Weekend Book-Meme

Bub and Pie tagged me for this meme.

1. If you could host a party with 7 literary characters, who would they be and why?

Jeeves - he would be an immense help with the hosting (since I'm a lousy hostess)
Mma Ramotswe - Conversation and wise words
Elizabeth Bennet - Conversation and wit
Roxane Coss - She could sing beautiful arias for us
Lord Peter Wimsey - A Lord who has taken up crime solving? I'm sure he would have tons of entertaining stories to share with us!
Gaspode - Everyone should have a clever talking dog at their party.

2. Who is your literary role model?

I'm not able to answer this one. I admire many characters for a variety of reasons.


3. Which literary house would you like most to live in?

I'm not sure I can really pick a particular house, but I can pick a type. I'm actually more interested in the surroundings than in the house. I would like to live in an adorable cottage (with a garden and a rose arbor) in a small English village. I can't remember if Miss Marple's house is described this way in the books, but in the BBC productions she has a charming cottage in St. Mary's Mead.


4. Which literary couple would you like most for parents?

Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert


5. Pick 3 literary characters you would like to have as siblings.

Jane Bennet - a good hearted and loyal confidante
Sophie (of Sophie's World) - she would make a wonderfully curious younger sister
I need a brother but am not sure who to pick. Suggestions?


6. Who is your favorite literary villain?

Iago


7. Name a character that most people dislike, but that you do not. Why do you like them?

Professor Moriarty. Holmes deserves to have a nemesis and Moriarty has the genius to pull it off. As you can tell, I'm not at all convinced that Holmes is a hero worthy of my adoration.


8. Which minor character deserves a book all to themselves, in your opinion?

Dr. Watson.


9. Which character do you identify most with in literature?

Anne Shirley. Had way too much imagination for most adults to handle.


10. If you could go into a novel, which one would it be and why?

Any Raymond Chandler novel. Since it is a novel I could be something I'm not - femme fatale wearing red lipstick, great 40s clothes, and able to pull off wonderful verbal comebacks as I look out from beneath the hair slanting across my face. Yeah, total fantasy stuff.


11. Name 3-7 books that you rarely see on people's favorite book lists, that are high on your own.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
The Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake
Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder
The River by Rumer Godden
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury


12. Which is your least favorite book of those that are considered "classics"?

Anything by Henry James. It has more to do with his writing style than his content. Any author who repeatedly takes an entire page to write 2 sentences is low on my list of reads.


Should they choose to accept, I tag Mary-LUE, Janssen, and Chloe.

Bull

I learned something about myself recently. It came as a sudden and complete surprise ... after 40-some-ish years of living. Surprise. No, it doesn't have to do with food. Or sex. Or religion. For those who know me, it will probably seem out of character. The big revelation?

I like to watch bull riding. I didn't know this until recently when I found myself glued to the TV watching this man vs. beast thing -- on more than one occasion. I don't understand this fascination. My usual idea of a fun-to-watch-sport does involve a saddle, but the mount in question has wheels and doesn't try to buck you off (yes, it is Tour de France month).

I think it is the height of insanity to climb onto the back of a bull. I mean, really, ... who do you THINK is going to win this contest?? But I keep coming back to watch some guy try to hang on long enough to get enough points to "win." The actual ride does not particularly fascinate me since I don't know what constitutes a good ride (short of hanging on for at least 8 seconds). Perhaps form is considered. Maybe the rider gets points for the dismount ... landing on both feet with arms raised in the air? And I'm not really interested in seeing the poor rider get thrown and possibly stomped to death. So what is it that compels me to watch this?

I guess I don't know "me" very well. What next? Scary scary thought.

Test

Edited to add: I've found that if you subscribe by typing my URL into your reader, you will be subscribed to Sally's Tip of the Iceberg in Iowa. If you go to my blog and click the subscribe link (right sidebar), you should subscribe to my blog. Hopefully I will find out someday where the problem lies (reader? feedburner? other?) and this won't be an issue.

This is a test post to troubleshoot a problem my feed seems to be having.

To all of you who might have subscribed to my blog using a reader:

I made some changes today and am using Feedburner. This seems to have created a problem for at least one person who had previously subscribed to my blog using Google Reader. Apparently she was being sent to a different "Tip of the Iceberg" in Iowa. You may need to re-subscribe to resolve this problem if you are having problems getting to my blog. Sorry for any confusion. Technology. Geesh!

Life Intervals

The Conversation at the Gym:

Terri B.: [running on treadmill]

Treadmill Buddy: "What are you doing?"

Terri B.: "Running. And walking. Mostly walking."

Treadmill Buddy: "I mean, why do you switch between running and walking so often?"

Terri B.: "I'm doing intervals."

Treadmill Buddy: "Are you training for something?"

Terri B.: "Um. Yeah." [this sounds better than admitting I can't run for more than a few minutes at a time yet]

Treadmill Buddy: "Wow! What are you training for?"

Terri B.: "Life."


The Workout:

1. Begin with a relaxing walk.
2. Up the stress level by walking faster.
3. Up the stess level further by running.
4. Go back to a fast walk.
   
5. Alternate between running and a fast walk; this puts a stress on the cardio system that is followed by a rest.
6. Repeat for about an hour.

The back and forth of stress and rest builds and strengthens the system and trains it to recover more quickly from the periods of stress. Eventually you find that you can extend the periods of stress and decrease the periods of rest all while recovering very quickly from the periods of stress.


The Reflection:

Reflecting on this recent conversation, I can't help but think I'd spontaneously stated what my gym workouts have really been about. Yes, I am training. Training for that series of intervals that I call life.

Understanding Haruki Murakami

I have several books by Haruki Murakami. The more I read his writing, the more I love his writing. I must admit though that this attraction wasn't instantaneous. I first read Norwegian Wood and thought, "that was nice." The impact of his writing didn't strike me until months later when I found myself still thinking about that novel. After reading a recent essay by Murakami, I now understand the attraction and why it took me awhile to realize how much I like his works. It's like jazz music ... which doesn't always strike you immediately, but rather, grows on you. In fact, Murakami admits that his writing is influenced by his love of jazz music. Murakami's writing style is to take the words swirling around in his head (his "music") and give those words rhythm, melody, harmony, and finally free improvisation in the hope of "reaching a place that is new and meaningful."

I'll leave you with Murakmi's own words about writing:

One of my all-time favorite jazz pianists is Thelonious Monk. Once, when someone asked him how he managed to get a certain special sound out of the piano, Monk pointed to the keyboard and said: “It can’t be any new note. When you look at the keyboard, all the notes are there already. But if you mean a note enough, it will sound different. You got to pick the notes you really mean!”

I often recall these words when I am writing, and I think to myself, “It’s true. There aren’t any new words. Our job is to give new meanings and special overtones to absolutely ordinary words.” I find the thought reassuring. It means that vast, unknown stretches still lie before us, fertile territories just waiting for us to cultivate them.

From the essay "Jazz Messenger" by Haruki Murakami posted in the online version of the New York Times Sunday Book Review dated July 8, 2007

Reviews of Murakami's work can be found at:
Books 'N Border Collies (Lezlie) - Review of After Dark

The Summer of YA

The title should really read "The Summer of Reading Young Adult Novels," but I thought "The Summer of YA" was more enigmatic and catchy. Whatever.

The point is that I've been reading YA books for the last month or so. My excuse for this has been my soon-to-be 13 year old granddaughter (she needs some reading guidance). But really, who needs an excuse? This has been fun!

I've noticed some differences between the YA literature I've been reading and the usual adult fare that I consume. I first noticed that I "felt" different when reading YA literature. I felt hopeful; I felt like the whole world was one giant possibility; I felt twelve. Yes, there are some general differences between adult and YA lit.

Adult literature tends to have a strong sense of the past which often includes a wistfulness and a sense of regret. This makes sense since the characters are generally adults (sometimes elderly) with a past to look back upon and to regret. Adult lit can look forward, but that look forward is usually influenced by the past.

Contrast this with the YA literature that I've been reading. These stories are drenched in a sense of hope and wonder and looking forward. The main characters are young and we see things through their eyes. They don't have much of a past and so look forward to what will be in all of its possibilities. Remember that outlook? That was the really good part about adolescence. Yes, the situations in these novels are challenging and sometimes heartbreaking, but the outlook during the challenges and the tendency to look forward are refreshing.

In case you've wondered what YA books I've been reading:
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (finished)
Enna Burning by Shannon Hale (finished)
The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (finished)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (finished)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (finished)
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry (finished)
Messenger by Lois Lowry (finished)
East by Edith Pattou (in process)
River Secrets by Shannon Hale (to be read)
A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle (to be read)
A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle (to be read)
Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle (to be read)
An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L'Engle (to be read)
Twilight by Stephenie Myer (to be read)
New Moon by Stephenie Myer (to be read)
Summerland by Michael Chabon (to be read)
Harry Potter books (re-reading in preparation for the new one!)

I guess I should take some time out and write some comments about the books I've read, but I'm having way too much fun staying up at night and reading under the covers with a flashlight! Isn't that what summer's for??