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Continuing from where I left off last time.

May

May was the month of full-on thesis panic. First, I had my committee changed, then we couldn’t agree on a defense date, and for a bit it looked like I’d have to defend the first possible week, meaning that I’d have to turn my thesis in at the beginning of the second week of May. Since I was still having trouble finding that magical rightness for the final 35 pages or so, this was not a happy thought. However, my wonderful committee members ended up going out of their respective ways to make sure that I had a little extra time to get it right. That meant that the panicked phone calls to my parents where I broke down and claimed I was just going to drop out—with one month to go—ended. That was nice for everyone involved. On the downside, though, my work with Willow Springs was coming to a close, and though we were still in full swing getting the next issue to print, it was very bittersweet knowing that it would be my last issue with the magazine.

Travels in the Scriptorium, by Paul Auster
Still in thesis reading frenzy, I picked up this Auster book for two reasons. First, I was concerned that my thesis list was leaning heavily toward female authors. Second, I’d read Auster before (The New York Trilogy) and enjoyed him. This book, however, was anything but enjoyable. I was so bothered by the book, in fact, that I wrote a blog post about it for Bark. Talk about overusing device! For a bit I thought about taking the book off my list and replacing it with something better—and the lateness of the date be damned!—but then I remembered that we learn just as much, and sometimes more, from the books that fail. So I kept it. And it ended up being an interesting discussing topic during my defense.

The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffrey Eugenides
To put it succinctly, this book was amazing. I read all but the first dozen or so pages in one sitting, unable to put the book down. For those that don’t know, the book is about the suicides of five sisters, which take place over the course of approximately a year. This fact is presented practically on page one (maybe it’s even on page one, I can’t remember exactly). There’s no melodrama here, no wondering will-she or won’t-she. Rather, it’s the story of a family’s struggles and missteps, as observed by the neighborhood boys (the book is told in first person plural). In some ways, I think putting the fact of the suicides up front goes a long way toward forcing the reader to look at the lives of these girls, as well, and that’s one reason why, though I know there’s a movie version of this, I have no intention of seeing it; that’s something that I can’t imagine will translate well to screen

The Great Hunt, by Robert Jordan
This is becoming something of a yearly thing for me, so I won’t talk too much about these books other than to say that I still love them. This is the second book in the Wheel of Time series. I needed something to read that wasn’t related to school.

The Collected Stories, by Amy Hempel
I wasn’t a short story reader before starting grad school. I didn’t consciously avoid them, it just had never really occurred to me that I should read them. But I fell in love in Amy Hempel immediately. This was the only book of short stories on my thesis list (since I was working on a novel, and since many of these were so short), but I made up for the lack by reading her collected works. It’s totally the expected thing to say, but my favorite is “In the Cemetery where Al Jolson is Buried,” though I also loved “Today will be a Quiet Day.” I love her fragmented style, the use of white space, of negative space, of leaving things unsaid. I could study her book a hundred time, I think, and still learn something new on that 101st time.

June

I started June still with two books to go for the thesis, though I was well into both of them. It was quite the whirwind month for me. My last day of work was Tuesday the 8th. I defended the 9th. My parents and Siobhan arrived the 10th (which, coincidentally, was the day the rumors started about Izzo going to the Cavs and fans held a candlelight vigil at Breslin). (I had a paper due for my feminist theory class sometime that week, too, though I’m about 99% sure I finished it prior to my defense, counting on post-defense catharsis.) Friday was my graduation, followed by dinner out, then my graduate reading. It was my second time reading in public, my first in front of my family (and my advisor). Saturday was the Willow Springs release party. Sunday we loaded up the truck and left. Sunday night, Montana, Monday night, South Dakota (Corn Palace!), Tuesday night, with friends in Iowa. We got back to Michigan on Wednesday and within 24 hours I was on a plane bound for Europe. Spent time in Switzerland, then Paris, then I was home before July. What a month!

Wittgenstein’s Mistress, by David Markson
I bought this book years and years ago, kept starting it, but never finishing it. This, I decided, was my chance. It was unusual, quirky, and had a nontraditional form—one that reminded me of Ava in a lot of ways. But it was a struggle to finish. And while Ava sang to me, this book seemed to hit mostly wrong notes. However, it worked out, because it gave me something specific to compare against in my defense, so even though it was a struggle, it paid off. I won’t be rereading it, however.

On Beauty, by Zadie Smith
This book was one of the few rereads on my thesis list, and I was pleased to see that it grew with time (though you could never say that I didn’t enjoy it the first time). I think I understood it more this time around, its complexities. What was most intriguing to me this time around was the way this book was able to look at complex social/cultural issues without ever crossing the line into propaganda. It’s a thick book, and it didn’t pull me through in one sitting, but every bit seemed worth it. At some point I’d like to read more by Smith.

Love in Infant Monkeys, by Lydia Millet
This is one of only three books that I’ve read that I can say I’ve had the pleasure of talking to the writer—and I don’t mean at a reading. I actually missed the reading because I was in a horrible mood (don’t remember why) and, as therapy, went and got my ears pierced. Instead, I went to the party my program hosted for her later that night. When she, along with a few other people went out for a cigarette break, I tagged along for conversation. She’s a very cool (and very friendly) person. (As an aside, Jess Walter was there too, meaning that he is another of the three.) Anyway, I’m talking more about the author here than the book, because I’ve already talked about the book—in my very first publishing credit ever! For those that don’t feel like clicking through, it’s an awesome book. Go read it.

The Dragon Reborn, by Robert Jordan
The third book in the Wheel of Time series. My spreadsheet says I finished this in Europe—in Paris—but it must be wrong. Why was I reading while in Paris?!

July

I don’t remember too much of this month. I unpacked my stuff at home, settled in. Started looking for a job in between helping my parents with the cooking and cleaning. I went out with my sister when she celebrated her 21st birthday (her birthday was while she was in Europe). I took a break from writing.

Girl Trouble, by Holly Goddard Jones
I wanted to love this book. I did. The premise seemed like it would be right up my alley (though, maybe if I’d given the title more weight I’d have proceeded more cautiously). I think the idea was to complicate the issues portrayed in the collection of short stories, but the various means of complication felt contrived, as if the author wanted to make a point and was more concerned in that than in telling a true story (I know, I fall into this trap often myself).

The Way of Shadows, by Brett Weeks
The first book in a series my sister recommended to me. I found the story to be mostly engaging but the writing to be rather weak. I’ll probably finish the series (I hate leaving series half-finished, as if I’ve abandoned characters halfway through their lives). I think the biggest problem with the book was that I found a supporting character to be more interesting than the main character, who I found to be whiny, with unclear motivations and morals. These things can be okay—we all change motivations and morals—but his seemed to change to fit the plot instead of coming out of the plot, if that makes sense.

The Shadow Rising, by Robert Jordan
The fourth book of the Wheel of Time.

Stone of Tears, by Terry Goodkind
The second book in the Sword of Truth Series. This book is as far as my memory serves me in this series, and I want to continue my reread of this series, but unfortunately this is as far as I own. I don’t love it enough to want to invest the hundred or so dollars it will probably cost me to buy the remaining ten or so books, and when I checked the library they didn’t have them, so like I said, I’m stuck. If anyone owns this series and wants to lend them, let me know. I treat books nicely and am good about returning them.

August

I can’t seem to recall anything that happened in August. I kept applying for jobs. I spent a lot of time reading but still not doing much writing. I think this was the month my book review came out. Woo!

The Fires of Heaven, by Robert Jordan
The fifth book in the Wheel of Time series. Goodness, I was on quite the fantasy series kick. It’s like grad school rehab.

Jesus, Interrupted, by Bart D. Ehrman
I originally picked up this book while at that awesome independent bookstore in Denver—Tattered Cover? This book looks at the contradictions in the Bible along with possible reasons for the contradictions and explanations for why most laypeople aren’t aware of the contradictions. I’ve read Ehrman’s work before, and it’s all accessible, but this, I think, was even more so. And it was interested for me to come read it, coming as I do from a particular background coupled with a certain present. Worth a look, if you’re someone who can stomach the possibility that there may be contradictions—though if you aren’t, I suppose there could be an argument that you need to give it a try more than anyone.

Princess, by Jean Sasson
This might be another book that I read in a day, though I can’t quite remember. At the most, it took me two days. It’s nonfiction, though many details have been changed for the safety of the woman profiled. It tells the story of a Saudi princess, the challenges she’s faced and overcome in her life. I did wonder while reading, however (and do again, now) at our Western fascination with the Middle East, specifically with the women. I wonder how much is too much, and at what point we begin to exploit them for our own entertainment and curiosity purposes. The alternative, separating the cultures by silence, is probably not the answer either, but I do wonder if we’ve gone too far to the other side. Anyway, this is a trilogy, I’ve heard, and I’d like to read the remaining two books at some point.

Half the Sky, by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
A fantastic book of reportage, this book looks at the various plights faced by women and girls around the globe, and the ways that those of us in the West should—and shouldn’t—help them. Sure, the book argues, some aid programs are more glamorous that others, but not all help equally. Anyway, I’ll stop there because I’m not doing the book justice. It’s really good though, and looks at the stories of individuals alongside various aid programs that have made a difference in their lives.

A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome, by Alberto Angela
This book was written by someone in film, and it shows. The information is good, but the presentation really got my back up. I got sick of being told what I saw, and how I felt about it. (Also—typos galore!) Still, it was quite an interesting read, and I learned a lot about this specific time period in Ancient Rome. If you can overlook the downsides I mentioned, it’s worth a read. If not, well, there’s always Wikipedia.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
So I logged on to Facebook one day and saw half the writers on my list talking about Mockingjay. Mockingjay? I’d never even heard of it. But it was somehow important enough that most of them had. Well, this made me upset. I don’t like it when a reading trend somehow passes me by, especially when I do some research and find out it’s the final book in a trilogy. So I went out and bought The Hunger Games, the first book, to see what all the fuss was about. Let me tell you, I figured out pretty quickly. I literally could not put the book down. There was a moment when I needed to wash my hands and so washed and dried one hand at a time so I didn’t have to stop reading. The book is young adult, but don’t let that make you think that you’re getting a watered down story, or flat characters. I may have finished this book mere hours after buying it, but it lodged itself firmly in my head. It’s haunting, in the best way possible.

The Lord of Chaos, by Robert Jordan
The sixth book in the Wheel of Time.

And I’ll leave it at that. I’ll finish up next time! I’m through 2/3 of the year, but I’m well over 2/3 of the books now. Still, it’s my bedtime.