The Commitment

The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family by Dan Savage, 291 pages

Gay marriage is constantly in the news, and it has been for years. Most of the news stories focus on court cases or ballot initiatives or, more recently, states legalizing gay marriage. In The Commitment, Savage focuses gay marriage (and marriage in general) from an angle rarely seen in the news: the personal point of view. At the time the book was published in 2005, Savage and his boyfriend, Terry, had been together for 10 years. They had a six-year-old son who they adopted at birth and everything was stable in their little family. The couple was even planning a huge anniversary party to celebrate their decade together.

But on the subject of marriage (which was not legal for them in their home state at that time; Washington legalized it in 2012), there was disagreement. Savage was afraid that by "formalizing" their relationship, they'd jinx it; Terry didn't want to do anything straight people did and would rather get "property of" tattoos; Savage's Catholic mother surprisingly was pressuring them to tie the knot; and, perhaps even more surprisingly, their son DJ was vehemently against the idea of his two dads getting married, saying that "boys don't marry boys."

This book follows Savage and his family as they wrestle with the idea of marriage. It also sheds a lot of light on Savage's family, both nuclear and extended, as he examines the marriages of his siblings, parents, grandparents, and various aunts, uncles, and cousins. This was a really interesting, insightful book, though there were a few TMI moments (which is to be expected from Savage, who is a syndicated sex-advice columnist). Overall, a good book, especially for those who already support gay marriage (or are at least leaning that way). But those TMI moments make it not for the faint of heart.

Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages

Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages by Umberto Eco, 119 pages

Before he became known as the author of novels such as The Name of the Rose and The Island of the Day Before, Umberto Eco wrote this little book about medieval aesthetics, an extension of his career as a semiotician.

The subject of the book is the attempt of medieval philosophers to discover a mathematical approach to visual beauty corresponding to the Pythagorean explication of musical harmony.  Above all, the medieval mind desired clarity.  Beauty was not to be found in surface impressions, but in contemplation.  At a time when the world was seen as an allegory, the "book of nature" a symbolic text speaking to the human senses the thousand names of God, art was considered an intellectual, and inevitably spiritual, endeavor.  Light and color, not usually associated with the Middle Ages in the popular mind, were seen as key components of art, representing the truth shining through appearances into the understanding.

In this work, Eco leans heavily on Huizinga's Waning of the Middle Ages.  The heavy doses of scholastic philosophy, with its characteristic insistence on precise distinctions, will not be to the taste of some readers, nor will Eco's facility with technical terms such as "hylomorphism" and "entelechy".  For those willing to shoulder the burden, however, it will prove enlightening.

All Fall Down

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner
388 Pages

Allison Weiss is a busy mom.  With a demanding daughter, older parents, a part time job turned full-time, and a troubled marriage she feels the demands overwhelming her and seeks
help with some pain pills she got when she hurt her back.  The downward spiral continues and Allison finds herself with an escalating problem but feels she doesn't have anything in common with the usual rehab crowd.

Weiner shows how addiction can strike anyone, regardless of their background or past history.  The narrative is engaging and I read this in one night (of course I couldn't sleep either).

Falling Sky

Falling Sky by Rajan Khanna
260 Pages

Comes out in October 2014.


A new twist on the Zombie genre, Falling Sky has action, adventure and romance in a world where survivors have taken to the air in dirigibles to avoid contagion.  Ben Gold has his own airship and has been aiding a group of scientists in trying to find a cure to the disease that turns people into ferals.  But interference from an opposing groups leaves Ben not only losing his airship but fleeing for his life.  As he and a group of friends struggle to get his ship back they uncover a much larger and deadly plot.

An entertaining read.  While there are a lot of books with a zombie theme.  Khanna has given it a twist so that they aren't the main focus of the story, rather the adventures of Ben Gold gets center stage.  I am looking forward to the next book as it is apparent that a sequel must be in the works.

Skin Game

Skin Game by Jim Butcher
454 Pages


Harry Dresden is back and in his role as the Winter Knight he is being forced to aid a group of former foes by Mab.

There are a lot of books that claim to be similar to the Harry Dresden series but once you read an original you are reminded that they don't quite live up.  What Butcher does well is to create a character that isn't perfect finding his inner strength to continue to learn and develop.  Over the course of the series the wizard Harry Dresden has become a more complex character rather than a one dimensional fixture.  Add to the mix a cast of compelling and likeable allies and unlikeable foes and you get a books that will keep attracting new readers. 

Fragile Things

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
360 Pages

I really liked some of the stories in this collection but there were others that were pretty strange that I didn't like nearly as well. Sunbird was one of my favorites. I have seen it in at least one other collection. The story is about a group of people who get together to eat strange foods. They have decided that there isn't much left for them to try and one member suggests sunbird. The group agrees but are getting more than they bargain for. I also liked The Monarch of the Glen, which is actually an American Gods novella. Shadow takes a job as security for a party but the party is much more dangerous than described and his job is not actually security. Overall this was a decent offering and most fans of Neil Gaiman's works would like it. I'm not sure that I would start new Gaiman readers with this particular book.

Song of a Dead Dreamer

Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti, 275 pages

This author and therefore this book were recommended to me after my reading of Lovecraft. I was looking for another horror writer that conveyed the same sense of unease or dread upon the reader. Sadly, though it was quite good, it did not measure up to the standard of Lovecraft.

There was still the created sense of dread and unease but it was not as prevalent. Again I had my favorites that really seemed to resonate with me. But I it felt that more of this book was a drag despite being only short stories.

Since Ligotti is highly praised in his works of horror I plan to continue with his books.  

Reactionary Revolution

The Reactionary Revolution: The Catholic Revival in French Literature 1870-1914 by Richard M Griffiths, 362 pages

The four decades preceding the outbreak of the First World War saw a phenomenon in French literature that would have seemed unthinkable only a short time before - a series of remarkable writers who embraced the Catholic faith and celebrated their identity as Catholics.  Authors including JK Huysmans, Leon Bloy, Paul Claudel, and Charles Peguy rejected both the materialist "naturalism" of writers like Emile Zola and Guy de Maupassant and the diabolism of the Decadents.
 

In their rebellion against modernity, the authors considered in this book took an inward turn, stressing the otherness and hard doctrines of Catholicism, romanticizing the Middle Ages as a contrast to the debased present.  Their writing is marked by an odd anti-intellectualism even as it overlapped with the beginning of the Neo-Thomist revival, as well as an unfortunate propensity for violent rhetoric and sympathies with nationalist political movements.  Their particular brand of extremism repudiated every form of compromise as it sought to inspire believers to ever greater levels of zeal, it rejected also every form of sentimentalism in this quest for holiness.  If many of the particular preoccupations of the revivalists seem strange today, their writings nonetheless served as inspiration to later writers such as Francois Mauriac, Georges Bernanos, Sigrid Undset, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, Flannery O'Connor, and Walker Percy.

This book is worth reading for anyone interested in the authors or in the period.  The description of obscure ancillary figures such as Abbe Boullan is invaluable, and particularly benefits from Griffiths' sensitivity to the limits of Catholic orthodoxy.  Frequent, large chunks of untranslated French do pose a substantial (but not insurmountable) barrier for those who (like me) are not fluent in French, however.

Bo At Ballard Creek

Bo At Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill, 279 pages

This is a sweet little story about a girl named Bo who lives with her two papas in Ballard Hill in Alaska. Bo’s mother was a good-time girl who left Bo with Arvid. Jack saw them together and the two men decided that she couldn’t go to the orphanage and decided to raise her themselves. They were on their way to Ballard Creek to be the blacksmith and cook for the gold mining operation and everyone there loved her, including the mining boys and the Eskimos who lived there. The story reminded a little of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books in tone. The book might appeal a little more to girls because of the main character being a girl, but Bo has many friends who are boys and she’s not really interested in much that would be considered traditional for girls. Also, there is just a little of the “how-to” information in here that can appeal to boys so some boys may also like it. Overall, this is a solid, fun, little story.

Something Real

Something Real by Heather Demetrios, 406 pages

As someone who pretty much despises reality T.V., I loved this story. BonnieTM, aka Chloe, Baker is one of the oldest children from the show, Baker’s Dozen. The show has been off the air for four years, since she attempted suicide and her parent’s divorced, but now that she is 17, a senior in high school, and nearly adjusted to having a normal life, her mother is restarting the show. Chloe is devasted and not sure what to do. She doesn’t want to participate, and knows that once she graduates she can be free of the show forever. But isn’t sure she can wait that long, especially since she may have a possible relationship brewing with Patrick, the guy she’s been crushing on for a year. This was a fabulous book and one that I think a lot of teens would like, whether they love or hate these types of shows.

Amphigorey Again

Amphigorey Again by Edward Gorey, 260 pages

The final Gorey book! By completing this series you have won the following prizes. One poly-sci credit at the university of your choice and secondly a free straight jacket and rubber room. With this last book Gorey goes off the deep end into the realm of confusing and maybe pointless stories. I will say some of the art is good though.

Having now read all of these graphic novels I can understand why someone would recommend them to another. I think it is a subtle dare. I didn't understand some but you should read them and I am sure you can explain some of the stories to me. Either that or misery loves company.

Sixth Grave on the Edge

 

Sixth Grave On The Edge by Darynda Jones         326 pages

This has already been reviewed for the blog so I will keep this short.  I really liked this book.  I thought it was a good addition to the series and that fans will like it.  People who are reading mostly for the sexually relationship between Charlie and Reyes may be somewhat disappointed, because I felt like there was less of that part of the story in this book, but the rest of the story was great.  I especially liked Charlie’s schemes to set up Cookie and Uncle Bob.

Maggie & Me

Maggie & Me by Damian Barr                     246 pages

I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would.  It was a memoir of a gay man’s youth and teen years.  Because he grew up in Scotland, most of the adults in his life hated Margaret Thatcher for her policies.  She planned to close the factory where his father worked and also put a stop to the free school milk program.  However, there was something about Maggie that Damian admired, and in the midst of his realization of his sexuality and the horror (for him) of his parent’s divorce, Maggie gave him hope for a better future.  He was picked on in his school and his mother’s new boyfriend was abusive, so Damian needed some hope.  I thought that the writing was kind of stilted and the story didn’t flow very well, making some parts of it hard to understand.  I wouldn’t really recommend it to most people, although some older teens or young adults who have struggled with coming out may appreciate hearing about someone else’s struggles.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by J. K. Rowling        870 pages

This is probably the fifth or sixth time I’ve reread this book.  I love the entire series and reread it regularly.    I’d be surprised to find out that there is anyone that doesn’t know the basic idea of the series, but just in case, here is a brief description.  This is the fifth book in the series and Lord Voldemort has returned.  Harry is waiting for him to make himself known, but he does not and Harry spends a lot of time being considered crazy by the wizarding world.  Meanwhile, the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who is afraid that Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School, is trying to take over the Ministry, has appointed Dolores Umbridge to represent the Ministry at the School.  This mainly means that Umbridge can interfere at Hogwarts, and basically make students’, especially Harry’s lives difficult.  Almost everyone in the free world has enjoyed these books and I would recommend them to anyone who likes fantasy.