Eschewed Obfuscation

Under Heaven, by Guy Gavriel Kay [x-posted]

keilexandra — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 03:16:48 GMT

Under Heaven
by Guy Gavriel Kay
573 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Historical

Let me say first: READ IT NOW, if you are a Kay fan. Or a historical fantasy fan. Or a lyrical-writing fan. Or a Chinaphile (great references to follow-up in the Acknowledgements). Or a GRRM fan, because this reminded me of his epics. One similarity they share: what do you say in summary, when so much has happened?

In the beginning, this is the tale of a minor-aristocratic man in imperial Kitai who mourns his father's death by burying the dead of a great battle by a long-haunted lake. In honor of his travails, after two years, Shen Tai receives an outrageous gift from the White Jade Princess who married into foreign Tagura: 250 Sardian horses, Heavenly Horses from the far west, so very rare in Kitai. And so Tai is thrust unwillingly into a world of dance and music, of words and blades, of beauty and sorrow and love.

More than that, you must read for yourself--the journey is awe-inspiring. Though he does not shied from violence, Kay manages to evoke a sweeping epic feel without quite as much bloodshed as George R.R. Martin. There is beauty in Martin's story, too, but what I love about Kay--what shines in all of his novels, but especially this one and in Tigana--is the brief lingerings on significant minor characters, or insignificant major characters, and their paths decreed by the twin whims of fate and will.

Okay, I'll stop waxing now, I promise. Under Heaven ranks with Tigana and the Sarantine Mosaic duology in being one of my favorites of Kay's work. So go READ IT NOW.

Booklog Bankruptcy Liquidation [x-posted]

keilexandra — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:31:02 GMT

I've read barely anything these past few weeks and months, but today I finished Guy Gavriel Kay's newest novel, which didn't fail to awe me. And with that, I think it an appropriate time to quickly write up my backlog of reviews and start afresh, hopefully more on-time. (Note that the updated master booklist is on DW.)

Everyday Asian
by Marnie Henricksson
193 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Nonfiction/Cooking

Actually useful. I am supremely picky, enough to modify most of the Southeast Asian recipes beyond recognition, but that's just me. I especially appreciated the ingredient explanations (e.g. onions vs. shallots vs. garlic vs. scallions) and the genuine home-cook approach to Asian cuisine.

Ice Queen
by Joey W. Hill
211 pages
Genre: Fiction/Romance

Depicts a powerful romantic chemistry, but the ending left me unsatisfied. It does not illustrate how I perceive a switch relationship--Marguerite should be able to Master Tyler just as he Masters her, a uniquely equal give-and-take in a world ruled by unequal power... but when a (female) switch is paired with a (male) Dominant-only, and is portrayed as happy with this, it strikes my intuition the wrong way. Fundamentally, I am unconvinced that Marguerite can be a Mistress if she allows Tyler to utterly Dominate her.

Other than that quirk, it's a lovely romance story and recommended with the usual Joey Hill caveats. I do prefer her Vampire Queen series to this one, for the plotty intrigue and fantasy aspects.

Kings and Assassins
by Lane Robins
353 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy

The sequel to Maledicte--more bloody, enigmatic, and divine gods. This one focuses on Janus rather than Miranda, although other characters get POV time as well. I'm not sure how I feel about Lane Robins's work. I liked this novel enough to earn it a spot on my limited bookshelf space, yet I don't remember very much a few months later, and memorability can be telling.

Demon Princess
by Michelle Rowen
? pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/YA/Fantasy

Plot: girl discovers she is ~~faerie~~ half-demon royalty, must also decide between two competing love interests... what else is new? I expected and received fluff--a brief skim-type read while sitting in Borders--but still I was disappointed by the triteness of it all. Don't bother.

Change of Heart
by Jodi Picoult
447 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/Literary/Mainstream

I'm not sure how to characterize this by genre--mainstream? It's not really "literary," but my tagging system doesn't distinguish. Oh well.

I had this on my TBR list but not very high-priority; a friend gave me a hardcover for my birthday, so I started reading on a whim (as usual) and got sucked in. Picoult is good at compelling reader attention, even if her work is of questionable literary merit. If you're interested in having heartstrings tugged about religion, the death penalty, and female self-esteem--this is the book for you!

Briefly here to ask...

keilexandra — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:38:02 GMT

Anyone know where I can find or purchase a copy of Paul Frehner's Sarantine Polyphony, recently premiered by the McGill Chamber Orchestra? As an MP3 or video recording, since I don't have an orchestra handy to perform sheet music.

NYE Backlog Eradication

keilexandra — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:40:36 GMT

I'm super-behind on reviews, so let's start the New Year afresh. The usual information plus comments if I scribbled or remember any.

Out Stealing Horses
by Per Petterson
238 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Literary/Historical

A boy, his father, his friend, and his friend's mother who is in love with his father. Stealing horses into Sweden during the war. And, at the beginning and the end, a heartbreaking home made and remade alone.

Required reading. It's a literary-meritorious book, to be sure, with properly grand themes--(non)communication, loneliness, love--and character development; the plot meanders but at least it exists, which can't be said about all other "literature." Beautiful, sparse prose even in translation from the Norwegian.

Chronicles of a Blood Merchant
by Yu Hua
263 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Literary/Historical

Like a comedic Beijing opera or a modern Chinese soap--one man, his wife, three sons, and the selling of lifeblood.

Required reading. Many of my classmates liked this one best because it's easy to read and to understand; personally, I prefer the confusion of Murakami to the stark and straightforward symbols in Blood Merchant, even though it is set in China and I should supposedly feel some ancestral connection (it's been reserved for Canada, please and thank you). --Not to denigrate the novel, as there's nothing Yu Hua did poorly in execution or design. It's just not to my taste, either personal or literary.

L'etranger (The Stranger)
by Albert Camus
186 pages (paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Literary/French

A man who does not understand emotion lives--does not love--, kills, and dies.

I flipped through this in English translation recently at Borders. The French is so much better, even if I miss some of the nuances. "Aujourd'hui, maman est morte. Ou peut-être hier, je ne sais pas." My friend is fond of "la tendre indifference du monde" at the end, but Meursault's amorality echoes very close to my heart.

Bloodhound
by Tamora Pierce
549 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/YA

Beka has graduated from Puppy to first-year Dog, but now she has to unearth a counterfeiting (colemongering) ring in a foreign city... and, along the way, unearth a new tidbit of romance too. I liked Dale but love Rosto more; fingers crossed!

Fast-paced, keeping me mostly on my toes with regard to the mystery. I enjoyed the realistic philosophizing of a medieval police force. Amusing: I kept reading "mot" (street slang for woman) as the French word for "word," with a silent 't.' Rec'd for loyal fans of Pierce; if you're just starting out, I recommend the Alanna or the Circle of Magic series. My favorite Pierce novels are actually The Will of the Empress and the Aly duology (Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen), although if she ever writes Tris-at-Lightsbridge I'm sure that will become my new favorite.

Beloved Vampire
by Joey W. Hill
451 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Romance/Fantasy

Mason, an ancient vampire who lives (of all places) in the Sahara desert, meets Jessica, an unwilling servant who slew her master and is hunted while on the brink of death due to her impossible betrayal. Between the two is the spirit of Farida, Mason's first love who was brutally slain by her own family.

This is the first M/f story by Hill that I've read, since she built her reputation on the F/m tales previous in this Vampire Queen series. Those who find the previous books too intense/off-putting will probably enjoy this one much more--the characterization and plot is as compelling as always, but this is really a conventional love story set in an unconventional world.

Rhinocéros (The Rhinoceros)
by Eugene Ionesco
246 pages (paperback)
Genre: Drama/Literary/Historical/French

OHNOES, there's a rhinoceros marching down the street! Whatever shall we do? --Why, argue about how many horns it has, of course, while the rhinoceros attempts to come up the stairs.

Actually a play but printed like a novel. The absurdity of the plot moves it close to magic realism, though purely for the purpose of social commentary (rhino = Nazi). France is overrun by rhinceros, and one character in particular... well, I won't ruin it. A fun and nevertheless "meritorious" read, closer to Murakami than Marquez in style.

Unseen Academicals
by Terry Pratchett
400 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Humor

Lord Vetinari and university Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully agree, each with their own motives, to revive the age-old sport of football in a civilized fashion. With the help of a strange "goblin" named Nutt, Unseen University fields a team and challenges the street players of Ankh-Morpork to take the field. Meanwhile, we have a lovely, homely story about street-urchin-football-player Trev, kitchen-maid-fashion-model Juliet, and thoroughly-sensible-night-cook Glenda. And Mr. Nutt, of course, connects the two story-spheres. May I just say, he is awesome.

It took me 3/4 of the book before I figured out that foot-the-ball was a mutant form of soccer, not football. (Yes, I know perfectly well that Pratchett is British.) I'm actually quite fond of this Pratchett novel; it ranks just a notch below Small Gods in personal estimation. But on a different note, 'tis depressing that the acknowledgements thank someone for transcription duties; most of the book was dictated. I wish Pratchett could go on writing for ever and ever and ever.

Maigret et la vieille dame (Maigret and the Old Lady)
by George Simenon
58 pages (paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Mystery/French

French detective Maigret, in the footsteps of old Sherlock, must solve the mystery of how (and more importantly, why) an old lady's servant died of unnatural causes.

Hooray for reading popular lit in French Lit! I wish this was longer, but on the other hand, there's something to be said for breezy and simple. Definitely less complex than even Camus; it's not "literary" by any means, but so what.

The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Overdriven Kids
by Alexandra Robbins
? pages (hardcover)
Genre: Nonfiction/Education

Narrative nonfiction following several kids through a year at super-competitive Walt Whitman High School. I've met some kids from there, and have friends in the general NoVa region... it's a little scary. Still, the plotlines here seemed a little TOO pat.

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover
by Ally Carter
263 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/YA

Macey McHenry's father is running for election as VP of the USA, and someone is trying to kidnap her (or are they?). The gang to the rescue!

Romping, fast-paced action per usual. I was "got" by the main plot twist, which I'm perfectly happy to go along with; I did predict the election outcome far ahead. This series is somewhat episodic, but in a good way--certainly it's more engaging, and more healthy, than The Clique. I enjoyed the larger arcs, character and plot, although Carter has some difficulty bridging the long gap between novel releases.

Ethan Frome
by Edith Wharton
77 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Literary

Welcome to the bleak New England landscape! Ethan Frome, his wife Zeena, and the mercurial Mattie Silver form a painfully complex, and doomed, love triangle. The ending twist surprised and depressed me, particularly what Wharton implies about human nature. A short novella, required reading but highly recommended for romantic readers who don't mind the lack of an HEA.

Catching Fire
by Suzanne Collins
391 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/YA/Fantasy

As you might expect, the Mockingjay Revolution progresses. Lots more Gale/Peeta drama; I found myself caring more about the plot and less about the characters, as compared to reading the first book. Every 25 years, the Capitol hosts a Quarter Quell, a special twist on the usual Hunger Games; I shan't spoil this one, but it was effective enough if a bit contrived. The mystery aspect of the plot was well-orchestrated. A quick read with excellent pacing and the expected cliffhanger ending.

Dreams Made Flesh
by Anne Bishop
449 pages (paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy

Four short stories read in a few hours, as wonderfully cracktastic as her original trilogy. "Weaver of Dreams" was my least favorite of the four tales--a very short prologue myth about Draca, Dragon, and a small golden spider. Next, "The Prince of Ebon Rih"--my favorite of the four, concerning Lucivar and his wonderful romance with housekeeper/hearth witch Marian. "Zuulaman" provides useful background info on Saetan and Hekatah. "Kaeleer's Heart" does indeed read like the true ending of the trilogy, but at that point I'd grown a little tired of Daemon and Jaenelle; nevertheless, a lovely wrap-up to both this collection and Bishop's crazily implausible universe.

Le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid)
by Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin)
191 pages (paperback)
Genre: Drama/Humor/French

Argan is an inveterate hypochondriac who wants to marry his angelic daughter Angélique to his doctor's son, Thomas Diaforious. Unfortunately, Angélique is in love with Cleante, who harbors no aspirations to medicine. With help from the outspoken servant Toinette and Argan's kindly brother Béralde, true love triumphs over greed (Argan's second wife Béline) and careless mischief (Angélique's sister Louison).

I had to Wiki Molière's real name. No complaints about this quite funny play, which would be great to see on-stage, other than the simplistic black/white, evil/virtue characterizations.

Topdog/Underdog
by Suzan-Lori Parks
? pages (paperback)
Genre: Drama/Literary

African-American brothers Lincoln and Booth--whose parents had a morbid imagination--struggle to make something of their lives.

This was... repetitive. And maybe that's the point, but I still don't think it should have won the Pulitzer. The social commentary on the continuing struggles of the black underclass is apt and true, but not original. I found Parks's--unique--style more gimmicky than powerful.

The Family Trade
by Charles Stross
303 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/SF

Miriam Beckstein is a tech-magazine journalist who stumbles upon the story of a lifetime--for which she is promptly fired and discreetly threatened. Then her adoptive mother gives her an old locket belonging to her birth mother, and she discovers a universe where she is now the Countess Helge Thorold-Hjorth, alive or dead.

This is Book 1 of The Merchant Princes, marketed as fantasy but properly science fantasy. Political intrigue galore, enough to get me over the initial obstacle of a parallel-worlds premise. In many ways it's a mockery of medieval fantasy, too--stone castles are cold, even for the wealthy upon wealthy.

Thief of Time
by Terry Pratchett
? pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Humor

Another Discworld novel, this one about Time and the History Monks who tend it (lowercase-time, that is). Susan Sto Helit plays an important role, and she is wonderful. Certainly it made an interesting back-in-time comparison with the next Pratchett book I read...

Disgrace
by J.M. Coetzee
220 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Literary/Historical

Fifty-two-year-old David Lurie is an English-turned-Communications professor in a newly post-apartheid South Africa with interesting rationalizations about what constitutes rape.

Required reading. We haven't begun the analysis yet, due to snowstorms, but I can't say I'm looking forward to it. The protagonist is reminiscent of Nabokov's famous Humbert Humbert in drawing the reader into a different moral mind. Aside: one scene, when the impassioned activist demands true remorse, is where I actually sympathized with Lurie--I'm a proud socialist, not an unthinking liberal, because that is political correctness gone too far.

"...And you trust yourself to divine [contrition], from the words I use--to divine whether it comes from my heart?"

"We will see what attitude you express. We will see whether you express contrition."

Sorry, but no--even you, in the moral right, have the right to judge another human being's "heart." Punish him for rape, but don't pretend to compromise with him in order to humiliate. I have no opinion as to whether Lurie deserves humiliation, but the decision that he made in the aftermath of his crime--to decline public apology and refuse his opponent's dangling bait of salvation--is honorable. [/soapbox]

Ultimately, Coetzee's Nobel-winning novel represents what I dislike most about modern literature--it's boring. Nothing happens without 20 pages of emotional labyrinths preceding or succeeding, and I still don't care one whit about what does happen.

Riversend
by Sylvia Kelso
352 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy

Sequel to Amberlight, more polished and complex, especially in the execution of Kelso's fragmented prose. I won't detail the plot since it spoils the ending of Amberlight, which is a must-read-first. My major quibble is that Kelso narrates the entire novel even though ostensibly there are three different first-person narrators--if I can't tell who's speaking because all three characters sound the same, have the same "writing style," then we have a problem with craft rather than taste. Otherwise, Riversend feels very long, in a good way--a lot happens in 350 pages. And there's so much to like: realistic polyamory among equals that works, lush worldbuilding, an epic scope in reasonable page length that reduces, in the end, to a woman's grief for her lost children. The ending makes clear that this will be a trilogy at least--and with Riversend, Kelso has earned a spot on my petite auto-buy list. (P.S. The political intrigue is dense and extremely well-done. Bravo.)

Mort
by Terry Pratchett
? pages
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Humor

Death takes on an apprentice, goes through a mid-death crisis, and finds happiness as a short-order cook.

It's definitely interesting to compare this fourth installment of the Discworld series to both Unseen Academicals (Pratchett's latest release) and Thief of Time (partially starring sensible schoolteacher Susan Sto Helit, whereas this book ends with the marriage of her parents). I was quite convinced of Mort and Ysabell's love for each other, although I'm willing to suspend disbelief for the sake of the ending. Less polished than some of Pratchett's later works, but definitely an important book in the overall chronology.

A Wild Sheep Chase, by Haruki Murakami

keilexandra — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:58:23 GMT

A Wild Sheep Chase
by Haruki Murakami
353 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Literary/Fantasy

On first glance, this novel just seemed dang weird. Then I met a dear friend who adores Murakami and assured me that he was indeed dang weird, in a good way. Then I read A Wild Sheep Chase and personally confirmed that Murakami writes dang weird stuff--in a very good way.

The nameless narrator works in a small advertising agency, has a normal ex-wife and a strange girlfriend, and is one day sent upon a quest: to find the sheep with the black star on its back, as depicted upon a postcard from an old friend. What happens after that doesn't make much sense, but it's so glorious that I don't care. I mean, there's a picture of a sheep man. Murakami is at the epitome of both Japanese mainstream popularity and Japanese magic realism; I, of course, loved his existentialist themes.

That said, many of my friends are just bewildered by this book. Read it with an open mind; being familiar with magic realism conventions helps a lot. I am reminded of A Hundred Years of Solitude without the emphasis on folklore or family, or for that matter the sheer density.

Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolpho Anaya

keilexandra — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:51:33 GMT

Bless Me, Ultima
by Rudolpho Anaya
290 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Literary/Fantasy

More required reading, my least favorite of the five I had to read. Anaya is a wonderful writer with a talent for landscapes and symbols; I just wish he was less brusque with Meaning and Theme and This Is an Important Bildungsroman. The sub-subgenre, Chicano (as differentiated from Latino) magic realism, does not interest me much more than Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, a brilliantly written masterpiece that I can't bring myself to like very much.

Plot, you ask? Well, Antonio Márez is a young boy (age 6, I believe?) born to a happy but divided family--his father is a Márez wanderer of the llano, his mother is a Luna farmer who wants him to become a priest. Ultima, a wise old curandera or healer (Anaya mostly avoids the inherent pitfalls in this characterization), comes to live with them, bringing mystic if not magical events with her. Antonio's religious struggle throughout the novel was the most/only interesting part to me. For example, he secretly admires Florence, a schoolfriend and declared atheist who later meets a significant end. His devout Catholic mother is almost a cariacture of blind faith, while his father's subverted agnosticism feels natural. It's certainly a novel worth exploring further on issues of faith and belief, in the supernatural or otherwise; but I can't say I liked the book much. [/Keix's never-ending search for entertaining works of literary merit, Module 496]

The Dark Reaches, by Kristin Landon

keilexandra — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:41:25 GMT

The Dark Reaches
by Kristin Landon
292 pages (paperback)
Genre: Fiction/SF/Romance

I picked this up from the library on pure whim. It's pulpish soft SF--fluffy to the max, but more to my taste than equivalently pulpish hard SF. Landon skims over space battles but doesn't shy away from gore (Exhibit A, the captured Cold Minds pilot). I'm vaguely interested in the worldbuilding, though not enough to seek out Landon's other books. The romantic relationship was interesting, not compelling.

Sorry I don't remember anything else... it's been a few months, and it was quite a forgettable tale. Warning for some serious backlog spam up ahead.

The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro

keilexandra — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:36:40 GMT

The Remains of the Day
by Kazuo Ishiguro
245 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Literary

Stevens is an English butler of highest repute and ability now serving a modern American employer, Mr. Farraday, who inherited Darlington Hall after Lord Darlington's (untimely?) death. The tale is structured, like Ishiguro prefers, as a rambling first-person narrative. Stevens reminisces at length, through convoluted verbal hedges and self-denials, about his long time in Lord Darlington's service and his complicated relationship with Miss Kenton, the housekeeper.

This was mandatory reading for me, and I had high expectations of Ishiguro. It's important to note that narrative structure is about the only similarity between Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go (his wonderful dystopic SF novel); still, I did enjoy Steven's distinct voice.

Bookish Query

keilexandra — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:25:00 GMT

How are you keeping track of your personal library? I've been cataloging with Libra, but it's long out of active development and the new Amazon search changes make it really impractical. I have some limited experience with AACR2 standards and am willing to use those for my personal collection, if I could find a free program to do it in. Are there any open-source library cataloging programs, casual or professional, out there?

Link Anthology 10/24/2009

keilexandra — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:48:16 GMT

* Via yhlee, musical stairs on YouTube!

* Also via yhlee, A Regency Romance in 2 Minutes.

* Michael M. Jones puts out an open call for submissions to his new anthology, Scheherazade's Facade: Fantastical Tales of Gender Bending, Cross-Dressing and Transformation.

* Recent Strange Horizons pieces that are excellent: poem "Thirteen Scifaiku for Blackbirds" by Joanne Merriam and story "Minghun: Unlikely Patron Saints, No. 5" by Amy Sisson.

* yhlee (Yoon Ha Lee) has an awesome story up at Beneath Ceaseless Skies called "The Pirate's Daughter," about words and poetry and music and awesomeness.

* Another enrapturing story of music from Beneath Ceaseless Skies: Michael Anthony Ashley's "To Kiss a Granite Choir," Part 1 and Part 2.

* Quite the depressing, and truthful, article about grad school in the humanities.

Link Anthology 9/12/2009

keilexandra — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:08:53 GMT

* Via Fancy Brand, prolific tumblelog by a friend of mine: a Tibetan musical score.

* Cardboard sculptures--just amazing, the level of detail.

* Video of a wheelchair dance competition.

* A flash-style piece by shweta_narayan on Strange Horizons, "Charms."

* Also on SH--"Origin" by Ari Goelman, a superhero story that I actually like.

* The 3rd Asian Women's Blog Carnival! Especially check out laleia's post on perfect Chinese daughters (so, so true) and a riveting trailer for the film version of The Stoning of Soraya M. It's rated R, and though I'm normally not a fan of violence or horror, I really want to see this. Unfortunately, it's only showing in select theatres and none of them near me (not even in Philly).

Birthday wishes

keilexandra — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:58:20 GMT

A very happy birthday to buymeaclue! May the coming year, and years, be filled with words and horses.

Acceptance, by David L. Marcus

keilexandra — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:04:26 GMT

Acceptance: A Legendary Guidance Counselor Helps Seven Kids Find the Right Colleges--and Find Themselves
by David L. Marcus
244 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Nonfiction/Education

An interesting and compelling addition to the admissions case study subsubgenre, in the tradition of Jacques Steinberg but from the guidance counselor's (GC's in admissions lingo) perspective. Smitty sounds like a wonderful counselor, although I have some qualms about his ethics (handpicking all of his counselees, "special projects"). And of course it's ironic that he started a private consulting practice charging $330/hour immediately after retiring from the public school system. Good advice here, reiterating much of Harry Bauld's excellent advice [review forthcoming] on essay-writing and useful-but-not-brilliant tidbits like taking the ACT (considered to be more straightforward).

What I found interesting, in a personal level, was that Smitty didn't even know of Deep Springs's existence despite his decades of work in and intimate knowledge of the admissions world. I suppose he never recommended TASS/TASP to his students, either, which is a pity. Lee (a Korean-American overachiever) would have thrived at DS, based on his portrayal in the book, even though after a semester at NYU he claims otherwise. --Well, everyone thinks that their college of choice is the best ever after they've attended and experienced it. Other colleges could be just as "good" for you, and possibly--le gasp--"better" in an objective sense.

Anyway, as far as college admissions books go, this is definitely one of the better ones. And up-to-date, covering the competitive 2008 cycle, which counts for a lot.

Skin Trade, by Laurell K. Hamilton

keilexandra — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:31:24 GMT

Skin Trade
by Laurell K. Hamilton
486 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Romance

Miracle of miracles, I think Hamilton is becoming increasingly more readable. Her most recent Anita books have had noticeably less sex and more plot. I approve and will be going back to read some of her earliest Anita Blake books if/when I have the time/inclination. I find that it's best to approach Hamilton like an episodic TV show; Anita reminds me of what I imagine Buffy would be like. (Note that I have no actual experience with Buffy.) If you think too hard, it's unrealistic that Anita keeps getting into this much trouble, every single book--but these books are not meant for heavy thinking. I do appreciate Hamilton's overarching plot and the small movements in it.

Not much of Jean-Claude or Nathaniel in this one, though, which is sad to me.

The Black Jewels Trilogy, by Anne Bishop (omnibus)

keilexandra — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:27:01 GMT

The Black Jewels Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, Queen of the Darkness
by Anne Bishop
1204 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy

I found the omnibus edition of this at Half-Price Books and couldn't resist, given how much I've heard about Bishop's original series. While I was devouring all 1200+ pages, I kept describing it as "cracktastic" (and then having to explain that term)--because oh, its reputation is so true. Jaenelle is the most blatant Mary-Sue I've actually liked; Saetan/Daemon/Lucivar aren't much better as Gary Stus. (Speaking of which, can the demonic allusions be any more obvious and irritating?) The power dynamic became annoying at times, but it was also comforting to know that she would always save the day. This is definitely dark fantasy, complete with explicit scenes (sex, violence, or both) and magnetically disturbing anti-heroes. On an academic level, it's also a good case study of a matriarchy, and I've been collecting those. I think I may have some issues with gender roles; it feels very rigid, and wrong in that sense, but I can't articulate why.

Bishop's strength, by far, is characterization. I can think of no other explanation as for why I enjoyed reading the series so much, but can't say I loved or even really liked it. I hear that the later books can be messy--which should I avoid, if any?

Rosa Lee, by Leon Dash

keilexandra — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:20:12 GMT

Rosa Lee: A Mother and Her Family in Urban America
by Leon Dash
279 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Nonfiction/Documentary

This book is a semi-compilation of a Pulitzer-Prize-winning article series Dash wrote for the Washington Post. It tells the story of Rosa Lee, a typical (or so Dash presents her) example of the black urban underclass. Her story starts off as compelling and poignant, but about a third of my way through the book, Dash's disjointed storytelling became merely repetitive and boring. The "plot" is a depressing cycle of multi-generational poverty/welfare/drug use, i.e. a case study of a poor urban black family. Ultimately, interesting for the academic sociological information, but not remotely entertaining for me as a "regular" reader.

Romance rec with specific prerequisites

keilexandra — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:04:39 GMT

I was chatting with my parents today--in Chinglish, this does not happen very often due to the language barrier--and I discovered that my mother reads romance novels in Chinese on the Internet. I promptly told her that I would get her an English romance novel as a belated birthday present.

So what book should I get her? Preferably something I can nab off BookMooch, so popular is fine and probably preferable. We're starting from a clean slate, since my mother has read NO English romance novels EVER. This is the important bit: reading level. I know she's not comfortable reading English novels, so this needs to be something very accessible. Grammar is not an issue so much as vocab--simple/common words are good. And, of course, it has to be a compelling read.

Thoughts, recommendations?

Birthday wishes

keilexandra — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:42:57 GMT

Happy birthday, mrissa! I wish you continual balance in the coming year.

Birthday wishes

keilexandra — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:06:58 GMT

Happy birthday, oyceter!

Link Anthology 7/22/09, the Uncontroversial Edition

keilexandra — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:58:22 GMT

* shwetha_narayan's wonderful poem "Apsara" is now up at Goblin Fruit for the summer. First link should be permanent, second is where you can read the poem right now (ETA: may also be permanent, and better formatted, if it goes in the archive).

* Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night," with audio--perhaps the most famous English-language villanelle.

* Via yhlee, The Periodic Table of Typefaces.

* Geeky article about Lenovo's new keyboard design. Nothing like Dvorak's complete overhaul, just some interesting usability tweaks. I will say this: I love my caps lock key for easily marking out book titles. I really want a big delete key, though... So annoying on this laptop to sloooowly reach up to hit it in the corner.

* Color illusion!

* Notable Unshelved strip.

* Isaiah 55:12--"...and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."

* A compendium of beautiful--no, gorgeous--libraries.

Diamond Star, by Catherine Asaro

keilexandra — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:02:36 GMT

Diamond Star
by Catherine Asaro
495 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/SF/Romance

I didn't realize how starved I was for good fluff; I sped through this newest Asaro in a single night despite its flaws. I'm not a rock fan, so the premise didn't excite me, but I do adore the Skolian Empire world. Diamond Star involves an all-too-predictable addiction arc. I have little sympathy for Del being broke when he can splurge whenever he wants. Del himself treads a thin line between amusing and annoying. I love Asaro for both politics and relationships, but in this particular book, I wanted more space opera and less obstinate romantic misunderstandings. As buymeaclue would say (I hope I get this right): less boyfriend, more roller derby.

Still want more books like The Moon's Shadow, about Aristos politics. Especially Jai/Tarquine. Or even about Kelric, who is more interesting when he's not perceived from the POV of a rebellious teenage rock star. Dehya is really interesting too; I'm not so fond of Roca, but her story seems to have come to an end with Eldrinson's (natural) death.

The Shape of the River, by William G. Bowen & Derek Bok

keilexandra — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:41:19 GMT

The Shape of the River: Long-term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions
by William G. Bowen & Derek Bok
472 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Nonfiction/Education

I meant to finish reading this, I really did; but again, library time constraints beckon. For future reference, I got to page 112, a little under 1/4 of the way through. I will try to write up what I wrote with relative objectivity, but I shan't hold back from interjecting (biased) commentary. From skimming the rest of the book, Bowen and Bok seem to have done a great job documenting the success of minority students admitted to highly selective institutions, years after they graduate (or don't graduate).

For those who don't know, Bowen & Bok are two former Ivy League presidents (of Princeton and Harvard, respectively) better-known within higher education for their later, controversial work on SAT scores and admissions expanded to all races; in comparison, this earlier publication consciously simplifies the world to black and white. In the later study, B&B found that when using white as the baseline, blacks and Hispanic [not necessarily Latin@, since federal race classifications include Spain origin as Hispanic] students received a significant boost while Asian students were actually negative, i.e. in order to be considered equivalent to a similar white applicant, s/he had to score higher on the SAT.

All data in this study was based on a detailed database combining information from 28 colleges and universities, who are listed on p. xxviii-xxix. B&B do a reasonably good job of straddling the fence, providing evidence for and against both sides of the affirmative action debate. I'll be discussing mostly the information that I want to remember, i.e. anti-, but first I'll summarize the opposing details and encourage you to read the book for yourself. In essence, the black students who would not have been admitted under a hypothetical race-neutral process go on to exceptional achievements despite their weaker academic skills.

So let's start with the definition of race-neutral: it is NOT admitting by the numbers. B&B grouped black applicants by SAT ranges and posited that they would have the same probability of admission as white applicants in the same ranges. This causes the overall chance of admission for black students to drop from 42% to 13%, versus an overall chance of 25% for white students. The real-life Berkeley example bore out this hypothesis remarkably, although B&B make no mention of the large increase in Asian students as a result of race-neutral at the UCs (31-3). Similar drops in enrollment would occur at the most selective law and business schools (45), where "black applicants [to business schools] were 2.7 times as likely to gain admission as whites with comparable records. Hispanic applicants were 2.8 times as likely to be admitted" (45-6). For med school, the median pre-med science GPA for accepted students was 3.1 for blacks vs. 3.6 for whites; correspondingly, "the median test scores of blacks accepted to medical schools was lower than the median for whites who were rejected" (46). This establishes that regardless of what happens later--and much does happen later--admitted black students (and presumably Hispanic students) are less qualified in comparison to white students (and presumably Asian students). Speaking of which--I find myself constantly wondering how Asians fit into this world, as Hispanic students are much more similar to black students in profile than Asians are to whites. "The real racial divide in America was and remains black and white" (xxvii, Shelby Steele qtd. by Scott Shepard 11)--I absolutely, positively disagree. Such a statement--from someone implied to be one of the "scholars from the black, Hispanic, and Asian American communities" (xxvii)--erases the existence of Hispanic, APA, and Native American peoples from "America" and the importance of a multicolored discussion of race.

Prior to affirmative action in the late 1960s, "the selective colleges would rather be selective than integrated" (qtd. in 5)--nothing wrong with that wish, in my mind, as the selective colleges should not be lowering standards for the sake of diversity. "Harvard [Law School] began admitting black students with test scores far below those of their white classmates....and black enrollment began to rise" (5). That cause and effect seriously concerns me with its lack of acknowledgment of racial discrimination--to discriminate on the basis of race, which is exactly what happened. A graph on p.27--before recentering, but nevertheless interesting: at a combined SAT score (out of 1600) below 1000, about 10% of whites and 20% of blacks gained admission (I am estimating based on a graph, so bear with me). The gap is largest in the "1200-1249 range, [where] the probability of being admitted was 19 percent for white candidates, as compared with 60 percent for black candidates" (26). Finally, at the 1500+ mark--close to perfect scores--about 70% of whites and 100% of blacks gained admission. Even in the '90s, admission at the most selective schools was never guaranteed by "high stats"--except for those few and exceptional black candidates, it seemed. "To sum up, black candidates are consistently admitted at higher rates than legacies, who in turn are admitted at consistently higher rates than non-legacies, but the 'advantage' enjoyed by legacies is concentrated at the upper end of the SAT range" (28-9).

Socioeconomic AA would not "substantially cushion the effect of ending racial preferences" (Thomas Kane, qtd. in 47), because while URMs are disproportionately poor, "they still make up a minority of all college-age Americans with low incomes" (47). B&B also briefly references the prohibitive cost of implementing such a program to the same degree as current racial AA. To which I say: well, yes, and remind me why a poor black person is more deserving of admission than a poor Asian person, other factors held constant? Socioeconomic AA is not meant to substitute for racial AA; it is meant to help those who will always need more help. In capitalist America, there is no doubt whatsoever that the poor student is always disadvantaged over the identical well-to-do student. Even Questbridge, which I wholeheartedly support, helps only the very tippy-top of the poor students (it is more useful in guaranteeing affordability than in affecting admissions, since most Questbridge finalists would have been admitted on stats and extraodinary personal qualities anyway). [/soapbox]

B&B does unequivocally disabuse the notion of academic "mismatch." Average college GPAs may differ by over half a point (72), but black students still go on to do well in life after college (no doubt aided by affirmative action at law/med/grad schools, says my cynical mind). Interestingly, the SAT remains useful in significantly predicting both academic performance in college and postgrad achievements, although the prediction is stronger for whites than for blacks. Graduating from a top college does affect one's postgrad prospects within higher education. James Thomas, former dean of admissions at Yale Law School: "Someone who has played--and succeeded--on a tough field lets us take a little more risk and admit someone who strikes our faculty as having that something that's going to make a difference in the world. Does this mean that we don't take someone from an off-the-beaten-track school? No, but that person has to have every single thing in line--there's no margin for error" (personal correspondence, qtd. in 101). Note: Blacks who are "specially" admitted go on to disproportionately achieve exceptional accomplishments. I have not discussed that data here because it is irrelevant to the basis of my position on affirmative action, although I have read every word of it.

A very good book, highly recommended as long as you aren't afraid of social science stat-talk (and even if you are). Alas, it didn't change my personal opinion. (I'm still waiting for someone to come up with a brilliant argument that will push me across the fence.) The ends never justify the means, and however beneficial AA is/would be, its very existence remains discriminatory and hypocritical to statements of nondiscrimination.

What Colleges Don't Tell You, by Elizabeth Wissner-Gross

keilexandra — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:24:20 GMT

What Colleges Don't Tell You (and Other Parents Don't Want You to Know): 272 Secrets for Getting Your Kid into the Top Schools
by Elizabeth Wissner-Gross
307 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Nonfiction/Education

A different perspective from the usual ex-adcom tell-alls. There's some good advice in here about fit and parenting, but also some crazy and borderline-ethical approaches to "packaging." The "272 secrets" format is really gimmicky. Useful advice is buried among the dross, though, if one reads with a strong dash of salt. Best read in conjunction with other books of the genre, especially Hernandez's adcom perspective (which is quite derogatory toward "packaging").

How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster

keilexandra — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:20:53 GMT

How to Read Literature Like a Professor
by Thomas C. Foster
314 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Nonfiction/Literary

Light-hearted and interesting. Topic: exactly what the title implies. Not as insightful as I'd hoped--the analysis bounces between obvious and really obscure--but definitely "lively and entertaining." Do the case-study analysis at the end; I didn't due to time constraints, but I wish I had.

Also includes a useful list of Christ-figure signifiers, for those of us who didn't grow up in the Western tradition. I will quote a paraphrased version here:

1. crucified, wounds in the hands, feet, side, and head
2. in agony
3. self-sacrificing
4. good with children
5. loaves, fishes, water, wine
6. 33 years old
7. employed as carpenter
8. humble modes of transportation, feet or donkeys preferred
9. walked on water
10. portrayed with arms outstretched
11. spent time alone in wilderness
12. confrontation w/ the devil, possibly tempted
13. last seen in the company of thieves
14. aphorisms/parables
15. buried, but arose on the 3rd day
16. disciples, 12 at first, though not all equally devoted
17. very forgiving
18. redeem an unworthy world

Free press vs. free respect on the Internets

keilexandra — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:17:27 GMT

A thought that has fluttered through my head several times, having just been captured: what kind of "space" is the Internet? If someone makes a public blog post or a public comment, is that content automatically public? Obviously you can't plagiarize, the words are still inherently copyrighted, etc. But what about linking, referencing, alluding to? On one extreme, the right of free press is vital; what if any author had the legal right to request that a negative review of his/her book be taken down? And on the other extreme, if one is compiling a blog carnival or a linkspam or whatever, is there an expectation of permission first? How does this interact with privilege?

I've always operated on the assumption that any public post is just that--public, free to briefly quote and free to link to. In fact, I find policies specifically requesting that linkers ask permission first to be kind of presumptous--like the author of a published book asking that all reviewers run their reviews by him/her first (thereby filtering out unwanted or negative reviews). Even if this never becomes ingrained in law, the very expectation in etiquette remains problematic in the context and spirit of freedom.

Thoughts? Disagreements? I don't pretend to know much of anything about this matter, except what is "logical" to me (and what I find logical is inherently shaped by my experiences, majority/minority/etc.).

Comments are screened. Civility rules, as always, but feel free to disrespect me civilly.