Candy's Raves (and Rants)

This was my book club’s selection for this month. I liked the story, I liked the time traveling, I tolerated the Victorian stuff (stuffed kidneys for breakfast – ick). It was really long – easily 50-100 pages could have been cut and it would have been perfectly fine. I also didn’t like all the references to old books and stuff that I had no clue about. I’m sure it’s some fun play on literary people, but I’m just simple folk Good book, not as good as I had heard it was, but good none-the-less.

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Synopsis:
Ned Henry is badly in need of a rest. He’s been shuttling between the 21st century and the 1940s searching for a Victorian atrocity called the bishop’s bird stump. It’s part of a project to restore the famed Coventry Cathedral, destroyed in a Nazi air raid over a hundred years earlier.

But then Verity Kindle, a fellow time traveler, inadvertently brings back something from the past. Now Ned must jump back to the Victorian era to help Verity put things right — not only to save the project but to prevent altering history itself.

54

I’m finally trying to catch up with the HP books so I can read 7 when it comes out and hopefully not have the ending spoiled. I really didn’t care for book 4, so some of the “magic” had gone out of the series for me, but book 5 has redeemed the series for me. I feel like the author is finally moving the story forward again.

It’s weird, I guess I’ve seen the movies too much now because when I am reading certain parts I hear that theme music in my head… no, I’m not crazy… much.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER
There is a Door at the end of a silent corridor. And it’s haunting Harry Potter’s dreams. Why else would he be waking in the middle of the night, screaming in terror? Here are just a few things on Harry’s mind: A Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher with a personality like poisoned honey. A venomous, disgruntled house-elf. Ron as keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The looming terror of the end-of-term Ordinary Wizarding Level exams…and of course, the growing threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. In the richest installment yet of J. K. Rowling’s seven-part story, Harry Potter is faced with the unreliability of the very government of the magical world and the impotence of the authorities at Hogwarts. Despite this (or perhaps because of it), he finds depth and strength in his friends, beyond what even he knew; boundless loyalty; and unbearable sacrifice. Though thick runs the plot (as well as the spine), readers will race through these pages and leave Hogwarts, like Harry, wishing only for the next train back.

53

Wow. I just finished watching this… I should first say that I visited San Francisco for business in April. I was lucky enough to have a colleague that used to live in the area and she got us a car and took us around to see the sights for the better part of an afternoon. I remember her driving over that bridge and being in awe. It’s a huge bridge – just massive. We pulled over to one of those sight seeing areas and you could see these tiny-looking helicopters flying UNDER the bridge. It was amazing.

Anyway… so, in passing, she mentioned that it’s a popular suicide spot. So, of course, being the geek that I am, I went and looked up some information (it’s THE most popular suicide spot – 2 to 3 people on average PER MONTH jump off of the bridge). And I stumbled on this movie that was due to come out soon and added it to my Netflix… So there’s the boring back story…

The movie itself is horrifying. It’s like a car wreck. You don’t want to look, but you cannot help it. It’s disturbing watching these people – you can see them mulling it over, should they jump? Should they end their lives? It doesn’t show anything “gross” but it will make your stomach do flips. The last one was especially hard because they spent a good deal of time introducing you to this tortured soul. The most touching was the guy that survived.

Having said that, this was a well made documentary centering on the lives of 24 people that killed themselves by jumping off of the Golden Gate Bridge. They got the majority of them on tape. I don’t know how I feel about that. It’s morbid… but…

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Description
Over the span of a year, director Eric Steel’s cameras capture tormented souls attempting to commit suicide by leaping from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Through poignant interviews with family, friends and eyewitnesses, the film reveals a common thread of depression, despair and chronic mental illness. This provocative documentary further reinforces the landmark’s iconic legacy as the world’s most popular suicide destination.

Hmmmm… The subject itself was fascinating, a look inside of a MBP child. It amazes me what she went through, the lying for her mother, trying to constantly be loved. I felt that it could have used a good editor, I felt several things were skipped or left out or just dropped. I would also liked to know more, as “sick” as it seems on my part, as to HOW her mother did what she did – what was the white “headache” pill? How on earth did she fool the doctors with the heart problems? I got the impression, although it was spelled out, that HER mother did the same type of thing – what is the author’s relationship with her mom now? It left too many unanswered questions… hmmm… worth a read, but heartbreaking.

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From the Publisher
From early childhood, Julie Gregory was continually X-rayed, medicated, and operated on – in the vain pursuit of an illness that was created in her mother’s mind. Munchausen by proxy (MBP) is the world’s most hidden and dangerous form of child abuse, in which the caretaker – almost always the mother – invents or induces symptoms in her child because she craves the attention of medical professionals. Many MBP children die, but Julie Gregory not only survived, she escaped the powerful orbit of her mother’s madness and rebuilt her identity as a vibrant, healthy young woman.

Sickened is a memoir that speaks in an original and distinctive midwestern voice, rising to indelible scenes in prose of scathing beauty and fierce humor. Punctuated with Julie’s actual medical records, it re-creates the bizarre cocoon of her family’s isolated double-wide trailer, their wild shopping sprees and gun-waving confrontations, the astonishing naivete of medical professionals and social workers. It also exposes the twisted bonds of terror and love that roped Julie’s family together – including the love that made a child willing to sacrifice herself to win her mother’s happiness.

52

Ahhhh… visit with Brian and Michael in their high school years! This was a great book to look at the “before” of the boys. No, it’s not high literature, but who cares? I miss the TV show – it was one of my favorites – it’s always nice to visit again with the characters!

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

Flashback to 1989 with your favorite characters from Queer as Folk in this new line of books based on the record-breaking Showtime series hailed as “wonderful” (Newsweek) and “groundbreaking” (People)!

Before they were grown men working and playing in Pittsburgh, Brian Kinney and Michael Novotny were high-school friends dealing with bullies, secret crushes, and their emerging sexuality. Step back in time with two of Queer as Folk’s hottest characters in the first book in this provocative new series.

Every Nine Seconds

On the eve of Brian Kinney’s eighteenth birthday, he and his best friend, Michael Novotny, celebrate a bond that could link them forever if their future paths don’t separate them for good. In a few short weeks Brian, the seductive soccer star, will leave for college, where he’ll be free to explore the adult pursuits in which he’s only dabbled in high school. Michael is destined for a more sedate life in community college while living at home with his eccentric mom. But before their lives diverge, a hot new club will open, they’ll go to the prom “stag” together, and family strife will turn their world upside down. Brian and Michael still have some unforgettable times to share before graduation ushers in the next stages of their lives.

51

I wanted to like this book. I really really did… sigh. And it wasn’t that the stories/essays weren’t good, but I got REALLY tired of the name-dropping. Oh, she was friends with Carly Simon, Oh, she was a guest on Oprah, Oh, she won the Gong Show, Oh, Oh Oh Oh Oh…. shut up! *laugh* Some of it felt a little bit over the top. I dunno. I give this one only one eye-roll, but it was definitely annoying in places – I find it interesting because it got rave reviews on Amazon. I guess I’m just an irritable wench, eh?

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I wanted to like this book. I really really did… sigh. And it wasn’t that the stories/essays weren’t good, but I got REALLY tired of the name-dropping. Oh, she was friends with Carly Simon, Oh, she was a guest on Oprah, Oh, she won the Gong Show, Oh, Oh Oh Oh Oh…. shut up! *laugh* Some of it felt a little bit over the top. I dunno. I give this one only one eye-roll, but it was definitely annoying in places – I find it interesting because it got rave reviews on Amazon. I guess I’m just an irritable wench, eh?

50

This was pretty good. A little disturbing, of course – makes me be very afraid for those kids who do run away from home. I wish the book had had a better editor, a few things seemed to lose their thought or cohesiveness. I hope there is a follow up book, a definite “will read” if so. I will admit, that while I started out feeling sorry for Janice, somewhere in the middle I didn’t anymore, I’m sure her life is much different now, but let’s face it – at 17/18 we all know everything and she was no different. I wanted to reach through the pages and smack the heck out of her. *laugh* I wonder if she wants to smack herself at 18? Gah, I know I want to rewind and smack myself around too

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From the Publisher
At fifteen, sick of her unbearable and increasingly dangerous home life, Janice Erlbaum walked out of her family’s Brooklyn apartment and didn’t look back. From her first frightening night at a shelter, Janice knew she was in over her head. She was beaten up, shaken down, and nearly stabbed by a pregnant girl. But it was still better than living at home. As Janice slipped further into street life, she nevertheless attended high school, harbored crushes, and even played the lead in the spring musical. She also roamed the streets, clubs, bars, and parks of New York City with her two best girlfriends, on the prowl for hard drugs and boys on skateboards. Together they scored coke at Danceteria, smoked angel dust in East Village squats, commiserated over their crazy mothers, and slept with one another’s boyfriends on a regular basis.

A wry, mesmerizing portrait of being underprivileged, underage, and underdressed in 1980s New York City, Girlbomb provides an unflinching look at street life, survival sex, female friendships, and first loves.

49

This is an amazing book… you feel like you are looking into the soul of the people that sent these cards in. I’ve been a long-time fan of the website and this is a great compliation of the best of the best!

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From the Publisher

The project that captured a nation’s imagination.

The instructions were simple, but the results were extraordinary.

“You are invited to anonymously contribute a secret to a group art project. Your secret can be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession, or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything — as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before. Be brief. Be legible. Be creative.”

It all began with an idea Frank Warren had for a community art project. He began handing out postcards to strangers and leaving them in public places — asking people to write down a secret they had never told anyone and mail it to him, anonymously.

The response was overwhelming. The secrets were both provocative and profound, and the cards themselves were works of art — carefully and creatively constructed by hand. Addictively compelling, the cards reveal our deepest fears, desires, regrets, and obsessions. Frank calls them “graphic haiku,” beautiful, elegant, and small in structure but powerfully emotional.

As Frank began posting the cards on his website, PostSecret took on a life of its own, becoming much more than a simple art project. It has grown into a global phenomenon, exposing our individual aspirations, fantasies, and frailties — our common humanity.

Every day dozens of postcards still make their way to Frank, with postmarks from around the world, touching on every aspect of human experience. This extraordinary collection brings together the most powerful, personal, and beautifully intimate secrets Frank Warren has received — and brilliantly illuminates that human emotions can be unique anduniversal at the same time.

48

This was just “okay” for me. Maybe it’s because it’s been 3 years since the series started I really did like the interview section with the creators. Not bad, just not great at this late in the proverbial game

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From the Publisher
When Lost debuted on ABC last fall, viewers were immediately captivated. On a remote South Pacific Island, 48 plane crash survivors are forced to scavenge what they can and battle cruel weather and, at times, each other. Some panic. Others pin their hopes on rescue. And some find strength they never knew they had. But the island has many secrets-and hidden dangers-as more than 17 million viewers are discovering.The Lost Chronicles is the must-have guide for those fans. Filled with a detailed episode guide and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the show, the fully illustrated book offers plot twists and backstories that will help fans uncover the mysteries of Lost. Also included are reflections and anecdotes from cast members, writers, and executive producer/ creator J. J. Abram that readers won+t find anywhere else. In addition, the book comes with a DVD containing unaired scenes from the show. Lost is known for compelling and mysterious story lines. Each episode features the backstory for one character, while new stories develop on the island. This companion serves as a resource for viewers and will take them through the trials and tribulations of the survivors on the island, as well as the histories of the characters.

47

I liked this one MUCH better than Running With Scissors (which I thought was way too out in left field for me – sorry, I don’t buy all of it). ANYWAY. This book was really well done, written from the heart and I believed every single word of it. Very well written, I laughed and I cried. I’m anxious to get to the next one!

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From the Publisher
From the author of the runaway New York Times bestseller Running with Scissors comes a hilarious, irreverent, and twisted memoir of becoming a man

With unconventional wit and a wonderfully weird way of looking at things, Augusten Burroughs chronicles his life on the edge after leaving his deeply eccentric foster family. Dry opens in Manhattan, where Augusten has established a life for himself as a high-paid advertising hotshot. But his past haunts him still as he tries to create a grown-up life. Dry is at times howlingly funny, devastatingly moving, and, in the end, uplifting. It further establishes Burroughs as one of the most original authors writing today.

46th for 2007