My Reading Frenzy

Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline

The full title of this work of non-fiction is Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion.  Elizabeth Cline takes the reader on a tour through fashion history, emphasizing the current state of shopping.  Cline did extensive research, travelling all over the country and world to investigate the clothing stream that flows into American retail stores. 

One of the most striking points she makes is about how currently Americans spend a much lower percentage of their income on clothing than ever before in history.  Because textiles are so readily available, so cheaply, clothes have become disposable.  For that reason, the quality is significantly lower than ever before.  This is a vicious circle because as people grow used to inexpensive, and cheaply made clothing they avoid clothing that is more expensive even if it is well made of high quality fabrics.  Therefore companies that are trying to make a nice product must lower standards in order to meet the pricing demands of consumers. 

Cline also spends some time talking about overseas manufacturing, though she does not dwell on the sweatshop concept because that is not really what this book is about.  Especially interesting is the chapter about thrift stores and donation markets where all this poorly made clothing is taken and what happens when it is not wanted there either.  It is shocking how much of our clothing is ending up as rags or in landfills. 

Anyone who loves a good mark-down sale or just loves to shop for clothing but finds themselves facing a stuffed closet and nothing to wear should really read this book.  It was a shock to me.

The Shoes Book

This reminds me of the moment in You've Got Mail when Meg Ryan pipes up in the children's section of a big box book store to help the sales person who has not heard of the "Shoe Books" by Noel Streatfeild (which are fabulous in case you are looking for a good recommendation for the avid, pre-teen, female reader in your life).  Women from the Ankle Down by Rachelle Bergstein is not one of these books, but instead a look at the cultural significance of women's shoes. 

When I put the book on hold at the library it was because it looked interesting and because I have been reading quite a few petite fashion blogs recently on which there is an emphasis on shoes of which I was unaware.  Most of the bloggers are regular people with regular jobs, who feature primarily reasonably price clothes that are not from big name designers, but many, many of them also feature shoes from what I would consider "designers" (ie Christian Louboutin, Mahnolo Blanik, Prada, and others.), shoes I can neither afford nor walk it, but that I will admit are sometimes lovely. 

This book is not what I expected, not from anything misleading in the blurb, but because I just had an idea about what it would be about, and it wasn't.  The book is organized chronologically but does not make any attempt to be a "history of women's shoes."  Instead it focuses on various events, trends, and cultural anomalies that have impacted shoe design.  She starts with the career of Salvatore Ferragamo covering 1900-1938 in the first chapter.  In the second she moves back slightly to Dorothy and her ruby slippers in 1939.  From here we are treated to chapters about boots (thanks to Nancy Sinatra), platforms (thanks to John Travolta and Dr. Frank N. Furter), Vans, Chucks, and Docs (thanks to a wide variety of non-mainstream groups), and ends right where I started with high-end designer shoes brought to the attention of "most of us" by Carrie Bradshaw. 

While I did not get what I was expecting, I read the book quickly and enjoyed Bergstein's exploration of "which came first, the shoe or the phenomena" in each chapter. 

 

Some "Grown-Up" Titles

And by "grown-up" I do not mean 50 Shades of Grey or any of its sequels...I mean recent winner of the Orange Prize, Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles and Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale by Lynda Rutledge.  In non-fiction I recently read That Woman by Anne Sebba about the life of Wallis Simpson, who not surprisingly to me anyway, is not a person I feel I can admire. 

The Song of Achilles begins when Patroclus and Achilles are boys and continues until after both are dead.  The premise is that over time their friendship grew into a strong, love relationship, not one of the traditional dalliances that often happened between powerful men and their much younger military proteges.  It is a truly interesting premise as Homer tells in The Illiad, Achilles was so distraught at the Patroclus' death that when he killed Hector he dragged his dead body around behind his chariot for days, until King Priam came to humbly ask for the return of his son's body.  While the death of a close friend is devastating it seems a strong reaction given what both cultures believed about the honor due a fallen warrior.  Miller's supposition that perhaps there was more to their friendship would certainly explain Achilles' intense behavior.  The book is well-written, moves through the beginnings of their relationship at an appropriate pace, then takes us quickly to the war where there is much more of interest swirling around affecting them as life's pressures affect all couples.  

The best part of having read the book is that Miller is coming to my local bookshop next week for a reading and signing.  I am very excited. 

 

Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale had Joshilyn Jackson overtones for me.  I do mean this as a compliment as I like Jackson's work very much.  Faith Bass Darling wakes one night firm in her belief that the Lord has told her to sell her family's precious antiques at one enormous garage sale.  Afterwards she will be able to die in peace.  For anyone who is an antique collector, reading about Faith selling Tiffany lamps for $5 and Stickley furniture pieces for $20 is painful, but it does all work with the greater cause of finding peace if only Faith can stay focused and remember why she is out in her yard taking money from strangers.  Throw in a family tragedy, a Prodigal daughter, and a small town mentality and you have a delightful, but quick read. 

 

Finally, just before school ended I read That Woman by Anne Sebba about Wallis Simpson.  I waited quite a while for my turn to come to get this book from the library.  I also must mention that I while I love reading about "real" people in non-fiction, I rarely find it as engaging as fiction.  This is why I try to listen to most of my non-fiction.  This however was an excellently written and absorbing story. 

Let me start by saying that this book confirmed my belief that rich people are nuts.  And royal rich people are no exception.  It seems likely that England was fortunate not to have had David as its king during WWII.  Outside his possible Nazi leanings, he was just insane.  Without giving anything away I can say that their story was not the grand love story we have been served.  The author also makes some jumps using some thin facts to arrive at possibly dubious conclusions.  This does not bother me (as it does a friend of mine), I just ask that the author tell what is known and that his/her guess is just a guess. 

Ok, so not finally, I also need to mention another YA novel I read called Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.  While it is YA historical fiction, most of the YAs I know would not like this book.  It is the story of Verity's work for England before her capture by the Nazis in France.  It is also the parallel story of Maddie, Verity's friend and the pilot who flew her into France for her mission.  It is fascination in format and according to the author's note, as close to possible true as it can be without being non-fiction.  It was not fast paced enough for the young readers I know, but for anyone interested in WWII and intricately written characters, it is a wonder.   There should not be a sequel to this story as it stands alone so beautifully, but I do hope Wein will take on another historical topic.

For Your Listening Pleasure

I am almost always listening to at least one audiobook, and usually it is two: one in the car and one on my ipod around the house and at the gym.  I try to listen to a lot of non-fiction since I sometime have a difficult time getting through non-fiction if it is not riveting on the page.  Below are some of the audobooks I am currently listening to or have recently finished. 

 

 

 

1.  Bossypants by TIna Fey  Four words...hil-ar-i-ous.  I think Tina and I could be best friends if all that fame and fortune weren't standing between us.  I especially liked the parts about Tina's life pre-fame growing up in Pennsylvania, college in VA, and post-college pre-fame days.  The book is wondefully read by Fey who adds in all sorts of asides the book does not include.  I highly recommend this one. 

 

 

 

2.  One hazard of listening to books is getting a bad reader.  This has not happened to me often, but it is a danger.  The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is read by Tony Goldwyn.  As it turns out, this is a book I could probably have read because the whole story about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair entwined with the story of serial killer H.H. Holmes is riveting.  I learned a great deal about the phenomenon that was the White City and probably more than I wanted to know about the activities of Dr. Holmes.  But wow, what a book, so meticulously researched and writing that draws the listener in.  Because I so enjoyed this one, I decided to go ahead and listen to In the Garden of Beasts also by Erik Larson read by Stephen Hoye the same reader as The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee to which I also listened.  I am always thrown off at first by a reader I have heard before because I associate that voice with a particular story.  Luckily this guy is really good as well because I was a bit disappointed when it was not Goldwyn again.  I am only at the beginning of this one, but so far it is as interesting as the last.  

3.  Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith is another recent listen.  While Queen Elizabeth's own life has been free of scandal, her sister, and three of her children were right up to their ears in it.  I enjoyed listening to this one for details I did not know about the Queen.  A companion book I listend to a few months ago is The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown read by Rosalyn Landor.  If Elizabeth the Queen is all "Diana was a kook, the Queen is wonderful," then this one is a pretty fair look at both women.  On deck for this summer, either to read or listen is Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Morton, which will have a bit of a different take on the story I think. 

4.  I am currently listening to Great House by Nicole Krauss, read byAlma Curvo, George Guidall, Celeste Ciulla, and Paul Hect.  It is so unlike anything else to which I have listened/read I am not sure how to describe it.  There are four different stories being told, and at least three of them seem to revolve around one desk.  They take place in different countries and the time keeps skipping around so I am not entirely sure how it is all going to go...this of course is why it is such an interesting story.   As soon as I get caught up in one story , the narration switches and I get caught up in the next story.  This is another one I could easily have read, but I am very happy with the many readers and enjoy their characterizations.  (Reading audiobooks is something I would love to do some day.  I have done a bit of voicework (a very small bit), but I enjoy it and think I am pretty good.)  Even more than 3/4 of the way through the book I am not sure how "great house" is connected, but I suppose that is another reason the book is so fantastic. 

 

Lemon Cake and Major Pettigrew or Why I Love Fiction

Two books I wavered about reading I ended up really liking.  I had The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender on my TBR list for a while, then took it off, then was in the library picking up a book to listen to in the car and there it was on the "New Books" display so I grabbed it.  I purchased Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and put it near the top of the TBR pile, then moved it down, then moved it off the pile and back on the shelf, but after reading 84, Charing Cross Road I was in the mood for something British...so out came Major Pettigrew again. 

The premise of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake is that at age 9 Rose begin to be able to feel the emotions of others from the food they have prepared.  When she feels her own mother's sadness, loneliness, and disappointment she is devastated.  Over the years she develops tricks to avoid food cooked by people, especially ones she knows, and eats lots of vending machine snacks and prepared meals.  These are by no means satisfying, but they are cold and remote rather than heavily emotional.  Even a piece of toast buttered by her brother is overwhelming.  When Rose finds a restaurant whose chef is content and loves cooking she gets a job washing dishes so she can eat there all the time.  Meanwhile, while Rose learns to get by her brother is discovering his own ability to disappear in a unique way.  While Rose must endure unsought intimacies with people, her brother discovers the ability to withdraw from others completely.   Their opposite powers are a commentary on the way we must all navigate relationships and closeness with others. 

I originally thought Major Pettigrew's Last Stand was historical fiction, instead it takes place in contemporary Edgecombe St. Mary where Major Pettigrew leads a satisfying but sometimes lonely life as a widower.  This changes when he becomes friends with the local convenience shop owner Mrs. Ali, a widow.  Even in modern times, this causes a stir because she is of Pakistani heritage though she was born in Cambridge.  The racism and mistreatment are generally subtle, but at times the townspeople are significantly racist and often without realizing why their behavior is offensive.  Major Pettigrew is a proper English, retired officer, who is appalled by a great deal of modern behavior.  He is charming and thoughful and a bit cumudgeonly, but we are thrilled as he is swept up by love.  Mrs. Ali is well-read and well-spoken and fiesty and we root for her too as she falls for Major Pettigrew.  While the book contains social commentary and a good bit of humor, it is the love story that makes it wonderful.

Reading 84, Charing Cross Road made me think about my preference for fiction, as Helene Hanff who wrote many of the letters that make up the narrative did not care for unreal people doing things that did not really happen.  While I like non-fiction, I believe that the power and importance of fiction lies in what it shows us about people who are not like us as much as it shows us the truth of what we are.  The power to literally taste feelings in food is an element of magical realism, but we really should be more attuned to the feelings of others.  Similarly, Major Pettigrew live in a society that is becoming more and more old-fashioned, but is preserved in a book like this that mirrors the reality.  Fiction can be just as informative and educational as non-fiction, but it can also capture possibilities in a way non-fiction cannot. 

Russell Freedman and World War I

Russell Freedman's The War to End All Wars is as expected informative, well-written, and visually interesting.  Russell Freedman is one of my favorite children's non-fiction writers. 

BECAUSE:

1.  He picks such interesting topics (ie Martha Graham, Marian Anderson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln).

2.  His research is impeccable and he provides a source list. 

3.  He includes pictures and illustrations as supplements to the informational text, instead of replacements.

4.  His books are written for students (upper elementary up to high school) but they are chock full and could be used by a teacher seeking preliminary information on a topic as in-depth as World War I or as an only source for topics such as Martha Graham and Marian Anderson who will not be the focus of a lesson, but rather an important element of a larger topic. 

5.  I have read almost everything he has written and never been disappointed by ommissions or glossing (I dislike when writers sanitize history for students...the truth does not have to be graphic, but it should be the whole truth.)

6.  I love history and like to read non-fiction, and have, but I still learn from his books because he seems to make an effort to include interesting elements that do not appear in other works.