War and Peace Check-In: November

Aw, this is our last check-in before we're done! I'm pretty excited to finish it up to be honest! Just a reminder, whether you finished, finished a long time ago, or didn't finish at all, we're having a War & Peace carnival at the end of the year to celebrate our journeys through the book this year. Also, since it's all Russia themed, it's a good time to get your mind ready for the 2014 Winter Olympics!

Anyway, how did you guys feel about this section? I guess this is the end of the book since the next two sections are a lengthy epilogue? Do you think W&P fans felt about the W&P epilogue the way Harry Potter and The Hunger Games fans feel about theirs? Constantly debating the merit? (for the record I like both, oops)

Haha anyway, I haven't read the epilogue yet, but I did manage to read this section, although, confession: I totally skimmed through a lot of the war stuff. I just didn't really care plus I knew Tolstoy was lecturing us about The Truth of what happened.

Poor Peter Rostov :( I was amused by him which meant to me that for sure he was going to die, which he did. I think he represented the idea of the young clueless men caught up in the glory of war quite well. Aw oh well.

I also really liked how Tolstoy described the grief of Marya and Natasha, aw. And it's going to be Pierre and Natasha after all.

Let us glory in the fact that a REAL WOMAN exists to help a man feel listened to and understood and good about himself. RME. Why do you write these things Tolstoy? But aw despite myself I liked how he described the closeness of Natasha and Marya even if he said it was the kind of closeness only women can have. Perhaps from his perspective that's true, but surely close friendships between men have been recorded even earlier than War & Peace!

I don't have much else to say about this section...but I do want to know what you think!!

If there was no epilogue, how do you feel about this ending? Were you surprised by Peter's death?(after you remembered who he was) Do you like the final couples? Do you think you learned about this war? Has Tolstoy made you smarter and wiser? Tell me everything! And please join in our carnival at the end of the year!

TWD, The Originals, and a Very Important Question

Happy Thanksgiving American Friends! As we head into the weekend, I just wanted to write about a few little things and also pose a very important question to you!

TWD

I liked this week's episode better than last week's, but I really hope we're nearing the end of the governor. In the season premiere, Rick was grappling with the question, "Can you come back from the things you've done?" And while Gimple said that would be sort of his...question of the season, I see that it's not confined to Rick in the least and instead the focus of the entire show. And that was really evident with these episodes focused on the Governor. It was like the show wanted you to think yes, it was possible for the governor to come back from it, to start up with a new family, and be normal, and then pull the rug out and be like HA HA NO. I mean the framing of Martinez's death was sort of shocking and also a glorious turning point. This man is not safe, he is not sane, and he will kill everyone. What really drives the Governor? I mean is it really keeping Megan safe? I'm not exactly sure, tbh. Making hard decisions to keep someone safe makes sense, but there's a hard streak of cruelty in him that doesn't account for...so. I don't know.

The Walking Dead also seems preoccupied with the good brother/bad brother relationship (though not in the same way as say The Vampire Diaries, lol). Rick/Shane, Mitch/Pete, The Governor/his brother, even Daryl/Merle. Just out of curiosity is this from the books? I don't hate it, but I would like to remind the writers that sisters can be the same way. :) But it does provide a context for new relationships...like we didn't know these people but because we've seen these same sort of stories play out again and again it makes them feel richer and deeper without having to provide all the necessary background. Oh and Tara and her girlfriend mark the first LGBTQ relationship on the show, right?

I can't decide how I felt about them coming across the soldiers with the signs affixed all representing the sins of The Governor's past. I don't know if it was a little too obvious for my tastes or not. I think I'd have liked something like that if it wasn't the Governor, so perhaps my dislike of the character is affecting things for me.

Also, I was pleased when they came across the camp because we don't get to see too many small little settlements like that on the show? But wow they were wiped out pretty quickly. I'm hoping that whoever wiped them out is the new threat. It couldn't have been the Governor right?

Lastly, I'm really worried for Hershel. He had such an awesome episode, a real upswing for his arc a few weeks ago that I could easily see him being a casualty here. I'm not worried for Michonne from the standpoint of her dying, but I know bad things could happen. I'm really excited/nervous for next week's episode.

The Originals

So after talking about how surprisingly good this show was for its first several episodes I am now here to say it has taken a disappointing turn. I shouldn't be surprised, I never actually cared much about the originals when they were on TVD but omg. The endless whining from the three of them on their own show is too much. I've been trying to figure out why I liked the first episodes so much better and I think it's because the show really sold me on the concept of New Orleans as a supernatural melting pot and there were all these intriguing stories about vampires, werewolves, and witches going on. There wasn't so much Klaus ~introspection. I think the show really failed in executing a few of these more interesting plotlines and now they are just hanging there while Klaus cries.

BUT. Having said that, I'm further amused by myself because I do really love the character of Cami. She's the token human, and she's incredible. I was annoyed by the idea of her inclusion in the show to begin with, but now I love it. As I wrote when I talked about The Walking Dead, I like stories that deal with the struggle of being...well yourself? good? moral? And I think Cami's story represents that in many ways. She's become a pawn to Klaus, he erases her feelings, messes with her memories, etc. And she's actively fighting against that. Additionally, she's fighting against the idea that should could turn out like her brother. Ugh, I just love her so much. It helps that Leah Pipes is a fantastic actress as well. I think I actually had a lot more thoughts about this but I can't recall them at the moment. :/

Other Stuff

I'm in denial that it's December this weekend.

Somehow I missed out on signing up for any sort of exchange :( Just as well, I suppose!

Also, I watched something on how corrupt the Sochi Olympics are which...I guess it just dawned on me that this is practically a tropical location and makes no sense. Also, this thing I happened to be watching on it on HBO (free trial weekend, woo!) was talking about all the actual needs of people in Russia which. Well, I'm not saying this isn't a valid point, but isn't this always a point? The Olympics do take a lot of money and they are expensive and ridiculously political and there are hungry people in countries everywhere. Anyway, this particular background makes them even more interesting to me to be honest, sports need narratives and this is a juicy one.

Baseball + My Nephew

The Cardinals have been surprisingly efficient this offseason, quickly dealing with some of the major issues from the postseason in acquiring a new outfielder and a new shortstop (to MUCH controversy). For the most part, both of these deals have been regarded as smart business decisions and they clearly show the organization's interest in preserving draft picks and young talent, omg. Anyway, as I was reading over the millions of analyses of the deals, I couldn't help but think about how nice it is to be a fan of a team consistently regarded as smart. (even if John Mozeliak said they weren't the "morale" police instead of the "morality" police....)

Which brings me to...

I have a new nephew! Those of you who follow me on Twitter already knew this but, yay! I already had three gorgeous perfect nieces and while I certainly would have welcomed and loved another, it's also fun to have a nephew.

Now my nephew lives in Denver where his parents live. I want to get him a little Cardinals outfit, but I feel like the nice responsible thing to do is get him a Rockies outfit. My brother is not really a fan of baseball, so it's not like it would be going against him...but he lives in Colorado, lol. But then I was thinking about how I've heard people say they were Cardinals fans because of aunts or uncles and I mean...shouldn't I influence my bb nephew to love the best team in baseball*?

So here's a poll, tell me if it's okay to get him Cardinals gear or should I be self-sacrificing and go with the Rockies?



(*KIDDING. JUST KIDDING. At least I didn't invoke BFIB! If you don't know what that is, you're better off, lol)

CFBA Book Spotlight: Aloha Rose by Lisa Carter

About the Book: When Laney Carrigan sets out to find her birth family, her only clue is the Hawaiian quilt—a red rose snowflake appliquéd on a white background—in which she was found wrapped as an infant. Centering her search on the Big Island and battling fears of rejection, Laney begins a painstaking journey toward her true heritage. Kai Barnes, however, is determined to protect the people he’s come to regard as family. He thinks Laney is nothing more than a gold digger and blocks every move she makes toward her Hawaiian family. As their conflict escalates, it puts at risk the one thing that Kai and Laney both want most—a family.

it's the beauty, not the ugly, that hurts the most--Thoughts on the Sundance Channel's Rectify

I've been trying to write a post about Rectify since I watched it, but it never really comes together. I happened to see on Twitter that the Sundance Channel is running a marathon Saturday, though, so I thought I'd try...because this show is an absolute gem. If you happen to get the Sundance Channel you might want to consider recording it. It's only 6 episodes long and I feel like it's the kind of show that is worth your time to watch. It does have some graphic qualities..i.e. one episode in particular which focuses on the various ways the characters deal with their sexual selves, but it is such a rich and fascinating show.

I read an article earlier this year about how TV has become the new novel...it's the new cultural touchstone, recapping is the new book club, the DVR queue the new nightstand, etc. I thought it was an interesting idea...and even as a lover of books not one I'm opposed to. I sort of support whatever helps us break down the walls of isolation around us and come together. TV shows, like books, can provide a way for us to talk about some of the more difficult things in life in a safer context. And the increase in the quality of television has a lot to do with this. But for all the shows that article mentions, Rectify perhaps has come the closest to replicating the experience of reading a book for me.

Rectify is the story of Daniel Holden. He was arrested as a teenager for the murder of a teen girl and has spent the last 19 years of his life on Death Row. But then, new evidence comes to light which vacates his sentence. And so he returns, with his family, to try to figure out his life once again. So you have Daniel's reentry which is fascinating and also the ways in which everyone in his life has to renegotiate their own identities because of his return. His sister, Amantha, his step brother, his mother, his half brother. His return impacts them and the way they feel in their lives. There's also the ongoing mystery--did Daniel actually commit the murder or is he innocent. Daniel himself seems not know which is fascinating. I also love, though, that he fully believes himself capable of having done it. Being so intimately acquainted with one's own darkness is a hard but true thing. What is reality? This is another question heavily visited in the show as Daniel's years of confinement and isolation have blurred the lines for him.

Daniel is fascinating, but the supporting characters are equally interesting. They are written with "deep love" and it shows. Explorations of faith, love, family, right, and wrong emerge in their stories. Tawney, Daniel's sister-in-law, is one of my favorite characters of faith on any television show. Not because she's deep and wise, but because she feels so real.

But it's not only the great characters or themes which make this show stand out. The cinematography is lovely, the acting is stellar, and the world of the show feels so fully realized, it's like you are only scratching at the surface of all that lies beneath. And that's what I mean when I say it's like reading a good book, a story that gives you so much depth, and yet you know there's so much more.

The quote I used in the title of this post says it all really (and how amazing for a TV show to give you a quote for the ages, I mean...) something so beautifully crafted as this show, made with so much love and dedication, a story that delights and revels in the fullness of humanity--the ups and the downs and the joy and the pain, a story so dedicated to illuminating our shared human condition and in so doing revealing only how much more remains in shadow...is truly beautiful. In a way that hurts deep down.

So...yeah. If you have time, if you have the Sundance Channel, maybe you'll want to give it a go? It's also available for download or on DVD. I was lucky enough to catch a marathon AMC did a few months ago. I'm so glad I did.

The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle

Well, this was an interesting book. And by interesting, I mean good...but it's a difficult subject matter. I really appreciated, though, that Riggle treats this complex subject matter with the complexity it deserves. And gets so so so many beats right as to how humans interact with each other, the things we tell ourselves, etc.

The Whole Golden World is about three women whose lives intersect because of one illicit relationship. There's Dinah (the mom!), Morgan (the teen daughter), and Rain (the wife of the man, lol). Dinah is a slightly controlling mom who has a lot on her plate including looking after her own business and her three children. Morgan is a senior in high school with her own set of struggles, a physical scar that marks the emotional one she carries. Her boyfriend recently broke up with her and she's facing a future more disappointing than she originally imagined. Which is how she finds herself in a vulnerable state of mind--one that makes a relationship with a teacher possible. Rain is said teacher's wife and carries her own heartache...a longing for a baby.

One of the central questions at the heart of this book is what makes someone a victim? Is Morgan really a victim of Mr. Hill? After all, she's almost 18, considered by many to be an old soul, and gives consent freely to this relationship--even pursuing it. The age of consent in her state is 16, except for student/teacher relationships. She really believes they are in love and completely misses the many signs that this man is course just using her.

As the scandal comes out and unfolds, the reactions are varied. There's a fair bit of victim blaming after all the kids are losing a popular teacher! (this reminded me of Roman Polanski IDEK). People feel free to call Morgan a slut and a whore even though she's clearly the younger party and the one taken advantage of. And Morgan herself refuses for a long time to acknowledge that Mr. Hill was wrong.

I really liked that actually! It kind of reminded me of the movie Trust in that it takes awhile for the girl to realize she's been wronged. As Morgan's mother brilliantly points out, she's a teenage girl who believes fighting for true love is a noble thing. And while I don't want to dismiss that teenage girls are capable of making decisions for themselves, there's a reason these laws exist. The emotional maturity levels are just different. Not to mention that as her teacher, Mr. Hill is abusing a position of authority. Just because someone doesn't seem themselves as having been taken advantage of, doesn't mean they weren't.

Anyway, I think what I liked best about the book is just how right the emotions felt. Morgan clings to the better more romanticized moments of her relationship with Mr. Hill for a long long time. Despite the fact that as a reader, I was immediately, EW GROSS to this guy, Morgan wants to believe he loves her. It's a source of validation and escape from the pain of her life. And this is so often true for all relationships, we hold onto the better moments and let the others go, we choose our own narratives a lot of the time? Like, there's this part where she's all despairing over what's happening and then she remembers the way he swept her up the stairs and goes right back to her delusions. Lol, it felt so familiar.

Also, the reactions of her friends at school...this is like such a small part of the book but it felt so true. They care about her, but they are far too caught up in their own issues to REALLY CARE. And I think that's just how life goes on so much, especially when you're a teenager--it's not about liking someone or caring--it's just that there's so many other things you'd rather focus your attention on. People are selfish, lol.

Anyway, this is a great book, a great read, very compulsive and interesting and thought provoking!

I received an ARC from the publisher, William Morrow.

CFBA Book Spotlight: Critical Reaction by Todd M. Johnson

About the Book: After decades of turning out plutonium for the arms race, the Hanford Nuclear Facility has long been shuttered, though its deadly legacy cannot be fully contained. The men who guard the facility from sabotage or monitor its buildings for radiation leaks are told the risks are under control. They believe it, until the worst happens: a thunderous explosion in the dead of night.

Two workers, lifer Poppy Martin and new hire Kieran Mullaney, believe themselves lucky to survive the blast. But as the debris is cleared, they discover their safety is not assured. Dead ends and closed doors halt their efforts to discover what really happened--and what radiation may have poisoned them. When stalling and threats force them into the hands of experienced trial lawyer Ryan Hart, they learn that theirs is no ordinary lawsuit. There is something still hidden in the desert of eastern Washington, and someone is willing to go to extreme lengths to make sure it never sees the light of day.

Stuff! TWD! Books! Olympics!

TWD

So after I write a nice gushy post about The Walking Dead the show goes and does the stupidest thing ever and has two back-to-back episodes centered on the Governor?? I mean I'm assuming that next week is all Governor, too. And wow. What a way to kill momentum. And objectively speaking there was nothing wrong with the episode. I even saw some fantastic parallels on tumblr, etc (after I got over the shock that anyone cared enough to make anything from the episode) but ugh. I liked him fine as a character last year, but HE KILLED ANDREA. Also, they should have just finished his storyline. Oh well. The only good thing to come of it was the return of this man:

Anyway, it's kind of interesting because I also just recently watched the webisodes that the show puts out to sort of...I don't know gauge how the spin-off might go? Like the webisodes are independent stories and pretty good ones at that. They each spotlight a different set of characters and decisions after the outbreak. I liked them a lot. And this episode could kind of be seen as the same thing since we were introduced to new characters who have nothing to do with Rick and co. But ugh it was so boring!! I don't know if my Governor hatred was just clouding my vision or what, but ugh. I really felt nothing for any of them and also didn't appreciate the return of an annoying child on my TV screen. Carl is finally interesting and so now he's been replaced by a new annoying child. Sigh.

Anyway, it's a really weird momentum killing decision in my opinion. Like, we basically will have one episode left with the characters we love before another loooong hiatus.

Bookish Stuff

I've been meaning to link to this forever, but Courtney Summers (fabulous author you all should read her books!) wrote the best post about writing for girls. Reactions to girls and female characters in general are really interesting to me.

I'm reading stuff! I meant to have a book finished for A More Diverse Universe (Aarti I'm so sorry!) but I will still finish the book and post about it. I have a little bit of time for reading right now and it feels good.

The Casey Award Finalists have been announced. Lol, I love that there are enough books about baseball published a year for it to have its own award, and I mean I know that this list does not include every book about baseball published this year! Also, I hope/dream to read several baseball books this offseason and I'm really looking forward to it! Feel free to drop me recs!

Speaking of Baseball and Sports...

MLB is finally introducing instant replay/challeges but it's odd to me? Like, I don't actually follow any other sports so I'm not sure how they do it, but each team will get two challenges but if they are wrong on their first challenge they lose the right to the second? I mean it's not as if two challenges is that many and would be time consuming! I watched a few of the Arizona Fall League games where they were testing the system out and it all ran very smoothly and quickly! Anyway, still needs to be approved by a few groups, but it's a welcome change!

Also, the Winter Olympics are coming and I kind of wanted to follow along with the trials and whatever and be like really into the games when they happened, but apparently there's not a really good centralized place keeping up with things. I'm always amazed when the blogosphere fails me to be honest. So instead, I guess I'm devoting my time to figure skating (which I like best anyway) which has turned into a huge project because I forgot to pay attention to the sport for about ten years. And lol WOW IT CHANGED A LOT. Anyway, prettyyy sure I'll be writing a massive post reminiscing about figure skating of yesteryear in the days to come...I lost a few hours of my life watching all my old favorite programs on youtube the other day. Yay for youtube, though! It's like a time capsule!

Which brings me back to books! Any good winter Olympic book recs? I think it would be fun to compile a list. I know these kinds of books are hard, because well biography and memoir are always hit or miss, but there's got to be something, right?

Hope you are all having splendid weeks! Is anyone planning to see Catching Fire straight away?

War & Peace Carnival December 26--December 31, 2013

We made it through a year of War & Peace and we want to celebrate! Even if you didn't finish the book or you finished ahead of time or you read it 25 years ago, we want you to celebrate with us at the War & Peace carnival.

From the week of December 26-31, we hope you'll post about something relating to War & Peace and the country it takes place in. This can be anything! You could make a Russian recipe, watch one of the movie versions of War & Peace and review it, review another Tolstoy book, review a Russian restaurant, read and review a nonfiction book that takes place during the time period, write a poem celebrating the fact that you finished (or couldn't!) anything! We hope it will be a fun time!

You can post anytime during that week and link back up here or at Iris's site. (we'll both be hosting the same Linky so no worries, everyone will see your link!) We'll also remind you again closer to the time, but we wanted to give you plenty of time to plan something out.

Hope you participate and enjoy the final sections of War & Peace!

Just Some Stuff

*Ana invited a bunch of bloggers (including myself) to comment on The Lottery for Halloween. She put all our responses together and if you enjoy this short story, I think you'll enjoy reading the post!

*I've been enjoying The Good Wife this season (though I haven't watched this week's episode yet) and surprisingly one of the things I've really enjoyed is the score. I don't man, I can get into TV scores. Anyway, I was glad to see this piece with the composer.

*How is Borgen so amazing still in its third season? I love how much I feel for these characters, I even care a small bit for stupid Torbin. I find the political issues touched interesting and the way gender affects things so interesting. Also, lol Hello Mads Mikkelsen's brother! I looooved everything about Katrine's struggle over Kasper, too, it was so great and just resonated so much. It's strange to me how Borgen can feel so optimistic while also being so realistic.

*I really liked this piece in the New Yorker by a former baseball player and this quote in particular is stunning and explains what I tried to say far more clumsily to Jenny a few weeks ago about why I like baseball:

Baseball is visceral, tragic, and absurd, with only fleeting moments of happiness; it may be the best representation of life.

*I've been thinking a lot about friendship lately and how it can be hard once you sort of...stagnate? And like I feel like I'm the kind of person that generally fights to keep in touch but lately I've been wondering if it's really the right thing or worth it because I feel like I end up feeling hurt half the time. Which isn't anyone's fault but my own for having pride and being the more invested party. And I think the answer is that it's not always the right thing, that nothing in life has one right way to do things. You give it your best shot and if that doesn't work out...well you move on? Like maybe that just makes everyone feel better in the long run. It can be sad to hold on to something that is not what it used to be and keep hoping it will somehow be again. I think it's harder if you feel like you weren't ready for that to happen, and that's where my struggle has come from. I love this quote in Godric as well by Frederic Buechner: "When friends speak overmuch of times gone by, often it’s because they sense their present time is turning them from friends to strangers." :( It's sad, but you know I guess I just have to recognize that it's a part of life, and eventually it won't really hurt but I'll just feel joy over whatever contact I do have with old friends. (it's so weird, though, you know? How like sometimes you run into an old friend and it's just SO GOOD and you're left wishing things could be different like you had infinite time to spend with people. And then other times you barely have anything to talk about and unless you're constantly creating shared experiences, there's not much there)

*Speaking of the above, Ana's review of Doll Bones left me really wanting to read it. Yes, it's all related in my head!

*The best of lists are coming out and I've not read many of them. My reading really fell apart at the end of this year, but I'm hoping it will pick up again. For one thing, I'm watching a lot less TV, for some reason apart from a few shows, I'm just not really able to get into anything. But it's not unusual for me to have not read many on the lists there are just too many options!

*This tumblr is devoted to finding cultural uses of people trying to prove Thomas Wolfe wrong in his "You can't go home again" quote. And is amazing.

CFBA Book Spotlight: Derailed by Dave and Neta Jackson

About the Book: Forced to give up his hard-earned retirement, Harry Bentley goes back to work as a detective. Receiving a bizarre undercover assignment that sends him across the country by train. Things suddenly go awry when it appears one of his new neighbors may be part of a smuggling ring and suspicion rises about his own son’s involvement in a major drug cartel. The second in the Windy City Neighbors series, Derailed is a contemporary, and often humorous, tale in an urban setting, featuring ordinary people wrestling with the spiritual and practical issues of real life. Intersecting with Grounded (book one), the Jacksons employ their innovative storytelling technique of “parallel novels.” Though each book follows its own drama and story arc, the characters’ lives become intertwined and affect one another. Derailed transports you to Beecham Street—a typical, isolated American neighborhood . . . until hope moves in.

This is a post about Roscoe Brown of Lonesome Dove!

Do you guys remember LiveJournal? Well, I have some friends that post there and one of them recently hosted an event to celebrate beloved men in literature. I wrote this post and I kid you not it took me forever. I think I was a little stressed at the time but I also had to go back and reread all the parts of Lonesome Dove Roscoe was in plus I started over from scratch a few times. And then...no one read it, lol. So I thought I'd post it here where some of you have actually read the book and also this is still sort of a book blog so it fits in!

"The name Roscoe don't inspire confidence...people named Roscoe ought to stick to clerking."

This is not a post of epic love for some incredibly complex and intelligent character, or some perfect romantic hero (HA HA HA), but rather appreciation for the kind of character that disarms me so quickly by virtue of well, sort of being a lovable loser. Lonesome Dove is actually filled with literary lads that I love, but when I read the book, it was Roscoe's sections that made me laugh and that I rushed to get to most of all.

Before reading it (and well, even after) the title Lonesome Dove conjured up thoughts of dryness and sand. It's a Western. I hate Westerns, or so I was pretty sure I did anyway. (I've since realized I like some Westerns) The last thing I ever wanted to spend my time doing was reading about a bunch of cowboys for crying out loud. But people like Beth Fish Reads and Booking Mama convinced me it was a winner so I decided to give it a go in that readalong we had a few years back!

The book opens with this quote:

All America lies at the end of the wilderness road, and our past is not a dead past„ but still lives in us. Our forefathers had civilization inside themselves, the wild outside. We live in the civilization they created but within us the wilderness still lingers. What they dreamed, we live, and what they lived, we dream.

T.K. Whipple, Study Out the Land

Once I read this I had to admit I was intrigued. Had I been wrong about Westerns? Were they really external manifestations of our inner savagery? Was this book going to change my life? I read the first 100 pages with eagerness.

I was bored. I mean there was some good humor, but there were a lot of cowboys. And barely any women. Those of you who know me know how I love my female characters!

But I kept on reading and got to Roscoe and those cowboys finally left Lonesome Dove and went on their drive and the book turned into a thriller.

Roscoe's situation is basically this: He's a deputy in a small town in Arkansas and basically does nothing but play dominoes and arrest the same elderly drunk man over and over. But when a shoot-out happens in their town, everything changes. The townspeople want vengeance for the death of one of their own and so they send their sheriff, July Johnson, to hunt him down. July is married to a woman who doesn't particularly love him, and when he leaves...well she leaves, too. When his family discovers this, they send Roscoe after July to let him know his wife has run off on a whiskey boat. Roscoe is very reluctant, but since he's the deputy, he goes. The rest of the book details his adventures which are often humorous because of how inept he is.

Here are the reasons I love Roscoe:

He's lazy.

All he wants is to be allowed to continue his pitiful existence, and not be bothered. He's certainly not meant for a life on the savage road. It's sort of shameful how he's coerced into going, but he does it.

He's loyal.

Sure he doesn't really want to go after July and tell him that Elmira left. But he does it and even though he's grumbling along in his mind for quite a bit of the time, he really feels it's something that has to be done. So basically he does the thing he doesn't want to do and is ill-equipped to do because he thinks it's the right thing for his friend.

He's gentle.

Roscoe mostly encounters smart women and savage men on the road. The smart women quickly assess that this man is no threat. He is, after all, a 48 year old bachelor who'd rather be playing dominoes and is out on the road mostly because a woman sent him there, lol. When he meets Louisa, a farmer, she knows she has a catch and quickly proposes marriage. At first Roscoe is dead honest and tells her he doesn't want to get married. But he reconsiders and asks if she'd reconsider once he's found July. Of course Louisa lets him know she may have found a better prospect by then!

He also stays at a man's house who has a girl kept in captivity. While Roscoe recognizes the situation is wrong, he doesn't really do anything to help it out. (he's not a hero). The girl, Janey, escapes and follows him. She helps him by finding food and guiding them since Roscoe really has no idea what he's doing. But I think it's really notable that after she's been so horribly treated by men, she has no problem joining Roscoe. Of course he's not too bright, but he's also naturally gentle and non-aggressive and I think those things make Janey feel like he can be trusted. Unfortuately, they are not good survival qualities.

He's a total disaster on the road:

As far as Roscoe was concerned, travel started bad and got worse. For one thing, it seemed he would never find Texas, a fact that preyed on his mind. From all indications it was a large place, and if he missed it he would be laughed out of Fort Smith--assuming he ever got back.

"Roscoe yanked out his pistol and shot at the boar until the pistol was empty, but he missed every time and when he tried to reload, racing through the trees with a lot of pigs after him, he just dropped his bullets. He had a rifle but was afraid to get it out for fear he'd drop that, too."

"Roscoe was half asleep when a bad thing happened. Memphis brushed against a tree limb that had a wasp's nest on it. The nest broke loose from the limb and fell right in Roscoe's lap. It soon rolled off the saddle, but not before twenty or thirty wasps buzzed up. When Roscoe awoke, all he could see was wasps. He was stung twice on the neck, twice on the face, and more on the hand as he was battling them.

It was a rude awakening. He put Memphis into a lope and soon outran the wasps, but two had got down his shirt, and these stung him several more times before he could crush them to death against his body."

I think Roscoe's inclusion in Lonesome Dove is partly for comic relief, but it's also a reminder of just how truly brutal life was. (spoiler alert) He, like so many characters in the book, does not get a happy ending.

Brief Thoughts on The Walking Dead

I meant to write this post about oh five months ago, but the return of The Walking Dead and the subsequent stuff I saw around and in real life about zombies and the complete disbelief that this show is so popular is just. starting. to. get. really. under. my. skin.

Like, there's part of me that should just look at the record breaking number of viewers and realize I've won, but the dismissive attitude towards this show and towards zombie stories in general is making it impossible. Like, I finally understand how fans of fantasy feel for having their favorite genre dismissed so quickly and easily and this isn't even really on the same level as that. I should clarify that I'm totally fine if people don't like zombie stories. I get that it's gross, that there are a lot of bad movies that cater only to the blood and gore crowd, and that so far zombies aren't real and anything that's not real gets dismissed. But it's stuff like...okay well like this author who wrote a book with her husband. She took a zombie story of his and changed into it a natural disaster story, because she's "interested in the human heart, not the zombie heart." This makes me want to bash my head against the wall to be honest. The vast majority of zombie stories are about the surviving humans, and the ones that aren't...like Warm Bodies and In the Flesh ARE STILL ABOUT HUMANS. But that sort of attitude is just so condescending.

And when I mentioned the ratings to someone else, who fully knows I love the show, they were like..."how can that show be so popular?"

You know, I don't know. I can't answer for why everyone else watches it, though I can make some guesses. The Walking Dead is usually a thrill ride which is fun. More and more people are watching which makes it good water cooler talk. The relationships on the show are tight and they matter. It's the first zombie TV show. It's based on a popular comic book. I mean...

I can't answer for why other people are watching, but I can explain why I love this show and maybe for those of you who don't get it, you'll at least understand why I love it. (spoilers for up to 4x04 and actually this sort of assumes you know the show, oops!)

First I want to get some of my unpopular opinions out of the way. I actually really liked season 2, including all the time when they were searching for Sophia. I think the reason it worked for me is because thematically it was such a huge important piece of the story. All of what they went through mattered for their stories. It mattered that Rick thought he could find her and that it would somehow save them--lol it mattered that he was that delusional. It was important for the boiling pot of Shane and Rick living in close quarters and butting heads. It allowed you to believe Glenn and Maggie could fall for each other. Etc. In fact, after season three ended this year I was still feeling obsessive over the show so I went back and rewatched and paid close attention in season 2 expecting to hate it since so many people did and I feel like I've gotten more...critical in my thinking, but instead I zipped right through the episodes like I'd never seen them before. I enjoyed it all over again. So...yeah. Also, a fairly unpopular opinion especially after Sunday's episode (and more on this in a bit) Rick is hands down my favorite character, I think I largely see the show through his point of view. I see the majority of the thematic work on the show (at least before this season and even still) as being worked out in his character so I love him. I don't always think he makes the right decisions or the best choices, but that has never been why a character is my favorite anyway. A close second is Michonne, and I also loved Andrea. I actually think, for all the heat it gets, the show has created some really interesting female characters--none of them fit a mold. They just kill them off way too easily. :(

But I want to explain what I get out of the show...of course I love it for many of the reasons I mentioned above...I love how exciting it is, I love how close and tight knit the characters are, I like that it asks questions about survival. I admire that the show delivers the expectations of the genre (blood and gore) without only being that. That could be a hard line to walk, and trust me, people are always begging for more zombie action, but The Walking Dead uses it somewhat sparingly. But what I like best about the show is the persistent underlying question--what does it mean to be human? And the eternal struggle over the kind of human you want to be.

I don't live in the middle of the zombie apocalypse or even in a situation where survival is a daily concern. And yet I find this concept very relateable. I think it's hard...I struggle, probably, on a daily basis with this very question. What kind of person do I want to be? Do I want to be kind above all? Can I set aside my ego to be loving and generous? Can I make smart decisions that aren't driven by emotions? Am I even in control of my emotions?

Rick, as the centerpiece of the show, largely embodies this very struggle. We are given a front row seat to this struggle as his own brutality begins to raise its ugly head. Rick feels torn between protecting his family and maintaining some semblance of his humanity, and yes those goals come in conflict with each other. And he watches as his best friend allows his jealousy and survival instinct to overtake him, eating away at the person he once was until he's forced to kill him in a final dramatic confrontation.

Shane's proximity to Rick is important. The show is not unsympathetic to Shane as he almost finds a better more ideal life after the virus hits. (by the way, so does Daryl) He gets a position of leadership. He starts up a relationship with Lori and believes he loves her. Things are good for Shane until Rick comes back. And we see early on that he's threatened by Rick's reappearance and is very tempted to do something about it. But the point is that the audience watches Shane unravel and so does Rick. While Shane is of course mad with jealousy, there's always a sense of the kind of guy he was before and the sort of friendship he had with Rick. And it feels like he knows all along he's losing it, but he does give himself over to the control of his emotions and ego. There's this scene where Rick and Shane are taking a guy out to set him loose and they end up getting in a fight. And Shane raises his head to look in a window and he catches his reflection and he's all pale and bloody and he looks just like a zombie. (And then of course there are zombies on the other side!) This visual always strikes me as the show in a nutshell...that it's not so much about the struggle against the external zombies as the struggle within.

After Shane forces things to a decisive point where Rick must kill him to save his own life and still be around to protect his family, it's almost like this burden is transferred to Rick in the show. The entire next season explores a Rick on the edge when he's started to fail in his goal to protect his family. And instead of Shane we get the Governor to contrast with Rick...the possible future Rick, someone who revels in the brutality this world invites. So Season 3 is largely about Rick skating very close to that edge and being forced to decide what kind of person he wants to be.

Which leads me to last week's episode. I, personally, loved it. I liked how complicated it was. I LOVED the character development of Carol taking quick, ruthless, decisive action in killing David and Karen. If you remember, in season 2, when the group was trying to decide what to do about Randall (which is basically a metaphor for the group deciding what to do about their human consciences) she said, "I never asked for this, you can't ask us to decide something like this." Contrasting that with a woman who makes a quick on the spot decision to kill in order to protect the group....like what's not to love? At the same time, once Rick figured it out he had a real problem. And the entire episode is basically Rick weighing his choices. He knows Tyreese is out for blood. He knows that Carol is a trusted woman in the community and that she's also working with the kids a lot. He knows she'll do whatever it takes to protect their people--acting of her own accord. And yet he can sense in her that something is really different. There's no remorse. She's hard, almost proud. And I think that concerns him more than anything. So he makes the only choice he can. Not because he thinks he's morally superior. It's not really a punishment. It's to his thinking, the only possible consequence for her actions and the only way to try to fight for as much human life as possible. After the episode aired, there were so many opinions! A lot of people were really angry with Rick, which I understand, but I think if Carol had killed characters they knew they might have felt more conflicted. It was easy to think of those people's lives as being cheap. (this is one thing I think the show could have done better, to be honest!) So I was really pleased to read showrunner Scott Gimple say this: " I agree with both of their decisions....If this was debate club and I had to debate either Rick or Carol’s side, I would feel confident — very confident — that I could represent either party very well. And I love seeing people making great arguments on both sides. I love that. A huge part of this show is people asking, What would I do? which leads to the question: Who am I? Who am I at the end of the day when it all goes down?"

I love a show that can fully believe in the actions of both of their characters without deciding one is right while the other is wrong and it's thing that I loved best about this episode. Because it happens in real life...people's motivations and desires come in conflict with each other and no one is actually right while the other is wrong, though we often frame it to ourselves that way.

Anyway, this is my little defense of The Walking Dead as a show that is about more than flesh eating monsters. While sure I'm attracted to the superficial wrapping of the show, I love that the core of the show is about something we all face and deal with.

CFBA Book Spotlight: Paige Rewritten by Erynn Mangum

About the Book: Paige Alder is in a really good place. She’s dating nice guy Tyler. Her boss has offered her a raise. Her walk with God is strong. Life is great—and that’s when things start to change.

First, the youth pastor at church keeps asking Paige to work with him full-time. Then her sister shows up newly engaged and wanting to reconnect, even though they haven’t spoken in years. And now former boyfriend Luke has come back into her life. How is Paige supposed to know what the right decisions are?

This warm and humorous second book in the Paige Alder series will help young girls work through important issues, such as forgiving others and obeying God.

CFBA Book Spotlight: Traces of Mercy by Michael Landon Jr and Cindy Kelley

About the Book: From Michael Landon Jr. and Cindy Kelley, authors of The Silent Gift and creators of the hit television film Love Comes Softly, comes an exciting historical romance set in post-Civil War, and filled with suspense and faith-building values.

At the war’s end, a young woman suffers an accident that leaves her unconscious and alone. Waking with amnesia, she takes the name Mercy and wants more than anything to find out the truth of her past. But then a handsome stranger arrives, who may hold the key to everything she has forgotten. What he knows could devastate her future, and even end her life.

Written by two proven storytellers, Traces of Mercy is perfect for anyone who loves historical fiction, prairie-based tales, or just a good romance.

The Sister Season by Jennifer Scott

This book arrived in the mail with a pretty cover which immediately made it appealing. But then I flipped through it and realized Jennifer Scott is Jennifer Brown and it flew to the top of my list.

The Yancey sisters are gathering at home near Christmas because their father has died. They haven't seen each other in a long while, but they want to support their mother during this time. As soon as they are all under the same roof, though, tensions rise.

This book is set at Christmas but don't worry about it being too much of a Christmas story. It's heavy and sad and each character has a lot to work through. The focus is on these relationships and the odd sense of grief that hangs over them more than it's about the holiday in anyway though that does factor into the background.

Each character gets point of view chapters which works pretty well, since you're never sure what the truth is of something that happened. And as is typical for family dramas, they make a lot of bad choices that lead to misunderstanding.

I really did feel so sympathetic for the sisters and I felt I was able to understand where each of them were coming from. The book kept me turning the pages at a rapid rate and led to a dramatic and emotionally satisfying conclusion!

Review copy received from publisher!

The Conjuring and Help for the Haunted: Fictional Depictions of the Warrens (SPOILERS)

I read Help for the Haunted earlier this year and I mentioned how I really liked the experience of reading the book even though I didn't like the conclusion of the book. In fact, I had such a reaction to the end of it that I made a spoiler post for discussion.

I thought I had put the experience of reading it behind me and then I watched The Conjuring. The Conjuring brought it all up again because it clued me into something key I hadn't known while reading for Help for the Haunted and made me have conflicting feelings about the book all over again.

So, Ed and Lorraine Warren were real life--ghost hunters basically. They believed in demons, apparently worked with the church, traveled to give lectures, and had an occult museum in their home. A museum that included a doll in a case with a warning sign to never open it. And there's a picture of Lorraine Warren holding this doll in the front yard.

I didn't know this when I read Help for the Haunted, so when I started watching The Conjuring and there was a story about a freaky doll, it didn't ping me at all. Until they put the doll in a case warning to never open it. Man, suddenly what had seemed original and fresh about Help for the Haunted no longer did. After watching The Conjuring, I did some research to find out this stuff about the Warrens.

For my taste, The Conjuring is more the kind of story I want to watch. It one hundred percent treated the Warrens like legitimate demonologists. When I'm reading or watching a scary story, this is what I want! I want a story that makes me believe all this scary stuff could happen or else who cares? I mean you won't be scared if at the end everything has a rational explanation.

Also, Vera Farmiga played Lorraine Warren. Once I realized that Lorraine Warren was also sort of like the mother in Help for the Haunted, I was thrilled with this casting. I love Vera and she was perfect. Warm, empathetic, the kind of person people would trust.

This isn't to say that I think the Warrens were legit, though. I read some stuff about them and also watched the documentary about the Amityville Horror and to be honest Lorraine seemed not quite all there. But if I'm watching a movie meant to scare me or a book meant to scare me...I want to believe.

So now I guess Help for the Haunted wasn't just a book dismantling people who believe in ghosts/demons, etc, but a book that specifically imagines what the Warrens might have been like, the things they might have done, and why. I don't man, it makes me like the book even less. Like, did he have to rip off the doll? Couldn't it have been a stuffed toy or something?

Eh, for what it's worth, The Conjuring is a fun horror flick and Help for the Haunted was a fun read...up until the end.

The Walking Dead 4x04--Indifference (and The Good Wife)

Man, I'm loving the show this season. Well, I just love the show, whatever.

Looooved the acoustic version of "Serpents" at the end by the way.

EVERYTHING WITH CAROL WAS A++++. Like, that whole monologue where she talked about how she didn't think she could be strong, but she was strong, and she was strong then just...ugh, MY HEART. It was all just so perfect for a person who has discovered they actually do have it in them to survive, to do things they never thought they could do before. There's a certain pride and detachment she had...a certain way she wanted to show off this new version of Carol to Rick.

And of course Rick was testing her. He needed to understand not only why she did what she did but who she was now and if she'd be a continuing threat. Her almost...seeming lack of remorse, the fact that she thought what she did was for the best, etc. I think those are the things that concerned Rick.

It's interesting how people are discussing whether or not it was right for Rick to do this. I mean...who knows? Maybe he saved her life. I really do think, in part, he felt he was giving her the best chance he could. He did it because, as always, he was thinking of his own family first. Should he have taken it back to the group and asked what they'd do? Maybe.

I also think, though, this partially ties into the three questions they ask new people. How many walkers have you killed? How many people have you killed? Why? Would Carol pass that test if coming into the group brand new? I don't think so.

I don't think Rick killing Shane or Carl shooting that kid last year are comparable situations either. I don't know, I just find it to be deliciously complicated and sad etc. all at the same time. I think/hope we'll see Carol again and I'm looking forward to that. I also think this could tie in to Daryl's arc....

Other stuff:
*I really liked the random kids they met in that house and was sad they were killed off right away! It was one of the more successful ways the show has made me like characters quickly and feel like there was an interesting backstory to be told. Sad!

*I was far less interested in the other group, although, for the first time I sort of felt for Bob. I liked his backstory of being the last one standing, his guilt over his alcoholism causing a death but that guilt not being enough to stop him all over again.

*I'm also glad Michonne's decided hunting the governor is a waste of time.

*Interesting symbolism/stuff with the watches, I knew as soon as Rick turned over his watch that kid was gonna die,tho :(

*One of the things that bums me out about Carol leaving is that I think TWD actually does a great job creating complex and interesting women, but then they die or get banished. So they really need to use whatever time Carol is away to develop Sasha, imo!

The Good Wife!

*Poor Diane :( I really felt for her this episode.

*Will is so weird. I mean I guess I should get why now he's like GOING TO MAKE THE BIGGEST MOST POWERFUL FIRM EVER, but it is super offputting to me. Glad he readily accepted Diane back.

*I was sort of surprised Alicia wanted to join in with those tax attorneys. It seemed odd they'd want to relinquish control so quickly?

*Also, what is going on with her and Grace? Like, she's just realized she has an attractive daughter? (also lol that every time she's talking with Carey it's about something faith related)

*I did like how she softened towards Marilyn when she realized she was pregnant! Also, What to Expect When You're Expecting seems to be one of the most popular books talked about/seen on TV.

*Enjoyed the episode, again!

War and Peace Check-In: October

YOU GUYS! Only two months and we're finished! Hard to believe!

I quite enjoyed this month's reading for the most part, but like Iris pointed out, I feel like my comments are getting repetitive! I mean the most jarring part of this book is Tolstoy's little lectures to the readers, I think. It's not that I disagree with him, it's just that it feels odd.

Anyway!

Prince Andrei died. :( This was very convenient for Mayra and Rostov, I guess, but still kind of sad. At least he got to see Natasha again? I found the whole description leading up to his death very interesting, like where he was struggling to connect the importance of things to the people still living.

I'm so happy Marya likes Rostov, like the part about all the things she had to do not being so bad because she was in love was nice. Rostov remains a bit of a loser (I like though!) in that he clearly wanted to move forward with Marya but felt bound to Sonya. I guess it's nice he wanted to be honorable but that really wouldn't be fair to anyone from a relational perspective.

I really liked so much the stuff about Sonya feeling like she'd accomplished all she had through being self sacrificing, so much that everyone expected it, but she didn't want to give up Rostov and resented Natasha who everyone else sacrificed for. That one paragraph gave Sonya and her situation a kind of depth and complexity that intrigued me. AND OF COURSE she ended up sacrificing herself again via her own delusions! Aw, poor Sonya.

And as usual, Tolstoy has a nice touch with depicting war...Pierre in captivity watching the executions and navigating his life there...feeling like he understood the meaning of life only to not realize that when you're forced to be content with less, you will be content with less. I really liked the point there!

Anyway, I read this all in one chunk and quite enjoyed it!

How are you guys getting along with it? Do you have any last wishes for the book before it ends?