The Giver – Children’s Lit Discussion

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books, Lois Lowry, the Giver

This month in our Children’s Literature Discussion group our book was Lois Lowry’s The Giver. I also call this book “Intro to Dystopian Literature.”

I have loved this book for years, and loved it just as much reading through it this month. I think what I like most about it is the way the story starts off with the focus on an eleven-year-old boy who is nervous about his life and what he will become.

So far, so good. Nothing seems wrong with that, though his world seems a little strange. Through his eyes we find out more about his world; his perfect, comfortable, painless world.

But soon we come to see that there are things missing from his life, gaping holes that he didn’t even realize until he begins his training to be the community’s Receiver. Yes, the world of this community is appealing in many ways, yet the absence of pain and suffering also means the absence of love and beauty. What a paradox.

I like the way Lois Lowry writes. She oscillates between very specific details and very general descriptions, which serve the purpose of her story well.

There is so much more I could say about this book, but I’m not sure where that would end, so I’ll just stop here and tell you to feel free to ask questions or start discussions — I’m up for them anytime!

American Fairytale Television: Once Upon a Time

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Once Upon a Time, tv shows

Now that I’ve written about about my British Television obsession with Downton Abbey, it’s time to move to American Television for a moment. I do not often keep up up with shows that are on air–I seem to catch them once they have been canceled (besides, that makes it easier to binge on them)–but this year I have a couple of exceptions.

I’m almost caught up, with a group of friends, on AMC’s MadMen. Season 5 is starting at the end of March, and we’re catching up quickly. But more on that in a later post (maybe).

Also on the viewing docket is ABC’s Once Upon a Time, which is about fairy tales, naturally. But with a twist.

Here’s the premise: An evil Queen shows up at Snow White and Prince Charming’s wedding and curses all fairytale creatures, and especially those two (probably the fact that she’s Snow’s step-mother has something to do with the timing of the curse). At any rate, she sends all fairytale characters to… dun, dun, dunn! the “real world,” where she has power and can ensure that none of them have “a happily ever after.”

It definitely feels like the makers of LOST watched the movie Enchanted (ok, some of the writers of LOST actually are the ones making this show!), and decided to make the idea into a show. We are constantly switching back and forth between the small Maine town of Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest fairy tales.

The show includes crazy plot twists, but is very character-driven, which I like. Each episode introduces new fairytale characters and gives them a back story, usually close enough to the version we know to be cute, but different enough to give it a new spin. Oh, and Rumpelstiltskin is a key component in most stories. Who knew (and how can he keep all his deals straight)??

p.s. I’m sorry this post isn’t very exciting, it’s just that so much of this show is the suspense of not knowing what they’re going to throw at us next that I would hate to spoil it for you.

Most Hilarious Christmas Gift

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bacon jam, Christmas, cooking, humor

I received some lovely gifts this year for Christmas, but by far the most entertaining was a small jar of bacon jam.

Yes, bacon jam.

This is real

This spreadable bacon may seem strange to you, but when added to scrambled eggs or spread on a toasted sandwich, it actually tastes pretty good. You have the bacon taste without the difficulty of the bacon falling out of the side of the sandwich. It is a little strange, and it is actually sweeter and less salty than I thought it would be (brown sugar is an ingredient), but it’s really not too bad. I wouldn’t eat it straight from the jar, but when added to something else (I hear it’s great on hamburgers), it adds a nice bacon flavor.

Let me know if you want to sample it, and I’ll see if I can whip up something that includes this ingredient.

Mostly I think what I enjoy about this bacon spread is thinking “I am eating bacon jam” to myself every time I take a bite. It’s funny every time.