Book Reviews or Book Reports

As I was reading today, I thought about what I would write, if anything, on the Goodreads app about the book I am currently reading. I realized that I don't write reviews of books that I read. I usually just give it a star rating and maybe a word or two reinforcing the rating. Nothing that really would help another reader.

I began to think about why I don't write reviews. The simple answer is that I don't like to take the time to write one. It's enough for me to give it a star-rating, say a few things about the book, and then move on. It's as if I don't want to waste time writing about a book I have read when I could already be reading another.

Having that attitude is sure to cause problems when the time comes to discuss the book. Interestingly, I have almost no time for book reviewers like me. They don't tell me anything. I enjoy the well-thought-out reviews that not only tell a little about the plot, but also a little about how the plot moves forward.

I'm getting tired now - I can see from what I wrote in the last paragraph. I think I'll stop now.

Two Pleasant Surprises

Today I had to take my wife to the doctor and wait for her. Instead of taking the Kate Atkinson novel, I decided to try and get into one of the other books I have listed as "currently reading" in Goodreads. I really only had read the introduction. It is "Pale Rider" by Laura Spinney and it's about the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic.

It begins with discussing how viruses start, who or what carries them, and how they transform and mutate. I am finding this intensely interesting. It may become a candidate for future book club selection.

The second surprise is even better. We dropped by the ABC store before going to Wegman's for our shopping that we normally do when we go to Charlottesville for doctor visits (Now that we live in Stuart's Draft it only takes us about 35 minutes instead of 1 1/2 hours.) I was looking for my Blanton's bourbon, but the store didn't have it. What it did have was Bunnahabhain 12-year-old, one of two favorite single malt whiskies. But this had a different design on the label.

It said it was a "Small Batch Distilled" and matured in sherry, bourbon, and whisky casks. The ABV was 46.3%, higher than the normal 43%. I could definitely taste the vanilla notes. It was so much smoother than the original.

And the real surprise is that this has been around since 2010! I guess it just became available in the USA within the last year. I certainly haven't seen it before 2018.

All in all, a good day.

The Serpent

I have been cleaning up desk things so consequently, this will be a mish-mash of things today.

The Julia Alvarez book is the next book club selection we'll be discussing. It is a fictionalized story of four sisters who lived in the Dominican Republic under Trujillo and the death of three of them. I was looking over the discussion questions that were sent out to everyone as well as reviewing my own notes. The novel was written in 1994, but I have a hardback copy that I read. I became interested in one of my notes from page 121.

Maria Theresa, commonly called Mate, asks a person named Fela who is known for conjuring up spells if she has one that Mate could use on a bad person. Fela comes up with one in which you write the name of that person on a slip of paper and put it in your left shoe, then burn the paper and spread the ashes near the person. (The assumption here is that you walk around on the paper before you ultimately take it out and burn it.) Fela also says you put one in your right shoe for problems with someone you love.

What I found fascinating is that Fela says this spell works because Eve crushed the head of the serpent in Genesis 3:15 with her left foot. When I looked the passage up in the Bible, it had nothing stating clearly that this happened. But the study bible I used, went into a lot of detail about how important this passage was and what it meant. At that point, I stopped reading because obviously, I was getting into something that was not material to the story no matter interesting it might have been in the religious area. So I will have to return to it later.

This afternoon I spent out buying birthday cards and sympathy cards.

This evening I will be watching the State of the Union speech by the President.

Let's Try Again

Yesterday's blog writing was a disaster. I couldn't post anything. I tried twice. (As you can see now that I have found it.)

Admittedly, I was writing late - after the Super Bowl - but that shouldn't have mattered. All I know is that my work wasn't saved. And the trouble is that I don't remember everything I was writing.

One thing I do remember I wanted to comment about was a book I am reading for the book club's May selection: "Life After Life" by Kate Atkinson. 

Essentially, it is about a girl who is born but keeps dying and then is reborn again through different events or circumstances. WW2, especially the Blitz, plays a large part in the story. Of course, it takes place in England.

I tried to read it a few years ago but found it too confusing. This time I am reading it and making notes as to when and why Ursula (her name) dies, and then how her death is prevented the next time.

Just to add to this mystery of yesterday's post, the following was also listed as saved as a draft of the Feb 3 post:

"Today was Super Bowl Sunday. I wasn't interested in the game nor the teams (Patriots vs Rams) other than I was born in Los Angeles. Actually, Culver City, but most people not in the film industry would know that.

I spent some time today working on answers to questions as to why he was hanging around the like a spy as opposed to a close friend.

Tomorrow I will attempt to become the first female intelligence officer."

The first paragraph is factually correct, though it could have been written more clearly. The second and third make no sense at all to me. I don't remember writing them. Could I have been writing in the POV of the Ursula in the story? I simply don't know.

Scary, isn't it?

Assortment

NOTE: THIS IS ACTUALLY FEBRUARY 3RD'S POST. STRANGE THINGS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING!

Today my wife came home and the cat, Allie, was very happy. I was happy as well. It meant that I didn't have to give insulin shots to anyone but me. Allie like it as well. It was quick and painless and nothing like the drawn-out affair when I have to it.

I watched the Super Bowl tonight, but only because of the commercials. There were only two or three that were good or interesting. Not like in years' past. I was not interested in the game; I really didn't care which team won.

I spent some time today working on the book we will be reading in May for the Book Club. One of the major threads throughout the book is that the main character, Ursula, dies and is reborn in an attempt to re-do her life so-to-speak.

So far, I have her dying eight times, and I am only halfway through the book. It's interesting, but I wonder what we will talk about and whether others will find it as interesting.

I will spend time tomorrow continuing to work on this idea.

Reading This Year

My Reading this year will be largely governed by what I have to read for the book club of which I am a member. The simple reason is that so many of them are large in page size and I am a slow reader.

I spent the day outlining my reading for the next few months but need to review it again. I'm not sure about it. There's something nagging me about it, which is why I am not going to publish it until I am certain it's correct. I can say that most of my books this year will be nonfiction.

By the way, the picture above is not of my books. I found it somewhere and will use it as my generic photo when I have no other photo to post. I don't like to have a blog entry without a photo and since most of my posts are about books and reading, I thought this one works well.

February Pre-Groundhog Day

We have just gone through a cold snap here while other parts of the country have had it much worse. In a day or two, it will be close to sixty degrees. I can get back to walking outside.

It's been just over a week now and I have been giving Allie her insulin shots most of the time. That's because my wife went up to be with our youngest daughter for an operation today. I had to practice before she left yesterday. She will return Sunday and I have already told her that she will do them for a while.

I finished reading the Wine & War book that is a book club selection. I was very pleased with it. I am now reading May's selection, "Life After Life" because it is over 525 pages and I have other books to read as well. I just past page 200.

Tomorrow is my brother's birthday. I will Skype him as normal on Sunday.

Let's hope I can do a better job this month in blogging than I did in January.