The Ghost At The Table, by Suzanne Berne

I liked this book a lot, though I thought it was flawed. It was one of those books where the parallels (in this case, the narrator's job to her life) are so obvious, you sort of feel bad for enjoying them anyway. Very artfully done. Berne does a nice job of setting up her protagonist for a fall at the end, and illustrates painful family dynamics really, really well.

A Beautiful, Southern California Day

It is a fine, clear, warm day here, which is not so unusual. There is truth to the assertion that you just get so used to the nice weather that you stop noticing it. And of course, up here in the Valley, it does get pretty darn hot, which is not much fun.

Today, though, I was in town, and took a different route back up to the Valley, which led me over a big hill and toward a sweeping view of the hills, and (because it's so clear today) the snow-capped peaks behind them. It was a pretty awe-inspiring moment. We do live in a lovely place, when you can see it for the smog.

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler

You may remember my Austen-fest of 2007, which I do every few years, so I was predisposed to like this. Unfortunately, once you get past the modern-girl-in-Austen-times plot, it was a pretty weak read. Lots of thinking, which is so boring in print, and a late magical plot twist that swept in at the end and left me feeling bamboozled. There are other, better Austen homages.

The Killing Hour, by Lisa Gardner

Passably good procedural/thriller. Convoluted story, but then, that's pretty much par for the course. I enjoyed reading it, but I will probably not search her out specifically again.

S is for Silence, by Sue Grafton

More of the same hijinks from Kinsey Millhone. Nice in-between-serious-book reads.

N is for Noose, by Sue Grafton

A good palate-cleanser of a book. I'm reading "S" now.

Up High In The Trees, by Kiara Brinkman

The cover rhetoric suggests that this book is The Little Prince for a new age, or something like that. Now I've got to re-read The Little Prince, because I'm not even sure what that means. It is a really good book written in the voice of a 3rd grade boy whose family is still reeling from the death of his mother. Pretty heartbreaking at times.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume

These books are so much fun to read. I had completely forgotten that this was set in NYC.

The Marching Season, by Daniel Silva

Another pre-Gabriel Allon book. I miss Gabriel!

The Mark Of The Assassin, by Daniel Silva

So interesting to read this, Silva's second book, after reading all the Gabriel Allon books (which came later) first. In retrospect, this book reads like a practice session for the Allon series. There's a character (the assassin) who shares a remarkable number of characteristics with Allon, though some differences, and an earlier incarnation of Ari Shamron. Adrian Carter is present as well. Really interesting.

A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeline L'Engle

If I haven't mentioned it, I suddenly find myself wandering over to the youth book section when I go to the library, picking up books I've read before (YEARS ago, obviously), but that I anticipate either reading aloud in the not-too-distant future, or encouraging our daughter to read. Daughter...that word always gets me! Crazy...

Anyway, it's been really fun reading these short, sweet little books. I forgot how weird this one was, but I enjoyed it just the same, and plan to pick up a few more of hers.

Dead Connection, by Alafair Burke

The name Alafair Burke seemed to familiar to me, and I didn't figure it out until I got a little ways into the book and just happened to look at the "About The Author" page. She's the daughter of author James Lee Burke, who I like very much, and who used her first name as the name of Robicheaux's child in some of the books, if I remember correctly.

Anyway, a really good story. Circuitous, and almost too out there, but ultimately believable and well-connected. Enjoyed the characters, too. Looking forward to reading more of hers.

Things Are Very Slooooooooowwwwwww.....

We are in a good financial place at the moment, which is nice, considering our more expensive apartment, and our soon-to-be-born baby. However. Business is so incredibly slow right now for me. Now I don't work anything close to 40 hours a week, which is one of the things I really like about my job. Most weeks I probably hit somewhere around 25, give or take. This week, I worked nine.

Yep. Nine measly hours. This is a combination of the seasonal loss of some very good clients as they winter in Palm Springs, and a very slow start to the year. Traditionally, massage is a bit slow in the post-holiday recovery period, but Pilates usually takes off, what with all the resolutions and whatnot. Not this year. I don't know if it's the writer's strike (which appears to be ending, thank goodness) or the general crappiness of the economy, but people aren't starting Pilates practices right now.

It's not an immediate problem, but if this continues, I do worry about the next few months, as I will be stopping working in, wait, 11 weeks (Holy moly!) to have a baby, and recover from doing so. So it's not reassuring, though the worst that happens is that we dig into our savings a little, or maybe more than a little, which is disheartening at the least. I am considering attempting to pick up some hours at a different Pilates studio, but I'm not sure how likely that is.

BUT! BUT! We are healthy, we have a great new place, and great baby on the way (I can tell already), and I'm enjoying having the down time to relax, keep myself strong, and get the apartment settled. And we've narrowed the baby name list from around 50 to only 17 or 18 possibilities! Chris is also working a lot right now, having just shot a new commercial, as well as maintaining a busy schedule with his driving students. So we're okay. Just not ideal.

The Woods, by Harlan Coben

I've only read Coben's sports agent-as-reluctant-hero books before, so this was kind of neat to read. Much darker and less wry, this is one of those really convoluted thriller/mysteries, with all kinds of twists. I really enjoyed it.

On Becoming Babywise, by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam

A parenting book that many praises are sung of. Interesting, and mostly really reasonable. A proponent of flexible scheduling, which makes sense to me, and a little bit of cry-it-out, so the baby learns to self-soothe. I'm still thinking about it, and comparing other techniques.

The Post-Birthday World, by Lionel Shriver

It is rare, extremely rare, that I give up on a book without finishing it, and yet, I have. This one started out sort of interesting, with parallel stories following two possible outcomes of a woman's choice. Unfortunately, the woman is whiny, nihilistic, and boring, and none of the other characters ring true. It's also very long, and I couldn't stand the thought of it. I am ashamed, but I don't want to finish it.

I'm not going to tag this as a book, so it won't count toward my total for the year. Seems only fair.

The Run, by Stuart Woods

Another I-ran-out-of-Daniel-Silva-books-and-can't-read-more-baby-books reread. Good, especially set against the current presidential race.

The English Assasin, by Daniel Silva

Almost forgot this one. More thrills... We've ordered some of Silva's non-Gabriel-Allon books to read next.

Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson

I remembered very little of this one, and in my hormonally-charged state, actually almost cried at the end, which I tend not to do, even for very good, very sad books. Such wonderful voices for the characters, and such a distinct sense of time and place.

Ramona The Pest, by Beverly Cleary

Another childhood favorite. A joy to read. Can't wait to read with our girl when she gets here.

Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren

A much-loved book from my childhood. I dressed as Pippi, complete with uncomfortable wire-coat-hanger-held-braids for any kind of library day/festival. Just as charming as I remember.

The Confessor, by Daniel Silva

More good thrills.

The Kill Artist, by Daniel Silva

The first of the Gabriel Allon books. More of the same good thriller-ness.

Fifteen Candles: 15 Tales of Taffeta, Hairspray, Drunk Uncles, and other Quinceanera Stories, by Adriana Lopez, ed.

Another long title... This was a sort of mixed bag of stories by lots of different types of writers. Some well-written, some not so much. Interesting though.

Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation, by Pam England and Rob Horowitz

Hippie-dippie, new-agey, woo-woo stuff, for sure. Not quite our speed, but I can see it being helpful to other types of parents. It did make some anatomically valid points about how crappy it is to try to push a baby out lying on your back, which I am determined not to do. My sacrum has been cranky from very early on, and even lying in that position long enough for an ultrasound makes my back hurt for a good while. My midwife lets me lie on my side, and whichever Kaiser doctor delivers me will have to deal. It's the one thing I'm prepared to fight about.

The Second Chair, by John Lescroart

I reread this off of my paperback shelf when I ran out of Daniel Silva books and couldn't read any more baby/parenting books without passing out. Good thriller. I like his characters a lot.

The Happiest Baby on the Block, by Harvey Karp (book & DVD)

The book was really interesting, setting forth a theory that kids should really spend about a year in the uterus. Because of our advance brain size, that's impossible, so Karp contends that you should use calming techniques that recreate womb-like sensations, like swaddling, shushing, rocking, etc. Lots of references to the commonness of these techniques in more "primitive" cultures.

The DVD is great, as it shows the swaddling technique really well, and also shows the techniques working kind of like on/off switches for the babies used. It's also got great potential for comedy, if you are drawn that way (we are).

The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth, by Sheila Kitzinger

Also a really good one. This one was given to me, as well, and I'm glad of it, despite the truly dated photographs of happy seventies couples having babies.

Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn: The Complete Guide, by Penny Simkin, Janet Whalley, and Ann Keppler

Also a really solid book (that Simkin is so sensible!), which I think is going to be my best guide to the actual labor process, though we are also doing a one-day intensive labor-prep class.

The Birth Partner, by Penny Simkin

Chris is slowly making his way through this one, which I skimmed to make sure it wasn't sickeningly insulting, as most books targeted towards new fathers are. Really, they are pretty terrible, though I do acknowledge being very lucky to have a guy as great as Chris.

This is a really solid book, with everything you need to know to support a laboring mother, and then some.

What To Expect When You're Expecting, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel

Someone gave me this book, so I can't really say whether I would have bought it. It's very useful and full of information. I've heard that it is the kind of pregnancy book that terrifies people, but I don't see that. I am pretty good at filtering what's useful and what's not, though. It's handy to have around, but not indispensable.

The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby, by Ann Douglas and John R. Sussman

Much more manageable title, and a really helpful book. This is the second time I've gotten it out of the library, and I'm contemplating actually buying it (horrors!). I haven't bought a book that cost more than a quarter in some time, now that I've discovered the hold service at the library. Finally, I'm getting the benefit of taxes.

From The Hips: A Comprehensive, Open-Minded, Uncensored, Totally Honest Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and Becoming a Parent, by Odes and Morris

Holy Moly, that's quite a title, huh? I generally find that super long titles are a bad sign, and I can't say I found this book as helpful as the title suggested. Still, a generally solid book with lots of quotes from real life parents.

Baby/Birth/Pregnancy Books

I have read so many of these, or at least skimmed them, and most of them will get one brief line. What can I say, I'm a researcher-type.

A Death In Vienna, by Daniel Silva

More of the same...

Prince of Fire, by Daniel Silva

More of the same, etc., etc.

The Secret Servant, by Daniel Silva

More of the same, and fun to read.

One Drop, by Bliss Broyard

Subtitled "My Father's Hidden Life: A Story of Race and Family Secrets," Broyard's memoir of her experience discovering, then researching her father's hidden ethnicity was one of the most engaging non-fiction books I've read in ages. Equal parts soul-searching memoir, deep historical research, and family story, it kept me involved by jumping back and forth between present, past, and far past. Great book.

Fatherhood, by Bill Cosby

Fatherhood was my grandmother's birthday present to Chris, and he read it to me and the baby out loud both before and after the holidays. I think we still have about half of the book to go. I joke that he needs to make sure the baby hears his voice a lot, since otherwise she will think Corey Flintoff or Robert Seigel is her father, since we listen to NPR so much in the car.

Entombed, by Linda Fairstein

Typical thriller. Reminds me of several other books, but was really fun to read.

The Messenger, by Daniel Silva

I have read this before, it turns out, but long enough ago to remember very little about what happens to Gabriel Allon, art restorer and reluctant spy/assasin for the Israeli intelligence service.

This book kicked off a long series of his books, which Chris and I are still working through. I love the impeccable research he clearly does, and how his books have an almost frightening grounding in the reality of the world we live in today, despite the wild thrilling stories.

Blood Memory, by Greg Iles

One of several "disposable" books I bought at the Cancer Society Thrift Store for a quarter each. Good, diverting thriller.

Look Me In The Eye: My Life With Asperger's, by John Elder Robinson

Really fascinating memoir of a man with Asperger's, who happens to be the brother of Augusten Burrows (author of Running With Scissors), who writes the introduction for the book. It's interesting simply to hear an internal description of what Asperger's is like, but Robinson has done some truly unique and interesting things.

Much more interesting than watching Tyra Banks mispronounce Asperger's on America's Next Top Model.

Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt

Read this off the shelf at the home of some clients, for whom we were housesitting. Very good, very evocative. I plan to read more of his.

It's Always Something, by Gilda Radner

A friend of mine just produced and starred in Bunny, Bunny, which is a play based on a book about Gilda Radner. She was excellent, and it got me curious, so I picked up Radner's book. It was very interesting, if a little basic in style. It was, however, really sad to read it, especially her hopefulness at the end, knowing what happened to her ultimately.

Heartsick, by Chelsea Cain

Very good thriller. Begins in the middle of a story, which is unusual, but works well here. We get to discover as we go. Looking forward to more from her.

Bridge of Sighs, by Richard Russo

I'm so far behind, I'm not going to write as much as I might have, but what can I say? It's Richard Russo, who I love so much. It's very interesting to see the trajectory of his stories as he ages. This one is the first one with 2 points of view, and it's fascinating. It took a good while into the book to see how it all fit together, but once again we have the themes of aging, regret, and being a man in today's world. I can't tell you why I relate so much to his protagonists, all middle-aged or older men, but I do.

Highly recommend any book Russo has written. Straight Man is an excellent place to start, as is Nobody's Fool (made into a film w/Paul Newman).

2008 and I've missed a whole month already.

So. Clearly not as dedicated a last year at this time. I'm way, way behind, and will do my best to update the books I read at the end of the year last year, as well as those I've read so far. I've read quite a few already, as things are quite slow. Writer's strike? The economy? I can't say. Financially, it's not a great thing, but as far as life goes... With the move, and the baby on the way (I believe that's the first mention the baby's gotten on the blog, believe it or not--she'll be joining us in late April/early May) it has been nice to have time to settle in to the new, gigantic apartment and just plain take it easy.

The apartment is so fantastic. At least 3x the size of the previous, though it's only one bedroom more, it's truly possible to imagine life with a third person joining us. Still working on the name thing. Boy names we had, of course, but girl names are flummoxing us a bit. We have a very long list, but no real standouts, and no real themes. One of the girls in my prenatal yoga class says they try a new name each week and see how it feels. We may give it a shot.