Politicians as Rock Stars

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Jordans Thoughts on Animal Farm

Napolian makes me mad. He tricked them into everything, changing the rules, lying about where Boxer went and making up all those lyes about Snowball, when Snowball was the one who really cared about the future of the farm.

Animal Farm

hey guys! This is Taylor and i recently read animal farm.the only reason i read it was because mommy makes us read a classic every summer. animal farm is a very weird book. it is about the animals of Manor Farm rebelling against their owner.when the pigs turned into humans i was totally confused.and all of the stories about snowball,are they true?? and if they aren't true then what about all of the animals who were slaughtered for "helping" snowball?? help! i am soooo confused!!

P.S. sorry about the spelling and capital letters

Three Books

NPR has a feature where listeners call in with three books they would recommend that have the same theme. For example.... Satire.

Uglies by Scott Westerfield
When citizens of Uglyville (I know...I know...) turn 16, they undergo a surgery that makes them beautiful. They are made pretty (height, weight, skin tone, eyes, lips, hair). They then live in New Pretty Town where they party all the time. Shay decides she likes how she looks now and runs away before she is taken for surgery. Only one Ugly knows where she is.

Rash by Pete Hautman
In the United Safe States of America (USSA) The Child Protection Act has outlawed football, medicated everyone with Levular to control tempers, managed to cause bees to go extinct, and has track stars running with helmets, knee and elbow pads, and mouth guards. No one needs to get senselessy injured. With more than 25% of the adult population incarcerated for infractions such as losing a temper, road rage, or not following safety guidelines, there isn't much trouble left to get into...unless your family has an anger management problem.

Animal Farm by George Orwell
Four legs gooooood, two legs baaaaaaad is the mantra of the farm animals after they seize control of the farm and are able to run it themselves, seeking total equality among the animals. The only problem is the pigs seem to be a bit smarter than all of the other animals, placing them in a position to make decisions that, of course, benefit the pigs. If they eat a bit more than the others, sleep a bit more comfortably, and perhaps even wear some clothing that makes them feel better, then their decision making ability for the entire farm will improve.......hmmmmmm.

Give it a try!

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

I have NEVER been one to read more than one book at a time, however, The Fountainhead is soooooo, hmmmmm, how do I put it, laborious, that I decided to read something light in between Howard Roark's commissions. I settled on Twilight, a YA vampire romance. It has been wildly popular at our school and I felt very out of the loop for not having read it. Suprisingly, I enjoyed it very much. Yes, I rolled my eyes several times. When Bella would rather be damned as a vampire for eternity rather than be without Edward, her vampire boyfriend, I thought it a little much. Once you accept this part of the novel, the rest is really quite good. It is a trilogy, so I have started New Moon. It seems to make reading The Fountainhead a bit more bearable. Jordan has started Twilight and likes it as well.

Book Partner Wanted

Anyone interested in reading a book together? I'm kind of at a loss for what to read. I'm reading The Shining and not really interested in it. I'm open to suggestions, especially if anyone wants to partner up (this pretty much means you, Mark, until the Fountainhead crew is done - probably sometime in 2011)

The Fountainhead - Part 1 Completed

I have now finished part one. Two major events have occurred which reveal telling traits of our "protagonists". The first is Keating's victory in the Most Beautiful Building contest - which he won by using Roark's design. The 2nd is Roark's refusal to compromise his design in any way for the bank - a commission he truly needs to survive financially in the architectural world.

Keating's victory seems so hollow. He has what he wants with money and fame but he continues to live in Roark's shadow. What I find fascinating is that only the two of them know about Roark's contribution to the design. Keating could so easily be exposed as a fraud. But Roark won't do it. Is this how he controls Keating? Keating has revealed his hatred for Roark. why can't he be his own man and leave Roark alone. Does he feel the need to destroy Roark?

And Roark. What does he want? We live in a world of compromise. Would it be so hard for him to give an inch on his designs? So many people seem interested in helping him, but he refuses. What is he seeking? What did Cameron seek? Neither seem capable of sharing with society.

What I am looking forward to:

- more Dominique. How is her character going to grow? Will she destroy Keating? She reminds me a bit of Roark, but I think she is a bit more scheming.

- Ellsworth Toohey. What's up his sleeve? He may be too principled to be real.

Looking forward to discovering more.

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer

You all have got to read this book. Its about mormons, with emphasis on fundamentalist mormons. It starts out with a grisly murder scene in American Fork, Utah, which was committed by two fundamendalist latter day saints. It then traces the history of the church all the way back to Joseph Smith and how the church was founded, and shows how the fundamentalist church broke off and developed its own sect, which is where the polygamy, abuse, and other negative aspects of mormanism grew. There are a lot of very disturbing aspects to the book, and its very long, but it is so well written that it keeps your attention, despite the history book feel throughout certain portions. I HIGHLY recommend this to you older long distance literature lovers, especially in light of all the stuff going on in Texas. It all ties into what is in the book.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

On Taylor's recommendation, I have started The Lightning Thief which is an action adventure mixing Greek mythology with modern times. So far it is very good. Some of the mythology doesn't match up with what I had studied and taught in school. I didn't think Medusa was asleep when Perseus killed her, but according to this book, she was (In the Lightning Thief, Medusa is a woman who works in a statue shop outside of New York). I realize there are many versions of the same myth, so maybe I had not read that version. I also didn't realize she was Poseidon's girlfriend and they were meeting in Athena's temple for a soiree when Athena caught them and turned her into a monster.
The action is virtually non stop. The funniest character so far is Grover. He is a satyr put in charge of protecting Percy. He has to stuff his hooves into sneakers and walks very funny, but he must look like a kid when he is wandering around New York. He is a poor protector who loves to eat aluminum cans, wax paper etc.. (after all he is a goat)
As soon as I finish this, The Fountainhead is next. (sorry Taylor, the other two books in this series will have to wait) I can't find a copy in Shelbyville, so I am going to have to order it or head to Louisville. At 3.55 per gallon, I'll probably be ordering it.

Harvest of Hope by Jane Goodall

I checked this book out of the library initially for Jordan so she could read about the sustainable benefits of being a vegetarian. There are some chapters about the value of vegetarianism from a farming/food production angle I don't think she was aware of. I have found myself reading sections of the book. It is very well written and compelling. Goodall recognizes the need for a sustainable lifestyle not just for animals, but for humans as well. It is not just a health issue, but an environmental issue as well as a means of keeping ourselves well balanced and in tune with the "contract" we should all be committed to in order to keep our planet viable.
I can't bring myself to read the sections on factory farming, but Goodall's point is clearly made. I recommend this to anyone interested in being more mindful about the food she/he is consuming.

The Fountainhead

Well, after talking to Mark and Keith about The Fountainhead, I am cautiously anxious about starting to read it. I plan to finish Blood in Flowers first and then start. Mom, you would like this book. I found it at a bookstore with the advertisement, "If you liked the Kite Runner, try this" It is set in Persia and good so far. I'll keep ya posted. When Keith and I get a schedule together for The Fountainhead, I'll post it for anyone who wants to read it with us.

Welcome Family Literature Lovers

Hello from Nashville,
Here is the first post for our new blog about books! Keith and I, for the past three years, have read a book together during the spring. We usually choose something a bit more challenging so we can encourage each other along the way. To date we have read Anna Karenina and A Tale of Two Cities. Both were great reads. We are preparing to embark on Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead (Beth, I hear you loved it). I know almost nothing about the book; only what Mark told me last night over dinner. If any of you want to join us in this read, you are welcome to do so. I think we'll begin in about two weeks and set some sort of schedule so we can all be at the same spot by a certain date. As our blog grows, anyone can suggest a read and post whenever with whomever. It's a shame the Harry Potter series is finished. We all enjoyed those so much. Some other books we have in common are The Kite Runner, The Glass Castle, Jane Eyre (Taylor's personal favorite), and A Summons to Memphis.
Very informal, no pressure, just a place to visit when you have time and the notion to talk about what you are reading.