Melody's Staff Picks
Carrion Comfort(2009, c1989) Monday, March 25, 2013  In this novel Dan Simmons portrays psychic vampires in a horror genre, which he uses to illuminate real evil in this world. I read this book in 1989 when it was first published and it has stayed with me. Simmons took the name of this book from a poem written in 1918 by a religious writer, Gerald Manley Hopkins. The story Simmons tells is one of sociopaths with powers. People diagnosed as sociopaths, (or exhibiting all the qualities of such), have no feeling for what others are experiencing. They may think of themselves as being very moral, and or religious. But they are incapable of empathy and so cannot experience any horror they might bring to others. Compound that with beings that can enter one's mind and control one's actions, and you have the premise for this book. Three characters are old mind vampires: Willi, Nina and Melanie. They have been playing a game to see who can make the most people kill themselves, in the most interesting ways, as they are bored with life. People (and relatives of people) used and abused by these psychic vampires come to realize what they are up against and band together to go after them. One character, Saul Laski, first met Willi in a Nazi death camp where Willi used him and others in a deadly chess game featuring human chess pieces. He has been tracking WIlli ever since. Other protagonists include a young black college student who figures out that his fathers “suicide” was the direct result of interference from one of these creatures, as well as a Southern sheriff who is much more intelligent than he lets on. The uneasiness one feels reading this book may be due to Simmons changing to the point of view of Melanie Fuller, one of the players of the “game”. Seeing the world through her eyes is horrifying; every murder committed by her is justified by numerous reasons she patiently explains to the reader. It is the sheer banality of her evil that is most disturbing. Simmons shows us how easy it becomes to commit monstrous acts when the ordinary rules of civilized society are suspended. These creatures, who are less than human, use their powers to try to dehumanize those who are human. At almost 900 pages, this can be a daunting read, yet Simmons pulls it off. This is a “smart person’s” horror read. When the book was reissued in 2009, some felt it was dated, as there are no cell phones, etc. But the basic premise of the book is not affected by that-it is a timeless tale.
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Joy of Cooking(1975) (2006) Monday, January 28, 2013  This is a very worthy reference text for cooks at any level. Yes, you can now “Google” white sauce, etc and get any amount of suggestions, but this book was my go to place for all things cooking before that option was available. And it still holds. Did you read about a cooking method that you have questions about? Have a recipe with an ingredient you have never heard of? Need to know what, if anything, you can substitute for an ingredient you do not have? Need some measurement equivalents? How about conversions? Nutritional information of ingredients? A picture of the fish called for in a recipe, as well as a detailed description of the same? Information about poultry production? Obviously I am just scratching the surface here, but there is a lot of useful information in this cookbook. My favorite edition is the All New, All Purpose Joy of Cooking that came out in 1997. The 2006 75th Anniversary Edition has a lot of new and updated recipes. It is edited by Ethan Becker, Irma Rombauer’s grandson. He applies his “cooking school pizzazz”, but when I compare recipes side by side, I find the recipes from the 1997 edition more to my liking. (My all time favorite pumpkin pie recipe, which includes a whipped cream with brandy topping, is from that edition). In addition to the wealth of information within, the book is a joy to read. There is much humor, as well as explanations for why they do things the way they do, and how they came to that conclusion. These are woven seamlessly into the recipes. The authors are not the stars of the books, nor were they ever really celebrities. (I remember a contest question asking “who was the author of Joy of Cooking”. Few knew the answer at the time). While Joy of Cooking is not they only cookbook I use, it is the most indispensable cookbook that I own. If you have never experienced the joy of Joy of Cooking, I highly recommend that you take a peek.
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Remarkable Trees of the World(2002) Wednesday, January 9, 2013     Perhaps it is the time of year, but I love reading books about trees, especially books that include awesome pictures of trees. One of my favorites is Thomas Pakenham’s” Remarkable Trees of the World”. His previous book, “Meetings With Remarkable Trees” concentrated on trees in Britain and Ireland, but this book takes him all around the world. Each featured tree is illuminated with a large picture and a page or so written about why it is included in the book. I am hard pressed to pick a favorite. A book I have been waiting to hold in my hands is Lewis Blackwell’s “The Life and Love of Trees”. It is on order for the library, and has been for a few months now. I decided to buy it myself, and found out why it may be taking so long. This book was published in 2009 and very well received, but for some reason, it is out of print. Existing copies are selling for over $100.00. I thought I’d found one for $35.00 through an online seller, but when I didn’t hear anything about my order after a couple weeks, I inquired and found it had been cancelled. I could re-order at the higher price. The book has very beautiful images. Even if we never get the book in, I encourage you to look it up and browse the images that are online. Here is a link to some good ones: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/The-Life-and-Love-of-Trees-Photo-Slideshow While waiting for this book to arrive, I looked through the catalog to find more tree books I might like and found one called “Seeing Trees” by Nancy Ross Hugo. The sub title-Discover the Extraordinary Secrets of Everyday Trees-hints at the wonders inside. This book concentrates on glorious close up shots of leaf buds and flowers and seeds that are often overlooked when observing the whole tree. There is a lot to see and it is worth seeing. Robert Llewellyn’s photography is stunning. Another tree book that I have on hold is called “The Meaning of Trees: botany, history, healing, lore/by Fred Hageneder. In addition to 70 pictures, the book includes botanical qualities, medicinal uses and cultural symbolism. I can’t wait to read it!
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The Shining(1977) Wednesday, October 31, 2012  I first read this book when it was hot off the press in 1977. I finished it one morning right before going in to work at an Owensboro, KY department store. It was hard to get my mind on work after experiencing the traumatic events at the Overlook Hotel. For those who may not know the story of the Shining, it is about a troubled family looking to find a geographical cure to their problems (including dad’s drinking) by moving to a isolated hotel where they will be caretakers over the winter. The hotel is haunted. But the story isn’t about the ghosts; it’s about how the evil of the hotel exaggerates and takes over the family’s emotional and psychological states. The mom tries to hold it together, but she does not understand where her son is coming from (he is psychic, i.e.-“shines”). Dad is basically a good man, but struggles with anger. He wants to drink, but is on the wagon. The hotel bar beckons, complete with a friendly ghostly crowd. He tries to be strong, but cannot hold out. This causes him to neglect his family. Guilt (and psychosis) causes him to turn on them. But when it comes to actually killing his son, he destroys himself to save the child. If you have only seen the movie, well, you saw a good movie with great acting and a classic scene (even though there is no hatchet in the book).But the book delivers on a deeper level. I highly recommend reading (or re-reading) The Shining and just ENJOYING being held captive by a master story teller.
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How To Sharpen PencilsA Practical and Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening (2012) Thursday, October 4, 2012   In this book, or rather manual, Mr. Rees adds to the current artisanal fad by presenting (in great detail) the craft of manually sharpening a pencil. He covers ten different types of pencil sharpeners, complete with pictures, sketches and clip art to illuminate the written word. He includes such subjects as warm up tips for the artisan, detailed anatomy of a pencil (I learned that the crimped metal connecting the shaft of the pencil to the eraser is called the ferrule), tools used by the perfectionist, psychological risks of being an artisanal pencil sharpener and how sharpening pencils can enrich your senses. Mr. Rees believes in taking pride in ones work and gains satisfaction from knowing that people appreciate and enjoy using a masterfully sharpened pencil. He even offers this service to those who desire a hand crafted sharpened pencil, but do not wish to put the effort into it themselves. He offers his own Artisanal Pencil Sharpening service, where for $12.50 plus $2.50 S&H, people can mail in their own pencils to be sharpened by him, or receive a sharpened pencil provided by the craftsman. His love for his subject is illuminated in his following excerpt: “Create the proper tension by drawing the faceplate away from the body of the sharpener. You should feel the strength of the faceplate’s springs as they struggle against your fingers to pull the faceplate back to its resting position. ‘Don’t worry, little springs,’ you may whisper, ‘you shall have your rest---but first I have a treat for you to draw into the body of the sharpening mechanism. Sure enough, with its aperture open and its faceplate extended, the sharpener is finally ready to receive its pencil.” It is a short book, but includes within its 200+ pages appendixes with recommended web resources, pilgrimage sites and wines that taste like pencils. I first became acquainted with David Rees through his internet clip art cartoon called “Get Your War On” that became popular during the Bush years One can find this strip, along with other projects by Mr. Rees at his website http://www.mnftiu.cc/ Well worth a quick read for those who like their humor dry. |
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Bad Glass(2012) Tuesday, October 2, 2012  Bad Glass has a great premise, especially if you are a fan of “what if” science fiction. The science here is physics, or perhaps metaphysics. We never find out. But weird things are happening in Spokane, WA. The military has separated the phenomena into 4 categories: things that appear that should not be there, things that disappear that should be there, voices/noises that have no apparent origin and “all else”. Most fall into the “all else” category; especially the human body parts that meld into inanimate materials, or that become part of other bodies. The problem for me in reading this book was that I just could not like any of the characters. Dean Walker is a fifth year college student who cashes his last tuition check from his dad takes and off with his camera to cross the border into a quarantined Spokane in order to get unique pictures that he hopes will make his name as a photographer. His “unthinkable” alternative is to graduate and return home to a job in his family firm. In no time at all, he is in tight with a bunch of other young people. Most are there because they are looking for family members who were there when the quarantine went into effect. One, Amanda, is looking for her dog, which sort of figures into what happens to her. I wanted to like Taylor, who helps others, but none of the characters let you, the reader, in on what they are really feeling or what they are about. Lots of things happen. Lots of interesting things happen. But they do not go anywhere, nor do they connect. I kept reading, as I wanted to know what was happening to Spokane. The “official” line was that there was a huge bloom of psychoactive fungi along the Spokane River that was affecting the minds of the people within its borders. However by the end, Dean’s pictures are leaked to the outside world by a sympathetic military person and they have an impact on the public at large. (“Bad Glass” is actually a photography term, alluding to a lens that isn’t clear). But did this really happen? We don’t know, as Dean had earlier witnessed the (gruesome) death of this person. The reader is led to believe that the city is absorbing the characters. This doesn't seem to be a metaphor. This book is compared to Samuel Delanely’s Dhalgren in a cover blurb, but the only thing Bad Glass has in common with that book is a young man entering a strange city. I would recommend skimming this book, just for all the ideas that it might stimulate other budding author’s minds.
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