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Sunday Salon: The Amen! Praise the Lord! Edition

Dec5

The lame walk. Wow! HT: Lars Walker at Brandywine Books.

Here, both the data about world health and prosperity and the way it’s presented are fascinating. You’ll just have to take my word for it and watch to understand what I’m talking about:

I really like this idea: Journibles.

The idea for this comes from Deuteronomy 17:18, where God commands the kings of Israel to hand-write their own copy of the Torah, or book of the law. The purpose of this was so that they would carry it with them always, read it, learn from it, and lead the people accordingly. It’s interesting to note that 3400 years later, educators have been discovering that most people learn kinesthetically, by doing or writing things out for themselves.

As you open the book, you will see chapter and verse numbers on the right-hand pages. These are conveniently spaced according to the length of each verse. However, these pre-formatted lines are left blank for you to hand-write your Journibleâ„¢ book of yourself.

In fact, I think I’m going to ask for one of these, maybe the book of John, for Christmas.

Semicolon Fascinations: News and Links

Oct7

Jay Parini reviews Tinkers, the Pulitzer-prize winning novel by Paul Harding, in The Guardian. I’m torn. The fact that Mr. Harding was a student of Marilynne Robinson is promising, but the comparisons to Faulkner are off-putting. I never have been able to slow myself down enough to ramble along Southern lanes with Faulkner. Would I find the ramblings of a Maine tinker any more accessible?

Instructions for a walking tour along the middle Thames downstream from Oxford. Doesn’t walking or bicycling along this route, where Kenneth Grahame was inspired to write The Wind in the Willows and Jerome K. Jerome set his Three Men in a Boat, sound absolutely delightful? I’d probably get lost or poop out, but on (virtual) paper it seems inviting.

Stephen R. Lawhead (author of Hood, Byzantium, and other beloved novels) has a new book out, The Skin Map. It came out on September 1, and I had no idea. The Skin Map is the beginning of a new series of fantasy novels, called Bright Empires, which ultimately will consist of five books. The concept sounds a little bit like LOST in its exploration of time travel and alternate realities. The second volume, The Bone House has a publication date of September, 2011. I think I’ll restrain myself at least until then. I dislike reading the first book in a series and then waiting a year to read the next one. If you’ve never read an books by Lawhead, and if you’re fond of things Celtic and somewhat historical/fantastical, I would suggest either Byzantium, my favorite, or the King Raven Trilogy about Robin Hood, beginning with Hood. His King Arthur books are good, too.

When homeschooling and nonsensical bureaucracy conflict. Why can’t this 15 year old boy play water polo with a high school club? Well, it’s mostly because the adults involved don’t want to make a decision in case someone gets something wrong. We had a situation similar to this one when Eldest Daughter first went to college at Baylor. The officials at Baylor were afraid to admit her because she would celebrate her eighteenth birthday a few days after school started. And seventeen year olds fell under different rules relating to supervision and financial aid. It was ridiculous, and we finally got it worked out. But it was a bureaucratic mess for a while.

A pastor’s list of 99 books that made my first 50 years worth living. I liked his list and may add some of the books on the list to my TBR list.

YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults nominations. I wish I could read all of these in addition to all the Middle Grade Fiction nominees that I’m going to be reading. So many books, so little time.

Sunday Salon: Autumn is My Favorite Season

Sep26

Vagabond Song by Bliss Carmon
THERE is something in the autumn that is native to my blood–
Touch of manner, hint of mood;
And my heart is like a rhyme,
With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.
The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills.
There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.

Dawn celebrates falling leaves with crafts, books, art, science projects, nature study, and tea in this post from 2006.

Jama Rattigan has a recipe for Autumn Garden Soup and a follow-up post on Autumn Picture Book Soup.
And here Ms. Rattigan celebrates orange goodness.

Christ and Pop Culture: An Autumn Playlist

A is for Autumn and also for apples: 100 Apple-y Activities for Home and School.

Celebrating autumn (the Waldorf way) at The Magic Onions.

Carrie at Reading to Know reviews Kitten’s Autmn by Eugenie Fernandes.

Coffee Books Tea and Me Autumn Decorations. Brenda’s Autumn Decorations At Coffee Books Tea and Me, Part Two.

100 Pumpkins: A Celebration of All Things Pumpkin-ish.

In November 2006, Semicolon celebrated the Pecan, King of all nuts with a series of posts.

Autumn 2006-2007 at Semicolon.

It’s still rather warm and summmery here in Houston where summer can extend its sweltering tentacles into October and even early November. My plan is try to entice Autumn into southeast Texas with a series of blog posts this week on autumnal themes. If you have a post at your blog on autumn, autumn reading, fall fun, fall recipes, anything seasonal, leave a comment and I’ll link to your post. Meanwhile, enjoy the links above, and especially enjoy the days the Lord has made.

More Forgotten Treasures

Sep16

My favorite meme from BBAW this year is the Forgotten Treasures meme from Thursday (yesterday) in which we all named favorite books that we feel have been neglected or forgotten or under-appreciated. Here are some of the titles I found at other bloggers’ sites that I either agreed should be read by all discerning readers or that I was inspired to read myself because I’ve been one of those who missed out on that particular treasure.

I agree; it’s a treasure!
Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards. Recommended at 5 Minutes for Books. I wrote about Mandy and some other secret hiding place books for children here.
Gautami Tripathy is right: All of the more than 90 books by P.G. Wodehouse are deserving of a wide audience. In fact, Wodehouse is a better cure for depression than drugs or counseling. Cheaper, too.
Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza. Recommended at A Buckeye Girl Reads. I read this nonfiction memoir from the Rwandan holocaust, and I agree that the story is haunting and inspiring.
The GIver by Lois Lowry. Recommended at I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read. I like this classic dystopian novel, too.
Countdown by Deborah Wiles. Recommended at Erin Reads. I read this middle grade fiction title set in 1962 and wrote about it here.
Half Magic by Edward Eager. Recommended at A Tapestry of Words. I love Edward Eager! I love Edward Eager. And I think Half Magic is my favorite of his books.

I want to discover these treasures!
A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True by Brigid Pasulka. Recommended by The Lost Entwife. Poland. WW II. Family intrigue and history. I’m hooked.
Eli the Good by Silas House. Recommended by SuziQOregon at Whimpulsive. YA fiction.
My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay. Recommended at Books, Movies and Chinese Food. This YA fiction book tells the story of a fateful mission trip to Indonesia and the teens who survived. The description reminds me of this book, also set in Indonesia and one I found quite compelling.
The Outside Boy by Jeanine Cummins. Recommended at Take Me Away. A coming of age story about a gypsy boy and his father in Ireland. My fascination with becoming immersed in the details of a completely foreign culture is definitely triggered.
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman. Recommended at Love YA Lit. Wow! How did I miss this one? A young man, Shawn, is stuck inside a non-functioning body, unable to communicate. And he’s afraid his father might want to let him/make him die because dad believes Shawn has the mind of an infant an a life of unbearable suffering. I’ve got to read this book.
Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson. Recommended at Aelia Reads. Fairy tale re-telling. Check.
Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelley. Recommended by Pixie at Page Turners. New book about a girl with Asperger’s who learns to make friends in a new town. Pixie, you should nominate this one for the Cybils when nominations open on October 1st.
The Life of Glass by Jillian Cantor. Recommended by My Friend Amy. Ditto above. This one looks as if it could be a worthy Cybils nominee, too.
The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci. About outcasts and life (and death?) on the margins. I’ve ot to read this one. Recommended by My Friend Amy.
Gabriel’s Story by David Anthony Durham. Recommended by Natasha at Maw Books. A Western? Yeah, this one sounds too good to miss.
War Child by Emmanuel Jal. Also recommended by Natasha at Maw Books. And here’s another book for my Africa project.
Stone’s Fall by Iain Pear. Recommended by Alyce, at home with books. At 600+ pages, I’m not sure when I’ll get around to this one. But it might be worth the time.
The Valley of Song by Elizabeth Goudge. Recommended at Charlotte’s Library. A “dizzying pastiche of mythology, folklore, and Christianity.” A secret, magical valley. I can’t resist.
True Confections by Kathryn Weber. Recommended by The Literary Omnivore. Enter into the world of candy-making. And the main character can’t stand Roald Dahl. Me, too.
Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson. Recommended by Melissa at Book Nut.
The WInthrop Woman by Anya Seton. Recommended by Suey at It’s All About the Book. I’ve been reading about the Pilgrims and the Puritans, so this novel is quite timely for me. Also, I liked Seton’s Katharine, about Katharine Swynford, very much when I read it a couple of years ago.
Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Recommended at Genre Reviews. YA Christian fantasy.
The World Inside by Robert Silverburg. Recommended at Opinions of a Wolf. Dystopian fiction about an overpopulated world.
The Chrysalids by John Wyndham. Recommended by Leeswammes. More dystopian fiction, this time from the 950’s, but according to the reviewer still relevant.

Oh, my. Did I really just add 19 more books to my already unmanageable TBR list? Yes, I did. And now I am stepping away from the computer. No more Forgotten Treasures, or I may drown in this embarrassment of riches.

BBAW: Forgotten Treasure

Sep15

Sure we’ve all read about Freedom and Mockingjay but we likely have a book we wish would get more attention by book bloggers, whether it’s a forgotten classic or under marketed contemporary fiction. This is your chance to tell the community why they should consider reading this book!

I have so many forgotten treasures on my bookshelves that I don’t even know where to start. In fact, I’ve written on this subject before.

Under the Radar: An Adult Fiction Trio. Don Camillo, Andrea Orsini, and Rima the Bird Girl: if you don’t recognize the names of these fictional characters, you should. They’re all fascinating characters from popular fiction of the past.

Under the Radar: Christian Fiction. “Christian fiction” has gotten a bad rap, partially deserved. Some so-called “Christian fiction” (just like some YA fiction and some post-modern fiction) is nothing more than a bad sermon disguised as an even worse story. However, some of the fiction published by Christian publishing houses is not only exemplary and literary, but also just good reading.

Madeleine L’Engle. I don’t know if Ms. L’Engle is under-appreciated or not. But my favorite of her books, The Love Letters, is out of print. Even so, I’ve managed to get a few bloggers to read it. Maybe you would enjoy this story of failed promises and redemptive love. Check out the discussion at Amy’s review, Deanna’s thoughts, and Carrie’s journal.

Lin Yutang’s The Importance of Living was a bestseller in its day (1937), but it’s out of print and forgotten nowadays. If you enjoy light-hearted essays from a Chinses American perspective, you’ll love Mr. Lin’s book. It’s an antidote for those who take themselves too seriously.

Finally, if you’re still searching for more treasure, my unfinished list of the 100 Best Fiction Books of all time is a great resource. Claim a treasure and please be sure that if you do, you come back and tell me about it. We all like to know what treasure troves we’ve unlocked for other readers.

BBAW: Unexpected Treasure

Sep15

We invite you to share with us a book or genre you tried due to the influence of another blogger. What made you cave in to try something new and what was the experience like?

I’d like to go in a bit of a different direction with this question. I’ve always read children’s books and children’s fiction. I used to be an elementary school librarian. I’ve read most of the classics, most of the Newbery Medalists, some of them more than once. However, it was my participation in the Cybils Award process for the past four years that gave me the opportunity to read and appreciate lots and lots of the new books that are being published for children. And, wow did I find some unexpected treasures.


My first year (2006) as a Cybils judge I read Kiki Strike by Kirsten Miller, and I fell in love with this tale of underground New York and the weirdly powerful girls who save the city from disaster. Even better, Brown Bear Daughter, who was then eleven years old old, loved the book, too.

My second year with Cybils, I was a first round panelist which meant lots more books to read and lots more favorites. A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban, Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata, Leap of Faith by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson were all wonderful discoveries. However, my personal favorite from 2007 didn’t even make the finalist list, and I might not have read it had it not been for the Cybils judging: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Stewart. Great and unexpected treasure.

In 2008 and 2009, I was again honored to be a panelist for Middle Grade Fiction. In 2008 I discovered Alvin Ho, a neurotic seven year old from Cambridge MA, fictional creation of author Lenore Look, and The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd, about a young detective and a mysterious disappearance from the famous Wheel in London. Last year Heart of a Shepherd by Roseanne Parry stole my heart, and Leaving the Bellweathers by Kristin Clark Venuti made me and my son laugh together.

I don’t know if I’ll be judging for the Cybils this year or not, but I’m so hooked that I’ll be there on October 1 to nominate my favorites, and I’ll be reading as many of the nominated titles as I can find whether I’m judging or not. Cybils is great place to dig for unexpected treasure.

BBAW Interview Swap

Sep14

Swapna Krishna of S. Krishna’s Books is a 20-something reader and book blogger from Washington, D.C. Since she’s about the age of my Eldest Daughter, it was a blast to swap interviews with her for Book Blogger Appreciation Week and get some reading recommendations from the younger generation.

We don’t know each other at all, but I am indebted to you for several good reading suggestions including Best Intentions by Emily Listfield and Eat, Drink and Be from Mississippi by Nanci Kincaid. I see that you also enjoyed The Help by Kathryn Stockett. That brief list makes me think we share a fondness for literature set in the South. Is that so, and if so, can you name other favorite pieces of Southern literature?

Yes!! I do very much enjoy literature set in the South. One of my favorite authors, not just of Southern fiction but generally, is Karen White. She specializes in Southern fiction – I love The House on Tradd Street, The Memory of Water, and The Lost Hours, just to name a few. I also loved Beth Hoffman’s Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, a book I know made its way around the blogosphere.

How did you get started as a reader? As a book blogger?

I’ve been a reader all my life – I started reading at the tender age of 3, thanks to my older sister who taught me to read! I started as a book blogger over 2 years ago. I had gotten to a point where I would buy books, bring them home, and realize I’d already read them but didn’t remember the titles because I didn’t keep track of what I was reading. I tried a paper journal, but I filled it up so quickly that it seemed silly. I’d already been reading book blogs by then, so I thought I’d start one to review books, but also just to keep a record of what I’d read!

If you could vacation in a book world, where would you go to get away from it all? What book would you like to enter into and interact with the characters?

Oooh, lovely question! This is cliche, but probably Harry Potter. I loved how vivid of a world J.K. Rowling created. Those books are still my escape when I need to get away from life for awhile. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read them.

I read at your website that you are a member of the National Book Critics Circle. What is that, and why did you join?

The NBCC is a association of book reviewers, mostly print reviewers. I joined when I started working with The Book Studio, a book website that features video interviews with authors. I haven’t really done much with it, but it’s nice to have!

I also noticed your South Asian Review Database and your South Asian Author Challenge, a different kind of “Southern literature.”What are those all about?

That’s so true, I didn’t think of it that way, but it is a different type of Southern literature, ha! South Asia consists of countries around the Indian subcontinent – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, etc. My heritage is South Asian, so I’ve always been very interested in literature from the region. In mid-2009, I realized there wasn’t a huge presence of South Asian literature within the blogosphere, and the South Asian Challenge was an effort to rectify that. The South Asian Review Database is a place where anyone (challenge participant or not) can come to link up their reviews of books by South Asian authors. It’s all my effort to promote the literature of the region, I only wish I could do more!

What are your favorite books and/or authors from South Asia?

Well, I’ll have to include the cliche answers, Salman Rushdie and Jhumpa Lahiri. Rushdie got me interested in South Asian literature when I read The Satanic Verses in high school (though, knowing what I know now, there’s no way I could have fully understood it and I must go back and read it sometime). Recently, I’ve become a cheerleader for Thrity Umrigar. All of her books are good, but The Weight of Heaven just blew me away. Additionally, Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s The Secret Daughter was just amazing. I also love Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (she is an incredibly prolific author, but I’ve only read 2 of her books) and Indu Sundaresan’s historical fiction.

What book or books inspire you?

Hmmm, this is a tough one. Books with beautiful writing usually inspire me, hence why I am such a fan of Salman Rushdie. Fyodor Dostoevsky, W. Somerset Maugham – these are writers I love simply because their prose speaks to me. It really stirs something within me.

What do you like to do when you’re not reading?

When I’m not reading, I’m usually spending time with my husband. He works a lot, so when he’s not working, we’re usually together. We love watching TV, and to a lesser extent, movies. I’ve gotten him into Indian movies (he isn’t Indian), so we’ve been watching more of those lately! We love to eat good food and we travel A LOT (a little too much lately, if you ask me!) I love spending time with my friends, though many aren’t local, so I do spend too much time on the phone, and it’s why I travel so much. I also just love to experience the area I live in, Washington DC.

You’re sort of a veteran book blogger. What advice do you have for those who are new to book blogging?

Funny, I don’t think of myself as a veteran! I guess my advice to those who are new to book blogging would be to READ. I know it sounds silly, but seriously. Read anything and everything. Consistent posts are crucial if you’re trying to build an audience. Additionally, I know it’s tempting to start clamoring for review copies the second you start a blog, but resist that temptation and wait for awhile! Review your own books or library books – build up a healthy review library before you start asking publishers for books.

Thanks, Swapna. I really did enjoy getting to know you and your blog, and I’m planning to read some more South Asian fiction soon. You’ve inspired me!

And here Swapna interviews me. You know, you could just be-bop back and forth all day: Swapna to Semicolon, Semicolon to Swapna, S. Krishna’s Books to Semicolon’s reviews, etc. Have a great day.

BBAW: First Treasure

Sep13

Today is the beginning of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, and I’m in Nashville instead of at home with my trusty partner in blogging, my own little Mac. Instead I’m typing this post on a library computer at Vanderbilt University where Eldest Daughter is in class, and I must say it feels . . . out of sync, uncomfortable, and wrong. I didn’t know I was so stuck in a rut, but I miss my Mac. And I missed my blog this past weekend when I was off the grid.

Anyway, today is the day for giving our readers a gift of re-direction to a new blog that we’ve discovered since last year. Of course, my favorite new book blog is Judy’s Seize the Book. (I had to say that; Judy is my one and only sister.) No, I didn’t really have to say that; I really believe I’m giving you a gift when I send you to Judy’s fairly new blog.

Judy works in a library, and she reads a lot. I still don’t know what virus or hereditary condition it was in our family, but both of us caught it: the bibliovirus maybe. Judy reads more Christian fiction and nonfiction than I do, but her tastes are eclectic, too. The post at the top of her webpage right now is a review of Mary Beth Chapman’s Choosing to See. Judy has some great reviews, and she sometimes gives books away, something I don’t know how to do. She’s also got a strange predilection for nasty forensic police procedural crime fiction, something that generally grosses me out. So we’re sisters, but different.

I highly recommend that you add Seize the Book to your blog reader or to your blogosphere rounds if any of the above interests you. My sweet sister is a beautiful voice added to the blog world this year, even if she does read a few gory books along the way.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week

Jun7

OK, so I’m registering for Book Blogger Appreciation Week, and they want a list of my five best posts (from this year?). I’m not sure what those are , so I think I’ll just choose something from each month, January through June. Those of you who want a review, enjoy.

12 Tips for New Bloggers, Especially Book Bloggers

Boarding School Books

Poem #1: Psalm 23 by David, King of Israel, c. 1000 BC

Sunday Salon: On Reviewing Books

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser

And here are a few bonus “blast from the past” posts from before 2010:

The End of the Alphabet, Wit, and John Donne

Where I Am From . . .

Inspired by . . . Book-loving Books

Narnia Aslant: A Narnia-Inspired Reading List

If you’re book blogger, you should register, too. It’s going to be lots of fun.

More Cures for a Slow Summer

Jun4

My posts about things to do for those who need a cure for summer boredom continue to be quite popular and bring lots of hits to this blog. You can look at some of these ideas in the following posts:

June: Celebrations, Links, and Birthdays
Bored –Nothing to Do: 100 Ideas to Cure Boredom
100 More Things to Do When You’re Bored: Summer Edition
Summer Reading 2010: 52 Picks for the Hol(idays)

And here are a few fresh ideas and links:

The Village Church: Family Summer Activity Booklet
Rebecca’s Pocket: 2010 Summer Reading Lists
Summer Craft Projects at About.com