Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded

Well, I can say with confidence that my book reading is almost always spontaneous. I bought this at Goodwill during their semi-annual book sale; because I had just taken my Asian Geography class at Central Washington University, and was interested in learning more. That class had to be one of the best classes I've ever taken, and I don't even like geography. Needless to say, we had mentioned the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa, but not gone in depth. And when you can buy education for $1, you don't say no. 

Still, I don't know what I was thinking about this book, Krakatoa: the Day the World Exploded, before I read it. Simon Winchester, the author, was a geologist at Oxford. Let me say that again: Oxford. It's not a fun book with a plot. No, this is researched work--basically the entirety of Winchester's education. He spent a complete chapter over the history of plate tectonics, which is important to geologists. I am not a geologist, and I happened to think that geology is one of the most uninteresting topics in the universe. So if I were to read this again, I would skip over chapter three: "Close Encounters on the Wallace Line". 


So with that in mind, reading this is for the purposes of learning. Let me debrief the main points. The volcanic eruption of Krakatoa, located in between the two most important islands of Indonesia, was the loudest sound recorded in human history. It was heard in parts of Africa, India, all over Asia, Australia and the Pacific. It is the largest volcanic eruption in modern human history, (don't even think about comparing it to Mt. St. Helens). Near 40,000 people died, and primarily drowned because of the tsunamis caused by the eruption. Krakatoa exploded to such a large extent that the volcano no longer to exists. That's right, the island blew it's self up. THE ISLAND BLEW ITSELF UP. Or at least into several different islands. But as far as the volcano is concerned, yeah it's gone. 

The island that used to be Krakatoa is now three
different islands, and Anak Krakatoa is new.
Anak means child in Malay, making the name
mean the child of Krakatoa. 

What is surprising about reading this research though, is how it had affected the world. I had never heard of Krakatoa before college, and still would never consider the event famous. It's been less than 150 years, and this phreatomagmatic explosion is never spoken of. Sound waves of the explosion traveled around the earth seven times. Mt. St. Helens blew off her top, but the volcano is still there. Can you even imagine the consequences if the mountain you live by, underneath, around just spontaneously combusted? It's like the earth had a giant zit, and had so much pressure building up that it had to pop itself. 




I can't even begin to think of the realities of having a volcanic explosion to the extent of Krakatoa. Yet, here I live at the base of Mt. Rainer everyday. Maybe now, I'll be more educated on the signs of an about to explode volcano.

So I'll know when the world ends,
Emily

Mirror Mirror

Famous for his work titled Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Gregory Maguire has taken multiple fairytales and reinterprets them. This work titled Mirror, Mirror is Maguire's version of Snow White. The story is placed in the very early 1500's Spain with references to the historical context of the Crusades, especially the Pope. With a more concrete background, there comes both pros and cons. This time period is not my favorite or am I very well educated on it, however it is just background so it's not overwhelmingly necessary to know. I do think that I would have had more satisfaction if I was educated on the political culture of the time. No matter, Snow White (called Bianca) travels from childhood to adulthood in 276 pages.

Maguire.

There are multiple gaps of time as Bianca is depicted as a young child, 11, 16, and, possibly, 18. These time gaps are correlated with changes of perspective in characters. I normally, really enjoy the change of perspective (as seen in The Game of Thrones) but in this shorter novel, I did not feel especially connected to anyone of them. It went to the 'evil step-mother' figure, to the 'huntsman', the father, Bianca, and the 'dwarfs'. The novel as a whole was written very ambiguously. There were multiple points were I felt like I had missed a piece of information. Maguire is talented, I would not say otherwise; but this is the second book I've read of his (Confessions of an Ugly Step-Sister) and I haven't loved either one. I do intend to read Wicked at some point, but if it follows the same writing style as both of these: I don't have very high expectations.  

He, Maguire, most certainly did take a new perspective on the familiar Snow White, but I finished the novel without caring about Bianca. The story's center, and I don't know that I loved her. She's supposed to be my heroine, and I did not get to know her very well. She was there, and alive (part of the time), but she did not do very much. I mean, if she wasn't sleeping or being dead, she was a child. Most of her story is what happens to her, and not what she does. Maybe this is just the nature of Snow White themed stories, and that is not Maguire's fault. I do appreciate the storyline he added for Bianca's father, and wished that there was more emphasis or follow up with him. Not to mention that THE KISS--the mysterious man who would wake our Bianca--was just stapled in there. I do not feel one way or another about it, however it was better than the other optional male (whom I will not say). 


I love fairytales, and since Snow White was my grandmother's favorite--I have a special attachment to it. One thing I must compliment Maguire on is his description of the evil stepmother figure: she's blonde. That's right ladies in gentlemen, the dark and twisted character is represented with light colors. For whatever reason Maguire choose to do this, I appreciate it. Since western culture associates black and blonde to immediate stereotypes, there is a certain innovation to stray from generics.

Reminded of my grandma, 
Emily

Game of Thrones

I have finally gotten into Game of Thrones this last six months. I had watched the first six episodes of the TV series, and had liked it but did not understand the appeal until this 800 page written version. Written by George R.R. Martin, I can not begin to emphasize how well written this series is. Let me emphasize: I watched only six episodes of the first season of Game of Thrones, and each episode was roughly equivalent to 100 pp. of text. The information that was expressed in the novel made the tv series less informational. 

TV GoT (Game of Thrones) was good, do not get me wrong. Watching the show had allowed me to understand what the premiss of the story was, introduce all the major characters, and give me a feel for the events to come. However, the show did not make as much as chronological sense as the book did. The fact that 100 pages was summed up in 40 minutes of film alone shows that the written word had more information, most of which is inexpressible physically. For example, Catelyn Stark's motivations, and choices are more clear through her thought process. Even the importance of the Winterfell's catchphrase "winter is coming" has more meaning, or at least the meaning was more clear. I think that I could watch the show now and have a more complete sense of what is actually happening.  

Daenerys, the blood of the dragon.

I haven't even mentioned how competent and strong the female characters are. How often do we find a fantasy saga were females are slightly leading males? Of course, who really has power in this book is debatable, but it is undeniable that Arya, Dany, Catelyn, Cersei, and even Sansa are strong. I didn't even like Sansa for the first 700 pages. In her last chapter in the book, her strength finally showed through. I am excited to see how she develops--I find her situation at the end of the book the most interesting.

Last thing: the book ends in a very similar fashion to The Grapes of Wrath. [*hint,hint*]

Nerd, Fan or Bandwagon?
Emily

The Secret Life of Bees

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd was a spontaneous read for me. It was sitting on my roommate's bookshelf and I opened it. I mean, I had heard good things about it and had intentions of reading it at some point. And so I did. Before I had read it, and even during, people would comment on how good it was. This was one of the first books where I was surprised at how neutral I felt about it. There's nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with the book--but I didn't love it. For having heard such good things, I am surprised at my own blankness about it. 

The setting of the book is in South Carolina in the 1960s with the premise of  racial conflict. Lily Owens is the main character as a white 14 year old girl, who's mother has died at a young age. It leaves her to live with her racist father, and her black nanny on a peach plantation. Through the story, Lily is trying to resolve issues from her family and past meanwhile growing into a young person. As far as the story goes, the plot is fairly simple. She runs from home, she discovers herself and things about her mother, conflict is resolved, and the end. 

One of the things that surprised me about the story was how fanciful it was. In my reading experience, the majority of novels set in the 1960s and have African American persons have not been happy stories. So, really I can't say that the setting fits the story, or at least the outcome of the story. It is too unrealistic in the sense that this 14 year old girl gets everything she wants. For me, there was not enough tension in the story. The majority of the middle section of the book was a lot of just... nothing. I can't even think of a word for it. Events do happen, relationships are built and developed. But the story is not defined but this huge chuck of the book. It's possible that I did not reach an emotional connection to the characters, or lost interest. 


The disappointing thing is that I've been wanting to read this book for so long, I want to like it. I want to love the book. It's even in a genre that I generally would love (not to mention the writing style is very similar to my own fictional writing style). But the story was so neutral. It seemed to be missing a crucial element. I would not be surprised if the movie was more of an emotional experience for me than the written (and original) version. That will be for a different time, however.

Unmoved,
Emily

The Joy Luck Club

Amy Tan is a genius. I mean, this book is incredible. Titled The Joy Luck Club, this novel an adventure on what it means to be Chinese. Sure, the book is actually about four mothers and their four daughters, but there is so much more than relationships being told. This story was a tale of discovering what it really means to be a part of China. Through the eyes, and experiences of eight different women, Tan makes this thought provoking story. In the summary of the author in the back flap of my version of the book, Amy Tan quoted her mother with these words: "As soon as my feet touched China, I became Chinese." This quote is the core of the novel (according to my depiction).

So much of this story is so realistic and in such detail, that I knew that Tan was not pulling these emotions out of air. These were someone's stories, or at least that's the way it felt. It's easy to whine about the different view points (the novel has four sections: 2 of the mothers', and 2 of the daughters). It is difficult to combine eight different experiences while making a single story, however I did not find that the plot was the story of the book. This was not a book about a person, a development, a climax, or a defeated villain. The story may have contained some of these elements, but that's not what I took away from it. But to clarify, it is the story of four Chinese-American daughters to immigrants who are contrasted with the stories of their mothers. The drastic differences 

Amy Tan, author, with her mother. 

One of my favorite things about reading novels about China, or have a Chinese foundation, is that one can always learn something new about China. There is no way that a single person can know all of the Chinese gods, or know all of Chinese history. There is so much left to learn about that country. With this in mind, I found great joy in this aspect of the story alone, while also enjoying the aspects of Chinese culture I have already learned about. For those who are lovers of Asia, I highly suggest this read. Not to mention the very heart warming finish that left me with the perfect amount of tears: just one. (Not even a lie). 

Besides that, reading just expands the mind and it allows for ignorance to diminish. Reading this novel, reminded me that at one time in my life I did not know anything about Asia, more specifically China. All I've done since that time is read [A LOT], but read none the less. 

For the growth of knowledge, and love of mothers,
Emily & Jeoffry the Cat

EmiTown

 This was the first book I bought, post-graduating college, and its full of pictures. I have never been more proud of myself, and could not think of any more fitting image of how college wrecks the soul. I mean, I graduate and buy a 400pg. comic on the simplistic life of yet another dreamer barely making it. Called EmiTown by Emi Lenox, I bought this book on a whim. It felt right in my hands, and it had been way to long since I had bought anything from our (amazing!) local comic shop. I could go on about Central City Comics forever, but this isn't about that.

EmiTown is a sketch diary, as seen on cover, which was different than any other comics I have read. Reading a story that was true, and simple in plot--changes the feel of it all. I mean, why read a 400pg. work on a story where nothing significant happens? [Actually a lot happens in her life, but most pages are mundane topics]. Why am I so wrapped up in a story where breakfast burritos and coffee are talked about more than major life events? And why does life seemed to be more clearly talked about in breakfast burritos and coffee? Some of the spreads are like looking directly at life in the face, and accepting that I will probably never do anything great. Life is more in the simple joys and pains than anything else. Example A: In EmiTown (Volume 1) she signs a publishing deal for the book I am reading (weird, right?), but the story actually doesn't reach some climatic end because of this. The story keeps moving, slowly, painfully, and happily. It's a diary, and it is simple in nature. Very realistic and relatable. 


One of the downsides to this being a public diary is not all the information is given out in details. Example B: we know as an audience, that Emi is going through love troubles, but there is no names, or details. In any another fictional piece, and even non-fiction there is a name, clearly defined roles, and reasons for why things did not work out. She doesn't do this. She has herself as various characters that represent different aspects to her love life: White Heart, Black Heart, Ocean Girl and Army Cats. So sometimes I felt like I wasn't following the story as accurately as I could be. Another strange thing is that this book takes place 2009/2010 (the year I graduated high school) so a lot of the references are things I forgot were such a big deal (like the movie 2012, or Justin Beiber's song "Baby"). 

But seriously, Emi Lenox has got herself a new fan (I LOVE THE ART WORK). I think my biggest reason to love this sketch diary is that my best friend has a very similar style of comicking. Reading this book is like having a piece of my best friend with me all the time (who is in July moving to Taiwan for a whole year! Sad face:{ ). Besides personality differences, the art is familiar to me, and I love it. 

Check her out @ Emi Lenox's Blogger Site:) 

Comics for Daysssss!
Emily

Homeland and Other Stories

Barbara Kingsolver is my absolute favorite author. This collection of short stories titled: Homeland and Other Stories is one of her earliest work. Actually, the author's works list had only two novels in the edition that I read. Another note, before I work on my review, this is my 8th Barbara Kingsolver work (more like 8 1/2) out of 14 total works: including essays, novels, short stories, and prequels. Because of this, I'm probably bias on my opinion of her works.

Barbara Kingsolver in her
younger years.

Unless a short story is famous, or about sci-fi; I don't think I've read any for fun. Short stories as a genre are not enough time for me to reach a deep connection with the characters. With that in mind: this wasn't my favorite work. It is not because of the lack of author's talent, but just a personal preference. Although Homeland is Kingsolver's only series of shorts. I think her artistic preference is in novels and character development, such as The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees. It's also difficult to review a series of small stories--I'm not individually looking at each story.

One of the things that Homeland did for me though was open my eyes to others' experiences. A couple of her stories made me stop and a put the book down. 

Always a fan,

Emily&Jeoffry the Cat