Callie Sharp Sharp itibaren Nowe Warpno, Polonya itibaren Nowe Warpno, Polonya

I read this for one of my book clubs. I like to read old classics once in a while. There's a reason they're old classics and not forgotten. This is a more difficult read than what I'm usually into just because of the older style of language and early ninteenth century social customs that I'm not familiar with. Some versions of Jane Austen novels have footnotes that explain a lot of these, but the version I got from the library didn't have those. So I did the best I could by reading carefully and doing some internet research when I was confused. I like this story. Understandably, women are drawn to stories where there is some romantic tension, so I can see why Jane Austen is a popular author, even after all this time. There are some laugh out loud funny characters as well- the main character's pain-in-the-butt- sisters are a riot. I'm glad I read this one. It should be a fun book club discussion.

So there was a Nova special not too long ago that featured Oliver Sacks rather prominently and ran through some quick highlights of the research he's done regarding music and the brain. The program was interesting enough for me to make a note to look him up and 448 pages later, here's what I can say. I've no idea who the audience for this book is. There were certainly parts where I had neither the musical nor medical vocabulary necessary to understand what exactly was being related or its importance. Most of the 'essays' are simply descriptions of case studies or personal experiences and though some of the core topics are fascinating (ear worms, musical hallucination, amusia) they weren't presented in a way that I found particularly accessible. Since there's not much of a central structure here other than the rather broad "music and the brain," nothing really moved the book forward for me. I took in a remarkable amount of information regarding neurology, music and perception but none of it hung together in any substantive way. It's not that it wasn't (in parts) engaging and in fact, several chapters challenged some preconceived notions I had about how we experience the world. But it was a slog and I barely made it. (3/5)

This is my first introduction to Dave Eggers. And I think I would like him as a person, I just don't know if we get along that well in that "Author and Reader" kind of way. I get it man, I think I really do. Live life like you dream life, fucking soar! Right? "You Shall Know Our Velocity" read a lot like my lonely days. Sometimes, I just do things to pass the time. Because it's too much to be alone with what's happening in your head. So I will keep busy to stay afloat until something better comes along. Why do I need to read this to remind me that life is too hard some days. Regardless, Eggers did manage to create in this book a sense of whimsy that filled me up and then floated away. Maybe I will appreciate the lightness of life some greener day. Maybe I secretly did like this book. Maybe you will too, secretly.

** spoiler alert ** A girl/woman returns to her family home to care for her mother who is dying of cancer. Entire story takes place / looks back / after the death of the mother from overdose of morphine. Daugther thought to be responsible for death. Mother killed herself. Understanding self, roles of mother, strength of this woman the daughter had underestimated.