Vinegar Girl

Vinegar Girl

Anne Tyler

Plot Overview: 

Another modern retelling of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Kate Battista is nearly thirty, works as a teacher's assistant, runs her father's household and oversees her high-school aged sister, Bunny. Kate's father, Dr. Battista, is a struggling scientist and he tries to arrange a marriage between his immigrant research assistant, Pyotr, and his daughter, Kate.

Favorite Character:

I wasn't really a fan of any of the characters but Kate is my favorite. Through the narrative, I spent the most time with Kate and in the end I did enjoy getting to know her. Although intuitively I wanted her to resist her dad's setup, her reasons for marrying Pyotr were in the end compelling. Kate

Best Takeaway:

The novel really left me thinking about the function of marriage. It raises questions about what makes two people compatible? How do families function? How does love manifest itself in the various relationships in my life?

What I wanted more of:

It is really more about what I wanted less of -- quirkiness. Every single main character had so much personality. For example, Dr. Battista was the absent-minded professor, taken to the extreme. Bunny plays the teenage daughter trying to be vegan, again taken to the extreme. In the end I wanted more time to understand the entire Battista family, and Pyotr. I think Kate learns more about their motivations, but I am not sure it rings through to the reader.

Favorite quotes:

"It really was a beautiful day, she realized. She was still mad as hell at her father, but she took some comfort in telling herself that at least the man he'd tried to palm off on her was not a complete heel." -p98

"But then he saw that they didn't, really. It was true they were standing in a door, but they were both in the one door side by side and very close together, neither one in front or behind, and they were holding hands smiling."     -p235

Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

FYI: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.

Brown Girl Dreaming

The highlight of my weekend was powering through Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming. I was excited to learn about its award status this morning. There are plenty of reviews and accolades online to further your interest, but I will say that the way poetry and the novel work together is a beautiful way to represent the experience of childhood. I loved every second I was reading this beautiful work.

#NBAward YPL Winner Brown Girl Dreaming now 2015 Newbery Honor book. @yalsa pic.twitter.com/OOVgMn1fY7
— nationalbook (@nationalbook) February 2, 2015

The answer is...

...Inferno, by Dan Brown. Boticelli's work, which I referenced in my last post, figures heavily in the novel. I was so thankful for the internet and how easily I could pull up the work as I read along.

Actually, I have finished reading Inferno but I don't want to discuss it too much. My mom and I read it together and haven't yet met as a book club of 2, so I will keep my comments brief and under the category of "why I liked the book."

Reason 1: The chapters are very short! I love reading before I go to sleep at night but as someone who likes to read full chapters, I often skip reading because I know I can't make it through a chapter before I fall asleep. I never had a problem finishing a chapter.

Reason 2: Compared to Brown's other novels (Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code) this one felt much more focused. Of course, this could be my own perception but I felt I could follow the plot and research works of art and still keep the trajectory of the novel. Angels and Demons, to contrast, made me feel as if I was spiraling out of control.

Reason 3: It exposed me to Dante - I really wish it would have worked for me to take a class on The Divine Comedy in college.

Reason 4: It had quite the thought provoking ending. I still don't know what to think about it, and I like that.

Reason 5: The novel was a quick and easy read. Let's face it, after a long day, sometimes that is all the reading I can handle.

Speaking of thought provoking, I am currently reading Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In. I am finding it as much of a page-turner as Brown's novel. Huh. I'll report back later.

And finally, I have entered the wonderful world of the very smart iphone 5s. I love it! I am hoping it will help me take more pictures and add them to the blog. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the this post but I will hopefully have some wonderful pictures from our vacation and Thanksgiving.

Mindy Kaling

Without a doubt, Mindy Kaling is making me happy this week. My husband and I have really enjoyed her show, The Mindy Project, on Tuesday nights. The show is smart and makes you laugh, what is better? Actually, there is something better. One of our good friends from college reminds us of the main character, Mindy (or does Mindy remind us of our friend?). Either way, this reinforces the depth of Mindy (the character, although I assume Mindy Kaling is very deep) and the great writing on the show! 

While my husband enjoys the more shocking moments of humor, mainly the eccentric nurse Morgan and his antics, I find enjoyment in pretty much everything Mindy says or does (or wears). At the risk of sounding like I am gushing, I will be more pointed in my analysis. Mindy often says out loud either (a) what I would be thinking in a situation or (b) what I have said in a similar situation. For example, in last night's episode Mindy over-explains why she will be attending a cocktail party by herself to her medical partners. The instance of justification is very comedic and also brings me to a place of catharsis because I have been in a similar situation.You can find out more about the show here.

At the recommendation of the aforementioned Mindy-like friend, I sought a copy of Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). On Monday I picked up a copy from the library and have stayed up past my bedtime every day this week reading the book. It is not simply an autobiography or tell-all. The book is organized with thematic essays and vignettes, which makes it much more interesting. I could be finished but I continually laugh out loud and then force my husband to listen to me read a few lines out loud. (And it is so delicious that I don't want to read it too fast).

Perhaps I should have waited until I finished the book to blather with excitement, but I can't wait that long! So, the votes are in and overall, Mindy Kaling is making me happy this week. More coming on my verdict of the book...

Photo Courtesy of Google Books

A new blog...

If you are avid fans of me, you might remember a blog I had about the thrilling life of a graduate student. My posts ceased about last February, when the workload of writing a thesis, reading my booklist, oh yes, and planning a wedding became too much. I did, in fact, conquer all three things. I passed my MA exam and wrote a successful thesis on Charles Chesnutt's The Marrow of Tradition. I graduated. I moved to Shorewood. And, I got married!

At first glance, my life might appear a little boring. I have a job, a flat, a husband. And as a former graduate school colleague ever-so-politely alluded to, I don't use my brain anymore.

While I use my brain quite a bit on a daily basis, I don't read and write in the same way. So, I am going to blog again. I am joining a book club, so I might post about such things related to books (which is similar to the old blog). I might talk about being married, funny things I see on a daily basis (someone picking a dead bird up and throwing it at a friend, yes that was yesterday), my favorite TV shows, and my travels. This blog is for me to keep my fingers and brain nimble, but let's face it, it is also for you and your border-line voyeuristic tendencies.I must confess, this blog might also become a "What's going on with the Cunninghams?" blog. No one is really excited about the new Facebook layout, and who wants to revert back to e-mail to stay in touch? Maybe I can even get my husband to be a guest blogger as he fulfills his part of the vows...to read more books!