#55 in my 2007 book challenge was the Marvel graphic novel Runaways Vol. 1. It’s a hefty hardcover, with a faux-leather cover, good paper stock, and it includes the first 18 issues of the series. Now _this_ is a good book for young adults. A group of California kids learn that their parents are up to something more sinister than an investment group. The kids run away together. They try to come to terms with their own abilities, while plotting what to do about their super villain parents. The group of kids is likable. The parents are more interesting and complex than they at first appear. The dialog, look, and relationships among the kids is also realistic. There’s some funny stuff, and some dark stuff, and almost all of it’s good stuff. This book was a lot of fun, and I look forward to reading the next volume, which has been sitting on my shelf far too long.

I have a few observations after watching the December 6 episode of Top Chef’s holiday special this year. CJ is really funny and charming. Sandee seems great, but I suspect her early elimination from Season 3 was no accident. Marcel is so weaselly and strangely bearded that he looks like a Marvel comics villain to me. Tiffany is a force of nature, and it was fun to watch her cook. I want to try to make that butterscotch pudding. Finally, I was glad to see Tre cook well, and he lost with aplomb. His comment that coming in second to such a talented chef is a huge honor showed a lot of class, I thought. Best wishes to Tre, Tiffany, and the rest of the chefs.

#54 in my 2007 book challenge was Good as Lily, the final book I’m going to read from the DC graphic novel imprint, Minx. Here’s why.

List of Young Adult Novel Cliches:

Smart, decent looking heroine: check
geeky boy with crush on her: check
gorgeous guy that she has crush on: check
good looking but not-too-bright mean girl as nemesis: check
diminishment of hostility between heroine and mean girl when they have moment of empathy: check

To its credit, Good as Lily had some nice detail about Korean-American kids, as well as a magical realism premise that might have been interesting had it been able to be explored in more depth. As it is, though, I found Good as Lily is about as good as the other books in the Minx line: OK. Kim, Hamm, and the other creators who work on Minx books are clearly talented, yet I think they’re being constrained by the short length and YA conventions. The books might be OK for younger girls, but I haven’t found the complexity or depth for them to engage older readers.

Shepherd’s Way is one of our favorite local cheesemakers. They suffered a tragedy earlier this year and are still struggling to stay afloat. For $100, you can adopt and name one of their sheep. If that’s too expensive, seek out their Friesago, Friesago Reserva, Big Woods Blue, and Shepherd’s Hope cheeses at Twin Cities area grocery stores and coops. I hope we’ll all be buying the cheese from their sheep for a long time.

I made dinner last night, and was rewarded twice. First, it was very good. Since it was a casserole made out of the previous night’s quite unpleasant lamb and cabbage stew, my husband and I were relieved that we didn’t have to choke down bad leftovers. Second, when 4yo Drake sat down, he looked at it and announced, “I don’t like it.” A little while later, he took a bite, then exclaimed, “Mom, you were right! I _do_ like shepherd’s pie!”

I was toy shopping for the boys when I discovered that what seemed like a basic box of Legos costs $100. WTF?

Of late, I rarely have time to read the long articles that my favored blogs link to. Today, though, I took the time and was glad of it. Three disparate articles wove together in provocative ways.

From Edward Champion’s Return of the Reluctant (link from Mental Multivitamin), a critique of Sherry Shepherd’s statement that “Jesus came first” on The View:

Sherri Shepherd of The View has uttered, in all seriousness, that “Jesus came first.” Shepherd seems to believe that, in the great collective whole of human existence, there was no religion before Christianity….

when presented with the facts by her peers, Shepherd is incapable of even confessing that her co-hosts may be right.

Philip Pullman, interviewed at More Intelligent Life (link from Arts and Letters Daily), is the author of the “His Dark Materials” series, which I wrote about here, here, and here. The first book, titled The Golden Compass in the USA and Northern Lights elsewhere, has been adapted into a film. Both his film and the books are being criticized and boycotted by religious groups:

Pullman says that people who are tempted to take offence should first see the film or read the books. “They’ll find a story that attacks such things as cruelty, oppression, intolerance, unkindness, narrow-mindedness, and celebrates love, kindness, open-mindedness, tolerance, curiosity, human intelligence. It’s very hard to disagree with those. But people will”….

Pullman clearly enjoys an argument; Bernard Shaw, after all, is one of his favourite authors. He draws the line at discussing issues with fundamentalists. “You can’t communicate with people who know they’ve got all the answers.”

Also in the interview, Pullman places the focus on story, not writing:

I’m fundamentally a storyteller, not a literary person, if I can make that distinction. If I wrote a story that had enough vigour and life to pass into common currency and be recounted by people who had no idea that I was the author, nothing would give me greater pleasure.

In her Nobel Prize acceptance speech (link from Pages Turned), Doris Lessing also venerates storytelling, and its creative, shifting nature, so unlike the rigid, uninformed arguments of Shepherd and Pullman’s denouncers.

The storyteller is deep inside everyone of us. The story-maker is always with us. Let us suppose our world is attacked by war, by the horrors that we all of us easily imagine. Let us suppose floods wash through our cities, the seas rise . . . but the storyteller will be there, for it is our imaginations which shape us, keep us, create us - for good and for ill. It is our stories that will recreate us, when we are torn, hurt, even destroyed. It is the storyteller, the dream-maker, the myth-maker, that is our phoenix, that represents us at our best, and at our most creative.

Spring has sprung
Autumn has fell
It’s winter now
And it’s colder than….

Minus 3 is what our thermometer said this morning, which reminds me that we’re past due to put together an emergency car kit. About 4 years past due, since the last time we did it we had no kids.

Road and Travel has a good, brief list, via AAA:

* flashlight
* flares or reflective triangle
* distress sign
* telephone change
* first aid supplies
* basic tools
* a fully charged cell phone

Other recommended items are:

* boots
* hat
* coat
* gloves
* jumper cables
* carpet strips, sand or kitty litter for traction
* ice scraper and brush
* blanket
* chocolate candy (my favorite part)

Might I suggest a bag of Dark Chocolate M & Ms?

#53 in my 2007 book challenge was Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. This was a long,uncomfortable read for me. It reminded me of my experience reading Confederacy of Dunces. I didn’t like it. I knew it was supposed to be funny but I didn’t find it so. Yet I also could see why it was important, well done, and in the case of IM, a classic.

An unnamed black everyman careers through a series of circumstances that are often excruciating. Slowly, he learns about society, race, and the pressures of history. It’s frustrating to read because of the main character’s naivete and frequent inaction. Also unpleasant are the many injustices done unto him. But his journey to the end and his transformation make this a kind of bildungsroman. Interestingly, my use of a German term isn’t as incongruous as it might be. Ellison was clearly influenced by the philosophy of Hegel, as well as many other dead, white, males. He took a great deal of criticism for this in the wake of the book’s publication and subsequent success–it won the National Book Award, among other plaudits. He notes in the 1981 introduction, though, that he was trying to have an intellectual black main character, something he found lacking in most other literature.

I noticed several writing themes throughout the book. Ellison used terms for light and black deliberately and with positive and negative connotations, respectively. He rarely, if ever, identified characters by their race, and left it to the reader to piece together whether they were white or black through other details. And his prose was influenced by the musical style of the blues. It often had a dreaming, wandering quality that nevertheless carried the narrative through with strength.

I did not enjoy reading this book, but race is always an uncomfortable subject. As an example, I’ve used “black” in this review rather than the more modern and PC “African American”. This book is well worth reading, and I’m glad I did.

Think you’ve got a well-developed vocabulary? Check out Free Rice. Link from Bookslut. (I got a 42).

Your Score: PORTLAND!

You scored 42% Style, 18% Climate, and 56% Culture!

You are Portland, Oregon! Portland, the largest city in Oregon and seat of Multnomah County, is located in the northwest part of the state on the Willamette River. Portland has a diverse economy with a broad base of manufacturing, distribution, wholesale and retail trade, regional government, and business services. Major manufacturing industries include machinery, electronics, metals, transportation equipment, and lumber and wood products. Technology is a thriving part of Portland’s economy, with over 1,700 high-tech companies located in the metropolitan area. Tourism is also important to Portland’s economy, drawing more than 7 million visitors annually.

You are a nicely cultured individual, appreciating a good play, book, movie, or fine dining. You also appreciate some diversity, lest things get too boring. Not one for sitting and relaxing for long periods at a time nor dressing up the nines, you take interest in getting outside and being out in nature, enjoying the cool, crisp air…maybe even playing a sport or taking a hike. Portland is a good place to be, my friend.

Link: The Which Major U.S. City Are You? Test written by weeredII on OkCupid

Yes, I know I profess to hate quizzes, but sometimes when I’m stressed they’re better than other unhealthy behaviors.

When I visited Portland a few years back, I thought, “I could live here.” But there’s too little sun, and it’s too far away from our immediate families. So while we do have many friends and relatives in the Portland area, and it’s cool, I’m sticking to my no-Portland stance.

Has Project Runway jumped the shark? I am excited to watch the new episode each week, then feel “meh” once it’s done. It’s gotten easier to tell who will be at the top and bottom simply based on the talking heads. For whatever reason, though, season 4 isn’t working for me.

This week’s challenge was for each designer to take an outdated trend, then group together into threes and update the trends to form a cohesive trio. The challenge was both difficult and complex, and made we wonder if PR has already peaked; it feels like they’re working awfully hard to come up with something “new”.

Since there are still so many designers, it feels more like a whirl of personalities. Christian had a pissy, immature expression when Jillian’s team was named the winner. Jack’s features are ostensibly handsome, but strangely off-putting; I sense some plastic surgery. Ricky is right; Victoria _is_ passive agressive. Is Ricky talented? It will be interesting to see. Steven’s snark is sharper than are his designs. I felt joy for Sweet P when Donna Karan singled her out for praise. And Chris’s jacket was ugly and costume-y, in spite of his delusional love for it.

Jillian, Rami, and Kevin turned out to be the dream team, though Kevin was only able to pull off those shorts at the last minute. I liked the “agree to disagree” discussion between Rami and Jillian about Kevin, and appreciated that they came across as quietly talented. Team Christian, on the other hand, was a lot of sound and fury that signified little.

I’ll keep watching of course, but I’m more compelled by the reruns of Season 2 on my Tivo than the brand new episodes.

OMG! Jack and my favorite Big Gay Chef Dale are dating! I may have to be nicer about Jack.

Remember to check out what others are saying: Project Rungay, Blogging Project Runway.

One of the most disturbing things I learned from Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma is how dependent as a species we’ve become on corn, and how its production, subsidies, and byproducts have become such facts of life that we barely notice them.

I highly recommend the book. For more on how much corn is in our diets, check out the documentary “King Corn” at the Oak Street Cinema in Minneapolis this week. There will also be a discussion at the Wedge food coop on Friday.

I watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with my 4yo son Drake yesterday. I’ll stop sometimes and ask him what’s happening. “I don’t know!” he says happily.

The story of how a band of misfits come together and find strength in their unique selves is a timeless one. But a few snarky comments floated through my head, as I watched through adult eyes:

Hermie the dentist: if you substitute “gay” for dentistry, it still holds together. I’ve recently watched Season One of Project Runway. Hermie reminded me a lot of Austin Scarlett.

What women are up for, part I: When Rudolph runs away, his dad, Donner, says he’s going to look for him. Mom offers to go, too, but Donner declares, “This is MAN’s work!” Then Rudolph’s mother and girlfriend go off to look for him anyway.

Curious timing: Over a year, Rudolph leisurely grows up on his own, then returns home to find everyone is still gone, looking for him. He proceeds directly to the lair of the Abominable Snowman, who is just about to eat his parents and girlfriend. Why don’t the kids see how contrived this is?

Dental work without consent: Hermie and Yukon’s plan is to pull all the Bumble’s teeth while he’s unconscious? Animal cruelty!

What women need, part II: After they escape the Bumble’s lair, the deer return to Christmastown immediately; the males decide “that’s what would be best for the ladies.”

I am avalanched with many mundanities of life: sick kids, cold weather, household mishaps, etc. My entries and my replies are delayed, and I will get back to the blog as I can. I read all, and appreciate all your comments, even if I’m slow to reply!

Knuffle Bunny Too is a worthy sequel to Mo Willems’s Knuffle Bunny, and a welcome addition to his impressive oeuvre. While I don’t consistently love all his books (such as Leonardo and Edwina) my kids, 4yo Drake and 21mo Guppy, are gaga over Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny, Elephant, and Piggie.

As in its predecessor, KB2 meshes photos with Willems’s illustrations to great effect. Trixie is back, and she’s gone on to great conversational lengths (if not heights) from the conclusion of KB1. She is disturbed to learn that her beloved Knuffle Bunny (pronounced Kuh-nuffle, as it is in German) is not unique. Rivalry and hijinks ensue. Dad gets bossed about; happiness is restored in the end.

Careful observers can detect the slight differences in the bunnies, as well as three appearances of Pigeon. Like Hitchcock, the Pigeon appears somewhere in all of Willems’s books.

Looking for toys that will bring joy? Both The Pigeon and Knuffle Bunny now are in plush form!

From the Manolo, who cried foul on the challenge:

Menswear does not fall under the purview of the fashion designer. It belongs properly and only to the tailor, to men who have devoted their lives to the arcana of button holes and pick-stitched lapels and French facings, and who know that what matters most in menswear is material, cut, fit and detail.

But had a hilarious analysis of why Tiki Barber is fashionable:

Left to his own devices, [Barber's] ebullient personality would riot in color and flash, but restrain and encase that magnificent athlete’s body in traditional English-cut suiting, and then allow him to pick the colors and the accessories, and he becomes the epitome of style. Undoubtedly it is his beautiful but stern-seeming wife who is the genius behind the suits, and it is this tension between exuberance and restraint that makes Tiki what he is fashion-wise.

Project Rungay agrees with my LCD complaint:

By its very nature, the Today Show is meant to appeal to the broadest possible demographic, which means the people who populate these shows tend toward bland personalities in bland clothing. To ask the designers to design something to be worn by such a person is basically handing them an assignment that says “Boil it down to the lowest common denominator you can.”

Maureen Ryan wondered:

Where was the love for Steven’s outfit? I thought it was very polished and smart, especially given the time constraints. He’s one to watch, and I’m not just saying that because he’s a Chicago guy.

Steven also received a lot of love in the comments on the PR4.3 post at ALoTT5MA.

My friend Thalia posted this meme. I normally avoid these, but the list was so bizarre and since she’s one of my favorite bookish friends, I wanted to post about it as conversation.

Bold means I’ve read it. Italics means I started it but didn’t finish. Crossed out means I hated it. TBR means I want to read, or re-read it.

Why I find this list bizarre and stupid: who picked the classics–Austen and Bronte but not Hemingway or Fitzgerald? And why multiples from Neil Gaiman and Neal Stephenson, but only two more recent ones by Atwood? There’s a smattering of “it” books up to a few years ago, but without rhyme or reason. Some I won’t bother reading. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is supposed to be boring and superficial. I very much enjoyed Zen and the Art of Archery instead.

What I’m proudest of having read: the completed novels of Austen, Don Quixote, Gulliver’s Travels, all just because I wanted to.

1984
The Aeneid
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
American Gods
Anansi Boys-TBR
Angela’s Ashes : A Memoir
Angels & Demons
Anna Karenina-TBR
Atlas Shrugged
Beloved
The Blind Assassin-TBR
Brave New World
The Brothers Karamazov
The Canterbury Tales
Catch-22
The Catcher in the Rye
A Clockwork Orange
Cloud Atlas
Collapse : How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
A Confederacy of Dunces
The Confusion-TBR
The Corrections
The Count of Monte Cristo
Crime and Punishment
Cryptonomicon
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
David Copperfield
Don Quixote
Dracula
Dubliners-TBR
Dune-TBR
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
Emma
Foucault’s Pendulum
The Fountainhead
Frankenstein
Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
The God of Small Things
The Grapes of Wrath
Gravity’s Rainbow
Great Expectations
Gulliver’s Travels
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
The Historian : A Novel
The Hobbit
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Iliad
In Cold Blood : A True Account of a Multiple Murder and its Consequences
The Inferno
Jane Eyre
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
The Kite Runner
Les Misérables
Life of Pi : A Novel
Lolita-TBR
Love in the Time of Cholera-TBR
Madame Bovary-TBR
Mansfield Park
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlemarch-TBR
Middlesex
The Mists of Avalon
Moby Dick
Mrs. Dalloway
The Name of the Rose
Neverwhere
Northanger Abbey
The Odyssey
Oliver Twist
On the Road
The Once and Future King
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Oryx and Crake : A Novel
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
Persuasion
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Poisonwood Bible : A Novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Pride and Prejudice
The Prince
Quicksilver-TBR
Reading Lolita in Tehran : A Memoir in Books
The Satanic Verses
The Scarlet Letter
Sense and Sensibility
A Short History of Nearly Everything
The Silmarillion
Slaughterhouse-five
The Sound and the Fury
The Tale of Two Cities
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
The Three Musketeers
The Time Traveler’s Wife
To the Lighthouse
Treasure Island
Ulysses
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Vanity Fair
War and Peace-TBR
Watership Down
White Teeth
Wicked : The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Wuthering Heights
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : An Inquiry Into Values

Both episodes 2 and 3 had special guests, but only ep 2’s caused the designers to weep with joy and quake with fear. Christian and Carmen’s 80’s flashback was horrible, and Christian’s love of it was quite bizarre. Listen to Tim, little boy. I could hardly believe that not only did bizarre and wifty puppet-mistress Elisa stay in, but she nearly won. Victorya’s dress was good, but I didn’t see it being as universal as the judges claimed. It’s a tough challenge to design something for a low-priced everywoman line, but yet still push the fashion envelope. While I liked the pretty dress by Jack, it wasn’t astonishing.

In episode 3, most people bite off more than they can chew, and Carmen and Ricky have meltdowns when confronted with their shoddy work. Jack’s conservative two-piece wins over Kit’s more ambitious ensemble. The trouble with having a guest judge, especially one who will wear the outfit, is they’re usually not as fashion-forward as they think they are–think back to Wendy Pepper’s critical win, and Austin’s auf, in the penultimate Grammy challenge from Season 1. Jack’s outfit looked very Thomas Pink to me. Nice, but not surprising, as Kit’s fleece blazer was.

There is an element of unreality to season 3 to me; it doesn’t feel like it’s really starting. Perhaps it’s because there are still SO many designers.

Also, Kevin? You doth protest your straightness too much. Get over yourself.

Go get more PR love at Blogging Project Runway.

Want to feel loved by a child? Wear velvet pants. They are hug magnets.