Books of 2012 - February

1. Death Comes to Pemberley. Fiction by P.D. James. I wanted to like this more than I actually did. P.D. James is a fantastic writer and I love the Jane Austen characters but this book is neither fish nor fowl: neither James' best work nor a believable continuation of the beloved Pride and Prejudice story. Plus some errors (such as which Darcy parent died first) just bugged.

2. The Brideshead Generation: Evelyn Waugh and His Friends. Non-fiction by Humphrey Carpenter. Read during an intense phase of interest in the "between the war" years of Great Britain and also a phase of interest in the Mitford sisters and their compatriots.

3. The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters. Non-fiction edited by Charlotte Mosley. (See my January post for the books that sparked my interest in this family.) These letters, edited by the daughter-in-law of one of the sisters, demonstrate why the Mitfords continue to be fascinating.

4. The Missing of the Somme. Non-fiction by Geoff Dyer. Part travel book, part memoir. I think Americans have trouble understanding the enduring effect the "Great War" had on much of Europe. This book might help fill the gap.

5. The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War. Non-fiction by Andrew Roberts. 608 pages of compelling history. Not revisionist, this book is almost anti-revisionist and corrects some of the fallacies and moral judgments historians (falsely so-called, in my opinion) have allowed to flourish in their recent works on World War II. A fantastic, comprehensive one volume history (which is rare, in my experience).

6. The Soldier's Wife. Fiction by Margaret Leroy. I wanted this to be enjoyable (I suppose I wanted another like this book) but it wasn't. I never really cared about the main characters or what happened to them. And, I'm sorry, but stories about adultery really ought to have something to redeem them. (An interesting  and well acted British TV series about this subject - the occupation of the Channel islands - is Island at War but I'm afraid it is definitely not rated PG so viewer beware.)

7. Fall of Giants. Fiction by Ken Follett. I've heard that Follett is an amazing writer who knows his stuff (in other words: does his research). Alas, I was not impressed by this monstrously thick (985 pages) book. It's crude, the history is clumsy, the politics are heavy handed, and if the action drags (often) he throws in a scene better suited to a bodice ripping romance novel. Yuck.

8. A Piece of Justice. Fiction by Jill Paton Walsh. Series mystery. An enjoyable, well crafted mystery and I also think anyone who enjoyed the Jennifer Chiaverini series on quilters might enjoy this as a quilt plays an important part in this story.

9. Mrs. Tim Carries On. Fiction by D.E. Stevenson. Sequel to Mrs. Tim of the Regiment. This one covers the early years of the Second World War and was first published in 1941 so it offers an interesting contemporary perspective. Hester (Mrs. Tim) is a likeable heroine but the people around her can be ridiculously annoying to read about.

10. Inheritance. Fiction by Christopher Paolini. I read these books primarily so I could talk about them with my younger brother. They are not as finely written as I would wish and I found the conclusion unsatisfying but I really must tip my hat to the accomplishment it is for a young author to create this world, publish four lengthy books, and inspire so many loyal fans (even if I'm not one).

11. A Poisoned Season. Fiction by Tasha Alexander. This series is just not growing on me.

12. The Creative Habit. Non-fiction by Twyla Tharp. Inspiring stuff! I filled several pages of my commonplace book with quotes from this one, many of which will no doubt be shared on this blog in the future.

13. Mrs. Tim Gets a Job. Fiction by D.E. Stevenson. The sequel to #9 above. My least favorite in the series. I think I would have preferred to read more about Hester's WW2 experiences.

14. Noblesse Oblige. Non-fiction edited by Nancy Mitford. A collection of essays on the use of language (and other defining characteristics) that separate the upper class from the lower class in England.

15. Crossed. Fiction by Ally Condie. Second book in a trilogy. OK, but it's no Hunger Games. I felt like most of this book could have been condensed into a few chapters at the beginning of the third book but it was a quick, enjoyable read nonetheless.

16. The Bronze Horseman. Fiction by Paullina Simons. Well researched, set in 1941 Leningrad. The first chapters are engrossing (considering the subject matter they could hardly fail to be, right?). There are the usual disclaimers: soldiers use bad language and some characters behave badly. If that were all I would {cautiously} recommend this book if you were especially interested in the time period or Russian history. Unfortunately, the later chapters descend into the worst sort of romance novel writing. I had to skip several chapters. I ought to have stopped reading altogether but I'll confess to reading the end to find out what happened to the two main characters. I was sadly disappointed in this book: so much research and historical detail just to be ruined by salacious writing. Why do historical fiction authors do this?! (See also #7 above)

Totals for February:
Fiction: 10
Non-fiction: 6

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Breathing (and Praying)

There are days when breathing and praying (and writing and maybe crying) are all that get done. Those days it is an accomplishment to get out of bed and get dressed.

And there are days when someone asks how I'm doing and "fine" is not a lie, when "OK" is actually the right answer. Those days remind me what "normal" life was like just a few weeks ago and I think maybe we'll be there again sooner rather than later.

(P.S.: Dear Ingrid Michaelson, thanks for writing a song I would need one day.)

In Which I Attempt To Say Thank You

I thought maybe I might be able to write about it today. Well, I mean, write something that other people can read. I've been writing nearly every day in my much needed spiral bound notebook. Those things will probably stay between God, me and the spiral bound notebook.

But I don't think I can write the blog post that I need to write. Not yet.

So instead I want to share some things for which I am thankful (the grammarian inside just doesn't go away):

1. I'm thankful that I had that ultrasound. I'm so thankful I got to "see" our baby, even if just once and even if his tiny heart had already stopped.
2. I'm thankful I have pictures of our baby. I'm aware, now more than ever, that some people don't even have that.
3. I'm thankful for all the doctors, nurses, and hospital staff who have been so gracious to us. No one has treated our loss lightly and they have helped make these unspeakable things just a little more bearable.
4. For each friend who left a note on Facebook or sent us a card in the mail or called to check on us.
5. For each person who brought us meals or food.
6. For each person who watched our girls for us and gave them some happy memories of these days.
7. For everyone who helped us give Sweet Pea a happy birthday and helped us fulfill her birthday tea party wishes.
8. For heart to heart talks with my oldest girls and for little girls to hold and cuddle even though they don't understand exactly what is going on.
9. For those people who have specifically helped or encouraged Philip, who is carrying the lion's share of the load these days.
10. For those who have said they will pray for us, and especially for those who are actually doing so. Please don't stop yet.

I know I have probably forgotten to mention many of the acts of kindness that are carrying us through the days right now. I hope everyone realizes how appreciated they are.