Changes!

So, what do you think of the new look? I was getting bored with my original background, so I took a look at a website I found through my cousin Sarah and voila! I think the text is easy to read, but let me know if it's not. I tried to tweak it but there are only so many colors. Now I'll be able to change the background on my blog as the mood strikes me, but those of you reading this through Google Reader won't be able to tell unless you come directly to the site.

I'm also thinking of changing my blog name. I'm not really a librarian assistant anymore, plus the title is just long. However, I'm terrible at coming up with blog names, so I'm open to any and all suggestions! Thanks in advance for your help!

P.S. Don't forget to vote in the poll!

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

While not the best work of British literature I have read, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, was definitely entertaining. As is most literature of this time and nature, the novel is dually purposed: that of a haunting story, and that of an intellectual dive into the duality of man.

The story is told by Mr. Utterson, a reputable lawyer and friend of Dr. Henry Jekyll. While on a customary walk with an old friend, Mr. Utterson hears the story of a villainous, evil man, one Edward Hyde. Mr. Utterson is shocked and upset to hear that Mr. Hyde not only has a key to Dr. Jekyll's quarters, but that he has recently been named the sole heir to that same friend through his will.

Due to a feeling of loyalty, Mr. Utterson sets to understanding the relationship between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and warning Dr. Jekyll of his uncertainty of the offensive man and his fear for his friend's safety and reputation. Along the way we are given the account of another friend of both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Utterson, one Dr. Lanyon, and then finally the confession of Dr. Jekyll himself. The narrative flows smoothly and it's not hard to follow who is speaking, since the chapters are adequately labeled.

I'm sure just about everyone knows the story, so it won't be a spoiler to say that Dr. Jekyll is, in fact, Mr. Hyde. But the book is worth a read for several reasons. One, it's easy-to-read British literature, and that doesn't come along too often, I've found. It's also a quick read (I don't know the specific number of pages, but it's definitely a novella (less than 100 pages) rather than a novel. And three, Stevenson seamlessly integrated a horror story (at least by 19th century standards) and a true look at humanity's sense of good vs. evil without sounding preachy or boring. His story took the itangible concept (that of man being both good and evil, internally speaking) and showed us what that could look like if that same concept was made physically visible. There are marked physical differences between Jekyll and Hyde, and that's no coincidence. Evil incarnate is much different looking from the average Joe, but that's because the average Joe is both good and evil. I was fascinated by the delicate (and sometimes not so delicate) changes Stevenson made to the character in order to emphasize the differences but, as the story progresses and you see just how far Dr. Jekyll falls, it's intriguing to note just how alike and close the characters become.

I won't give away any details because I think this is a book worth reading, but it just wasn't one of my favorites (probably because I'm not the biggest fan of scary stories). And because of that bias, I give it 3.5 out of 5. Note that this is the first time I've used a half star - this is because when I initially finished the book I gave it a 3, but now that I've had some time to digest and appreciate what Stevenson was trying to say, I want to give it a 4. So we'll settle with 3.5 and call it a day. Maybe I just have a soft spot for British literature (who would believe it, after 4 semesters' worth of reading the stuff?).

Take the Poll!

I've submitted a poll (over to the left...a little father...there it is!) and I want you to tell me what book you'd like to see a review of. The four I've selected are all books I've read this year (although some much earlier than others) but I've tried to pick a broad selection, including books from authors you've heard of but didn't read, or books you might have only heard about in passing. The poll ends August 1 at noon, Eastern time, so make sure to get your vote in!

Dead Until Dark

I've been hearing a lot about the HBO series True Blood and the novels it's based on, the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris. I read the first book, Dead Until Dark, and while I liked it, I don't think it's "Twilight for adults" as I've heard it called. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely not PG like Twilight (there's a reason it's an HBO show and not a network show). But it didn't grab me like Twilight did.

Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress in a small bar in a small town in Louisiana, and she has the rare ability to read minds. This makes her a bit of an outcast and dating is almost impossible. But then suddenly she meets Bill, and she can't read a single thing he's thinking. The catch: Bill is a vampire.

Two years ago the Japanese invented synthetic blood that provided vampires (who were now legally allowed to exist and therefore were somewhat socially acceptable) the nutrients they needed, but it doesn't entirely quench their thirst. The only problem is that not all humans accept the vampires, and vice versa. There are still plenty of "Unfortunate Incidents" and when murders start to happen in the town of Bon Temps, fingers start pointing. But who's behind the murders? Is it Bill, Sookie's handsome vampire? Or her brother? Or is there a different type of menace lurking around the town?

This was definitely a good book; it kept me interested and turning the pages. It just didn't pull me into the characters as much as Twilight did, but that's more to do with writing style than the story (I mean, really, this book would be much longer if there was much more character development). So, I'd be interested in reading this again, and I will be checking out the next book in the series (which I hear is much faster-paced and intense) so I give this one 3 out of 5 stars.

A Walk in the Woods

I just read an amazing book. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail was an informative, funny, eye-opening experience. I say "experience" because Bill Bryson pulls you onto the trail beside him. I feel as if I truly understand the hard work and stamina required for such an endeavor and, although I admire what Bryson accomplished and even fantasize about doing it myself, I know, based on what I've read, there's no way I would try to hike the Appalachian Trail.

That's not true. I'm sure I could be persuaded by a hefty dollar amount.

While I enjoy hiking and experiencing nature and new things, from my own personal experience with hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains, I am very much an "indoor girl."

But that's what was so great about Bryson's writing. I could be inside in air conditioning, with a bottle of water next to me and absolutely no mosquitos, and still felt as if I was experiencing the trail with him. I felt as if I was there when he first set foot on the roughly 2,100 mile hike, felt exhilirated with the feeling of unknown adventure, terrified when his friend went missing, awed when he came face-to-face with a moose, and held my breath when something - or some thing - was just outside his tent in the middle of the night with nothing but a pair of staring, glowing eyes. I learned the importance of always packing (and double-checking that you packed) waterproof gear and how quickly the weather can change on a mountain. All of this took him months to learn and experience while fighting heat, exhaustion, rain, and wildlife. It took me just over 24 hours.

There are few books that I will read in less than 48 hours, and even fewer that I will read more than once. A Walk in the Woods has now fallen into both categories.

I enjoyed his wit (his humor is much the same as my own, which always makes a book more fun) and the hilarious banter between him and his friend Stephen Katz (who did most of the hiking with him). One aspect of the book that was incredibly informative but just as incredibly sad was the statistics that Bryson would seamlessly transition into when he reached a new part of the trail or came across a specific animal. I learned a lot about the different problems facing moose, bears (or the problems they present to us), and even specific species of trees.

This is a book I highly recommend. It's one I wish I hadn't waited to read.

Five out of five stars.

Contest from Squeaky Books

Enna Isalee is hosting a contest on her blog Squeaky Books to win a copy of Lisa Mantchev's Eyes Like Stars (link to the contest page, not the book review). This looks like a very interesting book (it's about a world where characters from plays are alive and live together in a theatre....I just butchered that review, but hey, I haven't read it yet!). Anyway, it looks like it's right up my alley and Enna Isalee has declared that anyone who comments on her blog and links to their own blog post about it will get 2 entries into the contest, so here I am! Fingers crossed!

Things In My Life Today

1. I wish people would stop yelling at me over the phone. a) I'm not the one who offended you. b) It's not my fault you didn't read the fine print in your contract.

2. I realize that getting Lizzie to think fireworks are intruders and not acting any differently towards her is helping her to not be quite as freaked out as she has been. She's still terrified, but at least she's a little better.

3. Counting down the months until next May might not cut it.

4. I really need to get off my butt and go to the gym for an hour, but it's amazing the amount of willpower I'm lacking right now.

5. Wish I had more time to read, and wish I had a book that I just couldn't put down.

6. I really like the movie Benny & Joon. You should watch it. No excuses. It's on hulu.com.

Oh, Lizzie-Bears

The other night I was over at a friend's house to help celebrate the summer and the first month down of the med students' fourth year. When I arrived, who should I see but my dear puppy! Come to find out Keith and been borrowing a friend's shock collar and was testing how well Lizzie responded to it. We didn't have to use it to get her to stay within the boundaries of the backyard (which was not totally fenced in), but only when she would incessantly bark while playing (apparently their neighbors have called the cops due to barking dogs before...weird). It was difficult to find the right setting; she really is a tough dog. But it was also nice to have "the hand of God" discipline her instead of us, because she didn't see us as the bad guys. She just realized that what she was doing at that moment was wrong, and she stopped. To be honest, it was pretty awesome.


I was reluctant to the shock collar when she was a puppy because I just didn't trust it. How would she know what a shock meant? What would she do when it happened? Now I'm kind of interested in investing in one. Obviously I wouldn't use it all the time, nor would I let her off-leash most of the time, and I know she would understand when it was on or off her neck. But it was so amazing to have her off-leash, playing with other dogs in a mostly-enclosed space, without really having to worry about her. Things to think about.



Also, an update: she's still terrified of fireworks. Her safe place is the bathtub.



Right now we've closed off the tub area so she's just laying on the bathroom floor. Sigh.