Pilates Milestone

So, it's been a long time since I've written about anything but books, but I had a kind of cool moment today that seems worth recording.

I teach a Pilates class every Thursday afternoon that has, so far, mostly been made up of other Pilates teachers. This is intimidating, but they've been loving it, and making me feel like a bad-ass teacher.

One of the teacher-training program students was in the studio today observing for class. We were chatting afterwards, and he told me how great it was to watch, how much he learned, how smoothly I taught, etc. It makes me think back to watching other teachers teach when I was in training, and thinking how they really had it together, and wondering how long it would be before I could do that, too. It made me feel really good.

Gemma, by Meg Tilly

This is a truly disturbing and graphic book about child sexual abuse. It's pretty horrifying, and also compelling. Mainly told from the child's perspective, but with glimpses of the abusers' attitudes as well. And it does have a "happy" ending, or at least as happy as one can expect. It reads hard and fast; I read it in one sitting. If that kind of stuff freaks you out, or stays with you for weeks, I would skip this one.

Shadow Prey, by John Sandford

Another "prey" book. Pretty much like the rest of them, though in this older book, Lucas Davenport is a little rougher around the edges than more recent ones.

Monday Mourning, by Kathy Reichs

This is one of the series of books that the TV series "Bones" is based on. The main character is very much like Patricia Cornwall's Kay Scarpetta in temperament and profession, but these books still make sense, unlike Cornwall's. Sort of mystery/thriller/procedural all rolled into one. Fun reads.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter, by Jeff Lindsay

This is the first in the series of books that Showtime's television series "Dexter" is based on, and right now I really wish we had Showtime. I am a big fan of serial killer books, but this is maybe the first one that's told from the serial killer's perspective rather than a cop's or a victims. And Dexter is a curiously selective serial killer, one whose urges have been channeled, in a way. It did get a little over the top at times, but that's part of the fun of serial killer books, right?

The Manny, by Holly Peterson

Kind of a Nanny Diaries in reverse, chick-lit kind of thing. Entertaining, but not substantial, and I found myself questioning character's motivations a lot. Still, made me laugh a few times.

Crazy Eights, by Elizabeth Gunn

So-so cop thriller/mystery. I won't seek her out again, probably, but if I came across another one of hers on an overnight trip, it would keep me entertained for a while.

Dream When You're Feeling Blue, by Elizabeth Berg

The worst Elizabeth Berg book I have ever read. So disappointing. Super shallow, two-dimensional characters, not-particularly-well-realized historical setting, and a truly ridiculous "twist" at the end. I like to read Berg's sentimental books every now and then, but this one just had no substance at all. It's my least favorite book in some time.

Invisible Prey, by John Sanford

Ah, the "prey" books. Dumbest titles ever, but engaging characters and intricate plots. Good for a palate-cleansing read.

The Next Thing On My List, by Jill Smolinksi

Total chick-lit fluff. Girl redeems self, finds love in the end (it's been right in front of her the whole time, can you believe it?), everyone lives happily ever after.

The Oldest Sin, by Ellen Hart

I think this is the last one of these I'm going to read. She's written a lot. It's enough to make me want to start writing mysteries.

Vital Lies, by Ellen Hart

This one is basically the same as the others, but with a different main character. She has a different name and profession, anyway.

The Bourne Identity, by Robert Ludlum

I read this years ago, and have since seen the movies, which are so different in detail (though they retain the spirit of the books really well) that I had forgotten almost everything. If you liked the movies, read the books. They're really different, but equally interesting, and, as books are, more detailed. This one does get bogged down in those details every now and then, but the payoff is worth it.

And despite the fact that Bourne is so different in the movies, I still picture him as an older, more time-ravaged Matt Damon, and who could complain about that?

Hallowed Murder, by Ellen Hart

More. Same.

Stage Fright, by Ellen Hart

Another one. More of the same. It's like a literary snack.

Superfoods HealthStyle, by Stephen G. Pratt, M.D., and Kathy Matthews

I'm not a big reader of diet and lifestyle books, but for some reason this one caught my eye. It does a nice job of distilling the science into easily understandable ideas, and includes ideas about how to use the Superfoods, as well as a few recipes. I'm sure they're saving the rest of the recipes for a separate cookbook. It sort of reinforces how absolutely awfully we eat these days without being alarmist.

Absurdistan, by Gary Shteyngart

This is a really, really weird book. I read his first novel, The Russian Debutante's Handbook, which was also weird. But I like them. Absurdistan feels a little more self-conscious to me (there's a character based loosely on the writer in the book who functions as a remote nemesis of the protagonist), and the satire is not the most subtle I've ever read. Really engaging, though, and politically comic.

Also, it was given to me for my birthday by my brother, and reading a book given to you as a gift is always a richer experience, I think. I love books.

Exiles, by Michael Arlen

Isn't it odd how you read something about people you've never heard of, and all of the sudden, those people start popping up in references all around you? I enjoyed this book, and it's internal view of family life, but since I read it, I've run across mentions of these characters, the books that they wrote, anecdotes from their lives. It's so weird. How does that happen?

Acceptance, by Susan Coll

The cover of this book promised something like, "laugh out loud satire," and while I admit I'm not prone to outbursts of laughter while reading, I didn't really find that it delivered. Somehow, there was too much, AND not enough happening throughout, and while I did enjoy the characters and their interior monologues, I'd rather read Jane Smiley.

Beware of God, by Shalom Auslander

I have to confess that I didn't read all of these quirky stories. They were interesting, but very repetitive in subject matter, and frankly, it got boring about halfway through. I'm generally pretty fascinated with Judaism, so I'm not sure what that says. I really like his writing style, though, and I'm still eager to read his novel. It was a preview of said novel that got me to get the short stories in the first place. And, it must be said, I am not a huge short story fan. Or, at least not a huge fan of short story collections. One short story is okay to read, but a bunch together is just unsatisfying for me.

The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls

This book is just fascinating. It's a memoir about growing up with, um, unconventional parents who sometimes veer to the abusive, but seem to genuinely love their children. Walls seems to write in the mindset of whatever age she was at the time she's chronicling, which is just wonderful. Somehow, she manages not to impose too much of herself now on the descriptions of earlier parts of her life, leaving us to draw the conclusions. As she (the character) becomes more aware, so does her writing. A really interesting book. It's not often I zip through non-fiction as fast as I do through fiction.

The Border of Truth, by Victoria Redel

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It's part mystery, part history, part family-drama, but none of the characters ever rang completely true for me, and the parallels between the main character's work in translation and what was going on in her real life was so over-done. This book allowed me no conclusions; it was all laid out for me.

Robber's Wine, by Ellen Hart

These are totally fluffy, but fun.