[ the Library ]

Books Read in 2008

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:19:36 GMT

Happy New Year!

1. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
2. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
3. Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
4. Maus I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman
5. Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman
6. Dead Names by Simon
7. So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson
8. Wolfcry by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
9. Ruby by Francesca Lia Block
10. The 1000 Journals Project by Someguy
11. Wyvernhail by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
12. The Film Club by David Gilmour
13. The Red Leather Diary by Lily Koppel
14. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman
15. The Principals of Uncertainty by Maria Kalman
16. The Wicker Man by Robin Hardy and Anthony Shaffer
17. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow
18. Visions of Heaven and Hell by Clive Barker
19. The Adventures of Johnny Bunko by Daniel H. Pink
20. Pretty Little Mistakes by Heather McElhatton
21. Legends of the Dark Crystal: Volume One by Kesel, Arnhold and Kim
22. Jim Henson's Doodle Dreams by Jim Lewis
23. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
24. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
25. Return to Labyrinth: Volume One by Jake T. Forbes
26. Return to Labyrinth: Volume Two by Jake T. Forbes
27. Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand
28. Yu + Me Dream: Volume One by Megan Rose Gedris
29. Yu + Me Dream: Volume Two by Megan Rose Gedris
30. Nature of Water and Air by Regina McBride
31. Night in the Lonesome October by Richard Laymon
32. A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
33. Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland
34. Moral Disorder by Margaret Atwood
35. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
36. The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God & Other Stories by Etgar Keret
37. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
38. A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield
39. Andy Kaufman Revealed! by Bob Zmuda
40. Death Makes a Holiday by David J. Skal
41. War For the Oaks by Emma Bull
42. So Many Books: Reading and Publishing in an Age of Abundance by Gabriel Zaid
43. The Nature of Monsters by Carol Clark

Boo, out-of-print ramblings.

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:33:10 GMT

After seeing The Wicker Man, a 1973 film, I've been casually looking for the book it was based on, Ritual by David Pinner (by casual, I mean whenever I happen to walk into a used bookstore, and not obsessively hunting down leads online, like I should have). The film was so enjoyable that I really had to read it (to reiterate, we're talking the Christopher Lee version here, not Nicholas Cage). BUT-- every time I mentioned it to a book person, I felt like I was crazy because no one had heard of it. Now, online, the only versions I can find in the U.S. are $750.00! I don't even think it was published in the U.S., which would have been good to know a dozen years ago.

I did, however, find a book called The Wicker Man today at the library... by Robin Hardy and Anthony Shaffer: "Based on the Classic Horror Film that inspired the Major Motion Picture THE WICKER MAN." Poor Pinner isn't even mentioned in the Introduction, let alone credited on the back.

Completely got the shaft.

I don't think I'm ever going to find a copy of the original. I'm trying to convince myself that that means it probably wasn't as good, but, that's just not always true. I'm reading the screenplay-based version now instead as a consolation prize for the long search. But since it was this author's script that got me interested in the first place, I'm hoping for the best.

Maus I & II by Art Spiegelman

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:58:48 GMT

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale - My Father Bleeds History and
Maus II: A Survivor's Tale - And Here My Troubles Began

by Art Spiegelman

Graphic Novel, Memoir.

A story of Spiegelman's Polish, Jewish family during the holocaust, as well as his relationship with his father. I really loved Spiegelman's style: Expressive and detailed, but with lines that are simple enough to convey emotion clearly. Maus won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992... and became the subject of much debate/reflection. Some articles can be found here.

One of my favorite authors, Umberto Eco, says of this book:

"Maus is a book that cannot be put down, truly, even to sleep. When two of the mice speak of love, you are moved, when they suffer, you weep. Slowly through this little tale comprised of suffering, humor and life's daily trails, you are captivated by the language of an old Eastern European family, and drawn into the gentle and mesmerizing rhythm, and when you finish Maus, you are unhappy to have left that magical world..."

I'm not sure if "magical" is a word I can relate to with this story, it was too heartbreaking for that, but I agree that the characters/envoronment are so developed and clear that it becomes engrossing.

Spiegelman was the editor for Raw Magazine, which I wish I could find more of online. There is Little Lit, which he edits... contributors ranging from Lemony Snicket to Neil Gaiman to Maurice Sendak. Something I'll check out more later.

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:47:13 GMT

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley

Graphic Novel

I'm a sucker for fairy tale re-tellings, so I'm not sure why it took me so long to get to this one. This is a 472 page tome, but you can get a taste: The first few pages can be read here. The second half about Solicitine was especially wonderful, however. Got me quite hooked on what will happen next.

Some lessons learned:

There will always be a place in the world for bearded women.

and

You can't get snickerdoodles in hell.

Looking forward to the release of a second collection, which might come out this year.

Linda Medley has a beautiful webpage, in construction. And... Castle Waiting accessories are a neat marketing idea. But I suppose I will live without.

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 06:38:15 GMT

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan

Nonfiction.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm really interested in this subject right now, or because it was well written ad thought out, but I read this book quickly, enjoying it consistantly. Starts simple, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Pollan elaborates with many cultural notes, facts, observations, and insights. The amount of information is a little daunting, but luckily he brings it together in the end with a guide on how to put this to use in everyday life.

One main theme throughout the book is eating a traditional diet. The introduction about how the western diet often brings about unhealthy consequences reminds me of my uncle. He's always had stomach problems, despite the many doctors he's seen. A visit to India, sustained on the traditional diet there, seemed to cure those problems within days. He's continued eating those foods now that he's back in the states and continues to improve.

Another book I read recently along the same subject matter was Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Pollan's newest works on food and food choice. Though Goodall is more accepting of trying new foods, she goes a step further than Pollan, towards the past, to study the eating habits of our closest animal cousins.

Welcome Home.

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:01:35 GMT

I am reviving this journal this year.

Books read in 2007

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:55:08 GMT

1. Are We There Yet? by David Levithan

2. Not the Only One: Lesbian and Gay FIction for Teens by Jane Summer

3. The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest by Ellen Datlow and Terri WIndling

4. Falcondance by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

5. The Women in the Wall by Patrice Kindl

6. Snow by Orhan Pamuk

7. Secret Heart by David Almond

8. Fairies: Real Encounters with Little People by Janet Bord

9. Celeste by VC Andrews

10. Black Cat by VC Andrews

11. Asperger's and Girls by Tony Attwood and Temple Grandin

12. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

13. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

14. Paradoxia by Lydia Lunch

15. Everyday Matters by Danny Gregory

16. All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned From the Toxic Avenger by Lloyd Kaufman and James Gunn

17. Send in the Idiots by Kamran Nazeer

18. One Makes the Difference by Julia Butterfly Hill

Books Read in 2006

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 03:38:14 GMT

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Thumbsucker by Walter Kirn

Fearless by Francine Pascal

Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier

Goddess of the Night by Lynne Ewing

City of Masks by Mary Hoffman

Into the Cold Fire by Lynne Ewing

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Don't Kiss Them Good-bye by Allison DuBois

The Mothman Prophecies by John A. Keel

City of Stars by Mary Hoffman

Violet and Claire by Francesca Lia Block

Night Shade by Lynne Ewing

Goodnight, Irene by Jan Burke

Wasteland by Francesca Lia Block

Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest

A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer

The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Treacherous Love by Beatrice Sparks

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Sam by Francine Pascal

All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg

Talking to the Dead by Helen Dunmore

Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

Sweet Dreams, Irene by Jan Burke

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

A Touch of Heat by Judy Mays

Murder of Angels by Caitlin K. Kiernan

A Mood Apart by Peter C. Whybrow

Cutting by Steven Levenkron

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

Shopgirl by Steve Martin

Death Be Not Proud by John Gunther

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

Thank You For Smoking by Christopher Buckley

Reading Lolita Tehran by Azar Nafisi

Heaven Eyes by David Almond

Daisy Miller by Henry James

Kit's Wilderness by David Almond

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn

Snakecharm by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Narcissus in Chains by Laurell K. Hamilton

For One More Day by Mitch Albom

Gossamer by Lois Lowry

The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint

Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters

City of Flowers by Mary Hoffman

Into the Wild by Erin Hunter

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 23:43:59 GMT

Franny and Zooey by J.D Salinger

Autism Spectrum Disorders by Chantal Sicile-Kira

Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane

Blue Bottle Mystery by Kathy Hoopman

The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint

Wishing on the Midnight Star by Nancy Ogaz

Colder than Ice by David Patneude

The Gypsies Never Came by Stephen Roos

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Through the Glass Wall by Howard Buten, Ph.D.

Aquamarine Blue 5 edited by Dawn Prince-Hughes

Clay by Colby Rodowsky

The Mind Tree by Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay

Hiroshuma by Laurence Yep

Autism-Asperger's and Sexuality by Jerry and Mary Newport

Pretending to be Normal by Liane Holliday Willey

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz

Beyond the Deep Wood by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

A Slant of Sun by Beth Kephart

The Challenge Box by Isobel Bird

The Last War by Richard Bach

Elizabeth and Mary by Jane Dunn

Dark Inheritance by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear

The Story of My Life by Hellen Keller

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Good Body by Eve Ensler

Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith

Library by Mathew Battles

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Initiation by Isobel Bird

The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto

Witch Child by Celia Rees

The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee

The Silent Boy by Lois Lowry

The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket

Mosaic by Jeri Taylor

The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket

The Seeing Stone by Tony Diterlizzi

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey

Ghost Girl by Torey L. Hayden

His Bright Light by Danielle Steel

Undercurrents by Martha Manning

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowlins

Ring by Koji Suzuki

Metallic Love by Tanith Lee

Phantom by Susan Kay

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Sat, 02 Apr 2005 20:40:59 GMT

( because I feel I need to be reading along different lines right now... )

I know you all have those authors that you believe EVERYONE should be reading, regardless of race, class, or favorite type of undies. Maybe you just have a personal favorite author...if so, go to my list of authors I've read this year and last, here: Card Catalog. If I am missing your favorite author and you feel that this should be rectified immediately, just let me know and I will fix that situation.

Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens by Jane Dunn

Thu, 31 Mar 2005 20:46:31 GMT

This was a good book, but also a very confusing one in that while it might *seem* logical to tell the tale of two women in similar situations together, in actuality it makes it hard to tell who is being spoken about when and who is the object of interest then, etc. Both Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603) and Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-87) had very interesting lives, obviously, and they did seem pleased to entwine themselves often throughout those lives. I didn't realize that though they had so much influence over each other, neither met in the flesh at all.

''To have two queens of the same generation, reigning as neighbors in one island, was a rare and significant anomaly in the history of kings,''
-Jane Dunn

And right now, because I'm really feeling tired...

The Barnes & Noble Review
...The deadly rivalry between Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, gets a fresh retelling in Jane Dunn's majestic work, a riveting tale about the battle for the English throne that's rich with period detail and canny psychological insight.

Dunn's elegant narrative remains tightly focused on the relationship between these two women whose characters and backgrounds were so dramatically different. A queen from birth, the extraordinarily charismatic Mary was secure in her sovereignty. Pampered and impetuous, she was also surprisingly conventional and susceptible to manipulation. By contrast, Elizabeth learned early to live by her wits. As the illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, she was raised in an atmosphere of struggle and precarious uncertainty that taught her lifelong lessons in survival and diplomacy and proved a valuable apprenticeship for her reign as England's queen.

Using a wealth of source material, the author reconstructs a 16th-century world rife with superstition, intrigue, and religious dissent. She also uncovers surprising qualities in both women. In the emotionally reckless Mary we confront unexpected craft and ruthlessness; and in steely, disciplined Elizabeth, ambivalence, insecurity, and great reservoirs of tenderness and affection. Ruled by her heart, Mary placed love above duty and lost her head. Ruled by her head, Elizabeth refused to forfeit power for the sake of married love and paid the price in loneliness. Elizabeth & Mary weaves a fascinating, insightful tale, earning its place on the list of must-reads about this scintillating period of history."

Songs of the Gorilla Nation by Dawn Prince-Hughes, Ph.D.

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 16:24:06 GMT

Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism by Dawn Prince-Hughes, Ph.D.

This is a fabulous book. In it, Dawn Prince-Hughes takes her observations on gorillas and the animal kingdom and incorporates them into her understanding of herself and autism. This is one of the particularly eloquent observations here:

"'God, they're lazy!' he says. 'Get up and do something!' he yells at the gorillas.
'Yeah! Get up and do something!' a teenage boy shouts. The gorillas just sit. They ignore, endure, remain. His shouts are deafening. They deafen. I am deaf. He and his friend then go to the glass and pound. 'Hey!' They pound. They deafen.
They pound on the glass, on our bodies. I sit. I ignore, endure, remain. 'Stupid! Man, you can't do anything with them. They're just stupid.'
The gorillas don't speak human language, look the way humans look, move the way humans move. They are stupid.
This is why gorillas are captive. This is why crazy people are captive. We are the animals who don't speak the language, look the looks, move in the right ways. Captivity is for observing. Sit. Ignore. Endure. Remain.
It is easy for those who are not captive to forget that those who are remain individuals. An individual with a name, a family who needs them, a past that they stand on, and a future that they dream about. Maybe it is because so many people share the same past and dream the same dreams that they forget how lonely it can be to have a different past, a different dream. I knew what it was like to be in prison. I knew because I was looking at it now with one foot outside the door, knowing the other would always remain inside. I wanted to know myself both as a person and as a primate, both as a few and as a trapped thing, both as a gorilla and as a human person wanting to know gorillas. I started to listen to what they were saying."

From a wild child to a prestigious professor, she has been homeless, friendless, and hopeless but throughout the journey she has found love, a child, and an obsession turned profession. A must read for those interested in autism, animals, or success stories in general.

Some causes that you can check out if you have an interest in preserving our cousins and their habitats: I especially like the Primate Freedom Tags.

She edited Aquamarine Blue 5: Personal Stories of College Students with Autism, and it is one of inspiration for anyone having a difficult time dealing with autism related troubles, or those having more trouble adjusting to a college climate. There are tips from many different writers, all with autism and all brave enough to tell their tales.

Also by this author:
The Archetype of the Ape-Man: The Phenomenological Archaeology of a Relic Hominid Ancestor
Adam - A book that is almost sci fi that I really want.
Gorillas among Us: A Primate Ethnographer's Book of Days - I really want this one, which is finally availably in paperback but still too expensive for me at the moment. I'm just happy it's available.

Asperger's Reading List

Sun, 06 Mar 2005 12:48:05 GMT

Posting this mainly for someone in particular who asked for a list, but figured I'd let everyone in on it if they were ever interested. It includes Non-Fiction, Fiction, Authors, a list of some of the books I haven't read yet, and online resources.

Non-Fiction:

Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Complete Guide to Understanding Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and other ASDs by Chantal Sicile-Kira [This is one of the first books I picked up about autism, and it reads beautifully for anyone without a lot of knowledge on the subject. It's easy to read, understand, and most importantly, put to use. Offers great advice on the many stages and difficulties the child may encounter]
Through the Glass Wall: Journeys into the Closed-Off Worlds of the Autistic" by Howard Buten [I wasn't very fond of this book, but it is also about severely autistic individuals. It goes through his career and how he relates to his patients.]
Aquamarine Blue 5: Personal Stories of College Students with Autism by Dawn Prince-Hughes [Dawn Prince-Hughes is amazing. That should be all that needs to be said, lol. But-- this book is written in essay form by many different people on the spectrum. Dawn is the editor and specifically refrained from editing the pieces too much. Usually, the odd phrasing and punctuation present in most of their writing is smoothed out and changed by the editor, but these are raw accounts, some good, some bad, but all real.]
Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism by Dawn Prince-Hughes [Again, amazing. Probably the very first book on autism I'd ever read and quickly went out and bought my own copy when I had to give </a></b></a>bahboo's copy back, lol. Dawn Prince-Hughes is a professor of anthropology. This books is how she climbed from a homeless, undiagnosed Aspie, wild youth, to a well respected individual within her field.]
The Mind Tree by Tito Rajarshi Mukopadhyay [Tito is an amazing little boy who, with practically the sole help of his mother, broke through a speechless, confusing world. He is literally a genius, pointing out words on an alphabet board very early on in short, beautiful poems. The Mind Tree combines two books that he has written, one about his life, and one fictional tale, along with a variety of poems. I believe he was nine years old when this was published, to give you an indication as to how young and brilliant this severely autistic boy is. His mother is the angel behind his ability to communicate now, never giving up on her son.]
Autism-Asperger's and Sexuality by Jerry and Mary Newport [This is a book to help parents talk to their spectrum children about this one subject that everyone wants to avoid, sexuality. Autistic children are just as interested and curious about the subject, but it can be much harder to explain. It offers good tips from a male and female perspective on how to break into this part of life with blunt honesty that all autistic people can appreciate.]
Pretending to be Normal by Liane Holliday Willey [Liane has a daughter who was diagnosed with Asperger's, and through that diagnosis she then realized that she was similar in many, if not all, ways. I loved this book because after she had told her story, in the appendixes, she gave detailed and direct lists on how to avoid sensory overload, how to deal with family life, how to survive college, get a job, etc. I copied almost all of those pages, lol. She is now a professor and mother to three beautiful children.]

Fiction:

Blue Bottle Mystery: An Asperger Adventure by Kathy Hoopmann [This is actually one of a few books based on Asperger adventures by this author, and I liked this one a lot. I wish I could find the others, but the libraries here only carry this one. It's a juvenile book, but it helps illuminate some of the Aspie boy's behavior in simple terms.]
Wishing on the Midnight Star by Nancy Ogaz [Also juvenile fiction. This one was so-so. Two brothers, one of whom has Asperger's, try to raise a malformed chick. It was a sweet story, with a very good ending. The plot was a little dull though.]
Colder than Ice by David Patneude [Juvenile fiction. Good story for any child interested in Hockey. Not my sport of choice, but the Aspie boy was well represented and an interesting character]
Clay by Colby Rodowsky [Juvenile fiction. More about two children who have been kidnapped than autism. But one of the children is suffering from autism and it's being ignored instead of treated.]
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon [A *great* book, almost for young adults, though I think any adult will enjoy it. It's about a boy with autism who, in trying to solve the mystery of his neighbor's dog's death, discovers much more than he was looking for. I liked this book because it was broken up by many visuals and followed the thinking patterns of an autistic mind well in it's randomness.]
The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon [An interesting story in the near-future when a controversial cure for autism has been discovered. It follows a young autistic man's life as he works (where the high-functioning autistic employees are being pressured into doing this "cure" procedure), fences, and falls in love.]
By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz [I usually don't like Koontz, but this was an exception. Three individuals, two brothers (one of whom is autistic) and a woman, are injected against their will with a high-tech new psychotropic "drug". Thrown together, they whirl through change after change, running away from an unknown pursuer who wants them, or more precisely what is now in their bodies, eradicated.]

Other Significant, Suggested Authors:

Donna Williams [One of the first autistic women to break through her wall to write about her life. She has now published many books beginning with Nobody Nowhere, in which she recounts her emergence. She also dealt with a Dissociative Identity, or "multiple personality" disorder as a child.]
Temple Grandin [ I've just put her new book Animals in Translation: Using The Mysteries Of Autism To Decode Animal Behavior on hold for me at the library and can't wait to read it-- Temple is one of the leading scientists in the animal world and also a High-Functioning Autistic, though she now wonders if Asperger's is a better diagnosis. She writes about her animal obsessions, autism, and the relations between the two worlds in many of her books]
Tony Attwood [A Clinical Psychologist specializing in Asperger's Syndrome with many different books on the subject, each exploring the many different facets of Asperger's.]

Books that I've started to read or I have not yet read, but want to:

The Siege: A Family's Journey into the World of an Autistic Child" by Clara Claiborne Park
Exiting Nirvana: A Daughter's Life with Autism by Clara Claiborne Park
The Everything Parent's Guide to Children with Asperger's Syndrome "Help, Hope and Guidance" by William Stillman
The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome: Advice, Support, Insight, and Inspiration by Patricia Romanowski Bashe and Barbara L. Kirby, founder of the OASIS Asperger Web Site**
The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Integration Dysfunction by Carol Stock Kranowitz**
Finding Ben "A Mother's Journey Through the Maze of Asperger's by Barbara Lasalle
Elijah's Cup "A Family's Journey into the Community and Culture of High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome" by Valerie Paradiz**
Asperger Syndrome in the family: Redifining Normal by Liane Holliday Willey**
Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism by Paul Collins
Living and Loving with Asperger Syndrome: Family Viewpoints
by Patrick McCabe, Estelle McCabe, and Jared McCabe
Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions for Tantrums, Rage, and Meltdowns by Brenda Smith Myles, Jack Southwick
Right Address ... Wrong Planet: Children with Asperger Syndrome Becoming Adults by Gena Barnhill**
Your Life is Not a Label: A Guide to Living Fully with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome by Jerry Newport, Ron Bass
Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence by Tony Attwood**
Congratulations! It's Asperger Syndrome by Jen Birch (more for Aspie adults)**
Women from Another Planet: Our Lives in the Universe of Autism by Jean Kearns Miller**

**Books that I have a large interest in reading especially.

Online Resources

I Am Spock by Leonard Nimoy

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 12:22:45 GMT

Oh, stop laughing at me. I actually listened to this book on tape since my sister gave it to me a long time ago and I thought it was about time to give books-on-tape a try. Putting all my insistence on having a book in my hand when I'm reading aside, I listened to this in the car for a few days and actually liked the experience. I didn't feel like I was wasting so much of my time in a little box with wheels.

The book itself was almost an attempt to climb out of the badly received book I Am Not Spock, which I haven't read yet. It spoke fondly of his experiences as the Vulcan science officer and was very humorous. I had no idea that he had such a hand in the movie productions and how much he shaped the character itself. It makes me rethink my liking for Tuvok- the Vulcan security officer on Star Trek: Voyager, who frequently states how "boring and typical" his days on the set were. Had he shown more enthusiasm and offered a deeper insight into the character, maybe he could have made the time enjoyable, as well as Tuvok more real and tormented (as any true Vulcan should surely be, right?) Anyhow, Leonard Nimoy's writing style alone was very fluid and practiced, another thing I was shocked by. Some memoirs are written by people with interesting lives but are told without an ear for storytelling...this book, however, was either edited well or Mr. Nimoy is a sound and entertaining writer. I suspect the latter.

How do you feel about books on tape?

When I Was Five I Killed Myself by Howard Buten

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 10:51:58 GMT

Hey, look! I'm still alive!

Fun book. I actually read it too long ago to remember much of it, but I know I sailed through it and enjoyed.

I very recently picked up a book about Autism written by the same author called Through the Glass Wall and absolutely hated at least half of it because it seemed to me like a bunch of "Oh, look how much I love these poor, poor creatures and how NO ONE can understand them or love them like I can." It just got old. Not to mention that he practices in France, where the common theory is still based around autism being caused by "refrigerator moms" who don't hug their kids enough when they're in those precious infant years. I couldn't even tell from his writing whether he concurred with that theory or actually knew it was a sensory perception issue. I didn't realize it was the same person but then, when reading his brief biography, I found it was the same author who wrote When I Was Five I Killed Myself. I truly don't know what to think now, but it makes me want to recall the book better.

To give you an idea of what it was about, I'll give you the publisher's write-up:

Burton Rembrandt has the sort of perspective on life that is almost impossible for adults to understand: the perspective of an 8-year-old. And to Burt, his parents and teachers seem to be speaking a language he cannot understand. This is Burt's story as written in pencil on the walls of Quiet Room in the Children's Trust Residence Center, where he lands after expressing his ardent feelings for a classmate. It begins:

When I was five I killed myself....

In this rediscovered modern classic from "one of France's best-loved temporary writers" (Time), Howard Buten renders with astounding insight and wry language the tale of a troubled -- or perhaps just perfectly normal -- young boy testing the boundaries of love and life.

Books read in 2004

Sun, 16 Jan 2005 19:51:57 GMT

The Wood Wife by Terri Windling

Tuesdays With morrie by Mitch Albom

Courtney Love: the real story by Poppy Z. Brite

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

Fire-Us: The Kiln by Jennifer Armstrong and Nancy Butcher

Like a Hole in the Head by Jen Banbury

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates

Party of One by Anneli Rufus

Harpist in the Wind by Patricia A. McKillip

Bound for Glory by Woody Guthrie

Rite of Passage edited by Lisa Johnson

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott

Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

The Messenger by Lois Lowry

Enchantress From the Stars by Sylvia Engdahl

Liquor by Poppy Z. Brite

Plastic Jesus by Poppy Z. Brite

Introduction to Library Public Services by Evans, Amodeo and Carter

Reference and Information Services by Bopp and Smith

Owl in Love by Patrice Kindl

Stripping by Pagan Kennedy

Moonheart by Charles de Lint

One Child by Torey Hayden

The Tiger's Child by Torey Hayden

Deliver us From Evie by M. E. Kerr

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

The Very Worst Thing by Torey Hayden

Parzival by Katherine Paterson

Tuck Everlasting by Natlie Babbitt

Empress of the World by Sara Ryan

Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden

Socks by Beverly Cleary

Rain Is Not My Indian Name Cynthia Leitich Smith

Tea by Stacey D'Erasmo

When I Was Five I Killed Myself by Howard Buten

The Enchanted Places by Chrstopher Milne

I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier

I Am Spock by Leonard Nimoy

Switchers by Kate Thompson

Summerland by Michael Chabon

Midnight's Choice by Kate Thompson

Wild Blood by Kate Thompson

The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Virtual Mode by Piers Anthony

Songs of the Gorilla Nation by Dawn Prince-Hughes

Star Trek: New Frontier - House of Cards by Peter David

Star Trek: New Frontier - Into the Void by Peter David

Star Trek: New Frontier - Front War by Peter David

Star Trek: New Frontier - End Game by Peter David

Angels and Insects by A. S. Byatt

The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits by Emma Donoghue

The Art Spirit by Robert Henri

WildWitchcraft by Marian Green

Spiritsong by Mary Summer Rain

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Obsidian butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton

Holes by Louis Sachar

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

There's a boy in the Girl's Batheroom by Louis Sachar

Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger

Tue, 26 Oct 2004 04:09:38 GMT

"I'm starting to think I'll probably never have a girlfriend, which would be okay too. On those few occasions when a girl has actually flirted with me, tipped her head sideways and laughed at some stupid remark, all it did was make me angry. It seemed like she was playing a game with idiotic rules. First you laugh, then you tell a pretty lie, then you stick your tongue in each other's mouths, then you say something really mean and hurtful to each other, then you go off to find somebody else who wants to play the game. This is an activity for intelligent people? I think not."

Hard love is definitely the case. The boy in this YA novel, John, falls head over heals for a lesbian. But he's never really been in love before, so his reaction to the experience is a little less than suave. I related to John's life a little too much- no relationship with his parents worth speaking of. They're divorced and his mother hasn't touched him in years-- his father just heads for the hills the moment John comes to visit. How do you relate to people when you've lived your life eliminating the need to? Knowing how to enjoy someone's company and begin to trust them can be incredibly tricky. He begins to express his frustration through a zine, inspired by Marsol's zine, Escape Velocity. Though the two eventually meet through this and become friends, John falls for her, and the relationship is cut short as often happens when young people are still discovering themselves. Even Marsol, who describes herself as a lesbian, appears unsure of her feelings for John. This reminds me of many friendships or understandings that come so comfortable that the difference between wanting to be close and wanting to be more than close become confused.

The song below was featured in this book, and was a strong inspiration to the story line:

Hard Love

Words & Music by Bob Franke

I remember growing up like it was only yesterday
Mom & Daddy tried their best to guide me on my way
But the hard times & the liquor drove the easy love away
And the only love I knew about was hard love

It was hard love, every hour of the day
When Christmas to my birthday was a million years away
And the fear that came between them drove the tears into my play
There was love in daddy's house, but it was hard love

And I recall the gentle courtesy you gave me as I tried
To dissemble in politeness all the love I felt inside
And for every song of laughter was another song that cried
This ain't no easy weekend, this is hard love

It was hard love, every step of the way
Hard to be so close to you, so hard to turn away
And when all the stars and sentimental songs dissolved to day
There was nothing left to sing about but hard love

So I loved you for your courage, and your gentle sense of shame
And I loved you for your laughter and your language and your name
And I knew it was impossible, but I loved you just the same
Though' the only love I gave to you was hard love

It was hard love, it was hard on you, I know
When the only love I gave to you was love I couldn't show
You forgave the heart that loved you as your lover turned to go
Leaving nothing but the memory of hard love

So I'm standing in this phone booth with a dollar and a dime
Wondering what to say to you to ease your troubled mind
For the Lord's cross might redeem us, but our own just wastes our time
And to tell the two apart is always hard, love

So I'll tell you that I love you even though I'm far away
And I'll tell you how you change me as I live from day to day
How you help me to accept myself and I won't forget to say
Love is never wasted, even when it's hard love

Yes, it's hard love, but it's love all the same
Not the stuff of fantasy, but more than just a game
And the only kind of miracle that's worthy of the name
For the love that heals our lives is mostly hard love

Ellen Wittlinger's webpage: www.ellenwittlinger.com
Bob Franke's webpage: www.bobfranke.com

Empress of the World by Sara Ryan

Tue, 21 Sep 2004 21:00:23 GMT

Empress of the World is an energetic story about an innocent romance between two girls at...yes, summer camp. In the beginning, the main character, Nicola, begins to sketch the people around her, bored with the introductory assembly for the camp. I thought this was a interesting way to introduce the people who would shape the next few weeks of her life, even if they were a little flat. She described them, including quirks and nuances seen from an artists eyes. Much of the story is penned in this notebook as she tries to work out her feelings, and untangle her sexuality.

For the queer young adults on this list (what's this- do I hear crickets?), and even those who aren't, I'd recommend this one. It's gooshy mini-romance, yes, but also uplifting in many places. It's unpolished and the subtle flaws will make you twitch, but for a mind looking for a less stereotypical view of relationships between women, this one manages not to shove every character into a tight-fitting and often unreal sense of self. They're confused, so the solidity of the story is also confusing.

Some works quoted in the book:

O fotruna
velut luna
statu variablilis,
semper crescis
aut decrescis...

"O furtune,
you are changeable
like the moon,
ever waxing
and waning..."

- from "Fortuna, Imperatrix Mundi" (Fortune, Empress of the World)
Carmina Burana, Cantiones Profanae

Ama me fideliter, fidem meam nota: de corde totaliter et ex mente tota sum presentialiter absens in remota, quisquis amat taliter, volvitur in rota.

"Love me faithfully, see how I am faithful: with all my heart and with all my soul, I am with you even when I am far away. Whosoever loves this much knows the torture of the wheel."

- from "Omnia sol temperat" (The Sun Warms Everything)
Carmina Burana, Cantiones Profanae

I should also mention that she's a cool kid herself: sararyan.com
She's put together a booklist of similar titles for you to check out:
gay, transgender, bisexual, lesbian, transexual booklist for young adults

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Tue, 21 Sep 2004 20:11:25 GMT

Once their secret is found out, a hidden spring that will grant the drinker eternal life, the Tuck family is thrown into a heartbreaking situation. Though only two other people knew, the potential for a disastrous reaction was there and so, they proceeded to do everything they could to save that secret. The family acts from the good of their hearts to the core, even though some actions speak otherwise. It's a story that sets off a lot of "what if..." thinking, by the time the story's been told. Everlasting life is a tempting offer, but obviously has it's consequences.

This first sentence alone automatically points towards a circle of life that will never end:

"The first week in August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning."

I almost wish I hadn't seen the movie, because now something I felt when reading the book is gone. My pictures of the characters and their setting is shattered and overrun by Hollywood sparkles and pretty faces. I love the movie when I can think of it separately, but it didn't feel like the story I remember. I reread this one after seeing the movie and wasn't surprised that they added a romantic flare to the children's relationship. But it was one that I felt was almost brother and sisterly in the book. The undertones were obviously there though.

I haven't seen the older version of the movie, but think it will be worth a look also. Anyone here seen it?

Switchers by Kate Thompson

Mon, 06 Sep 2004 09:02:57 GMT

Switchers by Kate Thompson. A book about child shapeshifters, "Switchers", but specifically about a lone girl named Tess who stumbles onto another like her. While it sounds like an old story told by dozens of pens, it's not really about that, it focused on their growth and their strengths. A book that empowers many children, I would imagine. Or maybe it just provokes me into wishing I'd had that kind of advice and insight Tess receives from her experience- from a privileged family to confronting those not so well-off. The book is followed by two sequels, Midnight's Choice, which I'm half through, and Wild Blood, which is the reason I began reading these in the first place. The artwork on the cover pulled me in, but I have that sequential quirk that forces me to read every book in a series until I get to the one I'm interested in. In this case, I'm glad for that one obsessive-compulsive glitch because the books are a quick read and entertaining, if not intellectual.

More young adult books. I need to remind myself that a steady diet of sweets makes for a very bad tummy ache. Some serious non-fiction reading is required soon. I find myself lacking much to say about the books I've been going through because they were entertaining and fun, but aren't exactly challenging. This particular book did feed a bit of emotional knowledge to me, so it wasn't complete fluff, and a perfect choice for the younger science fiction and fantasy crowds.

One Child and The Tiger's Child by Torey Hayden

Wed, 01 Sep 2004 02:32:04 GMT

One Child by Torey Hayden. This book was hard to read, but also the first book in quite a while that I genuinely didn't want to put down. A non-fiction book (with much poetic license, I'm guessing), it takes us through one of Torey's special education classes towards the beginning of her career where she's faced with a tortured, horribly abused, yet unbelievable gifted child, Sheila. After being abandoned by her mother, Sheila lived with her father in a shack, extreme neglect being one of the more mild forms of abuse to find her there. Yet this environment somehow produced a child with an IQ well over the genius line and brought on the struggles to match it. One of her more horrific acts was setting a young child on fire when she was five (I think? It's been a few weeks since I read it) and this is the final straw that lands her in the hands of Torey Hayden. As she takes you through their short time together, Torey's attempts to tame this wild, uncivilized child finally begin to show.

It was difficult to read because of the memories it brought back. I think it's a book geared to effect you either way, but some things are best left undisturbed. The person who saved my life by being as patient, if not as tactful, as Torey was to Sheila is still very much a part of my life and there is a very real, very delicate bond in that. Torey shows this by being honest about the ups and downs of their relationship and how hard we all know trust is. Read with caution if you have a sensitive nature, though the book's style is so frank throughout, light-hearted in some instances, that it takes the weight off of some of the issues. Whether portraying them that way is honest or not, I wanted to yell at her that the child couldn't possibly see it that way and that it just wasn't that easy. But it's a book, and told with the compression and simplicities required.

Somehow, I felt so close to Sheila that towards the end I almost felt personally betrayed by Torey for putting this child's life into yet another unbalanced and unique situation by publishing the book. But Sheila appears strong enough to handle the instant success of her story all over the world. In the sequel, Tiger's Child, written after years of refusal to add to the story until Sheila dared Torey to do it, Sheila has grown into a young woman. The teacher and student meet again following years of separation and Sheila is not worse for the wear, but not doing very well either. Repressing the past and whirling chaotically, her own intellect mostly, but also Torey's support, manage to keep her balanced enough to see it through the rough waters. I picked up Tiger's Child almost the moment I finished One Child. I enjoyed the former more because it felt realistic watching Torey faced a little disappointment when Sheila decides to use her talents in the fast food field instead of something more glamorous. One Child is the only one I'd read twice for escapist reasons, I think, because it's the one with the fairy tale ending that makes you wish it were true.

I also read her young adult fiction novel, The Very Worst Thing, but I wasn't as impressed with it as I was her observations on her own life.

Owl in Love by Patrice Kindl

Mon, 16 Aug 2004 04:21:52 GMT

A very short, one-sit read, but it did make me care for the characters awfully quickly. Owl in Love is about a young shapeshifter who takes the form of an owl at will and discovering someone similar to her, a bond is slowly formed. Some say it's a hard book to follow, but I had no trouble. This could be due to my own theories on the subject though. It is a romance story for the odd ball, but it deals more with the worries that come along with being fourteen and growing in an attempt to disconnect from the family and move on to a new life. Her parents are almost comically adjusted to their child's different behaviors and allow for the changes. It's short enough to be worth the hour or so of time it will take to finish.

``I am Owl. It is my name as well as my nature,''

The otherkin and once_winged type communities might enjoy this one particularly. Despite the hard time people give them, there is a logic behind it. It just differs greatly from what people are accustomed to accepting. There's such a strong pull towards forcing others to view life from the same point that exceptions aren't tolerated without a lot of ridicule. Too each their own, obviously.

Anyone still reading this?

Tue, 10 Aug 2004 22:56:54 GMT

Since I last wrote in my book journal, I've finished 15 books.

Should I write reviews for them all and catch up?

Skip the books and continue from this point?

Or, you can choose the reviews you'd like to see (if any):

Owl In Love by Patrice Kindl

Moonheart by Charles de Lint

One Child by Torey Hayden

The Tiger's Child by Torey Hayden

Deliver Us From Evie by M.E. Kerr

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

The Very Worst Things by Torey Hayden

Parzival by Katherine Paterson

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Empress of the World by Sara Ryan

Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden

Socks by Beverly Cleary

Rain is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith

I'll tell you a little about any of the books if you aren't sure, just tell me the number.
A lot of them are from my young adult literature class.

Plastic Jesus by Poppy Z. Brite

Wed, 02 Jun 2004 04:20:38 GMT

Plastic Jesus was a short novella, but still good. I read it a few weeks ago and it's already a blur in my mind, so perhaps not one of the Poppy books I've come to love. I didn't know she was a Beatles fan though. The more her interests creep out of the personal and into the public, the more I'm surprised- but that alone makes me happy when thinking about people in general. Even if I do cringe when I hear the Beatles these days. (I know, blasphemy! hellfire! I was a fan when young, but the music became a repeating record and during that childhood I had a large enough dose to live through the rest of my days...without, I think.)

If you can't tell yet, this is a story based loosely around the death of John Lennon. I still have a great respect for him, so the story tugged at me enough that it was an enjoyable read. Her twist on it was especially nice (although some Beatles fans might continue with the blasphemy! hellfire! towards her because of it) but anything with a gay twist is by definition, made to be enjoyed.

Stripping by Pagan Kennedy

Sun, 30 May 2004 04:36:25 GMT

Stripping: and other stories by Pagan Kennedy

Pagan Kennedy seemed to write thoughts, instead of focusing on details about a person or their surroundings. All of those irrelevant events or pictures that pop into our minds when living life seem to tell the story better than any description of an embellished or well-illustrated tale. I remember things from childhood, from the associations and random connections of a child she writes about, that I thought my memory had banished a long time ago. Just small, trivial things, but they make life seem more lived-in.

I'd recommend this short story collection for anyone wanting to get a glimpse into the lives of these different people and the roles they're expected to grow into as young women. I loved how clear she writes about the character's world, clarity in how this person views it, at least. Even though it's often harsh or hard to swallow, it's the truth I occasionally see and can't express. To avoid a misunderstanding, it isn't the women who see things so clearly, they're often as lost and confused as the rest of us. The way the women's lives move along, I kept expecting Pagan's writing to become disjointed and stuttering, words erased and unsure ones put in their place, nervous breakdown approaching. But the writing remained fluid and clear through turmoil, though it still kept me holding my breath while reading, as if hoping she would keep the story together for me so that I could come to some closure with the story. She leaves you not fulfilled enough to move on, but not content enough to stop mulling over the ideas and taking them with you.