February Reads and Recommendations

If you're on my Facebook, you know that I whined interminably about the length of January this year. It took too long, cost too much, felt too miserable, and is now, happily, nothing but a dim blip in the rearview mirror of my life.

However, because it seemed to be comprised entirely of excess hours, January afforded me the opportunity to read 13 books, most of which were amazingly good. February, unlike its predecessor, whipped along in an ever-lightening frenzy, hurtling us all toward spring as if the planet spun extra-fast in sort of cosmic meth trip. Accordingly, I didn't read nearly as much. I did, however, follow my rule of reading stuff that excited me and inspired me to encourage others to pick it up, too. Here it is, a list of what I read in February, again with the title of the one book I recommend most highlighted in red just in case you don't have time for more.

A Thousand Cuts by Simon Celic
High school teacher Samuel Szajkowski enters a school assembly one day with a loaded gun and proceeds to take aim, killing three students, a colleague, and himself. The crime is then dissected from various angles, most of which take the form of first person narratives delivered to Lucia May, the police detective assigned to investigate the crime. May's inquiries into the cause of the event, however, make her superiors uncomfortable, as she discovers hints that the tragedy might have resulted from something other than just the deranged and psychotic impulses of a sick and twisted man. Instead, as she interviews his students, his colleagues, his former lover, and others, she learns that Samuel was tormented by students about his appearance, his teaching style, and just about everything else--bullied much like students who don't fit in are bullied--and that the mistreatment he suffered may have led to his eventual outburst. The novel offers a unique look at a crime and its potential genesis, as well as presenting an angle on bullying that isn't often handled in fiction (or otherwise).

All About Lulu by Jonathan Evison

Evison is a Seattle writer whose latest novel, West of Here, about generations of families on the Olympic Peninsula, is receiving all kinds of acclaim, but I haven't read it; I read All About Lulu instead after seeing it on display at Village Books. Set in the 80's, it's narrated by teenager Will Miller, who starts the story sounding a bit like Holden Caufield, but (thankfully) that voice doesn't persist and we get instead a smart and likeable young man slightly adrift in a family where he doesn't fit. His mother has died of cancer, leaving Will alone with his father, Bill Sr., (a.k.a. Big Bill), a competitive body builder, and his two younger brothers, Doug and Ross, identical twins who are also weightlifters and (in Will's estimation) not so smart. Family dynamics change dramatically when Big Bill meets and marries Willow, who moves into the Miller residence with her daughter Lulu. Lulu and Will become inseparable--a closeness that veers close to and eventually becomes obsession on Will's part--until one summer when Lulu returns from her grandparents' home mysteriously distant. The story follows Will through high school and beyond as he tries to solve the mystery of Lulu's disconnect and re-establish their friendship. I found myself cheering for Will, enchanted by the multi-dimensional Big Bill and his body-building younger sons, amused by the 80's setting, and entertained by the novel in more ways than I can count.

Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan
I'm really lazy about reading sometimes, so I haven't ever finished Pollan's opus, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and so this brief pocket-sized guide to eating is the perfect refresher on what to eat and why. Basically, his message is simple: eat food, mostly plants, not too much. These three rules are broken down in more detail, creating a list of 64 rules total that are still pretty easy to follow, emphasizing the need to avoid processed foods, eat mostly vegetables and fruits, and to eat less. Only the exorbitantly confrontational person could find anything to argue about here; Pollan's list is based on common sense and science, and while it will undoubtably piss off the fast-food and packaged food industry, it's really tough to claim that he doesn't know what he's talking about or that he isn't right. Buy a copy and keep it in your kitchen.

How to Become a Scandal by Laura Kipnis
Kipnis deftly, and briefly, analyzes why we are obsessed with--and in many cases, gleeful about--scandals. She examines four recent, well-known scandalous events in the headlines: the case of Lisa Nowak, an esteemed astronaut who traveled 950 miles by car to confront her ex-lover's new girlfriend; the downfall of Judge Sol Wachtler; the betrayal of Monica Lewinsky by her "friend" and confidante Linda Tripp; and the exaggerations that led A Million Little Pieces author James Frey to humiliation. Rather than just summarizing the salacious events, Kipnis writes intelligently about human nature and carefully dissects why scandalous stories have such appeal, and why public interest in them reveals more about the public than it does the one who committed the offense. Timeless, entertaining, and thoughtful.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

Here it is, the monthly missing-person novel. Larry Ott is living alone, tending his chickens and minding his auto shop when he is ambushed in his home, shot and left for dead. Accused years earlier for the disappearance of a local teenage girl, Larry has spent his life living in the shadow of suspicion created by the event, and now another girl has vanished and Larry is again suspected in her disappearance. Larry's shooting is thought to be self-inflicted: unable to live with his crimes, the townspeople think, Scary Larry has finally decided to kill himself this time. But he doesn't die, and the investigation into his near-fatal shooting is headed by his old childhood friend, Silas, now the town constable. As Silas investigates Larry's attack and the missing girl, he, himself, is forced to confront his past friendship with Larry and the secrets he keeps about what happened years earlier. Dynamic, original characters paired with a gripping storyline kept me reading this through the weekend!

Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren

At 19, Jillian Lauren had worked as a high-paid prostitute and stripper, and was pursuing a career as an actress when a friend in the escort business offered her an opportunity to travel to Brunei, where she would be one of about 40 young women in the harem of Prince Jefri. Eager for adventure and money, Lauren accepted the offer and spent a couple of years living among beautiful women from around the world who were competing for the attention of Prince Jefri, one of the wealthiest men on the globe. Her experience was disheartening, of course--despite the money, competition among the women was soul-crushing, privacy was non-existant, and there was little to do, as the women were allowed no personal freedom. Lauren's story is fascinating, if a little sad, and her writing is admirable. Flashbacks into her past reveal just enough about her to partly explain why she agreed to participate in the harem, but I would have liked a little more analysis and introspection.

Day for Night by Frederick Reiken was an absolutely fabulous read that reminded me in some ways of Jennifer Egan's book A Visit from the Goon Squad, which I recommended last month. Told by ten narrators, Reiken's novels pieces together a series of interlocking mysteries that weave characters' lives together. Included among the characters and their connections are Beverly Rabinovitz, who escaped Poland in WWII; her boyfriend, David, who is dying of leukemia; their children; an odd couple of musicians, Tim and Dee, who have a loose connection to a woman on the run from the FBI, and Dillon, Dee's 21-year-old comatose brother, and a bunch of other minor players. Somehow Reiken manages to blend these characters' stories together within a plot that involves the Holocaust, Satanic ritual abuse, manatees, and a bunch of other seemingly random topics to create a beautifully written, thoroughly engaging story that kept me riveted.

When She Flew by Jennie Shortridge is the second novel I've read that is based loosely on the true story of a man and his adolescent daughter living in a Portland Park. My Abandonment by Peter Rock, was reviewed here awhile back, and is the more literary of the two books, both of which focus on "Frank and Ruth," who in 2005 were ousted from their wilderness camp by authorities but received much support from the community at large. Shortridge's version of events switches between two point of view: that of Lindy, the 12-year-old girl who's found living in the woods, and Jess Villareal, a police officer assigned to the case. Lindy's observations are told in first-person, and reflect her love of her father and nature and aher angst at being torn from the home she's known for five years. Jess's perspective is third-person, which is unfortunate, because her side of the story feels more like something we're being told, rather than something she's telling us--her emotions are narrated, rather than shown. In addition, Villareal's response to the events hinges upon her discord with her own daughter, which worked in a Lifetime-movie-of-the-week kind of way but frankly, felt sort of artificial.

It's March now, and I've got a lot of reading to do.

Happy International Quirkyalone Day!

It took me almost 40 years to figure it out and own it, but I am a loner. My parents could probably have attested to this fact long ago, when, not content to simply have my own room, I rigged a hanging flashlight from the clothes rod and fashioned an even more secluded space to read The Boxcar Children in my closet.

And now I'm all grown up and have a house and I STILL do this--squirrel away in some nook and do my own thing (usually sew or paint), praying that no one will bother me at least until this episode of Big Love is over and then I can be social in a time and place that I've already predesignated and set aside for that purpose. 7:30-7:45 p.m.: Make Small Talk With Roommates. Act Interested.

I am a loner who doesn't live alone or work alone or even work out alone. I have three roommates; I work in a high school with 1000 kids and a hundred co-workers; I exercise amid the masses. Regardless, I am a consummate loner, living by myself inside my own head, moving among you, enduring you and silently judging you (just kidding, that's from Magnolia).

Quirkyalone: A Manifesto for Uncompromising Romantics by Sasha Cagen pretty much sums up the highlights of alonedom: the belief that life is amazing and fun without a mate, and that not having a partner isn't a sign that one has failed to accomplish one thing but chosen to do another. Cagen carefully defines quirkyalone, pointing out the different between those who are merely weird and lonely from those who are social and actively pursue a solitudinous (pretty sure that's not a word) existance punctuated by forays into civilization for entertainment and comfort. She lists famous folks who prefer to live alone, chronicles the quirkyalones through history, discusses the complicated business of quirkyalones, love, and partnerships, and most of all, offers a documentation of all that is right with pursuing a life of sassy singlehood.

It's Valentine's Day, and for an extraordinary number of us, it means not candlelights and chocolates, but another episode of Mad Men, some quality sofa time with the dog, and a Lean Cuisine. Would I rather have a foot massage and a bouquet? Maybe. But it doesn't have to happen today. I have Jon Hamm, after all, and Frida, and Cagen's book full of insight and humor. I'm not alone at all.

January 2011 Reads

My New Year's Goal, to laugh hard every day, was accompanied this year by a renewed commitment to read more, and to read more stuff that I sincerely want to press into the hands of my reading acquaintances. No more slogging through something just because I paid money for it--I'm determined to make better selections and to quit reading when something bogs me down, so that I can create a list of truly awesome recommendations. Here's what I read January 1-31st, 2011.

For those of you who have lives filled with romance and adventure and unlike this narrator, don't have piles of time laying around in which to read 13 books a month, I have conveniently highlighted in red the title of the one book that you must absolutely read this month. The others are essential, too.

The Last Child by John Hart is a quality suspense story about a teenager who is determined to solve his sister's mysterious disappearance on his own. This story is multi-layered, with well-developed subplots, dynamic, complex characters, and a plot that steers away from police-procedural formula.

The Neighbors are Watching by Debra Ginsberg is another fantastic suspense story, this time set in Del Mar, California, a bedroom community of San Diego, during a giant wildfire. A pregnant teen has run away to live with the father she's never met, and her sudden appearance (and subsequent disappearance) wreak havoc on a small, tidy neighborhood which, it turns out, is full of seemingly upstanding citizens who are harboring a few nasty secrets of their own.

Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn tells the story of Holly Frick, recently thrust into an unwanted singlehood after her husband leaves her, and the recipient of confessions and complaints by practically everyone, including her best friend, who divulges the secrets of her own infidelity. Holly's not looking for love, just happiness, and her quest leads her to some unique and hilarious conclusions. I loved that this story of a smart, funny single didn't rely on her finding the perfect guy and/or becoming a mother in order to be happy--a testament to those of us quirkyalones who are building different lives. Dunn's writing, especially the dialogue, is the kind I want to read aloud to people just because it's so spot-on, so funny, and so very, very true.

The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich is the basis for The Social Network, and is apparently, only ONE side of the contentious relationship between Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard classmates who co-conceived of (depending on who you ask) Facebook. It's a quick read, and worth a few hours just so you get the background for the movie. I'm on the look-out for a more well-rounded version of events.

A Visit from the Good Squad by Jennifer Egan has appeared on practically every best-of-2010 list I've encountered, and with good reason. Although not told in a traditional format (one chapter is narrated in PowerPoint slides), the multiple viewpoints and non-linear travel through the characters' lives only deepen and enrich this story, which revolves around an assortment of people associated with and affected by a charismatic music producer--including his high school bandmates, his lovers, and many others. I can't describe it adequately. I also couldn't stop reading it.

Second Wind by Cami Ostman is the non-fiction account of Ostman's journey around the world, completing a marathon on every continent, which is awesome in about a billion ways PLUS she lives in Bellingham and I know her. Her book is funny, thoughtful, and inspiring, and it will make you believe in your own ability to recreate your life and savor your talents, gifts, and challenges.

Racing for Recovery is the one book I read this month that didn't really excite me. I'm training for triathlons, so I'm looking for narratives and memoirs about other triathletes--there aren't many out there--and this is one I found. A drug addict cleans up his life and becomes an ironman. The story's inspiring, the writing isn't.

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman is amazingly smart without being pretentious or difficult to read. Interrelated stories of characters affected by their employment or readership of an English-language, old-school newspaper in Rome tell the story of the paper's rise and fall, which sounds really dry, but it's not. Each story is a tiny, detailed, absorbing world rich with weird characters and unexpected plot twists.

Annabel by Kathleen Winter tells the story of a baby born with both male and female genitalia to a family in rural Nova Scotia. His parents decide to raise him as a boy named Wayne and keep the truth about his anatomy secret--even from him. But secrets--their keeping and their discovery--are what make stories worth reading, and this one is no exception. But it isn't the secrecy that makes the novel so phenomenal, it's the characters and the unexpected way they respond to Wayne and the challenges that accompany his growing up. NOT a "problem novel," this is a rich portrait of isolated people attempting to deal with an unimaginable anomaly in an otherwise remote and ordinary place. Gorgeous writing, likeable characters, an unusual premise--a must-read.

Matched by Allie Condie is the only young adult book I read this month, but it was awesome. The story will remind some people of The Giver by Lois Lowry, as it takes places in the future, in a society where government manipulation allows everyone to be equal, and regulations manage everything to when and what is eaten to your job, life partner, and clothing. Cassia, at 16, is about to be "matched," or assigned her life partner. A special ceremony will reveal the mate selected for her by the government agency that studies and selects the best fit. When she attends her Match ceremony, Cassia is thrilled discover that her best friend, Xander, has been chosen as her mate. But when she reviews the data card later, she sees, for a brief instant, another image--of another boy. Curious, she begins investigating, and discovers that a technical glitch has allowed her to see something no one else has ever been allowed to see--an alternative. Cassia's exploration in options is dangerous for her and for her society, but once the possibility becomes available, it's impossible to resist. Part love story, part warning, Matched is a terrific read--and not just for teens.

One Day by David Nicholls revisits Emma and Dexter yearly on the day they originally met in college and had a one-night stand. Following their lives and intersections for twenty years, we watch as their friendship grows and changes as each pursues career goals and love interests. The affection they share is what makes the story so likeable, and I found myself pleading with them to get together once and for all through the whole book. More than just a rom-com, this story delves a little deeper into the characters' lives, motivations, mistakes, and disappointments. A younger Hugh Grant might have been cast as Dexter, but in this one (due out July 8, 2011) it's going to be Jim Sturgess alongside Anne Hathaway. I expect it to rock.

Half a Life by Darin Strauss. As a teenager, Darin Strauss struck a classmate riding her bike while out driving, killing her. Although the death was ruled an accident, that doesn't stop it from haunting him throughout his adult life, his own success as a writer continually reminding him of the life cut short by the accident. I expected this book to make me weep, but it never strays into weepy, maudlin territory, nor does Strauss plead with us to feel his sorrow and guilt about the accident. A bad thing happened, it changed a young man's life and the lives of the family members of the young woman killed, and this story shows what that was like. Strauss's story is simply and skillfully told, a meditation on mortality and chance.

The Fates Will Find Their Way by Hannah Pittard. Well this is it--the one book I read this month that I would recommend you read if you have time for no others. And yes, it's a missing persons story (I have a weakness for those). Nora Lindell goes missing in high school, and the story follows the teenage boys who knew and admired her as they carry on with their lives, all of them imagining what might have happened to their classmate. The framework--missing girls, those she left behind--isn't what makes it remarkable. The narration however, is unique without drawing attention to itself; one of the boys--unidentified--speaks in an omniscient, plural first person that offers a collection view of Nora, her family, the neighborhood, and the time period. Perhaps most significant are the carefully crafted possible scenarios presented as explanations for what happened to Nora. I can't really say anymore...you'll just have to read it.

And now it is February. Stay tuned.

Every Freaking Book I Read in 2010, Part One

If the title is highlighted in red, that means "Hey people, this is one of my top recommendations!" I didn't even read 50 books in 2010, and that's probably because I got really into sewing, and that shit is like crack.

JANUARY-JULY (ish) 2010
Ishiguro, Kazuo. Never Let Me Go. (Fiction)
An eerie, creepy novel in which the horror behind the set-up unfolds so subtly you feel almost as though you’ve been tricked into reading a story you never would have chosen. Children being raised in a boarding school-cum-orphanage develop intense relationships as they mature and discover the true reasons why they are living where and how they are.

Schusterman, Neal. Unwind. (Young Adult Fiction)
In a futuristic America, abortion is no longer legal, but parents can choose to have their children “unwound” when they turn 13—basically, have them sent to harvesting centers, where they’ll gradually be parted out.Three teens--one who's been created specifically as a donation, one who's disappointed his parents, and a third who has failed to develop her talents in a foster home--escape from their fate and try to survive on the run from the authorities.

Grodstein, Lauren. A Friend of the Family. (Fiction)
Excruciating, but well-written and un-put-downable. A father tries to stop his 20-year-old son from dating an older woman with a very dark secret in her past.

Best Sex Writing 2010.(Mostly Fiction)
Meh.

Benway, Robin. Audrey, Wait! (Young Adult Fiction)
Very funny YA about a girl who is made famous when her ex-boyfriend writes a song about her that becomes a hit. Perfect for Meg Cabot fans.

Ferris, Joshua. The Unnamed. (Fiction)
A man suffers from an unnamed, unexplained disorder that compels him to walk aimlessly for hours, even days, at a time. OK, so a book about a guy walking endlessly sounds boring, but in Ferris's story, it is a fascinating memoir for our times--who are we? We are we going? And most importantly, why? Unique and smart. One of my favorite novels of the year.

Mitchell, Mary. Americans in Space. (Fiction)
Kind of lame story about a screwed up high school counselor. I liked the writing, but not the characters or the story.

Pierson, DC. The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To. (Fiction)
One teen befriends another, and the two embark on a wacky adventure to write a comic book or something. Funny for awhile, then I realized I don’t really like wacky that much.

Hubbard, Jennifer. The Secret Year. (Young Adult Fiction)
A teenage boy mourns the death of the girl with whom he had a secret relationship.

Johnson, Marilyn. This Book is Overdue! (Non-Fiction)
A peek into the lives of librarians. Some good stuff, but way too much about librarians in cyberspace and virtual lives. I could write better, but I probably won’t.

Cross, David. I Drink for a Reason. (Non-Fiction Humorous Essays)
The funniest book I read all year. David Cross is a genius. There are essays in here I will quote for years, even if I don’t drink anymore. (And actually, the essays are about pop and political culture, not about drinking, anyway). David Cross=David Sedaris+Bill Maher.

Knowles, Jo. Jumping Off Swings. (YA Fiction)
Another teen pregnancy story. Who cares. But then again, at least it's not about vampires.

Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. (YA Fiction)
Cool story about a girl receiving mysterious messages. A good recommendation for readers who liked I Am the Messenger.

Welch. The Kids are All Right. (Non-Fiction/Memoir)
(Not the basis for the movie of the same title).
Four teens are orphaned and divided up among family friends and relatives, where each struggles to find happiness and identity before they are reunited. Very good—good recommendation for anyone who liked A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers.

Udall, Brady. The Lonely Polygamist. (Fiction)
I loved this novel about a polygamist with four wives and 28 children who finds himself in moral turmoil when he is attracted to another woman and caught in the midst of the complications in his own enormous family. Read this if you like reading, and also if you like Big Love.

Halpern, Justin. Shit My Dad Says. (Humor)
A collection of the hilarious and usually profane remarks made by Halpern’s dad.

Levithan, David. Will Grayson, Will Grayson. (YA Fiction)
A gay teen named Will Grayson meets another boy with the same name, and their lives become intertwined. Good reading—Levithan is one of my favorite YA authors, and he does a really good job with LGBTQ lit.

The Lighter Side of Life and Death. (YA Fiction)
A guy gets involved (read: has sex with) a much older girl. Some other stuff happens, but I’ve forgotten, so I’ll file this one under “teen drama/romance” and leave it at that.

Mulgrew, Jason. Everything is Wrong With Me.
Humorous essays. I keep wanting every humorist I read to be David Sedaris, and they’re not, but they’re still funny, just not as funny, which sounds like a condemnation, which it’s not.

Almond, Steve. Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life. (Non-Fiction)
Steve Almond can write anything and I’ll read it. His fiction is amazing, his non-fiction is amazing, and this book was funny and insightful, just like everything he writes. But then again, I think anyone who defends their love of Styx is pretty incredible. Not just for music lovers or survivors of the 80s, this is a manifesto for lovers of music who may have felt previously that their tastes were shameful. No more. Whatever your audiological kinks, you’ll appreciate Almond’s acute observations about music.

Green, George Dawes. Ravens. (Fiction)Gripping suspense story about a couple of In Cold Blood-like hoodlums who discover a family has won the state lottery before it hits the media and then hold the family hostage to extort their winnings. How the money affects the individual family members, and how the bumbling bad guys terrorize the family is scary, but it doesn't make me want to win the lottery any less.

McNally, John. After the Workshop. (Fiction)A publicist who has the thankless job of escorting visiting authors to their venues is in big trouble when one of them goes missing. McNally is funny and suspenseful, and so far, I’ve enjoyed everything he’s written. This one will have special appeal for writers and anyone involved in the publishing world or the world of writers’ workshops.

Young-Stone, Michele. Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors. (Fiction)A young woman struck twice by lightning meets another lightning strike survivor and the two begin a relationship to figure out the mysterious connection between them. I liked this book; I wish I could remember the details.

The Late, Lamented Molly Marx. (Fiction)After she is mysteriously killed, Molly Marx continues to be cognizant of the living world, and watches as investigators and friends try to solve the mystery of her death. A light, funny, chick-lit mystery that took me too long to read.

Nielsen, Susin. Word Nerd. (Fiction)
Scrabble-lovers, rejoice! This is a fun YA read about Ambrose, a self-described nerd, who moves regularly with his mother. At their latest home, he begins pestering Cosmo, the adult son of the Greek neighbors. Cosmo’s been in trouble with the law, and Ambrose hangs out with him against his mother’s orders, eventually attending a local Scrabble club and becoming a favorite among the other players. His participation and his secrecy have consequences, however, that no one could have predicted. I LOVED this book—it reminded me of some of the other awesome YA/tween books like The Giver, Holes, anything by E.L. Konigsburg (The View from Saturday, etc.).

Home Sweet Home

The weather has left me trapped inside my house, unable--or at least unwilling--to spend much time saturating myself in rainwater (curly hair+precip=disaster), so I've been appreciating interiors. Occasionally my truck, often my office/library, but mostly my house. Freshly outfitted with a hand-me-over lava lamp from my dad, my bedroom (formerly the Sunset View room, now the Housepital-Blocks-My-View Room) is the perfect reading location.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to win the lottery soon, because I keep having these fantasies about improvements I'd like to make to the NapCastle. Before you go all ballistic and "you just built that house TWO YEARS ago!" on me, remember the Anne Frank Room, and recall that it is semi-inhabitable, eagerly awaiting the large influx of cash that will transform it into the Coolest Little Apartment Ever. If there's any chance that you think a 200-square-foot space can't be an entire residence, you need to go two places: 1) http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ and 2) your local bookstore to purchase the book creater by the authors of the AT blog: Apartment Therapy's Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces.

Realizing the dream of home ownership has not squelched my obsession with homes--it's amplified it. Now that I have a house, I want to learn all about houses. I want to look at pictures of houses and decor and color schemes and weird ways to create art out of recycled stuff (see photos of poems I painted and strapped to the side of the NapCastle) and hidden spaces and beds that pop out of walls (front porch Murphy bunk, anyone?). I recently listened to Bill Bryson read his latest book, At Home, in which he uses his own centuries-old English parsonageas a framework for exploring the history of human domesticity.

Traveling room by room through his own home, Bryson retraces the Western evolution of home-making, including in his typical style fascinating minutiae about how people have lived and why. I don't generally read history, but I love Bill Bryson and will listen to him read almost anything. The details in this book about food, cooking, bathing, sleeping, and every other aspect of life at home were absorbing and entertaining. They also gave me an even greater appreciation for things I take for granted, like plumbing, flapper light switches, and a bed that's not made out of dung. Now I also know why salt and pepper are standard table condiments, and my decades-long post-Amelia-Bedelia curiosity about what a "drawing room" is has been satiated.

It's easy to take for granted the simple amenities that add comfort and convenience to our lives--running water, telephones, live-in servants--while we're running around like crazyheads acummulating Wiis and iPads and 400-thread count sheets. Invention and innovation are amazing, and I, for one, can say I'm thankful I don't have to share an outhouse with my roommates. But ultimately, the things that make a home don't have as much to do with the inanimate stuff as with the living creatures inside. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. But Jesus, do I have a lot of throw pillows.

Also on the home front (-10 points for bad pun), I also read Meghan Daum's book about seeking and purchasing her first house, Life Would Be Perfect if I Lived in that House. Daum's search for a home coincides with her realization that she might not marry and have a husband, children, and a "traditional" life--all things I can relate to, which may be why her quest and subsequent success made me a little sad as I read. Nevertheless, I could relate to and appreciate her obsession with space. Like me, she has longed dreamed of a home of her own, and how that house will contribute to her definition of herself. Her insight into how space shapes self is intelligent and entertaining.

Because I do connect my space so intimately with my sense of self, I am always making mental ammendments to the NapCastle. I move artwork and rearrange furniture to match my moods and whims. I dream of additions where I can house more roommates, and outdoor patios where the sun shines EVERY DAY. It's not about having more stuff, or better stuff, or a bigger house--for me, it's about making the house I have even homier. I have THAT house, and life isn't perfect. But it's pretty amazing.

Hey! That's My Bike! And My Other Bike...and My Typewriter...and My Futon...and My Barbie Collection...

I don't have a huge aversion to cleaning house, although there are usually other things I'd rather be doing, like napping or reading or having a Modern Family marathon. Calculating the numer of Weight Watchers Points I'll earn by working up a sweat cleaning the hair out of the drain in the boys' bathroom never serves as adequate inspiration, so I've taken to watching episodes of Hoarders online. It's reassuring to know that I'm nowhere near pathological hoarding, and the filth in the houses they feature motivates me to keep ahead of the grime, even if I will never conquer the endless tumbleweeds of dog hair that seem to regenerate themselves every time I put the broom away.

There is some sensationalism to the TV program Hoarders, which focuses on two stories of hoarding per episode, complete with lots of footage of the hoarders' homes and lots of emotional moments wherein family members confront the hoarders or the hoarders work with therapists to confront their issues. In Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things, authors Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee examine the causes of hoarding, as well as the manifestations of the disorder and treatment. Like the TV show, the authors of Stuff use fascinating, bizarre case studies of real people to illustrate the ways the disorder presents itself. If you enjoy watching Hoaders, you'll enjoy reading more details about the way the disorder affects their lives.

I was intrigued by the statistics: between 2 and 5 % of the American population--about 6-15 MILLION people--suffer from some sort of hoarding disorder. That's a lot of very messy houses, whether they are stuffed with hoarded food, pets, or broken lawnmowers. And contrary to what some folks believe, hoarding doesn't just afflict people in places where there is an excess of consumerism or available products--hoarding has been found all over the globe. In addition, hoarding isn't determined by how much stuff a person has, but by how that stuff affects the quality of their lives. When it impairs one's ability to perform basic functions, it's considered pathological. In some of these cases, living conditions threaten the health of the hoarder and other occupants, and can even be deadly. One of the most famous hoarders in history, Langley Collyer, lived in squalor with his brother Homer for years (this despite their monetary wealth). Eventually, the extensive collection of junk (and numerous booby traps) led to both of their deaths.

Most of the scenarios on the TV show Hoarders end with some success--psychologists work with the hoarder and his or her family, 1-800-GOT-JUNK shows up with a cleaning team, and order is established. But as follow-ups on the TV show illustrate, hoarding is an extremely difficult disorder to treat, owing mainly to its deeply rooted causes, and the cases on TV rarely reflect the many years of continual therapy required for hoarders to escape their habits and live less cluttered lives.

This is among a number of intriguing books of applied psychology books I've read that I would recommend to others. It's highly readable, adn the individual cases of hoarding are fascinating, but their analysis goes beyong mere voyeurism and offers substantial insight into an affliction that has only recently begun to be revealed and examined.

A SUMMERy of Great Reads

It's possibly my imagination at work, but it seems as though whenever I go on a trip, I hear 80's music the whole time--in Puerto Vallarta, in stores and hotel lobbies in San Francisco, and most recently, during my stay at L'Auberge in Del Mar. Everytime we went to the pool, it was like traveling through a time tunnel, except for the part where I'm wearing a size 5 bikini and slathering my skin with baby oil.

I am in awe of writers who can write about effectively about music; most critics either use pretentious, indecipherable language that makes me feel dumb for not knowing what a "tangible, multi-riff liquid slide" is, or the descriptions are so juvenile and insipid that they tell me nothing about the music. Let's face it, telling me that Lady Gaga's new album "pushes boundaries" tells me nothing at all. Steve Almond, who I've previously written about, has a new book that turns music into memoir and manages to describe the past, and the present, of popular music in a way that is funny, nostalgic, unapologetic, and readable. In Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life, Almond assures us all that we're all free to love whatever goofy pop act we find ourselves tapping our feet to. "There us no sin in the realm of taste...you can't tell someone his or her ears are wrong. You can't rescind the pleasure they derive from a particular piece of music...there's no arguing with joy." Amen. (Sound of me cranking Styx on the iPod).

Peter Hedges (author of What's Eating Gilbert Grape) has written a far less funny, but no less absorbing, novel about the fragile ground that crumbles under couples when new and powerful third parties enter their lives in his novel, The Heights. A stable, happy couple in an upper-middle-class neighborhood finds their lives irrevocably altered when a woman moves in nearby and befriends them. Her wealth is only part of her mysterious allure--and both partners seek her attention and friendship, finding themselves questioning their relationship and their beliefs. Suspenseful domestic drama that twists and turns and makes you think about what it means to be committed.

Ravens by George Dawes Green will appeal to readers who liked House of Sand Fog. The Boatwright family wins a gigantic prize in the Georgia state lottery and is then terrorized by two grifters who seize the opportunity to hold them hostage and force them to split the money. Tense, action-packed, and darkly funny; a be-careful-what-you-wish-for scenario combined with a touch of In Cold Blood. I expect a movie with Mark Wahlberg and Toni Collette.

John McNally's novel After the Workshop is a terrifically fun read, combining the aggravations of work with a subtle mystery. Jack Hercules Sheahan, an MFA graduate working as an escort for authors visiting local bookshops, recounts the horrors of working with demanding prima donnas, stressed publicists, and a hilarious array of pompous university professors and adjuncts. When he loses track of a particularly challenging author, he juggles the ensuing drama with the complications of his ex-girlfriend, his chronically naked next-door neighbor, and a drunken formerly-famous author who has decided to camp out in his apartment. Smart, hilarious, and perfect for MFA grads or anyone who has worked in a job where they had to cater to the whims of of others. Oh, wait--that's pretty much everyone..,

Summer isn't technically over, but this is the best of what I read when the days were longer and the mornings warmer. Lots of new stuff to read next to the (fake) fall fire is piling up on my bedside table...