A Trivial Buttonhole: 12/20/10

Monday, December 20, 2010

Series: My Best Reads of 2010 #3

BEST BOOKS I READ IN 2010 - PUBLISHED IN 2010

Historical / Science Fiction:

Blackout and All Clear - Connie Willis - American author (February & October 2010)

Follows the story of three time travel historians who get stuck in London during the Blitz, and have to figure out what's gone wrong or they'll be trapped in the past (or worse.) This one's a mixed bag because Willis could have used a tougher editor, and I found one of her protagonists uninteresting. But.

(1) Willis is fascinated by this moment in time, and she drew me into her fascination with her meticulous research (including a random meeting with a bunch of ladies who drove ambulances in WWII.) (2) Willis always works with a theme. This time it was heroism: the Grand Gesture vs the Everyday Hero. She perfectly and touchingly weaved it into the ending, so I got Full Closure.

(3) I loved Eileen, the seemingly most fragile of the three historians, and I loved the people she drew in around her--the curate, and the two most evil children on the side of the Allies, the Hodbins. Alf and Binnie Hodbin alone made this series for me.

Special Relationship: Polly and the Shakespearean actor Sir Godfrey--his acting moved me to tears and I was just reading about it! And there's a nice parallel with Prospero and Miranda from The Tempest.

Did I get teary? Yes, a few times. And one good lol involving tanks.

Further Reading: If you want to know the-big-deal-with-Connie-Willis then you have to read The Doomsday Book. I bought it years ago simply because it had won so many awards, and I can remember where I was as I read the first chapter (bus, 203 route), and where I was when I read the ending (this living room, listening to Gordon Lightfoot.) Theme, characters, juggled storylines, historical research, horror, beauty, humour--all brilliantly handled.

Imaginary Casting: Christopher Plummer as Sir Godfrey

Other Covers

Minion Vs the Christmas Tree: scaaary stuff

As I'm expecting Minion's siege against the Christmas tree to come in many episodes, I've created a new link on the right that you can click on to keep up to date. We'll have to award Minion a point from yesterday, for pulling a branch off; and another for banishing cranberries.

TREE 0

MINION 2

Today's Attempts...

CHAPTER ONE

This morning Minion made her first pattes-off-the-floor go at the tree. She fell right off.

TREE 1

MINION 2

CHAPTER TWO

This evening I decorated the tree. When I put on the lights I noticed some of them weren't working. I found a bulbless socket, filled it, and everything lit up. I retired to the kitchen to start supper, and when I returned to the living room the same lights weren't working. [Scratches head.] [I could have sworn I fixed this.] [Once again goes bulb by bulb, looking for a missing or loose ligh.t] I finally located a loose lightbulb... with chew marks around it. She crept in while I wasn't looking and chewed on a light.

TREE 1

MINION 3

CHAPTER THREE

I proceeded to decorate the tree. I declined to use the delicate handmade pieces by Fernando's foster mother.

From my stupidly-large collection, I chose:

- styrofoam dollar store balls, including some at the bottom for Minion to bat at

- a couple metal ornaments along the bottom which I hope are chew-proof

- as many stars on the lights, in hopes that she'll eat those instead of the lights

- WOOD fake cranberries

and a star for her to impale herself upon if she gets that high.

Then I sat back to see what Minion would do.

CHAPTER FOUR

Minion zeroed right in on a foam ball.

Paused & posed for this photo.

Got the ball off the tree.

Batted it around the apartment.

Holed up with it in her tunnel.

TREE 1

MINION 4

CHAPTER FIVE

I took the foam balls off the bottom of the tree. I don't mind if she bats them around, but I forgot she might EAT them. I replaced them with the hard plastic Rudolph claymation figurines. Chew on THAT, kittay!