Finished The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.  This is a prequel to my favorite book ever, The Shadow of the Wind.

This is very different from Shadow of the Wind but it's still great.

Here's the synopsis from the back of the book--I don't want to spoil anything, because this is really good.

"In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man, David Martin, makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym.  The survivor of a troubled childhood, he spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city's underworld.  But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house lie photographs and letters hinting at an unsolved mystery.

Like a slow poison, the history of the place and an impossible love bring David close to despair.  But then he receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime.  He is to write a book unlike any other - a book with the power to change hearts and minds.  In return, he will receive a fortune, perhaps more.  But as David begins the work, he realzies that there is a connection between this haunting book and the shadows that surround his home.

Set in the turbulent 1920s, The Angel's Game takes us back to the gothic universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and the Sempere & Sons bookshop, in a masterful tale about the magic of books and the darkest corners of the human soul."

The Angel's Game

Carlos Ruiz Zafón

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26506144-952,00.html

Article from:

BIBLE classes should be compulsory so children have a fundamental understanding of Christianity on leaving school, federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.

"I think everyone should have some familiarity with the great texts that are at the core of our civilisation," Mr Abbott told the Herald Sun.

"That includes, most importantly, the Bible.

"That doesn't mean that people have to be believers."

But former Howard government Islamic advisor Dr Ameer Ali, said Mr Abbott's remarks were "over the top".

"It's one thing to say every child needs a good knowledge of history and geography or science," Dr Ali said.

"But it is something else to say all children should have a knowledge of the Bible. That might hurt other people who have their own holy scriptures," he said.

And the Australian Education Union's federal president, Angelo Gavrielatos, said that religion was not a priority for schools.

"There is a place for comparative studies of religion in the curriculum, but ultimately we consider it a private matter for parents and their children," he said.

Read more on the Herald Sun's website.

You all know that I'm fucking nuts, so this will come as no surprise.

On Monday, I was at work, bored, staring down an afternoon with little to do. I did what anyone with a serious mental illness would do: I faked a headache and left work to go work on the house!

I put in a good five hours, feeling pleased that I was getting closer to being ready for my drywall contractor to work next week. The next morning, it occurred to me that I already had an excuse in place, so I called in sick. Good thing I did.

At about 9:30, my drywall contractor called to say that his schedule had changed. He could either start on Wednesday or he wouldn't be able to get to it until the new year.

My people, you know what I did. I said, "Start on Wednesday," and then I threw my ass in gear to get ready for him. I knew I had at least two more days of work to do, so I figured on at least 16 hours. It ended up taking a little longer than that. It was my first and hopefully my last home remodeling all-nighter. Because it's one thing to pull an all-nighter, sitting around eating pizza and studying. It's another thing to spend all night standing on a ladder, scraping, peeling, sanding, and priming.

At about 8 pm, I broke for dinner and went down the block to the nearest fast food place. In the shape I was in, I would normally have gone through the drive-thru, but the bathroom in my basement is sooooo cold. I was willing to face a little public humilation in order to put my ass on a toilet seat that was not glacial.

Pig-pen_peanuts

I took my pee break and went back out to order some dinner. People stepped away from me in line. At the counter, the cashier recoiled. Now I knew I was dirty, but until that moment I hadn't realized just how dirty. I had a cloud of dust and debris around me--the pulverized particulate of fifty years of bad wallpaper choices. And probably not a little in the way of lead paint chips. The cashier didn't even bother to ask if I wanted my food to go; she just bagged it up and handed it to me from arm's length. Only then did I notice the little semi-circle of dust and detritus that I'd left at the counter where I'd been standing.

But wait, there's more. At midnight, about 15 hours into my ordeal, I was dying. I could see I had at least 3 more hours of work and maybe 5 hours. I went out to the local quickie mart for coffee and another pee break in non-artic conditions. An elderly man stood by the counter chatting with the college age cashier. Clearly the old man had reached that point in life where he no longer really needed sleep, so he'd taken to hanging around pestering cashiers at all-night quickie marts.

When I approached with my coffee, the old man smiled at me and said, "Why don't you let me get that for you?"

I was already in a slightly stunned state, but I managed to say, "No, that's okay. I got it."

He persisted, but I already had my money out on the counter.

Having failed to buy me a coffee, the old man said, "Do you have some place warm to stay tonight?"

Yes, that's right, my people. I was so bedraggled looking that I was mistaken for a homeless person. I schlepped my crusty, dusty self back to my 2 bedroom gulag, and went on with the work. At 4:30, I put the last strokes of primer on all the cut wallpaper seams, and dragged myself home to shower and sleep for a few hours.

For the record, I do not recommend this, but I do now have sheetrock on my walls.

Today my wife and I celebrate thirty-eight years of marriage together.

The following lyrics explain my sentiments far more grandly than I could ever hope to express.

What are you hoping to find under the tree this year?

Wreath-TapestryBird

Blankets. Chai tea and movies. Books. Winter-themed items. This time of year is nice when I'm prepared. Pajamas and slippers. It's been soooo cold!

The house is looking more spacious. Just a few large, cozy pieces of furniture and throw blankets for us and the cats. And winter mugs. I'm going to be reading stacks of books this year. I was browsing the local bookseller's store last night. I found a lot of great non-fiction. Yoga calendars. Travel books.

One magazine author was talking about getting gifts from people for whom she hasn't reciprocated. She said she considers that part of the ebb and flow of holidays from year to year. What a great thought. I think ebb and flow will be a theme for us this year. We don't need a lot of stuff. And to put together a good travel package so we can go anywhere and be comfortable.

**ps I apologize for any spelling errors today, or any other goofy behavior. My thoughts are obscured by pain. Nice to be among friends, though.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3)

J.K. Rowling

Read because: I'm listening to all the HP books on CD

Borrowed from: the Sacramento Library

Rating: 8 out of 10

Synopsis: Harry is back and in fine form in the third installment of his adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His summer with the hideous Dursley family is cut short when, during a fit of quite understandable rage, he turns his Aunt Marge into an enormous balloon and then runs away. Soon, it becomes quite apparent that someone is trying to kill him; even after Harry is ensconed in the safety of fall term at Hogwarts, the attacks continue. Myriad subplots involving a new teacher with a secret, Hermione's strangely heavy class schedule, and enmity between Ron's old rat, Scabbers, and Hermione's new cat, Crookshanks, all mesh to create a stunning climax. The pace is nonstop, with thrilling games of Quidditch, terrifying Omens of Death, some skillful time travel, and lots of slimy Slytherins sneaking about causing trouble.

My review: I really like book 3 of the series. Things get really dark, with omens of death for Harry, a mass murderer on the loose, and some really close calls for the three wizards. I also love the introduction of Sirius Black (played by Gary Oldman in my head), who is one of my favorite characters in the entire series. He's extra crazy in this book, and it's really fun to watch Rowling develop his character, not to mention the characters of other adults in the book -- Snape, James Potter, Pettigrew, and Lupin. I also really like Lupin in this book, and how he gives support to Harry when most others write him off. And once again, Jim Dale is the best audio book reader out there. (Finished 11/23/09) 

Green-tea-shaded

Oh my, it seems like this bone-dry air has brought back my sinus infection. Sorry I've not been around much to comment. Being that it's Solstice and time for reflection, I decided to start my new years resolution list early in order to de-stress.

I resolve to adopt a more Buddhist philosophy. I want to make life easier on myself by spending more time with smart people and ignoring extremists. I'm beginning to wake up to the value of the international community.

Check out this comment by my Malaysian neighbor mfn:

It seems like quite a number of the skeptics of climate change are coming from the North America, .. Probably they are not experiencing the bad weather, the rising temperature, the rising sea level, and the extinction of species and habitats.

That may have been the reason why european countries are advancing in eco-communalism (not communism) and slowly moving away from the extreme capitalist beliefs. They want to be independent and sovereign like the US too, by focusing on saving the environment instead of sending people to war.

I'm all for it. My mom travelled to Paris a few weeks ago and she loved it. People are much more open to dialogue and often our friends overseas spend their time searching for the truth, not preaching their version of it.

I'm looking for peace in my life and I think a good cup of tea with a well-balanced person is a good start. I resolve to look to our international neighbors to guide me towards a more globally saavy and mindful attitude. And maybe then I can get rid of this headache (with that and a Netti pot)..  :) 

Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections between Sexuality and Spirituality

Rob Bell

Recommended by: a bunch of people. Plus I'd read other books by Bell.

Purchased from: A Borders going-out-of-business sale, at 80% off. Woot.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Synopsis: "Is sex a picture of heaven?" Bell wonders. It's all about God and sex and heaven, he says: "...they're connected. And they can't be separated. Where the one is you will always find the other." It's the story of God becoming human, of humans mirroring God and love made manifest in the chaos of our humanity. Sex God is about relationships revealed in a way that elevates the human condition and offers hope to those whose relationships are wounded. In Bell's spare, somewhat oblique style, he addresses lust, respect, denial, risk, acceptance and more. He does a fine job using the Bible and real life to show that our physical relationships are really about spiritual relationships. This book joyfully ties, and then tightens, the knot between God and humankind.

My Review: I feel like I should have read this a long time ago. I've had it for a while and I read it in less than twenty-four hours. It was a wonderful picture of what God has set out marriage and sex to be. Bell really delves into how the spiritual and the physical come together and how our relationships here are a picture of God's relationship with us. It's fascinating, really. Bell's style takes a little getting used to -- it's sparse and really uses the white space on a page. This book, though, was probably the least-difficult to handle visually (compared to his other books). I wish I had it with me so I could quote from it a bit. Anyway, I highly recommend this book, especially to high schoolers and people who work with them. I could have used some of this information back in my youth-leading days.