A Stolen Life

Last week I finished Jaycee Dugard's A Stolen Life, an autobiographical tale of her kidnapping at age 11 and subsequent 18 year captivity. It was a disturbing book, of course, filled with true stories of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. So much of it reminded me of Room, except in this case, all the stories were true. It left me with a lot of questions about her captors and the justice system, particularly: Why was a man who had previously been convicted of multiple sexual offenses on minors, including a previous kidnapping, who was sentenced to a fifty year sentence, out on parole after 11 years? It also raised a lot of questions about substance abuse and the oversight of doctors' diagnosing and prescribing for mental illness, and not following their patients' closely or with any regularity.

Another aspect of the account that intrigued me was how it was written and published within two years of her finally gaining her freedom. While reading it, the book seemed very jumbled and confused, which I assume is because Ms. Dugard's memories and emotions associated with all of the events that happened to her are similarly jumbled and confused. I cannot imagine she has been able to process all 18 years of abuse, and that came across in the story. The end of the book is also reserved to her therapy process, in which, to me, she sounds falsely happy and bright. It seemed to me that no matter how fortunate she is to be rebuilding her life with her family, the process must be harder and more intense than she describes. It made me feel like the book was given a happy ending for the sake of its readers, when I really cannot imagine the long term emotional affects of her captivity have all been solved. I don't think that the level trauma she experienced can be cured, which is how it came across in the book. Certainly it can be mitigated, processed, and coped with, but the 180 she pulls from being traumatized and developmentally stunted upon release from captivity to being completely functional in just 2 years seems as though she is glossing over the long term affects of her trauma. Perhaps she is using this positive outlook as a coping mechanism. If she tells herself she is happy and emotionally healthy, she IS happy and emotionally healthy. Or maybe her therapist is truly performing miracles with her. Or maybe Ms. Dugard is a particularly resilient individual. It's certainly not for me to judge her experience. However, I wish that I had gotten more details about the recovery process in the book so that I could better understand how her healing process went. From my perspective, it doesn't sound as though she is being completely honest with the readers, and worse, it doesn't sound as though she is being completely honest with herself. I hope that in her recovery process she will be able to better process the negative emotions that arise, and not feel the need to always paint a bright and happy picture.

Obviously this book brings up a lot of questions and emotions in the reader. While I was unsatisfied with the ending and the rushed and confused quality of the book, I definitely would recommend it to any of the Madwomen - as long as they are up for a dark and disturbing read.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

It has been almost two months, but I still haven't recovered from finishing A Dance With Dragons. I know, I know, most of you are sick of hearing it right now, but I really do love the Song of Ice and Fire series. And since it's going to be at least another two to five years before the next one comes out, I'm kind of at a loss for how to fill the hole in my reading life left by these books. I wander aimlessly around Barnes & Noble, picking up and then just as quickly re-shelving possible replacements, and leaving with only a magazine or two for company. I surf Amazon.com listlessly without making a purchase. I feel a little like I've been dumped. George R.R. Martin is not my boyfriend anymore!

However, just as the scorned ex-girlfriend eventually recovers and hits the bars in search of a new and better man, I hit Barnes & Noble this past weekend with one mission: to find my rebound relationship. I swore up and down I would not leave the store without a book to read. After staring longingly at the Game of Thrones display, placed in the center of the entryway by some heartless B&N employee who clearly wanted to torture me, I began prowling the fiction shelves. Nothing. I circled back to the display. I was convinced. There wasn't a single book in the entire store worth reading if it wasn't set in Westeros. Mr. DeWinter sighed and left me for the nonfiction section. I wandered along behind him like a lost duckling. After about fifteen minutes of haphazardly radiating between George R.R. Martin and random shelves, I could tell Mr. DeWinter had about had enough. So I promised to make my last, desperate attempt to find something, so we could move on to our Five Guys lunch.

And there...in the middle of the shelves...there they stood like the kind-of-cute guy at the end of the bar at last call...the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. And at that moment, in a somewhat resigned manner, I knew they would be mine (mostly because they were of approximately the same size, heft, and binding as the Song of Ice and Fire books...pathetic, I know...and because there were at least four of them, so if I do like them, they'll keep me distracted for awhile).

And so, I brought my new boyfriend (err...books...) home with me. While not as good as my last boyfriend, they make a pretty decent rebound. A quick summary: While on a second honeymoon to Scotland with her husband whom she hasn't seen in about seven years due to WWII, Claire falls through some kind of portal in a fairy ring, and lands in the middle of a Jacobean rebellion in 18th century Scotland. Torn between her old life and the new one (of course there's a new and much more interesting man in the 18th century) Claire must decide where to spend her future.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for historical fiction, and the hint of fantasy and magic doesn't hurt either. Like most rebound relationships, this one may not be destined to last very long, as I'm not sure how Diana Gabaldon is going to keep up the plot for more than one or two books. But for now, it's distracting and enjoyable enough to get my mind off of GRRM (at least for a little while.)

RDeW

Books Re-Made into Movies

I spent a lovely afternoon at the movie theater today watching the movie-version of The Help. As with most movies based on books that I had previously read and loved, my feelings going into the theater were mixed. I was excited to dive back into a story that I thoroughly enjoyed, but at the same time dreaded that the movie would fall flat. Too many times I have been disappointed by films based on books. Either the adaptations stray too far from the original novel, crucial pieces of the plot are cut out, or character development is sacrificed for the whole plot to be squeezed into a 2 hour time slot.

However, the film version of The Help was as enjoyable as the hardcover version! In fact, this may actually be a movie that was, dare I say it, BETTER than the original novel. The visual scenes of the turmoil and racism in the movie were more powerful on a screen than in my mind's eye. The movie version made it more real for me. I was also very impressed by Emma Stone's dramatization of Skeeter. Her acting abilities shone through in this role, and it was good to see her in a more dramatic role than many of her previous roles in comedy.

I believe the majority of the Madwomen have read the book. So, are you planning on seeing the movie? What ruins film versions of books for you? Any reactions from those who may have seen the movie already?

Summer Vacation

I guess July was summer vacation for the Madwomen - not a single post. But that doesn't mean we weren't reading! Miss Havisham and I were so deep into the Game of Thrones series, we barely came up for air. I just finished A Dance with Dragons last week and I'm feeling a little bereft...I've been living in the world of Westeros for the two months and now I have to find something to take its place.

I'm thinking of a complete genre switch and some re-reading...maybe A Farewell to Arms...it has been 17 years since I first read it when I was 17. I can't remember what I loved about it, but I definitely remember loving it. And at one point, Miss H. and I had discussed a re-read of Gone with the Wind...anyone up for it?

The Distant Hours has me intrigued too. And Savannah's description of it recalls my impressions of The Remains of the Day, which has been on my "someday" list for about ten years now. Decisions, decisions...

What have the other Madwomen been up to?

The Distant Hours

I know I never write anything on here, but honestly I don't often read a book that I really like enough to share. Well, I am completely flumoxed and turned upside down by The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. I can't think of another book more appropriate to a book club whose name includes "The Madwomen." It is so gothic. The three Blythe sisters are all madwomen in the attic, and almost literally so. This story has so many twists and turns, with each sister suffering her own heartbreak. Their stories are all layered and held together by their father, the author of a famous children's novel. The web of anguish also reaches out to affect the young girl who is evacuated to the castle from London during World War II. This in turn affects her own daughter. The Distant Hours shows how deeply parental misery may affect children and how the expectations of previous generations can really dictate how a life is lived, despite all efforts made towards normalcy and happiness.- Savannah

Fantasy for Adults?!?!?!

I admit it. I am a fantasy geek. I'm not quite sure how it started (probably with fairy tales) but I do know exactly when it blossomed into a full-on obsession: 9th grade. That summer I read The Once and Future King, and in September my teacher demonstrated incredible coolness when he forwent (is that a word?) The Odyssey in favor of The Fellowship of the Ring. And with that book I was lost...lost in a world of orcs and wizards and rings and quests. Since then, I have come to love all kinds of fantasy, medieval, and dystopian fiction, from The Hunger Games to The Death of Arthur, and even Beowulf...the Seamus Heaney version. But I haven't read any good, modern, adult fantasy in a long time. To be honest, modern adult fantasy kind of scares me. I mean, it is a little weird for grownups to be reading about wizards and warriors, heroes and princesses, dragons and demons...I feel like it's okay if it's a YA book or a classic, but the contemporary stuff is for the Dungeons and Dragons set, IMHO. Then I picked up Game of Thrones in Logan Airport a few weeks ago and have been lost in fantasy land ever since.

I can't speak to the new HBO show based on the series, but the books are incredibly compelling, if you're at all into fantasy. George RR Martin writes a little like Tolkein, a little like TH White, and a little like himself. My favorite part of the series is that there are about ten different main characters, and the chapters are told from alternating viewpoints. At first it was a little confusing to keep everyone straight, especially because as some main characters die, new ones take their place as narrators. But the technique keeps the story fast-paced and always interesting. I'm deep into book three of four, and I have trouble tearing myself out of the Seven Kingdoms. This is the kind of series that I can't wait to finish because I'm dying to know how it's resolved, but at the same time I dread the ending because it's going to take me forever to recover from the series and find something equally all-consuming to read. This series is so good that I would go so far as to say it could be the "gateway drug" for those reluctant fantasy readers. You know who you are...Harry Potter fans who have never ventured deeper into fantasy than Hogwarts...(I couldn't let this posting go without a jab at Harry Potter. I've actually gone soft on good old HP in my old age...I used to look down on HP fans with derision, but I do accept the value and renewed interest he has brought to the genre...plus I finally read the first chapter of the first book and it was actually pretty good.) If you're hesitant about fantasy, this series is written in a modern enough voice that it just might grab your interest.
Back to the dragons and kingslayers...
Rebecca

From India, With Love

A few months back we had a discussion about literary passions, and one Madwoman in particular divulged her secret love affair with novels set in historical India. One of the books on the subject she recommended was Beneath a Marble Sky, which I have recently begun to read. I am about half way through and about to start section 3 of 4 in the novel. I am beginning to enjoy it very much!

This is not a typical book I would pick out for myself if I were to browse the bookstore. While I enjoy historical fiction, I know next to nothing about historical India, so I was slightly afraid that I would be lost in the references in this book. Luckily, the book is a romance more than anything, with only general references to the politics and history of the time period, so its very easy to follow along. What I am enjoying most about the book is the author's skill at creating suspense. The main character keeps hinting that there is going to be some sort of treacherous event that happens, and I have a vague idea of what it may entail, but the plot keeps getting more and more involved, so it's keeping me guessing. I'm getting more and more drawn into the story, and I'm guessing I'll be able to finish it in the next few days. I'll post an update when I do!

Miss. H.

The Glass Castle

I just finished The Glass Castle and was thoroughly impressed. Throughout the book though, I couldn't help but wonder how much of the truth was stretched to make for good writing. One of Oprah's final episodes featured a second interview with author James Frey years after controversy over his book, "A Million Little Pieces." Not sure how much you heard about this- but he came out with a book that was marketed as a memoir about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. After Oprah added it to her book club list, it got a lot of attention- not all positive. People brought into question how much of the details were exaggerated. More specifically, former addicts argued that he would not be able to remember the details and the recovery process he depicted was far from accurate. He eventually admitted that there were fabricated elements in the piece and dealt with lots of negative press and countless lawsuits as a result. Do authors have an obligation to tell the absolute truth when writing memoirs/autobiographies? Personally, I think that every book in this category has some elements of fiction. I mean- I imagine that even the most exciting life has its dull moments.

One of my favorite parts of her writing style was that she wrote the various stories of her childhood with the naivete that she would have had at the time. But she gives us enough information that we can draw conclusions about what the problems actually are. Very carefully crafted.

I found all of the characters with the exception of the mother to be endearing. I absolutely despised her and found her to be completely self-centered. I can accept that some people want to focus on themselves. And those are exactly the people that should not have children. Every little detail about this woman irked me....one thing that comes to mind is the tidbit that she was divulging on Hershey chocolate bars while her children were rummaging through the garbage at school for anything to eat.

Overall though, whether or not it is 100% truth, found it to be a very humbling and inspirational read. Would definitely recommend (although I betting we have a few madwomen who have already finished this one).

Ferris Beach - More Than Just Beach Reading

I've been having trouble settling into a book lately. Everything I pick up looks good on the shelf, but once I get home and try to get into it, I rapidly lose interest. Fortunately, Miss Havisham came to visit recently, bringing along some literary gifts, the best of which was Ferris Beach by Jill McCorkle. I expected it to be a lazy, casual afternoon read, but was pleasantly surprised to find it was so much more.
Although the cover reads like Judy Blume's Summer Sisters (in fact, a very enjoyable summer read, but definitely fluff) the characters are much more developed. And maybe I was just in a nostalgic mood, but the main character really did speak to a universal adolescent experience. She was real, she was funny, she reminded me of me 20 years ago or so. Some of the family situations border on melodramatic, but although elements of the plot are sometimes unrealistic, the writing never is. A big two thumbs up for anyone looking for a beach read, or a trip down memory lane...

Towner Whitney - Certifiable Madwoman!

Now that I have wrapped up my very last final of my master's program, I am celebrating the luxury of free time - by starting my summer reading, of course! Over the past few months I have collected a grand total of 7 book recommendations, and I'm hoping to get through all of them before the stresses of the 9-5 life start for me. I'm especially looking forward to getting through a book or two on the beach, if only the weather would permit!

The first book on my summer reading list is The Lace Reader, which was recommended to me by another madwomen. It's a true seaside read, as it takes place in the seaside towns of Salem and Marblehead, Massachusetts. For the first 75 pages or so, this tidbit was about the only reason I was interested in the story. I found the protagonist, Towner Whitney, annoying and the storyline slow. I am slightly more than half way through now, and I am MUCH more entertained. The family history is finally beginning to make sense, and is at times horrifying, at times nostalgic and endearing, and overall enthralling! There is a mystery to the plot that isn't too cheesy or predictable, and I have even found myself beginning to cheer for the main character (even though I still don't even like her that much!). She certainly fits the eccentric madwoman characteristics though - she even spends time in McLean Psychiatric facility for a time. This tidbit excited me as well, since I have quite a few classmates who have been working there this year!

Unless the ending totally bombs, I definitely recommend this charming beach read to the other madwomen, but caution them that the beginning fifth of the book is a little hard to get through. I'm looking forward to passing it on to anyone who might be interested!

Miss Havisham

Francophile Literature

I am currently reading a collection of short stories called Paris Was Our. A bunch of writers came together to make the collection, which are various stories about their experiences living in Paris. I was really excited when I picked it up, hopeful to relive a romanticized version of my 4 months in France. I have been somewhat disappointed in the stories, but there are a few that have brought the memories rushing back. Mostly, it has made me miss my time abroad even more. Besides the delicious food, what I miss most is the sense of adventure - feeling like anything was possible, and feeling that I was finally living my life out of my comfort zone.

I know at least 2 other Madwomen have spent some time in France. Is there anything in particular you miss or remember especially fondly?

Miss. Havisham

Column Suggestion

With facebook and gmail blocked at work, I was perusing the internet for something mindless that I could use to pass the time during a slow Friday afternoon. After catching up on the latest royal wedding news on people, I decided to check the NY Times for something a little more substantial…. but still not quite productive reading. And I found it. Some of you may already read this column, but if not- I highly recommend the “Social Q’s” column by Philip Galanes. Some of the articles are definitely better than others- but for the most part I love his witty and to-the-point advice for some daily annoyances. If you haven’t seen this column, he has archived the articles on his website:

http://www.philipgalanes.com/ny_times_sundays.php

Philip has also posted his biography on the website. He seems like the perfect man- he has a home in the Hamptons and NYC, writes for the NY Times, works on the boards of private companies, practices law and has tons of pictures of him and his dog on his website. Don’t worry- I’m not delusional- no madwoman is in his future. Sadly.

C. Earnshaw

The Room!!!

I loved this book!!! I basically got through it in one weekend.

What was most striking to me about the first half of the book (pre-escape) was how the Mom created such order so that they would not go crazy. She created a strict schedule from meal times to the time that they would wash their clothes. I imagine that creating a schedule like that helped to pass the time. It was a way to mask the fact that they had an indefinite period confined in a Room. What concerned me about the way that she set up their life was that it seemed like Jack was developing OCD. He learned to be very concerned about germs. He became so comfortable with a routine and was very uneasy if any part of that routine was altered. He also seemed to count EVERYTHING.

I found myself constantly laughing out loud and smiling as I was reading the book (post escaping the Room). You not only get to see the world through a child, but through a child who thought that everything was only on TV. The observations that he makes are so simple, yet they often reveal things that we just don’t talk about or don’t like to think about. Like when he explains to the nurse that his Mom is “here but not really” or when he says “lots of the world seems to be a repeat.”

While the mother undeniably did everything for Jack’s sake, there are several large decisions that she made for him that I am still trying to decide whether they were the best things for him. The biggest one was brought up by {I am assuming} Oprah. Should she have told Nick to bring Jack to the hospital as soon as he was born? We don’t even know if Nick would have done that. For one, he seemed to think that he was doing her a favor by allowing her to have a child- maybe he saw this as a way to keep her quiet and obedient. He also seemed like a pretty paranoid person- would he have dropped the baby off and risked having someone find out about his crime? But if he did, would she have been able to do it? Would I have been able to do it? The second big thing for me was whether she should have lied to Jack about everything being TV? My initial thought is that it saved him from wanting things that he could not have (which is why I believe she did not allow him to watch commercials). However, she then very abruptly told him one day that those things actually were real. When I was reading, it did not feel like she had planned any of this- it just sort of came out when she was feeling frustrated with everything.

I absolutely loved the Grandma’s character. She did not allow Jack to let his fears consume him, and while she did tell him this in often blunt ways you can tell that she was doing so out of love for him. A lot of people would have tip-toed around Jack, seeing him as “damaged” and needing special attention. But she gave him just what he needed- a stern figure who showed him that he could be normal.

Catherine Earnshaw

Room

February 15th, 2011 is a big day in the world of the Madwomen. It's officially time to start the conversation about our second group read, Room, by Emma Donoghue!

Going into the reading with very little knowledge about the content of the book, I was happy with how well it held my interest. These days I judge books by whether on not they are a chore to read after a long day at my internship and an evening of doing readings for school. Room was actually something that I looked forward to reading at the end of each day. At the same time, it wasn't just trash that held my interest but had little substance. I found the book actually quite thought-provoking. Mostly, I debated how realistic Ma and Jack's behaviors were for two people held in captivity for years on end. Being that I am a trauma-snob, (after all, childhood trauma is the specialty I'm working in this year at my internship!), I may have held Emma Donoghue to a higher standard than the average reader in describing the affects of kidnapping, captivity, and repeated sexual abuse on Ma. I concluded that while Ma was believable, I think the psychological impact of her trauma would have been much more intense than it appeared in the book. Yes, she did try to commit suicide, and yes, that is a clear signal of intense psychological distress. But the suicide seemed thrown in and incongruous because she completely lacked the main symptoms of trauma. I felt that psychologically she went from baseline to suicidal to baseline in a very short amount of time, and without any real explanation.

Jack, on the other hand, was a character whom I adored. The sensory overload of entering the world for the first time at the age of five was humorous and creative on the part of Ms. Donoghue, and, in my opinion, completely accurate. I also found his complete lack of social skills incredibly endearing. You can just image how confused this little boy must have been to be thrust into a world where everything is unknown. Again, the validity of his resiliency is questionable, but his lovable personality won me from the start.

- Miss Havisham

The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round...

I recently started working with a new client and my five minute commute has now turned into a forty-five minute one. Staying true to my New York roots, I refuse to brave the traffic on 495, and therefore have taken on a round-trip that involves three forms of transportation: a five minute ride in my car, a ten to twenty minute ride on the shuttle bus between my company's headquarters and the closest Metro station, and a ten minute ride on the Metro. The other ten to twenty minutes? Waiting for the Metro and shuttle bus.
When I commuted between Manhattan and Stamford, CT, I loved using the time to indulge in trashy novels. That commute was simple - all I had to carry was my purse and a book, and once I was on the train it was a non-stop trip. This one, however, is full of inconvenient interruptions, and I'm hampered by my purse, my laptop bag, and my lunchbox. By the time I really get sucked into a story, I have to stop, gather my belongings, transfer, and then get settled again. It was kind of hard to get focused on the story.
At first I listened to my iPod and furiously checked my smartphone, but after the first two days that got boring. And then I found the perfect solution...Shakespeare. See, my former students are performing in King Lear in the beginning of March, and I'm planning a big trip back to NY to see them and my best friend and former colleague whom I haven't seen in seven months. After getting off a marathon phone session with her two nights ago, I realized that if I was going to sit through three hours of King Lear, I darn well better re-familiarize myself with the plot. Although it used to be my second-favorite Shakespeare play, I haven't read it in about thirteen years, and the details had kind of faded...hazy memories of some nasty sisters a la Cinderella and a crazy old man in a winter storm, but that's about it. A few years ago, I sat through Love's Labor's Lost without ever having read it and it was torture, even for a Shakespeare-phile like me! Here's the thing though...who has time or inclination to actually sit down and read King Lear? Turns out, I do. It takes about ten to twenty minutes to read one scene...the exact amount of time I spend on the shuttle bus. The thin book tucks neatly into the side pocket of my laptop case. And I find that Shakespeare is easier to digest in smaller increments.
So, madwomen, that's what I've been reading lately. And considering the mind-numbingness of the eight hours I put in at my new client each day, I'm actually a little bit glad to stretch my brain each morning. Right not I'm on Act I, scene iv. When I'm done, I might try a little poetry...

I Told You Guys That Barbara Kingsolver Changed My Life

So, remember that scene in Billy Madison when Adam Sandler wakes up from his hangover and rides his golf cart out to the mailbox to collect his magazines? Well, it was "Nudie Magazine Day" at my house today...only it wasn't Playboy that arrived! It was the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Catalog.

Shortly after I finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and began my farmers' market odyssey, I began collecting newspaper clippings about local food. Back in August I clipped a NY Times article about this catalog, reputed to be packed with what Anthony Bourdain would call "food porn" for gardeners, and in November (about the same time that I joined Kitchen Gardens International - that's a whole other story) I ordered a copy. About once a week since, I whine to Mr. DeWinter and wonder aloud whether the neighbors stole my catalog. And then, this evening, miraculously, it was sitting on my dining room table when I arrived home from work! I'm not ashamed to admit that I hugged it to my chest and danced a jig around the living room.

In fact, I haven't even had time to peruse it yet, because as soon as Mr. DeWinter saw my excitement, he grabbed it out of my hands and became mesmerized by chocolate habanero peppers, purple Russian tomatoes, and Georgia rattlesnake melons. The space on our balcony is limited, so we're going to have to choose wisely what to plant this spring. I can't wait!

I recognize that my interest in local foods is growing into an obsession...and I fear that I'm destined to become one of those annoying, holier than though people who preach about locavorism to those who have no interest in listening...someone a little like Barbara Kingsolver! On the other hand, I haven't touched a drop of soda in over three weeks, and Mr. DeW hasn't been to McDonald's in at least two...for us, that's a pretty good track record. Who are these fruit and veggie eating, wanna-be gardeners? While we won't be dressing in homespun or raising chickens anytime soon, our relationship with food is definitely evolving for the better.

Cutting for Stone be damned...I'm off to read my seed catalog and dream of spring!

Snow Days to Curl Up and Read

Hi ladies-

Hope you are all doing well and staying warm!

I just finished Room, and I really enjoyed reading it. I have to admit, it was going a bit slowly at first, and I was having trouble getting into the novel. However, I ended up with a snow day, and my cable and internet went out. Without any distractions, I settled in with the book, and once I got to page 50, I couldn't put it down.

I am hesitant to start the conversation as I don't want to give anything away if you are still reading, but I wanted to encourage everyone to stick with it.

I am looking forward to discussing the novel with all of you!

-Tracy

Lazy Saturday

Even Lily is excited for some reading this afternoon :o)

- Catherine Earnshaw

More Secret Literary Lives

Back in December, Miss Havisham posted about her secret literary affair with 60s counterculture books and movies. I was so excited to read her post because "Exposing Teachers' and Students' Secret Literary Lives" was the title of my presentation at the National Council of Teachers of English conference back in November. Our thesis was basically that if we can tap into students secret literary lives, we can engage students in other forms of meaningful literary activity. We began the presentation by confessing to our own secret literacies - both the presenters and the audience. Some of the secret lives we discovered included the following:

- Geo-literacy (maps and atlases)

- Manicure reading (trashy magazines at the nail salons)

- Jack Bauer (spy novels)

- Journals and diaries

As for me, I confessed to one of my secret literacies: traveling the world, one cookbook at a time. Yes, that's right, I am obsessed with reading recipes. Nothing makes me happier than purchasing a cookbook from an exotic location, paging through the recipes, drooling over the photos, and imagining the delicious meals that I could make. That's right - could! Because most of the time, I don't actually cook anything from these cookbooks. The recipes are complicated, call for unusual kitchen implements, or require hard-to-find ingredients. And then, of course, there's the fear that I'd go through all of shopping, prepping, and cooking, only to present the meal to my husband...who would wrinkle up his nose and head out to McDonald's. Well...that's not entirely fair...he's a pretty adventurous eater but he firmly believes that some cuisines should be prepared by those who grow up in the culture...and that he should partake of them only in a restaurant.

I haven't done much reading lately because of a combination of factors (work, laziness), but I have been reading my cookbooks! They're easily digestible (pun intended) because they're written in chunks, and I can page through them without committing to a long sit-down. Lately I've been working on Good Housekeeping's Light and Healthy cookbook as part of my goal to continue eating as many non-processed foods as possible. It has been difficult without the farmer's market, but I try to shop the perimeter of the grocery store and have been experimenting with winter greens like swiss chard, brussel sprouts and kale. And I made my first soup last weekend - a Caribbean black bean stew with sweet potatoes. It was delicious! Even Mr. DeWinter devoured some. Quite frankly, though, Good Housekeeping has nothing on A Taste of Cuba or Essentially Lily (Savannah and Miss H would love the vintage photos of Lily Pulitzer in this one).

Zagat's guides also make for a convenient, quick indulgence! I purchase one for every city I visit, and flipping through them is like a quick trip to New Orleans, or Denver or New York. And in a pinch, a chapter of Anthony Bourdain will do just fine. But those tidbits are missing the gorgeous, glossy photos of a really good cookbook. That's what really makes the experience...my imagination is good and all, but add in a few color photos and I really start to salivate!

So, that's one of my literary secrets...I'll dish about my obsession with Henry the Eighth another time. What about the rest of the madwomen?

Oh, and Miss Havisham...I do have an undercover obsession with 60s poetry...so if you ever want to hit up City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, I'm in!

Happy 2011!!

Happy New Year, Madwomen, and welcome to our new members! What better way to start off the new year than with some new madwomen to share our literary fun? Well, how about a group read!

We're hoping to pick out our very first group read for 2011. Once we come to an agreement, we will have until February 15th to read. After that date, it's free game to post about the book, and if you haven't finished, be warned of spoilers! In the meantime, please feel free to post about your independent pursuits!

So, now the hard part: selecting the group read! I spoke to Rebecca D. last week and we both picked out books that might work for the group. We came up with:

Room by Emma Donoghue
Here's the NY Times review http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/books/review/Bender-t.html

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
A review: http://lisamm.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/book-review-sarahs-key-by-tatiana-de-rosnay/

It certainly doesn't have to be either of those; if you have any ideas, please suggest them! It would be best to pick a book by next weekend to give everyone a month to read, so please, share your thoughts and ideas!

Happy Reading,

Miss Havisham