Between the Lines: Reading Lolita In Tehran

The first time I read this book was on the plane going to San Francisco. I don't know which trip it was, if I was coming from San Diego or from Portland, but I know that there were so many parts of the book that I was underlining that the gentleman sitting next to me looked over and asked if I was reading the book for school. I told him I wasn't and he seemed a little perplexed. Why would a girl be marking up a book so ferociously if it wasn't for school?

For pure enjoyment.

I went through several moves with the book and finally, the last time I moved to Portland I gave my copy, pen marks and all, away because I thought I wouldn't ever read it again.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago, making a new friend through a blog program I did, and she was talking about how she was getting rid of her copy because she just couldn't get through it. I jumped at the chance to take it off her hands and so, when it came in the mail I read it again.

The book didn't disappoint the second time around. It was just as beautiful and I marked the pages again, sometimes with pencil, sometimes with pen. 

While there were many parts I loved the following quotation has some relevance to my life right now. Definitely not to such a serious extent as that which is discussed in the book, but something I can relate to none the less.

Dancing with your jailer, participating in your own execution, that is an act of utmost brutality.

xoxo

Between the Lines: Looking For Alaska

This book... oh goodness this book. It has taken me quite a while to sit down and write anything about this book, and not because I wasn't impressed. 

Looking for Alaska hit me like a ton of bricks. But not in a bad way... is that possible?

The characters I loved from page one, especially Alaska. That young woman is everything to hate and love at the same time. But even when the other characters were mad, frustrated or sad at her, I still loved her. I also adored Miles (Pudge) and his innocence, his exploration of life and his willingness to try new things in order to "seek the Great Perhaps." 

This book is so beautiful and everything about it haunts me weeks later. I think about this book often and I am waiting for a paycheck so I can buy a copy for my shelf to re-read, underline and love completely.

If I went into how much this book affected me I would inevitably hit on some spoilers and that cannot happen.

While writing this post I went to John Green's website and read some of the FAQ's about the book. There I found more quotes from Green that I love. 

Frankly, I kind of want you to be haunted by the unansweredness of the question, because I think being haunted by such things is a valuable part of being a person.

...and...

The truth is that in our lives we are all going to encounter questions that should be answered, that deserve to be answered, and yet prove unanswerable. Can we find meaning to life without those answers? Can we find a way to acknowledge the reality (and injustice) of suffering without giving in to hopelessness?

These are the ideas this book explores... the injustice of wanting, need and deserving answers but having them not exist. How we then move forward from this place of wanting, needing and deserving empty handed.

While there are many, oh so many favorite excerpts from the book I'll just leave you with one:

It means 'that which the sea breaks against' and I love that. But at the time I just saw Alaska up there. And it was big just like I wanted to be.

I feel like all explaining of this quotation would fall short. So I'm not going to explain. Just read this book. It's now my #1.

xoxo

Between the Lines: Insecure At Last

I figured this would be a great post for International Women's Day.

Oh Eve Ensler, you've spoken straight to my heart again. I read iffy reviews on this book and your others in the middle of reading this one and it lead me to doubt my current enjoyment... but I did enjoy this book, even if it made me sad. I enjoyed it because of the truths I found.

Security is an idea that we can't make 100% whole. No matter how many barriers, roofs, bullet proof vests or anything else we have, there's still room for glitch or catastrophe. However, as scary and dark as it may seem, there's room for growth in the unknown. (something I MUST learn this year and forever after)

This book had many great parts to it, I will save myself from just typing a fourth of the book here and just share one quotation:

Language has the capacity to transform our cells, rearrange our learned patterns of behavior, and redirect our thinking. I believe in naming what's right in front of us because that is often what is most invisible. By saying "vagina" often enough and loud enough in places where it's not suppose to be said, we made the saying of it both political and mystical...

As a student of communication and a lover of books and reading I can't agree with the first sentence more. I mean, I can't agree with the whole piece more, but I'm taking it bit by bit here!

Language is so important and can be interpreted so many ways. Many of us don't learn how our expressions and body language are hurting others, we figure since we've been told to toughen up, so should everyone else (and I am guilty of this.)
The way we talk about things, the words we are and aren't "allowed" to say change the paradigm (gosh I hate that word but it's relevant here) we live in as a collective society. Some choose not to live by the mostly unspoken rules but most stay within the lines. Until someone speaks boldly enough and others start to listen, we are left with dark, quiet, dangerous areas.
Sometimes those bold speakers do better, they bring awareness to causes that before were silenced. Other times we just find ourselves less shocked when we hear curse words out of kids.

In this case I am all for the Vagina Monologues and changing the way a women's most controversial part is talked about. Especially by other women.

I use to be one of those women that claimed to be better at making friends with guys than girls. I said I just didn't understand girls and guys were easier to hang out with. I figured most girls were crazy and manipulative. Here's the deal, sometimes that's true. Other times, not so much. As the years have passed I've started to realize why those guys were sticking around and "being my friend." This isn't a universal rule, I still have some male friends that are actually friends, but for the most part many just wanted access to my naked body.
As these realizations started coming one after the other (I was a late bloomer) I made some incredible friends that were women. Also I had been realizing that the girls I use to hate, the girlfriends of the guys I had liked) were usually pretty cool and then I would forget about the dude and keep the friendship.
I don't think I was ever meant to be a woman hater. I fell from that role and I'm not looking back. Even when I'm SO into a guy and he gets a girlfriend I maybe catch myself saying one bad thing and then trying to find her good qualities. If the guy I liked was even worth anything then the girl is usually rad.

I don't know exactly where I am going with this, but this thought dump has no better place or day than today.

What are your thoughts on other women? Did you have a hard time keeping chick friends in middle and high school? Do you still find yourself hating on other women you don't know?

I think it's heavily conditioned into many groups to women hate with freedom and ferocity that is seen as normal and logical. I still catch myself getting snarky about some random chick I see in a store who I think is doing something wrong. How self important of me, to make that judgement. Let her wear leggings as pants with white underwear showing through... or maybe, discreetly tell her, and if she's rude about it shrug and walk away. But maybe she didn't realize, we've all had those moments where we have a booger in our nose, food in our teeth, toilet paper on our shoe, our dress tucked into our underwear, or a see through dress (usually summer ones from forever 21 that look great indoors and then you step in the sun and HEYYYYY) and while it may be incredibly embarrassing to be told, wouldn't it be better than walking around the rest of the day like that and then realizing it when you get home?

Again, tangent. But main points:
Happy International Women's Day
Let's stop women hate!
Eve Ensler does and says some pretty rad stuff.

xoxo

Between the Lines: An Abundance of Katherines

I'm going to start with "I loved it." I mean, I read it in one night. I stopped maybe one quarter of the way through to nap but then after spending a little chat time with my mom and brother while simultaneously searching the fridge and pantry for something to eat (no success) I went back to the book and read it to the end.

I often question my own review of books. I find myself reading things that are sometimes formulaic, think Nicholas Sparks, or cliché, but I love, love, love them none the less. I use to worry that liking these made me seem less smart, and to some it might, but I think of them as breaks from the work my brain does on a daily basis. (Most work it did use to consist of worrying, now it's worrying and wondering if I'm good enough at just about anything.) 

But this isn't about me, it's about the book. And I liked it. I liked it a great deal. I would recommend it to those who enjoy YA lit. 

I'm not going to go into telling you why, if you want to read it or want to know about it's about just hop on over to amazon (it has 4 stars out of 5 there) and read what they other say.

I'm going to leave you with my favorite part in the book though... here it goes:

"She ran off. It was not the way Curve smelled that Colin liked - not exactly. It was the way the air smelled just as Lindsey began to jog away from him. The smell the perfume left behind. There's not a word for that in English, but Colin knew the French word: sillage. What Colin liked about Curve was not its smell on the skin but its sillage, the fruity sweet smell of its leaving."

I mean, it's so cute and nerdy at the same time. And I love perfume... not Curve, and generally not super fruity smelling perfume, but perfume in general. It brings up such strong feelings. Do I have a sensitive nose? Maybe. But certain smells make me so giddy even just for a second, and later they might relax me.
Anyway, I really connected to that part and so I wanted to share.

It's been a while since I've done a Between the Lines. I miss them.

Maybe they will be more frequent in the future. I've just been reading a lot of self-help/business books that there isn't just one part that I can take out from the whole.

Anywho, happy reading!

xoxo

Between the Lines: The Book Thief

I picked this book up because I kept seeing it named as a must read. I thought maybe it would be a lighthearted book about a character that stole other books. I was not in the least prepared for what it turned out to be.

This book is beautiful. It is narrated by Death, and not the normal scythe holding Death either. A confused, broken, almost human death. 

This books grabbed me from the start and didn't let me go. It's been a while since I've spent whole days waiting until the moment when I could read. But it couldn't be a small moment either. I longed for long stretches of time to really go through this book.

Last night, while sitting on a hotel bed, I opened the book to somewhere around the middle, where I had left off the night before, and I read until there were no more pages. I told myself I was not going to finish it that night, that I had to sleep and maybe I'd read a 1/4 so I'd only have a 1/4 left for the next night. But deep down I knew better. Yesterday morning, before leaving the air mattress in Nicole's living room, I knew better. I knew I was going to lay in this hotel bed and devour the rest of the book.

What I did not know was that I would finish it with tears generously running from my eyes.

This book is anything but light hearted. The read is well worth it though. I'm glad I didn't take the time to read the back, I just blindly accepted the name and dove in. 

I don't regret reading this book. I often shy away from even slightly depressing stories, if I see anything about war on the back of a book I generally put it back. I'm not the one for war. I'm a bleeding heart. I feel pain in my chest when I read books or see movies that get to the ugly truth of what we say we do for a better world. Most recently Ides of March comes to mind, though it isn't a war movie per say.

I'm incredibly glad I read this book though. I will not forget it.

xoxo

Between the Lines: Wildwood

Normally for Between the Lines I share a favorite quotation from the book. This time I'm going to give you my kind of review.

I picked up Wildwood a couple weeks back while looking around Target. I was instantly drawn to the cover art. Don't judge a book by it's cover they say... but they make beautiful tattoo inspiration, I say.

While I am not getting any tattoos of the art on the cover I still wanted to read the book. It looked like a Portland-esque young adult book and as I showed it to Nicole she said, "Oh yeah, Colin Meloy's book" to which I first replied, "Um I dunno, look at the cover." And then I had a moment of second thought because The Decemberists were more than played out there in Portland (in my oh so humble opinion) and I have a hard time getting behind the over played. 

But the cover couldn't be ignored so I placed the book I had previously thought I was going to buy back where it came from and then purchased this one.

I didn't have a chance to start the book until today. I am dog sitting for Nicole while she is in Venice (her dog is currently yipping in his sleep... Benny nightmares) and so I've decided to take the time to read. Also, my latest blanket project is done (I will post pictures once Christina receives it) and I wanted to take a little break before I started in on the next one. There have been so many books staring at me and I wanted to read a few before I got wrapped up in episodes of Bones and yarn.

So today, today I started Wildwood. I'm not going to lead you astray, I definitely had the goal of reading it in one day. I knew it was probably possible and when I would take breaks in reading I realized I rather go on with the story than do anything else.

A point or two for the book already.

Okay, my opinion. At the end I loved the book. The last page leaves you with a smile on your face which I always appreciate. The start of the book gave me a teeny, tiny bit of trouble. Not that I didn't understand, just that I couldn't quiet my mind to focus for the first few pages. But once I read about two chapters in I think I was hooked. Honestly my distraction could have had reasons totally unrelated to the book but I'm not sure.

The illustrations found sporadically through the pages are gorgeous (and done by Colin's partner). 

I'm not really going to tell you about the story, just that it is definitely written with a slightly younger audience in mind (well younger than me) but the book is filled with great words that I wouldn't expect a young adult reader to know necessarily. Also, most of the subject matter is youngster friendly but there were a couple moments where I stopped and wondered if a young reader would know what the phrase I had just read meant.

I was not disappointed in the books. I say read it if you have the chance and if you don't, at least flip through a copy at a local bookstore (if they still have them in your town, if not, go to Target), the art is worth looking at. 

Last but not least I can say it was awesome to see some Portland locations reference in the book. While the story starts in what is mostly a modern day Portland it quickly finds itself in a different world but sometimes references the city the main character comes from. Sauvie Island gets a mention!

Have you read Wildwood? 

Between the Lines: Animal Dreams

Between the lines is a place where I share a very small bit of a wonderful book. Or maybe a small but wonderful part in an otherwise lousy book. Or maybe somewhere in the middle. Between the Lines is my way of sharing things I may or may not underline (depending on if you think writing in books and cracking spines is loving books or abusing them) while reading, passages that hit home or are just too beautiful not to share. Read along!

I started reading this book at the same time that I started reading Walking On Water. I told myself I would keep the other book for day and this one for bedtime. Like a bedtime story. That lasted for a bit but then I became obsessed (and too close to the end) with Walking On Water so I went back to reading one book at a time. 

After I finished Walking On Water I thought about starting another non-fiction book while staying with Animal Dreams but quickly decided against it. I really am getting a lot better about reading one book at a time.

So, my thoughts...

Gorgeous book. I find that parts of the story were incredibly predictable but maybe that's just because I've read a lot and pick up on foreshadowing really well most times. (Except in the movie Crazy Stupid Love, that one got me good.) 

I've noticed a pattern in my reading lately, definitely a lot of books intentionally and unintentionally dealing with the Earth, how we are using it's resources, food and education. This book was no exception.

I really don't know the best way to introduce these quotations so I'll just put it in after this. Maybe over time with these posts I'll start finding the best format.

"'Really, it's like the spirits have made a deal with us.'
'And what is the deal?' I asked.
'We're on our own. The spirits have been good enough to let us live here and use the utilities, and we're saying: We know how nice you're being. We appreciate the rain, we apprecieate the sun, we appreciate the deer we took. Sorry if we messed up anything. You've gone to a lot of trouble, and we'll try to be good guests.'"

Here's to attempting to be better guest of this world.

xoxo 

Between the Lines: Walking On Water

Between the lines is a place where I share a very small bit of a wonderful book. Or maybe a small but wonderful part in an otherwise lousy book. Or maybe somewhere in the middle. Between the Lines is my way of sharing things I may or may not underline (depending on if you think writing in books and cracking spines is loving books or abusing them) while reading, passages that hit home or are just too beautiful not to share. Read along!

While I started this series not writing anything much except sharing the passage I do want to give an intro to this book. I learned about this book one day while I was sitting with my friend April in a bakery/coffee shop on Hawthorne. A young woman walked in, really close to my age, and I saw in her hand a book. 

I don't know what it is about people carrying books, I'm a worse rubbernecker looky-loo for books than accidents. Probably because books I consider amazing and pleasant and accidents make my heart ache. 

When she walked in I immediately wondered what she was reading. Usually I just give books a casual glance when I see them in people's hands but for some reason I HAD to ask this girl about this book

As April and I cleaned up our dish we walked by the girl's table and I couldn't stop myself. 

Good news, she was a sharer like me. When I asked about the book she lit up and just started talking about how good it was and how someone introduced it to her.

The book stayed on my mind for a few weeks after that.

Finally, during my last Powell's adventure with Amanda, I decided to buy the book even though there were no used copies in sight. 

I do not regret it one little bit.

This book is my favorite of the year, and that's saying something because I've read some pretty awesome books so far this year.

Because I enjoyed this book so much there are many, many underlines throughout. 

I went back through all of the underlined passages before writing this post and I found one that I really, really wanted to share more than anything. Before I share it I want to say, Read This Book! If you like writing or alternative education or a story that speaks to hope and growth, read this book. This book will stay with me for many, many, many years.

So with all of that said, Happy Reading!

"I was furious, not so much at him as at all the people in his life who had convinced him they were taking care of him when they told him what was wrong with him, and at the entire culture founded on this lack of acceptance and nurturance, this lack of respect, this constant wearing away at people's capacity for self-love."

As this is a fight I have fought long and hard (trying to teach myself how to be okay and appreciate who I am) this sentence hit home. It has taken years of conscious effort to be okay with who I am and I still look for what people think is wrong with me or my work. I still want people to be critical and tear things apart. 

I'm not saying the opposite should happen and that everyone should be praise for everything, but there are other ways of getting messages across that are definitely more positive and nurturing to a human than tearing apart who they are and what they create.

Something to think about...

xoxo

Between the Lines: The Hours

As you know, I have been reading quite a few books lately. I've been going for at least 4 a month, hoping for 5 or 6. As I've been reading, I've been highlighting, processing and being inspired or infuriated by sentences, paragraphs and chapters. While reading The Hours, my 36th book this year, I came across a chapter that I really connected with. I decided I wanted to share a part of the chapter with you.

Maybe it will inspire you to read this book, maybe not, but I'm going to try here and there to share parts of my books with you from here on out!

Happy Reading!

"Here is her room, then: a turquoise room, not surprising or unusual in any way, with a turquoise spread on the double bed and a painting (Paris, springtime) in a blond wood frame. The room has a smell, alcohol and pitch pine, bleach, scented soap, all floating heavily over something that is not rancid, not even stale, but not fresh. It is, she thinks, a tired smell. It is the smell of a place that's been used and used.
     She goes to the window, parts the filmy white curtains, raises the blinds. There, below, is the V-shaped plaza, with its fountain and struggling rosebushes, its empty stone benches. Again, Laura feels as if she's entered a dream - a dream in which she looks onto this peculiar garden, so uninhabited, at a little past two in the afternoon. She turns from the window. She takes off her shoes. She puts her copy of Mrs. Dalloway on the glass-topped night table, she lies on the bed. The room is full of the particular silence that prevails in hotels, a tended silence, utterly unnatural, layered over a substratum of creaks and gurglings, of wheels on carpet.
     She is so far away from her life. It was so easy.
     It seems, somehow, that she has left her own world and entered the realm of the book. Nothing, of course, could be further from Mrs. Dolloway's London than this turquoise hotel room, and yet she imagines that Virginia Woolf herself, the drowned woman, the genius, might in death inhabit a place not unlike this one. She laughs, quietly, to herself. Please, God, she says silently, let heaven be something better than a room at the Normandy. Heaven would be better furnished, it would be brighter and grander, but it might in fact contain some measure of this hushed remove, this utter absence inside the continuing world. Having this room to herself seems both prim and whorish. She is safe here. She could do anything she wanted to, anything at all. She is somehow like a newlywed, reclining in her chamber, waiting for... not her husband, or any other man. For someone. Something."

 My thoughts on the book as a whole will wait until my Books of August post...

Have you seen the movie? Would you recommend it?

xoxo