Stiff by Mary Roach

Posted by melydia on October 1, 2008 No comment

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach: My mother and grandmother, who enjoy reading violent thrillers, were both completely disgusted by the mere title of this book. That amused me.

And while I admit that the chapter on decay turned me into a vegetarian for a day, by and large the descriptions of the various fates that befall our bodies after death were occasionally disturbing, often hilarious, and yet never irreverent. I’d never given much thought to the process of embalming or cremation, much less the history of the funerary business in general. This book certainly was an educational experience in terms of cadaver research as well. I admit that before this book I’d never considered donating my body to science, but it sounds like an interesting idea. However, I agree with the author: ultimately, the fate of my body rests with the loved ones who survive me. If it bothers them to know I’m going to end up in some anatomy class, they’re the ones who will have to live with it, not me. Ending up as part of live-saving research or garden compost hold their appeal, but giving closure to my friends and family is far more important. After all, I won’t know the difference.

In short, I give this book a thumbs up for giving me all kinds of new things to think about. Definitely recommended.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Nation by Terry Pratchett

Posted by melydia on September 15, 2008 No comment

Nation by Terry Pratchett: A tidal wave wipes out the entire population of the island, leaving only two people: the native Mau, who was in a canoe at the time, and the English girl Daphne, who was on a ship that plowed into the island. What begins as tragedy turns into a story of hope and laughter. Refugees from neighboring islands trickle in, and slowly the Nation is reborn. Though this was not half as funny as the back cover promised, it was a fun read and brought up some interesting questions and religion and science. The epilogue, however, felt unnecessary. It did nothing for the story and made the ending seem somehow less satisfying. But otherwise it’s a fine story.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

run run run.

Posted by melydia on September 5, 2008 No comment

It would seem that yours truly is getting into this whole running thing. Don’t get me wrong – it totally sucks and I still suspect the “runner’s high” is a total myth – but it’s free and it’s good for me, so I do it.

There is an ongoing debate in the running community regarding whether or not to listen to music while running. Some can’t go without it; others say if you’re not enjoying the run for itself, you shouldn’t be running at all. (As one might expect, most people fall somewhere in between these two extremes.)

I shunned music for a while, finding that inappropriate beats and the lulls between songs threw off my pace. Then I discovered PodRunner, an hour-long continuous mix of steady-beat tunes. Now, I can’t run for a whole hour (nowhere near!) but it’s nice to know that the music will continue the entire time I’m hitting the pavement.

That’s all well and good, but other than simply going regularly I don’t know how to improve my stamina (I’m not too concerned about speed). That’s where PodRunner Intervals comes in. Since I’m fat and slow, I’m starting with the 10-week First Day to 5k program. If all goes well, come November I should be able to run for a half hour straight. I might then attempt the Gateway to 8k and Freeway to 10k programs, but let’s take things one step at a time, shall we?

I track my progress with MapMyRun. With it I can tally my time and distance, as well as calculate my calories burned. I’m a fiend for journals of any type, so this is a good motivator for me. On top of that, I’ve linked my training log with Twitter, meaning that my friends know if I’m running or not. In lieu of a coach or run buddy, this keeps me accountable.

(By the way, the MapMyFitness folks have similar sites for biking, walking, hiking, and triathlons. All of them are interconnected; I have walks and hikes in my training log on MapMyRun. How did people train before the internet? I’m sure I don’t know.)

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

Posted by melydia on August 29, 2008 No comment

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant: This is not a book I would have ordinarily picked up. I’d heard it was kind of like Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, but it’s really not at all. Yes, it’s about a woman and a painter in Europe, but that’s about where the similarity ends. In truth, I have no idea where the title comes from, except that it’s a famous painting from the same era. Anyway, this is the life story of Alessandra Cecchi, an unusually well-educated Florentine woman in the Renaissance. Her whole life she has dreamed of becoming an artist, but such things are not considered proper for a woman. Though she is irresistibly drawn to a painter hired to paint her family’s chapel, her parents marry her off to a much older man. At the same time, the brutally fundamentalist monk Savonarola has come to power, bringing terror to the city under the guise of piety.

This is an extremely passionate and graphic book. Everything is described in vivid detail, from the violence to the sex to the art. If you can handle the mental images, this is a marvelously written story. Alessandra is a believable and sympathetic narrator, progressive and intelligent without being anachronistic. The story is compelling, sometimes suspenseful, often thought-provoking. There were times when I had a lot of trouble putting it down. I will definitely be looking up Dunant’s other works.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Blog Action Day – save the date

Posted by melydia on August 18, 2008 No comment

Mark your calendars, kids, Blog Action Day 2008 takes place on October 15th. This year’s theme is poverty. The idea is that on the day in question, you post in your blog about the specified theme. That’s it. It’s about getting people to think, not just to open their wallets (which is usually what these mass blogging activities usually amount to). I have no idea if I’ll be participating. It’s on a Wednesday, so it really depends on whether or not I remember to do it.

Cake Wrecks

Posted by melydia on August 17, 2008 No comment

Time suck of the day: Cake Wrecks. These cakes range from the pitiful to the hilarious to the downright creeptastic.

Waiting for Gertrude by Bill Richardson

Posted by melydia on August 7, 2008 No comment

Waiting for Gertrude by Bill Richardson: Many famous people are buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. This book is written with the idea that the feral cats roaming the grounds are actually the reincarnations of the graves’ residents. The plot revolves around Alice B. Toklas as she waits for the reincarnation of Gertrude Stein to arrive. In the meantime there are side dramas involving Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Sarah Bernhardt, Chopin, and many more. I believe I would have gotten more out of this had I been more familiar with the works and attitudes of the characters in real life (Stein in particular), but it was still an enjoyable and very quick read.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Animal Faith now available

Posted by melydia on July 29, 2008 No comment

Animal Faith is now available! This is the first chapter of the comic book series by my husband and myself. You can preview (and buy for the low low price of $4.00) here. Check it out! :)

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Posted by melydia on July 15, 2008 No comment

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux: I get the distinct impression that had this book not been made into a fabulously popular musical, it would have been largely forgotten. The writing is largely dreadful, with long passages of dialogue consisting mainly of people repeating themselves and each other. Meh.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Otakon

Posted by melydia on July 14, 2008 No comment

Are you going to be at Otakon? Be sure to visit me in Artists Alley at the Binary Souls / Other Dimensions booth. The first issue of our new comic book series, Animal Faith, will be available. Come check it out!

© 2010-2026 kate weber All Rights Reserved -- Copyright notice by Blog Copyright