Reading Buddies Wrap-Up: “Moments of Being” by Virginia Woolf

Okay guys. I totally failed this month. After giving myself permission to skip around in Moments of Being a couple of weeks ago, I proceeded to get distracted. I had a crazy last week at my job. I’ve spent lots of time helping with a wedding I’m in later this month. But really, the blame lies here:

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (cover)

Yes, that is Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore: sequel to Graceling and companion to Fire, my very favoritest books of all time. Yes, I know it came out a month ago, but a mix-up with a preorder got the book into my hands only recently. I’ve been waiting for it for years. I simply could not resist.

(If, by the way, you haven’t read this series yet, please stop reading this post, go get a copy of Graceling (might as well pick up the others while you’re out, since you’re going to want to read them ASAP), clear your calendar, and read it cover to cover.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Finished? See?? Isn’t it amazing???

Now you know why I neglected poor Virginia Woolf this month.)

Reading Buddies badge and Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf (cover)

Here’s the thing. I really want to read Moments of Being. I ended up skipping “Reminiscences” and starting in on “A Sketch of the Past,” and whereas I struggled with the former, I absolutely adore what I’ve read of the latter. The tone is much more Woolf-esque, more flowing and introspective. It draws me in and dazzles me with its insight and loveliness.

I mean, how can you not be intrigued by a mini memoir whose fourth paragraph begins:

“Here I come to one of the memoir writer’s difficulties — one of the reasons why, though I read so many, so many are failures. They leave out the person to whom things happened. The reason is that it is so difficult to describe any human being. So they say: ‘This is what happened’; but they do not say what the person was like to whom it happened.” (65)

A few pages later, Woolf launches into what I read as a description of mindfulness vs. mindlessness, a topic I’m exploring in my own life and occasionally on my new site. Totally unexpected — so cool to find the topic in such an unexpected place.

So, I know I want to read this book in the near future. But this month, Woolf and I just weren’t meant to be. (Has that ever happened to you?)

Reading Buddies Discussion: “Moments of Being” by Virginia Woolf

First, if you haven’t voted for July’s book, take a moment to do so now!

Reading Buddies badge and Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf (cover)

Okay, guys. I have a confession to make. I’m struggling with Moments of Being.

It’s not that I find the reading hard. I’m actually kind of shocked by how easily I find myself slipping into Woolf’s writing. She writes so fluidly and has such a wonderful way of talking about people. I’m just not that interested in what she has to say, at least in the initial piece (“Reminiscences,” in my edition). I’ve only gotten through the introduction and the first few chapters of “Reminiscences.” I find myself kind of bored. And with limited reading time, I keep picking up other books instead of this month’s pick.

So, I’m giving myself permission to pick and choose. If a particular piece isn’t grabbing me, I’ll move on and hopefully find one that will.

I’m sorry I don’t have more insights for today. Virginia Woolf just isn’t working for me at present.

How is Moments of Being going for you?

Reading Buddies: June Pick

First, a reminder: we’re reading Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf this month! I’ll be posting about it on May 18 and June 1. Woolf takes me longer to read, so I’m glad to have that extra week. Will you be joining me?

Also, the poll for July is up in the sidebar. Vote for your pick! If you’d like more information about the options, you can find it here: Possession by A.S. Byatt, All the Names by Jose Saramago, and Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev.

Okay! And now, without further ado, the June 2012 Reading Buddies pick will be…Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks!

Reading Buddies badge and Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks (cover)

I’ve never read anything by Brooks before, despite having owned our June pick for quite some time. I’ll post about it on June 15 and 29. Here’s a summary from Goodreads to pique your interest:

“When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna’s eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a ‘year of wonders.’

“Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged hill country of England, Year of Wonders is a richly detailed evocation of a singular moment in history.”

Sounds good to me. What do you think? Sound interesting?

Reading Buddies Wrap-Up: “The House of Mirth” by Edith Wharton

Reading Buddies Badge

One week left to vote for June’s book! Be sure to pick your favorite from the poll in the sidebar.

Warning: spoilers ahead!

I just finished listening to The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, our April book, yesterday. I have mixed feelings. I think Wharton is a wonderful writer. She excels at creating characters and building their lives, and she clearly has a keen sense of how the society in which she grew up functions. But I never seem to walk away from her books totally satisfied. (Yes, I realize this may be intentional on Wharton’s part, but it doesn’t make her books sit any better with me!)

I understand that Lily is out of options — at least, options she recognizes as such. She has no money, no prospects, no real chances of marriage. She feels she has failed completely. But I’m not sure I believe Lily meant to overdose, at least not consciously. Why, then, did Wharton make that overdose fatal? Is she making a statement about the toxic effects of high society? Is it what she feels Lily deserves for not being able to make anything of herself? Is it the most humane way to end Lily’s suffering? Or is it what Lily herself secretly desires but cannot openly admit?

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (cover)I remember feeling discontent like this after finishing both Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence. Wharton never ends her stories the way I want them to end — even if, perhaps, the ending she chooses is the “correct” one. I’m starting to feel like I have to approach her books warily, to guard myself against the courses she follows. I find her stories fascinating and so well written, yet I don’t feel like I can completely abandon myself to them.

Anyway. Back to the story. I said in my discussion post that I liked Selden. Well, that certainly changed. What a wuss. My affection and respect for him just kept dropping as the story moved forward. I don’t want to say “serves him right” that he couldn’t have what he finally realized he wanted…but it sort of does. Rosedale, on the other hand, almost redeemed himself a little. Almost. And I did have to respect Lily for the fact that, even though she was so helpless, she tried her best to stick to her principles and keep a bit of her dignity. After the final chapter, though, I was left feeling like there wasn’t anyone in the book I really, truly liked enough to continue caring about, even though I enjoyed it intellectually.

I thought Wharton did a great job portraying the society in which Lily was raised. The contrast between the beginning of the book and the end was so sharp in part, I think, because of how well Wharton painted the former. I could really understand how plain and lowly Lily’s life had become because I had been so steeped in its former glory. At the same time, though, I’d not want to live among those people for anything! So cold and calculating, never spontaneous, every move plotted in advance to produce a particular effect. So frivolous and devoid of real meaning.

Overall, I still feel like Wharton’s novels are masterfully written and worth reading. I’m happy to have read this third novel by her. I still can’t count her among my favorite authors, though.

If you’ve read The House of Mirth, what did you think? And if you posted about it for Reading Buddies on your own site, please share the link in the comments!

Sunday Salon: Where I’ve Been, What I’ve Been Doing, and Why

The Sunday Salon.com

Happy Sunday, everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve participated in Sunday Salon. In fact, if you stop by fairly regularly you might have noticed my posting here on Erin Reads has slowed down quite a bit. If you’re a fellow book blogger, you might also have noticed I’ve not been making the comment rounds lately. I apologize for cutting back without explanation. Better late than never, though, right?

I’ll do my best to explain. The story starts out pretty predictably — new job, no time, etc. — but then it goes somewhere I’d never have predicted three months ago!

The Predictable Part

Toward the end of last year, as I mentioned at the time, I got a job. I’d been planning on part time but couldn’t turn down a full time bookstore job. That, on top of school, left me with little time for reading, much less blogging and commenting. Then I found myself drawn almost exclusively to nonfiction in what little reading time I did have, and that’s a type of book that’s sort of outside my reviewing comfort zone. Hence, the slow trickling away of my book thoughts posts.

The Twist

Then, about a month ago, I happened across a book at work, completely by chance. While deciding which section to shelve it in, I ended up poking through it. I bought it, devoured it, and — yes, I know this sounds a touch nutty — was changed by it. Appropriate, isn’t it, that what I’m about to relate started with a book?

The book was The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau (and it is not as out-there as it sounds!). It shifted my perspective, snapped me out of the spot where I’d been stuck, and gave me the kick in the pants I needed to…well, get my butt in gear.

I realized: this is it. These tiny moments that make up each day are my life. I don’t want to simply exist as they pass by unnoticed. I don’t want to think “I’ll get to that someday.” How we spend our moments is how we spend our lives, and there is so much I want to do in my life.

Once I started really thinking about them, I realized I have so many interests and goals I want to pursue. When I let myself put them into words instead of half ignoring them, they came pouring out. I was amazed — so many things I hadn’t even realized I wanted.

What’s Next

I’ve learned from running Erin Reads that writing publicly about something both keeps you focused on that thing and makes you highly accountable for keeping up with it. So, I’ve been working hard to set up another set of sites and profiles for this massive, life-changing project of chasing down dreams of all sizes. It’s my space to put myself out there, experiment, reflect, commit, and hopefully inspire and interact with others. It’s a bit scary to be so open, so vulnerable, without the protective shield of books to hide behind. But that’s part of the point.

I’m not shutting down Erin Reads. In fact, Reading Buddies will continue (I love that project!) on its monthly basis, and I very much hope many of you will join me in the months ahead. For now, though, I’m giving myself official permission to let go of regular reviews in order to focus on my new project. I am so, so excited. I’m smiling as I type this. I can hardly wait.

Of course, anyone who would like to join me on my journey is warmly invited to do so. I have found a home in the book blogging community and would love to have a piece of it with me as I set out. But if you’re here for the books, I’ll understand if you prefer to stay here or even part ways. No hard feelings.

Where You’ll Find Me

Okay! So without further ado, I’d like to invite you to my new online home: Remade By Hand! There’s a post up today on the site about how I chose the name, if you’re curious. Here are the links:

I already have a project going with my husband through the site. We’re calling it Project 365 x 2. Every day for a year, we’re each getting rid of one thing that’s outlived its usefulness in our lives, posting photos on Facebook. There will be many more projects to come.

Also, only somewhat related, who uses Instagram?? I was so excited when they finally launched the Android app, but I feel a little like I’ve been left in the dust. How do I find people? Anyone want to be friends on there (or whatever the Instagram equivalent is)? Come find me! I’m…surprise!…remadebyhand!

So anyway. That’s why I’ve been MIA and what I’ll be up to, at least for the foreseeable future. I wish you a lovely Sunday.

What are your plans for today? And of course…read anything good lately?