NYC: Then vs. Now

You may have heard of Evan Joseph, or you may not; Joseph is one of New York's leading photographers of architecture, and he took these amazing "now" photos of New York landmarks. I was first introduced to his work via MyModernMet, which is where I borrowed the context for this post: 

Take a journey with us, if you will, back in time to see how one of the most important cities in the world has evolved. Evan Joseph, one of New York's leading photographers of architecture, had previously given as an incredible birds eye view of New York City at night by precariously dangling out of a tiny helicopter. He's now back with a new book called New York Then and Now. Not yet released to the public, this is your sneak peek. 

Out December 3, the book shows how Joseph is still pushing himself, creativity and technically, by meticulously setting up shots to match ones taken in the previous century. Every image in the book was shot from the exact same angle as the historic image it is being compared to. Also, Joseph would go so far as to wait several hours until he could match the lighting. 

Comparing the old and new photos is a wonderful way to experience the beauty of diversity of New York. Not only do we get to see how iconic places like Wall Street, Grand Central, and Union Square have changed, we're presented with a visual story that tells us that while New York's massive skyscrapers have come and gone, the dynamic and energetic feel of the city will live on forever.

Central Park, 1933 vs Now

Grand Central, 1941 vs Now



Union Square North, 1903 vs Now

Columbus Circle, 1912 vs Now

New York Stock Exchange, 1921 vs Now

The Highline, 1950 vs Now

Brooklyn Bridge, 1905 vs Now

East Midtown Skyline (Chrysler Building), 1930 vs Now

World Trade Center, 1976 vs Now

Tip of Manhattan, 1935 vs Now

Evan Joseph's website

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors, right up there with Hemingway and Irving and Fitzgerald and though I hate to admit it, Anita Shreve. I remember the first Agatha Christie book I ever bought, Hallowe'en Party, at a garage sale. I don't remember exactly the story line, although I know that someone dies from cyanide, which I learned is extracted from apple seeds. 

(I was in fifth grade when I read this book, and I can tell you that each and every time I have eaten an apple since, I think about how the seeds [though it would take literally hundreds eaten in one sitting] can be used to create cyanide). 

Anyway, Christie was a prolific writer and I've decided to read her novels in order. From the beginning, which happens to be the very mysterious, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I'm about eight books in, and I'm rediscovering some books I've read and some that I haven't. In between I'm reading others, like The American Heiress, which is pretty good. If you're a Downton Abbey fan, you'll enjoy The American Heiress. 

The Casual Vacancy

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There is a certain kind of book written by a certain kind of author that prompts a certain kind of exasperation: “No matter what I say, fans will buy this, read this, worship this. (Please do not throw bricks at my window.)”

I didn't write that sentence, but I'm glad that Monica Hesse did, since I couldn't have stated it better myself. I loved the Harry Potter series, and I look forward to reading more from J.K. Rowling. In her Harry Potter books, she is adept at telling an adult story through the words of children and adolescents; the language may not be particularly elegant or compelling, but she conveys tone and mood through straightforward prose. As such, I'm excited to read her newest work, The Casual Vacancy, an adult book actually written for adults that was officially released today. The reviews have been lukewarm, which isn't surprising after the Harry Potter phenomenon. A criticism that I've noticed repeatedly is that there are no spells or plucky sidekicks in Vacancy; the characters are real this time, and as such, flaws and cynicism can't be charmed away with a simple wave of the wand. I can't wait to read it.

The Red Tent

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For one of my book clubs (I'm now in two) we read The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant. The novel is historical fiction, based on the rape of Dinah from the Book of Genesis. I'll be honest, my Bible-knowledge is not what it should be. I was familiar with the story of Dinah, but about halfway through The Red Tent, I went back to my Bible to read the historical account. I appreciated the way Diamant took one page of text and filled an entire book, staying true to both the culture of the times and the original telling of the rape of Dinah.

That said, you don't have to be a Biblical scholar, or even a follower of the Judeo-Christian faith to enjoy this book. At its core, it's the story of a young girl as she comes of age and learns from her mothers and her sisters about the ways of the world and what it means to become a woman at a time when women were treated as a lower class. Initially, I thought the book may be a bit dry, but it was richly woven with anecdotes told from the first-person perspective of Dinah.

50 Shades of Don't Waste Your Time

Let's talk about 50 Shades of Grey for a minute. Maybe a couple of minutes. I read this book (and the two that came after it). I know, I'm hanging my head in shame. I'm normally pretty strong about not reading the hot new thing in books (except for Harry Potter... and Twilight... and Hunger Games...), but Amazon was having a three-for-one sale and I gave in. Sorry, I'm not sorry, except that I kind of am. Sorry, that is. This book was terrible. I mean it. 

First of all, they call it mommy porn for a reason. It is definitely porn-o-graphic. If you're a Puritan or a Jehovah's Witness, this is not the book for you. Probably Southern Baptists, too.

Secondly, the trilogy started as Twilight fan fiction; I really didn't enjoy the Twilight books, so I don't know why I thought I'd enjoy this series. (Confession: I only liked a lot, not loved, the Hunger Games trilogy. I know, I'm a horrible person.) 

Thirdly, the writing is just Gawd-awful. The main character has just graduated college and has neither a smartphone nor her own laptop. This is 2011; what kid doesn't have a smartphone or a laptop (insert desktop or iPad if that's easier to swallow)? And don't get me started on Ana Steele's inner goddess and/or her subconscious; her inner goddess is a tart and her subconscious is a school marm. She literally has named the voices in her head. I cringe thinking about it. Maybe she's Schizophrenic.

Fourthly, Christian Grey, the mysterious protagonist, is really just a creepy stalker. He randomly shows up on her family trip; he wants her to sign a contract to be a sex slave; he has her followed; he wants her to sign a contract to be a sex slave; he bugs her email; he wants her to sign a contract... you get the point.

In fact, I'm going to tell you what happens, minus all the S&M stuff. Ana and Christian meet, they fight, things get weird, they have sex, they date, they have sex, they break up, they have sex, they get back together, they have sex, Christian has a helicopter accident, they have sex, they get married, they have sex, she gets a stalker, they have sex, the stalker gets arrested, they have sex, they move into a new house, they have sex, they have two kids, they have sex, and they live happily ever after. The end.

You're welcome.

Bon March

So, we're about halfway through March already; how did that happen?  I have been crazy busy lately, mainly because of my new job, and some philanthropic activities that have taken up some time.  I really love the new job so far, though starting with a new organization and in a new role (not just for me, but also for the organization) means that there's a learning curve that just takes some time to master.  I work with some great people who are very supportive, so I'm excited about it all.  I'm taking InDesign training all this week since I'll be working on some design-related projects moving forward, and it's actually pretty enjoyable, for an all-day training session.

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I just finished reading Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and John Irving's Until I Find You.  You might know Mindy as Kelly Kapoor from The Office, and Is Everyone Hanging Out... ? is a book of essays about her life.  Mindy writes like she's your best friend who's writing you random e-mails at 3:00am when she can't sleep, and I mean that in a good way.  The essays are autobiographical and funny, and more than anything, reading them just makes you want to hang out with Mindy.  I blew through this book and would recommend it as a quick and entertaining read.

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I'm glad that I read these two book at the same time, because as light-hearted as Mindy's essays are (see, I'm even calling her by her first name--friends already!), Irving's Until I Find You was just as heavy.  I think I've said this before, but John Irving can be an acquired taste.  I started out with his best-sellers, which are, of course, generally the better-written and more widely-appreciated selections (A Prayer for Owen Meany, The World According to Garp, The Cider House Rules, and A Widow for One Year were all great, in my opinion).  My last Irving novel was A Son of the Circus, and the only thing these two novels have in common are extended periods of time spent in Amsterdam's red light district.  I just couldn't wait to finish this one; I really liked the ending, the beginning was okay, and I hated the middle. Jack Burns, the protagonist, just endures so many terrible situations that are a bit graphic at times, and it just made me sad for his character. Jack does find redemption in the end, but there was a large portion in the middle that just seemed unnecessary to the story.  I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't recommend it as an intro to Irving.

Not sure what I'm reading next, as I've downloaded several new books on my Kindle and have yet to make a decision.  Hopefully I'll be back before the end of March!

The Night Circus and Salvage the Bones

I'm not sure exactly what prompted me to purchase The Night Circus for my Kindle, except that I remember finding the reviews interesting.  The Night Circus is indescribable; it's a fantasy, a dream-like story of romance, with plenty of humor and suspense thrown in.  It's a thoroughly entertaining read that I didn't want to put it down.  Erin Morgenstern writes eloquently about the surreal world of Marco and Celia, pitted against one another in a magical and fierce competition, and the cast of characters that each play a pivotal part in their story.  From the Amazon page: 

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. 

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. 

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. 

While plenty of magic occurs in the pages of The Night Circus, the compelling story seems so real that you find yourself pulling for the protagonists, all the while realizing that only one can win the competition.  

It was a hard to swing from the elegant prose and vivid imagery of The Night Circus to Jesmyn Ward's stark and gritty Salvage the Bones, winner of the 2011 National Book Award.  The novel chronicles the days of a poor family living on the Mississippi coast in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina.  While this book was a quick read, it was not an easy one.  Esch, the narrator, is fourteen and pregnant; her mother is dead, her father is an alcoholic, and one of her three brothers is stealing food and medicine for his pitbull's new litter of puppies.  There are some pretty graphic descriptions of dog fighting in the novel, which were hard for me to read.  Thin glimmers of hope shine throughout the novel, such as the community of friends that pull together after the storm, but these slivers of light are so fragile that I was left feeling depressed upon finishing the novel.  It's well-written and deserving of the praise it has received, but it's not a book I would choose to read again.

The Book Thief

Pre-unemployment, I borrowed my roommate's copy of The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak.  I cannot do this book justice by writing my own review, so I'm going to borrow one, which I'll get to in just a second.  One day last week, when I had nothing to do since I no longer have to be at work from 8:30am-5:30pm, I stopped in at Barnes & Noble for a coffee and for some browsing.  I was a few chapters in to The Book Thief so I decided to pick up a copy and read at the store while I sipped my coffee [for those wondering, this is entirely legitimate and even encouraged by Barnes & Noble staff; I know because I've asked].  

Trouble was, I couldn't find the book.  It's had a bit of buzz so I thought perhaps it was sold out; I pulled out my trusty iPhone to make sure I was spelling the author's name correctly, when I realized that The Book Thief is actually a young adult novel.  Cue surprise.  The novel doesn't read like The Twilight Saga or Judy Blume, so I was surprised, but upon reading the author's biography, I realized that he is a young adult author, therefore causing this novel to fall into the young adult genre.  Regardless, I finished the book (not at Barnes & Noble) and have to recommend it.  This story is heartbreaking, heartwarming, funny, and very sad, but overall it's a wonderful book about one girl's struggle to survive Nazi Germany and how the power and comfort of the written word helped her through it all.  

I told you that seemingly random story about not being able to find the book so you'd understand why this review is from Teenreads.com:

"A human doesn't have a heart like mine. The human heart is a line, whereas my own is a circle, and I have the endless ability to be in the right place at the right time. The consequence of this is that I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both."

So muses the narrator of Markus Zusak's powerful and moving bestselling novel of 2006, THE BOOK THIEF, which is now out in paperback. As you might guess, this is no ordinary narrator. The contemplative first person guiding you through this book is Death, an at-once fitting and ironic vanguard for a tale that both celebrates the power of words and agonizes over the consequences of their use. 

Set against the tragedy-stained canvas of World War II, Death tells the story of young Liesel Meminger (the eponymous book thief) growing up in Nazi Germany under the watchful eye of a staunch foster mother and kindly foster father who teaches her to read. She attends meetings of the BDM, a youth group aimed at indoctrinating young girls into Hitler's ideology. She plays soccer with the boys on her street, holding her own in any disputes that arise. And all the while, dreams of her dead brother haunt and goad her into a fascination with reading and words that inevitably leads to her life of crime. 

...

While other writers have employed Death as a narrator, Zusak makes his own indelible mark on the technique in the dimensions he gives to the character. Death is simultaneously dispassionate about his work and the impact it can have while striving to understand humanity's resilience. Death boasts an omniscience of what will happen in life but also a naivety about what can happen in the human heart. 

...

Read this book.  That is all.

Women in Literature

Entirely without meaning to do so, there's a motif running throughout this post--books written about women.

Way back in the early fall, my book club chose to read Cleopatra: A Life, by Stacy Schiff, a historically-researched nonfiction account of the life of the last pharaoh of Egypt.  I will admit that the first time I started the book, I stopped about 20 pages in for a break that lasted almost a month.  After our book club met to discuss the book, I decided that I just had to finish it, so I started it over from the beginning.  I'm the first to admit that "history" books don't always interest me from the beginning, one reason I enjoy Erik Larsen's work so much, since they read as novels vs. dry historical accounts.  However, there is so much mystery and controversy surrounding the life of Cleopatra that once I began, I couldn't put the book down.  Did she love Marc Antony or did she love Caesar?  Did she love either of them, or were her liaisons only a play for power?  It's also fascinating to read about the golden city of Alexandria which now only exists in written accounts.  Truly a worthwhile and well-written read.

For our October book club, I was the lucky gal who got to choose our next selection.  We take turns alphabetically by first name, and present a list of four to five titles which are then voted upon by the members.  My first choice, The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain, won the round; however, since the book was only available in hardcover (shame on me for not checking that first), we ended up choosing One Day, by David Nicholls.  One Day has been adapted into a movie starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess (who is incredibly British and adorable), although I've heard it isn't a great movie.  The book, however, is wildly entertaining.  The story introduces us to Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew who first meet on July 15, 1988, and we revisit Em and Dex on July 15th for the next 20 years.  An engaging story that starts out fun and a bit sad, and ends as a moving and poignant tale of romance and friendship.  A good, satisfying read.

Next up for book club was One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd, by Jim Fergus.  I'll be honest, I wasn't very excited about this book initially, since it deals with the Western frontier in the 1800s; that makes me think of dust, horses, horse poop, and the Oregon Trail (which I would still play if I had the chance).  I am so glad that I'm wrong as often as I am, because I tend to learn things that way.  I really, really liked this book.  While Ulysses S. Grant was President of the United States, the Cheyenne tribe of Native Americans approached him to ask for 1,000 white women in return for 1,000 horses; the thought was that integrating "white culture" with "Indian culture" would help assimilate the Native American population as the whites continued to steal their land.  In real life, the offer was declined, but this novel assumes that President Grant agreed to the offer, and tells the story of the "Brides for Indians" program from the first-person perspective of May Dodd.  Though the characters are a bit flat and one-dimensional, Fergus weaves an interesting story of the American West, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Lastly, since I thought the story sounded so interesting, I decided to revisit The Paris Wife.  I love to read about the roaring 20s, and particularly about the Lost Generation who escaped to Paris for a roaring time of their own.  This novel is historical fiction, based upon the life of Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway's first wife.  I enjoyed reading about Hemingway as a young man, and in this novel we see the foundation for some of his best-known works, particularly The Sun Also Rises and A Moveable Feast.  The writing is elegant, the story is heartbreaking, and I would recommend this to book to everyone, even if you're not a huge Hemingway fan.  From the Amazon website, which does the book far more justice than I could:

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. 

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for. 

A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.

That's it for now.  I'm heading to Baltimore for the weekend to visit some friends--bon weekend to you all!

Christmas 2011

I such a nice, fun, relaxing Christmas in Mississippi this year (technically, since this is January 2, it was last year).  Even though my sister and I live in the same city now, it was great to both be home together with our parents.  Per tradition, we had decorated our tree over Thanksgiving, so it was nice to return and see it again.  I had a whirlwind two weeks before I headed home, so I needed a break!  There were tacky sweater parties, JLW events, a book signing, and the annual Dirty Santa party that my girlfriends and I have.  After I had not one but THREE different gifts stolen from me, I ended up with my own gift--it was fortuitous that I bought a gift that I actually would have liked to receive!

Christmas decorations

gifts for Dirty Santa

sweet Maggie at home in Mississippi

Gus the Cat, who also lives in Mississippi

our 2011 Christmas tree

Also, I am super excited about my new Kindle Fire that Santa brought me for Christmas!  It's really cool, y'all--and it will save me mucho room on my bookshelf.  Unfortunately, since I don't yet own my dream home, or at least a home with an awesome library (at this point, I'd take a mediocre library), I appreciate having the option to buy books electronically and take them with me wherever I go.  

That said, I'm currently reading One Thousand White Women for my book club.  I'm about halfway through and really enjoying it so far.  I'll do a review once I finish it, and the next book on my list is The Paris Wife.  

I leave you with some images of my ideal home library.  You're welcome.

Books I've Read Lately and Liked

So, yet again, I'm apologizing for not posting to my blog [even though I have a nifty little button over to the right side of this blog that states I'm blogging without obligation, i.e,. I will not apologize for not updating my blog on a consistent basis.  Yet, that's exactly what I'm doing.  Sorry for the stream-of-consciousness.  At least I used punctuation.  Virginia Wolfe could learn a lot from me.].

Anyway, I've read a lot of books in the past few months that I wanted to mention.  I've started this post several times and scrapped it because... well, because shit happens and I got busy.  So, in no particular order, please find below a listing of books that I've read and liked:

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hiter's Berlin, by Erik Larson.  I can safely say that I'm an Erik Larson fan (so is the NYTimes reviewer).  Larson is the author of Devil in the White City and Thunderstruck (both of which I enjoyed), so I was looking forward to reading this book based on his past performance.  I have a strange fascination with the Nazi movement (and WWII in general), and this book tells the story of the U.S. Ambassador to Germany as Hitler rises to power.  It's a very well-written, fast-paced book about history; if a "history book" does not sounds interesting to you, then I might recommend that you make your own informed decision before purchasing.  Larson spends a lot of time in the details, but that's exactly why he is so adept at storytelling.  He does his research and presents it in an unbiased way to further the story.  I'd give it a solid A overall.

Recently, my book club chose from some classic literature and read Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson.  Honestly, I'm a bit indifferent about this novel.  I never read it in school, so I was looking forward to reading it for the first time.  What I didn't really care for was the overall plot; there was so much time spent leading up to the actual voyage and treasure hunt that I was sort of bored by the time we arrived on Treasure Island.  However, what I did like was reading about the inspiration for so many characters in pop culture, from Long John Silver to Captain Jack Sparrow to the ubiquitous pirate-with-a-parrot-on-his-shoulder-and-a-peg-for-a-leg.  Overall, I'd give it a C+ (remember, to those type-A students like myself, a C is actually average, not necessarily a failure).

The 19th Wife, by David Ebershoff.  I actually really enjoyed this book that is simultaneously about the life of Ann Eliza Young (the 19th wife of Mormon prophet Brigham Young) and a present day murder-mystery that takes place in a modern-day FLDS family.  It's interesting to see how the stories intertwine, and I have to admit that I knew very, very little about the Mormon faith other than the commercials for TLC's Sister Wives (which I have never actually seen).  A note about this novel: the newspaper clippings, Wikipedia articles, etc., are presented as historical fiction; some of them do not actually exist.  Overall, I'd say B.  [This novel was also apparently made into a Lifetime movie, which makes me not like it although I realize that's dumb and very similar to my dislike of books with the "Oprah's Book Club" sticker on them.]

The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton.  I enjoy Edith Wharton (particularly Ethan Frome), and she did not disappoint with this novel.  Set in New York City in the late 1800s, it tells the story of the beautiful socialite Lily Bart and the unfortunate series of events in which she continues to place herself.  I have a hard time feeling sorry for Lily, as she brings many of her troubles upon herself, but I liked the glimpses into the high-society of Manhattan in the 1800s.  Edith Wharton wrote as she lived; she was born Edith Jones, and her socialite family inspired the phrase, "Keeping up with the Joneses."

A Stitch in Time

Late this year (October, to be exact), Penguin will reissue a selection of its classics with playful, stitched covers by Jillian Tamaki.  The Hardcover Classics Deluxe editions sold very well, and hopefully introduced new readers to classic works of literature.  Penguin's website says of the Coralie Bickford-Smith collection, "Featuring gorgeous patterns stamped on linen cases, colored endpapers, and ribbon markers, these are rich and sumptuous volumes that continue what will be one of the most coveted sets of books ever produced."  I'm curious to see if the demand is similar for these whimsical editions.