When You Are Engulfed in Flames

I have read most of David Sedris earlier work and loved them . So I was excited to pick up this one.

However this book I do not feel represents his best work. The essays were not as snarky or as funny.In his earlier work he is gifted in bring out the humor of almost any situation. During the time I read “Engulfed in Flames” I kept waiting for the funny to kick in but it never did.

The essay themselves cover the usual gambit from his family to his health. There was a essay on how and where he quit smoking. I felt that that essay should had been rife with his usual snarky attire but alas it was almost boring.

This brings me to my question. If an author earlier work is more funny or more entertaining than his current one, does that mean that his current book is somehow less than an earlier one?

I mean, if I had picked up this one first I might have said this was a good book. But since I read Naked first, I know this is just so so for him. I am uneasy giving it a lesser rating just because of that. What is your thoughts on this?

Packing for mars

To the average person being an astronaut is one of the most glamorous jobs out there. What could be more glamorous than going where so few people have gone before?

What most don’t realize and what Mary Roach covers in “Packing for Mars” is that there is a lot of un glamorous things that astronauts have to do.

Roach covers the topic in her usual lighthearted and funny take on things. If you have read and of her previous work she has the same voice albeit a bit more mature.

She also does not back away from “delicate” topics. Like going to the bathroom in space. If you are like me and never have given that aspect a second thought that chapter will be enlightening. It covers everything from the first fecal bag to the now top of the line suction toilet. She goes into her usual depth about how bathroom toilets progresses and the insensitive that emerge from having to deal with not having a place to dump the waste in outers space to if an astronaut misses the toilet.

She also deals with if anyone has ever had sex in space or in weightless gravity. She herself does a lot of research to be able to write detailed book about what it would entail in bringing live humans to Mars.She undergoes some of the same training that astronauts go through. She is complete honest and funny in her findings.

Perhaps the most important thing that she discusses is how people manage to survive in such closed quarters for the duration of the mission. I don’t know about you but I take my space for seriously. Which is why I live alone. But Astronauts when there are on a mission and even in the international Space Station must like in close quarters. So what kind of  effects does that have on them.

Believe it or not they actually have simulations of that here on earth. They put people into enclosed spaces and see how things pan out. Things don’t always pan out the way people hope.

There is a lot more that Roach discussed in her book. The whole thing is a fascinating journey into what really goes into preparing to go out into space. Perhaps, at least for me one of the shocking revelations was that an astronaut is not guaranteed a flight into space. He or she spends most of her time in earth simulations and hope that one  day they will get to see the glory that is outer space.

Friday Night Knitting Club

it took me a week to finsh this book. Normally I can finish a book in a couple of days but this book dragged on and on. I should have just quit the book but I am one of those people who must stick to the bitter end.

My first problem is that there seems to be no plot in the first half of the book. I understand that the author was giving background information but I feel it could have been done within the confines of a plot that actually moves forward. The first half of this book was filled with non events and the reader couldn’t tell where the story was going.

I knew that that Jacobs was attempting to weave multiple issues into the story. However what she did write felt more like it was contrived of stereotypical ways than things that you can really believe. In my humble opinion believable characters can make or break a story.

This book really for me at least raised the question of how much background information one really needs. Or if there is a better way of implementing the background information or if this was really not my type of book. If it the latter that makes me sad because I heard good things about this book and really wanted to enjoy it, but I did not.

Sunday Salon

I have been busy packing and moving. It has sadly cut into my reading time. I have one more big pile of stuff to go through then I will be all done and can devote myself to reading.

I have a library book that has to go back monday so I am going to spend the day reading that/ It is Mary Roach “Packing for Mars” I love her books and I am already enjoying this one.

This pictures shows the ARC books I have gotten in the mail over the past couple of weeks.

AfterI read all my libabry books that have to go back in Feb, I am agoing to devote myself to reading these.

The coffee has finished brewing so am off to read. What are you reading today?

Standing for Something

I am of the firm belif that we need to get back to civility as practiced in the old days. Don't get me wrong I am as Liberal as you will get but I feel that in time we have lost the niceties that make living more pleasant. When I saw this in the library I knew I had to read it.

The book list 10 virtues that will enhance anyone who follows them. It is not overly preachy or anything like that. Being the brilliant man that he was he puts things in such a light that even non religious people can read.

I loved this book. It really does name the virtues that if everyone practiced than this would be a much better world. For example it list honesty as a virtue. Most of us think that we are honest enough but this book makes you see it goes deeper than one would think. It explains even simple acts of dishonesty can pervade our whole life. It gives examples and shows how you can be honest and still practice compassion.

Literary Blog Hop: Jan 6-9

How did you find your way to reading literary fiction and nonfiction?

When it was found out that I was profoundly Deaf at the age of three the Dr told my mother that I would never read above a 4th grade level. Once you tell my mother something cant be done she will do anything to prove you wrong. This ended up to be a blessing in disguise.

She had always read to me but of course I did not exactly hear her. When I started school I was way behind. I got sent to the “special reading room” for a year. Even at that young age I knew I was missing out on the good books the “regular” kids got to read so me and my mom and my teacher practiced and practiced. Once I started learning ASL and could communicate better it was like a puzzle all came together.

I still remember the day I was allowed in to the regular classroom. I had gotten all A’s for a whole year in special reading so they sent me with the regular kids. The joy of reading something that did not repeat itself over and over and over was immense. I was also allowed to use the school library. That's when my reading took over my life. I read and read. My mother bought books but I would read so fast she finally got me a membership at the public library and that's when I started reading literary works. I think I skipped over all the Young Adult books and went straight to the “grown up” books.

As a Deaf child I couldn't communicate well with other children so books became my refuge. In a book I was equal. Still to this day I would rather read then interact with live human people.

Flirt

When I first picked up this book, i felt she must had a serious case of writers block. Most of her books are good and thick but this one was only 178 pages long. Then I found out that this book was a cure for writers block while she was writing another book. Ok whatever works.

The plot is that two bereaved spouses come and try to force Anita to raise their respective spouse from the grave. She refused both of them but one take extraordinary measures to force her to raise his wife.

I liked her earlier work but as time goes on it seems that her books become filled more and more with orgy type scenes. This book however was different. It focused almost solely on Anita’s work as a necromancer. There was one sex scene but it was not as explicit as usual. I hope this marks a turn in her returning to her roots.

As usual the ending turned out well. Anita always gets herself in situations that I think she cant get herself out of but she always manages to. The plot wasn't much. I felt that it was better than some of her latest work in that the plot actually had some action other than sex in it. I am not a prude by any means but when a whole book and worse book after book starts having multiple sex scenes that distract from the plot then I start to take offense.

This was a short and sweet book that avoid her earlier books pitfalls.