Odds and Ends

I went away for a long weekend to catch up on my reading, among other things. I finally got into a book that Don gave me for Christmas, The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging! So now I know everything that I'm doing wrong, which is not using enough graphics to keep readers from zoning out with my long rants about books and politics. Looks like I need to spend more time in front of the computer figuring out the tricks of the trade. Like I'm not in front of this damn screen enough? Oy vay.

Books I may not finish:
Saving Savannah; the City and the Civil War by Jacqueline Jones. It's got everything I like: prizewinning writer, plenty of facts/photos all cited, interesting characters who are unsung heros that you've never heard of. What I don't have is time to tackle the 600 pages right now and do it justice. Ever since our trip last fall to Savannah I've had my eye on this book. I may have mentioned that we took the usual, white bread tour of the city one morning and learned the standard history of this lovely southern city. In the afternoon we took the much smaller, but eye-opening, African American tour of Savannah and were introduced to the dark, underbelly of the American city named after the African savannah, built by slaves who worked in the brick factories or toiled in the rice fields. Who knew?
Twice I have been squired past the First African Baptist Church on Johnson Square but it wasn't until the third tour that I was taken inside and learned that this was a stop on the Underground Railroad. We were shown where the slaves hid in the sub-basement and how the woodwork was designed to disguise the breathing holes in the floor.

Reconciliation by Benazir Bhutto. I'm not sure what I expected with this book - perhaps more introspection and historical background? I listened to two cd's before I reluctantly gave up based upon the self-serving tone of Mrs. Bhutto's reflections. I had carefully followed her return from exile to Pakistan fearing for her safety and wondering how a person, a wife, a mother, could put herself directly in harm's way for political reasons. What drives someone to put country or their place in history above themselves? We can think of so many comparable figures in the past who have lived to make a difference or die trying and have changed the course of history. I guess it remains to be seen where Bhutto, her husband and now her son will fit into this big picture.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The reader didn't work for me. My mind kept drifting throughout the first cd. Life's too short. Maybe I'll read it someday but there are so many other fish in the sea!

Books I finished but probably wouldn't recommend:
Clash of Civilizations over an Elevator in the Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous. Is that the best title in the whole world? I picked it up based on the title and a blurb I read in an obscure magazine or on a web site. The clever premise is that a body is found in the elevator of a boarding house peopled with an eclectic group of immigrants who then each speculate about which of their neighbors likely committed the deed. If you remember playing that game "Telephone" when you were a kid, that's what this novel does. Each chapter is a different person's take on all of the others in the boarding house. It soon becomes obvious to the reader that there's a huge communication gap among the neighbors based upon cultural biases and language difficulties. No one really understands what the other is thinking or doing or what motivates them so conclusions are based upon false assumptions. There's a lesson to be learned here and this novel may actually lend itself to a discussion but it's not really what I would call an enjoyable read.

Lulu in Marrakech by Diane Johnson. OK, even I could be a better CIA operative than Lulu. What a ditz. That's all I have to say about that. Have to go mow the lawn before I go to work but tomorrow I'll write about the best new restaurant in town where Maryellen and I shared a fantastic dinner last night.