Review: I Shall Wear Midnight

I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I first met Discworld's withes with the "headology" expert Granny Weatherwax. I am glad to see Pratchett continues to flesh out these commentators on human nature with Tiffany Aching, who is now fifteen years old and getting on with the hard work of being a witch. Being a witch, she is also a caregiver, toenail-cutter, and more who helps new mothers learn to parent and fights back against domestic violence and child abuse. Pratchett goes there but still manages to keep it light and witty. The rowdy presence of Chalk's Clan of Nac Mac Feegles (an army of tiny, blue, rowdy, drunken and vaguely Scottish 'pictsies') helps.

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Review: Mornings on Horseback

Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my 2nd time taking in this early "morning" biography about the formation of the man that would become president. This focuses on a struggle with asthma (and its apparently psychosomatic dimension among children of that era) as well as his affinity for the outdoors, hunting, being a "ranchman" (and definitely not a "cowboy"). Lot's of family correspondence went into this pre-presidential biography. Theodore Roosevelt's life is considered into the 1890s, before he became the 33rd Governor of New York. His political career and more is quickly summarized in an epilogue.

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Review: The Ebony Tower

The Ebony Tower by John Fowles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories and a novella, each bearing a meta-literary element or theme; the writer's mythology of writing makes an appearance.

The Ebony Tower

Henry Breasley is an elderly painter whose secluded retirement is invaded by the narrater David, commissioned to write a biographical study. The writer at work sees that Breasley shares his home with two young English girls, both former art students, one of them reading The Magus. David is left in no doubt about his host's views on modern abstract art and both puzzled and scintillated by the old man's relationship with the girls, especially when he himself is attracted to Diana.

Eliduc

A translation of a Breton lai by Marie de France with explanatory footnotes. Fowles the writer explores an ancient genre from the inside. In finding lust away from home, it mirrors David's plight in the title piece.

Poor Koko

An elderly writer has borrowed a country cottage from friends in London. On the first night of his stay, the house is burgled, but the burglar exactly a needlessly cruel price that hurts the writer as a writer.

The Enigma

John Fielding, British Member of Parliament, disappears without trace. Was foul play involved, or did he fake his own disappearance? The police officer in charge finds the most intriguing theories from a woman that suggests an analogy of a universe where a writer is constructing the plot he is attempting to unravel. This puts the officer in Kafka-esque existential despair.

The Cloud

A picnic in the south of France for an English family is a psychological diorama for deeper, troubled undercurrents. Mythologies and the idea of imperfect symbols and thus communication is brought forward. The technique of jaded adults conjuring fairy tales for children recalls to me "A Perfect Day for Bananafish".

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Review: Society's Child: My Autobiography

Society's Child: My Autobiography by Janis Ian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I honestly have not heard enough of Ian's music to decide if I am a fan, or not. However, I had heard good things about this autobiography, so I dived in and am glad that I did. I am especially am glad that I chose this audiobook edition as a it is a true performance by Ian from snatches of guitar and singing to her own feelings surfacing in the narration be it from a poorly decided ménage à trois, dealing with a ruthless IRS, or the death of her mother. Starting a solo recording and performance career at 13, dealing with the pains of fame as a teen, and then needing to start over as a has-been by 20, Ian condensed multiple careers into her life. This includes being an early commentator about music downloads and a pioneer in internet auctions. Frank without being salacious, Ian shares her memories of her own relationships -- navigating her own bisexuality during her career -- and having her hard-earned wealth absconded.

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Review: Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I figured I would read this some time, just to see if it justifies to me its longevity and the attention paid in adaptations, none of which I have taken in. This audio version performed excellently by actress Rachel McAdams (Narrator) was just the opportunity. Since I rarely read fiction, it felt natural to compare this in my mind to Little Women , the novel by American author Louisa May Alcott, originally published in two volumes four decades before this in 1868 and 1869. Also Coming-of-Age Fiction, that Bildungsroman shows the puritanical tragedy of a precocious, expressive woman pushing down her goals and knowing her place, whereas Anne with an "E" of Price Edward Island's Avonlea wins over her adoptive parents and the reader with her pluck and vision in an entertaining, engaging way.

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Review: The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God

The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God by David J. Linden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fascinating, accessible review of current work on brain biology related to sexual orientation (separated monozygotic twins supporting a genetic basis for such behavior), sexual attraction, the mystery of dreams (dreams, even narrative ones occur outside of r.e.m.), and the cross-cultural believes in divine being and calling capsaicin sensation "hot". The brain is truly an engrossing mystery and during this age, the curtain is opening wider on those mysteries.

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Review: As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I very much enjoyed the audio presentation here mainly narrated by Cary Elwes himself. Robin Wright, Rob Reiner, Billy Crystal, and other members of the cast do their portions which really makes it feel like an onstage panel with surviving members of the cast. (Some members are voiced by other narrators which keeps the presentation diverse.)

I always felt here was a Monty Python feel to the movie, different from the book as I pointed out in my review of The Princess Bride. This makes sense since I learned that Production Design by Norman Garwood (Brazil, Time Bandits) tied key creative direction to the Python troupe. The casting that brought in Garwood and the actors reveals how this was constructed from such a desire to produce a witty, smart, satirical screenplay with the participation of author William Goldman. Other things of note include the gigantic generosity and appetites of Andre The Giant, the completely unnecessary insecurity of Wallace Shawn ("Inconceivable!"), the intense amount of swordplay practice put in by Elwes and Mandy Patinkin to stage the "greatest duel" as well as the two serious injuries that befell Elwes.

Certainly 4 stars for any committed fan of the movie as it is like a warm and witty audio commentary to the film.

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