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packing for mars: the curious science of life in the void
mary roach
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| Is there nothing Mary Roach isn't interested in? She's written about the life of cadavers (Stiff), the afterlife (Spook) and the science of sex (Bonk). In "Packing for Mars" she heads to infinity and beyond to explore the research, preparations, limitations, and everything in between, of space travel. She takes a look at space food development, zero-gravity research and the process of using the bathroom in space – all in her usual entertaining and funny style. What topic will she tackle next? |
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reviewed by: lisa may |
March 2011 [link] |
recommend
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party of the century
deborah davis
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| I had heard/read about Truman Capote's famed Black and White Ball and, never getting the full story, just assumed it was something he hosted every year. In reality, it was only one party back in 1966 and people are still pissed that they weren't invited. This book is a really great look at Truman Capote's life, the social scene of New York in the 60s and this fabulous party. Only Capote's nearest and dearest were invited - all 540 of them and apparently there was no real rhyme or reason to his madness. The party was thrown in honor of Washington Post publisher Kay Graham and also to celebrate Capote's smash novel success with the long-time-in-the-making "In Cold Blood". Female guests knocked themselves out searching for fancy white or black dresses and men just made do with tuxedos. Everyone had to wear some sort of mask and while some went overboard (one comissioned four masks from two different designers), Capote just wore a thirty-nine cent domino mask from F.A.O. Schwarz. The party STILL gets coverage even now in magazines as photographers and designers pay homage to the black and white theme and while some, even P. Diddy, have tried to replicate the party, no one has even come close to the original glamorous soiree. |
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reviewed by: lisa may |
August 2007 [link] |
recommend
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passion, the
jeannette winterson
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| Do you like drool on yourself prose? Have you ever wanted to feel some intense emotion such as love or allegiance or passion? This book is for you. It is like a fairy tale, but so much more. I haven't read it in about a year, but it still stands as number one on my top six list. I first read it back when I had just moved to Wilmington,NC and had rekindled a sticky (some say psychotic) relationship with my college passion that eventually turned to an inferno then a pile of ashes. While reading this book (for the first time) I would have to have a pad of paper next to me so that I could blindingly write the thoughts down that Jeanette's prose elicited. She was that inspiring. I often quote from this book although, no one else besides me knows it. "You play-you win, you play-you lose, you play". Although this doesn't do it justice, here is a synopsis: Man works for Napoleon, defects because of a bitter taste in his soul, meets other defectors and travel to Venice where the woman he had fallen in love with resumes her life. |
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reviewed by: kristen |
September 2000 [link] |
recommend 2 thumbs up
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peachtree road
anne river siddons
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| This book was recommended to me by Sue. While I normally hate lengthy character-driven drivel, I gave this book a chance because Sue said it wasn't like the others. This one had an interesting mental illness character. As I'm fascinated with mental illness, I gave it a chance. It was somewhat interesting, but not my type of book. It was a soggy glimpse into the life of a wealthy Atlanta hermit. Sue liked. Maybe you will. |
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reviewed by: kristen |
September 2000 [link] |
recommend
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personal history
katharine graham
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| This tome runs to 688 engaging pages. Katharine Graham is the owner and publisher of The Washington Post and her auto-biography is her account of her family's life with the paper. I always love reading about society in the early 1900s, especially rich society and this is chock full of it. Notable parts of the book include the legendary black and white ball given by Truman Capote in her honor and the inside story on Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate expose. Despite her mousy beginnings, being overshadowed by her husband, kay ends up kicking ass when she takes over the paper. An excellent addition to your summer book list. |
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reviewed by: lisa may |
April 2004 [link] |
recommend
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peyton place
grace metalious
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| The cover of this anniversary edition of "Peyton Place" exclaims "the blockbuster novel that shocked the nation". What they fail to point out is that it shocked the nation back in 1956 when it was first published. At any rate, it is a juicy look into the quiet New England town of Peyton Place with a whole lotta scandels. This book was a soap opera for a while and was also made into a movie in the late 50's starring Lana Turner. I am sure it's only a matter of time before they make an updated version starring J. Lo and Ben. There is also a follow-up book called "Return to Peyton Place" so if you love the first one you can gobble up the second. I think I'll pass on a return visit to P.P. |
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reviewed by: lisa may |
February 2003 [link] |
recommend
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plan b: further thoughts on faith
anne lamott
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This is sort of a follow-up book to Lamott's 2000 published book "Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith" which was wonderful and this new book is equally wonderful. Her thoughts on religion, parenting, politics and everthing in between are funny and insightful and refreshing. What's great about Lamott is that she can hardly believe she's such a Jesus freak and therefore, is more marveling at her spiritual discoveries rather than shoving them down your throat. Many of the essays in the book (most - if not all - have appeared on Salon.com) deal with the Lamott's disbelief that Jesus teaches that we should love everyone - even George Bush. That's something she has a hang up with.
My favorite essay is about David Roche and The Church of 80% Sincerity (you can read the essay from Salon here). Roche had a tumor removed from his face at a young age and it left him disfigured but full of faith. His "church" idea is that 80 percent sincerity, compassion, etc. is as good as it's going to get - the other 20 percent of the time you just get to be yourself and I love it. Lamott's words on faith and spirituality even impress an old hardened Catholic like me (or as a friend of Lamott's puts it, an "incense survivor"). |
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reviewed by: lisa may |
December 2005 [link] |
recommend
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poems seven: new and complete poetry
alan dugan
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As I was perusing the library on one of my perfect Saturdays with just me, me, me, and plenty of space and beauty... I looked through the new non-fiction section. I was vaguely looking for new books for two of my new fascinations: Buddhism, spirituality, and bipolar. I saw poetry and remembered that poetry was in non-fiction. I always thought that was odd. So then, I grabbed a few. I saw this normal looking older geezer-looking person on the cover of the otherwise-coolly titled tome: "Poems Seven" . Then inside the jacket I noticed that the write-up was something like "best poet in post-wwI"... so I'm thinking epic, rhyming poetry with images of shells and dead limbs and drab green men and the noise of war. Non, my friends. This poetry is high. It is naked. This poetry is from a real human being without any cover. This may be the most beautiful poetry I've ever read. I have only read 30% of the book - by rough estimate.
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reviewed by: kristen |
March 2002 [link] |
recommend 1 thumbs up
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pound of paper: confessions of a book addict
john baxter
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| I was highly disappointed in this book. I went out of my way to order it from Amazon.com hoping it would be like "Used and Rare" by Larry and Nancy Goldstone and it turned out to be a thinly veiled authobiography posing as a book about collecting. It was more about Baxter making his way from childhood in Australia to London, New York and Paris all the while dropping names of authors I've never even heard of (except Martin Amis). I must admit that parts of his life are interesting and he tells an amusing story but billing the book as "confessions of a book addict" is misleading. |
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reviewed by: lisa may |
June 2004 [link] |
recommend
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powerbook
jeanette winterson
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You’ve guessed it. I haven’t been reading very much lately.
Dammit, I’ve been addicted to cable and computer solitaire. If I
don’t fight these addictions, I’ll die (metaphorically).
Anyhoooo, I finished the Powerbook last night. I think
EVERYTHING deserves context. So here ‘tis: I LOVE
Jeanette Winterson. This is the most amazing writer I’ve ever
read. She has disappointed the shitze out of me for her
previous two books with their complicated meanderings and
referential Tom Robbins-ing, BUT she has also written two of
the best books EVER. I had read that The Powerbook was
more of a return to her earlier writing, so man was I excited
to read this book. I even bought it in HARDCOVER. It took me
two weeks to finish it. I kept not getting into it. This book
seems a third installment (after The Passion and Written on
the Body) of the narrator’s love-of-a-red-haired-woman-who-
is-married series(oh yes, it’s getting old rehashing the same
old stuff). That said, this book was pretty beautifully written.
The most annoying thing to me was that she would start off a
chapter in mid-dialogue, and I would have to read backwards
to figure out who was saying what (although as I’m writing
this perhaps it’s a clever thing that Mme. Winterson does – as
she often refers to the lovers a mirrors). I think this book is
great compared to other books out there. It is definitely hard
to live up to my expectations, and I think this book is well
readable to the first-time Winterson reader. I especially liked
the Red Fox vignette. I’m glad to have J. Winterson back to
writing readable books. Oh how I love her writing on love.
Read this book when you’re in public at a park or a picnic
with your lover, etc. It’s a rich red wine with brie,
pomegranate, chocolate, and love-making. |
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reviewed by: kristen |
February 2001 [link] |
recommend
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prep
curtis sittenfeld
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a lovely debut novel from ms. sittenfeld (yes, curtis is a woman). sittenfeld is an accomplished short story writer and prep-school english teacher and her novel looks at the fictional life of prep school called "ault". we see it through the eyes of lee fiora, who starts her ninth grade year at ault fron public school in indiana. to add angst to even more angst, she's on scholarship with students named gates, cross and aspeth - you know, "those" rich kids.
it has been likened to "catcher in the rye"...i wouldn't go there with that one. |
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reviewed by: lisa may |
May 2005 [link] |
recommend
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provenance: how a con man and a forger rewrote the history of modern art
laney salisbury
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| Having read a book on fake bottle of wines from Thomas Jefferson I wasn't sure I was ready for another book on fakes, yet I found this to be riveting. Not only was John Drewe having an artist paint masterpieces and fobbing them off as priceless originals, he was doctoring paper trails a million miles long to artificially authenticate the fakes. This involved him gaining access to art museum archives and planting fake documents that fooled even the most prestigious galleries and art experts. As a result, he pitted people against one another in terms of those who thought the fakes were real and those who knew they were forgeries. A great documentary to pair with this book that deals with provenance is the excellent "Who the #$%&%! is Jackson Pollack?" which follows a woman's saga to authenticate a supposed Jackson Pollack she found at a Goodwill Store. |
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reviewed by: lisa may |
August 2010 [link] |
recommend
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prozac nation
elizabeth wurtzel
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| This is more what I wanted from "The Bell Jar". Elizabeth whines and whines and whines about how she has it all, but it's not enough and life really really sucks. I don't remember much about the specifics (bad sign) except being really jealous that she got a job with Rolling Stone magazine and got to live in Texas. Oh I was jealous of this depressed girl. I was depressed WITHOUT being beautiful, having great jobs, having no money worries, dating sensitive guys. Maybe THIS is why I didn't really "bond" with the book. I remember empathizing with some ways that she felt, but at the time I read it, I longed for enough money/gumption to get Prozac myself. |
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reviewed by: kristen |
September 2000 [link] |
recommend
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public life, the
murial sparks
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| I'm going to be reading a lot more of this lil' lassie. She is very very insightful. I doubt this book is her best one ever, but I did like the voice and style. It's not the deepest, but it's got a sly, worldly tone. |
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reviewed by: kristen |
September 2000 [link] |
recommend
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