughts are that I sure am glad Midnight Sun was leaked to the masses and posted on the Internet before Meyer's had a chance to publish yet ANOTHER book detailing the Edward-Bella soap opera, even if it would have been told from a completely different point of view. (Yes, yes, I'm sure Edward's side of the story would have been compelling in it's own right.) I just don't think I could have handled any more fawning, blubbering, and gushing than I've already sat through.

I am so over these books.

The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary L. Blackwood

Widge has no parents and is living in an orphanage in England during the time of Shakespeare when he is apprenticed to a clergyman who teaches him a shorthand he has invented called Charactery. When Simon Bass, owner of a company of players, hears about the rector's secret coded language, he offers a very high price for Widge (who can write the shorthand) and it soon becomes apparent what Bass intends for Widge to do with his special skill. Bass demands that Widge attend a play, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, and copy down the lines during the performance in Charactery. In this way, Bass hopes to capitalize on the success of Shakespeare's play and generate some income for his own company of players. Little does Simon Bass (or Widge, for that matter) know just how enchanted Widge will become with the story of Hamlet, and with theater life in general....

This short novel is on the Battle of the Books list this year and in December I led a group of students participating in the Battle of the Books in a short book club to read and discuss this novel. It's a fun and engaging story, one that will entertain student readers while simultaneously teaching them a little bit about history and literature. There is not a lot of depth to the book and so I did not feel an emotional connection with Widge or any of the other characters. This would be a good book to recommend to a kid (4th or 5th grade, good reader) looking for an interesting and fun book, just be sure they won't get bogged down by Widge's somewhat unusual dialect (the reader will have to infer the meaning of his language occasionally).

An okay book.

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

Years ago, I went through an Alice Hoffman "phase" and I read everything I could get my hands on, including Practical Magic, Local Girls, and Turtle Moon. I don't remember much about any of these books (except Practical Magic
but I attribute that more to the movie than the book). The one Alice Hoffman novel that stands out in my memory from that stage in my reading history is Here on Earth, an Oprah Book Club choice. I don't remember much about the book but I do know that at the time I loved it. Since then, I have met Alice Hoffman in person and read one of her more recent novels, The Third Angel. I stumbled upon this young adult novel by Hoffman in a (surprise, surprise!) thrift store and was intrigued by the summary on the back and interested in recapturing my old interest in the author. I wasn't disappointed.

Incantation tells the story of Estrella de Madrigal, a sixteen-year-old growing up in Spain during the 1500s. She seems to be living a safe and quiet life within the cocoon of a tight-knit and seemingly influential family, with her best friend Catalina right next door. During this time in history, Jewish people were greatly discriminated against, even persecuted, and so many Jews kept their identity a secret and worshipped as Christians. Early in the novel, Estrella begins to uncover clues about her own history, and soon comes to realize that her family is one of those keeping the truth of their faith a secret from their friends, neighbors, and the government. As families begin to disappear mysteriously and the community begins to panic, Catalina betrays Estrella in a way that she never could have imagined, and Estrella must fight to protect her loved ones and keep their family secret safe.

This novel was compelling and catastrophic, it's subject matter dark and heavy. It was also a very quick read. As is the case with many historical fiction novels, the content is essential in helping readers remember, and emotionally respond to, historical events, and especially violations of human rights. This book would be a terrific resource to have young adults read in order to "put them" in Spain during this unfortunate time in it's history. However, I think there is something about the look of this novel that will appeal to girls who have a different sort of read in mind. They may not quite expect the story that it contains. The serious subject matter and ominous tone should probably accompany much discussion about the time and events that occurred, especially since the novel is so short and doesn't allow much processing time. But, it is a great book that tells a somber and sad story.

Naked by David Sedaris

I picked this book off the shelf at Goodwill, excited to finally find a David Sedaris book that I wouldn't have to pay full price for. I had heard quite a lot of good things about Sedaris- that he was a great writer, his books had terrific voice, and (most of all) that he was hilarious. I think it's really difficult to find a truly funny author, so I was excited to check this guy out.

Naked is a collection of short stories that Sedaris shares about his life. The book starts with a cleverly written short story called "Chipped Beef" in which Sedaris is fantasizing about his family and church...

"...the reverend insists we occupy the first pew. He rang us up not long ago, tipsy- he's a tippler- saying that our faces brought him closer to God. And it's true, we're terribly good-looking people. They're using my mother's profile on the new monorail token, and as for my father and me, the people at NASA want to design a lunar module based on the shape of our skulls. Our cheekbones are aeronautic and the clefts of our chins can hold up to three dozen BBs at a time. When asked, most people say that my greatest asset is my skin, which glows- it really does! I have to tie a sock over my eyes in order to fall asleep at night. Others like my eyes or my perfect, gleaming teeth, my thick head of hair or my imposing stature, but if you want my opinion, I think my most outstanding feature is my ability to accept a compliment."

Sedaris then goes on to write about the unfortunate abduction of his sisters and the surprising ease with which his family is able to cope without them. The story was pretty funny. However, Sedaris continues his book with more only mildly humorous stories from his childhood- stories about his numerous tics, visiting his relatives, and his father's obsession with golf (to name a few). Then he goes on to unapologetically describe the drug-abusing, hitchhiking days of his college years with very little wit and virtually no insightfulness. By the end, his sharp, crude humor was not eliciting laughter from me, rather I found myself feeling annoyed... and a little disgusted.

I may give David Sedaris one more try sometime in the distant future in the hopes that his other books may actually contain more humorous content, but I won't have high expectations. In the meantime, if you have any recommendations for a truly funny writer, I'm in the market...

Christmas Day

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

At the beginning of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda is a freshman, just beginning her first year of high school. Already a tenuous time for any teenager, Melinda has just had an unfortunate experience that turned her friends against her and alienated her from the entire school body. Her unpopular decision to call the police during a high school party has led to Melinda's daily torture in school. She is ridiculed, ignored, taunted, and bullied by her classmates. Melinda crawls further and further inside of herself, refraining from speaking and neglecting to care for herself. Her absent parents and unaware teachers seem ignorant of the pain in Melinda's life. Melinda's art class is the only refuge she can find from a life filled with anger and hurt.

This book is a terrific and amazingly accurate portrayal of bullying in a high school. Melinda's character is well-developed and her feelings jarring and realistic. Anybody who has had trouble fitting in with peers in a school setting will understand Melinda's despondency. A mood of melancholy solitariness permeates the novel and her loneliness and self-defeat is haunting. Although fictional, I was moved to tears while reading about Melinda's high school experiences. In my opinion, given the culture of public high school, this is an important book to read.

A Boulder Christmas

This year we spent a couple of days just before Christmas in Boulder with Nathan's mom's family. We stayed at a great zero waste hotel called the Boulder Outlook. It was so fun to spend time with Nathan's aunts, uncles, & cousins!

The climbing rock- there was almost always a member of our clan on the top of it

Grandma Harvella is ready to eat!

Shopping on Pearl Street

The white elephant gift exchange

Lauren was pretty excited about her gift- too bad Mitch stole it the first chance he got!

Terry was pretty excited about her present too, as you can tell. :)

Group shots

Dinner at the Tea House

Christmas

This Christmas season has been a difficult one for me. For the first time in 33 years of life, I am not with my family for the holiday.

When the doctor first advised me back in September that she would not recommend travel for me at Christmastime, I anticipated the disappointment I would feel. Yet somehow I was not prepared for the overwhelming sadness I feel this Christmas morning.

The disappointment of not having our house finished by Christmas as expected has just made being away from family even more difficult. My thoughts are consumed with "what ifs". What if I'm too pregnant to unpack and get the house ready for a baby by the time it is finished? What if my work responsibilities keep me too busy to help move the house building process along now that CSAP season is approaching? And the worse "what if" of all... What if the house isn't ready before the baby comes? Where will we live? Will we have to get an apartment? Will my mom and sister still be able to come and help us like they plan to? It's hard not to let these "what ifs" keep me up at night.

While it's difficult, it is Christmas morning and I am trying to remind myself about the real reason for the Christmas season- a wonderful, sweet baby was born.

A baby like no other.

The son of God.

When baby Jesus was born, Mary was far from her family. She was not able to give birth at home, in a place that was familiar and safe. Yet God was with her and everything worked out just as He planned it.

So, when I think back on this Christmas season, I hope to remember it not with sadness and disappointment at what didn't happen, but instead I hope to remember it as a different sort of Christmas. One where we have been able to create different memories with different family members. One where we are able to look with excitement to the promises the future will bring.

And, no matter what, when I get through this season in my life, I am going to be blessed with a wonderful, sweet baby of my own.

A baby like no other.

And I know that I am blessed.

Young Adult Christmas Party

Some of you may recall this little incident from about a week and a half ago.

The recovery was rough and, given the option, I'd prefer never to repeat the experience, especially not while pregnant. But, I've finally mustered up the gumption to post pictures from the event that could very well be the alleged culprit, and that was possibly the demise of our health and well-being. So, with a grimace and a groan of remembrance, here are the pictures from our fateful, albeit enjoyable, young adult Christmas party...

Was it the popcorn...?

Or, perhaps the chai tea...?

Oh, dear. Somebody's already starting to look a little ill.

Gordon and Joey knew they were in the clear, the food poisoning never touched them. And look, they aren't eating anything... Hmmm...

On the bright side, Lauren got this creative gift from Angela for the white elephant exchange. It's a record (Top Gun!) that's been melted down just enough to make a candy dish. Interesting and fun craft idea....

...which Matt thought made a terrific hat!

Mike and Hannah are having fun with their white elephant gifts.

Awww, sisters!

(If only we knew that 24 hours later most of us would be doubled up over a toilet bowl....)

Good times.