A couple of months ago Mother Earth News ran the introduction to Jenna Woginrich’s Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life. I read the article as I sat in the eye doctor’s office waiting for my pupils to dilate. I can’t imagine a more pleasurable way to lock my eyes into a position that makes everything else foggy. Woginrich’s style and sensibility really stuck with me.
So last week, I went looking for her book, and lo and behold, my local library had several copies. I ordered one to my branch and started reading. I gobbled up this book just like I would gobble up the honey that Woginrich makes on her rented farm in Idaho. It’s full of practical advice - how to raise angora rabbits, how to sew your own clothes, etc - but also carries a sense of willing camaradarie about this whole process of “self-reliance.”
In the introduction she says,
I think the real trick to finding that sense of satisfaction is to realize you don’t need much to attain it. A window-box salad garden and a banjo hanging on the back of the door can be all the freedom you need. If it isn’t everything you want for the future, let it be enough for tonight.
Don’t look at your current situation as a hindrance to living the way you want, because living the way you want has nothing to do with how much land you have or how much you can afford to spend on a new house. It has to do with the way you choose to live every day and how content you are with what you have. If a few things on your plate every season come from the work of your own hands, you are creating food for your body, and that is enough. If the hat on your head was knitted by your own hands, you’re providing warmth from string and that’s enough. If you rode your bike to work, trained your dog to pack, or just baked a loaf of bread, let it be enough.
Accepting where you are today, and working toward what is ahead, is the best you can do. You can take the projects in this book as far as your chosen road will take you. Maybe your gardens and coops will outgrow mine, and before you know it you’ll be trading in your Audi for a pickup. But the starting point is to take control of what you can and smile with how things are. Find your own happiness and dance with it.
As I sit and dream about a place like Woginrich’s, I find great hope and comfort in the idea that I need not have all I dream of now. My compost bowl on the counter and the two heads of cabbage in planter boxes on the deck are enough. And I think I”ll make some bread today.
And if you have time, sidle up to Woginrich’s words and find contentment and ideas for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.
Cover of Made from Scratch by Jenna Woginrich - Made from Scratch by Jenna Woginrich
Rosy Thornton’s book was a pleasant surprise. When the author contacted me about reviewing her book, I gladly agreed because it sounded fun and, well, it’s about a Cambridge professor - and most English professors will admit that we have all secretly wanted to teach at Oxford or Cambridge - those pinnacles of our profession. When the book arrived, I thought it would be fun and light reading - and it was, but it was also insightful and complex in the way that it unfolds.
The novel tells of two people - Peter and Mina - who meet when Peter calls in a claim to the insurance company where Mina works. Instantly, there’s a rapport - what some people might call chemistry - and they proceed to work through the beginnings of a relationships via weekly phone calls. The romance element of this book was interesting to me because it wasn’t fierce, and it wasn’t fast - it was simple and honest and hard and right, as relationships usually are when they work. So that element is nice in this book, but perhaps what I enjoyed most were the relationships that Peter has with his twin daughters and that Mina has with her daughter. I am not a parent, so I do not understand the full depth of that love, but Thornton does a beautiful job of creating an imperfect but gorgeous parental picture in these families. More than any book I’ve read in a while, I could see the challenges that parents face, even with kids who are “untroubled” or “overachievers.” In some ways, this book speaks of the way relationships work out in the mundanity of life and the way that these relationships give even the simplest moments beauty. Definitely pick up this novel and read it - it’s worth it, even if you’re not an English professor.
Yesterday, I had the privilege of reading Fault Line by Barry Eisler. Apparently, Eisler is quite well-known for his previous books, but to be honest, when I got asked to review the book, I had never heard of him (such is the life of an English professor, I suppose — too many literary novels, not enough thrillers). And a thriller this is. Set in Northern California (particularly Silicon Valley and San Francisco), the story pursues the life of Alex, a lawyer who has come upon the “hottest” software out there; in fact, it’s so hot that people connected to it are dying. In comes Ben, Alex’s brother and black ops agent for the U.S. government. Angrily, resentfully, but dutifully, Ben comes back across the world to “save” his brother. Meanwhile, Alex’s colleague, Sarah, is also in danger, and so the three become embroiled in a plot to figure out why people are killed for this piece of code and to keep themselves alive.
Eisler mixes in technology, military/spy technique, family pain, and a little romance to pull together a fast-paced novel that keeps the reader interested without leaving her with the feeling of manipulation or hyperbole that many thrillers do. The characters seem real and honest, and from what I know (remember, English teacher here), the guns, the fighting, and the technology ring true as well (although I admit that my knowledge of most of these things comes from watching The Unit on DVD from Netflix.) All in all, the book is very enjoyable.
I wouldn’t recommend this book if you are looking for something that you want to parse apart for glorious language or if you’re going to be studying complex character development - these things are not the purpose of a thriller, and thus, they suffer a bit. Yet, if you want a quick, fun, engrossing read that pulls you out of your world (I hope this isn’t your world) and gives you a way to think about new places (or revisit old ones like I did during the San Francisco scenes) and new adventures, then Fault Line is definitely for you. Take it to the beach; cuddle under a blanket with a cup of coffee; read it at the library while your kids go to story time; teach it (as I might) as a model of narrative arc that works well. It’s versatile and fun - a good summer read.
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Sometimes books take a while to get revved up, but when we let them get warm in our hands and settle us into our seats, we find gems in the pages. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is one of those books.
The first few pages were a bit slow because they are so subtle. They tell the story of an old man, Henry, who finds himself stunned by a Japanese parasol that has been pulled out of an abandoned hotel in Seattle. Henry has lost his wife, and somehow this parasol triggers that spark of life that he needs to keep going. Ford’s writing embeds the importance of this event in the mundane, but if a reader keeps at it, she will find herself richly rewarded.
The book spans two timeframes in Seattle’s history - the 1980s and the 1940s - and describes the life of a Chinese-American (Henry) and a Japanese-American (Keiko) who become friends as children during World War II. The cultural complexities of that time when internment camps and Chinese nationalism ran high alongside the soft but biting racism against African-Americans give this novel a social dimension that fleshes out a great deal that I did not know (and was not taught) about the 1940s, particularly on the West Coast. I don’t remember ever reading about or hearing a teacher speak about Japanese Internment Camps here on the East Coast, and the mentions I had of that dark stain of American history came only when I lived in California and read Farewell to Manzanar. Maybe out of embarrassment we have tried to erase this element of our history. I’m glad Ford has brought it back to me, for it is only when we hide something that we cannot work to heal it.
But it’s not just the political and cultural elements of the novel that make it a valuable book; the writing and characterization are subtle and complex. None of the characters here are flat; none are simple; none are wholly right or wholly wrong - they are people. Additionally, the novel is well-paced and gripping for a mystery drives the book forward (a mystery I won’t reveal for those of you who will take my advice and pick up this book). Relationships quiver with life on these pages, and the setting - historically accurate Seattle - is rich and rewarding, reminding me a great deal of what I heard about San Francisco during the same time periods. The moments of tenderness and brutality in this book live fully, bringing me to tears and gasps even as I plowed ahead to hear what was next. And Henry, the protagonist, well, I love him - both as a child I want to help and protect and as an old man at whose feet I would like to sit.
Occasionally, Ford’s writing, particularly at the end of chapters, seems a bit forced, like he’s trying to be writerly, but these lines are overlooked in light of the clarity and richness of the story.
So please, pick up Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, carve out a leisurely afternoon, make a cup of green tea, and read the hours away while adding these characters and this history into your mind.
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(6 of 11 readers found this comment helpful)
I read all three books of the series, gobbling up the fantasy and momentum of these stories filled with magic and the struggle of good to continue conquering evil. The characters are fun, and the world complex. Plus, there’s this great animal character in the last two books that gives them whimsy and also reminded me of how everything - animals, plans, our human-made creations - is connected to something greater than ourselves.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
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Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life by Jenna Woginrich
Andrea Cumbo, July 2, 2009
A couple of months ago Mother Earth News ran the introduction to Jenna Woginrich’s Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life. I read the article as I sat in the eye doctor’s office waiting for my pupils to dilate. I can’t imagine a more pleasurable way to lock my eyes into a position that makes everything else foggy. Woginrich’s style and sensibility really stuck with me.So last week, I went looking for her book, and lo and behold, my local library had several copies. I ordered one to my branch and started reading. I gobbled up this book just like I would gobble up the honey that Woginrich makes on her rented farm in Idaho. It’s full of practical advice - how to raise angora rabbits, how to sew your own clothes, etc - but also carries a sense of willing camaradarie about this whole process of “self-reliance.”
In the introduction she says,
I think the real trick to finding that sense of satisfaction is to realize you don’t need much to attain it. A window-box salad garden and a banjo hanging on the back of the door can be all the freedom you need. If it isn’t everything you want for the future, let it be enough for tonight.
Don’t look at your current situation as a hindrance to living the way you want, because living the way you want has nothing to do with how much land you have or how much you can afford to spend on a new house. It has to do with the way you choose to live every day and how content you are with what you have. If a few things on your plate every season come from the work of your own hands, you are creating food for your body, and that is enough. If the hat on your head was knitted by your own hands, you’re providing warmth from string and that’s enough. If you rode your bike to work, trained your dog to pack, or just baked a loaf of bread, let it be enough.
Accepting where you are today, and working toward what is ahead, is the best you can do. You can take the projects in this book as far as your chosen road will take you. Maybe your gardens and coops will outgrow mine, and before you know it you’ll be trading in your Audi for a pickup. But the starting point is to take control of what you can and smile with how things are. Find your own happiness and dance with it.
As I sit and dream about a place like Woginrich’s, I find great hope and comfort in the idea that I need not have all I dream of now. My compost bowl on the counter and the two heads of cabbage in planter boxes on the deck are enough. And I think I”ll make some bread today.
And if you have time, sidle up to Woginrich’s words and find contentment and ideas for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.
Cover of Made from Scratch by Jenna Woginrich - Made from Scratch by Jenna Woginrich
Crossed Wires (UK Edition) by Rosy Thornton
Andrea Cumbo, June 10, 2009
Rosy Thornton’s book was a pleasant surprise. When the author contacted me about reviewing her book, I gladly agreed because it sounded fun and, well, it’s about a Cambridge professor - and most English professors will admit that we have all secretly wanted to teach at Oxford or Cambridge - those pinnacles of our profession. When the book arrived, I thought it would be fun and light reading - and it was, but it was also insightful and complex in the way that it unfolds.The novel tells of two people - Peter and Mina - who meet when Peter calls in a claim to the insurance company where Mina works. Instantly, there’s a rapport - what some people might call chemistry - and they proceed to work through the beginnings of a relationships via weekly phone calls. The romance element of this book was interesting to me because it wasn’t fierce, and it wasn’t fast - it was simple and honest and hard and right, as relationships usually are when they work. So that element is nice in this book, but perhaps what I enjoyed most were the relationships that Peter has with his twin daughters and that Mina has with her daughter. I am not a parent, so I do not understand the full depth of that love, but Thornton does a beautiful job of creating an imperfect but gorgeous parental picture in these families. More than any book I’ve read in a while, I could see the challenges that parents face, even with kids who are “untroubled” or “overachievers.” In some ways, this book speaks of the way relationships work out in the mundanity of life and the way that these relationships give even the simplest moments beauty. Definitely pick up this novel and read it - it’s worth it, even if you’re not an English professor.
Fault Line by Barry Eisler
Andrea Cumbo, May 27, 2009
Yesterday, I had the privilege of reading Fault Line by Barry Eisler. Apparently, Eisler is quite well-known for his previous books, but to be honest, when I got asked to review the book, I had never heard of him (such is the life of an English professor, I suppose — too many literary novels, not enough thrillers). And a thriller this is. Set in Northern California (particularly Silicon Valley and San Francisco), the story pursues the life of Alex, a lawyer who has come upon the “hottest” software out there; in fact, it’s so hot that people connected to it are dying. In comes Ben, Alex’s brother and black ops agent for the U.S. government. Angrily, resentfully, but dutifully, Ben comes back across the world to “save” his brother. Meanwhile, Alex’s colleague, Sarah, is also in danger, and so the three become embroiled in a plot to figure out why people are killed for this piece of code and to keep themselves alive.Eisler mixes in technology, military/spy technique, family pain, and a little romance to pull together a fast-paced novel that keeps the reader interested without leaving her with the feeling of manipulation or hyperbole that many thrillers do. The characters seem real and honest, and from what I know (remember, English teacher here), the guns, the fighting, and the technology ring true as well (although I admit that my knowledge of most of these things comes from watching The Unit on DVD from Netflix.) All in all, the book is very enjoyable.
I wouldn’t recommend this book if you are looking for something that you want to parse apart for glorious language or if you’re going to be studying complex character development - these things are not the purpose of a thriller, and thus, they suffer a bit. Yet, if you want a quick, fun, engrossing read that pulls you out of your world (I hope this isn’t your world) and gives you a way to think about new places (or revisit old ones like I did during the San Francisco scenes) and new adventures, then Fault Line is definitely for you. Take it to the beach; cuddle under a blanket with a cup of coffee; read it at the library while your kids go to story time; teach it (as I might) as a model of narrative arc that works well. It’s versatile and fun - a good summer read.
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Andrea Cumbo, May 26, 2009
Sometimes books take a while to get revved up, but when we let them get warm in our hands and settle us into our seats, we find gems in the pages. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is one of those books.The first few pages were a bit slow because they are so subtle. They tell the story of an old man, Henry, who finds himself stunned by a Japanese parasol that has been pulled out of an abandoned hotel in Seattle. Henry has lost his wife, and somehow this parasol triggers that spark of life that he needs to keep going. Ford’s writing embeds the importance of this event in the mundane, but if a reader keeps at it, she will find herself richly rewarded.
The book spans two timeframes in Seattle’s history - the 1980s and the 1940s - and describes the life of a Chinese-American (Henry) and a Japanese-American (Keiko) who become friends as children during World War II. The cultural complexities of that time when internment camps and Chinese nationalism ran high alongside the soft but biting racism against African-Americans give this novel a social dimension that fleshes out a great deal that I did not know (and was not taught) about the 1940s, particularly on the West Coast. I don’t remember ever reading about or hearing a teacher speak about Japanese Internment Camps here on the East Coast, and the mentions I had of that dark stain of American history came only when I lived in California and read Farewell to Manzanar. Maybe out of embarrassment we have tried to erase this element of our history. I’m glad Ford has brought it back to me, for it is only when we hide something that we cannot work to heal it.
But it’s not just the political and cultural elements of the novel that make it a valuable book; the writing and characterization are subtle and complex. None of the characters here are flat; none are simple; none are wholly right or wholly wrong - they are people. Additionally, the novel is well-paced and gripping for a mystery drives the book forward (a mystery I won’t reveal for those of you who will take my advice and pick up this book). Relationships quiver with life on these pages, and the setting - historically accurate Seattle - is rich and rewarding, reminding me a great deal of what I heard about San Francisco during the same time periods. The moments of tenderness and brutality in this book live fully, bringing me to tears and gasps even as I plowed ahead to hear what was next. And Henry, the protagonist, well, I love him - both as a child I want to help and protect and as an old man at whose feet I would like to sit.
Occasionally, Ford’s writing, particularly at the end of chapters, seems a bit forced, like he’s trying to be writerly, but these lines are overlooked in light of the clarity and richness of the story.
So please, pick up Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, carve out a leisurely afternoon, make a cup of green tea, and read the hours away while adding these characters and this history into your mind.
(6 of 11 readers found this comment helpful)
The Abhorsen Trilogy Box Set by Garth Nix
Andrea Cumbo, May 21, 2009
I read all three books of the series, gobbling up the fantasy and momentum of these stories filled with magic and the struggle of good to continue conquering evil. The characters are fun, and the world complex. Plus, there’s this great animal character in the last two books that gives them whimsy and also reminded me of how everything - animals, plans, our human-made creations - is connected to something greater than ourselves.(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
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